Still operating on a generator without room for much revision, so again, apologies for typos or inelegance…. There is an increasing feeling of desperation coming from the White House. Trump continues to insist he won the 2020 election, although the states whose results he has challenged have all certified their votes for Joe Biden. Biden has tallied more than 6 million votes more than Trump, including significant majorities in all the states Trump claims, in the biggest win for a candidate challenging an incumbent since Franklin Delano Roosevelt challenged Herbert Hoover in 1932.
Time for the Senate Democrats to play hardball; call Mitch’s bluff. If he allows the government to be shut down, message the hell out of it! Make it simple, clear, and repetitive! Broadcast all of the attempted packages that Democrats and bi-partisan caucuses have introduced, only to have Mitch refuse to act on them. Make it clear that Mitch is only interested in protecting his donor class. If we let him continue this autocratic control of the senate, it will set a terrible precedent for Biden’s administration. Plus, it just might bring out the vote in Georgia for the senate seats. Quiet acquiescence is not an option!
It seemed impossible, in this final stage of his Presidency, that Trump would have the ability to take an already horrendous situation and make it worse, to roil our already turbulent political environment in his caldron of pain and hate to the point of exploding it.
A Covid death rate on one soul per minute and he plays golf; Republican officials and their families receiving death threats for doing their jobs, while he plots to pardon his family and friends for crimes they may have committed at his behest; clearing the Defense and Intelligence agencies of any voice that might be raised to challenge him, and in so doing hobble the incoming President’s ability to protect the nation – all of this when we are fifty days from inaugurating the 46th President.
Last night was a low point for me – and I’m an optimist. The anxiety brought about by concerns for so many friends and family in America who are now at such risk, for all the families who are struggling to provide food and shelter while having to cope with a pandemic – my God! And the government that is charged with protecting them is so irredeemably corrupt that it refuses to act because it either sees no political advantage in doing so (McConnel and company) or simply can’t be bothered because it is too busy stealing the silverware and covering its tracks as it executes its escape plan (the Trump Administration & family).
As I was about to turn in for the night, there was a moment of grace. I received a message from one of my dearest friends in New York. He had been released from the hospital after battling a life-threatening condition and was home with his family again – thank you, Great Spirit.
I have confidence we will get to the other side of this but once we do, we must do everything in our power to see that it does not happen again. Yesterday, one of our fellow contributors here posted information about a study titled, OUR COMMON PURPOSE: REINVENTING AMERICAN DEMOCRACY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY. (https://www.amacad.org/ourcommonpurpose). It is worth your consideration.
Ugh, the smell of diesel permeates the fresh Maine air. I hope your power is restored soon. All I can say is this: I am bewildered and stunned by the 74 million US Americans who have decided to align themselves with a con man. Not a businessman, not a president, a cheap, two bit conman who has raped the country. And the con will continue long after he leaves office unless he is shut down and locked up. (His kids too.)
Benjamin Franklin said “Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.” That's why the George Floyd killing was different. The Black Lives Matter protesters are a very large and diverse section of our population. They are what movements are made of. The situation today with Gabriel Sterling, the Georgia Election Official, who spoke out against the violent and inciteful language were the unaffected, e.g. Republicans, that have now become the affected when current President turned on the Georgia state Republicans. It seems the biggest hope from this is the Georgia Republican voters will just not bother to vote. Mr. Sterling is to be applauded. It felt good to finally here those words from a Republican. To be a movement there needs to be a first follower. One isn't a leader until there is a follower. Then a few more followers becomes a crowd. Then no one wants to be left out and there's a stampede. Here's a great TED talk by Derek Sivers https://www.ted.com/talk/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement?language=en that I've always enjoyed.
May the good people of GA vote Ossoff and Warnock into office, because the evil incarnate otherwise known as mcconnell cannot continue as the majority leader. He baldly pursues the matters intended to keep Republicans in power, and nothing else. He, barr and trump are a malevolent trio. At least two will be out of office next month.
What happens when I type in jammies and robe, and my computer on my lap in the middle of the night: the computer slides and in catching it, I erase an entire post. Ah... darn. Of course it was brilliant prose, now lost.
I didn't notice typos in your post. And if it was at all inelegant, it was because it needed to be to say what you were saying. It read like a straight clean shot through all the tangles of today to your conclusion.
