Today started with a New York Times story by journalists Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin, based on their forthcoming book, detailing how the two top Republicans in Congress during the January 6 insurrection, then–Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), blamed Trump for the attack on the Capitol and wanted him removed from office.
Tapes are the vestigial, externalized conscience, the last vestige of the Republic when illiteracy rises to choke debate and Putin puppet Trump signs on to rape the body politic with Sir Rudy cross dressing at his favorite bar, and the GOP ban books that say racism is bad, Blacks got screwed, voting rights matter, women are not to be subjugated, childbirth is an option not an obligation, planned parenthood is healthy, abortion is a regrettable right, BLACK women know better, the GOP is primitive, warming threatens all life and Russia, China and a few others need to learn the rules, one way or another. And soon.
I don’t think we’re at the republic’s last gasp. Far from it. Remember which party controls the White House and both houses of Congress. Resist the siren call of Chicken Little and work to keep it that way, and we’ll send the Republicans where they belong.
Sandy As I played the Cheney-McCarthy tape I thought I heard a muffled voice saying ‘you should have destroyed the tape.’ Unlike Nixon, this wasn’t McCarthy’s to destroy.
McCarthy was hell bend on destroying Liz Cheney and has supported Liz’s opponent in the Wyoming Republican primary.
Perhaps he forgot that Liz’s parents, Dick and Lynne, were two of the dirtiest swamp fighters in Washington. Liz, who was just awarded the Kennedy School Profile in Courage Award, is taking no prisoners in her fight for personal political survival.
One almost forgets that she was nearly 100% in voting for Trump legislation.
Not edited! Dick Cheney and gutsy Liz. Decay at election central. Politics and strange bedfellows, sex, politics and religion, where do we start? VP heart transplant patient the brutal Halliburton double dip Wyoming cold flash, the Iraq brute, the corporate creep, W bully, Dick Cheney and the second white haired fat Speaker Newt from Georgia not worth spit were fatally dangerous to the good GOP and our good nation. They followed sick paranoid smart as hell Tricky Dick. And Ted Agnew, a thief. Tendencies matter. They’re all practiced Black hating prejudiced intolerant insecure males with women issues, all lacking a good education. War hero GHWB cheated on his depressed Barbara, was a pontificating Reagan voodoo phony. Weak. And Dear Ronnie was the grinning B grade son of a drunk first married to one - the start of the image con at 1600. Useless and so stupid he could be led by a Wall Street manipulator married to a hot fudge Sundae addict, the dry clear blue eyed spongey daughter of a huge Merrill stockholder, and old friend Donald T. Regan was ok till Nancy found him talking about cleaning up after the elephant, and she erupted.. on the way south. Remember the good Admiral Poindexter. They all perfected lying, and Scooter Libby was the jailed. Congress was implicated. It never ends. We’re paying for our shattered credibility now. Putin owns Trump, Trump owns the feckless liars that populate the GOP, and weak Democrats fear getting furious and are going to get slammed in congress - because Trump pumped the national racist card - Kevin McCarthy and Cruz, Graham, Hawley, McConnell and toothy educator Senator Sasse simply don’t have what it takes. Joe Biden cancels Russia’s VISA card, so Putin gins up pedophilia again, sells it to the GOP again, and pulverizes Ukraine for sheer pleasure as we lend lease for nothing.. waiting for Pearl Harbor and MAD.
Ask Black women. They know us best.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is The Second Coming.
Sandy I presume, from your highlighting some of the Republican low lights, that you wouldn’t support Trump or DeSantis in 2024. I delight in your tasteful understatements, though I am able to sense the general drift of your remarks.
I, of course, am ‘tasteless.’ I grew up in Philadelphia, the home of TastyCakes, which were dreadful (and delicious).
Keith - I hear you. But I'll tell you what. I kind of like the 2-party system in theory. It's a good way to maintain an even balance. It breaks down when there is no common ground though. Today's Republican party has literally walked off the deep end. The Dem's have stayed put largely. I hate what Republicans stand for, if for no other reason than the climate denial stance which endangers the entire ecosytem of this planet, and therefore all of human civilization. But imagine a Republican party led by the likes of Mitt Romney, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. Decent people who recognize we have a democratic government and want to keep it that way. I would take that and live with it. In a hot minute.
Jay I agree that a robust two-party system is the least worst alternative in America [look at what multi-parties have done in Italy, Germany, France, and, especially, Israel].
Historically both the Reps and Dems have displayed non-centrist flashes—I remember Goldwater and McGovern (I worked in his campaign, after Muskie was killed by the White House Plumbers—my rationale—anyone was better than Tricky Dick).
On occasion a party becomes so factionalized that it splinters. The Republican Party in the 1850s was an amalgam of the Whigs and the American (‘Know Nothing’) Party.
I am concerned by the vocal bickering between the ‘progressives’ and ‘moderates’ within the Democratic Party. Far more frightening is how the Republican Party has morphed into Trumplicans, with the so-called moderates being almost exterminated. This reminds me of the time when Goldwaterites considered Rockefeller Republicans RINOS.
The Dems will always have factions. Unfortunately, this has cost President Biden dearly in Congressional legislation. Far more troubling is how the ‘Republicans’ have beome a party lacking both principles and policies. Until/unless there is a cataclysmic change in the current ‘Republicans,’ they are likely to win Congress in 2022 and continue their ‘false fact’ negativism.
I, like you, am in favor of decency. At 88 I have never witnessed such a disheartening political situation in my country. Bipartisanship is considered treasonous, at least by the ‘Republicans.’ I wonder if the ‘Republicans’ can morph back to being a functioning Republican Party in my lifetime. Trump may be reflecting a broad movement of fear and Negativism that could prove politically attractive to folks like DeSantis and others.
Today's primary system often rewards the most extreme candidates. I am eagerly watching the Alaska experiment. One primary with candidates from all parties which is open to all registered voters. The top 4 vote-getters in each position go on to the general election. If this is coupled with ranked choice voting, voters could vote for their heart's desire as their first choice and their "next best" candidate as their second choice.
Think about what would likely have happened if this model had been in use in 2000. Most of Florida's Nader voters would likely have chosen Gore over Bush as a second choice and the election results would have been reversed.
I'm only 70 (for another 6 weeks), but "my lifetime" includes the "disheartening political situation" that existed in this country before the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Remember how white Southern Democrats had a stranglehold not only on their region but, because of their congressional seniority, on the whole country? For white people the current situation may be the worst they've ever seen, but people of color, and white people aware of the history, have good reason to disagree.
My husband and I lived in DC when McGovern lost in a landslide to Tricky Dick. I burst into tears because I couldn't believe how so many people could be so blind. Fast forward to 2016...
One almost forgets….perhaps she’s working hard as a cover? IDK. 🤷♀️
I will say this…being the black sheep of the (the extended and nuclear) family, I’ve worked my tuckus off to erase the slime of my very immoral and alcoholic (and embarrassing) nuclear family. And to ignore being ignored by the extended folk.
My point is, often, following generations, after a shit show of one - will go out of their way to make amends by living a life full of works that diminish or erase the sins of previous generations.
Pj And it can work the other way. After the Kennedys gave so much to our country, one of Bobby’s offspring has capitalized on the name to mount a flagrant anti-vaccination campaign.
Perhaps Liz, by her current fight for sensibility, will be like Schindler in the Holocaust movie—one magnificent deed will overcome the past Cheney legacy. Still, I believe that he was a Dick.
Thank you. When a child grows up in a very twisted environment, it truly takes a lifetime of perseverance to unclench from survival mode. I’m thoroughly enjoying a great life quilting, watercoloring, and generally being a pita in any situation where there’s wrongdoing I can call attention to to help make right.
Thoroughly love these LETTERS where I can place my heart as a bouquet of flowers in an act of faith for peace.
Um - I was born in South America to privileged white folk who crashed the living hell out of their lives. And the collateral damage…🙄🙄
Anyway, I was ten before I got shunted from Nuclear to tertiary family.
In that ten years I lived in Venezuela, Colombia and Chile.
I remember spending a night in a dark closet, alone, because there was gunfire on the streets of my hood.
Repeat of that only I’m a little older. I’m under the bed and there’s glass shattering. Street fighting outside THAT house.
No. Hell no we do not want a facist or authoritarian government here in the US, or anywhere.
Is anyone else keeping a finger on the pulse of France’s election? The significance affects the world.
Putin, with his greed and avarice has set the political tone of THE WORLD. His evil has mined landscapes the world over. Creepy.
For the rest of our known lives, there will never be another election anywhere where there’s not a democratic/autocratic(<—dictator fascist, authoritarian you get it) bean
count. Because putin (by meddling in US elections in 2016, France’s in 2017/18, US again in 20/21, US again in 22 BUT ESPECIALLY) LAUNCHING A PYRRHIC war in Europe to suck up land on the basis of a fentanyl induced wet dream to bring back dead vain glory has taken a noble act of free will and poisoned it. No. For generations, no one will vote without looking over their shoulder. Or dialing into bean-counting.
Biden is carrying the weight of Democracy for the world on his shoulders. He’s got one foot in putin’s shitshow and the other in 💩’s.
Legend: 💩 = t…p
I’ll let myself out now. Wow - 🤣 that rip cord got pulled.
Yes.. the Republicans need a complete reboot and the Dems need 10 years in the solid majority to accomplish what is needed for our country and the world.
And they will be as meaningless as this McCarthy one, all assigned to the dustbin of history in days as this madly accelerated world we live in moves on to the next piece of clickbait that rears its head.
Sure, there will be those on the other side who raise it at opportunistic times in the next few months and (possibly) years in order to tilt at the windmill once again. But it will all be in vain.
The first proposition is a simple one and we all know it. The key Republicans lie. Then they lie about their lying. Then they distract those who know about their endless lying with some shiny trinket designed to deflect the very few whose vote they care about.
The second proposition is equally clear. 75% of the American population will not even know that they lied, or if they do, will not even care. Some will even admire the supposed chutzpah of McCarthy. A crow will land at my bird feeder this morning and chase the little birds away, and that moment will have as much effect on the downward spiral American democracy as Maddie’s “gotcha” last night.
The final proposition is this. One thing only matters at this stage. It’s not Fox vs MSNBC. It’s not galloping inflation. It’s not the fucking endless marching band of Republican thug-politicians, trumpeting out lies and denials. And laughing at us all the way for our pathetic naïveté. It’s not the midterms, even if the Democrats part the Red Sea and struggle back to the safety of being the majority. And it’s not even the incredible work of the Committee on 1/6, climaxing at public hearings next month - and it grieves me deeply to say that.
No, this second civil war is going to come down to one thing only. And that is the actions of the Department of Justice. Let the subpoenas start rolling on criminal charges, subpoenas that can’t be evaded by a dive into the chicanery of the endlessly complex waters of American justice. Subpoenas for McCarthy and Meadows, as well as the two bit goons like Boebert and Brooks and Greene and Gosar et al. And of course a subpoena for the capo himself, Donald Trump.
In any case, those indictments, followed by convictions, followed inexorably by righteous jail sentences are the last desperate gasp for American democracy. The events from November 3 2020 to January 6 2021 cannot go unanswered. Cannot. Cannot.
American political life is a hair’s breadth from being rotten to the core.
Eric When you state that “75% of the American population will even know that they lied,’ you may well be correct. And many of those who know that McCarthy, McConnell, Trump, and….lied evidently don’t care.
Facts are troublesome things, and they seem not to register with a majority of Americans. When even a number of Democrats don’t applaud President Biden’s accomplishments, I fear about relying on a ‘sensible and well-informed populous.’
In a worst case scenario, I think so. But I do hope that the DOJ will be informed by the discoveries and conclusions of the Committee. I know nothing of this, but my understanding from listening to eminent prosecutors (Vance, Bharara etc) is that a criminal referral might even work against its intent - that the DOJ strives to maintain its independence and acting on the Committee’s advice might look like a Democratic setup. I’m not sure of course.
But I take your general point, which is pessimistic. Lots of committee reports proceed with great fanfare and come to important conclusions - conclusions which are unpalatable to those currently ruling. That’s definitely the case in Canada at any rate.
So yes, this brilliant work could end up as an historical footnote - if an autocratic government even preserves it. Things get erased.
You touch on a difficulty I worry about. A political trial conducted for criminal behavior carried out in the wrong court: Congress versus Justice versus a public forum of voter uninformed opinions cast at the polls.
Fred You are, of course, assuming that history will be taught to students some generations from now. With are of the book banning, wokeness, CRT, and banning math books because of their ‘social’ content, I wonder what might be left in history books to analyze, once they have been sanitized.
Might slavery be described as offering jobs to unemployed Africans, with free ocean transportation thrown in? As for women, they had to be sheltered because of their lack of testosterone.
As for the Native Americans, they actually had no title to the property they were inhabiting. Besides, there was lots of land and the Native Americans were stingy.
I found it vexing as a history professor (age 58 to 80) endeavoring to get my students to think. With homogenized history there is no reason to think.
Vexing it must have been. There will be young iconoclasts burrowing around in the Congressional Record contrasting and comparing the words with actions of McConnell and McCarthy and Liz Cheney and Harry Reid in the future, jaws dropping and minds twisted. But, it is Friday and I intend to finish watching Servant of the People, the comedy that led up to the Ukraine presidency.
Simple question, on what basis did you make the following claim: '75% of the American population will not even know that they lied, or if they do, will not even care.'?
I read the article. Looks to me as though he did a mea culpa about some pranks in his early life. And he did so in an honest and candid reply. I learned of Matt's writing when I found "Griftopia." He studied the 2008 Wall Street bailout scam, spending seven years in understanding and writing the account. He did an incredible job in explaining how all of us were scr**ed by the WS clique. After "Griptopia," his other books and articles have reflected that same honesty and candor. He doesn't take sides in that every issue he reports is based on substantiated facts. Good journalist. As Joe Friday would say, "Just the facts, ma'am." I trust him.
Matt Taibbi and Glen Greenwald give us some of today's best journalism.
Holly, thanks for taking the time to post this for me. I haven't read anything by Taibbi in a while, so I appreciate you getting me up to speed. Dark side sounds about right for him.
Wooop de do.🎉 There it is. Evidence that his self interest is more important than Democracy, more important than the truth. Darn straight that felt good. Asking the higher powers that be…can we have more of that please?
“Lies are a necessary element in knowing how to remain in power. Our base appreciates this skill and knows we do it to keep their trust in our ‘owning’ the libs”
I just came across this news story regarding what the Jan 6 committee has to reveal. It’s reported by Representative Jamie Raskin. I almost fell out at the last revelation he mentions at end of article regarding Pence.
This is the stuff right out of the old Soviet vs. U.S. movies! (A bit dramatic? Perhaps) IF Pence had gotten into that car, no one knows what might have taken place.
These are politicians. No matter what party line they follow, they all learned to lie in order to get into office and keep their positions. Seriously, don't think they don't all lie. But...if you've been "transcribed", might as well 'fess up, because someone is going to find the 'tape' and expose it.
I think that might well be the thing we, after all, are not equipped to deal with or even acknowledge, that something might indeed have no bottom, no end, no limit. I believe a good many of us knew in our souls from the beginning that we were facing into an evil wind, that we had signed on to a dynamic we couldn't begin to understand. Of course it has turned out to be much worse even than those of us who expected the worst could imagine. But now here we are and what in the name of all the gods are we to do? Thank you for your comments.
