A year ago today, the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald J. Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. In his plea to Senators to convict the president, Adam Schiff (D-CA), the lead impeachment manager for the House, warned “you know you can’t trust this president to do what’s right for this country.” Schiff asked: “How much damage can Donald Trump do between now and the next election?” and then answered his own question: “A lot. A lot of damage.” “Can you have the least bit of confidence that Donald Trump will… protect our national interest over his own personal interest?” Schiff asked the senators who were about to vote on Trump’s guilt. “You know you can’t, which makes him dangerous to this country.’’
Thank you Heather for unpacking another day of a shitstorm, otherwise know as the United States of Trump.
I feel my level of being discouraged with this Country is that no one is stepping up to stop this bullshit. Trump and his accomplices are burning it to the ground as we stand by watching. This country looks like the dysfunctional family that lives down the road that regardless of how many times you call the police, CPS and any other agency, you get the same answer, "we can't do anything about it". I can't possibly be the only one sick of this.
Adam Schiff clearly called this a year ago. Why didn't we dig our heels in then ?
Linda, I feel the same and have done since he took office. Where are the checks and balances, or at least the checks. He and his lackeys ignore the rule of law and yet we stand by in horror, unable (or unwilling?) to stop him.
This is all a result of what’s been a runaway government for years and not paying attention, assuming the people we elected were going to do it for us. Never!! It’s up to us to be involved in our government period!!
I am one of those culprits, had only a cursory interest in "politics" until November 2016 and now I consider myself an activist. One of the only good things about trump is that his corrupt presidency got so many of us involved and paying attention!
That we were forced to pay attention is HUGE! When have you ever seen the citizens of this country so involved? Maybe the 60s and 70s to some degree but this is major.
When Trump was elected, I said to a friend that the only good I can see as a result is that it will galvanize the opposition and bring together well-meaning people with different points of view.
Sally, you are not alone. In my experience I have found that the biggest culprits are most of the men in this country. No, I do no mean just those men who vote Republican. I mean those men who do not vote and those men who vote Republican and Democrat but rarely, if ever, pay attention to what is happening. They prefer to remain ignorant, preferring to do what they feel is important in their own lives. Those that vote Democrat believe incorrectly that that is all one needs to do and to just live with it if their candidate lost.
I'm a member of a men's group that seems to be really intelligent, and we have very good discussions. However, they have rules that specify the following: THERE WILL BE NO POLITICS OR SPORTS DISCUSSED IN OUR GROUP. I want to scream bloody murder at these guys, who are mostly in their 60's and 70's.
Last night was Mark Shields' last Friday night chat with David Brooks, his conservative counterpart for the past 19 years. It was a moving send off. But David reiterated what he wrote in his NYTimes column about Mark, which was that he came up at a time when government WORKED. The GI Bill, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, ect. and before that, the New Deal. All very true.
But after the turmoil of the '60s and the stagnation of the '70s, it didn't seem hard for Reagan to convince a majority of voters that government was the problem, and to begin to push the small (and ineffectual) government that HCR talks about here. Coupled with Milton Friedman's Ayn Rand steeped economic BS, with Reagan's B level John Wayne Rugged Individual/Cowboy/White man who 'won' the West, it was a heady cocktail of misdirection, misinformation and just plain old snake oil.
Democrats largely - in my memory anyway - seemed to retreat from the best of liberalism and we had the rise of the Neoliberals.
All the while, the message went out to Joe Sixpack that politics was dirty business, that both sides are equally crooked, that it doesn't matter if you vote; it doesn't change anything. That view took deep root and we're paying for it now.
May I suggest — you print and then give your friends copies of your reply to this post. And hand write, This is us, and we trust one another. And now is our time really to talk.
(Which is no doubt the reason for the rule.) Had to say that for the laugh, but I hear you, and I agree that we must MUST discuss these extremely important topics. We need a way to discuss respectfully, though. We need good models to show us how. We used to do better. Why did that change? This interests me a lot.
Sally, good for you. I'm so pleased that you are all hands on deck. Thank you. By my profession, I have a more than cursory interest in Politics. I am a Director of a Historical Museum, so politics plans a perhaps different angle, but none the less, since Trump, I have kept my eyes wide open. It is great to see people more active in the process.
