627 Comments

Brilliant how Heather pulled together the threads of seemingly independent stories. Oh how I wish more people read her. Even more, I wish she was on tv, or at the very least, the talking heads followed her lead. No wonder Biden doesn’t do well in the polls-- they never focus on his accomplishments and all he’s done to help average Americans. Instead, they talk about trump, MTG, et al. They continuously miss what’s important and I can no longer watch them.

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I've stopped watching too and rely on my favorite sub stack writers, WAPO , NPR and The Atlantic for my news. The final draw for me was when the cable news shows reported on the NRA convention and neglected to point out that there were no guns, backpacks or umbrellas allowed. Such hypocrisy needed to be pointed out and they all failed to do so. Heather is amazing.

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Exactly me, but I throw in BBC, Al Jazeera & Der Spiegel! No broadcast news whatsoever except in extreme circumstances (local disaster or triumph.)

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Actually, along with the above-mentioned news sources, I watch "Morning Joe" and "Deadline White House," at some point in the day, and they were clear about the raw and outrageous hypocrisy of the NRA's refusal to allow guns while setting up metal detectors throughout the conference. Reminds me of MAD Magazine: What, Me Worry?

Let's all think hard about what that says about the "gun laws" lobbying forces...and what it felt like, hearing Kristi Noem proudly share the story about her 2-year-old granddaughter's ownership of a rifle and some other weapon. The word "outrageous" doesn't cover it. The case for strong, very strong, gun laws grows exponentially. And the children shall lead us, unless Cleta Mitchell gets his way.

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I agree re the hypocrisy. (For clarity-Cleta is a female-you used the term"his".)

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Yikes! Thanks for correction, Barbara.

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And NPR, The New Republic, Talking Points Memo, the Intercept, the LA Times. I don't watch news on TV. Ugh, never.

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Ooh Thanks for reminding me; I’ve been wanting to do Talking Points for a while!

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And The Economist.

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And The Guardian...they provide another perspective and Margaret Sullivan writes periodic opinion pieces for them that are quite good. I hadn't thought about this shift in my information gathering methods, but it's true. Sadly, the Buffalo News is way down on the list, as well.

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I came here to add The Guardian. Thanks! :)

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Yes, I know someone who writes for it in the UK!

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Apr 21, 2023·edited Apr 21, 2023

Perhaps part of the NRA's price of admission was that the talking heads explicitly not say anything about guns not being allowed at the convention. Otherwise they won't be allowed in next time.

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Supreme Court allows no guns as well.

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Or Congress.

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Um, since the GOP took the House and immediately removed the metal detectors, it's possible, even likely that some of the fascist GOP reps are actually armed while on the house floor.

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A given

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They did that ?? Egads!

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Check out Pro Publica for top tier investigative journalism.

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I also support ProPublica. Its’ reporting often results in serious investigations into public sector malfeasance. It is not, IMO, entirely “neutral” in reporting some issues. Even so, I send them a few bucks every month.

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I am finding that I really enjoy the Atlantic and eagerly await the daily arrival in my email. We do watch the local news and usually the NBC national news, but that's it. The rag here belongs to Gannett, but there are now some other sources for local news online. My am starts with Heather and all you good people posting. Fairly free of trolls too and when they show up, I ignore them. I have also gained a Facebook friend here who lives in Eugene and I enjoy her perspective. And I have exchanged a few emails with someone in the Boston area. I also read voraciously, my current book being God: an anatomy. Just started it and have already learned a lot about the ancient Levant.

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Like Heather, The Atlantic is indispensable.

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I like Substack, too, for its thoughtful community and its civility. Hooray!

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I’ll throw in ProPublica

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MSNBC reported that about the NRA convention.

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To me that fact is an acknowledgment of how unstable they consider gun owners to be. Talk about self condemnation!

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Apr 21, 2023·edited Apr 21, 2023

Agreed that the issue of polling approval numbers is always perplexing. Journalists' attempts at answers seem all over the place in my own reading until I came across one rather simple response that was buried in the last paragraph of an article in Vox yesterday. I did post it but it was evening and likely not many saw it so here it is again if it makes sense to others. It was a quote by recently departed from the WH, former Chief of Staff Ron Klain who says,

“We’re just at a place where, in democracies, we’re going to find that forty-three or forty-four [percent] will turn out to be a very high approval rating, just because people are polarized: the people on the other side are never going to say you’re doing a good job, and for the people in the middle it’s just easier to say, ‘Eh’,” he told the New Yorker’s Evan Osnos.

The larger article is here:

https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/2/21/23603432/joe-biden-economy-approval-rating

PS I posted some things from Simon Rosenberg yesterday that I didn't expect to get as much attention as it did. I spelled his name wrong and everyone copied it! My apologies.

It's Simon RosenbErg and he has much to offer us including a major push in 2024 to get our youth out to vote. So interesting that HCR points out the GOP's answer to this is more youth voter suppression while Rosenberg's (Dems) approach is more truth / data / facts!

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I also think that we’re not taking into account who’s being polled. Is it only people who indiscriminately answer their land line? Think how wrong the recent pre-election polls have been. President Biden is doing a great job. We need to get that message out. Polls be damned.

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Some years ago when the Maddow blog was still available, there was a lady who worked in polling. Loved her screen name too: Carolina lady with fan. She explained to us the ins and outs of polling and after that I have paid very little attention to them. Locally, this week our new governor in Oregon polls the lowest of any in the US. She has been in office 100 days and so the problems are not going to go away asap. She is no nonsense and as a former speaker of the house, she knows how things work. She has started visiting all of Oregon's counties as well. She does have a wife, so I suppose that is part of the problem for some.

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who has a landline that does not live in a place with spotty or no cell reception?

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Me! (old fart)

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I have a landline too, but only answer calls from people I know.

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I do the same. Caller ID is a beautiful thing

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I have a landline, but unless I know the caller, I screen the calls by letting them go to the answer machine.

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I haven’t had a landline for about 15 years, and very seldom do I pick up for Unknown Caller.

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Me too!

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Love Ron Klain! So sorry he left. David Rubenstein interviewed him on his Peer to Peer program, https://podtail.com/en/podcast/the-david-rubenstein-show/ron-klain/

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We can share her far and wide! She has at least two thousand followers! With a note to pay for the piece to read and comment on others views. We can be an army HERE!

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I frequently share her posts on Facebook. The more social media sites she's shared on the better.

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I share Dr. R’s letters on Facebook every single day.

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Me too. Add a bit of my own intro to pique interest

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Me too and I have people reading here and quoting her and passing the letter on to their friends.

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So do I.

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A quick Google search suggests she has about 350,000 substack followers, 1.4 million facebook followers, and 385,000 twitter followers. Many of us forward her messages, so the 'actual' numbers are considerably higher....

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So sorry; I got so excited, actually forgot my “likes” were always way over a million so excuse undercount please.

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Her subscribers far exceeds two thousand!

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Hey Jim,

Here's some math. According to Wiki, Heather may see an annual cash flow of roughly $1 million. That's two years ago. Which equals 20,000 paid subscribers + who knows how many who read her for free. I am going to take a wild (very wild) guess and suggest that her LFAA reaches well over 100,000 people a day.

Wiki:

"The newsletter became popular because of her calm voice, with straightforward explanations of the news of the day. As of December 2020, Richardson was "the most successful individual author of a paid publication on ... Substack" and on track to bring in a million dollars of revenue a year."

Of course, her wisdom and assessments are worth every penny she earns. More people should read her than watch MSM tools like Jake Tapper and Leslie Stahl.

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Top 10 substackers average $2M/year. $2M/($60) = 33,000 paid subscribers. She is #1 of those 10 so presumably makes more than $2M and has more than 33,000 paid subscribers. And many times more than that unsubscribed readers. More power to her.

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Go, Heather, go! also...GO! FIGHT! WIN! She is doing more to actually save our democracy by sharing her understanding of American history woven together with her vast knowlege of current events, and presented through impeccable writing. I give myself the gift of reading Dr. Richardson's LFAA first thing every morning. Then I share with friends, best gift ever.

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I'm happy to be one who is subscribed.

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She is right there on the top of my list but I've been listening to Thom Hartman for twenty years and watching him on Free Speech TV for several years. They both are the greatest.

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I just started getting Hartmann's newsletter. Powerful stuff!

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Compare that to the legions who watch Fox’s ‘Ministry of Propaganda” blather. Sanity is outgunned

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I share her posts on Facebook. The data shows she has more followers than you think!

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I share many of her posts on FB. Most of my FB friends are 10 or more years younger than I am, though, and sometimes I think they regard me like the Simpson's "old man yells at cloud" newspaper headline. :D

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over two years ago she had 350,000(!!) subscribers to this newsletter... I wonder how many she has now?!!

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Thankfully way more than 2k!

