Democrat Politics

Navigating the holiday season can be challenging, especially when tensions run high with family members who have differing political or social views. That said, gift-giving offers a unique opportunity to connect or provide some relief—whether through humor, utility, or shared experiences.

Here are some thoughtful and amusing gift ideas that might bring a smile to a fellow progressive’s face or help bridge the gap with your insufferable MAGA uncle—before Donald Trump gets inaugurated again and all hell breaks loose.

Disclaimer: Daily Kos does not endorse and has not received payment for any of these products. 

1. Trump toilet brush and paper

It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. Make that someone Trump with a toilet brush that makes use of his nest of hair and toilet paper emblazoned with his face—a gag gift for that fellow traveler who needs a good laugh after the dumpster fire of a year we lived through. 

Purchase here via Amazon.

2. Bathing essentials from LUSH

LUSH’s popular candy-scented “Snow Fairy” bath bomb or bubble bath wand is sure to be a hit with the self-care queen in your life. As democracy teeters on the brink, the “Yog Nog” gift set, including a warm gourmand shower gel, bath bomb, lotion, and body spray, will make them feel clean and new, even if this godforsaken world makes us feel like we’ve lived through centuries.

Purchase here via LUSH.

3. “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder

It’s easy to feel helpless and apoplectic during times like these. However, only a few books can be this short and accessible while having real-life impact and relevancy. American historian Timothy Snyder’s “On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century” is one of them. 

In it, Snyder gives specific guidance on what you, as an individual, can do to survive an authoritarian regime, should one ever transpire. 

Purchase here via Bookshop or here via Amazon.

4. Couch caddy 

This product is a thoughtful gift for that MAGA uncle whose body has been molded to the sofa because he watches so much Fox News and needs to keep water and other essentials within reach.

Purchase here via Uncommon Goods. 

5. Baking classes at Sur la Table

Other than soaking in a hot bath and going to sleep, baking remains at the top of many Americans’ lists of de-stressing activities. Retailer Sur la Table offers a variety of cooking lessons, including a holiday baking class and a French pastry tutorial. So, when you or a friend need to pretend that “This is fine,” just head to the SLT kitchen to learn something new, chop and stir those complex emotions, and bake something delicious to stuff in your belly and tamp down your anxiety.

Purchase here via Sur la Table.

6. A luxury “daycation” via Resort Pass

You don’t need to check into a pricey hotel in order to use its luxurious amenities. A new app called Resort Pass allows resorts and luxury hotels in your city to provide pool and spa day passes for a daily rate, ranging on average from $70 to $100.

Trust me, you’ll want to save this for a rainy (or an especially Trumpy) day. 

Purchase here via Resort Pass.

7. “What the actual f*ck?” sticky notes

Because, well, you know why. 

Purchase here via Off the Wagon Shop.

8. Red, white, and blue glitter bomb

This is for that one special person—the one you’re forced to spend the holiday with who won’t stop talking about how they voted for Trump because of “the economy,” sigh. Or they keep insulting your intelligence and reminding you they hate everything you represent, such as keeping democratic values intact, protecting rights, and making sure women have safe access to reproductive care. 

This surprise glitter bomb has a “FRAGILE” sticker placed upside down, so the patriotic contents will likely land all over the recipient’s floor. You even have the option to add a message for an additional $7. 

Purchase here via Potato Parcel.

9. Telescope by Sharper Image

Living on Earth is distressing these days. As the planet warms and far-right nationalist movements get louder, it’s easy to forget that we’re a speck of dust in the universe. You can remind yourself of that by gazing through this smartphone-compatible telescope. Alternatively, look closely at the “drones” (or whatever the heck they are) that have been spotted throughout the U.S. in recent weeks. 

Purchase here via Sharper Image. 

10. Artist-rendered pet portraits from Crown & Paw

Our pets provide joy, amusement, and serenity in these uncertain times. These works of art based on your dog’s, cat’s, or lizard’s photo are perfect for your childless sister or cool aunt who proudly boasts that her furbabies are, indeed, her children. 

Purchase here via Crown & Paw. 