In this instance, with a month to go to the inauguration, ordinary citizens are the most basic check. We wrote, called, protested, and campaigned before the election; clearly, those efforts can’t stop now. McConnell, at least, must see how this Administration’s actions are playing in Peoria. He has said as much. He can’t completely stop the Trump grift, but perhaps he can be persuaded to use his power if the groundswell of voices from around the country — not just Georgia — is loud enough. Keep churning out those cards, letters, phone calls, and emails to the entire Senate and House; maybe they’ll actually do something in favor of their electorate.
There is no groundswell of Republican voices from around the country to persuade McConnell to change. He doesn't listen to Democratic voices. Why should he? Look how he swamped McGrath in November. In Peoria County (Illinois) which you mention figuratively, and which both Biden and Hillary Clinton won, Trump's base remained solid. 45.05% in 2016 and 45.55% in 2020. Right now, concentrate on getting out Georgia's Democratic vote via donations and postcards.
I wish I could share your enthusiasm. In my bright red state of Florida, all my efforts have been for naught. I’ll continue but I’m not feeling optimistic any longer.
I live in FL too and I often feel your same hopelessness about the corruption and cruelty. But what choice do we have? Find our “tribe” here and try to grow it. And take encouragement from the good folks here in this group.
Are people in Florida starting yet on a referendum to re-enfranchise former felons, this time with explicit language so it does not get undercut by financial costs?
I'm sorry, Deborah, but Mitch McConnell doesn't give a husky $$ck about any of us, the United States of America, any of it. He's been installed by big money in Kentucky, apparently, and as long as he satisfies THEM, he's done his job (in his mind).
During Obama's second term, I called McConnell's office and told the gal on the phone that I firmly believed if Mitch thought he could destroy Obama by burning the nation to the ground, he'd be striking a match as I spoke.
I've seen nothing to change my mind, except not it's not targeted specifically at Obama.
Sandra P. Campbell- IMHO, he's also taken money from Russia-remember how pleased he was that a Russian aluminum processing plant was going in there? Coincidence? I think not.
Thank you for your encouraging words. Our state's two senators will fight tooth and nail for justice and I will do my part, but sometimes it seems like a sisyphean task.
I agree, it is a Sisyphean task, and Elaine Hewitt (below) is right — we assume our elected officials will pay attention for us. The right time to make one’s voice heard, as with planting a tree, is twenty years ago; the second best time is today.
I live in MA, and am proud of our Congressional delegation, who are all Democrats. Even though my voice may not be as compelling to Congresspeople from other states, it IS a voice, and the more voices any Senator or Representative hears from around the country, the more pressure to listen and actually act. It may be a long shot, but it’s not nothing.
I LOVE Adam Schiff. He became my new hero for his laser focused and powerfully articulated speeches during the impeachment proceedings. Of course, he was spot-on.
I loved Schiff for the same reason but was disappointed that he said not seating the 126 representatives who signed the Texas lawsuit to overturn the election would be fighting fire with fire.
I agree with you. Every person who signed onto that lawsuit made a public statement to the effect that he or she does not believe in a representative democracy, and feels no need to uphold the Oath of Office, either. They've showed us clearly who they are. Isn't it time we believe them, and take the necessary steps to prevent them from doing further damage to the nation?
I feel like we're re-living the 1845-1855 years all over again.
We were blocked by an intransigent Republican Senate. The same as we will get if we don't have a majority in the Senate. Fairfight.com if you want to continue to have a Republic. Stacey Abrams is doing a hell of a job.
His criminality is bottomless. He's doing what he is to the election and riling up the evolutionary U-turns to take their money. It's no different from his casinos, his "university," or any of his many other scams - except that doing this, he doesn't have to worry about them suing him for not delivering anything to them, or going bankrupt through mismanagement that forces investors to go after him. It's "free money" to him, with no restrictions on what he can do with it. It's the ultimate "fleece the rubes" scam.
And the worthless scum calling themselves "Republicans" are worse, that they see it, know what is happening, and are fine with it since they too get to fleece the rubes.
Jen O'Malley Dillon was right: they ARE "fuckers."
Every day, another proof that President Truman was right 72 years ago: "the only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies."