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That's because broadcast media in the US has become entertainment - or at the very least, it chases audiences by any means - and outrage sells a lot better than praise. Sad human trait, isn't it?

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After an hour on media, especially on video, it's hard to remember that most events of the day are mundane, and the reasons for most events are commonly boring and prosaic. And I've come to appreciate boredom like a oenologist savors wine.

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Much of the local broadcast news seems to be based on police radio calls. So many cuts to investigative journalism staff that it often appears stations just have one person follow the police radio and send a camera to the scene. They are ambulance chasers, tallying the day’s destruction. Just what we need.

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The truthful alternative to "Fox News".... Cox News. We all need this!

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Perfect!

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May I use this when I post Heather's posts to my FB page, please?

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Please, please spread the word!

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Robert B. Hubbell reminds that we must not be complacent and to be vigilant and be positive. HCR reminds us to be vigilant and be hopeful as well. Thank you!

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Show those pictures to the executives of gun manufacturers!

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Show the pictures to all the legislators taking campaign funds from the nra and all the other weapons manufactures proxies!

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Tell them you can no longer watch them, and why.

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I can no longer watch them…indeed. The MSM, with few exceptions, has failed the country…

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They sure have. They didn’t learn from 2016.

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OMG, I've found my people in this comment thread. Wow!! It's SO good to know there are so many like-minded intelligent people here. As I read the threaded comments, it just kept getting better and better. You all just made my week!! Thank you.

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Trump v Biden, Biden wins again. I don't put much faith in those polls, have any of you readers of this substance been polled in the last 10 yrs?

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Polls tell us nothing. I was polled long ago and all of my answers were the same: “Because of the way you worded the question, if I answer yes I’m not giving you the truth and if I answer no I’m also not giving you the truth.” The pollster hung up on me.

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HCR writes hopefully of a new shift toward transparency and accountability. RFK, Jr.'s recent speech announcing his candidacy in opposition to Deep State Swamp Creature Joe Biden comes to mind.

Will this new shift extend toward examination of the evidence that Joe Biden stole the 2020 Democratic nomination from Bernie Sanders? The evidence consists, among other things, of a pattern of discrepancies between the official primary results and the exit polls, with the Massachusetts primary being the most egregious example.

There is a lot of behind-the-scenes evidence regarding the general topic of computerized election fraud in the U.S.A. A good place to start is the book "Votescam: The Stealing of America" from the 1990s, part of which is free here:

https://books.google.com/books?id=ZxpZCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT9&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1#v=onepage&q&f=false

And then there was Bush v. Gore and the 2000 Florida election meltdown. That brought us the investigative reporting of British journalist Greg Palast:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/events/newsnight/1174115.stm

Of course Florida wasn't about computerized vote fraud, but it shoved the general issue of vote fraud in our faces.

And in 2004 we were introduced to the notorious oh-so-easily-hackable Republican Diebold voting machines:

https://columbusfreepress.com/article/diebold-indicted-its-spectre-still-haunts-ohio-elections

And see also:

https://www.computerworld.com/article/2549684/back-door-flaws-found-in-diebold-e-voting-machines.html

And back then was when "Black Box Voting" was active. They're still around:

https://blackboxvoting.org/

Back then, it was always the Republicans who were being accused of computerized election fraud. One cliche was "Stay up at night past bedtime and wait for the computers reporting the results to crash, and then see how the numbers change."

In the 2008 Democratic primary season, I did just that. (I voted for Hillary in the primary, and for Obama in the general election.) It was the North Carolina primary, and it was a do-or-die moment for Hillary's campaign. The voting results started coming in, and it was close. And then, around 11:00 p.m., an announcement: The computers crashed and there wouldn't be any more updates for the time being. I smelled a big fat rat, and decided to stay up way past my bedtime to witness what happened.

It must have been around 3:00 in the morning when there was finally an update: Hillary's total was unchanged, but there was a big jump in Obama's total, putting the election out of reach for Hillary.

For a couple days, there was some speculation that Hillary was going to challenge the result, but she didn't, and the North Carolina Attorney General became the next governor, and North Carolina was chosen to host the next Democratic convention, thank you, thank you.

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I can see that you seem to be anxious for responses to your post this morning (since you have posted this same piece at least three times - see below).

Overall, yes, we have many, many issues with the voting process in this country. “Somebody stealing an election from somebody else” is just one issue.

Yes, everybody wants to WIN (and wants THEIR candidate to win.). Nobody likes to lose. It’s as much an “ego thing” as it is an ideological thing. Nobody likes or wants to be WRONG.

YES, there are “computer glitches” - real and “manmade.”

Am I surprised that there might be differences between “Exit Polls” and the Final Results or even Phone Surveys? NO!! C’mon, Jack….

Here is a list of Disturbing Things about voting in the US of A:

1.) Lack of Participation. Lordy, even in a Presidential Election, it is supposedly SURPRISING that 62% of the voting age population voted in 2020.

2.) Voting Rules and Procedures (eligibility, access, registration, methods, etc.) vary not only from state to state but also county to county. I recently moved and registered to vote at my new address only to discover (because of a jury summons) that I was still registered to vote at my old address and that it was MY RESPONSIBILITY to call my old county to have them remove me from the rolls. SAME STATE, no less. What? We can’t link up our computer systems?

3.) Election Day, Polling Places, Long Lines, I GOTTA GET TO WORK….

We can do better than this. Other countries have figured it out, but the Mass Confusion must be beneficial to some folks, huh?

And, I must tell you that I have a very busy day today, so if you respond to me and expect an immediate answer, it ain’t gonna happen.

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Paul, perhaps you make a point of scrolling through all the posts that everybody makes. There is no reason to think that everybody does the same. I replied with the same post to two or three different people, each of whom might not see my other posts. I saw fit to do that, and you are welcome to either respond to the content of what I posted (as you did) or leave me alone.

Regarding your response, it seems like a pooh-pooh dismissal of the problem of computer vote theft.

I hope that you are not a paid Biden shill. At least you don't come across as a Biden troll, unlike a few others around here.

p.s. I dont't expect or hope for a reply.

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John, I suggest you start your own Substack.

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HCR does an excellent job of massaging talking points. The place to counter the rampant dishonesty around here is ... right here.

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Yup, John, stay right here with HCR and her readers and continue to share your point-of-view. Questioning whether individuals are “paid Biden shills” and/or “Biden trolls” is not, however, a positive sign that you are sincerely wishing to discuss matters of importance to our Nation. In my response comment, I have tried to point out our places of agreement: Neither of us wants to live in a Nation that tolerates Voter Fraud. Both of us want a system of elections that are fair and available to EVERY eligible voter - that no citizen’s vote is stolen or denied. Correct?

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Nope, on the contrary, John, I believe every possible case of voter fraud should be thoroughly investigated and adjudicated as was done after the 2020 Presidential election. That should give us all a sense of security that voter fraud can be eliminated. That charges of election fraud are taken seriously is very important for a democracy. And I am glad that ex-President Trump was able to use the legal system that provided fair and open (transparent) access and decisions, which were made available to all Americans.

I’m less inclined to keep harping about elections that took place 10, 20, 30 years ago. Those candidates had the same court system in place to adjudicate their cases. If any particular candidate did not ask the courts to look into the matters you are bringing up - OK.

Trump brought over 60 suits to the court system and lost. So be it.

I’m sorry that you have seemed to interpret my original comments as “poo-pooing” voter fraud. That is very, very far from my view of this nation and of elections in general.

I’m sure that once you read this you will concur and will understand how united we are on this issue. See ya around, John.

(Yes, this has been a long day for this 77 year old dude. I’m helping my elderly sister pack up her house so she can move to a senior living facility.)

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Apr 21, 2023·edited Apr 21, 2023

John, to explain in detail the depths of your bullpucky:

Biden didn’t steal the 2020 nomination from Bernie. Biden beat Bernie fair and square.

James Collier, author of the Votescam book you reference, also wrote that the moon landing was a hoax.

Kerry lost Ohio legitimately. No voting machine hacking involved. It’s another conspiracy theory that won’t die.

Obama’s primary victory over Hillary in North Carolina was similarly legitimate, driven by Black voter turnout.

I’m not sure what your aim is - create fear and doubt by spreading unfounded conspiracies it seems. You seem cut from the same cloth as Mike Lindell, Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani.

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Saying so doesn't make it true.

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/april-20-2023/comment/15052228

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Exactly! Saying so with solid evidence does make it true. Which you need to do.

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Others can think for themselves. But you're the kind of guy who makes people want to say things they know that others will agree with.

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Not YOU again!

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Report him (…report comment).

