A year ago today, Trump retweeted pro-Trump lawyer Lin Wood’s declaration that Georgia governor Brian Kemp and Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger would “soon be going to jail” because they would not overturn the election results in Georgia.
I recently read your bio. I am impressed with your service over the years. You have been an outstanding example of a public official and a role model for our kids. Please don’t disappoint us now.
Modern Americans are an impatient bunch. We do think it stunning that we are approaching the one year mark from when our government suffered a violent attempted coup. By now it is obvious that this was NOT just a random group of protesters turned rioters. We know now that they were organized and aided by several Individuals who were assistants to or advisors of the former president - as well as members of Congress.
There was a complex plot with alternate options to overthrow the government – to deny a duly elected president-elect his peaceful transition to the White House.
Should I be confident that you and your staff are vigorously pursuing your own investigation and preparing to file charges – and about to arrest those who were attempting that coup? Should I feel that the House Committee investigation the events of January 6 is a compliment to your own efforts – not a substitute?
American patience is running thin. Time is not on our side. Democracy in America is becoming a sadly dark and ironic joke on the international stage. Please act.
Thanks for the link. I just sent the Attorney General the following message:
Dear Attorney General:
A nation turns it's weary eyes towards you. We are desperate to see the perpetrators of January 6 face some consequences. Frankly we want to see people arrested and put in jail. Your continued delay in doing this is frightening and frustrating.
Our enemies grow more brazen and loud with each passing day while you pour over law books.
Stop delaying. Do your Constitutional duty to protect and defend this Country. Act now.
Thanks I am looking for where to send an email requesting action, not to see all the details of the insurrection itself. Using Bill's letter as a template, I want to know where to send a similar letter of "complaint " and urgency
Totally agree, Richard. I worry about voting rights so much, and hope DOJ will play a part in securing them. Hopefully DOJ’s working hard on checking out the legality of all the new state legislation restricting voting rights, giving powers to state legislatures to decide which votes to count, etc etc.
Dan, I would note that when, in 2013, the Roberts Court removed Section 5 (Pre-Clearance) from The 1965 Voting Rights Act, DOJ’s influence was severely diminished. Hence, a few weeks back, when A.G. Garland was concluding a press conference about suing Texas for violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, he closed with a plea to Congress to pass new Federal voting rights legislation, making clear that DOJ will do whatever it can (translation: go to court to protect voting rights), while imploring Congress to do what it alone can do (pass legislation that also protects election integrity and thus democracy itself), Were I to have any power, I would prevail upon journalists to air Garland’s plea to Congress again and again, especially since repeatedly hearing that neither Manchin nor Sinema is willing to amend the 60-vote Senate filibuster rule threshold aimed at blocking an up or down vote on voter protection legislation.
They are not the only ones, only the ones talked about. Tonight on Rachel Maddow, Maggie Hassan - a moderate Democratic Senator who also has resisted changes to the filibuster - publicly stated that she now sees the urgency of taking action on voting rights so now supports a 'carve out'. There are others though I don't know who they are but may they hear and join her. It quite literally is Now or Never.
Judith, Thanks for your note. You might also be aware that this past Wednesday NAACP President Derrick Johnson spoke with 6 Senators including Sinema, who, unlike the others, was silent. Moderate Democrat John Hickenlooper emerged from the conversation as supporting any rule change that would allow for an up or down vote. As I understand, though all 50 Senators support both bills, just 2—Manchin and Sinema—refuse, without support from Republicans, to pass either measure, even while GOP controlled state legislatures continue, unilaterally, to pass bill after bill that restricts voting and nullifies votes.
Just sent a message too- thanks for the link- don't know whether it will help but it feels good to let the AG know that there is strong support out there to hold those who would use violence to subvert democracy accountable.
While looking @ the DOJ site, I found listings of those charged and case status info regarding the Capitol Breach. In the DOJ search bar, type in "Capitol Breach Cases." I found the info re the Shaman Chansley. Sentenced for 41 months.
Me also, with my promised determination to daily pester the man until America becomes satisfied that the consequences that are truly deserved by ALL PARTICIPANTS are actually adjudicated guilty and ALL those treasonists' insurrectionists are in prison for a very long time being daily subjected to their wonderful new society's surprises!
Thank you, Maia. It is important for citizens and other interested parties to learn where to go if they're worried about not knowing what's going on. Many if not most governmental issues require that the citizenry be informed. There are situations, however, for which up-to-date info needs to be kept under wraps for security and or legal reasons. When in doubt, have a list of government sources to contact for info, questions and complaints. Sometimes and too often, it is a matter of seek and, hopefully, you'll find.
Painfully, I think we will discover more. Even the most alert among us, was 'it' in their minds and nightmares? We are still brave and determined and very glad to gather here together.
Thank you so much for putting that link on. It is pretty standard practice and a major widespread investigation to work your way up to the top. That takes some time, some patience, and a good deal of thoroughness.
What I want to see are Jim Jordan, Mark Meadow, Steve Bannon etc. dealt with. It appears that they are literally walking all over the American and no one is doing anything. Garland must speak to the American people.
Thank you so much for that link. It is indeed heartening, and we need to access it regularly. We haven't been abandoned. (And what we see about the insurrection on 6 January is still as sharply disgusting).
Wonderful. And, with no sarcasm, good luck with it.
MG is either overwhelmed with the job, too scrupulous by half, or fearful. I have suspected that much was amiss in the DOJ for months now. And sadly, in this mess all roads run through it.
I would love to see that there was a level of public accountability from the head of this office so that citizens could have a sense what actually is going. This is, as has been said ad nauseam, the government *of the people*.
I have a thousand times heard that prosecutors do not speak publicly about their investigations lest they accidentally blow them up.
Surely though, Garland could make a public statement with reporters present, say quarterly as long as this emergency persists.
In it he could safely state general directions as to what their focus is, remind people of progress made, and in general give us a sense as to how this area of government is behaving.
Bill Barr was certainly not remiss in commenting about specifics in ways that left no doubt as to which direction he was going.
I don’t commend his interpretation of the role, but for some time now I have been just as skeptical, but in a different way about Merrick Garland.
Please Merrick - step out into the sunshine. The sky won’t collapse on you.
Good letter. I am going to write to see if AG Garland is familiar with Democracy in Chains by Nancy MacLean, Yale historian. We are not facing a possible civil war, we are IN a civil war, between those who want power to reside with the people, versus those who want to limit power to those with wealth and property (oligarchy).. MacClean shows, step by step, the agenda of this group since the l950s, funded by the likes of Koch, but many many other big time donors.
These are the same people who tried to stop control of Big Tobacco - and they disseminated misinformation and outright lies to protect big tobacco interests. They engendered suspicions about public health and science that we are living with today re vaccines and climate change. So much in this book. I have to stop. But I hope if you have not read this book, you will. I would love to have a conversation with the readers of Heather Richardson regarding the implications of MacClean's words.
Thank you for the tip. I will add her book to my list. It sounds alarmist to say that we are in in a "Civil War". But that is the whole point. To ring the alarm. Most of America is asleep. Most are worn down by the pandemic. And many are simply exhausted by the fire hose of outrages. If TFG were to actually shoot someone on 5th Avenue - as he suggested, he would still have huge support. There is a tyranny of numbness. And the press is not doing it's job.
The Federalist Society’s website claims, “The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is a group of conservatives and libertarians…founded on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.” Which is utter bullpucky, as they’ve demonstrated over and over. If they believed in truth in advertising (or truth in general) their statement of principle would say, “The Federalist Society is a group of partisan hacks that frets that liberal, progressive principles are eroding the privileged position of wealthy, white males in America. We will do everything in our power, legal or not, to elevate right-wing, Republican judges and politicians to positions of power, democracy be damned.” That’s a more accurate description of Federalists, including the 6 members who are currently justices on the Supreme Court.
Love your rewrite. Would love to see it on billboards everywhere but then we might need to preface it with a low info voter explanation of just who the FederalistSociety is and why it desperately matters to know who and what they really are.
Utter bullplucky indeed. The Federalist Society, since its creation in the 1970s, has goose-stepped in its unswerving determination to identify and propose conservative and ultra conservative candidates for the federal judiciary, including the Supreme Court. In contrast, the ‘non-conservatives’ operated by gosh and by golly. Kavanaugh and Barrett are especially indebted to The Federalist Society.
Excellent additional information , JR, and right in line with the thesis in Democracy in Chains by Nancy MacLean. I am re-reading her book (Yale historian) who itemizes not only the Federalist Society, but the originators of that society, and why, and how huge it is now, a "Kochtupus" of donors and wealth trying to dismantle a people's democracy, and solidify an oligarchy.
Time is short. We are up against way more than a coup by right wing nuts. This is truly a battle over the control of the money. Attempts to privatize social security, dismantle the public schools, gut public health, defy science on climate change and vaccines - none of this came from nowhere. It didn't "suddenly" arise.
These and more are all part of a long-range agenda by the far right. They advised Pinochet. They are funded by Koch and many others. They have think tanks. They train lawyers. They get their judges appointed. Three now on the Supreme Court. Read Democracy in Chains to get step by step detail on how we got to where we are today.
It never ceases to amaze me that the GOP penny-pinches on human welfare, but boosts defense waste—after all, dropping even a single bomb means the end of civilization as we now know it. That last caveat has been true throughout my life: my father was deeply enmeshed in the defense industry throughout WWII and Korea, and I worked a scut job at an aircraft manufacturer during VietNam. What a hopeless view of humanity we support in building more toys we don’t need while children, schools, and the homeless starve.