Even though I know McMurdering McConnell and his Minions are evil, cynical power mongers who don't give a crap about people dying, losing their homes, and the world going to hell, I weirdly continue to be surprised by the depths to which they are willing to go in order to facilitate the deranged tantrums of their Dear Leader. I agree with you, HCR, that the "decision" to stop Biden's team from gaining access to DOD reports--and I would not be surprised if the rest of the transition ground to a halt as well--has to do with the Russian hacks. Putin has probably told his little Donny that he needs to prevent Biden from learning how deep they got so that they can continue to monitor and mess with our essential infrastructure systems.
The fact that their actions are utterly illegal has no effect: this "administration" has refused to abide by subpoenas, judicial decisions, and congressional condemnation and blithely ignore all references to the rule of law--and they get away with it. Why? How? Because Moscow Mitch and His Merry Band of Traitors are protecting the Deranged One and his enablers.i They have spent four years engaging in historic levels of illegality. Why stop now? To expect that they would come to some level of consciousness of their culpability now at the end is fantasy.
When do we make the entire "Republican" Party an illegal domestic terrorist organization? Because that is what they are.
Linda, I believe your question >>When do we make the entire "Republican" Party an illegal domestic terrorist organization?<< should be the central issue now. Yes, Trump is a miserable excuse for a human being, a career grifter who has done great damage to the office of the Presidency and the country. And though I think (federal) prosecution is unlikely, his massive self-dealing should be investigated and exposed.
But Trump is not master-minding the trail of destructive moves to undercut the powers and prospects of the incoming administration. This is all what has become the standard Repo playbook. Recall their scorched earth approach to government assistance programs in the aftermath to the 2008 crash once Obama was elected. Their moves vastly expanded the suffering and extended the crawl toward recovery. Delaying and reducing any COVID-relief packages, gutting the Civil Service, further executive orders and departmental mandates to muck up the "deep state," etc. are all part of a considered plan. The plutocrats will thrive, working people will suffer, news media will spread distraction and blame imagined enemies. Putin doesn't have to do anything but sit back, enjoy it, and grab advantages where and when he can. As Prof. Richardson has written frequently, the Repos have a long history of developments leading them to be the party of plutocratic populism. And in a split-majority government, they are quite experienced at and willing to continue to be the obstructive opposition.
I am cheered by the fact that a lot of Republicans (well, a significant number of them) are hewing to principles. Among them: Max Boot, Charlie Sykes, Steve Schmidt, Bill Kristol. These are important voices in our national conversation.
A powerful summary this morning Professor, and as has been said many times, this one day in the news of our “President” would be enough to fuel years of Republican investigations, hours of vein-bursting outrage on Fox et al, and reams of self-righteous print from the old guard, lard-ass, Republican Intelligentsia (oxymoron alert).
But what strikes me is something you noted some days back when bodies started piling up in the Defense and Intelligence mortuaries as Trump launched his campaign to purge the few remaining truth-tellers following four years of filling posts with true believers.
The internet attacks on Homeland Security, Commerce, Treasury, and others that began in March have now begun to come to light. It isn’t much of a stretch to imagine that similar attacks on vital domestic infrastructure are taking place under the radar as well – water, power, banking, communications …
Trump delayed the standard briefings for the incoming Administration and now Defense is stalling its briefings and lying about it. The distribution of the Covid vaccine is in shambles, the Federal Reserve is having its legs cut out from under it, all as the inevitable reality of Trump’s exit from power draws near.
Is it preposterous to believe that all of this is of a piece? Who benefits when the incoming Biden Administration takes office facing not only a floundering economy and a raging pandemic, but hamstrung by deliberate actions of the current Administration to deny them critical intelligence at a time when the nation is under attack?
Professor Richardson: You started these Letters during the administration of a President who challenged the integrity of our Democracy. Now, as his term of office comes to an end, it seems to this reader that your voice needs to be heard ever more broadly. Thank you for what you do – I pray you are able to continue this work.
Complete agreement with your commendations for Prof. Richardson, and wishes for her continuation, to all our benefit. As to your thoughts about the recent delays and hollowing out of agency staffs, I hear a strong background noise of humming shredders and vigorous online scrubbing.
I can’t remember where I first read it, maybe from Malcolm Nance or Sarah Kendzior, but this question haunts me: If Tя☭mp were in fact working for Putin, what would he be doing differently than what he’s doing now?