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We are still watching evening news (less and less) more as a comparison of what we know to be happening against what story is being told. We have a friend who who quit watching years ago and her mantra has been, "if it winds you up, but you have no to-do list when it's over, don't watch." There's wisdom in that approach, but it's also helpful for me to know not just what's happening, but how it's being messaged. My mom and I willl both watch a congressional hearing, compare notes, and come up with similar opinions. Then we part company, she watches her Fox heads, and the next day her impression of what happened is different. I first noticed this several years ago and it has been meaningful to me to help anchor the conversation. "What changed, Ma? Remember when we talked about this yesterday and had agreement?" It's been helpful. I am SO FRUSTRATED that Fox will not be forced to correct the record/ issue a retraction. Their viewers do not know that Fox Corp just, essentially, pled guilty to lying to them.

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I no longer watch TV, especially not cable "news."

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Narrative trumps evidence.

Perhaps a revival of muckraking will again reverse this. 🙏🏻

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Thank you, Ginni. I feel the same!

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Heather, I felt all the stories you cite were about the depth of Republican desperation to hold power no matter what. The Tennessee cases are particularly interesting in that they all reveal a deep corruption the local people must have known about all along. I really hope the guy now living high on the hog in Nashville is fired and prosecuted! He broke a very clear law. The dastardly act of throwing out duly elected black representatives for no reason, shone a World Light on them all. Wonderful “unintended consequences” for democracy! Heather, we all marvel at your clarity and support for us in making sure we know what is really going on in the world. Thank you!

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He not only broke the law, but went out of his way to hide it by the way he structured the purchase of his Nashville home, then lied when it was found out that it was his residence. And to top it off, he collected his allowed expenses as if he still lived in his District. Can you say corrupt?

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The Tennessee Three should go after him BIG TIME! A clear winner of a case for all folks paying attention to politics. Meaning everyone, right now.. .a winner for Democracy. Thank you Jean, for your comment.

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Justin Jones asked the clerk to read out the requirements for residency, and the clerk laughed. If dependent on Sexton for his job, it was probably all he could do.

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That’s IT???? The clerk laughed? What is going on?

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I dunno. It's a bit hard. Let me try. Corrupt Asshole. Oops. Sorry. Can't just say Corrupt by itself.

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I learned a new word yesterday: Ignoranus. Now, if we could find a word that adds corrupt to ignorant asshole, we're in business.

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You beat me to it! Here is the full description!

One of the hybrid words from the Washington Post. The Washington Post's Style Invitational asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Ignoranus (n): A person who's both stupid and an asshole

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As I recall from old Saturday Night Live skits….didn’t they call them “sniglets”? Memory hazy as to the source, but I recall the moniker. One that comes to mind is “destinasia”, a mash up of “destination” and “amnesia”……something that happens to me from time to time.

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If I take that literally, would i be too wrong to think that an ignoranus has no clue he's spewing b.s.?

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Knave. Rapscsllion. Scallywag. Cur. All apt words for past times. I personally like the modern Yiddish phrase, "Schmuck with Hutzpah".

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Yes, Jean I can!

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Today in Montana a leader in the legislature blocked a Democratic member from speaking on the issue of care fir trans youth. I'm certain the fact that she is transgendered had nothing to do with it.

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Forgive my ignorance, but how can a member of a legislature block another from speaking?

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Annis, the GOP make the rules as they go along. The Constitution means nothing, ethics mean nothing, their state Constitutions mean nothing. We are seeing this over and over again.

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In Tennessee, they do it by turning off their mics.

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I guess when you make up the rules “as you go along” you do “whatever you damn please”. OMG. This is also a type of insurrection, no? Annis, what do you think?

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It is Calvin's Rules, as in the wonderful Calvin and Hobbes cartoon series. I miss them, a very long time ago I was Calvin.

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It's anarchy - and not the David Graeber kind!

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My understanding is the speaker refused to recognize her. Some protested , they took it to committee & the republican super majority said the speaker has that right. So they voted for authoritarian rule rather than parliamentarian. I can look for the article if it makes the Missoulian paper

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In TN, the speaker turned off their mics. Also, when asking for a voice vote, the individual is told no.

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Is there no recourse? The governor? the courts? Someone has to police the rules.

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They'll have to start bringing in bullhorns again.

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No. The republicans stick together.

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HCR writes hopefully of a new shift toward transparency and accountability. RFK, Jr.'s recent speech announcing his candidacy in opposition to Deep State Swamp Creature Joe Biden comes to mind.

Will this new shift extend toward examination of the evidence that Joe Biden stole the 2020 Democratic nomination from Bernie Sanders? The evidence consists, among other things, of a pattern of discrepancies between the official primary results and the exit polls, with the Massachusetts primary being the most egregious example.

There is a lot of behind-the-scenes evidence regarding the general topic of computerized election fraud in the U.S.A. A good place to start is the book "Votescam: The Stealing of America" from the 1990s, part of which is free here:

https://books.google.com/books?id=ZxpZCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT9&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1#v=onepage&q&f=false

And then there was Bush v. Gore and the 2000 Florida election meltdown. That brought us the investigative reporting of British journalist Greg Palast:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/events/newsnight/1174115.stm

Of course Florida wasn't about computerized vote fraud, but it shoved the general issue of vote fraud in our faces.

And in 2004 we were introduced to the notorious oh-so-easily-hackable Republican Diebold voting machines:

https://columbusfreepress.com/article/diebold-indicted-its-spectre-still-haunts-ohio-elections

And see also:

https://www.computerworld.com/article/2549684/back-door-flaws-found-in-diebold-e-voting-machines.html

And back then was when "Black Box Voting" was active. They're still around:

https://blackboxvoting.org/

Back then, it was always the Republicans who were being accused of computerized election fraud. One cliche was "Stay up at night past bedtime and wait for the computers reporting the results to crash, and then see how the numbers change."

In the 2008 Democratic primary season, I did just that. (I voted for Hillary in the primary, and for Obama in the general election.) It was the North Carolina primary, and it was a do-or-die moment for Hillary's campaign. The voting results started coming in, and it was close. And then, around 11:00 p.m., an announcement: The computers crashed and there wouldn't be any more updates for the time being. I smelled a big fat rat, and decided to stay up way past my bedtime to witness what happened.

It must have been around 3:00 in the morning when there was finally an update: Hillary's total was unchanged, but there was a big jump in Obama's total, putting the election out of reach for Hillary.

For a couple days, there was some speculation that Hillary was going to challenge the result, but she didn't, and the North Carolina Attorney General became the next governor, and North Carolina was chosen to host the next Democratic convention, thank you, thank you.

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We must be reading and listening to different facts. I personally don’t believe in Alternative Facts. I worry about the coming elections that are critical to keep in a continuing Democratic administration. Qualified Democrats. Many to choose from. Let’s work hard not to support Independent and alternative candidates that could split the tickets. Robert F Kennedy, Jr, with his conspiracy theories and antivaxer stance doesn't seem to be a good party fit. Then there’s Sinema and Manchin. We need majorities. .Latest upset : NC State Dem Representative announced she is switching party affiliation to GOP. She said the Dem party “has become unrecognizable to me.” Let’s get to work friends.

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Irenie, a good starting point for double-checking your sense of reality is: What do you make of Davison Budhoo's resignation letter from the International Monetary Fund, with its extended confession of genocide? The I.M.F. has always been dominated by the U.S. government. Here are some excerpts from Budhoo's letter, confessing his guilt in "our own peculiar Holocaust":

"To me resignation is a priceless liberation, for with it I have taken the first big step to that place where I may hope to wash my hands of what in my mind’s eye is the blood of millions of poor and starving peoples. ...The blood is so much, you know, it runs in rivers....

"The charges that I make touch at the very heart of western society and western morality and post-war inter-governmental institutionalism that have degenerated into fake and sham under the pretext of establishingand maintaining international economic order and global efficiency....

"Will the world be content merely to brand our institution as among the most insidious enemies of humankind? Will our fellowmen condemn us thus and let the matter rest? Or will the heirs of those whom we have dismembered in our own peculiar Holocaust clamor for another Nuremberg?

"I don’t mind telling you that this matter has haunted me; it has haunted me particularly over the past five years. It has haunted me because I know that if I am tried I will be found guilty, very guilty, without extenuating circumstance...."

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oJzvpfFzIKu76oE1CkzZlarRiVpYIggFMFzSt6OgHx0/mobilebasic

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Of course Biden, who was planted in the Senate back before the beginning of time, was fully in the know as our IMF genocide got into full swing in the 1980s and 1990s.

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John....for crying out loud, why don't you just start our own Substack?

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Anyone who begins rant with “Deep State Swamp Creature Joe Biden” is forever on my 💩 list. No expletives here, right? Tried to delete from my page but he keeps coming back sort of like his herpes might do. 🤬

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Actually, the whole phrase is: Creepy Snuggles, the Deep State swamp creature mired in Ukrainian sleaze, from tiny corporatist Delaware, where the grassroots voters work in corporate headquarters buildings. If Trump is Godzilla, then Biden is Dracula.