11. “Feral” T-shirt

This T-shirt by Etsy seller OhMyStarsDesignsLLC serves as a blinking red warning sign to those who should not try you today because after 2024, us women are on the edge. Or wear it to the Women’s March in January?

Purchase here via Etsy.

12. EATER wine subscription

Vox’s food-centric sister site Eater now offers a wine subscription, a unique gift for the wine and food connoisseur in your life. With this gift subscription, the option of two, four, or six bottles of restaurant-quality wine is mailed to your loved one’s door each month. Each box is thoughtfully crafted to pair wine with food by a sommelier “who takes inspiration from the flavors, regions, and trends that are exciting them right now.”

Hell, why not just grab a subscription for yourself? We’ll surely need a wine night here and there to decompress from the circus that’s about to begin in this country. 

Purchase here via Eater Wine Club. 

13. First Amendment framed art

The perfect gift for the lawyer, writer, journalist, or politics nerd in your life. This modern rendering of the First Amendment by an artist listed as “Know Your Rights” reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” 

Society6 provides a platform for independent artists to sell their work on prints, mugs, and framed art through their site. 

Purchase here via Society6.
 

Do you have any gift suggestions for this challenging holiday season? Please share them in the comments!

Campaign Action

Lara Trump announced on social media Saturday that she’s taking her name out of consideration for Florida’s soon-to-be vacant Senate seat. It’s a smart move by the president-elect’s daughter-in-law—since she probably wasn’t going to get the seat anyway.

“After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate,” Trump wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

xAfter an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate. I could not have been more honored to serve as RNC co-chair during the most high-stakes election of our… https://t.co/ARdvTQki9N— Lara Trump (@LaraLeaTrump) December 21, 2024

One of Florida’s Senate seats will be up for grabs soon because Donald Trump tapped Sen. Marco Rubio to be the next secretary of state. Rubio’s replacement will be selected by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has a hot-and-cold professional relationship with the incoming president.

Whoever DeSantis appoints for the role will fill the seat until 2026. Then there will be a special election to decide who will serve the last two years of Rubio’s term.

Lara, who is married to Trump’s son, Eric, announced earlier this month that she would step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee, which signaled to some that she was being considered for the Senate role. The nepo hire also received several early endorsements from other Republicans including Elon Musk’s mother, who said that Lara would be a great addition to the political theatre commonly known as Capitol Hill.

But it doesn’t seem that DeSantis was inclined to give Lara a slot in the Senate. In November, he said that he would appoint Rubio’s replacement in early 2025 and promised to do “extensive vetting and candidate interviews” before settling on a pick. The GOP governor has not talked publicly about who he is considering, but several people are reportedly in the mix, including Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez, and former Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva.

In other words, despite his many personal flaws, DeSantis seems to want someone with at least an ounce of government experience for the role. That would exclude Lara, who launched a new activewear line in November and is hilariously trying to be a singer.

Even Trump, who installed Lara as head of the Republican National Committee, seemed doubtful his daughter-in-law would get picked for the Senate seat. When asked last Monday whether DeSantis would appoint her, Trump suggested that he wasn’t expecting any favors from his onetime political nemesis, whom Trump once called “Meatball Ron” and “Ron DeSanctimonious.”

“I don’t. I probably don’t, but I don’t know,” Trump said when asked if thought DeSantis would tap Lara for the role. “Ron is doing a good job. It is his choice, nothing to do with me.”

But don’t get too excited yet, as this won’t be the last we hear of Lara.

“I do have a big announcement that I’m excited to share in January, so, stay tuned,” she wrote. “I remain incredibly passionate about public service and look forward to serving our country again sometime in the future. In the meantime, I wish Governor DeSantis the best of luck with this appointment.”

Lara isn’t alone among daughters-in-law recently snubbed for government roles that their fathers-in-law wanted them to have. At least this nepo hire has her music career to fall back on.

xRNC Chair Lara Trump releases her new music video. pic.twitter.com/iRplU6VIDy— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 2, 2024

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Her memories of recording “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” are a little hazy. She remembers the producer placing decorations around the studio and blasting the air conditioner on a warm Nashville day to create a holiday spirit. The musicians, she recalls, nailed it in a couple of takes.