Much has been made recently of the spectacle during a hockey game in North Dakota (I believe it was) where they threw a pile of dollar bills onto a big canvas cover and school teachers were then scrambling about picking up as much cash as they could grab. It has been broadly condemned, but social media pounced on it, showing the hypocrisy of, for instance, praising billionaire Elon Musk and his latest egocentric stunts, and/or the defense department getting $760 BILLION for one year. All this while public school teachers in this country are scrambling for a few crumbs of dollar bills, most having to spend out of pocket for their own supplies. THAT right there shows WTF is wrong with this country, IMO. Our priorities are seriously skewed when we elevate a billionaire (one of many) who is successfully gaming the system to amass his wealth, or we lavish obscene amounts of money for extravagant weaponry while the education of our children suffers more and more. Indeed, we are simply NOT supporting the nurturing of the youth of this country--so, for example, we see the result in the problems among our youth right now--and we end up having to fight for every thin dime of family support from "President" Manchin. Makes me wanna hurl. Oh yeah...and for entertainment, we watch school teachers scramble for money...dear God, this country is f***ed up.
The faculty at the U of Miami is livid. They have taken hits to their salaries and retirement during the pandemic and some departments are cash strapped. But the U found 80 mil (over 10 years) for their new football coach Mario Cristobal. They also have to buy out his contract at Oregon (9 mil), spend money for a new athletic director and Mario's staff, coming to to a total of 93 mil. You need only look at this to understand why we have a problem with education in this country. The U is private and a lot of their income comes from their health care complex. You can read the complete story at the Oregonian newspaper.
The Georgia Board of Regents (GBR), which oversees the University System of Georgia (USG) changed the rules whereby a tenured professor can be judged not by his/her peers, but by superiors. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has been threatening to censure the USG after the GBR's ruling. Tenured professors here are outraged--and of course, conservatives are the ones doing their level best to totally destroy the whole concept of tenure. I can't remember if the AAUP has censured the USG yet, but it could very well cause the state to lose competent professors to other states. Don't get me started on what's going on in higher education right now. In short, I believe the whole system is in dire danger of collapsing, and all because of their own mistakes, greed, and shortsightedness.
That strategy of having superiors determine tenure rather than the faculty of peers seems awfully similar to what is being tried with respect to voting. I mean taking NonPartisans off of supervising voting and putting partisans in and allowing the legislature to overturn the voters judgment.
That same type of clandestine adulteration of required reading school class textbooks has been the Anti-American faux christian Conservative de rigueur for years, and such historical revisionists have not yet been successfully deterred!
I am not surprised. I suspect the U of Miami will also lose profs. The far right radicals are determined to destroy all education which might counter their message. The Nazis did this when they overran Poland, but they killed all the intellectuals, making it a quick death instead of death by a thousand cuts.
Superiors? I think that may be a large part of the problem; when elected officials or any group consider themselves superior. It has purpose in the military but could perhaps be reconsidered in the rest of society.
That's just it. The Georgia Board of Regents, the highest ruling body overseeing all colleges and universities (the USG has reps from all 27 colleges and universities which are tenured faculty members elected by their peers), are all political appointees of the governor (just guess what party that would be...) and tend to be party big-wigs and donors. Most of them haven't set foot inside a classroom since they were in school (undoubtedly on daddy's dime...), so know bugger all about education. However, one of their main jobs is to allocate funding and occasionally they'll wade into issues like this tenure review kerfuffle. As I've said elsewhere, don't get me started on the myriad problems and injustices in higher education, but let's just say it starts at the very top with WAY too many "Vice-Presidents-in-Charge-of-__________", usually pulling in 6-figure salaries, and who are about as far removed from actual education as can be imagined. They're there to "develop", to go out and track down donors, to oversee investments, and to ensure the school is making as much money as possible. Most administrative staffs now aren't about teaching. It's about running the "business". But hey, what else should one expect from a country that thrives on totally over-the-top, unbridled, hyperactive capitalism??
I’m searching The Chronicle of Higher Education to see what professorial positions are open that pay $10 million, $5 million, or even a measly $1 million annually. Nothing appeared except a footnote to athletic openings, where there were five at $5 million and above and scads between$-5 million. Let’s face it—at many universities athletics are more important than academics.You don’t need to read, write, and think to carry or dribble a ball. Then you graduate from Ignoramus University. (I played college—not university— football as a guard. Because I didn’t handle the ball I had to study.)
The payoff, when I was 21, was that I was paid $2,500 to teach 7th grade and a 12th grade international relations course and also coach football linemen.
Just read an article in the Oregonian about Idaho where the legislature is hostile to public education at all levels. Businesses are now thinking twice about locating there or expanding there.
I live in Idaho and not that long ago had a parent in a rural town tell me "8th grade was good enough for me - it's good enough for my kid." Never mind that the parent is chronically unemployed (no jobs - he can't pump gas, be a mechanic for any car newer than 2002, be a logger, miner, or ag worker any more). We continually fight Mississippi for the lowest per capita expenditure on students (not that that is always the best barometer for educational excellence) as well as the lowest wages in the country. We embarrass ourselves with such outrageous acts that the national media takes note (otherwise they pretty much ignore Idaho and the rest of the American Intermountain region.) Idaho is a beautiful State with some wonderful people but our legislature is fond of cutting of its nose to spite its face.
Northern Idaho College (NIC) could possibly lose accreditation because of three board of directors (R) who won't play by the rules. Spokane has the only major newspaper for the eastern WA, Idaho panhandle area, so there have been several articles this year.
Sad. We have seen plenty of school board problems for K-12 here in Oregon. Two radicals in Newberg have refused to go by long established rules, made for a reason, and now they are enough signatures to put their recall on a ballot. We had a interesting story in Salem today. A high end development downtown wanted a tax abatement from the school district which the board refused to do...rightfully. They already have an abatement from the city. Tiresome that the taxpayers have to pay for this kind of stuff.
Or like "Supermarket Sweep" where we take poor people on assistance (or oldies like me on a pittance of a fixed income) and unleash them in a supermarket to see what they grab. What fun!!! Let's watch the poor people for sport!!! Hasn't this happened in the past when one caste, or level of social stratum, decides it's above another and looks down on them, and even uses them for sport and entertainment? All these societies pretty much end up collapsing...are we going to be any different?? "Let 'em eat cake" and all that??
Don't get me going on "reality shows" either...not my idea of a "show" and certainly NOT "reality", as they're ALL scripted. I refuse to watch any of them.
The GOPs sole mission is to destroy civilization as we know it. They want the United States to be the all supreme ruler of the world. The want Christianity to be the only religion and women to become subservient. They want everyone not White to die so they’re keeping Covid in those areas as long as they can. I’d like to see a list of deaths by race in all these red states where vaccination rates are so low. Then let’s go find the people being oppressed so much that they don’t understand the vaccine and educate them so they’re willing. Oddly enough these are the same people that need abortions because they are so uneducated they don’t know how to prevent pregnancy. Poverty level citizens struggling through everyday life and being pushed down endlessly. — as a side note I know there are plenty of middle and upper class women getting abortions to. Many of then just as uneducated because god forbid we arm people with knowledge to protect their health.
Well yeah...it's obvious Republicans and conservatives do not want an educated public because it threatens them. Knowledge and facts are anathema to them because it's the only way they can exert control. Keep 'em stupid and swallowing conservative Christian dogma being taught in Christian schools and home schooling, and you'll be able to make them toe your line. I'm surrounded here already by this "army" that have been brainwashed beyond the point of no return. It is so easy to see what they're shooting--literally--for. I know this sounds horrible and about as far away from my Christian beliefs as one can get: maybe the omicron variant can sort them all out. I'm sick and tired of being patient with these numb-nuts.
Manchin sits there in his yacht on the Potomac which he drives to and from in his Maserati and lets more and more people languish in poverty. What a brutal, selfish person he is.
Has anyone calculated to see if that is even possible or to keep the House? With all the gerrymandered states and those where Republicans can throw out ballots they decided are not legal, is it actually possible to keep what we have and gain any?
He needs to keep the residents of his State stupid, sick and underfed in order to maintain his and his family's lifestyle, consequently, the rest of the country can go to hell,btoo. He is truly brutal and selfish.
If any of the half-dozen or so states that need the child tax credit NEED it, it’s WVA. He’s shorting his own people. They should flood his office with calls and speak publicly.
Yes they will. They live in an alternate universe and the addiction to anger and victimhood supersedes everything else. The republicans feed that very well. This saddens and scares me for our country (and world).
Jeffery Clark postpones his appearance before the January 6th committee AGAIN due to a "medical condition". Would that ailment be a burnt butt caused by being being a pants on fire liar? Curious minds want to know...
if he is not dying he can be deposed. he could be questioned from his hospital bed via Zoom. a congressional attorney can depose him under oath at his home...he is running out the clock.
"despite Republican and conservative Democratic concern about the deficit, today by a vote of 88 to 11 the Senate passed a $768 billion National Defense Authorization Act, which gives the Pentagon $25 billion more than Biden’s budget asked for in a measure that funds the military for only a single year. "
Here we see the single largest weakness in American Democracy. Military contractors paying off their representatives to vote said contractors ever more money to enable the build of ever more needless weapons for the always needless, constant wars on the backs of the American poor (and demographically diverse) in military service.
$7.68 TRILLION over a 10 year period absolutely dwarfing all other spending.
We can see how this weakness for military spending played out over the last 20 years.
The USA participated in a war in Afghanistan even though none of the 9-11 attackers were Afghan citizens or born in Afghanistan. The planning for the attack took place in Germany. Nevertheless, the USA spent two decades killing innocent Afghan citizens for "profit".
But wait, the story goes on. Because we wanted even more war profit for Military contractors we invaded Iraq based on the lie that weapons of mass destruction were present there. A bold lie that a woman in the British secret service openly called out before Britain voted with the US to invade.
So, yesterday, our representatives re-affirmed their commitment to being paid off by military contractors thereby forming a circular firing squad for Democracy.
I would say this is sad, however, apparently, given the widespread nature of corruption and being paid of in Democracies from India to the United States, that it must be: 1) normal in Democracy and 2) normal for human beings in Democracies.
Lastly, although Republicans appear hysterical about "Socialism" and "Communism", nothing comes closer to approximating those words in our Democracy than relationship between our government (Congress and the President) and Military Contractors.
So, the next time a Republican starts frothing at the mouth about "Socialism" at a Christmas Party just say: "768 Billion dollars a year for Socialism in the US".
