Today there are three stories in the news about the mechanics of government that add up to a much larger story about American democracy. First, by a vote of 216 to 208, the House of Representatives passed a bill to grant statehood to the District of Columbia. The measure would carve out the area around Capitol Hill, the White House, and the National Mall to remain much as they are today, but the rest of what is now the District would get one representative in Congress and two senators. About 712,000 people live in Washington, D.C., only about 37.5% of whom are non-Hispanic white.
Republicans see their days in power are dwindling as the demographics slip away from their control. They are fighting vigorously, like a drowning person. And democrats must pursue justice with even more diligence -- our Democracy depends on it!
The division of the Dakota territory into two states was new to me, but reveals that political machinations are nothing new.
Meanwhile -- time to call my US Senators Cornyn and Cruz to let them know that this constituent knows they are spouting lies, yet again.
Good morning everyone! Thank you for this letter, Heather--I hope you are feeling a lot better from the fun aftermath of the second vaccine! I would only say that using the term "gaslighting" as a description of Cruz's gobsmacking statements is far too kind. Cruz stood on the steps of the Supreme Court and lied, lied, lied. Until and unless we actually identify what comes out of their mouths as lies--and until the Dems in power do so--they will be able to continue to "gaslight" with impunity.
There are some other things I want to point out that occurred yesterday. The always-execrable Josh Hawley was the ONLY senator to vote against the bill labeling anti-Asian hate crimes as Hate Crimes, although apparently 6 senators decided to absent themselves from the vote (Cruz? Graham? Blunt? who?--I would like to see the roll call). And the equally-execrable "Justice" Kavanaugh wrote the 6-3 SCOTUS decision claiming that life without parole was an appropriate sentence for teenagers who commit murder. https://www.npr.org/2021/04/22/989822872/supreme-court-rejects-restrictions-on-life-without-parole-for-juveniles
This was in response to a petition for changing the sentence of a 15 year-old who had murdered his abusive grandfather, with whom he was living because of a lifetime of abuse he had suffered at the hands of his own parents and a stepfather. The trauma of this young man and the appalling sentence he received were completely discounted by the so-called "Christians" on the Court. So much for the quality of mercy not being strained. Vanity Fair's take on the decision is nowhere near as measured as Nina Totenberg's. And the dissent from the three REAL justices (in the sense that they think about JUSTICE) was scathing.
"Now that Democrats are trying to level the playing field, they howl that the Democrats are cheating." The Republican Party, once a respectable political party, with clearly articulated principles for governance and open to discussion, negotiation, and bipartisan compromise has become the party of obstruction, voter suppression, lying, and, wherever possible, cheating. And oh yes, masters of projection.
I’m so glad you talked about the filibuster tonight. I was having a conversation with a friend about the Senate situation earlier today and we were discussing much of the same point that you raise here.
The George Floyd police accountability act and DC statehood are adding significant pressure to the Senate logjam that is the filibuster. There are so many good progressive bills piling up, with so many different special interests really mobilized for their passage. Something has to give. Either the Senate reforms the filibuster or the water and logs behind the jam overflow the banks and start to cause collateral damage.
I think the logjam/filibuster has to break before the Senate recesses for summer.
I’m so curious what disruption frees the deadlock. (To run the logjam analogy to the ground, who will be the people with their hooks and poles that shake the jam loose?). Will more progressive/ old school Senate Republicans decide they want a piece of the action and start working in earnest with Dems? Will the Gaetz scandal blow up the Trump wing of the party, sending Republicans back to the center? Will the loss of corporate dollars start to have an impact? Will Trump be indicted, sending his one-time allies running for cover? Will it be investigations from our brave state and federal AGs? Or will we see another summer of grassroots protests demanding movement on this progressive legislation?
A coalition of the New Left, all pressuring for passage of their separate bills could be a mighty force.
There was talk not long ago about forcing senators to show up and actually speak to filibuster. What happened to that plan? Perhaps the Democrats could filibuster by listing the bully behavior and lies of the previous administration and its brainwashed flock of sheep, including the senators who have lost any sense of decency and humanity. After a few days of putting out facts into the Congressional Record, some Republicans (could there be 12?) might mend their evil ways.
I would love to write a comment today worthy of the erudite and informative forum Dr. Richardson blesses us with. However, when confronted by the quote from Ted Cruz, despite his Ivy League degrees, I am merely left with the haunting thought over and over... Ted Cruz is a moron. Sigh...
Ahhhh, yes. Lyin’ Raphael Cancun Cruz, my worthless senator from Texas. If there is a camera around, he will find it (unless, of course, he is sneaking away to Cancun while millions of his constituents dealt with a major freeze, in which 125 Texans died from the freezing weather).