That’s where my mind keeps going, too. It would be a rational for letting the virus spread out of control. Sick and dying people can’t fight back. Others of us can’t risk gathering as groups to protest. And a nifty side effect of a pandemic is the weakening of the economy. And while we freak out about getting sick, losing jobs, paying rent, and buying groceries, the rat bastard guts the government , pilfers money, and leaves the country wide open for attack. Sort of the opposite of fattening the pig, but it feels like we are being led to the slaughter.
I keep thinking of the phrase from his inaugural speech, “American carnage” - I see Steve Bannon’s hand in all of this, his desire to burn it all down.
Bannon's now in the queue for a pardon, too. He ignited the fire that has laid waste to everything most of us hold dear, and deserves nothing from us, or history, but scorn and contempt.
Ok, these are feeling like conspiracy theories. Let’s reason it out. Trump and a number of others have criminal minds, lack integrity AND the wisdom to know what ye reap, ye sow. That said, I’m going with the belief they are too mentally challenged to hide their criminality. I don’t think there’s anything magnificently beyond that. We need to stop giving them so much power by believing they have this grand scheme to destroy us all aside from the fact that destroying us would destroy them.
I tend to think the only "scheme" or "plan" is revenge. I can envision him simply approaching everything as an angry child might - thinking only "how can I make them pay for hurting me?" His sycophants offer ideas and he selects the meanest.
What you said is exactly how I felt for the first two years of this administration, so I hesitated to share my “conspiracy theory” on a forum like this. But the longer this goes on, the less “bumbling” Tя☭mp seems, especially when he’s raking in $$ hand over fist while he “bumbles”.
I understand but lots of crooks separate people from their money. It honestly isn’t rocket science. People want to believe in something, sometimes anything. Religion is one example of that phenomena.
I've been wondering EXACTLY this, for years, actually. Glad to know someone more knowledgeable than myself confirms the suspicion. I keep waiting for someone to unearth the smoking gun.
Right now, the right wing media is not telling their audience much of anything about the issues raised in these newsletters. But they'll hammer the hell out of them after Biden is sworn in, so yes, the GOP base probably will blame Biden for all those "new" problems that will "occur" as soon as he takes over.
And that Bush was relieved to have Obama step in to work on untangling the mess right after the election, well before Obama’s inauguration, because he recognized how essential fast action was. This Administration’s wish and actions to hobble the transition feel needlessly cruel and seem criminal.
They are cruel, nasty, vindictive, and absolutely criminal! I am infuriated that nothing can be done to stop him/them.... I/be felt this was sense the beginning... “How can they get away with this?” <y mantra since 11/09//16
I sadly must agree that this is the chaos-strategy set up by Republicans for Republicans up for re-election in 2022, so they can point to everything that is not yet perfect and blame Biden and the Democrats for "their failures". The more that is revealed about how incompetence and greed - for power and money - the better. Americans have to have a transparent government as far as is legally feasible so trust can be rebuilt. Follow the money!
Trump is burning the country down and some of those who are sworn to protect it are passing the gasoline and matches to him and setting stage to blame it on someone else. Truly disturbing.
He is a very angry man with a lot of power. I have to give him and his enablers credit for how inventive they are for using our own freedom to assault us.
I feel like America is on suicide watch.
I wonder what his escape plan is when leaves the burning building? The fire brigade will show but I’m sure that some demented soul will not allow them to turn on the water.
Was watching an interview of a biographer of Biden https://www.gc.cuny.edu/All-GC-Events/Calendar/Detail?id=58726 today, and the author talked about how the country is suffering from PTSD. I think that is very true. With the darkness setting in earlier due to Daylight Savings, and all this bad news, people are really depressed and blue. I keep reminding myself of what Russian activists tell us, that part of the way Putin and dictators like him win power is by convincing the population things are so hopeless, they need an authoritarian. This steady drumbeat of bad news is deliberate relentless. We need to resist the temptation to give into our despair. There is some good news: our enemies that used to slink below the surface have shown themselves for what they are. Those who ignored the rule of law have been outed. And if we can get through the next month, if we can squeak through on getting at least one if not both Georgia Senate seats, I for one won't forget who stood up for our elections and who did not. The hamstringing attempts may go on and on in Biden's first term, McConnell is gonna McConnell no matter what, but we've seen it all before. Now we know exactly what it is, and I think those who love this country and cherish Democracy will not get rolled over so easily this time around. Hypocrisy yields its own harsh rewards in the end.