Socialism for the Rich.
And, if you do a little demographic research on who manages to garner the fantastically well paid positions at military contractors, which INCLUDE retirement pensions still, and huge amounts of accrued vacation,, at military contractors, you will be able to see even better why nobody is complaining about giving that money away like welfare checks.
Thanks Mike. "So, yesterday, our representatives re-affirmed their commitment to being paid off by military contractors thereby forming a circular firing squad for Democracy." You really nailed it with that phrase. The irony is that it is doubtful that much and probably MOST of that money is wasted. Cyber war, our biggest threat, doesn'rt need one hundred million dollar planes. Feed the children. Young cyber hackers who love democracy and love living in a country in which ALL are valued are our best bet for security for all threats, foreign and domestic.
Manchin is a greedy, attention-grabbing hack whose REAL concern is with the fossil fuel sector that, no doubt, pays handsomely for his support. He’s not conservative; he is not a concerned leader; he’s a pig relishing his power to obstruct, cashing in at the same time.
Manchin does not care about the poor folks of West Virginia. Not extend the Child Tax Credit which puts roofs over heads, food on tables, and clothes in backs of CHILDREN! Worrying about the deficit and adding to the bottom line of the military industrial complex is a lie! What kind of person does these things?!
Manchin does not care about any poor folks, whether they reside in West Virginia or are homeless in the streets of any urban development. Manchin cares only about himself and Power. Period. Full stop.
Wondering if the people of West Virginia are really going after him and trying to pressure him or could they be in such bad shape they are not fully informed which is how he gets away with everything?
Without Manchin (and Sinema), there's no modifying or eliminating the Filibuster ... and that ends efforts for voting reform legislation! That is the hand he is playing. What is his price? Could he be envying the position of Kamala Harris?
I’m not sure. He can stay Senator for the rest of his life and control, things from there. Just like McConnell. VP is only a few years and then they disappear. Who will bribe him with all the money and what control will he have if he left the senate?
This is really projecting, but he might have his eye on the 2024 nomination (he will be 77) challenging Harris who would be the logical successor should Biden decide not to run for re-election. But as VP on a ticket with Biden in 2024, he positions himself strongly for a run in 2028, unless age at that point deters him. Can you see him sitting down with this proposal and telling the President, Nancy and Chuck that that's his price for killing the filibuster and approving the rest of BBB, throwing Kamala under the bus!
I don’t think he will do that. Senators and representatives wield too much power in their current positions. And after this would Manchin run on the Republican ticket? The Democrats are certainly fed up with him. But WV will keep electing him. Sinema doesn’t have this advantage she will be out in the next election. AZ GOP won’t back her and Dems are fed up. She went from super liberal to money grubbing trash.
I thought that Tuesday's Wash Post front page above the fold damning Mancion coal $ article might have made a difference in his attitude, but apparently not!
I wrote "Trump's Treason" June 21: "Democrats impeached Trump for inciting the insurrection, but the Senate failed to convict, and hearings are underway. But the treason hides in plain sight. It was sedition by omission, or intentional dereliction of duty, by Trump and a handful of loyalists embedded inside the Pentagon and White House.
Exhibit 1: That day, one dozen powerful politicians from both parties and public officials placed frantic “911” calls during the attack to persons in high office at both the Pentagon and the White House. They pleaded for National Guard assistance as the small force of Capitol guards was being overtaken by thousands of armed and crazed thugs. A gallows was erected for the world’s cameras to underscore their intent. All this was televised in real-time.
Exhibit 2: The Pentagon and President sat on their hands for four hours before sending in the National Guard. By comparison, on September 11, 2000, it took the Pentagon just five minutes after the first terrorist attack hit the World Trade Center to evacuate the President and his cabinet to safety, to scramble thousands of jets, and shut down America’s airspace.
The End Game: Dangerous goons would be invited to Washington D.C., stoked by Trump in a speech, sent to the Capitol to “remove” Vice President Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi from the Presidential line of succession, and, finally, invoke The Insurrection Act of 1807. This law allows a President to unilaterally send in troops across the country in certain limited circumstances involved in the defense of constitutional rights. Trump intended to extend his tenure indefinitely by starting, then quelling, his own insurrection. https://dianefrancis.substack.com/p/trumps-treason
This is the kind of thing lawyers do to prevent justice from being carried out. And after months of such postponements, and a verdict, it will be time for the appeals to start. I think it all will be accomplished by about 2035, unless we have a Republican in the White House, who will pardon them all .
An article in the National Review, dated 12/15/21, begins with the sentence " The Capitol riot happened because President Donald Trump simply lied, and lied, and lied."
He lied in business, in television, in his campaign, and throughout his presidency...and he continues to. The total now must be well over the 20,000 previously documented.
Much as I want the rest of Build Back Better passed, if our congress does not get on the stick and pass voting rights legislation (all of it), then this is simply an exercise in futility. (My original description was much more crude, but I thought that was a bit much here, even for me. Maybe even for TC.)
Like it or not, time is running out. The situation with our climate is beyond repair. There is a satellite image from GOES-East that is some of the most complex satellite imagery detailing wildfires, a dust storm, snow squalls, and a line of thunderstorms between Colorado and Missouri. I am afraid that with the deliberateness of the DOJ investigation of the Insurrection of 6 January, we may be past the point of no return there.
I have been seeing more and more written about the state of "Moral Injury" that seems to be occurring in our population these days. The first I heard of this phenomenon was from the military 10 years or so ago; the moral injury of a sniper forced to either shoot a 10 year old girl who was wearing a vest of explosives and walking towards an outpost of his unit, or to not shoot her and have the outpost blown up. We are living in a pandemic that is as bad as it is because of the politicization of the initial crisis and the steadfast belief that vaccinations and governmental attempts to mitigate the spread of the virus are infringements of liberty. We are living in a nation where 40% of the population seems to be just fine with an overthrow of democracy and insertion of a criminal as "supreme dictator for life" and steadfast in their belief in white, male, cisgendered, heterosexual supremacy. This has caused/is causing a moral injury to those of us who do not fall under that authoritarian umbrella, or of those who support us and democracy.
As much as I’d try to primary Senator Manchin out of his job, even if that risked losing organization of the Senate for Democrats, I know he never signed on to the House Democrats’ compromise on the two big money bills. It’s his unwillingness to carve out Voting Rights from bills subject to filibuster that I find completely unconscionable.
Ally, We are the sirens with you, Calling for more and more of us, until we are louder and stronger, so that all will hear the need for FREEDOM and JUSTICE in the USA today.
Rightly so, I suspect that Mr Biden has lost the confidence and support of the progressive caucus. Manchin appears to be the singular gatekeeper for any Democratic legislation. Mr Biden's good intents may go down along with control of the houses and give birth to a much more polarized wing within the party. Sausage making worked at one time and was interesting to watch, but progressives are seeing cold stone soup for the evening's meal and they will not go hungry in the next election. Manchin reminds me of a certain French pope right before the French revolution. All other votes are for nought, but the one. Such a sense of power, Manchin must feel, you think?
Kim, Cassandra was never heard. Let's go with 'Nellie Bly (born Elizabeth Cochrane) moved to New York City from Pennsylvania. Bly had gotten her start as a journalist when she penned an open letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch which pointed out the paper’s negative representation of women. The editor not only read Bly’s response, he printed her rebuttal, and offered Bly a job as columnist. As a newspaper writer, she took the pen name Nellie Bly. Although, Bly was a popular columnist she was often asked to write pieces that only addressed women.'
'Upon her move to New York City, Bly stormed into the office of the New York World, one of the leading newspapers in the country. She expressed interest in writing a story on the immigrant experience in the United States. Although, the editor declined her story he challenged Bly to investigate one of New York’s most notorious mental hospitals. Bly not only accepted the challenge, she decided to feign mental illness to gain admission and expose how patients were treated. With this courageous and bold act Bly cemented her legacy as one of the foremost female journalists in history. After pretending to be mentally ill for 10 days, the New York World published Bly’s articles about her time in the insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island in a six-part series. Ten Days in the Madhouse quickly made Bly one of the most famous journalists in the United States. Furthermore, her hands-on approach to stories developed into a practice now called investigative journalism. Bly’s successful career reached new heights when she decided to travel around the world after reading the popular book Around the World in 80 Days. Her trip only took 72 days, which was a world record.'
And what about ' Dolores Huerta was greatly influenced by her mother’s community activism and compassionate treatment of workers. She also experienced extreme discrimination that helped shape her view of the world. A schoolteacher, prejudiced against Hispanics, accused Huerta of cheating because her papers were too well-written. In 1945 at the end of World War II, white men brutally beat her brother for wearing a Zoot-Suit, a popular Latino fashion. These experiences as a child led her to want to help others experiencing the same discrimination. Huerta briefly taught school in the 1950s, but seeing so many hungry farm children coming to school, she thought she could do more to help them by organizing farmers and farm workers.'
'In 1955 Huerta began her career as an activist when she co-founded the Stockton chapter of the Community Service Organization (CSO), which led voter registration drives and fought for economic improvements for Hispanics. She also founded the Agricultural Workers Association. Through a CSO associate, Huerta met activist César Chávez, with whom she shared an interest in organizing farm workers. In 1962, Huerta and Chávez founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), the predecessor of the United Farm Workers’ Union (UFW), which formed three year later. Huerta served as UFW vice president until 1999.'
'Despite ethnic and gender bias, Huerta helped organize the 1965 Delano strike of 5,000 grape workers and was the lead negotiator in the workers’ contract that followed. Throughout her work with the UFW, Huerta organized workers, negotiated contracts, advocated for safer working conditions including the elimination of harmful pesticides. She also fought for unemployment and healthcare benefits for agricultural workers. Huerta was the driving force behind the nationwide table grape boycotts in the late 1960s that led to a successful union contract by 1970.' (Women's History) See link below.