That’s about it. After all, Brenda Lee was 13 years old at the time — and it was 66 years ago, in 1958.

Somewhat implausibly, her celebration of a “Christmas party hop” is more popular today than ever before. It’s an unusual trajectory, even accounting for the fact that music listeners during the holiday season tend to embrace songs they’ve known for years.

In 2023, Lee released two music videos for the song. “Rockin’” eclipsed Mariah Carey’s perennial favorite “All I Want for Christmas is You” last December to top the Billboard music chart and make Lee, at age 78, the oldest woman to achieve that feat. A week later, following a birthday, she beat her own mark. Kendrick Lamar likely stands in her way of doing it again this year.

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Another record: Sixty-five years represented the longest interval between a record being released and making it to No. 1.

“It is a good song,” Lee, who turned 80 on Dec. 11, told The Associated Press. “It’s a song that anybody can sing. You can join in, you can sing it, everyone is happy. I sure am glad that I have it. I never thought in my life that a Christmas song would be my legacy. But I’ll take it.”

‘An ear worm on steroids’

It’s a phenomenon that music journalist Holly Gleason noticed recently while stopping for coffee in Florida. The song came over the loudspeaker and the room — parents, kids, hipsters — erupted in singing and laughter. “It’s kind of an ear worm on steroids,” said Gleason, whose 2017 book “Woman Walk the Line: How the Women in Country Music Changed Our Lives” featured Lee, among others.

The song manages the neat trick of sounding retro yet not dated. Sweet guitar licks snake around Lee’s voice in the original recording. Boots Randolph’s saxophone solo drives it home. The party flies by quickly, the song over in two minutes, six seconds.

Composer Johnny Marks already had some seasonal hits to his credit, including “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas.” He specifically sought out Lee for his new song in 1958 and it’s easy to see why: Who better to convey its innocence and spirit than a 13-year-old girl at the forefront of the Baby Boom? Rock ‘n’ roll was in its infancy then, too.

In the song, Lee sings about “mistletoe hung where you can see, every couple tries to stop.”

In real life, she hadn’t experienced her first kiss. “Lord, no,” she said. “Not to say I didn’t want to. I wasn’t even allowed to date until I was 16.”

What is the ‘new old-fashioned way,’ anyway?

The song hits plenty of holiday reference points — pumpkin pie, caroling, boughs of holly. You can overlook the part of the chorus that doesn’t make much sense: what is the “new old-fashioned way,” exactly?

Brenda Lee arrives at the 57th Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn.

The simplicity of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is a big part of its appeal, said Nathaniel Sloan, a musicologist at the University of Southern California and co-host of the “Switched on Pop” podcast. Like many successful holiday songs, it evokes nostalgia for a happier, more peaceful time — even if that’s more imagination than reality, he said.

The style is more rockabilly than traditional rock or country, and Sloan believes that has much to do with why it continues to sound fresh.

“The thing that has always stunned me about the song is that you’re listening to a 13-year-old’s performance, and it doesn’t sound that way to me,” he said. “There’s a depth to the vocal, even a weathered quality, that I can’t believe she was so young. It’s pitch-perfect.”

For all of its success, the song was barely noticed upon its release in 1958. Not until two years later, when Lee’s profile was higher through hits like “I’m Sorry,” did it make the music charts. Its biggest boost came 40 years after that, when “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” was featured in the hit movie “Home Alone.” The movie itself has become a holiday staple, giving more exposure to the song each year.

Her record company continues to push the song, recording a video in 2023 that included guest appearances by Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood. This year it has released “Noche Buena Y Navidad,” a Spanish-language version using artificial intelligence to create a vocal derived from Lee’s voice.

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The record company is throwing Lee a birthday party

Universal Music held a party for her in Nashville to celebrate her 80th birthday earlier this month. “She’s just a force and a character,” said Cindy Mabe, the company’s chairwoman and CEO. “She’s full of spunk in the same way that 13-year-old girl was.”