I am emboldened by your comments, Shelly. I feel the same way. I remember whining to my grandmother one day: "You have no idea what it's like in today's world," I moaned. She correctly informed me that "What's going on has been going on since I was a girl, and has been going on long before that."
Thanks Lynell. It has always sounded a bit odd to me when someone professes their freedom and liberty like it’s the most sacred quality of human existence without practicing constraint to go along with it. We have an obligation to practice both. Constraint is the Yin to Freedom’s Yang. ( or perhaps it’s the other way around ;/). Because Freedom without Constraint will always lead to Chaos.
December 20 on CNN, I heard Mitt Romney speak about how the Republican party of old only has a few members left in congress. The so called today Republicans will be like trump in future elections. God bless the United States, I pray our nation will have a future.
Unfortunately, we can already see the how these vaccines are being handled. One hospital holding the special refrigerator with the vaccine for a county is telling a smaller hospital they can't have their 2nd dose bc they have had a outbreak which is not true. They tested their entire staff, everyone came up negative. (2 nurses were positive about a month ago and have not returned to work). As a retired ICU RN for 30 years, having watched administrators do things for their own good, justifying to themselves what they have done. I can imagine these vaccines being sold or redirected to their families or highest bidders. Honestly, I hope nurses walk out if they don't get the vaccine.
The only thing that stands between us and them is our reasoning and our sense of personal power. I see a lot of statements here indicating we are weak and we have no choice. That mentality will bury us for sure. We are not poor things having things done to us. Remember, we are in the majority and we are bright people to say the least. Let’s not walk around in fear that we are being destroyed because in fact if we do that’s exactly what will happen. Keep the faith!
I totally agree @Elaine Hewitt. If you watch the news, it’s all about Trump as usual. There are many things you can do to avoid the gift of gloom the current administration gives us.
Subscribe to the Biden transition channel buildbackbetter.gov Press conference videos are professional and free of drama. Follow Stacey Abrams, Crooked Media or any of the hundreds of smart people and organizations working hard against the torrent of lies. Call Mitch, Ron Johnson or any other blathering phony and tell them you are on to them. Capitol Hill switchboard (202) 224-3121. And of course, spread the word about Dr. Richardson’s column. Check in with friends and neighbors. Get involved in something TRUTHY. Work toward winning in Georgia. Donate, write, read, walk, run. We have lasted 4 years. Only a month left. 💩 Bye Don. 💩
Thank you for this eye-opening, detailed, and alarming summary. How bad it can get? = limitless as you have shown. Will the parties "come together" to save the country? I think not. I think heavily hyper-partisan gerrymandered Wisconsin provides a model. The Democratic governor there has been hamstrung by Republicans contolling the state senate and assembly. They passed legislation just before the transfer of power in 2018 limiting the governor's and state attorney general's powers, they've refused to confirm department heads and then used that to deny powers (the Dept. of Health Services head is still unconfirmed and COVID restrictions have been challenged because of that), they've done pretty much nothing during the whole year to help the people, though they have challenged all mask and distancing rules in the conservative state supreme court and did manage to install an unpermitted Christmas tree in the closed capitol. BUT, they won another term as the "minjority" in November. For all the hoo-haw about how successful was the state Democratic party, they were not able to take back control of the legislature. And this is where the state story intersects with the our national future if national Democrats choose to not fight like hell for big people-helping policies and instead return the same centrists, "deficit hawks," and corporation-connected members to power as they mostly seem to be doing. We will just end up back in Hell's anteroom, but next time with a much more evil and effective Devil, I fear. This deliberate destruction by Republicans won't be stopped with an olive branch and a return to "normal," I think.
This is correct. Though they don't have the House, the DC Republicans can do real damage to an incoming Democratic administration just as Republican legislative branches have done in Wisconsin and North Carolina.
I have to wonder, though, whether McConnell plans to ram these changes through with a bare majority, thereby opening the door to an immediate cancellation should the Democrats both prevail in Georgia. BTW, there was a rumor that Biden planned to offer Toomey the Department of Commerce in order to gain that one Senate seat for the Democrats but I expect we can bury that one, now.