Heather Cox Richardson writes of "the degree to which right-wing leaders have gained power by lying to their supporters without accountability." Years ago, as I was researching in the Plymouth Colony court records, I came across a case where someone was convicted of "telling a lie."
When I was a child, I remember the public outrage and scorn when President Nixon discovered to have lied to the American people. Things just weren't the same when President Clinton was impeached. And now we have the Trump phenomenon, where blatant dishonesty gets readily excused because the Other Side is perceived to be so much worse that we can forgive almost anything from our chosen leader.
With such extreme polarization among the people, and the sense of injustice and outrage among Trump supporters at the Select Kangaroo Committee -- whose cherry-picked membership is in blatant violation of its founding resolution -- we are approaching another disunion crisis and the threat once again of civil war.
Nancy Pelosi risks imposing a high price on the country for her refusal to add the three final members to the committee. But if she adds three Democrats, the committee looks like a partisan witch-hunt. If she adds three Republicans, the committee's unanimity up to now will be marred by open dissent.
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Jeri Chilcutt58 min ago
More muddy water, who needs it. Surely not this really old Dem.
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John Schmeeckle9 min ago
Biden's people offer free kool-aid, which tastes ever so much better :-)
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Ed Nuhfer5 hr ago
"Open dissent?" As in disrupting and subverting an investigation?
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John Schmeeckle5 hr ago
Have we lost the collective ability to co-exist politically? The members of the Kangaroo Committee, together with Biden supporters everywhere, continue to ignore the smoking-gun evidence that Biden stole the 2020 Massachusetts primary from Bernie Sanders.
The 2020 Massachusetts Democratic Party presidential primary was held on March 3, 2020. Election results from the computerized vote counts differed significantly from the results projected by the exit poll conducted by Edison Research and published by CNN at poll’s closing. As in the 2016 Massachusetts primary between candidates Sanders and Clinton, disparities greatly exceed the exit poll’s margin of error. Sanders won Massachusetts in the exit poll and lost it in the computer count.
The discrepancies between the exit poll and the vote count for Sanders and Biden totaled 8.2%— double the 4.0% exit poll margin of error. Warren’s and Biden’s discrepancies totaled 8.0%, also double the margin of error. These discrepancies replicate the total discrepancy of 8.0% favoring Clinton in the 2016 Massachusetts Democratic Party primary between her and Sanders. This time two progressive candidates exhibit the same discrepancies now favoring Biden representing the establishment’s choice.
Presidential candidates Biden’s and Bloomberg’s vote counts exhibited the largest disparity from their exit poll projections. Biden’s unobservable computer-generated vote totals represented a 15.7% increase of his projected exit poll share. Given the 1,342,905 voters in this election, he gained approximately 60,900 more votes than projected by the exit poll. Bloomberg increased his vote share by 28.2% and approximately 34,500 more votes than projected. Their gain came largely at the expense of candidates Sanders and Warren whose combined vote counts were 97,000 less than projected by the exit poll.[i]
Noteworthy is the fact that the 2016 Massachusetts Republican Party exit poll taken at the same time and at the same precincts as the Democratic Party primary, and also with a crowded field of five candidates, was matched almost perfectly by the computer count—varying by less than one percent for each candidate.
Exit polls are widely recognized—such as by, for example, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)—as a means for checking the validity of vote counts. The U.S. has financed exit polls in other countries to “ensure free and fair” elections.
The United States remains one of the few major democracies in the world that continue to allow computerized vote counting—not observable by the public—to determine the results of its elections.[ii] Countries such as Germany, Norway, Netherlands, France,[iii] Canada,[iv] United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and many other countries protect the integrity of their elections with publicly observable hand-counting of paper ballots.[v]
[1] Exit poll (EP) downloaded from CNN’s website by TDMS on election night, March 3, 2020 at 8:00 PM. Candidates’ exit poll percentage/proportion derived from the gender category. Number of EP respondents: 1,394. As this first published exit poll was subsequently adjusted towards conformity with the final computerized vote count, the currently published exit poll differs from the results above.
[2] Candidates’ percentage/proportion of the total computer-generated vote counts derived from reported counts (94% reporting) updated on March 4, 2020 and published by The New York Times. Total number of voters: 1,327,374
[3] The difference between the exit poll proportion and reported vote proportion for each candidate (subtracting values in column two from the values in column three). A positive value indicates the candidate did better and received a greater share of the total reported count than projected by the exit poll. For example, candidate Biden, reported percentage/proportion of the total vote increased by 4.5% compared to his exit poll share.
[4] This column shows the percentage increase or decrease from the candidate’s exit poll projection (difference in column four divided by exit poll proportion in column two). Shown only for candidates with 4% or more share in the exit poll.
[5] This column presents a distinct Margin of Error (MOE) of the exit poll (EP) for the differences between candidate Biden and each of the other candidate’s EP results. The exit poll MOE, for example, between Biden and Sanders is 4.0% and the MOE between Biden and Warren is 3.9%. For simplicity MOE not shown for candidates with less than 4% share in the EP. MOE calculated according to multinomial formula in: Franklin, C. The ‘Margin of Error’ for Differences in Polls. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. October 2002, revised February 2007. Available at: https://abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUnit/MOEFranklin.pdf
[6] The disparities between the exit poll and the reported computer-generated vote counts comparing Biden and each of the other candidates (subtracting each candidate’s difference between exit poll and computer count from Biden’s difference of 4.5%.). Disparities for candidates Sanders and Warren are double their respective MOE. For example, candidate Biden’s unverified computerized vote count exceeded his EP projected vote proportion by 4.5% while Sander’s computerized count understated his EP projected vote proportion by 3.7% for at total discrepancy of 8.2%. This 8.2% disparity, greatly exceeding the statistical 4.0% margin of error based on their exit poll proportions, is significant as it cannot be attributed to the MOE.
[i] Sanders received 49,045 less votes than projected by the exit poll and Warren 48,000 less.
[ii] Fittingly, according to a recent Gallup World Poll, only 40% of Americans say they are confident in the honesty of U.S. elections. Finland and Norway with 89% of their citizens expressing confidence in the honesty of their elections along with the citizens of 25 other countries have greater confidence in their elections than do Americans.
[iii] During the 2007 presidential election, eighty-three municipalities (France has 36,569 municipalities) were allowed to use voting machines. Due to security concerns and the inability of voters to determine if their votes are counted correctly a moratorium, that remains today, prevents additional municipalities from introducing voting machines. In the 2012 elections only 64 municipalities continued their use. The French government desires a total ban on their use.
[iv] In Canada, the results of federal elections are determined exclusively by hand-counted paper ballots. Some provinces have adopted voting machines for local elections. See here, here and here.
[v] The United States’ long ballots–containing federal, state, and local races–are commonly cited as being unwieldy for hand-counting. The use of Sweden’s method of providing different colored paper ballots for federal, state, and local races that are then sorted prior to hand-counting addresses this objection and allows for at least the hand-counting of federal elections with only three races per ballot.
Please share this article: This entry was posted in Election Integrity and tagged 2020 Massachusetts Democratic Party primary, Biden, Election Fraud, Election Integrity, Exit Polls, Hand-counted ballots, Sanders, Warren by Theodore de Macedo Soares. Bookmark the permalink. Oringal here http://tdmsresearch.com/2020/03/04/massachusetts-2020-democratic-party-primary/
Why is American democracy the worst in the west? What's wrong with us? Is it hypocritical to defend "democracy" in Ukraine (where the oligarchic puppet Zelensky has suspended all the opposition parties) when our own house is in such disorder?
No, it is not hypocritical John. Both Ukraine's fledgling democracy and our archaic, worn thin democracy need defense. American democracy suffers from extreme capitalism and an entrenched oligarchy, which Citizens United, in particular, fuels disorder. When one political party, the GOP, no longer believes in democracy and trashes it for power...by extension authoritarianism, then we must fight harder on all fronts using the rule of law while we can.
Zelensky is not an oligarchical puppet. He was elected overwhelmingly to fight corruption, and this is one main reason Putin enacted his war. Democracy, the European Union, and ties to the west threaten his authoritarian oligarchy. Putin will destroy Ukraine in the name of saving and liberating it from Nazis and other concocted lies.
We are fighting the Big Lie here and in Ukraine; it is rather simple.
"Zelensky is not an oligarchical puppet. He was elected overwhelmingly "
Hi, Brad, you just hit on something--deliberately or not--that I think underlies much of our muddle about what goes on in the world and that is complexity. Western culture is based on a creation myth that sees creation as a process of division and naming. If it's land, it isn't sea; if it's light, it can't be dark; and so on. That basic point of view often tricks us into thinking situations that aren't, are in fact simple. Of course, nothing is really simple in that way but Americans do seem to get particularly confused in the absence of fill in the blank answers. Donald Trump and the groundswell of passionate support he attracts can't be explained. The Republicans, their heartlessness, and their lies do't make sense. Our defenses fall.
I agree our country's democracy is fraught with problems. But I think it was Churchill that stated something to the tune of it's the worst form of government except for all the rest. I do not think it is hypocritical to defend Ukraine's democracy. And why do you call Zelensky an "oligarchic puppet"?
The Pandora Papers showed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his TV production partners were beneficiaries of a web of offshore firms created in 2012, the same year Zelensky’s production company entered into a deal with Kolomoysky’s media group, which allegedly received $41 million in funds from Kolomoysky’s Privatbank.
Zelensky’s political rival, President Petro Poroshenko commented on their connection during the campaign trail, “Fate intended to put me together with Kolomoyskiy’s PUPPET in the second round of the elections.”
After Zelensky’s victory, Kolomoysky, who had spent the last few years living between Israel and Switzerland, returned to Ukraine to keep up his relationship with the new president, nominating over 30-lawmakers to Zelensky’s newly established party and maintaining influence with many of them in parliament.
Igor Kolomoysky has been a top funder of the Azov Battalion since it was formed in 2014. He has also bankrolled private militias like the Dnipro and Aidar Battalions and has personally deployed them to protect his financial interests.
Mary Pat Sercu seems incapable of saying the name "Davison Budhoo."
I have to imagine that white racists secretly applaud the International Monetary Fund's slaughter of millions and millions of starving dark-skinned babies.
Quoting from the resignation letter ("our own peculiar Holocaust") of senior IMF official Davison Budhoo:
"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. Mr. Camdessus, the blood is so much, you know, it runs in rivers."
"The charges that I make are not light charges - they are charges that 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 establishing and 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."
"In guilt and self-realization of my own worthlessness as a human being, what I would like to do most of all is to so propel myself that I can get the man-in-the-street of North and South and East and West and First and Second and Third and Fourth and All Other Worlds to take an interest in what is happening to his single planet, his single habitat, because our institution was allowed to evolve in a particular way in late twentieth century international society, and allowed to become the supra-national authority that controls the day-to-day lives of hundreds of millions of people everywhere."
"We get away with our works of Dracula hiding behind the mask of Superior Technocracy and a Greater Wisdom striving for “financial balance” and “structural adjustment” in the Third World."
"And so it goes on and on and on. And nothing changes in the developing world except more death and destitution for the people in the slums, and more power for the Fund. And with the passing of every meeting our staff becomes even more reinvigorated; they wield a sharper and more bloodied tool; an even more terrifying Executor’s Axe stand poised for service everywhere in the South. And the children scream, Sir; my God, how they scream!"
(Budhoo is referring here to the incessant screaming of starving infants. When they stop screaming, you know that death is near.)
President Zelensky, after his election promise to bring the Donbass conflict to a "swift end," moved to proceed with the so-called "Steinmeier formula" for implementing the 2014/5 Minsk Accords between Ukraine and Russia. But the far-right Azov group objected.
Although Trump’s impeachment failed to remove him from office, it succeeded in cementing the proxy war aims of its chief proponents: rather than support Zelensky’s peace mandate, Ukraine would instead be used to “fight Russia over there.”...
In using Ukraine to bleed Russia, the US has showcased its contempt for everything in Ukraine that it claims to defend, namely its democracy and security....
When Zelensky travelled to the Donbas in October 2019 to promote elections for the rebel-held areas, he was confronted by angry members of the neo-Nazi Azov battalion rallying under the slogan of “No to Capitulation.”
The far-right threats to Zelensky undoubtedly thwarted a peace agreement that could have prevented the Russian invasion....
Instead of pursuing the peace platform that he was elected on, the Ukrainian President has instead made alliances with the Ukrainian far-right that violently opposed it.
In a nutshell, Zelensky caved in to the neo-Nazis -- the same neo-Nazis that his opigarchic puppet-master financed -- after the anti-Trump political leadership in the U.S.A. sabotaged Zelensky's Donbass peace initiative because "we'd rather fight the Russians over there than over here."
As I've said before, the American political leadership -- both Republicans and Democrats in both houses of Congress -- is guilty of the crime against humanity of deliberately and knowingly provoking Russia into a war if self-defense against Ukrsine and its western puppet-masters.
This undeclared war between Russia and the west is soon going to take some drastic turns, with global financial and commodities markets, as well as cyber-space, becoming battlefields.
Of course the end game, if things go on that long, is nuclear:
I'm cynical enough to believe that McCarthy and McConnell will manage to tough this out. Just as everyone knew Trump was a liar and it didn't seem to matter, so everyone knows that the two McC's are comfortable lying and it probably won't matter in their cases either.
Do you know what amazes me? As much of a high as I get thinking about Raskin or Schiff in the WH, I still can’t help but feel tremendous gratitude that we have Joe Biden. To me, he is a stealth dream-come-true. He will never be my top choice for president, not even close, but he has done an amazing job and I am very very pleased at the vast majority of decisions he makes.
I've been giving a lot of thought to the upcoming hearings and I'm beginning to doubt if they will actually change the minds of any Trump supporters. That mindset seems to be: Never mind the truth, Trump's my man no matter what!
Absolutely. In a close race, something like this matters. A few more gen-Z'ers will get off their asses and go vote, and a few more deplorables will look in the mirror and say "F it - I'm gonna sit this out". Not alot, but it's a close race. Could matter.
I’d love to know what the smart, right-leaning woman I talked with yesterday thinks. She talked about the extremists in both parties. But what about the leaders of a major party committed to the horrors of Jan 6. “Extremist” describes them all, except the ones who have pledged the truth (Cheney, etc). “Republican” and “conservative” need to become the dirty words like they have tried to make “liberal.” This liberal is more truly conservative than any republican yahoo. The MSM had better get on board and show Rupert what journalism is. Burns and Martin are a start…
This is true of Mike Lee also. He is loved by Utah Republicans and he could get in front of a crowd and say everything he said while helping to plot the Jan 6 insurrection and he would still be voted into office again. It would not matter that he denied helping to plot.
The Democrats don't know how to 'message.' Give them information like this and they will waste their efforts 'preaching it to the choir.'
Here is what I recommend: Develop a 60 second commercial featuring excerpts from McConnell's and McCarthy's immediate anti-Trump statements on January 6 and 7, 2021. (fifteen seconds each.) Point out that since then, each of them have changed their tunes which makes them liars. (ten seconds each.) Then simply state that there is an alternative on Election Day. (final ten seconds.) Run it a dozen times an evening from now till Election Day (unless something even more explosive comes along) on Fox and OAN, both of which are in the business of selling advertising time.