Yes, I think there may be some violence, particularly with wanna-be demogogues in suits trying to whip up the less-refined Trump supporters. But I've been keeping an eye on these guys for a while now, in various places. It seems that though they have big plans for disruption, things seem to pretty much fizzle out for the most part. These pseudo-"militias are formed of largely not young men: most of them are past youth and into the part of their lives that should be the prime for them, but is not. They are grasping for something that is out of their reach, just as is Trump. I suspect that they know that. They have shown a tendency to disperse when things don't go a they wish, and to abandon "leaders", who change directions or simply leave. I hope that I am reading that right.
My hope is also that as Trump starts focusing on the reality of his life after the White House (the pressure must be horrendous right now), his attempts at rabble-rousing will take a turn, and those close to him will turn too. As you pointed out, they are scrambling for an out of the corner they have backed themselves into.
And FINALLY decent Republicans are speaking up. A little late, but sometimes the timing is for reasons not apparent from the outside. I hope it is decency and not mere opportunism. It's really hard for any of us to know someone's motivations in situations like this. I think all of us, Democrats, Republicans, Social Democrats, Progressives, you name it, have been astonished that the White House situation has gone down the road it has, as far as it has, even as we watched and could see it happening.
Maybe this truly was the way it had to play out, because Trump is the kind of person he is, and because so many people thought they could get away with hitching their star to his, and held onto their fantasies instead of letting go before it was too late to avoid getting caught up when things unraveled.
Thinking now of the many people who were heroes simply because they said the truth, spoke up and refused to cave. I am glad they are being vindicated. I am grateful for them. And grateful for people like you, who have the insight and the dedication to see how things fit together and put it all into words so we could understand, and act in whatever way we could to make it visible too.
I've stopped holding my breath. That must mean something. I hope so.
I applaud Gabriel Sterling for putting himself at risk by asking the “president” to stop inciting violence and the two Georgia senators to deplore such calls to harm others.
Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger and even Governor Kemp, Trump loyalists, are also to be commended for putting country over party by admitting the election in Georgia was secure, with no evidence of fraud.
A modest proposal: States like California and New York should adopt statutes that persons with a Presidential pardon shall have the status for all State purposes (voting, licensure, etc.) of a felon unless a panel of senior State judges determines the pardons were granted in accordance with generally accepted legal principles.
So grateful for all the folks chiming in with a problem-solving mindset, it gives me hope and reminds me to simmer down and focus - otherwise I’d be making nocturnal visits to my MAGA neighbors front yard with a bucket of dog poo.
How anyone can get behind the Trump regime is beyond me - and my dog, for that matter.
Mr. McConnell only controls the Senate through the acquiescence of 99 other Senators. Until members of both parties stand up and disavow him, they are as culpable as he is and should not be let off the hook. Gabriel Sterling's painfully eloquent statement yesterday should have put them all on notice that if they fail again to exercise the duties of the office they were elected to they should resign from it and allow us to elect people who will.
A betrayal of loyalty to Trump, and "complete loyalty" to the constitutional purpose of the Justice Department.
One wonders what brought about Barr's weak but welcome coming to Jesus moment. 'Tis a pity he couldn't have arrived there oh, say, when the Mueller Report was released, or any time, really, over the last four years.
Kudos to the tiny handful of Republicans with the integrity and real courage to publicly call out the very dangerous inflamatory language being thrown around by weak little people hiding behind internet anonymity. Somebody is going to take that message to heart and step out from the weeds and hurt somebody.
This may sound awful, but I despair for America. What kind of example.are we setting for future generations? This divisiveness, vitriol and hatred will only get worse. As Oscar Hammerstein wrote, "You've got to be taught to hate and fear..."
"Trump’s lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis promptly issued a statement saying “With the greatest respect to the Attorney General, his opinion appears to be without any knowledge or investigation of the substantial irregularities and evidence of systemic fraud.”
Ok, folks. When are the GOP going to finally admit this man has lost his mind? If this was Uncle John, he'd be involuntarily committed by now.
Thanks for the recap Heather. I'm sorry your power has yet to be restored. Fingers crossed that it will be soon.
I find it curious that Barr is now finding a come to Jesus moment. He has to know its political suicide. I wonder if he knows that what is behind the door is that much more evil than what we have imagined and he wants to run, not walk from this Administration. I expect he will be fired by weeks end.
The other elephant in the room is the talk of the far outreaching pardons to include Trump family members. Where I come from, you don't need a pardon if you haven't done anything wrong.