If I may intercede... cis-gendered has become a popular adjective modifier due to the utter stupidity of those who instead prefer their identities be addressed in the absurdity, e.g. thee, or they, etc., etc., etc.
cis-gendered is defined as:
denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex, like in the good old days, Eh!?
"I don't know First Aid for moral injury." Sincere constant unselfish prayer to be given the way to love every person as you are loved by The ONE who you pray to.
For people pondering what to do about the Republicans, Robert Hubbell has laid it out very clearly, with help from Len Lubinsky:
Len’s list of top ten House candidates to support in 2022.
"A frequent request from readers is for recommendations about candidates to support in 2022. I am not an expert in the national political landscape, so I have come to rely on Leonard Lubinsky’s recommendations. Len writes Len’s Political Notes, which provide detailed reviews and recommendations regarding Democratic candidates. Len just published a special note on this “top ten” House candidates (incumbents and challengers) where donations can make a strategic difference. See “Len's Letter #46 Ten House Candidates to Donate to Now.” If you have a favorite candidate that you are currently supporting, continue to do so! Or rely on your usual source of recommendations (e.g., EMILY's List) The important point is to support Democrats financially now. Early money makes a big difference."
Also extremely important in Hubbell's newsletter is his analysis of Manchin's and Sinema's refusal to budge an inch. They never intended to bargain in good faith.
It's hard to imagine Jordan smart enough to have drafted the text himself, so he just might be telling the truth. He's been a willing conduit for all sorts of nonsensical rabble-rousing in the past.
"Jordan’s office confirmed his authorship of the text but claimed the text was only him forwarding a legal theory by Joseph Schmitz, a Federalist Society lawyer who was President George W. Bush’s inspector general for the Defense Department;"
Also, what proportion of the military funding is maintenance vs new system program development? Seems to me that 80-90% of $768B would suffice as we've been planning around Russia and China for years. A show of a little bit of fiscal responsibility by the military would be nice given documented inefficiencies in spending on past projects. Adding 15$B on top of his $753B request shows he wasn't trying to defund the services despite any spin to the contrary.
And just think, Jordon almost made the January 6 insurrection investigation team, but Pelosi saw the joke and gave away the punch-line. By his own admission, Jordon was in almost constant contact with Trump through out 2020 leading up and to and beyond the election. What other seditious information was he forwarding to the former president from other GREAT minds.
And, besides all that, will someone take a moment to explain to me how Trump ever came to the conclusion that he was like some God approved French King whose continuation as President was supernaturally destined to be. The guy never did the job of President as advertised in the democracy job description. He spent his time campaigning, playing golf and commuting to Florida on weekends. Of course, once he turned governance over to bent operatives/wreckers of special interests, what was there for him to do but thumb-punch his I-Phone and watch the Fox provide a reality-tv narrative.
His fans say Trump is what being against political correctness looks like. His speedymart course in formal logic forgot to show him that being not politically correct does not entail being "politically incorrect", let alone politically vile, thoughtless and stupid.
But wait, there was more... What about the signing ceremonies in the Oval Office? He looked so presidential, holding the book up to the cameras, a bit like Moses descending from Mount Horeb, while a roomful of people (?) smiled and clapped.
I'm with you, but I can't keep myself from looking at his hair-helmet and asking myself how much Presidential time and energy, not to mention tax-payer money, goes into that extravagance. His hair-dresser I expect is the only person in his orbit he wouldn't throw under the bus at a moment's notice. Donald and I are the same age. The color of my hair has been gone so long, I can't remember exactly what shade of brown best describes it. If the "hat" is the visible extension of the brain, it might explain why his thoughts are twisted all around and sprayed solid like cage-wire. I imagine that Donald's head-horror is a Faraday cage that covers up the fact from radar sweeps that there is no one home at that address.
Years of Evangelicals placing him in a prayer circle and laying hands on “their President” while asking God to protect his “chosen one” only added to his narcissistic delusions.
There are thousands of Americans in jails throughout the country whose crimes amounted to far less than those of the Republicans, including Members of the House, who are still walking around free to spout lies, with the aid of subversive media like Fox, OAN and Newsmax which the First Amendment allows to exist. Congressmen, many in the "Freedom Caucus," ran an organized campaign to "hammer home the idea that the election was tainted, announce legal actions being taken by the campaign, and bolster the case with allegations of fraud," as reported in today's New York Times. And the pending extradition of Julian Assange, as reported today in an MSNBC article by ex-FBI Ass't. Director Frank Figliuzzi can lead to sufficient evidence to indict many of them, including the former president, for the acts which the Mueller investigation uncovered, but walked away from because of AG Bill Barr's loyalty to the former president at that time. We should be wary of what will happen on the streets of this country when this sh-t hits the fan.
Never mind the Congress, this past Tuesday, spent $758 billion for 1-year of Defense authorization, $30 billion more than the President had requested. Senator Manchin, nonetheless, has demanded a 10-year number for Build Back Better not to exceed $1.75 trillion. Considering that the child tax credit alone would amount to $1.4 trillion over 10 years and that a budget increase is a non-starter, does Congress submit to taking away every climate provision? Affordable child care? Universal Pre-K? Investments in housing? In elder care? Manchin knows his terms cannot be met. The result: Despite months of back and forth with Manchin, Senate Democrats will likely miss passing Biden’s Build Back Better plan before the end of the year, putting this legislation off until 2022. And we also have today’s announcement from President Biden that “There’s nothing domestically more important than voting rights; it’s the single biggest issue.”
I imagine one could make the case that the pressure to prioritize voting rights has increased this week with the dramatic revelations delivered by the House Select Committee detailing the conspiracy led by Trump to overturn the results of the Presidential election on January 6th with the support of Republican Senators and Republican members of the House. Still, how confident can we be that Biden will be able to convince Manchin (considering the months of back and forth over BBB) and the rest of the Democrats in the Senate immediately to pass voter protection legislation that would require a Senate rule change that neither Manchin nor some others have indicated they would support?
Kathy. If I had the connections that allowed me to answer this question, be assured I would want to consult with this community before exerting any of my influence.
We need to speak up. Sent just now:
Dear Attorney General Garland:
I recently read your bio. I am impressed with your service over the years. You have been an outstanding example of a public official and a role model for our kids. Please don’t disappoint us now.
Modern Americans are an impatient bunch. We do think it stunning that we are approaching the one year mark from when our government suffered a violent attempted coup. By now it is obvious that this was NOT just a random group of protesters turned rioters. We know now that they were organized and aided by several Individuals who were assistants to or advisors of the former president - as well as members of Congress.
There was a complex plot with alternate options to overthrow the government – to deny a duly elected president-elect his peaceful transition to the White House.
Should I be confident that you and your staff are vigorously pursuing your own investigation and preparing to file charges – and about to arrest those who were attempting that coup? Should I feel that the House Committee investigation the events of January 6 is a compliment to your own efforts – not a substitute?
American patience is running thin. Time is not on our side. Democracy in America is becoming a sadly dark and ironic joke on the international stage. Please act.
With deep respect and admiration,
Bill Alstrom
Acton, MA
Thanks for the link. I just sent the Attorney General the following message:
Dear Attorney General:
A nation turns it's weary eyes towards you. We are desperate to see the perpetrators of January 6 face some consequences. Frankly we want to see people arrested and put in jail. Your continued delay in doing this is frightening and frustrating.
Our enemies grow more brazen and loud with each passing day while you pour over law books.
Stop delaying. Do your Constitutional duty to protect and defend this Country. Act now.
Barbara would you post the link? I don't see where to send to Garland
Look at Maia Simon post below yours.
Thanks I am looking for where to send an email requesting action, not to see all the details of the insurrection itself. Using Bill's letter as a template, I want to know where to send a similar letter of "complaint " and urgency
FYI a group of HCR Substackers has formed to turn talk into action, just like this! For more info, email:
heathersherd@gmail.com
Making sure you got it:
Maia Simon PA, USA Dec 16
Go to https://www.justice.gov/doj/webform/your-message-department-justice and choose message to the attorney general
Yes- I would like to know that there is as much passion to protect democracy as there is to overthrow it- maybe even more.
Thanks!
Totally agree, Richard. I worry about voting rights so much, and hope DOJ will play a part in securing them. Hopefully DOJ’s working hard on checking out the legality of all the new state legislation restricting voting rights, giving powers to state legislatures to decide which votes to count, etc etc.
Dan, I would note that when, in 2013, the Roberts Court removed Section 5 (Pre-Clearance) from The 1965 Voting Rights Act, DOJ’s influence was severely diminished. Hence, a few weeks back, when A.G. Garland was concluding a press conference about suing Texas for violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, he closed with a plea to Congress to pass new Federal voting rights legislation, making clear that DOJ will do whatever it can (translation: go to court to protect voting rights), while imploring Congress to do what it alone can do (pass legislation that also protects election integrity and thus democracy itself), Were I to have any power, I would prevail upon journalists to air Garland’s plea to Congress again and again, especially since repeatedly hearing that neither Manchin nor Sinema is willing to amend the 60-vote Senate filibuster rule threshold aimed at blocking an up or down vote on voter protection legislation.
They are not the only ones, only the ones talked about. Tonight on Rachel Maddow, Maggie Hassan - a moderate Democratic Senator who also has resisted changes to the filibuster - publicly stated that she now sees the urgency of taking action on voting rights so now supports a 'carve out'. There are others though I don't know who they are but may they hear and join her. It quite literally is Now or Never.
Judith, Thanks for your note. You might also be aware that this past Wednesday NAACP President Derrick Johnson spoke with 6 Senators including Sinema, who, unlike the others, was silent. Moderate Democrat John Hickenlooper emerged from the conversation as supporting any rule change that would allow for an up or down vote. As I understand, though all 50 Senators support both bills, just 2—Manchin and Sinema—refuse, without support from Republicans, to pass either measure, even while GOP controlled state legislatures continue, unilaterally, to pass bill after bill that restricts voting and nullifies votes.
Thanks so much for this.