I'm sending my $$$ to Beto and Val Demings. I will pass on my suggestion to my Democratic Repres. in the House. She might have better connections than I do.
We’ve seen that the Republican base expects to hear a constructed spin on the tapes, regardless content , that allows them to dismiss the tapes as a “nothing burger” and they will “eat it, eat it raw, rah rah rah” Apologies to Firesign Theater
Well maybe, just maybe, the tides will turn, if we get convictions. Not only that, the public will finally get to actually see these hearings and confessions of the criminals. This has never happened before. Things have always been swept under the rug, but we have technology these days. Tech could be their enemy.
Me too Mina. The problem we progressives face is that these people and the electorate who follow them, for some reason, hate our agenda enough where when faced with a choice will choose anyone who opposes it no matter how dirty.
The problem progressives face is the term "Progressives" has been linked to "Socialists" linked to "Communists" linked to "Domino Theory" linked to... when your agenda is no more radical than President Eisenhower's.
Absolutely right. Many people know nothing about Ike’s presidency. Interstate highways? According to Libertarians, they were not the government’s business to build. People know about WWII from movies. Any movies about FDR’s handling of the Depression? We don’t know beans about even our own country’s history, with poor teaching and whitewashing and now suppression.
Mina I just read in the NYT that Republican Congressmen don’t seem to be bothered by McCarthy’s taped lies. General comment: ‘We know who he is. He’s a great political operative.’ Do you think they have vodka (perhaps not Russian?) in their KoolAid?
Properly publicizing both McC's dishonesty might lose the Republicans a few votes in close elections, and as I suggested yesterday, the Democrats should publicize these lies with TV ads on Fox and OAN. It might turn a few seats. Not all Republicans drink the KoolAid. BUT the 2022 Congressional and State contests will only be won with a massive turn-out by persons of color and women voters. They are the groups most affected by the Republican Agenda of Evil as documented by Rick Scott.
Why is American democracy the worst in the west? What's wrong with us? Is it hypocritical to defend "democracy" in Ukraine (where the oligarchic puppet Zelensky has suspended all the opposition parties) when our own house is in such disorder?
I respect George Conway. I wouldn’t allow him to pick out a life partner for me, but I know GC has not only survived living with his wife, but is heavily involved with the Lincoln Project. He’s got a heart for our Democracy.
I embrace his words and actually want to up the bar a bit.
The right thing is for McCarthy to tender his resignation. It won’t happen, but that’s what SHOULD happen.
I fervently hope this ice break today portends a glut of truth telling in the coming weeks.
As an owner of hair that was lightish brownish and nowhere near blond or brunette, I started greying at about 35. Lots of people thought I was frosting my hair (and I routinely used "Super Cuts" until "Sport Clips" came along). I said "Nope; Mother Nature is doing that for me." Complete sidebar, my Mom had less grey hair at 80 than I had at 43.
Ally And I had more grey hair than you at 43, when we both were in the distinguished grey-haired cadre. 45 years later I flaunt my grey hair, which I was able to retain through chemo and radiation. Hail to another real, grey-haired warrior.
Don’t hold your breath. Can’t wait for Rupert to say that the tapes are altered by the radical antifa left Nazis (they don’t seem to mind a little cognitive dissonance, they seem to thrive on it. )
I imagine that there was a short period (several hours) when many congressmen and women felt some fear for their health and their lives as they were rapidly shuffled out of the house chambers, down back staircases and elevators into rooms many of them had never seen before, with reinforced doors and no windows, perhaps no bathrooms, or onto loading platforms in subterranean parking garages to be whisked away in vans, limos or whatever conveyance that security forces could muster. Remarkably, by mid-evening, the building was secured and they all returned and reconvened the business of the House. The stark reality of what had occurred, including reports of deaths and hundreds of injuries suffered by capitol police, dropped the guard of some normally very "on-message" officials who temporarily uttered truth from their guts, before ashamedly hitching up costumes and rhetoric and looking around to see if any cameras or microphones might have captured those vulnerable moments before the adrenaline levels returned to normal. Oh, how they must regret their hasty words now, after the tapes have been revealed. This story is over a year old, but publication of a book by professional journalists is a good way to refresh the minds of the masses. The soft underbelly of the beast has been exposed once again; if you tried to eviscerate it though, you'd find...nothing; just a big bag of gas inside. How it lives without a beating heart is a mystery to me.
Their "in the moment" experiences and thoughts led to "excited utterances" (a legal term which is used to describe statements blurted out without thought or intention). Interestingly, it is one of the hearsay statement that can be testified to. (My demonstration: I was talking to a domestic assault victim on the phone trying to arrange a meet location; her assailant drove by and she said "Oh, God, there he is, I have to get away now!". As the case moved towards trial, she recanted as so many abuse victims do, and was what is termed an "unwilling victim" indicating she was not assisting the prosecution. I was able to testify that I had gained from my interview with her and observation of physical injuries probable cause to arrest the suspect, but the only thing I could say directly that she said to me was that "excited utterance".)
I really do wonder how they live with themselves. The cognitive dissonance must be horrible.
Reply #2: I hope that reply didn’t come across too harshly. I just have real attitude, because my dad is one of them. Sometimes that corrosive energy comes out.
Reply #1: You’re assuming that they read and study as deeply as we do. They don’t. They listen to Fox Noise, they read only the local conservative newspaper, and they have no exposure to reality. Fat dumb and happy in their white racist, male sexist, LGB+ ignoring little world.
Thank you HCR. Hopefully the unravelling is beginning. It can't be too soon. Tapes talk, so to speak---and they don't lie, either. The scum is floating to the surface---too bad we can't just skim it off....... On the other hand, true believers manage to keep believing---but how long will they (and Trump) tolerate liars who have now been unmasked, so to speak. The wheels of Justice should start grinding. And the current parade of Jan 6 committee witnesses seems to indicate they 'have" something on a few people...... Peace and Courage in these strange times.
It is something of a relief that Rachel also revealed that DOJ is actively pursuing big fish, after months of doubt. I can't help but wonder whether Liz Cheney might have been the source of some of these tapes, and it will be interesting to hear the flood of other recordings that the authors have promised.
Hahaha, Lordy, that old, monstrous goat may have contributed something positive to the world after all. But let’s wait and see if Liz has a presidential run in her plans.
Oh yes, I see a run for the White House soon. I think that could be the reason that she volunteered for the Select Committee - remove all Trump stains and place herself in contention as the "clean" candidate. We must remember, though, that she doesn't have a liberal bone in her body. She has Daddy's genes.
Liz Cheney v. Kamala (or Schiff or Raskin or Biden again) is far more likely than DJT. 2024 is going to be insane rabid dog fight. DJT trying to run again is going to make the 2016 R primary look like a backyard Sunday barbecue.
Despite TFG's base remaining loyal, the semi-sane Rs know that he's poison, and they'll do whatever is necessary to jettison him. The amount of vitriol remaining will depend on the number of Rs remaining on Putin's payroll. The other unknown is whether DOJ has enough on TFG to take him to trial. The outcome of the '22 and '24 elections will depend largely on the amount of damage done by gerrymandering and voter suppression that states have managed to accomplish, and Democrats' exhaustion by the last six years to the point that they don't show up at the polls. Another factor will be the slide of MSN into trashing Biden and Harris. I'm as infuriated by that as I have been by TFG and his acolytes. I just wish the fractious Democrats would get their act together and decide who the real enemy is.
Someone yesterday mentioned that this revelation of McCarthy's double take made his stripping Liz Cheney of her position is all that more sickening. What a piece of 💩.
We’ve remembered that all along and have wondered ( been disappointed) that it hasn’t been played over and over again. How do we break down that damn wall that Fox has erected? So depressed then rejuvenated every time a Maddox-moment arrives. Heather and Rachel…save our democracy! Keep the revelations coming. Keep the alarms blaring. You’re our hope.
From Scott MacFarlane Twitter feed: “Rep Liz Cheney (R-WY) spokesman:
“The select committee has asked Kevin McCarthy to speak with us about these events but he has so far declined. Representative Cheney did not record or leak the tape and does not know how the reporters got it.””
Actually, DeSantis might be doing more damage to his career than to Disney. If Disney pulls up stakes, Florida's economy will take a big hit, and the services that Disney pays for nearby communities will be borne by citizens, amounting to a great burden in taxes and services. Although much of Florida is Republican, we all have witnessed how that group worships their cash.
you can't hitch up a truck and haul all of Disney's capital investment out of Florida; however, shutting it down for a week or two during high season for "maintenance" might be a big enough hit to make the Governor eat his words.
I’ve been reading about it all day and am so frustrated. It wasn’t even supposed to come up in this special session, DeSantis just had it rushed thru. They even cut off debate and forced the vote. Same with acquiescing to the new congressional districts drawn up by DeSantis - not his job!
I hope you’re right. Disney has pretty deep pockets. I hope they use their money wisely.
Florida is getting a taste of how an authoritarian government works. I do hope Disney is prepared to challenge him in court. They can afford it, and Floridians can't/won't.
I know what you mean. But Florida is a very mixed bag of voters. It is loaded with cultists. But keep in mind that the wave of new residents in FL includes lots of Dems and Independents. Including some of our friends and relatives. They are outraged by DeSantis. It is possible that he has crossed the line here. His move will cost Orlando area residents about $2000 in taxes. Ouch.
A likely opponent is Charlie Christ. An extremely popular former governor. Former Republican. Current Democratic House Rep. My people love him.
Charlie Crist, Annette Tadeo, anybody else? We dems can't even decide on our choice yet? Repugs have us 10:1 in campaign dollars, and we can't figure out who we need to back yet?
He has been moving so far to the extreme right that , should he be the nominee in ‘24, I think moderate voters will avoid him as they avoided Trump in ‘20.
I have no doubt DeSatan has gone too far. As noted before....he won the last election by @35,000 votes. Disney employs @70,000. And those who live in Orlando may be looking st their taxes increasing by @2,000. Do the math, DeSatan
Unable to ❤️ this, but my thoughts exactly. That’s a huge additional tax burden on voters. If I were unlucky enough to live there I would be very unhappy.
Agree. In fact, I wonder whether Disney is complicit. I lived in Central Florida long enough to know the evil that is Disney. Was all this just a distraction from DeSantis usurping the legislative role of drawing new congressional maps? Retires Disney's debt early and foists it upon mostly Blue Orange county, home of Val Demings. (The folks in Osceola county must be fuming, though.) For Disney's late and very weak complaint re Don't Say Gay to result in such a backlash by DeSantis seems way out of proportion.
Disney bankrolls employees to get elected to all the local county commissions, even aiding the purchase of a home to establish residency in the District. The employee doesn't live there, of course, so it's a ruse. Once Disney employees are represented all over Central Florida on various Boards and Commissions, they are able to muck up the works for a variety of things, like high speed rail between Orlando and Tampa, or Miami. Disney insisted on having a stop of its own defeating the purpose of high speed rail.
I had never heard any of this, but there has been enough negative press about Disney in the last few years that I'm not shocked. On one hand, if the feud is legitimate and not a distraction, perhaps Disney is a good opponent for DeSantis. If it's contrived, it just proves how much power a mega-rich company can exert to get what it wants. At least in the current scenario, they can afford to fund an anti-DeSantis campaign. In this feud, I'd have to favor the lesser of the two evils. What do you think?
Remember, DeSantis won by only 32,400 votes. And, as alluded to elsewhere in the comments, more Republicans died of Covid than Dems. I can only hope the Governor's race is not the easy victory prognosticators predict.
Another reason for his new congressional district map. The US and Florida constitutions both call for the legislature to redraw maps, not the executive. Wonder if the Florida Supreme Court will have a say?
Yes yes. I am hoping he stepped into a mess he can’t clean up. Kind of like mom and apple pie. Too many people have place in their hearts for “ the wonderful world of Disney”. And then there is the economics of it…
You want to think people will vote when taken to the cleaners re: taxed unfairly
but look at the reality. People vote against their own self interest.
Biden has said it again and again ( taxes grossly unfair) ..but like pissing in the wind The voters are just so preoccupied with "social issues" they are being robbed blind.
I read that, too. We can only hope. However, as Joan has commented, these folks are also guided by social issues - like math books that have coded CRT messages.
Me too! This "revenge legislation" is pathetic and on our backs as Floridians. Not sure where you live, Suzanne, but I am in Orlando, in Orange Co. and it is our property taxes that will go way up to make up the budget shortfall. (Some of this is to annoy Jerry Demings, our Orange Co. Mayor and husband to Val (D) who is running vs Marco.)
Disney has been quiet as a mouse. Cannot wait to see how they handle this.
Carol, I’m so sorry! I live in Tampa. DeSatan’s tantrum is despicable, but making more sense as I read these comments. Hurting the Demings and distracting from his vile new congressional district map - not his job! - yeah, I get that. I hope Disney fights to keep its infrastructure and its AA debt rating.
Somehow I don't think attacking Mickey Mouse is a winning tactic. Many folks who are not politically inclined worship at Disney. It is a dedication on a religious level.
I think it could be very interesting to see what the voters in Floriduh will do when they realize that because of this stunt perpetrated by their governor and congress, their taxes will increase substantially.
I think that DeSantis thinks that if they succeed in removing math literacy by outlawing math texts in DeSantistan, the citizens won't know if their taxes are increasing.
Disney’s Reedy Creek District has an estimated 1.5-2 billion in debt. Orange County Tax Collector said if this is true, county can only raise revenue through taxes.
Now McCarthy has been caught in a lie. While there is the audio tape, there will still be many people who will not believe what they hear. I think that Barack Obama phrased it very well; it’s not necessary that people believe the lie. It’s just necessary that they become so confused by competing narratives that they don’t know what and whom to believe.
Also, Ari Melber highlighted Obama’s words last night in a well done segment on how effective lies and misinformation have been at eroding our democracy
Republicans are in too deep to change. They hedged their bets on Trump in 2016 and won the Federal judiciary, notably the Supreme Court. From every corner, they are undoing decades of civil rights progress and erecting barriers to preserving rights, let alone restoring or progressing them. Republicans are out of their minds with jubilation. They've tasted blood and are ravening for more.
The Left refused to accept that 2016 was their stitch in time moment. And refused to unite to elect Hillary, thereby putting Trump in office. Many asserted that if Trump made things bad enough then 'come the revolution'. And come it did, on Jan 6. That is the people's revolution you will get in America. Armed to the Gills Automatons for Authoritarianism.
In 2020, responsible voters united to elect Biden and Democratic majorities in Congress. For our sins we also got Manchin and Sinema. It is going to be much more difficult in 2022.
Republicans continue destroying American cities by defunding essential and emergency services at the federal level, and passing the responsibilities onto the states who then defund state services, passing responsibilities onto cities and eventually onto individuals. Meanwhile packaging it as opportunity and freedom.
I am pretty sure the "left" was united behind Hillary. I think that Americans were, in 2016 and now, just more attracted to Trump's bombast, lies, funny one liners and hate.
Let's not let Americans off the hook.
Americans are looking for nasty and know it and love it when they see it.
Twenty years of sitting in the recliner drinking beer and eating chips while watching one survivor show after another has trained them to know who is a good leader.
