I have been urging people who are concerned about the incoming Trump administration to take positive action instead of wringing our hands and lamenting what's gone down. Robert Reich has suggested several ways to do this (see his website and posts on Facebook). Right now, it is imperative that we write and phone our U.S. senators and tell them firmly that Trump's cabinet nominees are almost all unacceptable. I have sent the following letter to my own senators and congressional representative. While the words may be wasted on most Republicans, it is essential that Democrats tell their party that they will not accept weakness, meekness in the face of a bully like Trump and a hypocritical Republican Party that expects the decent treatment it consistently denied to President Obama. I urge everyone to write a similar letter and also to phone their senators and representatives often. Continue to pressure them to resist the Trump agenda.

Dear Senator _________:

Never before in my 73 years have I been as concerned about the fate of our country -- and much of the world -- as I am at the Trump presidency. His behavior and statements pose potentially horrific consequences.

Trump leads a Republican Party that now controls all three branches of the federal government, as well as 33 of the 50 state governments, and is devoted to the most extreme right wing agenda of the past century. Republicans have promised to repeal the ACA and defund Planned Parenthood. These two measures alone would do incalculable harm to millions of Americans who would be left without health insurance and unable to pay for care themselves. Politifact estimates that more than 20 million Americans would lose or be unable to obtain health insurance. Planned Parenthood is among the very few health and counseling resources available to lower-income populations -- men and women alike. Planned Parenthood estimates that 2.5 million women and men in the United States annually visit their health centers each year. While the GOP has made vague reference to replacing the ACA, they have given no details of such a plan and I doubt one exists. Even some Republicans have expressed disapproval of repeal without a replacement plan in place. GOP plans to repeal and to then, later, produce an alternative sound unworkable.

The litany of Trump’s racist, xenophobic, and fear-mongering words show that he is dangerous and unfit for the presidency of the United States. Such a threat requires firm, outspoken resistance by you, our representatives in Congress, and by we the people. Careful, safe, and calculated statements are not enough, nor is it the time to retreat in fear of a man who is -- when all is said and done -- a childish schoolyard bully who needs to be resisted, like all bullies.

Trump’s long list of lies and self-contradictory remarks are sufficient to conclude that his word cannot be trusted. His evolving statements regarding a wall along our border with Mexico is a graphic case in point. A 2009 Government Accountability Office report estimated the cost of building one mile of fencing along the 2,000 mile border averaged between $2.8 million and $3.9 million, but warned that it could be more. Aside from this move being racist and internationally provocative, he has also made so many different statements about his intentions that even his blindest supporters must feel betrayed by now. Newsweek Magazine reported that “Trump has described his wall as low as 25 feet tall and at other times as high as 55 feet. Sometimes he has his wall running the entire border, other times only 1,000 miles, plus the 670 miles of high steel fencing Republicans spent $2.4 billion on to keep illegal immigrants out of the U.S.” Trump’s estimates for walls of various lengths and heights range from $8 billion to $12 billion. The Washington Post estimated a more realistic cost of $25 billion.

Perhaps most frightening are Trump’s attacks on the press, his barring reporters from news conferences and public events who even slightly challenge him, and his reliance on Twitter as his primary form of communication. He gives little thought to what he tweets -- or for that matter, says from any platform -- focuses almost solely on himself and those who personally attack or ridicule him. He makes rash and irresponsible statements about domestic and foreign policy, including suggestions that nuclear proliferation would be a good idea, along with a new trillion-dollar arms race with Russia. The Obama administration already has planned to spend over $1 trillion in the next 30 years on an entire new generation of nuclear bombs, bombers, missiles and submarines, which an independent Federal commission called “unaffordable”. He provoked China by talking to the Taiwanese government, had repeatedly defended of Vladamir Putin and threats against our NATO allies and, perhaps most dangerous of all, has threatened to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Jordan has already warned of “catastrophic” consequences if such an ill-advised move is carried out.

The legitimate press must be encouraged and empowered to resume its traditional independent, investigative role, without intimidation or demonization. Both the press and Democratic opposition must develop effective ways to communicate facts that disprove Trump’s tweets. That can begin by re-instituting the FCC’s Fairness Doctrine that was repealed by President Reagan. Without that act, the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Fox News would never have gotten off the ground because the Fairness Doctrine required that holders of broadcast licenses present controversial issues of public importance in a balanced manner, including the presentation of opposing points of view.

Trump’s repeated condemnation of our intelligence agencies and his propensity to believe other sources over them—including the Russians and Julian Paul Assange, editor-in-chief of the organization WikiLeaks—or just his own internal belief system, is alarming. Trump has more than once insisted that the election was not hacked by the Russians, and that claims of such are no more than sour grapes by the Clinton campaign, and that millions of people voted illegally (presumably all for Clinton) without a shred of evidence to support any of his claims. Leaders of the intelligence community have stood up firmly to Trump’s efforts to discredit and bully them. So must we all.