Gosh...where to start? One thing is for certain, Fake 45 and his minion want to bury the bodies before they are found by the transition team. The team will need metal detectors once they gain access to everything. That is if Biden and Harris ever physically make their way in! The muck and the thorns will be so thick...
So far, Fake 45, McTurtleneck, and the silent GOP continue to push the proverbial envelope. How come Democrats sit idly by? I really do not want to hear complaints. I want someone, ANYBODY to get really ticked off and go after them all! People are hungry and have no money. People are homeless. People are sick. People are dying. Do SOMETHING!
I still cannot get my head around the fact that the destruction trump is causing cannot be stopped. There is a repulsive trump cult following that is hell bent in taking this country down and they don’t even stand for anything.
Also, the video clip on Friday of pence and his wife getting the vaccine struck another visceral reaction - a sickening display of one more “me first” episode. There are front line people across the country who have been delayed in getting the shot so his gesture was hollow and insulting. We don’t need him or anyone else from the criminal cabal to show us the shot is safe!
I put the administrations claims of shortages and bungled attempt to blame it on Pfizer together with their record on PPE distribution and wonder if somebody is black-marketing the supplies (Jared? Jared?) particularly when we see that Rupert Murdoch has somehow moved to the head of the line.
That was my initial reaction, as well, but I also think it is valuable in getting more people to trust and accept the vaccine. And that's good for all of us. Plus, I think political leaders (but not necessarily all their friends and staff members) should be vaccinated, on principle.
The ethical and appropriate leadership model for congress to show would be all front line workers have access to the vaccine first. Congress and the criminal administration are not essential workers and of course they have no ethics or morals either.
Contrary to a comment somewhere on this thread, I strongly believe that trump is not indifferent. I think he has parked his vast derriere on the nest where vile plots are being hatched. A common thread among all the conversations and books written about him is that he is wildly compulsive about being involved in absolutely everything that's going down. Not least of which appears to be imminent war.
"(DOD) this morning abruptly halted the transition briefings the Pentagon had been providing, AS REQUIRED BY LAW, to the incoming Biden team. Observers were taken aback by this unprecedented halt to the transition process." Could I just say that I hope with my whole heart that there's more out there than "observers"? That there are fierce activists behind the bland voices and faces of pre-Biden leadership?
I get that national security et al is not something top secret details of which are for public consumption. But it would help if someone credible, sincere and tuned in would say, "We know what's going on. We're on it." For example, I would trust Adam Schiff's word. My assumption is Dems are in the dark. So, they sure as hell can't come out and say, "Bad news, Nation. We're all gonna die via trump/Miller or COVID or some Machiavellian combination of the two. Happy holidays!" The silence seems informative and is frightening.
I don't have a red-hot conclusion for this comment. That's the product of fully waking up at 2:30 a.m., wondering how to spell Diplodocus.
I think the attribution of indifference to trump and autocrats pertains to a lack of empathy that supports actions causing harm to others. The indifference means having a cold heart that empowers you to act with disregard for humanity. Values on money and power trump values on kindness, caring, and consideration for people at large. Consideration instead is reserved for fellow money-motivated mutual favor-wielding members of the club.
That's the problem with us ordinary folks speculating about what's going on and how bad it is. One of the effects of these actions is to spread FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt). Amplified online many times. I look for things I can actually do, like preparing. Gonna fill my car with gas, get some cash, and prepare for a "winter emergency."
And make sure to stay in contact with good friends and family.
Another problem we all face in this post-truth, so-called "alternative facts," era is that because we are no longer certain of anything, everything we can conjecture becomes a possibility -- we're each and every one of us nascent conspiracy theorists. Part of the way authoritarian regimes close down open societies is to sow suspicion and fear of retribution for speaking out.
Does anyone have a warm, fuzzy feeling about what is reported in mainstream media these days? I sure don't. Yet what's our solution? The whispering grapevines that fuel outlandish theories and ascribe unthinkable motives to those who have sworn to uphold our Constitution?
I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not thrilled, living in "interesting times."