Ask them who John Adams was.......try it. Watch that puzzled, confused look appear on their faces. "Wait what? Somebody wearing a shirt can be President??"
Hi, Lynell, that one was commandeered by the anti-vaccers (imitation is flattery?) so maybe better to leave that one alone. Think we should collect their mantras and flip them to expose the underlying harm, something about the attack on public schools, immigration, etc. We've got some fine wordsmiths in this group.
In 2016, from the day Hillary was anointed, I spent almost full time volunteering with my local Democrats. I had caucused for Bernie, who'd won my locality. I held my nose and was Cheerleader for Clinton. I was Cassandra for the dangers of the Democratic 'strategy' of hyping Hillary's sure thing victory and dismissing Trump's chances. Many on the Left were certain Hillary did not need *their* vote; sitting on your hands doesn't keep them clean. Many on the Left were willing to sacrifice the most vulnerable to 4 years of Trump, believing it would serve bringing the ones who survived into their camp.
Don't diss the racist right wing religious extremists and the big money who love them. They reshaped the GOP in their image. Republican voters spent decades of self disciplined GOP messaging and activism to take hold power - they kept their eyes on the prize of the Supreme Court and federal judiciary. And won.
This is a great assessment. I had far too many friends/acquaintances on the left who were either Sanders purists or who "just can't vote for her" men who did not listen when they were told that it wasn't the presidency they were voting for, but SCOTUS.
I'm not one to delight in the troubles of those whom I dislike, even detest, unless the troubles amount to justice. But Kevin McCarthy is an exception, especially because it involves gross deceit by a public official. In his case, it's a pattern of deceit that has undermined democracy for which there have been zero consequences. At least so far.
McCarthy is the paragon of a two-faced hypocritical liar. We knew it, but now WE REALLY KNOW IT. But does anyone think McCarthy feels any shame? Not a chance. But, perversely I guess, seeing him caught dead to right makes me feel good.
Intriguing comparison. Joe McCarthy was more dangerous, one could argue, because we can see the direct cause and effect between his lies and the lives he ruined. A vile demagogue of his era, he was adept at exploiting the overwrought fear of communism.
Kevin McCarthy isn't as clever or single-minded. He's a leading-light symptom of his party's precipitous decline: not bright nor adept at lying because he seems to lie with every breath. Truth and integrity are vague, meaningless concepts to him, more akin to weakness than admired elements of strong character. The damage K. McCarthy has caused and will continue to do until deposed is more insidious in that it constantly erodes the way the country is governed.
J. McCarthy is remembered because there's hasn't been another member of Congress quite like him, and his fall into infamy was relatively fast. There's a veritable army of K. McCarthys elbowing to replace him. It's as if he and the others are training to become Putin acolytes of disinformation, praying at an altar of false realities where telling the truth is a mortal sin.
Amazing what truths are trapped in tape. I wonder how this will finally ‘play’ out. Gnite. My prayers are focused on all citizens and friends of Ukraine.
Thank you, Heather! It was the Nixon tapes that finally got him to resign. I hope the Lincoln Project runs this tape over and over and over every day for the next two and a half years and becomes the demise of the DT Rhino Party. It was so incredible to hear Moscow Mitch and Kowtow Kevin saying DT was finally done after Jan. 6 just to have to grovel a few days later when they had to eat their words. But, the DT base led by Fox News will come up with a sound bite the base can use to dismiss M&M's little transgression. Narcissists like DT never carry any blame because they project the shame on others and have no shame left. For the rest of us, it is time to Join the Union. jointheunion.us We, the People, All of US this time!
Some remember. Senator Barry Goldwater, in full Barry Morris Goldwater, (born January 1, 1909, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.—died May 29, 1998, Paradise Valley, Arizona), U.S. senator from Arizona (1953–64, 1969–87) and Republican presidential candidate in 1964 - dropped in on President Richard M. Nixon, and delivered the news. Resign or experience impeachment. Following the departure of Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, replaced by Speaker Gerald Ford, it was time to go. Impeachment was a lock. By resigning, Nixon might be pardoned, not prosecuted, then came Gov. Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller to fill the VP slot after Ford rose to replace Nixon - and pardon him. Divorced, Rocky promised Senator Prescott Bush he would not run, the eastern establishment closed ranks, Ford rose to lose when he ran, and we lived on to experience a few decades of wars without declaration, and here we are. Government is barely there, respectability vacated decades ago, and the Republic is shaken. Putin financed Trump, Trump corruption exceeds that of Nixon and Agnew by a proverbial mile, and two failed attempts at impeachment later we are facing humiliation worldwide. We’ve met the enemy in the mirror. and courage has failed us. No courage, no republic. We’re in trouble, all kinds of trouble, evil trouble, not the good kind so much. SCOTUS was stuffed with mediocrity. Our citizens lack memory. This could get nasty.
Yep, Rachel Maddow covered all this on her program and has connected all of the dots over the years. Impeachments, audio tapes, videos, witness accounts, reams of testimony have all been collected and here we are, still commenting on the same rat parade over and over again.
There is absolutely no rational legal reason why members of the trump criminal cabal, complicit republican members of congress who enabled the corruption and attempted coup, and other insurrectionists have not been indicted. Frankly, this DOJ is not doing their job and it is an insult to the Biden administration and to every American who used to belief we had "rule of law" in this country.
Political crime and batshit dangerous legislation ala Texas and Florida governors, etc. pays huge dividends to those who participate and drink the lemonade. I don't know why it is that those who can think, learn, and act for good end up on the losing end.
I agree with all you are saying save DOJ. Jan 6th presents the biggest challenge ever to the AG in our history. The prosecution has to be perfect and absolute, but it also can’t set off a cycle of political purging after each election as power changes. Reforming complex structures without losing control is hard enough, prosecuting complex structures with political corruption when control is uncertain (November) presents ever increasing challenges that risk Democracy itself. What an awful mess that ugly and orange man has caused us all. As sure as TFG is ignorant, selfish, and diagnosed malignant narcissist, he has a polar opposite in Merrick Garland.
Joan, If the 1/6 Commission is on the national stage at end of May or early June, the timing may be very good, at least in time. Combine that with lots of PR and news coverage of Burns' and Martin's “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for America’s Future,” which draws on hundreds of interviews with lawmakers and officials, and recordings of private conversations. soon before the mid-terms the Republicans will have a lot of negative attention to deal with. Given the short attention spans of many Americans this will be right in front of them.
I was glued to all this news most of the day. It’s hard to believe they’ll all escape. I’m quite pleased with the DOJ at this point and I suspect FL will still get sued over its new map … so, fingers crossed is the best I can do right now.
‘In the days after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol building, the two top Republicans in Congress, Representative Kevin McCarthy and Senator Mitch McConnell, told associates they believed President Trump was responsible for inciting the deadly riot and vowed to drive him from politics.’
That’s a front page story in today’s New York Times by Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin. The two have a a book coming out called, “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for America’s Future,” which draws on hundreds of interviews with lawmakers and officials, and recordings of private conversations. (New York Times) For link, see Notes in the HCR’s Letter.
Will we see in Burns & Martin a new version of Woodward & Bernstein as their exposure of Donald Trump and leaders of the Republican Party spreads far and wide.
Yes, it would be nice. But, in 2022 it will have to come in postable segments perhaps as a prelude to public hearings. The Political Situation is multidimensional & volatile. Mallory McMorrow skills are needed. Question: what`s the view from MI --- UP & LP?
In Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula HATE MIGHT LOSE! While "the tapes," won't change the minds or votes of the rigid right, and Mallory's 'Sermon on the Mount' won't be seen by most Fox viewers, we are seeing a groundswell of support for decency and possibility. For example:
In the UP we have a superb Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, "Dr. Bob" Lorinser, who in addition to 30 years of compassionate medical experience, served in the U.S. Foreign Service with his wife for 10 years. We must get rid of our current seditionist Republican Rep. Jack Bergman. Support Dr. Bob!!
In Traverse City, one of our trumpist county commissioners is being challenged in the primary by a former County Chair, who has the confidence to run as a "moderate Republican" (code for 'not-a-trumper") and odds are she'll win!
In Lansing today there is a meeting I am invited to, but unfortunately cannot attend, of 50 former State administration and health department officials, along with retired lobbyists from all of our major health organizations. Just a reunion. To, no doubt, start causing good trouble.
And Senator Mallory McMorrow's war cry is echoing all over the state:
Trump worshipers weren't fazed by the Access Hollywood video. I would expect even less concern from the faithful over proof that a couple of establishment Republicans were briefly apostate.
There is quite literally no bottom the pit the Republiqans now dwell in; and there is no lie too big to tell.
Probably no bottom to the number of tapes coming either…
Tapes are the vestigial, externalized conscience, the last vestige of the Republic when illiteracy rises to choke debate and Putin puppet Trump signs on to rape the body politic with Sir Rudy cross dressing at his favorite bar, and the GOP ban books that say racism is bad, Blacks got screwed, voting rights matter, women are not to be subjugated, childbirth is an option not an obligation, planned parenthood is healthy, abortion is a regrettable right, BLACK women know better, the GOP is primitive, warming threatens all life and Russia, China and a few others need to learn the rules, one way or another. And soon.
I don’t think we’re at the republic’s last gasp. Far from it. Remember which party controls the White House and both houses of Congress. Resist the siren call of Chicken Little and work to keep it that way, and we’ll send the Republicans where they belong.
I sure hope we can hold it!
Big WOW. Your voice in God’s better ear.
Awaken, Mr. Margolis. The shit is hitting your fan.
Bravo!
But we can't go to sleep!
Sandy As I played the Cheney-McCarthy tape I thought I heard a muffled voice saying ‘you should have destroyed the tape.’ Unlike Nixon, this wasn’t McCarthy’s to destroy.
McCarthy was hell bend on destroying Liz Cheney and has supported Liz’s opponent in the Wyoming Republican primary.
Perhaps he forgot that Liz’s parents, Dick and Lynne, were two of the dirtiest swamp fighters in Washington. Liz, who was just awarded the Kennedy School Profile in Courage Award, is taking no prisoners in her fight for personal political survival.
One almost forgets that she was nearly 100% in voting for Trump legislation.
Not edited! Dick Cheney and gutsy Liz. Decay at election central. Politics and strange bedfellows, sex, politics and religion, where do we start? VP heart transplant patient the brutal Halliburton double dip Wyoming cold flash, the Iraq brute, the corporate creep, W bully, Dick Cheney and the second white haired fat Speaker Newt from Georgia not worth spit were fatally dangerous to the good GOP and our good nation. They followed sick paranoid smart as hell Tricky Dick. And Ted Agnew, a thief. Tendencies matter. They’re all practiced Black hating prejudiced intolerant insecure males with women issues, all lacking a good education. War hero GHWB cheated on his depressed Barbara, was a pontificating Reagan voodoo phony. Weak. And Dear Ronnie was the grinning B grade son of a drunk first married to one - the start of the image con at 1600. Useless and so stupid he could be led by a Wall Street manipulator married to a hot fudge Sundae addict, the dry clear blue eyed spongey daughter of a huge Merrill stockholder, and old friend Donald T. Regan was ok till Nancy found him talking about cleaning up after the elephant, and she erupted.. on the way south. Remember the good Admiral Poindexter. They all perfected lying, and Scooter Libby was the jailed. Congress was implicated. It never ends. We’re paying for our shattered credibility now. Putin owns Trump, Trump owns the feckless liars that populate the GOP, and weak Democrats fear getting furious and are going to get slammed in congress - because Trump pumped the national racist card - Kevin McCarthy and Cruz, Graham, Hawley, McConnell and toothy educator Senator Sasse simply don’t have what it takes. Joe Biden cancels Russia’s VISA card, so Putin gins up pedophilia again, sells it to the GOP again, and pulverizes Ukraine for sheer pleasure as we lend lease for nothing.. waiting for Pearl Harbor and MAD.
Ask Black women. They know us best.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is The Second Coming.
My husband says, Black Women will save this country. I think he may be right.
Hope so. They supported Biden from Clyburn’s remark: Joe knows us,
And Michigan Women: WE WILL NOT LET HATE WIN.
Sandy I presume, from your highlighting some of the Republican low lights, that you wouldn’t support Trump or DeSantis in 2024. I delight in your tasteful understatements, though I am able to sense the general drift of your remarks.
I, of course, am ‘tasteless.’ I grew up in Philadelphia, the home of TastyCakes, which were dreadful (and delicious).
Wow.
And Ronnie gave Murdoch and Fox News their start.
😡
It's a wonderfully unedited ramble but oh, my goodness, I wouldn't have missed that last line for all the world.
Keith - I hear you. But I'll tell you what. I kind of like the 2-party system in theory. It's a good way to maintain an even balance. It breaks down when there is no common ground though. Today's Republican party has literally walked off the deep end. The Dem's have stayed put largely. I hate what Republicans stand for, if for no other reason than the climate denial stance which endangers the entire ecosytem of this planet, and therefore all of human civilization. But imagine a Republican party led by the likes of Mitt Romney, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. Decent people who recognize we have a democratic government and want to keep it that way. I would take that and live with it. In a hot minute.
Jay I agree that a robust two-party system is the least worst alternative in America [look at what multi-parties have done in Italy, Germany, France, and, especially, Israel].
Historically both the Reps and Dems have displayed non-centrist flashes—I remember Goldwater and McGovern (I worked in his campaign, after Muskie was killed by the White House Plumbers—my rationale—anyone was better than Tricky Dick).
On occasion a party becomes so factionalized that it splinters. The Republican Party in the 1850s was an amalgam of the Whigs and the American (‘Know Nothing’) Party.
I am concerned by the vocal bickering between the ‘progressives’ and ‘moderates’ within the Democratic Party. Far more frightening is how the Republican Party has morphed into Trumplicans, with the so-called moderates being almost exterminated. This reminds me of the time when Goldwaterites considered Rockefeller Republicans RINOS.
The Dems will always have factions. Unfortunately, this has cost President Biden dearly in Congressional legislation. Far more troubling is how the ‘Republicans’ have beome a party lacking both principles and policies. Until/unless there is a cataclysmic change in the current ‘Republicans,’ they are likely to win Congress in 2022 and continue their ‘false fact’ negativism.
I, like you, am in favor of decency. At 88 I have never witnessed such a disheartening political situation in my country. Bipartisanship is considered treasonous, at least by the ‘Republicans.’ I wonder if the ‘Republicans’ can morph back to being a functioning Republican Party in my lifetime. Trump may be reflecting a broad movement of fear and Negativism that could prove politically attractive to folks like DeSantis and others.
I fear for our traditional democracy.
Today's primary system often rewards the most extreme candidates. I am eagerly watching the Alaska experiment. One primary with candidates from all parties which is open to all registered voters. The top 4 vote-getters in each position go on to the general election. If this is coupled with ranked choice voting, voters could vote for their heart's desire as their first choice and their "next best" candidate as their second choice.
Think about what would likely have happened if this model had been in use in 2000. Most of Florida's Nader voters would likely have chosen Gore over Bush as a second choice and the election results would have been reversed.
I'm only 70 (for another 6 weeks), but "my lifetime" includes the "disheartening political situation" that existed in this country before the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Remember how white Southern Democrats had a stranglehold not only on their region but, because of their congressional seniority, on the whole country? For white people the current situation may be the worst they've ever seen, but people of color, and white people aware of the history, have good reason to disagree.