Trump’s refusal to release his income tax statements or discuss his personal finances make it impossible to determine the extent of his conflicts of interest regarding those holdings, as well as his ability to act freely in foreign affairs or domestic economic regulation. Even the Wall Street Journal found that Trump owes at least $1.85 billion to 150 Wall Street firms and other financial institutions. “As a result,” say Journal reporters Jean Eaglesham and Lisa Schwartz, “a broader array of financial institutions now are in a potentially powerful position over the incoming president.”

Trump’s nominees for key cabinet posts are a collection of the worst choices in the history of the presidency. Almost every important post would be filled by someone who has expressed condemnation of the department they would lead. Yet, the GOP leadership plans to ram through confirmation of Trump’s nominees without properly vetting them. The Office of Government Ethics has expressed serious concern that Congress is moving much too swiftly to confirm these nominees. More recently, the Office released a statement that it's lost contact with Trump’s transition team since the election. In the past, cabinet nominees were required to file extensive financial disclosures listing any business interests that could pose a conflict of interest. But most of Trump’s nominees -- many of them billionaires, business moguls, and Wall Street financiers -- have not yet disclosed a thing, or their disclosures are incomplete. Nonetheless, Trump’s transition team and some Senate Republicans want to hold hearings on them anyway, starting next week when nine hearings are scheduled, suggesting that Republicans have serious concerns about the qualifications of these nominees, which might be revealed in proper hearings. These same Republicans, including leaders Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan, refused to even hold hearings on President Obama’s last nominee for the Supreme Court. During the recent campaign, the same Republican leadership threatened to reduce the Court to eight Justices permanently if Secretary Clinton won.

A brief look at several Trump cabinet nominees and other appointments is frightening:

-- Rex W. Tillerson for Secretary of State: Tillerson, a multi-millionaire, is the president and chief executive of Exxon Mobil and has close ties to Mr. Putin. For that reason, he comes with strong motivation to rescind President Obama’s sanctions against Russia in order to clear the way for Exxon to carry out oil exploration in Russia. 

-- Jeff Sessions for Attorney General: Sessions is a strong proponent of strict immigration enforcement, reduced spending, and tough-on-crime measures. He supports measures that restrict voting, especially among racial minorities. His nomination for a federal judgeship in 1986 was rejected because of racially charged comments and actions.

-- Ryan Zinke for Interior Secretary: This congressman’s views indicate that he can likely be counted on to end President Obama’s rules that stop public land development, curb the exploration of oil, coal and gas, and promote wind and solar power on public lands. 

-- Rick Perry for Energy: A man who could not remember the name of the department he would lead and has vowed to abolish it.

-- Andrew F. Puzder for Labor Secretary: Puzder is chief executive of CKE Restaurants and a major donor to Trump’s campaign. He has opposed fair treatment of workers, an increased minimum wage, and advocates measures that favor the corporate bottom line at the expense of workers.

-- Scott Pruitt for E.P.A. Administrator: Trump has vowed to dismantle the agency “in almost every form” and this Oklahoma Attorney General -- who has close ties to the oil and gas industries -- is likely to do exactly that, including clean air and water standards.

-- Steven Mnuchin for Treasury Secretary: Mnuchin was Trump’s campaign finance chairman and has no government experience. He is a former Goldman Sachs executive with major Hollywood roots, which is ironic, as Trump often criticized Secretary Clinton for having the same connections.

-- Elaine L. Chao for Transportation Secretary: Married to Senator McConnell, she’s been a long-time fixture in Washington and served as Labor Secretary. She is likely to push through Trump’s plan to privatize much of the nation’s transportation infrastructure, such as privately owned toll roads, at taxpayer expense through tax breaks and subsidies, and which will levy tolls on users. Such action would reverse President Eisenhower’s intention in building the interstate highway system to serve commerce and the public.

-- Betsy DeVos for Education Secretary: DeVos is a long-time, forceful advocate for privatizing education and would dismantle our public education system to the benefit of the rich and detriment of everyone else. Most of our country’s greatest achievements were accomplished by graduates of public schools. This is as true among business leaders as well as astronauts.

-- Ben Carson for Secretary of H.U.D.: Aside from once serving as a frequent butt of Trump’s jokes, Carson lacks management experience and said that he does not want to work in government, making him an odd choice. He also opposes long-standing housing programs that benefit the poor.

-- Stephen K. Bannon for Chief Strategist: Bannon is a right-wing media executive and chairman of Trump’s campaign. He is an outspoken racist and propagandist.

I cannot state in strong enough terms that, under no circumstances, should any Democrat vote to confirm any Trump nominee. No Trump Supreme Court nominee should receive a single Democratic vote, nor even be granted a confirmation hearing. It isn’t just payback for the eight years of insults -- e.g., “You lie!” -- as well as degradation, racism, and obstruction that Republicans leveled at the Obama administration. Rather, it is the only way to effectively fight and resist a would-be dictator and tyrant like Trump.

If the Democratic Party is to stand for anything, it must stand for resistance to the Trump agenda. It must be a loud, forceful voice of opposition and a communications channel that conveys truth to counter Trump’s lies and propaganda. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren can’t do it alone. It will take all of you, all of us, and all of our strength and courage.