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The impression around here is a bunch of white racists apologizing for (or resolutely ignoring) genocide while supporting Ukraine's bigoted, oppressive, undemocratic thug regime:

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/april-23-2023/comment/15175428

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HCR does an excellent job of massaging talking points. The place to counter the rampant dishonesty around here is ... right here.

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A corollary theme to these news developments is rank dishonesty and immorality. It’s in the GOP’s DNA.

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And the Democrats have been zombified. Biden stole the nomination from Bernie Sanders, and then he embraced much of Bernie's platform so disgruntled progressives wouldn't revolt, like the left-wing Oregon protestors chanting "F#CK BIDEN!" on Inauguration Day as they marched to the local Democratic Party headquarters and broke all the windows.

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Those weren't left-wing protesters. They were anarchists. Big difference. Not that you deal in facts.

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Transparency is what’s missing from the campaign to restrict gun ownership and use. If we were shown the horrific scenes of slaughtered children in color on our screens, the gun violence would more likely be reduced significantly by legislation. And gun manufacturers would be held accountable. Without those pictures the slaughters continue. Print headlines don’t tell the story of what happened. In the case of gun violence pictures will be worth a million words.

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In any case, we need to pay more attention to the impact of gun violence on human lives. Many still live in the nightmare violence has created long after the "news" moves on.

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And when we do, we naturally focus on those who were killed and how their families are coping. But what about those who survived but were permanently disabled? What about survivors who suffer from PTSD or similar disorders because of what happened? The full extent of the gun violence plague is never reported.

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Exactly! The other day I read an article, I believe it was in The Guardian, about a young man who had survived the Columbine shooting and saw his best friend killed there, who went on to suffer terrible drug addiction due to the trauma. The article was because the poor young man had finally succumbed to drugs and overdosed. So tragic!

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Sad. But that's the kind of thing our nation's gun madness has led to, and it's good that the story is being told. We need to read and hear more of these stories.

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Behind the gun is a mindset that clings to violence as a legitimate means of negotiation with society. Some, such as the Quakers, who I admire, believe that violence is always wrong. I live in a rural area where coyotes, cougars, and bears (oh my) visit my yard. The bears cause some problems, but I want to share space with them, and I want to protect them; but had I the means, I would kill one if it attacked me or others. I think that true self defense is justified, which has nothing to do with "stand your ground". I don't see a need to ban (but certainly to regulate) all guns, the way we do motor vehicles.

The thing I find most threatening is the narcissistic gun culture for which "I could kill anyone I want, whenever I want" is experienced as an expression of psychological potency. It is a literally uncivilized and a form of violence in and of itself.

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We've always had guns, of course. In some ways, Americans have always had a strange, sometimes creepy, relation with them (violence as a negotiation tool, as you put it). But also as you say, there were also valid, practical reasons for guns, especially in rural areas. I remember going to Boy Scout camp in the 1960s, where one of the activities was target shooting .22 rifles at the rifle range. It was just another activity to us, along with swimming, canoeing, and hiking. (I was actually a rather accurate shooter, and I received a hunter safety certificate from the NRA, back when they were mostly a sport shooting and hunting organization and not a political lobby.)

It has only been in the past 20 years or so, aided by the NRA's lobbying and the Supreme Court's reinterpretation of the 2nd Amendment (among other factors), that guns have become objects of virtual veneration. And that coincides almost perfectly with the meteoric rise in mass shootings.

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This is as sick as it gets. David Grossman was a popular police trainer who lectured around the country, although I have read since that publicizing of his philosophy has led to push-back since:

In the class recorded for 'Do Not Resist,' Grossman at one point tells his students that the sex they have after they kill another human being will be the best sex of their lives. The room chuckles. But he’s clearly serious. 'Both partners are very invested in some very intense sex,” he says. “There’s not a whole lot of perks that come with this job. You find one, relax and enjoy it.' Grossman closes the class with a (literal) chest-pounding motivational speech that climaxes with Grossman telling the officers to find an overpass overlooking the city they serve. He urges them to look down on their city and know that they’ve made the world a better place. He then urges them to grip the overpass railing, lean forward and 'Let your cape blow in the wind.' The room gives him a standing ovation. "

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2017/02/14/a-day-with-killology-police-trainer-dave-grossman/

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you never get over the slaughter of your child, never, not for generations

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...I tremble at that thought - but it showing the body bags did work for Vietnam. Perhaps it will work here too.

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I was thinking the same thing as I read this post & the comments….it really brought the horrors of war into our living rooms via the TV news reporting nearly every night.

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We can't do that. I would have to stop watching the news. I hate to say it, but is it possible people would become desensitized to the photos, just like to the news about mass shootings? Civil disobedience, possibly like students frequently walking out of school en mass as they did in Tennessee is likely to work. Persistent civil disobedience always works.

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One of the commenters on the Times story (a "Dr. B") suggested a parent/teacher strike, starting with one day the first month, two days the second month, and so on, until legislators act.

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Unfortunately, I see that as playing right into the hands of the fascists. They are trying to destroy public education. The educated don’t make the best fascist followers.

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I am a combat veteran, I know what an assault weapon can do, I read the NYT piece yesterday before going to bed and it took me nearly 3 hours to fall asleep. I know they don’t need to hear it from me, but if I could I would thank those people that cataloged what happened at Sandy Hook, at great personal cost, they had to have nerves of steel, I have seen up close for maybe an hour what they witnessed for days and it has impacted my life for 53 years now. That was the most powerful and difficult article I have ever read in the NYT. This entire nation needs to read it.

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Wow, Dick. I saw the piece and shied away from reading it. I will read it now because of your very moving comment. Thank you for your service.

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Me too.

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Can you gift the article so we can all read it? I’m very grateful to folks who gift pay-to-read articles (yes, I believe they should be compensated, but they charge so much for simply adding your name to the database....)

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Thank you Dick. I’ll read the article. My father and Father-in-law were both soldiers in WW 2 and they had difficulties parenting their sons. There seemed to be an underlying rage and sorrow that sometimes came on without our predicting why. Yet they often told stories as if those years and relationships were the best of their lives. How confusing for them and their sons. And all of us. We call that PTSD. I was born in 1946 a year after my father returned from Italy. In 1946 the Film “The Best Years of Our Lives” won seven Academy Awards. It’s about three USA soldiers readjusting to civilian life and Societal changes after returning home after War. Once called Shell Shock.

Here’s a description and it’s on YouTube.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Best_Years_of_Our_Lives

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That stays with you, even as a professional. I had a very similar investigation early in my career, and my partner on that call was fresh out of the academy and just gained solo patrol status. Without knowing exactly what or how to do, the two of us went out to breakfast after work and debriefed that particular incident. Years later, we both became members of our peer support team (me when it was first formed, him about 5 years later) and we are both still active as retiree volunteers.

I am so sorry you got a front row seat to that.

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When I speak up on fb pages of the R congress critters I get lots of NRA rhetoric thrown back. I can give 40 facts or if I mention Ryan Busse's book, I get an overwhelming amount of comments that I dont read. Their give no ground stance has made them blind to reasonable policies promoted by the anti assault gun groups. If Gen Z has their way, these people will go underground as victims rather than understanding.

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They will return underground. They came up from under their rocks when Trump gave them permission to act on their worst inclinations. White folks have always played the victims, even when it was legal for them to own other human beings.

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Listening to Caste while watching it snow. I think they have been hiding behind rocks of organizations , it is too recent for them to be under them.

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Racist gun-fetishists? Haven't they been around a long time?

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Right now they are on steroids here in many W states likeMT & ID. All part of the cult of CN

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mostly all you get back on those forums are nasty remarks from people who get any self esteem they have from sitting in the basement ( metaphorical )trolling all day.

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For about a month after the shooting at Uvalde, my Facebook profile picture was of a pair of green hi-top Converse Chuck Taylors with shamrocks on the toepiece. That was the only way that one of the victims could be identified. As someone who has personally handled numerous firearms death investigations, that chilled me to the freaking bone.

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George, I know that the shock value of such carnage would be the stark reality necessary to bring people out of their false interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. Is this what the framers had in mind when the wrote a “well regulated militia”? Or, with the caption, “Your child seen here supporting Americans God given right to own military grade weaponry”.

There are logical, even easy solutions to this slaughter without throwing the gun owners tender little egos over the edge. But this a Republican problem. They own every death by this type of gun. Show them what they support, for real. The harsh reality of their inaction.

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Mamie Till knew this.

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It was bad enough looking at the dead bodies of children when it was my job. If it popped up on the evening news, I would immediately change the channel and I wouldn't be alone.