Off topic share: Just came in from watching the Space X Falcon 9-Dragon pre-dawn rocket launch from my front yard. Spectacular sight. 4 humans aboard hurtling into orbit to dock with ISS. Clearly saw stages separate, making swirling white cloud angels in a dark sky. Once in awhile it helps to start a day this way!!
A divided house cannot stand under minority rule. All these decades of Republican shenanigans have come to a head. Good men and women must come to the aid of our country. First D.C. and then on to Puerto Rico! Consider it the equalizer for North and South Dakota.
The government is so stacked that I truly worry for this country. Thanks for this but I am still depressed over the GOP, the Supremes...and our weak "majority" in the Senate thanks to Sinema and Manchin.
Howling like a pack of wolves. That’s what the R’s are on top of being whiners.
Here’s something that is a little off the mark about Kavanaugh's decision he wrote today regarding juveniles remaining incarcerated for the rest of their lives. Of course, he is targeting black and brown kids. Mind you, Amy Coney Barrett went right along with him. So, I would like to point out that Judge Barrett has two children who are black. Someday, they will learn that their skin color mattered to their mom. They will learn that she agreed to let black and brown kids rot in prison. Did she not think they’d never notice?
What I do not understand is: Where have the Democrats been for the last three decades? Was no one paying attention to what the Republicans were doing at the State level? Gaining the State houses beyond their actual numbers? How did a minority gain the upper-hand to the degree they have? Were the Democrats asleep at the wheel? What did the Republicans do to gain such advantages?
I find it puzzling how the GOP perceive trying to level the playing field as cheating. To the very least, they are gaslighting their followers to believe the Democrats are bad versus the Republicans being good and pure. The ultimate division of party and country. For them it's working.
I am reminded of the expression, the end justifies the means.
Will so many incredible advances by President Biden just be a footnote in history when reality is the rug is being pulled out from under the majority of the people by the few that wield power?
I love how you’ve weaved these events together to plainly tell the crucial story of the day—which is that we are in a very steep uphill battle for democracy. The mentality of the Supreme Court is unfathomable, the senate is gamey, and we all are worried.
Republicans see their days in power are dwindling as the demographics slip away from their control. They are fighting vigorously, like a drowning person. And democrats must pursue justice with even more diligence -- our Democracy depends on it!
The division of the Dakota territory into two states was new to me, but reveals that political machinations are nothing new.
Meanwhile -- time to call my US Senators Cornyn and Cruz to let them know that this constituent knows they are spouting lies, yet again.
Good morning everyone! Thank you for this letter, Heather--I hope you are feeling a lot better from the fun aftermath of the second vaccine! I would only say that using the term "gaslighting" as a description of Cruz's gobsmacking statements is far too kind. Cruz stood on the steps of the Supreme Court and lied, lied, lied. Until and unless we actually identify what comes out of their mouths as lies--and until the Dems in power do so--they will be able to continue to "gaslight" with impunity.
There are some other things I want to point out that occurred yesterday. The always-execrable Josh Hawley was the ONLY senator to vote against the bill labeling anti-Asian hate crimes as Hate Crimes, although apparently 6 senators decided to absent themselves from the vote (Cruz? Graham? Blunt? who?--I would like to see the roll call). And the equally-execrable "Justice" Kavanaugh wrote the 6-3 SCOTUS decision claiming that life without parole was an appropriate sentence for teenagers who commit murder. https://www.npr.org/2021/04/22/989822872/supreme-court-rejects-restrictions-on-life-without-parole-for-juveniles
This was in response to a petition for changing the sentence of a 15 year-old who had murdered his abusive grandfather, with whom he was living because of a lifetime of abuse he had suffered at the hands of his own parents and a stepfather. The trauma of this young man and the appalling sentence he received were completely discounted by the so-called "Christians" on the Court. So much for the quality of mercy not being strained. Vanity Fair's take on the decision is nowhere near as measured as Nina Totenberg's. And the dissent from the three REAL justices (in the sense that they think about JUSTICE) was scathing.
"Now that Democrats are trying to level the playing field, they howl that the Democrats are cheating." The Republican Party, once a respectable political party, with clearly articulated principles for governance and open to discussion, negotiation, and bipartisan compromise has become the party of obstruction, voter suppression, lying, and, wherever possible, cheating. And oh yes, masters of projection.
I’m so glad you talked about the filibuster tonight. I was having a conversation with a friend about the Senate situation earlier today and we were discussing much of the same point that you raise here.
