Welcome to “The Blueprint with Jen Psaki” newsletter. Each week, Jen dives into the key players, emerging issues and strategic movements shaping the future of the Democratic Party.
It was 20 years ago today …
Twenty years ago, a Republican president in his second term was heading into the midterms with historically low approval ratings and a record of disastrous mismanagement, both at home and abroad.
The president was George W. Bush, and the year was 2006, but a lot about that situation 20 years ago feels familiar right now.
In January 2006, I was about one month into my job as a spokesperson at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
I worked with the chairman, a hard-charging fan of profanity, Rahm Emanuel, and with the Democratic House leader, Nancy Pelosi — who was one year away from making history as the first female speaker.
We all had our eyes set on one goal: winning back the House. And yes, the impact of gerrymandering was not quite as bad, so there were more seats in play, and the impact of dark money was not as dark as it is today.
But at the time, Democrats had not held House control for 12 years, ever since being absolutely walloped in the 1994 Gingrich Revolution.
And back in 2006, just like today, there was no shortage of political material to work with.
From February to March 2006, Bush’s approval rating hovered in the mid-30s. And months earlier, he had disastrously mishandled the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.
Bush was overseeing a deeply unpopular war in Iraq, waged without a plan for how to rebuild a country where the United States had just forcibly removed its deeply corrupt leader. Sound familiar?
And with the president’s backing, members of Congress were pushing for the privatization of Social Security — a step that was deeply unpopular with the public, with 55% of Americans opposed.
This all reminds me quite a bit of the current fight over the extension of the Obamacare premium tax credits, which expired on Jan. 1.
So here we are …
Don’t get me wrong, Democrats have challenges to go, including a national fundraising disadvantage. The Republican National Committee ended 2025 with $86 million on hand, while the Democratic National Committee had to take out $15 million in loans in October. The House Republican campaign arm is also leading its Democratic counterpart by more than $720,000 — outpacing Democrats for the first time in 10 years during early fundraising.
There are also unresolved primary races in Maine, Michigan and Minnesota that will shape the battlefield ahead. But across the country, Democratic candidates are raising money and outperforming Republicans. Democrats flipped every special election seat in 2025; Republicans flipped none.
There is a lot that will happen between now and the elections in November. The race may not be about any of the issues that are front of mind today. Back in 2006, the culture of corruption ended up being the campaign closing issue, and there could be plenty to work with on that front.
But it’s finally a year where Democrats could win back at least one chamber of Congress and more governor’s mansions. And with all the factors at play here, it should feel far better to be a Democrat than a Republican right now.
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Ask Jen
“If the White House is the People’s House, why can’t we voice our opinion on what should be written on the picture plaques of former presidents of the United States?”
— Kathleen
Hi Kathleen,
The picture plaques are one of the most vain and cringeworthy redecorating steps Trump has taken. It is infuriating. And it does feel crazy that an inhabitant of the White House can do whatever he wants to redecorate. It shouldn’t be that way.
But you can absolutely voice your opinion. And there are a lot of ways to do it, whether that be through peaceful protests or calling your representative or voting in your local elections. You do have a voice.
One more thing before I go …
This is a huge political year and we will be watching all of it. We are going to take a hiatus from the weekly newsletter for now, but stay tuned for updates on how we are going to continue to cover every aspect on how Democrats can win again.
Jen Psaki is the host of "The Briefing with Jen Psaki" airing Tuesdays through Fridays at 9 p.m. EST. She is the former White House press secretary for President Joe Biden.