My husband and I lived in DC when McGovern lost in a landslide to Tricky Dick. I burst into tears because I couldn't believe how so many people could be so blind. Fast forward to 2016...
💙
💙
One almost forgets….perhaps she’s working hard as a cover? IDK. 🤷♀️
I will say this…being the black sheep of the (the extended and nuclear) family, I’ve worked my tuckus off to erase the slime of my very immoral and alcoholic (and embarrassing) nuclear family. And to ignore being ignored by the extended folk.
My point is, often, following generations, after a shit show of one - will go out of their way to make amends by living a life full of works that diminish or erase the sins of previous generations.
I’ve become so suspicious and jaded.
😢
Pj And it can work the other way. After the Kennedys gave so much to our country, one of Bobby’s offspring has capitalized on the name to mount a flagrant anti-vaccination campaign.
Perhaps Liz, by her current fight for sensibility, will be like Schindler in the Holocaust movie—one magnificent deed will overcome the past Cheney legacy. Still, I believe that he was a Dick.
Your belief system is correct, Keith. Liz is not her dad, thank goodness! he was always a dick! His Christian name matched his personality perfectly.
I just want you to know, PJ, that you have my complete respect and admiration for the work you are doing. Bravo. 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Thank you. When a child grows up in a very twisted environment, it truly takes a lifetime of perseverance to unclench from survival mode. I’m thoroughly enjoying a great life quilting, watercoloring, and generally being a pita in any situation where there’s wrongdoing I can call attention to to help make right.
Thoroughly love these LETTERS where I can place my heart as a bouquet of flowers in an act of faith for peace.
Um - I was born in South America to privileged white folk who crashed the living hell out of their lives. And the collateral damage…🙄🙄
Anyway, I was ten before I got shunted from Nuclear to tertiary family.
In that ten years I lived in Venezuela, Colombia and Chile.
I remember spending a night in a dark closet, alone, because there was gunfire on the streets of my hood.
Repeat of that only I’m a little older. I’m under the bed and there’s glass shattering. Street fighting outside THAT house.
No. Hell no we do not want a facist or authoritarian government here in the US, or anywhere.
Is anyone else keeping a finger on the pulse of France’s election? The significance affects the world.
Putin, with his greed and avarice has set the political tone of THE WORLD. His evil has mined landscapes the world over. Creepy.
For the rest of our known lives, there will never be another election anywhere where there’s not a democratic/autocratic(<—dictator fascist, authoritarian you get it) bean
count. Because putin (by meddling in US elections in 2016, France’s in 2017/18, US again in 20/21, US again in 22 BUT ESPECIALLY) LAUNCHING A PYRRHIC war in Europe to suck up land on the basis of a fentanyl induced wet dream to bring back dead vain glory has taken a noble act of free will and poisoned it. No. For generations, no one will vote without looking over their shoulder. Or dialing into bean-counting.
Biden is carrying the weight of Democracy for the world on his shoulders. He’s got one foot in putin’s shitshow and the other in 💩’s.
Legend: 💩 = t…p
I’ll let myself out now. Wow - 🤣 that rip cord got pulled.
😊🌷
Can't "heart" this but I so get what you're saying. Keep doing what you are doing, PJ.
Almost....
Yes.. the Republicans need a complete reboot and the Dems need 10 years in the solid majority to accomplish what is needed for our country and the world.
There is nothing more effective than a person who has found the right path…after being in the shadows.
And few things more frightening than the unleashed zeal of the converted.
Well said, Sandy. Succinct, detailed, simple and true.
And the rules are simple. Most learn them in kindergarten.
We can certainly hope.
Feels good, don’t it? 👍
👍🏻
And they will be as meaningless as this McCarthy one, all assigned to the dustbin of history in days as this madly accelerated world we live in moves on to the next piece of clickbait that rears its head.
Sure, there will be those on the other side who raise it at opportunistic times in the next few months and (possibly) years in order to tilt at the windmill once again. But it will all be in vain.
The first proposition is a simple one and we all know it. The key Republicans lie. Then they lie about their lying. Then they distract those who know about their endless lying with some shiny trinket designed to deflect the very few whose vote they care about.
The second proposition is equally clear. 75% of the American population will not even know that they lied, or if they do, will not even care. Some will even admire the supposed chutzpah of McCarthy. A crow will land at my bird feeder this morning and chase the little birds away, and that moment will have as much effect on the downward spiral American democracy as Maddie’s “gotcha” last night.
The final proposition is this. One thing only matters at this stage. It’s not Fox vs MSNBC. It’s not galloping inflation. It’s not the fucking endless marching band of Republican thug-politicians, trumpeting out lies and denials. And laughing at us all the way for our pathetic naïveté. It’s not the midterms, even if the Democrats part the Red Sea and struggle back to the safety of being the majority. And it’s not even the incredible work of the Committee on 1/6, climaxing at public hearings next month - and it grieves me deeply to say that.
No, this second civil war is going to come down to one thing only. And that is the actions of the Department of Justice. Let the subpoenas start rolling on criminal charges, subpoenas that can’t be evaded by a dive into the chicanery of the endlessly complex waters of American justice. Subpoenas for McCarthy and Meadows, as well as the two bit goons like Boebert and Brooks and Greene and Gosar et al. And of course a subpoena for the capo himself, Donald Trump.
In any case, those indictments, followed by convictions, followed inexorably by righteous jail sentences are the last desperate gasp for American democracy. The events from November 3 2020 to January 6 2021 cannot go unanswered. Cannot. Cannot.
American political life is a hair’s breadth from being rotten to the core.
Still your move Mr. Garland.
Yes, but the work of the 1/6 Committee will, I hope, give public grounding for strong action by the DOJ.
Agree.
Eric When you state that “75% of the American population will even know that they lied,’ you may well be correct. And many of those who know that McCarthy, McConnell, Trump, and….lied evidently don’t care.
Facts are troublesome things, and they seem not to register with a majority of Americans. When even a number of Democrats don’t applaud President Biden’s accomplishments, I fear about relying on a ‘sensible and well-informed populous.’
I think the thorny problem, and also the excruciating delay, is that pretty much the entire Republican Congress was "in on it".
One would like to think so, but there is so much more you haven't mentioned.
Accordingly, the outcome of all the investigations is an historical footnote analyzed by the great-grandchildren of one of HCR's students?
In a worst case scenario, I think so. But I do hope that the DOJ will be informed by the discoveries and conclusions of the Committee. I know nothing of this, but my understanding from listening to eminent prosecutors (Vance, Bharara etc) is that a criminal referral might even work against its intent - that the DOJ strives to maintain its independence and acting on the Committee’s advice might look like a Democratic setup. I’m not sure of course.
But I take your general point, which is pessimistic. Lots of committee reports proceed with great fanfare and come to important conclusions - conclusions which are unpalatable to those currently ruling. That’s definitely the case in Canada at any rate.
So yes, this brilliant work could end up as an historical footnote - if an autocratic government even preserves it. Things get erased.
You touch on a difficulty I worry about. A political trial conducted for criminal behavior carried out in the wrong court: Congress versus Justice versus a public forum of voter uninformed opinions cast at the polls.
Fred You are, of course, assuming that history will be taught to students some generations from now. With are of the book banning, wokeness, CRT, and banning math books because of their ‘social’ content, I wonder what might be left in history books to analyze, once they have been sanitized.
Might slavery be described as offering jobs to unemployed Africans, with free ocean transportation thrown in? As for women, they had to be sheltered because of their lack of testosterone.
As for the Native Americans, they actually had no title to the property they were inhabiting. Besides, there was lots of land and the Native Americans were stingy.
I found it vexing as a history professor (age 58 to 80) endeavoring to get my students to think. With homogenized history there is no reason to think.
Vexing it must have been. There will be young iconoclasts burrowing around in the Congressional Record contrasting and comparing the words with actions of McConnell and McCarthy and Liz Cheney and Harry Reid in the future, jaws dropping and minds twisted. But, it is Friday and I intend to finish watching Servant of the People, the comedy that led up to the Ukraine presidency.
Simple question, on what basis did you make the following claim: '75% of the American population will not even know that they lied, or if they do, will not even care.'?
Yes, tapes, or software so good it’s bad.
So who is really surprised? Not me. The two “McC’s” are leaders in lying.
Yes, tapes, Matt Taibbi, time for another book..
Matt Taibbi has gone to the dark side, so probably not much chance of that.
Dark side? I don't think so. Matt is one of the best journalists in the U.S.
He lost his way. There are numerous articles about it.
Which articles? I read the one below, and that dealt with his early actions in Russia, things which he admitted were immature.
What???
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/10/what-happened-to-matt-taibbi.html
I read the article. Looks to me as though he did a mea culpa about some pranks in his early life. And he did so in an honest and candid reply. I learned of Matt's writing when I found "Griftopia." He studied the 2008 Wall Street bailout scam, spending seven years in understanding and writing the account. He did an incredible job in explaining how all of us were scr**ed by the WS clique. After "Griptopia," his other books and articles have reflected that same honesty and candor. He doesn't take sides in that every issue he reports is based on substantiated facts. Good journalist. As Joe Friday would say, "Just the facts, ma'am." I trust him.
Matt Taibbi and Glen Greenwald give us some of today's best journalism.
Holly, thanks for taking the time to post this for me. I haven't read anything by Taibbi in a while, so I appreciate you getting me up to speed. Dark side sounds about right for him.
Lordy, I hope so!
Lordy, Lordy!
One hopes.
Wooop de do.🎉 There it is. Evidence that his self interest is more important than Democracy, more important than the truth. Darn straight that felt good. Asking the higher powers that be…can we have more of that please?
“Lies are a necessary element in knowing how to remain in power. Our base appreciates this skill and knows we do it to keep their trust in our ‘owning’ the libs”
Nor any swamp more filthy, Cathy, nor saw-scaled viper more poisonous!
Morning Cathy.
I just came across this news story regarding what the Jan 6 committee has to reveal. It’s reported by Representative Jamie Raskin. I almost fell out at the last revelation he mentions at end of article regarding Pence.
Wowee-Zowee.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/jan-6-revelations-will-blow-roof-house-rep-jamie-raskin-says-rcna25542
This is the stuff right out of the old Soviet vs. U.S. movies! (A bit dramatic? Perhaps) IF Pence had gotten into that car, no one knows what might have taken place.
WOW!
😲😲😲😲
These are politicians. No matter what party line they follow, they all learned to lie in order to get into office and keep their positions. Seriously, don't think they don't all lie. But...if you've been "transcribed", might as well 'fess up, because someone is going to find the 'tape' and expose it.
I think that might well be the thing we, after all, are not equipped to deal with or even acknowledge, that something might indeed have no bottom, no end, no limit. I believe a good many of us knew in our souls from the beginning that we were facing into an evil wind, that we had signed on to a dynamic we couldn't begin to understand. Of course it has turned out to be much worse even than those of us who expected the worst could imagine. But now here we are and what in the name of all the gods are we to do? Thank you for your comments.
I suggest that "we" did not sign on to that dynamic, but were signed onto it by proxy without providing full authority.
You are 100% correct; thank you for your thoughtful reply.
That "bottomless" pit thrives.
Heather Cox Richardson writes of "the degree to which right-wing leaders have gained power by lying to their supporters without accountability." Years ago, as I was researching in the Plymouth Colony court records, I came across a case where someone was convicted of "telling a lie."
When I was a child, I remember the public outrage and scorn when President Nixon discovered to have lied to the American people. Things just weren't the same when President Clinton was impeached. And now we have the Trump phenomenon, where blatant dishonesty gets readily excused because the Other Side is perceived to be so much worse that we can forgive almost anything from our chosen leader.
With such extreme polarization among the people, and the sense of injustice and outrage among Trump supporters at the Select Kangaroo Committee -- whose cherry-picked membership is in blatant violation of its founding resolution -- we are approaching another disunion crisis and the threat once again of civil war.
Nancy Pelosi risks imposing a high price on the country for her refusal to add the three final members to the committee. But if she adds three Democrats, the committee looks like a partisan witch-hunt. If she adds three Republicans, the committee's unanimity up to now will be marred by open dissent.
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Jeri Chilcutt58 min ago
More muddy water, who needs it. Surely not this really old Dem.
1Reply
John Schmeeckle9 min ago
Biden's people offer free kool-aid, which tastes ever so much better :-)
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Ed Nuhfer5 hr ago
"Open dissent?" As in disrupting and subverting an investigation?
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John Schmeeckle5 hr ago
Have we lost the collective ability to co-exist politically? The members of the Kangaroo Committee, together with Biden supporters everywhere, continue to ignore the smoking-gun evidence that Biden stole the 2020 Massachusetts primary from Bernie Sanders.
I quote below from Theodore de Macedo Soares' analysis of the discrepancies, at https://freepress.org/article/massachusetts-2020-democratic-primary
The 2020 Massachusetts Democratic Party presidential primary was held on March 3, 2020. Election results from the computerized vote counts differed significantly from the results projected by the exit poll conducted by Edison Research and published by CNN at poll’s closing. As in the 2016 Massachusetts primary between candidates Sanders and Clinton, disparities greatly exceed the exit poll’s margin of error. Sanders won Massachusetts in the exit poll and lost it in the computer count.
The discrepancies between the exit poll and the vote count for Sanders and Biden totaled 8.2%— double the 4.0% exit poll margin of error. Warren’s and Biden’s discrepancies totaled 8.0%, also double the margin of error. These discrepancies replicate the total discrepancy of 8.0% favoring Clinton in the 2016 Massachusetts Democratic Party primary between her and Sanders. This time two progressive candidates exhibit the same discrepancies now favoring Biden representing the establishment’s choice.
Presidential candidates Biden’s and Bloomberg’s vote counts exhibited the largest disparity from their exit poll projections. Biden’s unobservable computer-generated vote totals represented a 15.7% increase of his projected exit poll share. Given the 1,342,905 voters in this election, he gained approximately 60,900 more votes than projected by the exit poll. Bloomberg increased his vote share by 28.2% and approximately 34,500 more votes than projected. Their gain came largely at the expense of candidates Sanders and Warren whose combined vote counts were 97,000 less than projected by the exit poll.[i]
Noteworthy is the fact that the 2016 Massachusetts Republican Party exit poll taken at the same time and at the same precincts as the Democratic Party primary, and also with a crowded field of five candidates, was matched almost perfectly by the computer count—varying by less than one percent for each candidate.
Exit polls are widely recognized—such as by, for example, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)—as a means for checking the validity of vote counts. The U.S. has financed exit polls in other countries to “ensure free and fair” elections.
The United States remains one of the few major democracies in the world that continue to allow computerized vote counting—not observable by the public—to determine the results of its elections.[ii] Countries such as Germany, Norway, Netherlands, France,[iii] Canada,[iv] United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and many other countries protect the integrity of their elections with publicly observable hand-counting of paper ballots.[v]
[1] Exit poll (EP) downloaded from CNN’s website by TDMS on election night, March 3, 2020 at 8:00 PM. Candidates’ exit poll percentage/proportion derived from the gender category. Number of EP respondents: 1,394. As this first published exit poll was subsequently adjusted towards conformity with the final computerized vote count, the currently published exit poll differs from the results above.