The George Floyd police accountability act and DC statehood are adding significant pressure to the Senate logjam that is the filibuster. There are so many good progressive bills piling up, with so many different special interests really mobilized for their passage. Something has to give. Either the Senate reforms the filibuster or the water and logs behind the jam overflow the banks and start to cause collateral damage.
I think the logjam/filibuster has to break before the Senate recesses for summer.
I’m so curious what disruption frees the deadlock. (To run the logjam analogy to the ground, who will be the people with their hooks and poles that shake the jam loose?). Will more progressive/ old school Senate Republicans decide they want a piece of the action and start working in earnest with Dems? Will the Gaetz scandal blow up the Trump wing of the party, sending Republicans back to the center? Will the loss of corporate dollars start to have an impact? Will Trump be indicted, sending his one-time allies running for cover? Will it be investigations from our brave state and federal AGs? Or will we see another summer of grassroots protests demanding movement on this progressive legislation?
A coalition of the New Left, all pressuring for passage of their separate bills could be a mighty force.
I’ll do my part. What can you do?
There was talk not long ago about forcing senators to show up and actually speak to filibuster. What happened to that plan? Perhaps the Democrats could filibuster by listing the bully behavior and lies of the previous administration and its brainwashed flock of sheep, including the senators who have lost any sense of decency and humanity. After a few days of putting out facts into the Congressional Record, some Republicans (could there be 12?) might mend their evil ways.
I would love to write a comment today worthy of the erudite and informative forum Dr. Richardson blesses us with. However, when confronted by the quote from Ted Cruz, despite his Ivy League degrees, I am merely left with the haunting thought over and over... Ted Cruz is a moron. Sigh...
As an English major I love words and words matter. I vote all media should now replace “gaslighting” with “lying”.
Ahhhh, yes. Lyin’ Raphael Cancun Cruz, my worthless senator from Texas. If there is a camera around, he will find it (unless, of course, he is sneaking away to Cancun while millions of his constituents dealt with a major freeze, in which 125 Texans died from the freezing weather).
Off topic share: Just came in from watching the Space X Falcon 9-Dragon pre-dawn rocket launch from my front yard. Spectacular sight. 4 humans aboard hurtling into orbit to dock with ISS. Clearly saw stages separate, making swirling white cloud angels in a dark sky. Once in awhile it helps to start a day this way!!
A divided house cannot stand under minority rule. All these decades of Republican shenanigans have come to a head. Good men and women must come to the aid of our country. First D.C. and then on to Puerto Rico! Consider it the equalizer for North and South Dakota.
The government is so stacked that I truly worry for this country. Thanks for this but I am still depressed over the GOP, the Supremes...and our weak "majority" in the Senate thanks to Sinema and Manchin.
Howling like a pack of wolves. That’s what the R’s are on top of being whiners.
Here’s something that is a little off the mark about Kavanaugh's decision he wrote today regarding juveniles remaining incarcerated for the rest of their lives. Of course, he is targeting black and brown kids. Mind you, Amy Coney Barrett went right along with him. So, I would like to point out that Judge Barrett has two children who are black. Someday, they will learn that their skin color mattered to their mom. They will learn that she agreed to let black and brown kids rot in prison. Did she not think they’d never notice?
What I do not understand is: Where have the Democrats been for the last three decades? Was no one paying attention to what the Republicans were doing at the State level? Gaining the State houses beyond their actual numbers? How did a minority gain the upper-hand to the degree they have? Were the Democrats asleep at the wheel? What did the Republicans do to gain such advantages?
Thank you Heather.
I find it puzzling how the GOP perceive trying to level the playing field as cheating. To the very least, they are gaslighting their followers to believe the Democrats are bad versus the Republicans being good and pure. The ultimate division of party and country. For them it's working.
I am reminded of the expression, the end justifies the means.
Will so many incredible advances by President Biden just be a footnote in history when reality is the rug is being pulled out from under the majority of the people by the few that wield power?
Be safe, be well.
Cruz, Graham, et al are speaking to their base, who will take as truth whatever myth/history they are fed by the likes of Cruz, Graham, et al.
Sadly, these Republican leaders are likely just as ignorant of their party's history.
I'm going to see if I can gift Ted Cruz a "Letters from an American" subscrption so HCR can lead the poor, benighted Mr. Cruz out of the darkness.
I love how you’ve weaved these events together to plainly tell the crucial story of the day—which is that we are in a very steep uphill battle for democracy. The mentality of the Supreme Court is unfathomable, the senate is gamey, and we all are worried.
Thank you for providing a sound and sane view.
Glad you feel better.