People can't be traumatized into logic. The brain, under threat, shuts down the prefrontal cortex, where complex reasoning occurs. I would argue that the horror of the news, etc, is what's caused so many voters on the right to illogically vote against their own interests.

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Bad news for Republicans = Good news for Americans.

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'Cash-Strapped Fox Forced to Sell Kevin McCarthy'

April 19, 2023

'NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report)—Reeling from its punishing settlement agreement with Dominion Voting Systems, a newly cash-strapped Fox News Channel has been forced to sell Representative Kevin McCarthy.'

'Rupert Murdoch, who acquired the Speaker of the House just two months ago, expressed sadness that new financial realities had necessitated the sale.' (Satire,NewYorker)

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Borowitz is a tonic - brings me good cheer and reminds me how to laugh regularly.

As to Kevin McCarthy. Either he simply believes in miracles or he is just another punk who loves the limelight - regardless of the circumstances and consequences. He can't count votes. He sells his soul to the lowest bidder. And then he switches his babble to squirm out of the latest mess he has created. His 320 pages of nonsense will get him nothing but fleeting support from the wackiest wing of his party of chaos. He has no end game. No long game. But he is playing with the future of millions of Americans as if it were a fun little game of Monopoly. Actually, it feels more like Candy Land. You are almost there and then you draw the Gingerbread man. Actually, I think poor Kevin is stuck in the licorice swamp.

I think I will look up some old "Dark Side" cartoons. Larson and Borowitz will get me through...

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Punk who loves the limelight

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Jeri, you beat me to it

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“Far Side”? I miss Gary Larson too….was the one overwhelming reason to buy the newspaper!!!!

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Fern, this is hysterical. LOL.

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I didn't think there was much of a demand for Kevin McCarthys these days (or on any days, really). Capitalism is a strange, strange thing.

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Mr. Abbott, what do you have in mind combining K. McCarthy and capitalism? Rupert bought Kevin when he became Speaker of the House; there's lots of money to come from them their seats. Just to turn the corner a bit to wonder what Murdoch is worth these days and how much $$$$ after his case with Smartmatic .

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I was wondering the same thing. Sadly, even if FOX had to pay the full amount to Smartmatic, it would just dent the Murdoch fortune. On the bright side, however, the Dominion settlement came after it was firmly established that knowingly lying on the air puts the liar in legal jeopardy. Dominion established ground rules for how to successfully sue for defamation that will hopefully give broadcasters like FOX pause in the future.

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Perhaps Faux's confession to lying, and Murdoch's apology therefor, will come with the Smartmatic case. I REALLY, REALLY hope so. They have gotten away with this for far too long.

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Read that yesterday and, adding in "WTF Dumbo," I laughed aloud each time they popped into my head. While in no way did that ease my concerns about either referenced party, it was pleasant temporary relief!

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Thanks, Fern!!!

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!!! Happy to see you, MaryPat !!!

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Borowitz always delivers!

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TC: I like how you differentiate “Republicans” and “Americans”…..

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Good news for America would be exiling MAGATs to an isolated, uncharted island for LIFE with the absolute minimum of contact with the rest of the world with armed guards to keep them from receiving " help ". No radios, cell phones, smart phones, etc.

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Where are those FEMA camps they were going on and on about, when we really *need* them?

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Maybe we could repurpose Guantanamo or Molokai, the former LEPER colony in Hawaii.

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I hear the weather is fine on the coast of Cuba, and the condo complex has already been built, sits largely empty by now, with it's own private airstrip.

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PRETTY SURE that the MAGATs could fill it nearly to near - capacity or more.

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Sounds democratic.....?!

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If they can't / won't respond to psychotherapy, what other options have we ? It's like leaving pyromaniacs in a fireworks storehouse.

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It's true, although I would hate to resort to doing things that I would condemn in them. But honestly, how can we take pity on beings that are basically cancerous tumors in our society? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I have no good answers.

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The feeling is MUTUAL. These people don't help, if we try to reach out to them, they'll tear our arms off & beat us to death with them.

We need a Phantom Zone from the Superman lore.

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Here's a vintage poster of the Pyramid of Capitalist System. Dated look, but still true.

https://forgottenfiles.substack.com/p/pyramid-of-capitalist-system-1911

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Just sent this poster link to my homeschooled 17-year-old daughter, who cannot wait to vote in her first national election in 2024, and is acing her 11th grade honors U.S. History class. That stellar class is pulling no punches while hiding no facts. In our home, my two Gen Z’ers know the heavy lift ahead of them politically and are unafraid, although they both have reason to be. We were just discussing capitalism last night, during her drive-time practice, on the way back home from her job. (Demonstrating mastery through teaching me. A+.) She’s a busy girl. But Life is School, and learning is constant, and I thank you for this pass-along today. It helps the learning continue.

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Donna, great to hear that your kids are politically engaged and learning from the past. I taught US history in Rochester NY for many years. Always inspired by insights of my students. Now in Portland Ore teaching the next generation of teachers.

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Wonderful, Peter. We are going to need all the good teachers that we can get. Thank you.

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Love this. Thank you. It absolutely speaks to today.

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Peter, this looks so relevant today, don’t you think? In America! Have we had our heads in the sand?

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What’s the phrase, “History doesn't repeat itself but it often rhymes”

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Thank you, Peter. A picture’s worth a thousand words. Capitalism!

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That's quite a visual! Thank you.

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Lord is this the absolute truth

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Picture perfect!

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Thanks Dr. Richardson, your letter is encouraging, democracy still has a chance as long as the judicial system holds together and mostly it has. There are important appointments of federal judges that are being delayed by Senator Feinstein and her absence , from committee work, due to her unfortunate decline from dementia. This will be a long battle , and the appointments matter. She needs to resign and allow new blood to take over. The anti democratic forces seem to be circling the drain and that trend needs to continue to accelerate.

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Feinstein is suffering from shingles--and having had them they can be debilitating and excruciating. The dementia is speculation. The underlying issue is Republicans blocking a temporary replacement,

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/republicans-block-temporary-replacement-for-sen-feinstein-on-judiciary-committee

We need to face the fact that the Senate is populated by older Americans many with health issues--depression, concussions, and cancer among them. The Senate and House have to enact rules to mandate committee replacements without requiring a 60 vote supermajority of the whole Senate.

"Senate rules require the entire chamber to elect members to standing — or permanent — committees, but each party is largely responsible for choosing which of its members will serve on each panel. The parties nominate potential committee members at the start of a new Congress, but senators do not officially serve on the committees until they are elected by the entire Senate. f Feinstein's temporary replacement is treated as a vacancy, Democrats would turn to the committee to make a nomination before Senate Democrats approve the assignment by unanimous consent.

After that, Schumer would bring up a resolution on the Senate floor. If he does so via unanimous consent, a single senator could object to the replacement. The resolution would then go to a floor vote and require at least 60 votes — including at least 10 Republicans — to pass. "

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dianne-feinstein-replacement-judiciary-committee-republicans-oppose/

Lindsay Graham and several other Republicans have said they would object. In another example of lying they are saying that putting in a replacement for Feinstein would tip the numbers on the judiciary committee to allow in radical liberal judges to be confirmed. That comes from Tom Cotton and Marsha Blackburn and Thom Tillis--those true defenders of packing the courts as long as they are ultra far right wingnut conservatives.

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If I were Feinstein, I would hire a plane and be flown to D.C. on a gurney, hire an ambulance to take me to the Senate, hire nurses to care for me, and take my place on the committee. I would shame those Republicans and help make the appointments. I hope she recovers soon. As a nurse, I cared for people with complications from shingles. It's no picnic.

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Or like MC CAIN DID

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What did McCain do? I apologize for my ignorance.

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He was in the finally state of brain cancer when he voted for keeping the ACA , Icould be wrong on that but I know he was very ill when he voted for the people. He was one of the last true R

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I remember the vote but I didn't know he was so ill. Thank you.

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This is how the Civil Rights Bill was passed in 1964, after lengthy filibuster: “The most dramatic moment during the cloture vote came when Senator Clair Engle was wheeled into the chamber. Suffering from terminal brain cancer, unable to speak, he pointed to his left eye, signifying his affirmative "Aye" vote when his name was called. He died seven weeks later.”

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg could have saved us a lot of trouble by retiring while Obama could have replaced her and I hope Feinstein might keep this in mind. Meanwhile Mitch deserves credit for being the man who deserves so much blame for our current troubles. I hope he gets credit for destroying the GOP, rather soon too.

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I recall reading that when she was asked about that, RBG said that if she had deliberately resigned before she had to, it would have been an admission that the Supreme Court had become a political branch of the executive. Tough choice -- you either resist that politicization, thereby becoming a victim of it, or give up and become a part if it.

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RBG was gravely stricken with cancer and was unable to fully function , much of the time. How could resigning have been a political choice? By staying on, long after others would have, was that also a political choice? Perhaps everything is political as so many have said, it can’t be avoided, even on the SCOTUS.