About those "warm, fuzzy feelings." I get some pleasure from rising to the challenge of sorting out the good from the bad. I think I know enough to know when things are made to seem good but really aren't all that solidly based in fact, or well-sourced. In politics, I can tell the difference between Politico.com and Politicalwire.com (the latter leans more strongly democratic).
I make sure to read a range of material, including The Bulwark, Bloomberg Opinion, as well as the NY Times and the Washington Post,
I can tell when an outlet is making assertions more than reasoning out a set of ideas from verifiable facts.
I actually get a little suspicious when I get too many warm fuzzies from some particularly apt bit of snark. The snark brings a chuckle but I always feel a little bit more successful when I discover the faults in political commentary.
For example, I had a good laugh at a photo of T**** looking awfully fat 'n' sloppy. I believed it for about 10 minutes (it's amazing how a photo can make you look good, or bad, right?). And then a commenter -- on the dreaded Twitter -- posted this link. And then, I had a good laugh at myself and pointed out the subtle image editing that made T**** look worse than he actually does.
As we go along in life, we want to get better and better, right? Developing a healthy skepticism along with the ability to laugh at ourselves while still hewing to our principles -- now that's a challenge I accept willingly,
Thank you for another brilliant post HCR. No comfort tho. The criminality multiplies and the scams continue. I worry about the next month. a lot of time for more destruction. I hope Dem leadership stays alert. Plus will any Repubs see the light or all stay in darkness. Peace and Courage. Sleep well. Resist.
I highly trust and respect Nance, too. So, as the terrorists who attempted to kidnap and kill my governor are indicted this week, I am hunkering down with a generous supply of culinary treats made by my chef son and his "grand" helpers. I will come out when my number is called for the COVID vaccine. Then back to apple butter, spiced nuts, grape lavendar jam...
Imagine the revelations of criminality that will emerge after Trump and his ilk are out of office. Imagine learning the evidence of why Trump has done Putin's bidding to cause our nation's decline. Or the financial incentives driving a coronavirus strategy that promotes death and suffering on a scale difficult to grasp. Or the defiling and dismantling of government agencies.
I could go on, but we all know the long list. "Letters from an American" has cataloged it. The nation must know the underlying truth. All of it. The cult must be confronted with it. Perhaps some will recoil and renounce their slavish devotion to what they don't see as evil. The new administration must seek justice. Otherwise, America will never recover.
Thank you Heather for unpacking another day of a shitstorm, otherwise know as the United States of Trump.
I feel my level of being discouraged with this Country is that no one is stepping up to stop this bullshit. Trump and his accomplices are burning it to the ground as we stand by watching. This country looks like the dysfunctional family that lives down the road that regardless of how many times you call the police, CPS and any other agency, you get the same answer, "we can't do anything about it". I can't possibly be the only one sick of this.
Adam Schiff clearly called this a year ago. Why didn't we dig our heels in then ?
Be safe, be well.
Linda, I feel the same and have done since he took office. Where are the checks and balances, or at least the checks. He and his lackeys ignore the rule of law and yet we stand by in horror, unable (or unwilling?) to stop him.
This is all a result of what’s been a runaway government for years and not paying attention, assuming the people we elected were going to do it for us. Never!! It’s up to us to be involved in our government period!!
I am one of those culprits, had only a cursory interest in "politics" until November 2016 and now I consider myself an activist. One of the only good things about trump is that his corrupt presidency got so many of us involved and paying attention!
That we were forced to pay attention is HUGE! When have you ever seen the citizens of this country so involved? Maybe the 60s and 70s to some degree but this is major.
When Trump was elected, I said to a friend that the only good I can see as a result is that it will galvanize the opposition and bring together well-meaning people with different points of view.
Let's hope!
Sally, you are not alone. In my experience I have found that the biggest culprits are most of the men in this country. No, I do no mean just those men who vote Republican. I mean those men who do not vote and those men who vote Republican and Democrat but rarely, if ever, pay attention to what is happening. They prefer to remain ignorant, preferring to do what they feel is important in their own lives. Those that vote Democrat believe incorrectly that that is all one needs to do and to just live with it if their candidate lost.
I'm a member of a men's group that seems to be really intelligent, and we have very good discussions. However, they have rules that specify the following: THERE WILL BE NO POLITICS OR SPORTS DISCUSSED IN OUR GROUP. I want to scream bloody murder at these guys, who are mostly in their 60's and 70's.