[2] Candidates’ percentage/proportion of the total computer-generated vote counts derived from reported counts (94% reporting) updated on March 4, 2020 and published by The New York Times. Total number of voters: 1,327,374
[3] The difference between the exit poll proportion and reported vote proportion for each candidate (subtracting values in column two from the values in column three). A positive value indicates the candidate did better and received a greater share of the total reported count than projected by the exit poll. For example, candidate Biden, reported percentage/proportion of the total vote increased by 4.5% compared to his exit poll share.
[4] This column shows the percentage increase or decrease from the candidate’s exit poll projection (difference in column four divided by exit poll proportion in column two). Shown only for candidates with 4% or more share in the exit poll.
[5] This column presents a distinct Margin of Error (MOE) of the exit poll (EP) for the differences between candidate Biden and each of the other candidate’s EP results. The exit poll MOE, for example, between Biden and Sanders is 4.0% and the MOE between Biden and Warren is 3.9%. For simplicity MOE not shown for candidates with less than 4% share in the EP. MOE calculated according to multinomial formula in: Franklin, C. The ‘Margin of Error’ for Differences in Polls. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. October 2002, revised February 2007. Available at: https://abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUnit/MOEFranklin.pdf
[6] The disparities between the exit poll and the reported computer-generated vote counts comparing Biden and each of the other candidates (subtracting each candidate’s difference between exit poll and computer count from Biden’s difference of 4.5%.). Disparities for candidates Sanders and Warren are double their respective MOE. For example, candidate Biden’s unverified computerized vote count exceeded his EP projected vote proportion by 4.5% while Sander’s computerized count understated his EP projected vote proportion by 3.7% for at total discrepancy of 8.2%. This 8.2% disparity, greatly exceeding the statistical 4.0% margin of error based on their exit poll proportions, is significant as it cannot be attributed to the MOE.
[i] Sanders received 49,045 less votes than projected by the exit poll and Warren 48,000 less.
[ii] Fittingly, according to a recent Gallup World Poll, only 40% of Americans say they are confident in the honesty of U.S. elections. Finland and Norway with 89% of their citizens expressing confidence in the honesty of their elections along with the citizens of 25 other countries have greater confidence in their elections than do Americans.
[iii] During the 2007 presidential election, eighty-three municipalities (France has 36,569 municipalities) were allowed to use voting machines. Due to security concerns and the inability of voters to determine if their votes are counted correctly a moratorium, that remains today, prevents additional municipalities from introducing voting machines. In the 2012 elections only 64 municipalities continued their use. The French government desires a total ban on their use.
[iv] In Canada, the results of federal elections are determined exclusively by hand-counted paper ballots. Some provinces have adopted voting machines for local elections. See here, here and here.
[v] The United States’ long ballots–containing federal, state, and local races–are commonly cited as being unwieldy for hand-counting. The use of Sweden’s method of providing different colored paper ballots for federal, state, and local races that are then sorted prior to hand-counting addresses this objection and allows for at least the hand-counting of federal elections with only three races per ballot.
Please share this article: This entry was posted in Election Integrity and tagged 2020 Massachusetts Democratic Party primary, Biden, Election Fraud, Election Integrity, Exit Polls, Hand-counted ballots, Sanders, Warren by Theodore de Macedo Soares. Bookmark the permalink. Oringal here http://tdmsresearch.com/2020/03/04/massachusetts-2020-democratic-party-primary/
Why is American democracy the worst in the west? What's wrong with us? Is it hypocritical to defend "democracy" in Ukraine (where the oligarchic puppet Zelensky has suspended all the opposition parties) when our own house is in such disorder?
https://www.salon.com/2016/04/15/america_is_no_model_democracy_u_s_elections_rank_worst_among_western_states_partner/
No, it is not hypocritical John. Both Ukraine's fledgling democracy and our archaic, worn thin democracy need defense. American democracy suffers from extreme capitalism and an entrenched oligarchy, which Citizens United, in particular, fuels disorder. When one political party, the GOP, no longer believes in democracy and trashes it for power...by extension authoritarianism, then we must fight harder on all fronts using the rule of law while we can.
Zelensky is not an oligarchical puppet. He was elected overwhelmingly to fight corruption, and this is one main reason Putin enacted his war. Democracy, the European Union, and ties to the west threaten his authoritarian oligarchy. Putin will destroy Ukraine in the name of saving and liberating it from Nazis and other concocted lies.
We are fighting the Big Lie here and in Ukraine; it is rather simple.
Brad Spot on!
"Zelensky is not an oligarchical puppet. He was elected overwhelmingly "
Hi, Brad, you just hit on something--deliberately or not--that I think underlies much of our muddle about what goes on in the world and that is complexity. Western culture is based on a creation myth that sees creation as a process of division and naming. If it's land, it isn't sea; if it's light, it can't be dark; and so on. That basic point of view often tricks us into thinking situations that aren't, are in fact simple. Of course, nothing is really simple in that way but Americans do seem to get particularly confused in the absence of fill in the blank answers. Donald Trump and the groundswell of passionate support he attracts can't be explained. The Republicans, their heartlessness, and their lies do't make sense. Our defenses fall.
As McCarthy also said when he learned that Putin was paying some congresspeople: "I think Trump is paid by the Russians, too."
I agree our country's democracy is fraught with problems. But I think it was Churchill that stated something to the tune of it's the worst form of government except for all the rest. I do not think it is hypocritical to defend Ukraine's democracy. And why do you call Zelensky an "oligarchic puppet"?
The word was used by Zelensky's opponent, with good reason. Quoting from
"How One Ukrainian Billionaire Funded Hunter Biden, President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Neo-Nazi Azov Battalion"
https://greatgameindia.com/hunter-biden-zelensky-neo-nazi/
The Pandora Papers showed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his TV production partners were beneficiaries of a web of offshore firms created in 2012, the same year Zelensky’s production company entered into a deal with Kolomoysky’s media group, which allegedly received $41 million in funds from Kolomoysky’s Privatbank.
Zelensky’s political rival, President Petro Poroshenko commented on their connection during the campaign trail, “Fate intended to put me together with Kolomoyskiy’s PUPPET in the second round of the elections.”
After Zelensky’s victory, Kolomoysky, who had spent the last few years living between Israel and Switzerland, returned to Ukraine to keep up his relationship with the new president, nominating over 30-lawmakers to Zelensky’s newly established party and maintaining influence with many of them in parliament.
Igor Kolomoysky has been a top funder of the Azov Battalion since it was formed in 2014. He has also bankrolled private militias like the Dnipro and Aidar Battalions and has personally deployed them to protect his financial interests.
Plop.
Double ploop! Extra 'O' for ooze.
"A piece is gonna fall on you..."
https://youtu.be/2LE0KpcP05I
Mary Pat Sercu seems incapable of saying the name "Davison Budhoo."
I have to imagine that white racists secretly applaud the International Monetary Fund's slaughter of millions and millions of starving dark-skinned babies.
Quoting from the resignation letter ("our own peculiar Holocaust") of senior IMF official Davison Budhoo:
"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. Mr. Camdessus, the blood is so much, you know, it runs in rivers."
"The charges that I make are not light charges - they are charges that 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 establishing and 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."
"In guilt and self-realization of my own worthlessness as a human being, what I would like to do most of all is to so propel myself that I can get the man-in-the-street of North and South and East and West and First and Second and Third and Fourth and All Other Worlds to take an interest in what is happening to his single planet, his single habitat, because our institution was allowed to evolve in a particular way in late twentieth century international society, and allowed to become the supra-national authority that controls the day-to-day lives of hundreds of millions of people everywhere."
"We get away with our works of Dracula hiding behind the mask of Superior Technocracy and a Greater Wisdom striving for “financial balance” and “structural adjustment” in the Third World."
"And so it goes on and on and on. And nothing changes in the developing world except more death and destitution for the people in the slums, and more power for the Fund. And with the passing of every meeting our staff becomes even more reinvigorated; they wield a sharper and more bloodied tool; an even more terrifying Executor’s Axe stand poised for service everywhere in the South. And the children scream, Sir; my God, how they scream!"
(Budhoo is referring here to the incessant screaming of starving infants. When they stop screaming, you know that death is near.)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oJzvpfFzIKu76oE1CkzZlarRiVpYIggFMFzSt6OgHx0/mobilebasic"
See also "Millions die every year in IMF's new Holocaust": https://www.scribd.com/document/136821354/Davison-l-Budhoo-Interview
President Zelensky, after his election promise to bring the Donbass conflict to a "swift end," moved to proceed with the so-called "Steinmeier formula" for implementing the 2014/5 Minsk Accords between Ukraine and Russia. But the far-right Azov group objected.
See https://theconversation.com/ukraine-window-opens-for-peace-in-the-donbas-after-volodymyr-zelenskiy-agrees-to-election-plan-124605
--
I continue by quoting from
"Siding With Ukraine’s Far-Right, US Sabotaged Zelensky’s Peace Mandate"
at https://scheerpost.com/2022/04/18/siding-with-ukraines-far-right-us-sabotaged-zelenskys-peace-mandate/
Although Trump’s impeachment failed to remove him from office, it succeeded in cementing the proxy war aims of its chief proponents: rather than support Zelensky’s peace mandate, Ukraine would instead be used to “fight Russia over there.”...
In using Ukraine to bleed Russia, the US has showcased its contempt for everything in Ukraine that it claims to defend, namely its democracy and security....
When Zelensky travelled to the Donbas in October 2019 to promote elections for the rebel-held areas, he was confronted by angry members of the neo-Nazi Azov battalion rallying under the slogan of “No to Capitulation.”
The far-right threats to Zelensky undoubtedly thwarted a peace agreement that could have prevented the Russian invasion....
Instead of pursuing the peace platform that he was elected on, the Ukrainian President has instead made alliances with the Ukrainian far-right that violently opposed it.
In a nutshell, Zelensky caved in to the neo-Nazis -- the same neo-Nazis that his opigarchic puppet-master financed -- after the anti-Trump political leadership in the U.S.A. sabotaged Zelensky's Donbass peace initiative because "we'd rather fight the Russians over there than over here."
As I've said before, the American political leadership -- both Republicans and Democrats in both houses of Congress -- is guilty of the crime against humanity of deliberately and knowingly provoking Russia into a war if self-defense against Ukrsine and its western puppet-masters.
This undeclared war between Russia and the west is soon going to take some drastic turns, with global financial and commodities markets, as well as cyber-space, becoming battlefields.
Of course the end game, if things go on that long, is nuclear:
https://youtu.be/1R3h79vi5Fo
https://youtu.be/5L45toPpEv0
But you haven't mentioned Hunter's laptop.
It’s $. Lots and lots of money. And dark.
I'm cynical enough to believe that McCarthy and McConnell will manage to tough this out. Just as everyone knew Trump was a liar and it didn't seem to matter, so everyone knows that the two McC's are comfortable lying and it probably won't matter in their cases either.
I'd love to be proven wrong.
Don't forget how many votes Biden won by. There is still intelligence in the country.
And if statistic are to be believed, more Republican voters died of COVID than Democrats. Amazing how willing they have been to sacrifice their base!!
The silent majority needs to SWAMP that vicious vocal, maniacal minority.
There are going to be public hearings beginning in May—according to the wonderful, Jamie Raskin.
Can you imagine a president Raskin, or Schiff? Sigh....
Do you know what amazes me? As much of a high as I get thinking about Raskin or Schiff in the WH, I still can’t help but feel tremendous gratitude that we have Joe Biden. To me, he is a stealth dream-come-true. He will never be my top choice for president, not even close, but he has done an amazing job and I am very very pleased at the vast majority of decisions he makes.
YES!
Yes!!!!
Either one would be amazing! I love both!
💙💙💙💙
I've been giving a lot of thought to the upcoming hearings and I'm beginning to doubt if they will actually change the minds of any Trump supporters. That mindset seems to be: Never mind the truth, Trump's my man no matter what!
There’s one big glaring scary problem with that, Gailee: Electoral College
"It's not who votes that counts, it's who counts the votes"
-- Uncle Joe Stalin
Hopefully they will get out to vote!
Thank You, Gailee.
Mina, We dems need to scream this all the way to the midterms!
Absolutely. In a close race, something like this matters. A few more gen-Z'ers will get off their asses and go vote, and a few more deplorables will look in the mirror and say "F it - I'm gonna sit this out". Not alot, but it's a close race. Could matter.
Nice breakdown, Jay 🏆
I can only think of squeegee places for liars and snakes protective for their own wealth to slither under and curl up around.
I’ll believe in justice when I see it.
I’d love to know what the smart, right-leaning woman I talked with yesterday thinks. She talked about the extremists in both parties. But what about the leaders of a major party committed to the horrors of Jan 6. “Extremist” describes them all, except the ones who have pledged the truth (Cheney, etc). “Republican” and “conservative” need to become the dirty words like they have tried to make “liberal.” This liberal is more truly conservative than any republican yahoo. The MSM had better get on board and show Rupert what journalism is. Burns and Martin are a start…
This is true of Mike Lee also. He is loved by Utah Republicans and he could get in front of a crowd and say everything he said while helping to plot the Jan 6 insurrection and he would still be voted into office again. It would not matter that he denied helping to plot.
The Democrats don't know how to 'message.' Give them information like this and they will waste their efforts 'preaching it to the choir.'
Here is what I recommend: Develop a 60 second commercial featuring excerpts from McConnell's and McCarthy's immediate anti-Trump statements on January 6 and 7, 2021. (fifteen seconds each.) Point out that since then, each of them have changed their tunes which makes them liars. (ten seconds each.) Then simply state that there is an alternative on Election Day. (final ten seconds.) Run it a dozen times an evening from now till Election Day (unless something even more explosive comes along) on Fox and OAN, both of which are in the business of selling advertising time.
YES! AND I suspect The Lincoln Project will have that for us this afternoon!
Let's send them some $$ with the suggestion
I'm sending my $$$ to Beto and Val Demings. I will pass on my suggestion to my Democratic Repres. in the House. She might have better connections than I do.
I will, too. Thanks! Contribute that is. My Republican Rep is a seditionist con.
We’ve seen that the Republican base expects to hear a constructed spin on the tapes, regardless content , that allows them to dismiss the tapes as a “nothing burger” and they will “eat it, eat it raw, rah rah rah” Apologies to Firesign Theater
Well maybe, just maybe, the tides will turn, if we get convictions. Not only that, the public will finally get to actually see these hearings and confessions of the criminals. This has never happened before. Things have always been swept under the rug, but we have technology these days. Tech could be their enemy.
Tech is their. Obliviousness is their comfort
Me too Mina. The problem we progressives face is that these people and the electorate who follow them, for some reason, hate our agenda enough where when faced with a choice will choose anyone who opposes it no matter how dirty.
The problem progressives face is the term "Progressives" has been linked to "Socialists" linked to "Communists" linked to "Domino Theory" linked to... when your agenda is no more radical than President Eisenhower's.
Absolutely right. Many people know nothing about Ike’s presidency. Interstate highways? According to Libertarians, they were not the government’s business to build. People know about WWII from movies. Any movies about FDR’s handling of the Depression? We don’t know beans about even our own country’s history, with poor teaching and whitewashing and now suppression.
It's all so disgusting, not to mention dangerous.