“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” made the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2019. It has been streamed more than 2.5 billion times globally and certified seven times Platinum, meaning at least seven million copies sold. Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, Meghan Trainor, Kacey Musgraves and the duo of Darlene Love & Ronnie Spector are among the artists who’ve covered it.

Lee has sung it countless times over the years, most recently at a charity event last year. It made her concert setlist even in the heat of summer. How much money the song has earned is murky; the record company wouldn’t talk about it. The bulk of its income would likely go to Marks’ estate.

“It has never been a money thing for me,” Lee said. “It’s been a love thing. The money is great, yes, and I’m grateful. But I would be singing it on the corner for pennies because that’s what I love to do.”

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Rep. Kay Granger, Republican of Texas, has missed four months of votes in Congress after “having some dementia issues late in the year,” her son Brandon Granger told The Dallas Morning News. 

“It’s been a hard year,” said the 52-year-old Brandon, who also shared that his mother is living in Traditions Senior Living in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Questions regarding Granger’s deteriorating health were raised when The Dallas Express reported that she had been seen wandering the neighborhood “lost and confused.”

Granger, who is 81 years old, cast her last vote on Capitol Hill in July. She was chair of the House Appropriations Committee until she stepped down in April. She did not run for reelection in November, and her days in Congress are waning with her term ending in January. 

Her absence was felt last week during the chaotic negotiations as House Republicans tried to legislate their way out of a government shutdown.

Even her Republican colleagues decried her running for office despite the first signs of decline, calling the government a “congressional gerontocracy.” 

“The fact that Kay Granger is unable to leave her nursing home to participate in the most important congressional vote of the year suggests she was already in visible decline when she ran for re-election in 2022,” State Republican Executive Committeeman Rolando Garcia said on X on Friday. “A sad and humiliating way to end her political career. Sad that nobody cared enough to ‘take away the keys’ before she reached this moment. And a sad commentary on the congressional gerontocracy.”

Granger’s absence reignites a debate on age and term limits in Congress and the White House, including whether public officials should be required to pass a cognitive test to serve. 

Americans have witnessed the inevitable slowing that comes with age among other elected officials such as the late Dianne Feinstein; 91-year-old Chuck Grassley; 84-year-old Nancy Pelosi; and Mitch McConnell and President Joe Biden, both 82. 

This past month, Democrats, forced to map out a new agenda after their defeat in November, have been clinging to long-held government positions and committee roles even as younger, more progressive candidates and officials vie for their roles. 

In a backroom deal reportedly led by Pelosi, 35-year-old Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was passed over for 74-year-old Rep. Gerry Connolly for ranking member of the House Oversight Committee last week.

While candidates must be at least 25 years old to be elected to the House, 30 to be elected to the Senate, and 35 to become president, there are currently no term or age limits for members of Congress despite being backed by the majority of Americans across party lines. 

Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah, says the lack of term or age limits reflects the self-interest of members of Congress.

“The incentives are all wrong: Stay too long, spend too much, serve The Firm & you’ll find yourself in powerful positions … for far too long. Meanwhile, staffers wielding power in your name will hide your declining mental and physical condition,” Lee said on X on Sunday. 

For many, Granger’s case underscores the risks of allowing career politicians to remain in power for decades, even when they’re no longer capable of performing their duties. It also raises an uncomfortable question: Is the political system doing enough to protect the interests of voters when their representatives no longer can?

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Mike Johnson’s time as House speaker could be coming to an unceremonious end.

House Republicans and their real leader, Donald Trump, are furious with Johnson over the government funding mess that unfolded last week. Multibillionaire Elon Musk and Trump scuttled a deal Johnson made with Democrats to fund the government for three months, threatening a government shutdown just before the holidays. 

The ultimate deal that was passed barely differed from the initial legislation—only it slashed money for childhood cancer research and did not include a provision raising the debt ceiling that Trump hypocritically demanded. 

Politico reported on Monday: 

Not only is Trump unhappy with the funding deal, he’s unhappy with Johnson, too. He’s unhappy that he didn’t get the debt ceiling hike he made clear he wanted. He felt blindsided by the initial deal Johnson struck with Democrats. And, in the end, he was unimpressed with the entire chaotic process, which left the incoming administration questioning whether Johnson is capable of managing an even thinner majority next year.