Go to https://www.justice.gov/doj/webform/your-message-department-justice and choose message to the attorney general
Just sent a message too- thanks for the link- don't know whether it will help but it feels good to let the AG know that there is strong support out there to hold those who would use violence to subvert democracy accountable.
Thanks. I have sent Garland a message.
I have submitted a letter also.
While looking @ the DOJ site, I found listings of those charged and case status info regarding the Capitol Breach. In the DOJ search bar, type in "Capitol Breach Cases." I found the info re the Shaman Chansley. Sentenced for 41 months.
Me also, with my promised determination to daily pester the man until America becomes satisfied that the consequences that are truly deserved by ALL PARTICIPANTS are actually adjudicated guilty and ALL those treasonists' insurrectionists are in prison for a very long time being daily subjected to their wonderful new society's surprises!
Thank you. My letter was just now submitted.
here is the portal for the DOJ's public information about the insurrections. Long list of photos and another long list of arrests. Take heart. https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/capitol-violence#Overview
Thank you, Maia. It is important for citizens and other interested parties to learn where to go if they're worried about not knowing what's going on. Many if not most governmental issues require that the citizenry be informed. There are situations, however, for which up-to-date info needs to be kept under wraps for security and or legal reasons. When in doubt, have a list of government sources to contact for info, questions and complaints. Sometimes and too often, it is a matter of seek and, hopefully, you'll find.
Those four years of betrayal have damaged us in ways we hadn't even considered. So much to be healed.
Painfully, I think we will discover more. Even the most alert among us, was 'it' in their minds and nightmares? We are still brave and determined and very glad to gather here together.
Yes. We are.
Thank you so much for putting that link on. It is pretty standard practice and a major widespread investigation to work your way up to the top. That takes some time, some patience, and a good deal of thoroughness.
What I want to see are Jim Jordan, Mark Meadow, Steve Bannon etc. dealt with. It appears that they are literally walking all over the American and no one is doing anything. Garland must speak to the American people.
Thank you. Wow. I just posted the link on my FB page.
Good move!
Thank you so much for that link. It is indeed heartening, and we need to access it regularly. We haven't been abandoned. (And what we see about the insurrection on 6 January is still as sharply disgusting).
Wonderful. And, with no sarcasm, good luck with it.
MG is either overwhelmed with the job, too scrupulous by half, or fearful. I have suspected that much was amiss in the DOJ for months now. And sadly, in this mess all roads run through it.
I would love to see that there was a level of public accountability from the head of this office so that citizens could have a sense what actually is going. This is, as has been said ad nauseam, the government *of the people*.
I have a thousand times heard that prosecutors do not speak publicly about their investigations lest they accidentally blow them up.
Surely though, Garland could make a public statement with reporters present, say quarterly as long as this emergency persists.
In it he could safely state general directions as to what their focus is, remind people of progress made, and in general give us a sense as to how this area of government is behaving.
Bill Barr was certainly not remiss in commenting about specifics in ways that left no doubt as to which direction he was going.
I don’t commend his interpretation of the role, but for some time now I have been just as skeptical, but in a different way about Merrick Garland.
Please Merrick - step out into the sunshine. The sky won’t collapse on you.
May I also share your letter with AG Garland? You stated the concern very well
David
Yes, please!
Me too! Thank you Bill!
Good letter. I am going to write to see if AG Garland is familiar with Democracy in Chains by Nancy MacLean, Yale historian. We are not facing a possible civil war, we are IN a civil war, between those who want power to reside with the people, versus those who want to limit power to those with wealth and property (oligarchy).. MacClean shows, step by step, the agenda of this group since the l950s, funded by the likes of Koch, but many many other big time donors.
These are the same people who tried to stop control of Big Tobacco - and they disseminated misinformation and outright lies to protect big tobacco interests. They engendered suspicions about public health and science that we are living with today re vaccines and climate change. So much in this book. I have to stop. But I hope if you have not read this book, you will. I would love to have a conversation with the readers of Heather Richardson regarding the implications of MacClean's words.
Thank you for the tip. I will add her book to my list. It sounds alarmist to say that we are in in a "Civil War". But that is the whole point. To ring the alarm. Most of America is asleep. Most are worn down by the pandemic. And many are simply exhausted by the fire hose of outrages. If TFG were to actually shoot someone on 5th Avenue - as he suggested, he would still have huge support. There is a tyranny of numbness. And the press is not doing it's job.
Bill where did you send this? What email address?
https://www.justice.gov/doj/webform/your-message-department-justice
Choose message to the attorney general
Thank you!
The Federalist Society’s website claims, “The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is a group of conservatives and libertarians…founded on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.” Which is utter bullpucky, as they’ve demonstrated over and over. If they believed in truth in advertising (or truth in general) their statement of principle would say, “The Federalist Society is a group of partisan hacks that frets that liberal, progressive principles are eroding the privileged position of wealthy, white males in America. We will do everything in our power, legal or not, to elevate right-wing, Republican judges and politicians to positions of power, democracy be damned.” That’s a more accurate description of Federalists, including the 6 members who are currently justices on the Supreme Court.
JR, excellent post and re-wording of Federalist Society dogma.
A guest opinion piece for NYT?
Many thanks for this! And they lie with abandon and so do their followers.
Love your rewrite. Would love to see it on billboards everywhere but then we might need to preface it with a low info voter explanation of just who the FederalistSociety is and why it desperately matters to know who and what they really are.
I have been thinking of how to reach Fox viewers with the truth, and also came up with nationwide billboard campaign.
Now that is a tough row to hoe! However it is an excellent venture.
Utter bullplucky indeed. The Federalist Society, since its creation in the 1970s, has goose-stepped in its unswerving determination to identify and propose conservative and ultra conservative candidates for the federal judiciary, including the Supreme Court. In contrast, the ‘non-conservatives’ operated by gosh and by golly. Kavanaugh and Barrett are especially indebted to The Federalist Society.
Kavanaugh and Barrett are both impeachable...why isn't it happening sell before the next elections!?
We’re kinda busy at the moment. We’ll have to take that up in the next session. (Teasin’ ya, George.)
Excellent additional information , JR, and right in line with the thesis in Democracy in Chains by Nancy MacLean. I am re-reading her book (Yale historian) who itemizes not only the Federalist Society, but the originators of that society, and why, and how huge it is now, a "Kochtupus" of donors and wealth trying to dismantle a people's democracy, and solidify an oligarchy.
Time is short. We are up against way more than a coup by right wing nuts. This is truly a battle over the control of the money. Attempts to privatize social security, dismantle the public schools, gut public health, defy science on climate change and vaccines - none of this came from nowhere. It didn't "suddenly" arise.
These and more are all part of a long-range agenda by the far right. They advised Pinochet. They are funded by Koch and many others. They have think tanks. They train lawyers. They get their judges appointed. Three now on the Supreme Court. Read Democracy in Chains to get step by step detail on how we got to where we are today.
Katie, there are 6 Federalist Society judges on the Supreme Court - Thomas, Alito, Roberts, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett.
😎
Somehow I could see this turned into a great video by Midas Touch. They do a good job at getting the point across.
It never ceases to amaze me that the GOP penny-pinches on human welfare, but boosts defense waste—after all, dropping even a single bomb means the end of civilization as we now know it. That last caveat has been true throughout my life: my father was deeply enmeshed in the defense industry throughout WWII and Korea, and I worked a scut job at an aircraft manufacturer during VietNam. What a hopeless view of humanity we support in building more toys we don’t need while children, schools, and the homeless starve.
Much has been made recently of the spectacle during a hockey game in North Dakota (I believe it was) where they threw a pile of dollar bills onto a big canvas cover and school teachers were then scrambling about picking up as much cash as they could grab. It has been broadly condemned, but social media pounced on it, showing the hypocrisy of, for instance, praising billionaire Elon Musk and his latest egocentric stunts, and/or the defense department getting $760 BILLION for one year. All this while public school teachers in this country are scrambling for a few crumbs of dollar bills, most having to spend out of pocket for their own supplies. THAT right there shows WTF is wrong with this country, IMO. Our priorities are seriously skewed when we elevate a billionaire (one of many) who is successfully gaming the system to amass his wealth, or we lavish obscene amounts of money for extravagant weaponry while the education of our children suffers more and more. Indeed, we are simply NOT supporting the nurturing of the youth of this country--so, for example, we see the result in the problems among our youth right now--and we end up having to fight for every thin dime of family support from "President" Manchin. Makes me wanna hurl. Oh yeah...and for entertainment, we watch school teachers scramble for money...dear God, this country is f***ed up.
The faculty at the U of Miami is livid. They have taken hits to their salaries and retirement during the pandemic and some departments are cash strapped. But the U found 80 mil (over 10 years) for their new football coach Mario Cristobal. They also have to buy out his contract at Oregon (9 mil), spend money for a new athletic director and Mario's staff, coming to to a total of 93 mil. You need only look at this to understand why we have a problem with education in this country. The U is private and a lot of their income comes from their health care complex. You can read the complete story at the Oregonian newspaper.
The Georgia Board of Regents (GBR), which oversees the University System of Georgia (USG) changed the rules whereby a tenured professor can be judged not by his/her peers, but by superiors. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has been threatening to censure the USG after the GBR's ruling. Tenured professors here are outraged--and of course, conservatives are the ones doing their level best to totally destroy the whole concept of tenure. I can't remember if the AAUP has censured the USG yet, but it could very well cause the state to lose competent professors to other states. Don't get me started on what's going on in higher education right now. In short, I believe the whole system is in dire danger of collapsing, and all because of their own mistakes, greed, and shortsightedness.
That strategy of having superiors determine tenure rather than the faculty of peers seems awfully similar to what is being tried with respect to voting. I mean taking NonPartisans off of supervising voting and putting partisans in and allowing the legislature to overturn the voters judgment.
That same type of clandestine adulteration of required reading school class textbooks has been the Anti-American faux christian Conservative de rigueur for years, and such historical revisionists have not yet been successfully deterred!
I am not surprised. I suspect the U of Miami will also lose profs. The far right radicals are determined to destroy all education which might counter their message. The Nazis did this when they overran Poland, but they killed all the intellectuals, making it a quick death instead of death by a thousand cuts.