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I think you are correct on all points and while it may have been a considered, ethical, choice on her part, I think she made a mistake, too.

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The dementia is more than just speculation and I think in light of “transparency”, highlighted in today’s letter, it is important to note, that we as a society, need to have these conversations. Organic damage to the brain, whether from injury or illness affects how well people function. If the person with the diminished capacity wields power over the lives of others there is likely to be suffering as a result. How do we overcome the shame and embarrassment of diminishing mental capacity, to address such issues? Maybe, when it is realized that organic brain damage can happen to even the most brilliant, folks will stop disparaging each other as being “stupid”. “Insight” into our diminishing capacity can be effected depending on where in the brain the damage occurs. If we understand the diminished capacity as a consequence of nature rather than a personal failing, perhaps we can discuss it more openly, and come up with some consensus on the most loving ways of preventing suffering?

https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/dianne-feinstein-senate-17079487.php

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I read yesterday that Blackburn and Hagerty (my two “senators “) have endorsed tfg for 2024. Ugh.

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One thing about them... They never fail to live up/down to our expectations...

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Surprising Sen. Feinstein has not received Shinrix, the shingles vaccine. It is very effective.

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I just received my second Shingrix shot and I have to say, it was definitely NOT without the famously unpleasant reactions. Having said that, I still have a 10% chance of developing a case of the shingles, albeit a milder case.

Many folks omit getting the second shot which boosts the effectiveness of the vaccine--exactly because of the pain and mild achy beat-up all-over malaise feeling of the reaction.

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Glad to know this, as it’s on my “To Do” list this year. Oh boy.

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Get it anyway--the reaction isn't terrible. Uncomfortable and unpleasant, yes, but certainly better than the alternative. I took care of my Mom when she came down with shingles and it wasn't anything I would ever want to get!--she was lucky; the rash came very close to her eyes but didn't reach them. She suffered from residual nerve pain for an entire year. ((She got shingles before the vaccine was available)

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Yeah, after my 2nd shot of Shingrix, I was queasy and chilling like crazy for about 24 hours. But because it was August and a bazillion degrees in Seattle (no AC), the chills were kind of a blessing!

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Thank you! I absolutely will--I want no part of the actual disease! I react that way to most vaccinations, so it won’t be anything new for me. I take it as a robust build-up of protection. We can do anything temporarily. :)

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Just DO it! It's like most any vaccine - ya might a get a mild case of malaise, but that means it's working. Beats the alternative.

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It lasted a day. Nothing compared to actually getting shingles.

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TL Mills, I found out from my pharmacist that Medicare and my secondary insurance will not pay for my second shingles shot. At that point a year ago it cost $250. I think now that perhaps I need to go ahead and get it and pay for it, is there any other information out there?

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Whoa!!! I have Medicare, too (Medicare Advantage through AARP) and all of my vaccines that have been mandated (all the Covid shots, the flu shot, the Shingrix and the pneumonia shot) have all been paid for by insurance.

I'm very surprised that Medicare won't pay for the second shot...that seems rather counter productive. Do you have a deductible?

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HCR writes hopefully of a new shift toward transparency and accountability. RFK, Jr.'s recent speech announcing his candidacy in opposition to Deep State Swamp Creature Joe Biden comes to mind.

Will this new shift extend toward examination of the evidence that Joe Biden stole the 2020 Democratic nomination from Bernie Sanders? The evidence consists, among other things, of a pattern of discrepancies between the official primary results and the exit polls, with the Massachusetts primary being the most egregious example.

There is a lot of behind-the-scenes evidence regarding the general topic of computerized election fraud in the U.S.A. A good place to start is the book "Votescam: The Stealing of America" from the 1990s, part of which is free here:

https://books.google.com/books?id=ZxpZCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT9&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1#v=onepage&q&f=false

And then there was Bush v. Gore and the 2000 Florida election meltdown. That brought us the investigative reporting of British journalist Greg Palast:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/events/newsnight/1174115.stm

Of course Florida wasn't about computerized vote fraud, but it shoved the general issue of vote fraud in our faces.

And in 2004 we were introduced to the notorious oh-so-easily-hackable Republican Diebold voting machines:

https://columbusfreepress.com/article/diebold-indicted-its-spectre-still-haunts-ohio-elections

And see also:

https://www.computerworld.com/article/2549684/back-door-flaws-found-in-diebold-e-voting-machines.html

And back then was when "Black Box Voting" was active. They're still around:

https://blackboxvoting.org/

Back then, it was always the Republicans who were being accused of computerized election fraud. One cliche was "Stay up at night past bedtime and wait for the computers reporting the results to crash, and then see how the numbers change."

In the 2008 Democratic primary season, I did just that. (I voted for Hillary in the primary, and for Obama in the general election.) It was the North Carolina primary, and it was a do-or-die moment for Hillary's campaign. The voting results started coming in, and it was close. And then, around 11:00 p.m., an announcement: The computers crashed and there wouldn't be any more updates for the time being. I smelled a big fat rat, and decided to stay up way past my bedtime to witness what happened.

It must have been around 3:00 in the morning when there was finally an update: Hillary's total was unchanged, but there was a big jump in Obama's total, putting the election out of reach for Hillary.

For a couple days, there was some speculation that Hillary was going to challenge the result, but she didn't, and the North Carolina Attorney General became the next governor, and North Carolina was chosen to host the next Democratic convention, thank you, thank you.

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No need to repeat over and over in the same discussion. The people who subscribe do to https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/ do not need repetition in order to understand or find. Please refrain from repeating in the same conversation. It makes your point seem almost pointless. Thanks for listening. -saw-

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Steve, admonishing his propaganda provides him the attention he seeks

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troll alert

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I’m devastated by your insinuation

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...said the hopeful purveyor of "fake news"

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Steve Wagener, perhaps you make a point of scrolling through all the posts that everybody makes. There is no reason to think that everybody does the same. I replied with the same post to two or three different people, each of whom might not see my other posts. I saw fit to do that, and you are welcome to either respond to the content of what I posted or leave me alone.

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"Deep State Swamp Creature Joe Biden"

If you really wanted to engage this audience and gain an ear for what you wanted to say, beginning your note with this phrase was precisely the wrong way to go about it.

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Exactly, "deep state" = no need to read further.

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Translation: "Don't mess with my kool-aid."

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I understand that independent-minded thinkers around here (and there are more than you realize) have to deal with the presence of thuggish Biden trolls.

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Apr 21, 2023·edited Apr 21, 2023

I am no troll. I am a retired community college rhetoric and composition teacher, and my comment was based on the logical fallacy with which you opened your note here.

It's true that most of Heather's regular readers respect Pres. Biden and think he's doing a good job. That doesn't make any of them trolls either, though. Unlike many supporters of The Former Guy, we aren't cultists who would kiss his feet if he came into the room. And there's probably a lot of disagreement with his policies and ideas among us as well. He's not perfect.

But introducing yourself with an ad hominem (personal attack) is a total non-starter for gaining an audience with us. If you wish to critique this or that Biden policy or position--feel free to air it, so long as you support it with evidence from credible sources, and also so long as you are willing to accept agreement or disagreement from us.

I don't care if you think I'm a troll. I don't care if you think I"m just another swamp creature. But your tactic of opening with an ad hominem did not win you any favors here, and I think it's a good idea for someone to point that out to you.

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Actually, I didn't think you were a troll. If you go back and double-check what you read, you will doubtless be able to glean that from what I wrote. The key word is "thuggish." Your post was not thuggish.

Perhaps you are out of practice in analyzing the content and rhetorical goals of people's posts, and/or perhaps you were being obnoxiously pretentious, and/or perhaps you were having a senior moment. But not a thuggish troll.

p.s. I suspect that HCR's readership is more diverse than your post implies.

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Apr 21, 2023·edited Apr 21, 2023

Perhaps you ignored my main point--beginning your dialogue here with an ad hominem was not a good way to gain an audience. It doesn't take a great deal of analysis to recognize that fact. The rest of your note was quite easy to ignore, in fact. I'm sure most readers here who ran across it did just that after reading the first paragraph.

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Oh drop it, you are tedious, repetitive and mostly wrong

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...said the (paid?) Biden troll

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Control/copy addict.

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...said the I.M.F. Holocaust denier.

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I started to read the NYT article about Sandy Hook. I hadn’t thought before of the psychological damage done to the investigators. When I got to the part about the children not having recognizable faces, I had to stop reading.

But I had a new thought. If anti-abortion people can show images of dismembered fetuses, why can’t pro-gun-control organizations show images of classrooms after a massacre? (For that matter, why can’t MSM?) It’s time to stop playing nice. All Americans deserve to see what this really looks like.