Now, discussion is picking up about whether to dispose of the Louisiana Republican and replace him with a new speaker when the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, 2025.

With a slim two-seat GOP majority, Johnson can afford to lose just one vote if he wants to remain speaker.

But at least three Republicans have already said they are not committing to voting for Johnson for speaker, and one has said he will actively support someone else. 

“Since President Trump’s historic election to bring down spending, deficits, and inflation, the ‘Republican’-led House has INITIATED $300 billion in unpaid for new spending, without even ATTEMPTING offsets to prevent skyrocketing the deficit and debt. Future generations deserve better,” Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland wrote in a post on X on Monday. “I am now undecided on what House leadership should look like in the 119th Congress.”

On Friday, just hours before the government was set to shut down, GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York expressed frustration with Johnson over his “unacceptable” lack of communication.

“I don’t know what’s going on and really that’s part of the problem,” Malliotakis told reporters on Capitol Hill. “The fact that there is zero communication from leadership to the membership, it’s very frustrating. Something should change before Jan. 3 here.”

xRep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY): “I don’t know what’s going on & really that’s part of problem… Zero communication from leadership to the membership. Something should change before January 3.””How frustrated are you with Speaker Johnson?”@NMalliotakis – “How does it sound?” pic.twitter.com/zT8UN80mGQ— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) December 20, 2024

Axios reported that fellow GOP Reps. Tim Burchett, Victoria Spartz, Andy Biggs, Troy Nehls, and Josh Brecheen are also undecided on who to vote for. 

And Rep. Thomas Massie is a firm no.

“I don’t plan to enter it as a negotiation. I plan to just not vote for him,” the Republican from Kentucky told CNN, saying there is nothing Johnson can do to earn his vote.

xSpeaker Johnson has work to do to win over a number of conservative Rs who won’t commit to backing him on Jan 3 – especially since he needs nearly all Rs to vote to reelect him.Thomas Massie a hard no. “I don’t plan to enter it as a negotiation. I plan to just not vote for him” pic.twitter.com/Szg5B1VKB8— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 22, 2024

Democrats, meanwhile, are not going to bail Johnson out.

“ There will be no Democrats available to save him, or the extreme MAGA Republicans from themselves,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on MSNBC on Sunday, adding that Johnson’s job is at “risk.”

xHakeem Jeffries on whether Democrats will save Mike Johnson from being ousted, “ There will be no Democrats available to save him, or the extreme MAGA Republicans from themselves.” pic.twitter.com/rxFbBXloBB— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) December 22, 2024

It’s unclear who, if anyone, will challenge Johnson for the speaker role. 

Republicans have floated Musk as a possible speaker—which would be a lot for Musk to take on as he has never been a legislator and already has a big job as Trump’s co-president. 

But even if there is no one challenging him for the job, if just two Republicans hold firm against voting for Johnson, then there will be no winner and the House will have to keep voting until someone can amass a majority of votes. In 2023, it took 15 rounds of voting for Kevin McCarthy to win the gavel. And in October 2023, the House was in a state of paralysis for 22 days after now-former Rep. Matt Gaetz ousted McCarthy from the role without any plan of who to replace him with—a chaotic mess that ended with Johnson rising from relative obscurity to become speaker. 

If Republicans can’t coalesce around someone on Jan. 3, when the new Congress is set to be sworn in, the House could devolve into chaos. The legislative body is powerless without a speaker, and if Republicans don’t figure it out by Jan. 6, then the House can’t call a joint session to certify Trump’s 2024 win. 

Politico reported: 

Congress is legally required to convene on Jan. 6 to certify the election results. But without a speaker, the House won’t be able to establish rules governing how it operates. And members who would need to vote on any successful objection can’t be sworn in until after those rules are adopted.

No one really knows if Republican chatter about Johnson’s future is just bellyaching or real grievance.

But either way, the chaos within the GOP ranks is not a good sign for the party’s ability to govern next year. 

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