Superiors? I think that may be a large part of the problem; when elected officials or any group consider themselves superior. It has purpose in the military but could perhaps be reconsidered in the rest of society.
That's just it. The Georgia Board of Regents, the highest ruling body overseeing all colleges and universities (the USG has reps from all 27 colleges and universities which are tenured faculty members elected by their peers), are all political appointees of the governor (just guess what party that would be...) and tend to be party big-wigs and donors. Most of them haven't set foot inside a classroom since they were in school (undoubtedly on daddy's dime...), so know bugger all about education. However, one of their main jobs is to allocate funding and occasionally they'll wade into issues like this tenure review kerfuffle. As I've said elsewhere, don't get me started on the myriad problems and injustices in higher education, but let's just say it starts at the very top with WAY too many "Vice-Presidents-in-Charge-of-__________", usually pulling in 6-figure salaries, and who are about as far removed from actual education as can be imagined. They're there to "develop", to go out and track down donors, to oversee investments, and to ensure the school is making as much money as possible. Most administrative staffs now aren't about teaching. It's about running the "business". But hey, what else should one expect from a country that thrives on totally over-the-top, unbridled, hyperactive capitalism??
It is absolutly horrible.
An article from October about what I referenced above:
https://georgiarecorder.com/brief/public-college-tenure-changes-headed-for-vote-despite-professor-protests/
I’m searching The Chronicle of Higher Education to see what professorial positions are open that pay $10 million, $5 million, or even a measly $1 million annually. Nothing appeared except a footnote to athletic openings, where there were five at $5 million and above and scads between$-5 million. Let’s face it—at many universities athletics are more important than academics.You don’t need to read, write, and think to carry or dribble a ball. Then you graduate from Ignoramus University. (I played college—not university— football as a guard. Because I didn’t handle the ball I had to study.)
The payoff, when I was 21, was that I was paid $2,500 to teach 7th grade and a 12th grade international relations course and also coach football linemen.
So sickeningly true, dear Prof! Thank you for “fumbling,” as this world has long needed your charming brilliance!
Just read an article in the Oregonian about Idaho where the legislature is hostile to public education at all levels. Businesses are now thinking twice about locating there or expanding there.
I live in Idaho and not that long ago had a parent in a rural town tell me "8th grade was good enough for me - it's good enough for my kid." Never mind that the parent is chronically unemployed (no jobs - he can't pump gas, be a mechanic for any car newer than 2002, be a logger, miner, or ag worker any more). We continually fight Mississippi for the lowest per capita expenditure on students (not that that is always the best barometer for educational excellence) as well as the lowest wages in the country. We embarrass ourselves with such outrageous acts that the national media takes note (otherwise they pretty much ignore Idaho and the rest of the American Intermountain region.) Idaho is a beautiful State with some wonderful people but our legislature is fond of cutting of its nose to spite its face.
Id-duh-ho ... way too many guns & giant trucks with tattered American flags
Northern Idaho College (NIC) could possibly lose accreditation because of three board of directors (R) who won't play by the rules. Spokane has the only major newspaper for the eastern WA, Idaho panhandle area, so there have been several articles this year.
Sad. We have seen plenty of school board problems for K-12 here in Oregon. Two radicals in Newberg have refused to go by long established rules, made for a reason, and now they are enough signatures to put their recall on a ballot. We had a interesting story in Salem today. A high end development downtown wanted a tax abatement from the school district which the board refused to do...rightfully. They already have an abatement from the city. Tiresome that the taxpayers have to pay for this kind of stuff.
The faculty should be livid!!
Trust me, my colleagues are up in arms about it.
VOTE, VOTE, VOTE and help others to understand the issues and then VOTE!
Wish the teachers refused to be used. Reminds me of the old time carnival barkers using the desperate for entertainment value.
Or like "Supermarket Sweep" where we take poor people on assistance (or oldies like me on a pittance of a fixed income) and unleash them in a supermarket to see what they grab. What fun!!! Let's watch the poor people for sport!!! Hasn't this happened in the past when one caste, or level of social stratum, decides it's above another and looks down on them, and even uses them for sport and entertainment? All these societies pretty much end up collapsing...are we going to be any different?? "Let 'em eat cake" and all that??
Thinking,too, of the Roman Colliseums.
Desperation as sport and entertainment.
And how long did the Roman empire last after that?
Poor people and slaves serve for our enjoyment...
And today Cop shows making “entertainment” out of filming people being apprehended and arrested. Disgusting.
Don't get me going on "reality shows" either...not my idea of a "show" and certainly NOT "reality", as they're ALL scripted. I refuse to watch any of them.
ALL tv programming is nothing but one long commercial hypnotizing viewers into "needing" crap they don't need ... including most "news shows"
And one F-35 costs some $100,000,000 plus dealer installed options.
How many hungry children could that feed for a year?
True. And that hopelessness is bleeding over our entire nation…
The GOPs sole mission is to destroy civilization as we know it. They want the United States to be the all supreme ruler of the world. The want Christianity to be the only religion and women to become subservient. They want everyone not White to die so they’re keeping Covid in those areas as long as they can. I’d like to see a list of deaths by race in all these red states where vaccination rates are so low. Then let’s go find the people being oppressed so much that they don’t understand the vaccine and educate them so they’re willing. Oddly enough these are the same people that need abortions because they are so uneducated they don’t know how to prevent pregnancy. Poverty level citizens struggling through everyday life and being pushed down endlessly. — as a side note I know there are plenty of middle and upper class women getting abortions to. Many of then just as uneducated because god forbid we arm people with knowledge to protect their health.
Well yeah...it's obvious Republicans and conservatives do not want an educated public because it threatens them. Knowledge and facts are anathema to them because it's the only way they can exert control. Keep 'em stupid and swallowing conservative Christian dogma being taught in Christian schools and home schooling, and you'll be able to make them toe your line. I'm surrounded here already by this "army" that have been brainwashed beyond the point of no return. It is so easy to see what they're shooting--literally--for. I know this sounds horrible and about as far away from my Christian beliefs as one can get: maybe the omicron variant can sort them all out. I'm sick and tired of being patient with these numb-nuts.
I keep hearing there are more of us than them but these days they are the one's getting their way.
"The squeakiest wheels get the most grease."
Only if they are on the very most expensive chauffeur-driven automobiles, Eh!?
They certainly DO NOT worship the same as I do.
The good news is that it takes intelligence to persevere and survive.
Manchin sits there in his yacht on the Potomac which he drives to and from in his Maserati and lets more and more people languish in poverty. What a brutal, selfish person he is.
Hope I live long enough to see two more Dem senators so he and she will become irrelevant.
10 more.
Me too.
For this, I pray daily.
Yep!
You got that right.
Has anyone calculated to see if that is even possible or to keep the House? With all the gerrymandered states and those where Republicans can throw out ballots they decided are not legal, is it actually possible to keep what we have and gain any?
Always possible, Margaret.
He needs to keep the residents of his State stupid, sick and underfed in order to maintain his and his family's lifestyle, consequently, the rest of the country can go to hell,btoo. He is truly brutal and selfish.
Manchin seems to have learned from his rethuglican cohort, McTurtleneck. Neither care a fig for their constituents. It's all about power and $$$$$
And power hungry as any repub
😢😢😢Yes he is 😢😢😢
If any of the half-dozen or so states that need the child tax credit NEED it, it’s WVA. He’s shorting his own people. They should flood his office with calls and speak publicly.
They won't, and when it ends they will blame the Democrats.
Yes they will. They live in an alternate universe and the addiction to anger and victimhood supersedes everything else. The republicans feed that very well. This saddens and scares me for our country (and world).
and really addiction to opioids.
Yes. That too.
Such is Supreme MAGAism
AND SO SHOULD WE + funding for alternative candidates
Yes, "Almost Heaven" for me but not for thee
I got mine, hahahaha
Indeed
So, if the house works around him by recruiting an R or two, that works, right?
Jeffery Clark postpones his appearance before the January 6th committee AGAIN due to a "medical condition". Would that ailment be a burnt butt caused by being being a pants on fire liar? Curious minds want to know...
if he is not dying he can be deposed. he could be questioned from his hospital bed via Zoom. a congressional attorney can depose him under oath at his home...he is running out the clock.
do it Dems
Agree
I was guessing he has become fecally incontinent.
Does he have chump’s doc
Probably. Or another someone who is willing to lie for him...
Maybe he's working on a deathbed confession.
How about a stiff neck due to putting his head up his ass.
😂🥵🔥
"despite Republican and conservative Democratic concern about the deficit, today by a vote of 88 to 11 the Senate passed a $768 billion National Defense Authorization Act, which gives the Pentagon $25 billion more than Biden’s budget asked for in a measure that funds the military for only a single year. "
Here we see the single largest weakness in American Democracy. Military contractors paying off their representatives to vote said contractors ever more money to enable the build of ever more needless weapons for the always needless, constant wars on the backs of the American poor (and demographically diverse) in military service.
$7.68 TRILLION over a 10 year period absolutely dwarfing all other spending.
We can see how this weakness for military spending played out over the last 20 years.
The USA participated in a war in Afghanistan even though none of the 9-11 attackers were Afghan citizens or born in Afghanistan. The planning for the attack took place in Germany. Nevertheless, the USA spent two decades killing innocent Afghan citizens for "profit".
But wait, the story goes on. Because we wanted even more war profit for Military contractors we invaded Iraq based on the lie that weapons of mass destruction were present there. A bold lie that a woman in the British secret service openly called out before Britain voted with the US to invade.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharine_Gun
So, yesterday, our representatives re-affirmed their commitment to being paid off by military contractors thereby forming a circular firing squad for Democracy.
I would say this is sad, however, apparently, given the widespread nature of corruption and being paid of in Democracies from India to the United States, that it must be: 1) normal in Democracy and 2) normal for human beings in Democracies.