Mina I just read in the NYT that Republican Congressmen don’t seem to be bothered by McCarthy’s taped lies. General comment: ‘We know who he is. He’s a great political operative.’ Do you think they have vodka (perhaps not Russian?) in their KoolAid?
Properly publicizing both McC's dishonesty might lose the Republicans a few votes in close elections, and as I suggested yesterday, the Democrats should publicize these lies with TV ads on Fox and OAN. It might turn a few seats. Not all Republicans drink the KoolAid. BUT the 2022 Congressional and State contests will only be won with a massive turn-out by persons of color and women voters. They are the groups most affected by the Republican Agenda of Evil as documented by Rick Scott.
Why is American democracy the worst in the west? What's wrong with us? Is it hypocritical to defend "democracy" in Ukraine (where the oligarchic puppet Zelensky has suspended all the opposition parties) when our own house is in such disorder?
https://www.salon.com/2016/04/15/america_is_no_model_democracy_u_s_elections_rank_worst_among_western_states_partner/
Post, copy, paste, and repeat. Why?
"I'm not in this world to live up to your expectations..."
https://youtu.be/nukwmvqmSv4
Pleased to hear that John, carry on.
I respect George Conway. I wouldn’t allow him to pick out a life partner for me, but I know GC has not only survived living with his wife, but is heavily involved with the Lincoln Project. He’s got a heart for our Democracy.
I embrace his words and actually want to up the bar a bit.
The right thing is for McCarthy to tender his resignation. It won’t happen, but that’s what SHOULD happen.
I fervently hope this ice break today portends a glut of truth telling in the coming weeks.
I’m so sick of the GOP shitshow. Enough already.
The man must *really* love his kids...
Impossible to imagine life within those walls..
It always puzzled me when guys went for fake, bleach blondes.
I married a brunette and she has never died her hair once. It has always looked sexy to me, even now with all the white coming in.
As an owner of hair that was lightish brownish and nowhere near blond or brunette, I started greying at about 35. Lots of people thought I was frosting my hair (and I routinely used "Super Cuts" until "Sport Clips" came along). I said "Nope; Mother Nature is doing that for me." Complete sidebar, my Mom had less grey hair at 80 than I had at 43.
Ally And I had more grey hair than you at 43, when we both were in the distinguished grey-haired cadre. 45 years later I flaunt my grey hair, which I was able to retain through chemo and radiation. Hail to another real, grey-haired warrior.
Who got her current whispy hair from chemo as well. Hail, warrior.
There is a long list of resignations that are due!
Don’t hold your breath. Can’t wait for Rupert to say that the tapes are altered by the radical antifa left Nazis (they don’t seem to mind a little cognitive dissonance, they seem to thrive on it. )
Yes, or perhaps that Hunter Biden’s computer was somehow invoked. The bottom line: R’s are stoooooooopid
Sadly, true, about the falsifers.
WHAT??? Pj, you’re questioning George Conway’s taste in partners and match-making ability?? Oh puh-leeeeeeez
Yup.
Oh yea. His is an adventure I pop corn to watch…
Nope.
I am very happy with my choice of none. My decision making’s very easy!🤣🤣🤣
😉
😊
Um - typos and wandering parens. Itty keyboard, eyes and I typed without a censor.
I imagine that there was a short period (several hours) when many congressmen and women felt some fear for their health and their lives as they were rapidly shuffled out of the house chambers, down back staircases and elevators into rooms many of them had never seen before, with reinforced doors and no windows, perhaps no bathrooms, or onto loading platforms in subterranean parking garages to be whisked away in vans, limos or whatever conveyance that security forces could muster. Remarkably, by mid-evening, the building was secured and they all returned and reconvened the business of the House. The stark reality of what had occurred, including reports of deaths and hundreds of injuries suffered by capitol police, dropped the guard of some normally very "on-message" officials who temporarily uttered truth from their guts, before ashamedly hitching up costumes and rhetoric and looking around to see if any cameras or microphones might have captured those vulnerable moments before the adrenaline levels returned to normal. Oh, how they must regret their hasty words now, after the tapes have been revealed. This story is over a year old, but publication of a book by professional journalists is a good way to refresh the minds of the masses. The soft underbelly of the beast has been exposed once again; if you tried to eviscerate it though, you'd find...nothing; just a big bag of gas inside. How it lives without a beating heart is a mystery to me.
Slime can do that. Sorry slime, you have more humanity and “intelligence. The Secret Mind of Slime”. NOVA
Their "in the moment" experiences and thoughts led to "excited utterances" (a legal term which is used to describe statements blurted out without thought or intention). Interestingly, it is one of the hearsay statement that can be testified to. (My demonstration: I was talking to a domestic assault victim on the phone trying to arrange a meet location; her assailant drove by and she said "Oh, God, there he is, I have to get away now!". As the case moved towards trial, she recanted as so many abuse victims do, and was what is termed an "unwilling victim" indicating she was not assisting the prosecution. I was able to testify that I had gained from my interview with her and observation of physical injuries probable cause to arrest the suspect, but the only thing I could say directly that she said to me was that "excited utterance".)
I really do wonder how they live with themselves. The cognitive dissonance must be horrible.
Reply #2: I hope that reply didn’t come across too harshly. I just have real attitude, because my dad is one of them. Sometimes that corrosive energy comes out.
Reply #1: You’re assuming that they read and study as deeply as we do. They don’t. They listen to Fox Noise, they read only the local conservative newspaper, and they have no exposure to reality. Fat dumb and happy in their white racist, male sexist, LGB+ ignoring little world.
Really nicely stated Nathan
Thank you HCR. Hopefully the unravelling is beginning. It can't be too soon. Tapes talk, so to speak---and they don't lie, either. The scum is floating to the surface---too bad we can't just skim it off....... On the other hand, true believers manage to keep believing---but how long will they (and Trump) tolerate liars who have now been unmasked, so to speak. The wheels of Justice should start grinding. And the current parade of Jan 6 committee witnesses seems to indicate they 'have" something on a few people...... Peace and Courage in these strange times.
It is something of a relief that Rachel also revealed that DOJ is actively pursuing big fish, after months of doubt. I can't help but wonder whether Liz Cheney might have been the source of some of these tapes, and it will be interesting to hear the flood of other recordings that the authors have promised.
“I think my daughter can take care of herself”- Dick Cheney walking the Capital with Liz post Jan6th
Hahaha, Lordy, that old, monstrous goat may have contributed something positive to the world after all. But let’s wait and see if Liz has a presidential run in her plans.
Oh yes, I see a run for the White House soon. I think that could be the reason that she volunteered for the Select Committee - remove all Trump stains and place herself in contention as the "clean" candidate. We must remember, though, that she doesn't have a liberal bone in her body. She has Daddy's genes.
Liz Cheney v. Kamala (or Schiff or Raskin or Biden again) is far more likely than DJT. 2024 is going to be insane rabid dog fight. DJT trying to run again is going to make the 2016 R primary look like a backyard Sunday barbecue.
Despite TFG's base remaining loyal, the semi-sane Rs know that he's poison, and they'll do whatever is necessary to jettison him. The amount of vitriol remaining will depend on the number of Rs remaining on Putin's payroll. The other unknown is whether DOJ has enough on TFG to take him to trial. The outcome of the '22 and '24 elections will depend largely on the amount of damage done by gerrymandering and voter suppression that states have managed to accomplish, and Democrats' exhaustion by the last six years to the point that they don't show up at the polls. Another factor will be the slide of MSN into trashing Biden and Harris. I'm as infuriated by that as I have been by TFG and his acolytes. I just wish the fractious Democrats would get their act together and decide who the real enemy is.
🖤
Black heart. Good symbol for her (and her father).
Taught by the best/worst.
🖤
Someone yesterday mentioned that this revelation of McCarthy's double take made his stripping Liz Cheney of her position is all that more sickening. What a piece of 💩.
We’ve remembered that all along and have wondered ( been disappointed) that it hasn’t been played over and over again. How do we break down that damn wall that Fox has erected? So depressed then rejuvenated every time a Maddox-moment arrives. Heather and Rachel…save our democracy! Keep the revelations coming. Keep the alarms blaring. You’re our hope.
https://youtu.be/5cc_h5Ghuj4
You can say that again. McCarthy, California creep from Bakersfield. What a piece of 💩.
From Scott MacFarlane Twitter feed: “Rep Liz Cheney (R-WY) spokesman:
“The select committee has asked Kevin McCarthy to speak with us about these events but he has so far declined. Representative Cheney did not record or leak the tape and does not know how the reporters got it.””
Of course not - heaven forbid.
And then there’s DeSantis retaliation against Disney for expressing an opinion. I hope Disney fights back!
Actually, DeSantis might be doing more damage to his career than to Disney. If Disney pulls up stakes, Florida's economy will take a big hit, and the services that Disney pays for nearby communities will be borne by citizens, amounting to a great burden in taxes and services. Although much of Florida is Republican, we all have witnessed how that group worships their cash.
you can't hitch up a truck and haul all of Disney's capital investment out of Florida; however, shutting it down for a week or two during high season for "maintenance" might be a big enough hit to make the Governor eat his words.
Exactly. They have too much invested to pull up stakes. They will choke Desandbag financially and politically. Money speaks.
Good strategy. Common sense dictates that they would not actually leave.
I’ve been reading about it all day and am so frustrated. It wasn’t even supposed to come up in this special session, DeSantis just had it rushed thru. They even cut off debate and forced the vote. Same with acquiescing to the new congressional districts drawn up by DeSantis - not his job!
I hope you’re right. Disney has pretty deep pockets. I hope they use their money wisely.
Florida is getting a taste of how an authoritarian government works. I do hope Disney is prepared to challenge him in court. They can afford it, and Floridians can't/won't.
I hope the Florida voters dump DeSantis. He doesn’t care about the budget or the voters.
You haven't met many Floridians, have you?
I know what you mean. But Florida is a very mixed bag of voters. It is loaded with cultists. But keep in mind that the wave of new residents in FL includes lots of Dems and Independents. Including some of our friends and relatives. They are outraged by DeSantis. It is possible that he has crossed the line here. His move will cost Orlando area residents about $2000 in taxes. Ouch.
A likely opponent is Charlie Christ. An extremely popular former governor. Former Republican. Current Democratic House Rep. My people love him.
Another donation
💙
Bill, you give this new Floridian hope.
Just hoping…
Nikki Fried.
I've known Nikki for more than 20 years. She's real.
Charlie Crist, Annette Tadeo, anybody else? We dems can't even decide on our choice yet? Repugs have us 10:1 in campaign dollars, and we can't figure out who we need to back yet?
Maybe Disney can find a suitable candidate? After all, they do know how to literally drain a swamp.
DeSantis is running to be there if Trump isn't.
Yes.
He has been moving so far to the extreme right that , should he be the nominee in ‘24, I think moderate voters will avoid him as they avoided Trump in ‘20.
Better for whoever runs on the Democratic ticket.
Chump may take him down, he knows
Florida and Texas are a lost cause. Full fascism on display.
Truth to tell, much of upstate NY is same
But hated by many and donating out the kazoo…
Both governors constantly overplay their hands. There could be a reckoning in the works.
I sincerely hope so Nancy. Anyway. Have a good weekend.
You, too.
I have no doubt DeSatan has gone too far. As noted before....he won the last election by @35,000 votes. Disney employs @70,000. And those who live in Orlando may be looking st their taxes increasing by @2,000. Do the math, DeSatan
Speaking of math...books.
Pam, you win with DeSatan! I’ve been saying DeathSantis, think I need to switch. He’s diabolical indeed.
Unable to ❤️ this, but my thoughts exactly. That’s a huge additional tax burden on voters. If I were unlucky enough to live there I would be very unhappy.
And Disney would relocate where? That can be safely filed under "Nevah Hoppen"
They can come here. I have always wanted a Welsh Disneyland. Minnie with a welsh lady hat. Goofy with a welshcake. 🎼When you wish upon a star’🎶🎶🎶
Agree. In fact, I wonder whether Disney is complicit. I lived in Central Florida long enough to know the evil that is Disney. Was all this just a distraction from DeSantis usurping the legislative role of drawing new congressional maps? Retires Disney's debt early and foists it upon mostly Blue Orange county, home of Val Demings. (The folks in Osceola county must be fuming, though.) For Disney's late and very weak complaint re Don't Say Gay to result in such a backlash by DeSantis seems way out of proportion.
You might be onto something. I've been told by ex-employees that Disney is the Gestapo dressed like Goofy, and Walt was anything but nice.
Disney bankrolls employees to get elected to all the local county commissions, even aiding the purchase of a home to establish residency in the District. The employee doesn't live there, of course, so it's a ruse. Once Disney employees are represented all over Central Florida on various Boards and Commissions, they are able to muck up the works for a variety of things, like high speed rail between Orlando and Tampa, or Miami. Disney insisted on having a stop of its own defeating the purpose of high speed rail.
I had never heard any of this, but there has been enough negative press about Disney in the last few years that I'm not shocked. On one hand, if the feud is legitimate and not a distraction, perhaps Disney is a good opponent for DeSantis. If it's contrived, it just proves how much power a mega-rich company can exert to get what it wants. At least in the current scenario, they can afford to fund an anti-DeSantis campaign. In this feud, I'd have to favor the lesser of the two evils. What do you think?
You might enjoy this excerpt from the doc "Born Into This" on Charles Bukowski, who hated Mickey Mouse: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7xhPQCDbOxg
Governor Polis has invited Disney to move to Colorado.
That is a joke. Disney in Florida is bigger than San Francisco. This is not something that could be done if they wanted to.
New Mexico would be a great place! Los of space, nice weather, and huge support for the arts and entertainment.
Georgia, South Carolina
Hardly...that'd be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. Republicans in GA wouldn't want The Mouse's "woke" sh!t here either.
Well, they could threaten. . . .
Exactly.
Texas?
Nah, we’re still crazy
👌🏼
Remember, DeSantis won by only 32,400 votes. And, as alluded to elsewhere in the comments, more Republicans died of Covid than Dems. I can only hope the Governor's race is not the easy victory prognosticators predict.
Another reason for his new congressional district map. The US and Florida constitutions both call for the legislature to redraw maps, not the executive. Wonder if the Florida Supreme Court will have a say?
Yes yes. I am hoping he stepped into a mess he can’t clean up. Kind of like mom and apple pie. Too many people have place in their hearts for “ the wonderful world of Disney”. And then there is the economics of it…
Taxpayers will owe $2500 more a year if the Disney agreement is killed. Unhappy taxpayers tend to vote the bastard out.
You want to think people will vote when taken to the cleaners re: taxed unfairly
but look at the reality. People vote against their own self interest.
Biden has said it again and again ( taxes grossly unfair) ..but like pissing in the wind The voters are just so preoccupied with "social issues" they are being robbed blind.
😔
I read that, too. We can only hope. However, as Joan has commented, these folks are also guided by social issues - like math books that have coded CRT messages.
🙏🏻🤞🏻
I hope and pray
"When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers."
Me too! This "revenge legislation" is pathetic and on our backs as Floridians. Not sure where you live, Suzanne, but I am in Orlando, in Orange Co. and it is our property taxes that will go way up to make up the budget shortfall. (Some of this is to annoy Jerry Demings, our Orange Co. Mayor and husband to Val (D) who is running vs Marco.)