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And now we have shootings in parking lots, driveways, for ringing a doorbell. The fear and violence is encouraged to bring about a military take over, even though they sold it as protection against that. Yes! Show the damaged bodies!

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Looking for the link to the gen z organization that is organizing young people to vote

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See IRA LECHNER’s. posts about an organization he works with at Harvard. I will try to find the name of it, or just send Ira an email at iralechner@yahoo.com requesting information.🐼❤️

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No thank you, no one should have to see those images of carnage and horror, the thought is heartbreaking enough.

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Yes, it’s heartbreaking. And I think that’s exactly WHY we need to see the actual damage.

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I read the entire article and wept😥 I have personal connections to several mass shooting (Charleston, Highland Park, Buffalo) and the trauma is enough. Just one example (GPE, WNY), I was born in Buffalo, raised in EA. I was visiting in Buffalo last May when the Tops shooting occurred and have relatives who were directly affected - no need for any of us to see the carnage to understand the tragic loss of life on MSM. As I've said in a separate reply - show the pics to gun manufacturer's execs! (NRA leaders as well)

Good conversation, thx for you comments!

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Neither the leadership of the NRA nor the gun manufacturers/sellers have any empathy or compassion; they sold their souls for money decades ago.

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Oh, and legislators too....

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ESPECIALLY THE LEGISLATORS!!!

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I think that the Republican NRA puppets do!

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Not really sure I need to see the photos. Humans have been torturing and murdering each other throughout the ages; I don't need to see paintings or sketches of people hanged, drawn and quartered, or burned for heresy, etc., to know this is horrible and inhuman. And I'd be concerned that some horror somewhere would turn photos of the murdered children into porn, TBH. So no, but photos of the body bags of the murdered children, and the tiny coffins of the murdered children - carried by two people at a funeral, instead of the six required for an adult? Photos of the blood of the murdered children on the floors, walls, anywhere? Photos of the bloodied belongings of the murdered children? Bring them on. With the strongest possible language. "Mass shooting" is beginning to wear thin, sound predictable, almost, gawdhelpus, trite - use massacre, slaughter, mass murder, etc. - it's not like any of those words overstates the case.

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Apr 21, 2023·edited Apr 21, 2023

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”

― Abraham Lincoln

'It hit me as I read through all this news that a key theme seems to be a new shift toward transparency and accountability. It jumps out at me that people are talking to lawyers and to the press about illegalities, irregularities, and, in the Sandy Hook case, horrors that in the past they have kept quiet.'

'Whether it comes from disgust at the excesses of those who are attacking our democracy or from fear of the law, …(Letter)

Will Fox News wind up on the chopping block? Are Americans finally seeing through the likes of Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan, Rudy Giuliani, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Andy Biggs et al?

'When that shift happened, the walls protecting the country’s entrenched leaders crumbled fast.' (Letter)

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Morning, Fern! The thought occurred to me while reading your excellent post that we need to counter these "household" names with names of our own as the real leaders of democracy that they are: Jamie Raskin-MD; Daniel Goldman-NY; Governors Gretchen Whitmer-MI and Gavin Newsom-CA; Hakeem Jeffries-NY; Maxwell Frost-Fl; my two senators from VA, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. Now add names of your favorites to this list. I suggest we never name one of theirs without at least naming one of ours.

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Adam Schiff-CA was on the January 6 committee. He has been endorsed by Nancy Pelosi in his run for the US Senate seat currently occupied by the "absent" Dianne Feinstein in 2024. There were others on the January 6 committee who were also really impressive.

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Barbara Lee, House of Representatives representing Oakland, CA, since 1998. The only member of Congress to vote against the authorization of force after the 9/11 attack. Decades in front of causes now considered obvious (LGBTQ+ rights). Former chairperson, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus. Got her start in politics working on Shirley Chisolm's Presidential campaign.

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Now I'm getting embarrassed for not remembering Barbara Lee. Thanks, Mitchell!

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I feel you - it's like the older I get, the less I know!

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LOL, Nice to be in good company!

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Yes to Adam Schiff! I'm sure I missed many more, too.

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In California we have Katie Porter, a relatively new but very strong voice. Where I love the work that Schaffer has done, I believe it’s time for a younger, quite capable person to gain entry to the Senate. My husband and I have agreed to disagree on this one. I might add that her candidacy is creating a possible domino effect in local politics that requires that she win so that the person, Dave Min, running for her office also does. They were both instructors and friends at UCI School of law. He is currently a State Senator doing an outstanding job, and we all know about Katie.

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Ahh, Katie has been mentioned three times so far! A real dynamo, she is. State legislators like your Dave Minn vying for her U.S. Rep office need to be advanced as well.

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Rep. Katie Porter also supports accountability, facts, honesty and democracy.

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Wish I thought of Katie in my original post, Sandra. Love her!

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Of course. There are others. That's just a start on the list.

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What do you think of Adam Schiff?

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Ed Markey, Senator from Massachusetts: excellent, progressive, and living proof that a person with age and experience can be both. Recently RE-introduced the Green New Deal in the Senate as his progress buddy AOC did so in the House.

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Ed Markey, a keeper, for sure, Joan. Reminds me to add Angus King from Maine. And Wow, AOC, belongs way up there as well!

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ERIC Sawell (sp) of CA jay inslee of WA Patty Murry WA . The name of the woman from CA a real bull dog of facts & charts.

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Katie Porter

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Yes to Katie...how could I forget her!

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Swawell...hard to spell but a name worth highlighting along with Patty Murray - hurray!

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Katie Porter

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By my count so far, Katie gets the prize - if there was a prize!

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And all those on the J6 committee

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Here you go, Carole: Bennie Thompson-MS; Liz Cheney-WY, former rep; Adam Kinzinger-IL, former rep; Elaine Luria-VA, former rep; Jamie Raskin-MD; Stephanie Murphy-FL, former rep; Pete Aguilar-CA; Adam Schiff-CA; Zoe Lofgen-CA.

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Hi, Lynell. They are all household names to me. I'm all for expanding in certain areas...and my waist is not one of them.

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Sheldon Whitehouse, too!

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Shame on me, Kathe, especially after having binge-watched all his Scheme videos!

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Sen Whitehouse, Rep Allred, Rep Crockett, Rep Jackson (and his TikTok)

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This list is getting really big, Beth. Yippee!

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Lynell, When did Lincoln stop being one of our real leaders? It is also time to get those 'quote' companies to add more names of the living to their repertoire, Who will lead the squad to get the current crop of Democracy's leaders to the top. Any callers, Lynell?

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Apr 22, 2023·edited Apr 22, 2023

Jamie Raskin, Justin Pearson & Justin Jones. The three J's.

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Boy, howdy, Eadie! Let's add Gloria Johnson, too.

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No problem. Gloria Johnson should have been n my reply. She's a real trooper.

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From what I understand, the 'walls' did not crumble so much as fall to blows from a succession of bigger and bigger hammers. The reformers of that day did not wait for sunlight to do all the disinfecting for them, they worked hard and long. Now, our biggest 'hammer' is the Gen Z vote. They are surprisingly engaged, and much better educated and informed as a group than any generation before them. They seem cynical to boomers, but that is because they see what a bollocks we've made of the world, just as boomers mistrusted the Greatest Gen in the 60s and 70s. It is no wonder the Republicans want to suppress their vote (to "save the constitutional republic" no less).

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Apr 21, 2023·edited Apr 21, 2023

Boomers were very active in the 60s and early 70s when they had time on our hands (thinking women's lib, Vietnam, President Carter, cleaning up the environment, No Nukes, Bangladesh, Farm Aid) but the powerful, who were not boomers at the time, waited them out. Boomers realized they weren't listening and failed to vote in large numbers because they thought their vote didn't count...well they are right, two elections the loser of the popular vote won twice..resulting in two terrible presidents. Also, having attended the gun control march, the women's march, and the science march (all in DC) I can attest that the boomers were well represented, if not the largest majority there. Marches require stamina that many boomers no longer have.

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Precisely.

Signed,

A mom of 2 Gen Z’ers.

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Doesn't it make you wonder what their perception of a valid "constitutional republic" is?? It does me! I'm almost positive that it means rich white men control everything and everyone else is their chattel.

Lately I've been recalling GWB saying he envisioned this country as being "an ownership society". At the time I thought, I believe along with most people, that he was referring to all Americans getting to the point where they could own their own homes. But now I've come around to believing he meant "owned by the wealthy white men, same as it had been before FDR".

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A supposed quote from W. “You can fool some all the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.” This is the only reason that W and chump became president, along with MONEY, and LIES

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Maverick of B&W TV attributed most of that statement to his daddy! Do you have a reference for Lincoln? For 65 years I thought it was made up. Maverick finished by saying "and those are pretty good odds."

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My source is below.