Lastly, although Republicans appear hysterical about "Socialism" and "Communism", nothing comes closer to approximating those words in our Democracy than relationship between our government (Congress and the President) and Military Contractors.
So, the next time a Republican starts frothing at the mouth about "Socialism" at a Christmas Party just say: "768 Billion dollars a year for Socialism in the US".
Socialism for the Rich.
And, if you do a little demographic research on who manages to garner the fantastically well paid positions at military contractors, which INCLUDE retirement pensions still, and huge amounts of accrued vacation,, at military contractors, you will be able to see even better why nobody is complaining about giving that money away like welfare checks.
So who is the real welfare queen in America?
Yep, you got it. (I won't write it here).
Thanks Mike. "So, yesterday, our representatives re-affirmed their commitment to being paid off by military contractors thereby forming a circular firing squad for Democracy." You really nailed it with that phrase. The irony is that it is doubtful that much and probably MOST of that money is wasted. Cyber war, our biggest threat, doesn'rt need one hundred million dollar planes. Feed the children. Young cyber hackers who love democracy and love living in a country in which ALL are valued are our best bet for security for all threats, foreign and domestic.
Exactly so.
Ike warned us
Yes, the money from the Military Contracts is the key to why their budgets pass so easily and quickly.
Be still my beating heart. Thank you.
Bingo !
Manchin is a greedy, attention-grabbing hack whose REAL concern is with the fossil fuel sector that, no doubt, pays handsomely for his support. He’s not conservative; he is not a concerned leader; he’s a pig relishing his power to obstruct, cashing in at the same time.
Manchin does not care about the poor folks of West Virginia. Not extend the Child Tax Credit which puts roofs over heads, food on tables, and clothes in backs of CHILDREN! Worrying about the deficit and adding to the bottom line of the military industrial complex is a lie! What kind of person does these things?!
Manchin does not care about any poor folks, whether they reside in West Virginia or are homeless in the streets of any urban development. Manchin cares only about himself and Power. Period. Full stop.
Wondering if the people of West Virginia are really going after him and trying to pressure him or could they be in such bad shape they are not fully informed which is how he gets away with everything?
Some are uninformed. Some are informed but still committed to "sticking it to the libs," even when bad policy hurts them, too.
Without Manchin (and Sinema), there's no modifying or eliminating the Filibuster ... and that ends efforts for voting reform legislation! That is the hand he is playing. What is his price? Could he be envying the position of Kamala Harris?
I’m not sure. He can stay Senator for the rest of his life and control, things from there. Just like McConnell. VP is only a few years and then they disappear. Who will bribe him with all the money and what control will he have if he left the senate?
This is really projecting, but he might have his eye on the 2024 nomination (he will be 77) challenging Harris who would be the logical successor should Biden decide not to run for re-election. But as VP on a ticket with Biden in 2024, he positions himself strongly for a run in 2028, unless age at that point deters him. Can you see him sitting down with this proposal and telling the President, Nancy and Chuck that that's his price for killing the filibuster and approving the rest of BBB, throwing Kamala under the bus!
I don’t think he will do that. Senators and representatives wield too much power in their current positions. And after this would Manchin run on the Republican ticket? The Democrats are certainly fed up with him. But WV will keep electing him. Sinema doesn’t have this advantage she will be out in the next election. AZ GOP won’t back her and Dems are fed up. She went from super liberal to money grubbing trash.
I thought that Tuesday's Wash Post front page above the fold damning Mancion coal $ article might have made a difference in his attitude, but apparently not!
I wrote "Trump's Treason" June 21: "Democrats impeached Trump for inciting the insurrection, but the Senate failed to convict, and hearings are underway. But the treason hides in plain sight. It was sedition by omission, or intentional dereliction of duty, by Trump and a handful of loyalists embedded inside the Pentagon and White House.
Exhibit 1: That day, one dozen powerful politicians from both parties and public officials placed frantic “911” calls during the attack to persons in high office at both the Pentagon and the White House. They pleaded for National Guard assistance as the small force of Capitol guards was being overtaken by thousands of armed and crazed thugs. A gallows was erected for the world’s cameras to underscore their intent. All this was televised in real-time.
Exhibit 2: The Pentagon and President sat on their hands for four hours before sending in the National Guard. By comparison, on September 11, 2000, it took the Pentagon just five minutes after the first terrorist attack hit the World Trade Center to evacuate the President and his cabinet to safety, to scramble thousands of jets, and shut down America’s airspace.
The End Game: Dangerous goons would be invited to Washington D.C., stoked by Trump in a speech, sent to the Capitol to “remove” Vice President Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi from the Presidential line of succession, and, finally, invoke The Insurrection Act of 1807. This law allows a President to unilaterally send in troops across the country in certain limited circumstances involved in the defense of constitutional rights. Trump intended to extend his tenure indefinitely by starting, then quelling, his own insurrection. https://dianefrancis.substack.com/p/trumps-treason
200%, we all saw it. No translation needed, nor any white-wash job.
Unless he’s in the hospital, the committee should either go to Clark’s home or set up a video meeting. This is crazy.
This is the kind of thing lawyers do to prevent justice from being carried out. And after months of such postponements, and a verdict, it will be time for the appeals to start. I think it all will be accomplished by about 2035, unless we have a Republican in the White House, who will pardon them all .
Even if he is in the hospital the committee should set up a video meeting. Crazy indeed!
An article in the National Review, dated 12/15/21, begins with the sentence " The Capitol riot happened because President Donald Trump simply lied, and lied, and lied."
https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/12/gone-too-far/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NR%20Daily%20Monday%20through%20Friday%202021-12-15&utm_term=NRDaily-Smart
Wow Joan, this is a big deal coming from a respected conservative publication. It gives me some hope.
Interesting:
𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗕𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗰𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: RIGHT
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL
Country: USA (44/180 Press Freedom)
Media Type: Magazine
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/national-review/
He lied in business, in television, in his campaign, and throughout his presidency...and he continues to. The total now must be well over the 20,000 previously documented.
Much as I want the rest of Build Back Better passed, if our congress does not get on the stick and pass voting rights legislation (all of it), then this is simply an exercise in futility. (My original description was much more crude, but I thought that was a bit much here, even for me. Maybe even for TC.)
Like it or not, time is running out. The situation with our climate is beyond repair. There is a satellite image from GOES-East that is some of the most complex satellite imagery detailing wildfires, a dust storm, snow squalls, and a line of thunderstorms between Colorado and Missouri. I am afraid that with the deliberateness of the DOJ investigation of the Insurrection of 6 January, we may be past the point of no return there.
I have been seeing more and more written about the state of "Moral Injury" that seems to be occurring in our population these days. The first I heard of this phenomenon was from the military 10 years or so ago; the moral injury of a sniper forced to either shoot a 10 year old girl who was wearing a vest of explosives and walking towards an outpost of his unit, or to not shoot her and have the outpost blown up. We are living in a pandemic that is as bad as it is because of the politicization of the initial crisis and the steadfast belief that vaccinations and governmental attempts to mitigate the spread of the virus are infringements of liberty. We are living in a nation where 40% of the population seems to be just fine with an overthrow of democracy and insertion of a criminal as "supreme dictator for life" and steadfast in their belief in white, male, cisgendered, heterosexual supremacy. This has caused/is causing a moral injury to those of us who do not fall under that authoritarian umbrella, or of those who support us and democracy.
I don't know First Aid for moral injury.
As much as I’d try to primary Senator Manchin out of his job, even if that risked losing organization of the Senate for Democrats, I know he never signed on to the House Democrats’ compromise on the two big money bills. It’s his unwillingness to carve out Voting Rights from bills subject to filibuster that I find completely unconscionable.
Ally, We are the sirens with you, Calling for more and more of us, until we are louder and stronger, so that all will hear the need for FREEDOM and JUSTICE in the USA today.
Rightly so, I suspect that Mr Biden has lost the confidence and support of the progressive caucus. Manchin appears to be the singular gatekeeper for any Democratic legislation. Mr Biden's good intents may go down along with control of the houses and give birth to a much more polarized wing within the party. Sausage making worked at one time and was interesting to watch, but progressives are seeing cold stone soup for the evening's meal and they will not go hungry in the next election. Manchin reminds me of a certain French pope right before the French revolution. All other votes are for nought, but the one. Such a sense of power, Manchin must feel, you think?
Powerful messages, Ally. Cassandra is with us, in multitudes, and yet remains unheard.
Kim, Cassandra was never heard. Let's go with 'Nellie Bly (born Elizabeth Cochrane) moved to New York City from Pennsylvania. Bly had gotten her start as a journalist when she penned an open letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch which pointed out the paper’s negative representation of women. The editor not only read Bly’s response, he printed her rebuttal, and offered Bly a job as columnist. As a newspaper writer, she took the pen name Nellie Bly. Although, Bly was a popular columnist she was often asked to write pieces that only addressed women.'
'Upon her move to New York City, Bly stormed into the office of the New York World, one of the leading newspapers in the country. She expressed interest in writing a story on the immigrant experience in the United States. Although, the editor declined her story he challenged Bly to investigate one of New York’s most notorious mental hospitals. Bly not only accepted the challenge, she decided to feign mental illness to gain admission and expose how patients were treated. With this courageous and bold act Bly cemented her legacy as one of the foremost female journalists in history. After pretending to be mentally ill for 10 days, the New York World published Bly’s articles about her time in the insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island in a six-part series. Ten Days in the Madhouse quickly made Bly one of the most famous journalists in the United States. Furthermore, her hands-on approach to stories developed into a practice now called investigative journalism. Bly’s successful career reached new heights when she decided to travel around the world after reading the popular book Around the World in 80 Days. Her trip only took 72 days, which was a world record.'
And what about ' Dolores Huerta was greatly influenced by her mother’s community activism and compassionate treatment of workers. She also experienced extreme discrimination that helped shape her view of the world. A schoolteacher, prejudiced against Hispanics, accused Huerta of cheating because her papers were too well-written. In 1945 at the end of World War II, white men brutally beat her brother for wearing a Zoot-Suit, a popular Latino fashion. These experiences as a child led her to want to help others experiencing the same discrimination. Huerta briefly taught school in the 1950s, but seeing so many hungry farm children coming to school, she thought she could do more to help them by organizing farmers and farm workers.'