Time for the Senate Democrats to play hardball; call Mitch’s bluff. If he allows the government to be shut down, message the hell out of it! Make it simple, clear, and repetitive! Broadcast all of the attempted packages that Democrats and bi-partisan caucuses have introduced, only to have Mitch refuse to act on them. Make it clear that Mitch is only interested in protecting his donor class. If we let him continue this autocratic control of the senate, it will set a terrible precedent for Biden’s administration. Plus, it just might bring out the vote in Georgia for the senate seats. Quiet acquiescence is not an option!
It seemed impossible, in this final stage of his Presidency, that Trump would have the ability to take an already horrendous situation and make it worse, to roil our already turbulent political environment in his caldron of pain and hate to the point of exploding it.
A Covid death rate on one soul per minute and he plays golf; Republican officials and their families receiving death threats for doing their jobs, while he plots to pardon his family and friends for crimes they may have committed at his behest; clearing the Defense and Intelligence agencies of any voice that might be raised to challenge him, and in so doing hobble the incoming President’s ability to protect the nation – all of this when we are fifty days from inaugurating the 46th President.
Last night was a low point for me – and I’m an optimist. The anxiety brought about by concerns for so many friends and family in America who are now at such risk, for all the families who are struggling to provide food and shelter while having to cope with a pandemic – my God! And the government that is charged with protecting them is so irredeemably corrupt that it refuses to act because it either sees no political advantage in doing so (McConnel and company) or simply can’t be bothered because it is too busy stealing the silverware and covering its tracks as it executes its escape plan (the Trump Administration & family).
As I was about to turn in for the night, there was a moment of grace. I received a message from one of my dearest friends in New York. He had been released from the hospital after battling a life-threatening condition and was home with his family again – thank you, Great Spirit.
I have confidence we will get to the other side of this but once we do, we must do everything in our power to see that it does not happen again. Yesterday, one of our fellow contributors here posted information about a study titled, OUR COMMON PURPOSE: REINVENTING AMERICAN DEMOCRACY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY. (https://www.amacad.org/ourcommonpurpose). It is worth your consideration.
Stay safe and eat your Wheaties!
Ugh, the smell of diesel permeates the fresh Maine air. I hope your power is restored soon. All I can say is this: I am bewildered and stunned by the 74 million US Americans who have decided to align themselves with a con man. Not a businessman, not a president, a cheap, two bit conman who has raped the country. And the con will continue long after he leaves office unless he is shut down and locked up. (His kids too.)
Gabriel Sterling
Benjamin Franklin said “Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.” That's why the George Floyd killing was different. The Black Lives Matter protesters are a very large and diverse section of our population. They are what movements are made of. The situation today with Gabriel Sterling, the Georgia Election Official, who spoke out against the violent and inciteful language were the unaffected, e.g. Republicans, that have now become the affected when current President turned on the Georgia state Republicans. It seems the biggest hope from this is the Georgia Republican voters will just not bother to vote. Mr. Sterling is to be applauded. It felt good to finally here those words from a Republican. To be a movement there needs to be a first follower. One isn't a leader until there is a follower. Then a few more followers becomes a crowd. Then no one wants to be left out and there's a stampede. Here's a great TED talk by Derek Sivers https://www.ted.com/talk/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement?language=en that I've always enjoyed.
May the good people of GA vote Ossoff and Warnock into office, because the evil incarnate otherwise known as mcconnell cannot continue as the majority leader. He baldly pursues the matters intended to keep Republicans in power, and nothing else. He, barr and trump are a malevolent trio. At least two will be out of office next month.
What happens when I type in jammies and robe, and my computer on my lap in the middle of the night: the computer slides and in catching it, I erase an entire post. Ah... darn. Of course it was brilliant prose, now lost.
I didn't notice typos in your post. And if it was at all inelegant, it was because it needed to be to say what you were saying. It read like a straight clean shot through all the tangles of today to your conclusion.
Yes, I think there may be some violence, particularly with wanna-be demogogues in suits trying to whip up the less-refined Trump supporters. But I've been keeping an eye on these guys for a while now, in various places. It seems that though they have big plans for disruption, things seem to pretty much fizzle out for the most part. These pseudo-"militias are formed of largely not young men: most of them are past youth and into the part of their lives that should be the prime for them, but is not. They are grasping for something that is out of their reach, just as is Trump. I suspect that they know that. They have shown a tendency to disperse when things don't go a they wish, and to abandon "leaders", who change directions or simply leave. I hope that I am reading that right.