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/275126-you-can-fool-some-of-the-people-all-of-the

Your question, Frank, was a good one.

'Until recently, we had no documentary evidence linking Lincoln to the quotation (and no evidence of the quotation itself) before 1901, when it was included in Abe Lincoln’s Yarns and Stories, a volume compiled by Alexander McClure that claimed to be “a complete collection of the funny and witty anecdotes that made Lincoln famous.” The only source given for the quotation was an unnamed “caller at the White House.” (The claims made for 1856 and 1858 did not appear until several years after McClure’s book was published.)'

For more of this story, see the link below.

https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/161924

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People talk incessantly about how weak millennials and Gen Z-ers are - about how they have no sense of humor or that they like nothing that older generations have built up as bedrock traditions. I for one have cheered young people on, because they inherit this world, as awful as we leave it. I believe they will become the truth seekers, because they have to deal with the consequences of coming after the boomers.

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If I recall correctly, we boomers were the "me" generation. Then, we must have been followed by the "me too" generation, and then by the " but, what about me?" generation. Now we're finally getting to the "WTF??!!" generation.

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I hear WTF regularly from our younger generation, as we discuss politics around the dinner table. This is the best moniker for the upcoming generation I've heard, boomers have a lot to explain.

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I am out of it enough that I am not aware of criticism of younger generations, but the younger people I personally know are anxious and feeling betrayed by the sociopathic greed machine that so warps the quality of life in our society. Efforts to impede them from voting adds further insult to injury. I think there is a lot of fresh perspective out there if our overly formulaic Democratic Party paid them more attention.

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I think you're right. There IS a theme here. It's encouraging.

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Joseph - It's encouraging, even though I STILL read the barrage of negative news stories then I could go find a nice comfy cave & live like Henry David Thoreau after buying out most of a liquor store's inventory along with a lot of CBD / THC to help numb the effect of said barrage.

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Could it really be that truth to power is finally taking hold? What an AMAZING piecing together the shorn threads of Democracy! I suddenly feel hope again. Bless you, Heather, for the acuity of your level headed mind. You really could just this once tie this up with a bow of WOW for the embers of Democracy coming to burn 🔥 again in a fire of justice!

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Always an informative and insightful read. The last paragraph about transparency made me smile. Over two years ago, and after George Floyd was killed by police, I wanted to read my city’s Use of Force Policy. After making meetings with my county sheriff and chief of police, I was denied from reviewing the city’s policy. I went to the city manager to no avail. I pleaded my case at the city commission meeting and I was given a heavily redacted version. The reason for hiding the policy: the chief of police said people would harm law enforcement. We also differed on the definition of “operation” versus “policy.”

Long story, my case went to the MI State of Appeals. We won our case. However, the city continues to fight and just recently they asked the court to reconsider since city police put the use of force policy in the staff manual (by that logic anything the city wants to hide they can put in the staff manual…). The court denied their reconsideration request. Now we wait to see if the city will appeal to the MI Supreme Court. All of this was started because I wanted to review a policy and start a conversation in town about what’s in our policy and whether we should advocate for changes. It’s been over two years and we are still waiting to see our policy and start that conversation.

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WOW! Plain ole WOW! 👏

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A huge pain, for sure! But good on you for starting this inquiry!

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I have great hope that all the dedicated & studious journalists, and litigation, constitution and other attorneys, and judges ~ those same true hearted brilliant souls, (much like the medical providers and scientists who helped save lives during COVID), keep doing their due diligence to protect our democratic republic and bring to light and to justice those whose only goals are self aggrandizement and power, while striving to subjugate the majority of Americans: women, children, non-whites, non-Christians, LGBTQIA, on & on, ~ thru lies, disinformation strategies, intimidation and violence. It seems the rule of law, supported by smart investigative journalists, is winning a few key battles. The gerrymandering must go so the votes of our people can be heard. And it is those like you Dr. Richardson who shed the light on the events transpiring, which urge us to keep pushing towards justice for all.

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You nailed it Margaret!

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"I heard I didn't need to", "the form was confusing", "I forgot", "I fixed it later", "I tried to follow the guidelines", "he's just a personal friend", "that stuff had nothing to do with my opinions" You've heard these phrases. They came from an official on whom the country relies to interpret and adjudicate subtle points of law in light of historic precedent and the constitution of the United States; an office where even the hint of impropriety is condemned and expected to be strictly avoided. The trouble is, there is apparently no sense of shame following the exposure of behavior to the contrary. When there is no shame, there is no self censorship. When there is only impeachment as a consequence, there is essentially no consequence. When there is lifetime appointment, there is no redress. Why doesn't someone go ask his aged mother whether she raised him to deny any personal culpability for this kind of behavior, exposed only by the persistence of journalists. Without shame, there's little chance he'll resign. And, without shame, he's sure to do it again, making use of whatever privacy his office affords him and then feigning ignorance if exposed. And, the leader amongst equals; the chief justice, remains silent. Or, a limp proclamation in the third person, "mistakes were made". I've heard more sophisticated dodges from third graders. We are truly taken for fools.

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Clarence Thomas is no Abe Fortas and John Roberts is no Earl Warren..

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The six pack are all Roger Taney.

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Truth will out.

These Letters are enabling the process, in depth, shining light where misleaders, the servants of darkness, are doing their damnedest to put a leaden lid on it.

A small suggestion. Subscribers and regular readers should do what we can to make the readership of Letters from an American snowball.

Pick a Letter that really grabs you and share it with at least a dozen trusted contacts. Ask them to do likewise if they like what they find.

I'll try this NOW.

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Doing this in am; so late now in EDT wakes people who have notifications on.

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Good point.

I'm still drafting a cover note, which will refer to Substack. I'm also inviting feedback from friends with whom I'm in regular contact about how best to spread the word.

Information is power.

That's why, when money talks it speaks for money, not mankind, not transparency, cashing in on confusion, prejudices, fear, anger, hatred, envy -- all the baser emotions -- rather than spreading light.

Isn't it up to us to do our part, breaking free from dependence on "truthiness", processed, framed, prepacked to manipulate and corral us?

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I have been doing this for years (my friends regularly thank me) as have others and HCR's letters have spread widely. Unfortunately, we all are preaching to the choir and sadly they do not reach the people who need them the most. I have said repeatedly they should be part of the required reading list in the public school curriculum, be carried as a syndicated column in newspapers, etc. They are on Facebook with a huge audience (domestically and internationally and replacing the old "nightly TV news") and HCR is active on Twitter - all the modern media to reach large swaths of people.

We know how to spread the word, the difficult part is to decipher and spread action from that knowledge. The urgency cannot be understated. A society that has become as violent as ours has little chance of survival.

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"A society as violent as ours has little chance of survival.

That is the keynote. A very plain, realistic warning.

Otherwise expressed: "Like it or not, we live together. So we must learn to live together. There's no choice."

In Auden's words,

"We must love one another or die."

So simple.

But simple isn't easy, isn't quickfix. Living calls for open eyes, awareness.

Do people really prefer death? Is that really what they want?

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Your death, not theirs

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I have been blocked by some now former friends

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Consider yourself fortunate!

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Speaking of that, I remember Heather wrote a great letter touting Biden’s accomplishments in the last several months. I need it to send a friend. Anyone know how I could find it? Thanks so much.

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I wrote pages for you, but frankly, it was too eloquent... So... it was... "disappeared"...

More fool me, writing comments directly in Substack's very vulnerable windows... as I'm again doing now.

Before those gremlins strike again, try the letter of April 3rd and the report on President Biden's State of the Union address on February 7th.

Lakoff writes of the framing of discourse, but what I noted in rereading two months of LFAA is not so much GOP framing as locking the public in a political latrine. Day in day out.

Consequence: HCR's reporting of the Biden Administration's almost shockingly unbelievable achievements is constantly interlarded with sandbagging against a tide of detritus.

Another way of putting it: every single day these bandits derail the Truth Train.

Every day there's heavy lifting, putting it back on the rails.

It has gotten so bad that even if HCR simply reports the astonishing resilience of the American economy, it comes to look like special pleading. Such a sewage tide of lies, filth and meaningless violence that simple truth comes to look like propaganda.

Yes, we -- not just Americans, the whole world, have been framed -- and more than framed.

These letters, this comments thread bring a breath of fresh air to an atmosphere infected by, dominated by DISinformation. Then the stink gets back in.

I wonder, what does Lakoff make of all this?

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Thanks for your hard work!

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There's a search icon at the top of the page. You might try a search there. I've had mixed results with it.

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Could we, American citizens, have a class-action lawsuit against Fox News Corp? Our entire nation has suffered as a direct result of their false news reporting. Fox, the parent corp, is worth ~$17bn. Dominion cost them ~$1bn. Tucker Carlson, etc continue to lie on the air, so Fox has not learned their lesson.

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