Disney has been quiet as a mouse. Cannot wait to see how they handle this.
Send lawyers, mice and money. Dad get me out of here.
Oh, Gail, you made me laugh! I loved that song.
😁
And the cattle all have brucellosis
Carol, I’m so sorry! I live in Tampa. DeSatan’s tantrum is despicable, but making more sense as I read these comments. Hurting the Demings and distracting from his vile new congressional district map - not his job! - yeah, I get that. I hope Disney fights to keep its infrastructure and its AA debt rating.
Do you think DeSantis has won this round?
Somehow I don't think attacking Mickey Mouse is a winning tactic. Many folks who are not politically inclined worship at Disney. It is a dedication on a religious level.
I think it could be very interesting to see what the voters in Floriduh will do when they realize that because of this stunt perpetrated by their governor and congress, their taxes will increase substantially.
I think that DeSantis thinks that if they succeed in removing math literacy by outlawing math texts in DeSantistan, the citizens won't know if their taxes are increasing.
I live in Florida - I’m laughing to keep from crying. My tax dollars at work 🤬
Same in TX
If all else fails, there's always Biden to blame😕
No, no, no. Everything is still Obama's fault. 😁
Hair splitting!
Exactly!
Desantistan — nicely done, Ed.
Disney’s Reedy Creek District has an estimated 1.5-2 billion in debt. Orange County Tax Collector said if this is true, county can only raise revenue through taxes.
438,000 parcels = ⬆️ 4500 $ / parcel !!!!
This needs to shouted out !!
And a very late and milquetoast response by Disney!
Now McCarthy has been caught in a lie. While there is the audio tape, there will still be many people who will not believe what they hear. I think that Barack Obama phrased it very well; it’s not necessary that people believe the lie. It’s just necessary that they become so confused by competing narratives that they don’t know what and whom to believe.
https://youtu.be/LH6kq3HhjgQ
Yes, Bannon's doctrine of flooding the zone, perpetually,
Exactly
This is so true. An example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7JE8j5Ncmw
He nailed it, but too many believe the truth and don’t care. This has been the shocking part, along with the cult, of course
Also, Ari Melber highlighted Obama’s words last night in a well done segment on how effective lies and misinformation have been at eroding our democracy
❤️ It was exactly what we needed to hear. How many will hear it?
🤢
In for a penny, in for a pound.
Hung as a sheep as a lamb.
Republicans are in too deep to change. They hedged their bets on Trump in 2016 and won the Federal judiciary, notably the Supreme Court. From every corner, they are undoing decades of civil rights progress and erecting barriers to preserving rights, let alone restoring or progressing them. Republicans are out of their minds with jubilation. They've tasted blood and are ravening for more.
The Left refused to accept that 2016 was their stitch in time moment. And refused to unite to elect Hillary, thereby putting Trump in office. Many asserted that if Trump made things bad enough then 'come the revolution'. And come it did, on Jan 6. That is the people's revolution you will get in America. Armed to the Gills Automatons for Authoritarianism.
In 2020, responsible voters united to elect Biden and Democratic majorities in Congress. For our sins we also got Manchin and Sinema. It is going to be much more difficult in 2022.
Putin destroys cities in a fledging democracy. Republicans destroy the truth, the norms, and institutions in an old democracy.
Republicans continue destroying American cities by defunding essential and emergency services at the federal level, and passing the responsibilities onto the states who then defund state services, passing responsibilities onto cities and eventually onto individuals. Meanwhile packaging it as opportunity and freedom.
And then blaming Democrats for "not getting it done."
👌🏼
Like election officials using Windows 7 computers?
Ha!
Great assessment. I think that, coupled with the "Puritan work ethic" is doing more to destroy our democracy than people can imagine.
lin,
I am pretty sure the "left" was united behind Hillary. I think that Americans were, in 2016 and now, just more attracted to Trump's bombast, lies, funny one liners and hate.
Let's not let Americans off the hook.
Americans are looking for nasty and know it and love it when they see it.
Twenty years of sitting in the recliner drinking beer and eating chips while watching one survivor show after another has trained them to know who is a good leader.
Ask them who John Adams was.......try it. Watch that puzzled, confused look appear on their faces. "Wait what? Somebody wearing a shirt can be President??"
And that is why we need more Mallory McMorrows. Recliner folks love combat. It's a pathetic version of the Colosseum. But fight we must.
Here's a starter kit for getting the message out:
Democrats Are Finally Learning to Fight the GOP’s Fire With Fire
By getting aggressive with their phrasing—such as “Don’t Say Gay” and “forced birth”—Democrats are, at last, playing by the GOP’s rules.
Read in The Daily Beast: https://apple.news/AGFgBqwGKSn-rIk9C2SuBpA
Great article, Nancy. Do you think Democrats should also adopt the "My Body, My Choice" slogan regarding Roe v Wade, or would it be too confusing?
Hi, Lynell, that one was commandeered by the anti-vaccers (imitation is flattery?) so maybe better to leave that one alone. Think we should collect their mantras and flip them to expose the underlying harm, something about the attack on public schools, immigration, etc. We've got some fine wordsmiths in this group.
Yeah, that was the point of my choosing that slogan, sort of as a "two can play that slogan!" But you're right, I don't think it would work.
Sometimes I see things on Twitter which are pretty good.
No, it’s Not strong enough viscerally. I think “forced birth” really nails it.
Not looking to replace, just adding to.
💙💚
In 2016, from the day Hillary was anointed, I spent almost full time volunteering with my local Democrats. I had caucused for Bernie, who'd won my locality. I held my nose and was Cheerleader for Clinton. I was Cassandra for the dangers of the Democratic 'strategy' of hyping Hillary's sure thing victory and dismissing Trump's chances. Many on the Left were certain Hillary did not need *their* vote; sitting on your hands doesn't keep them clean. Many on the Left were willing to sacrifice the most vulnerable to 4 years of Trump, believing it would serve bringing the ones who survived into their camp.
Don't diss the racist right wing religious extremists and the big money who love them. They reshaped the GOP in their image. Republican voters spent decades of self disciplined GOP messaging and activism to take hold power - they kept their eyes on the prize of the Supreme Court and federal judiciary. And won.
lin,
"they kept their eyes on the prize of the Supreme Court and federal judiciary. And won."
Exactly correct.
Idaho has put Washington State on the hook for their health care. They can’t be bothered to be human.
https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/northwest/danny-westneat-with-covid-19-and-now-abortion-wa-is-idahos-civilization-can-that-hold/article_332cde56-0fe4-5b82-82be-37cf10e9f3f6.html
This is a great assessment. I had far too many friends/acquaintances on the left who were either Sanders purists or who "just can't vote for her" men who did not listen when they were told that it wasn't the presidency they were voting for, but SCOTUS.
You speak the truth.
I’ve seen that look, it doesn’t even take John Adams
They don’t go further back than Reagan.
You read my mind
I'm not one to delight in the troubles of those whom I dislike, even detest, unless the troubles amount to justice. But Kevin McCarthy is an exception, especially because it involves gross deceit by a public official. In his case, it's a pattern of deceit that has undermined democracy for which there have been zero consequences. At least so far.
McCarthy is the paragon of a two-faced hypocritical liar. We knew it, but now WE REALLY KNOW IT. But does anyone think McCarthy feels any shame? Not a chance. But, perversely I guess, seeing him caught dead to right makes me feel good.
Heather today retweeted the following thread by Lincoln Project co-founder Rick Wilson, who skewers McCarthy like only he can. https://twitter.com/TheRickWilson/status/1517341920019812358?s=20&t=TV8nIIeq6XGlPfUBLSspug
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great relish." - Clarence Darrow
"McCarthy is the paragon of a two-faced hypocritical liar."
OR? Is McCarthy just another in a long line of prototypical American politicians who know their audience better than we do?
Remember the last McCarthy that got famous in America? How did he do that?
By ruining the lives of hundreds of people with lies about them being "Communist".
I have a vague memory of his come up pence, may I live long enough to see it happen again
Here's hoping!!
:-)
Intriguing comparison. Joe McCarthy was more dangerous, one could argue, because we can see the direct cause and effect between his lies and the lives he ruined. A vile demagogue of his era, he was adept at exploiting the overwrought fear of communism.
Kevin McCarthy isn't as clever or single-minded. He's a leading-light symptom of his party's precipitous decline: not bright nor adept at lying because he seems to lie with every breath. Truth and integrity are vague, meaningless concepts to him, more akin to weakness than admired elements of strong character. The damage K. McCarthy has caused and will continue to do until deposed is more insidious in that it constantly erodes the way the country is governed.
J. McCarthy is remembered because there's hasn't been another member of Congress quite like him, and his fall into infamy was relatively fast. There's a veritable army of K. McCarthys elbowing to replace him. It's as if he and the others are training to become Putin acolytes of disinformation, praying at an altar of false realities where telling the truth is a mortal sin.
I’m hoping I can catch GOP Putin worshipper MTG squirm like the snake that she is on CSPAN @ 9:30 am today 🍿
Amazing what truths are trapped in tape. I wonder how this will finally ‘play’ out. Gnite. My prayers are focused on all citizens and friends of Ukraine.
Thank you, Heather! It was the Nixon tapes that finally got him to resign. I hope the Lincoln Project runs this tape over and over and over every day for the next two and a half years and becomes the demise of the DT Rhino Party. It was so incredible to hear Moscow Mitch and Kowtow Kevin saying DT was finally done after Jan. 6 just to have to grovel a few days later when they had to eat their words. But, the DT base led by Fox News will come up with a sound bite the base can use to dismiss M&M's little transgression. Narcissists like DT never carry any blame because they project the shame on others and have no shame left. For the rest of us, it is time to Join the Union. jointheunion.us We, the People, All of US this time!
I heard it at the time and felt momentary jubilation. Soon to be squashed, as they pretended it never happened. Power does indeed corrupt absolutely.
Some remember. Senator Barry Goldwater, in full Barry Morris Goldwater, (born January 1, 1909, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.—died May 29, 1998, Paradise Valley, Arizona), U.S. senator from Arizona (1953–64, 1969–87) and Republican presidential candidate in 1964 - dropped in on President Richard M. Nixon, and delivered the news. Resign or experience impeachment. Following the departure of Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, replaced by Speaker Gerald Ford, it was time to go. Impeachment was a lock. By resigning, Nixon might be pardoned, not prosecuted, then came Gov. Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller to fill the VP slot after Ford rose to replace Nixon - and pardon him. Divorced, Rocky promised Senator Prescott Bush he would not run, the eastern establishment closed ranks, Ford rose to lose when he ran, and we lived on to experience a few decades of wars without declaration, and here we are. Government is barely there, respectability vacated decades ago, and the Republic is shaken. Putin financed Trump, Trump corruption exceeds that of Nixon and Agnew by a proverbial mile, and two failed attempts at impeachment later we are facing humiliation worldwide. We’ve met the enemy in the mirror. and courage has failed us. No courage, no republic. We’re in trouble, all kinds of trouble, evil trouble, not the good kind so much. SCOTUS was stuffed with mediocrity. Our citizens lack memory. This could get nasty.
Many also have no ears…
Yep, Rachel Maddow covered all this on her program and has connected all of the dots over the years. Impeachments, audio tapes, videos, witness accounts, reams of testimony have all been collected and here we are, still commenting on the same rat parade over and over again.
There is absolutely no rational legal reason why members of the trump criminal cabal, complicit republican members of congress who enabled the corruption and attempted coup, and other insurrectionists have not been indicted. Frankly, this DOJ is not doing their job and it is an insult to the Biden administration and to every American who used to belief we had "rule of law" in this country.
Political crime and batshit dangerous legislation ala Texas and Florida governors, etc. pays huge dividends to those who participate and drink the lemonade. I don't know why it is that those who can think, learn, and act for good end up on the losing end.
I agree with all you are saying save DOJ. Jan 6th presents the biggest challenge ever to the AG in our history. The prosecution has to be perfect and absolute, but it also can’t set off a cycle of political purging after each election as power changes. Reforming complex structures without losing control is hard enough, prosecuting complex structures with political corruption when control is uncertain (November) presents ever increasing challenges that risk Democracy itself. What an awful mess that ugly and orange man has caused us all. As sure as TFG is ignorant, selfish, and diagnosed malignant narcissist, he has a polar opposite in Merrick Garland.
I worry that "Jan 6" is not happening fast enough and these sh*ts will effectively stall until the next election!!
Joan, If the 1/6 Commission is on the national stage at end of May or early June, the timing may be very good, at least in time. Combine that with lots of PR and news coverage of Burns' and Martin's “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for America’s Future,” which draws on hundreds of interviews with lawmakers and officials, and recordings of private conversations. soon before the mid-terms the Republicans will have a lot of negative attention to deal with. Given the short attention spans of many Americans this will be right in front of them.
Yes, Dear Fern🙏🏻🤞🏻💙🕊❣️
💐🌼🌺🌸🌻
I agree Fern.
👌🏼
Propaganda
I was glued to all this news most of the day. It’s hard to believe they’ll all escape. I’m quite pleased with the DOJ at this point and I suspect FL will still get sued over its new map … so, fingers crossed is the best I can do right now.
‘In the days after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol building, the two top Republicans in Congress, Representative Kevin McCarthy and Senator Mitch McConnell, told associates they believed President Trump was responsible for inciting the deadly riot and vowed to drive him from politics.’
That’s a front page story in today’s New York Times by Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin. The two have a a book coming out called, “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for America’s Future,” which draws on hundreds of interviews with lawmakers and officials, and recordings of private conversations. (New York Times) For link, see Notes in the HCR’s Letter.
Will we see in Burns & Martin a new version of Woodward & Bernstein as their exposure of Donald Trump and leaders of the Republican Party spreads far and wide.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Yes, it would be nice. But, in 2022 it will have to come in postable segments perhaps as a prelude to public hearings. The Political Situation is multidimensional & volatile. Mallory McMorrow skills are needed. Question: what`s the view from MI --- UP & LP?
In Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula HATE MIGHT LOSE! While "the tapes," won't change the minds or votes of the rigid right, and Mallory's 'Sermon on the Mount' won't be seen by most Fox viewers, we are seeing a groundswell of support for decency and possibility. For example:
In the UP we have a superb Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, "Dr. Bob" Lorinser, who in addition to 30 years of compassionate medical experience, served in the U.S. Foreign Service with his wife for 10 years. We must get rid of our current seditionist Republican Rep. Jack Bergman. Support Dr. Bob!!
https://www.votedrbob.com/allaboutbob
In Traverse City, one of our trumpist county commissioners is being challenged in the primary by a former County Chair, who has the confidence to run as a "moderate Republican" (code for 'not-a-trumper") and odds are she'll win!
In Lansing today there is a meeting I am invited to, but unfortunately cannot attend, of 50 former State administration and health department officials, along with retired lobbyists from all of our major health organizations. Just a reunion. To, no doubt, start causing good trouble.
And Senator Mallory McMorrow's war cry is echoing all over the state:
"WE WILL NOT LET HATE WIN."
I agree Bryan and think this is jazzy material not difficult to breakdown and easy to visualize. Lots of pictures of the stars
💙
Trump worshipers weren't fazed by the Access Hollywood video. I would expect even less concern from the faithful over proof that a couple of establishment Republicans were briefly apostate.