'In 1955 Huerta began her career as an activist when she co-founded the Stockton chapter of the Community Service Organization (CSO), which led voter registration drives and fought for economic improvements for Hispanics. She also founded the Agricultural Workers Association. Through a CSO associate, Huerta met activist César Chávez, with whom she shared an interest in organizing farm workers. In 1962, Huerta and Chávez founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), the predecessor of the United Farm Workers’ Union (UFW), which formed three year later. Huerta served as UFW vice president until 1999.'
'Despite ethnic and gender bias, Huerta helped organize the 1965 Delano strike of 5,000 grape workers and was the lead negotiator in the workers’ contract that followed. Throughout her work with the UFW, Huerta organized workers, negotiated contracts, advocated for safer working conditions including the elimination of harmful pesticides. She also fought for unemployment and healthcare benefits for agricultural workers. Huerta was the driving force behind the nationwide table grape boycotts in the late 1960s that led to a successful union contract by 1970.' (Women's History) See link below.
https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/daring-dames
Really beautiful, Fern. Thank you. I'm doing a Solstice thing. Back in a few. Endless blessings to all.
Always great to see you. I'm on your trail. Very curious to receive your thoughts of the comment I posted just minutes ago.
Link to the GOES-East image:
https://twitter.com/US_Stormwatch/status/1471235093674938369
Hi Ally, can you please tell me what "cisgendered" means? and also, just "cis" ? Intelligent but elderly mind needs to know!
If I may intercede... cis-gendered has become a popular adjective modifier due to the utter stupidity of those who instead prefer their identities be addressed in the absurdity, e.g. thee, or they, etc., etc., etc.
cis-gendered is defined as:
denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex, like in the good old days, Eh!?
Or the opposite of "transgendered".
George, those "good old days" weren't so good for many of my friends.
Thanks, George....and Ally (below). Does "cis" mean anything, or is it just a mfhtroenw?
It is the Latin prefix for "same" side or "on this side". Trans is its opposite, meaning "on the other side of" or "across".
As I looked up the definitions so as to be both accurate and precise, I found one that listed "trans" as derogatory. Sigh.
"I don't know First Aid for moral injury." Sincere constant unselfish prayer to be given the way to love every person as you are loved by The ONE who you pray to.
Even the cis- and transgendered? And other souls who are finding their way, George?
That is not the path that I follow, good sir.
For people pondering what to do about the Republicans, Robert Hubbell has laid it out very clearly, with help from Len Lubinsky:
Len’s list of top ten House candidates to support in 2022.
"A frequent request from readers is for recommendations about candidates to support in 2022. I am not an expert in the national political landscape, so I have come to rely on Leonard Lubinsky’s recommendations. Len writes Len’s Political Notes, which provide detailed reviews and recommendations regarding Democratic candidates. Len just published a special note on this “top ten” House candidates (incumbents and challengers) where donations can make a strategic difference. See “Len's Letter #46 Ten House Candidates to Donate to Now.” If you have a favorite candidate that you are currently supporting, continue to do so! Or rely on your usual source of recommendations (e.g., EMILY's List) The important point is to support Democrats financially now. Early money makes a big difference."
https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/todays-edition-deja-vu-all-over-again
Also extremely important in Hubbell's newsletter is his analysis of Manchin's and Sinema's refusal to budge an inch. They never intended to bargain in good faith.
Damn, I knew that, must be a genius, Ha
Damn, I knew that, must be a genius. Ha
Damn, I knew that, must be a genius. Ha
Damn, I knew that, must be a genius. Ha
Damn, I knew that, must be a genius. Ha
Damn, I knew that, must be a genius. Ha
Damn, I knew that, must be a genius. Ha
Bragging a bit with 7 posts? We got your point! 🙂
Looks like a Substack glitch....
You got the hiccups, Jeri!!!
Thanks for sharing
It's hard to imagine Jordan smart enough to have drafted the text himself, so he just might be telling the truth. He's been a willing conduit for all sorts of nonsensical rabble-rousing in the past.
"Jordan’s office confirmed his authorship of the text but claimed the text was only him forwarding a legal theory by Joseph Schmitz, a Federalist Society lawyer who was President George W. Bush’s inspector general for the Defense Department;"
Also, what proportion of the military funding is maintenance vs new system program development? Seems to me that 80-90% of $768B would suffice as we've been planning around Russia and China for years. A show of a little bit of fiscal responsibility by the military would be nice given documented inefficiencies in spending on past projects. Adding 15$B on top of his $753B request shows he wasn't trying to defund the services despite any spin to the contrary.
conduit for the Federalist Society who not coincidentally also put forward most or all of Trump's judges up to and including SCOTUS
Perfectly said.
And just think, Jordon almost made the January 6 insurrection investigation team, but Pelosi saw the joke and gave away the punch-line. By his own admission, Jordon was in almost constant contact with Trump through out 2020 leading up and to and beyond the election. What other seditious information was he forwarding to the former president from other GREAT minds.
And, besides all that, will someone take a moment to explain to me how Trump ever came to the conclusion that he was like some God approved French King whose continuation as President was supernaturally destined to be. The guy never did the job of President as advertised in the democracy job description. He spent his time campaigning, playing golf and commuting to Florida on weekends. Of course, once he turned governance over to bent operatives/wreckers of special interests, what was there for him to do but thumb-punch his I-Phone and watch the Fox provide a reality-tv narrative.
His fans say Trump is what being against political correctness looks like. His speedymart course in formal logic forgot to show him that being not politically correct does not entail being "politically incorrect", let alone politically vile, thoughtless and stupid.
The man is an emotional basket case. Why everyone doesn’t see that giving your country to such a man to become king is bat shit crazy is beyond me.
He was merely a tool meant to shatter the status quo. Mission accomplished.
But wait, there was more... What about the signing ceremonies in the Oval Office? He looked so presidential, holding the book up to the cameras, a bit like Moses descending from Mount Horeb, while a roomful of people (?) smiled and clapped.
Did Sharpie stock take a hit when he lost?
Daria Wilber, great question
🤣
😂
I'm with you, but I can't keep myself from looking at his hair-helmet and asking myself how much Presidential time and energy, not to mention tax-payer money, goes into that extravagance. His hair-dresser I expect is the only person in his orbit he wouldn't throw under the bus at a moment's notice. Donald and I are the same age. The color of my hair has been gone so long, I can't remember exactly what shade of brown best describes it. If the "hat" is the visible extension of the brain, it might explain why his thoughts are twisted all around and sprayed solid like cage-wire. I imagine that Donald's head-horror is a Faraday cage that covers up the fact from radar sweeps that there is no one home at that address.
Yes. That constant long-term application of chemical to the scalp must inevitably cross the blood-brain barrier. (Note to self - eek!)
Add to that the face tanning making the resulting white areas around his eyes show noticeably, like a panda.
Something else. Not a panda. Pandas are extremely cute. And moreover, they're Chinese...
Mea Culpa. Does Trump dare do a daily burn with the blond's skin he has?
Years of Evangelicals placing him in a prayer circle and laying hands on “their President” while asking God to protect his “chosen one” only added to his narcissistic delusions.
One of the most disturbing pictures I've ever seen.
There are thousands of Americans in jails throughout the country whose crimes amounted to far less than those of the Republicans, including Members of the House, who are still walking around free to spout lies, with the aid of subversive media like Fox, OAN and Newsmax which the First Amendment allows to exist. Congressmen, many in the "Freedom Caucus," ran an organized campaign to "hammer home the idea that the election was tainted, announce legal actions being taken by the campaign, and bolster the case with allegations of fraud," as reported in today's New York Times. And the pending extradition of Julian Assange, as reported today in an MSNBC article by ex-FBI Ass't. Director Frank Figliuzzi can lead to sufficient evidence to indict many of them, including the former president, for the acts which the Mueller investigation uncovered, but walked away from because of AG Bill Barr's loyalty to the former president at that time. We should be wary of what will happen on the streets of this country when this sh-t hits the fan.
Here are the citations for the articles I referred to eight minutes ago.
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/julian-assange-extradition-could-mean-even-more-legal-trouble-donald-n1285880
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/15/us/politics/trump-meadows-republicans-congress-jan-6.html
Thank you for the links.
This!
"This" isn't reassuring.
No! It's not! It's just good to hear someone say it.
Never mind the Congress, this past Tuesday, spent $758 billion for 1-year of Defense authorization, $30 billion more than the President had requested. Senator Manchin, nonetheless, has demanded a 10-year number for Build Back Better not to exceed $1.75 trillion. Considering that the child tax credit alone would amount to $1.4 trillion over 10 years and that a budget increase is a non-starter, does Congress submit to taking away every climate provision? Affordable child care? Universal Pre-K? Investments in housing? In elder care? Manchin knows his terms cannot be met. The result: Despite months of back and forth with Manchin, Senate Democrats will likely miss passing Biden’s Build Back Better plan before the end of the year, putting this legislation off until 2022. And we also have today’s announcement from President Biden that “There’s nothing domestically more important than voting rights; it’s the single biggest issue.”
I imagine one could make the case that the pressure to prioritize voting rights has increased this week with the dramatic revelations delivered by the House Select Committee detailing the conspiracy led by Trump to overturn the results of the Presidential election on January 6th with the support of Republican Senators and Republican members of the House. Still, how confident can we be that Biden will be able to convince Manchin (considering the months of back and forth over BBB) and the rest of the Democrats in the Senate immediately to pass voter protection legislation that would require a Senate rule change that neither Manchin nor some others have indicated they would support?
Where are the savings ($300 million a day) from leaving Afghanistan?
Kathy. If I had the connections that allowed me to answer this question, be assured I would want to consult with this community before exerting any of my influence.
That money would have been in the previous year’s budget and that savings should have reduced this year’s budget.