My hope is also that as Trump starts focusing on the reality of his life after the White House (the pressure must be horrendous right now), his attempts at rabble-rousing will take a turn, and those close to him will turn too. As you pointed out, they are scrambling for an out of the corner they have backed themselves into.
And FINALLY decent Republicans are speaking up. A little late, but sometimes the timing is for reasons not apparent from the outside. I hope it is decency and not mere opportunism. It's really hard for any of us to know someone's motivations in situations like this. I think all of us, Democrats, Republicans, Social Democrats, Progressives, you name it, have been astonished that the White House situation has gone down the road it has, as far as it has, even as we watched and could see it happening.
Maybe this truly was the way it had to play out, because Trump is the kind of person he is, and because so many people thought they could get away with hitching their star to his, and held onto their fantasies instead of letting go before it was too late to avoid getting caught up when things unraveled.
Thinking now of the many people who were heroes simply because they said the truth, spoke up and refused to cave. I am glad they are being vindicated. I am grateful for them. And grateful for people like you, who have the insight and the dedication to see how things fit together and put it all into words so we could understand, and act in whatever way we could to make it visible too.
I've stopped holding my breath. That must mean something. I hope so.
Thank you, Heather.
I applaud Gabriel Sterling for putting himself at risk by asking the “president” to stop inciting violence and the two Georgia senators to deplore such calls to harm others.
Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger and even Governor Kemp, Trump loyalists, are also to be commended for putting country over party by admitting the election in Georgia was secure, with no evidence of fraud.
A modest proposal: States like California and New York should adopt statutes that persons with a Presidential pardon shall have the status for all State purposes (voting, licensure, etc.) of a felon unless a panel of senior State judges determines the pardons were granted in accordance with generally accepted legal principles.
So grateful for all the folks chiming in with a problem-solving mindset, it gives me hope and reminds me to simmer down and focus - otherwise I’d be making nocturnal visits to my MAGA neighbors front yard with a bucket of dog poo.
How anyone can get behind the Trump regime is beyond me - and my dog, for that matter.
Thanks for bring me back!
Democrats of Georgia, please get out and vote! Republicans of Kentucky, what is wrong with you?
The vitriol and hatred out there is exhausting.
Mr. McConnell only controls the Senate through the acquiescence of 99 other Senators. Until members of both parties stand up and disavow him, they are as culpable as he is and should not be let off the hook. Gabriel Sterling's painfully eloquent statement yesterday should have put them all on notice that if they fail again to exercise the duties of the office they were elected to they should resign from it and allow us to elect people who will.
"...Barr’s statement was a 'complete betrayal.'”
A betrayal of loyalty to Trump, and "complete loyalty" to the constitutional purpose of the Justice Department.
One wonders what brought about Barr's weak but welcome coming to Jesus moment. 'Tis a pity he couldn't have arrived there oh, say, when the Mueller Report was released, or any time, really, over the last four years.
Kudos to the tiny handful of Republicans with the integrity and real courage to publicly call out the very dangerous inflamatory language being thrown around by weak little people hiding behind internet anonymity. Somebody is going to take that message to heart and step out from the weeds and hurt somebody.
This may sound awful, but I despair for America. What kind of example.are we setting for future generations? This divisiveness, vitriol and hatred will only get worse. As Oscar Hammerstein wrote, "You've got to be taught to hate and fear..."
"Trump’s lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis promptly issued a statement saying “With the greatest respect to the Attorney General, his opinion appears to be without any knowledge or investigation of the substantial irregularities and evidence of systemic fraud.”
Ok, folks. When are the GOP going to finally admit this man has lost his mind? If this was Uncle John, he'd be involuntarily committed by now.
Oh, and that goes for Rudy, too.
Thanks for the recap Heather. I'm sorry your power has yet to be restored. Fingers crossed that it will be soon.
I find it curious that Barr is now finding a come to Jesus moment. He has to know its political suicide. I wonder if he knows that what is behind the door is that much more evil than what we have imagined and he wants to run, not walk from this Administration. I expect he will be fired by weeks end.
The other elephant in the room is the talk of the far outreaching pardons to include Trump family members. Where I come from, you don't need a pardon if you haven't done anything wrong.
Stay safe, stay well and let there be light ! 😊