Last night was Mark Shields' last Friday night chat with David Brooks, his conservative counterpart for the past 19 years. It was a moving send off. But David reiterated what he wrote in his NYTimes column about Mark, which was that he came up at a time when government WORKED. The GI Bill, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, ect. and before that, the New Deal. All very true.
But after the turmoil of the '60s and the stagnation of the '70s, it didn't seem hard for Reagan to convince a majority of voters that government was the problem, and to begin to push the small (and ineffectual) government that HCR talks about here. Coupled with Milton Friedman's Ayn Rand steeped economic BS, with Reagan's B level John Wayne Rugged Individual/Cowboy/White man who 'won' the West, it was a heady cocktail of misdirection, misinformation and just plain old snake oil.
Democrats largely - in my memory anyway - seemed to retreat from the best of liberalism and we had the rise of the Neoliberals.
All the while, the message went out to Joe Sixpack that politics was dirty business, that both sides are equally crooked, that it doesn't matter if you vote; it doesn't change anything. That view took deep root and we're paying for it now.
May I suggest — you print and then give your friends copies of your reply to this post. And hand write, This is us, and we trust one another. And now is our time really to talk.
(Which is no doubt the reason for the rule.) Had to say that for the laugh, but I hear you, and I agree that we must MUST discuss these extremely important topics. We need a way to discuss respectfully, though. We need good models to show us how. We used to do better. Why did that change? This interests me a lot.
Sally, good for you. I'm so pleased that you are all hands on deck. Thank you. By my profession, I have a more than cursory interest in Politics. I am a Director of a Historical Museum, so politics plans a perhaps different angle, but none the less, since Trump, I have kept my eyes wide open. It is great to see people more active in the process.
Linda, given your profession, perhaps you could invite history professor at Boston College Heather Cox Richardson to come to lecture!
Perhaps a Zoom Meeting 🤔 .
Amen.
In this instance, with a month to go to the inauguration, ordinary citizens are the most basic check. We wrote, called, protested, and campaigned before the election; clearly, those efforts can’t stop now. McConnell, at least, must see how this Administration’s actions are playing in Peoria. He has said as much. He can’t completely stop the Trump grift, but perhaps he can be persuaded to use his power if the groundswell of voices from around the country — not just Georgia — is loud enough. Keep churning out those cards, letters, phone calls, and emails to the entire Senate and House; maybe they’ll actually do something in favor of their electorate.
There is no groundswell of Republican voices from around the country to persuade McConnell to change. He doesn't listen to Democratic voices. Why should he? Look how he swamped McGrath in November. In Peoria County (Illinois) which you mention figuratively, and which both Biden and Hillary Clinton won, Trump's base remained solid. 45.05% in 2016 and 45.55% in 2020. Right now, concentrate on getting out Georgia's Democratic vote via donations and postcards.
I wish I could share your enthusiasm. In my bright red state of Florida, all my efforts have been for naught. I’ll continue but I’m not feeling optimistic any longer.
I live in FL too and I often feel your same hopelessness about the corruption and cruelty. But what choice do we have? Find our “tribe” here and try to grow it. And take encouragement from the good folks here in this group.
Are people in Florida starting yet on a referendum to re-enfranchise former felons, this time with explicit language so it does not get undercut by financial costs?
Good question. Need to look into that.
I have not heard of anything like that. If it’s happening it’s under the radar.
I'm sorry, Deborah, but Mitch McConnell doesn't give a husky $$ck about any of us, the United States of America, any of it. He's been installed by big money in Kentucky, apparently, and as long as he satisfies THEM, he's done his job (in his mind).
During Obama's second term, I called McConnell's office and told the gal on the phone that I firmly believed if Mitch thought he could destroy Obama by burning the nation to the ground, he'd be striking a match as I spoke.
I've seen nothing to change my mind, except not it's not targeted specifically at Obama.
He won’t be around forever and hopefully the demographic and activism will be shifting there. Hopefully that goes for a lot of the red states.
Sandra P. Campbell- IMHO, he's also taken money from Russia-remember how pleased he was that a Russian aluminum processing plant was going in there? Coincidence? I think not.
So incredibly frustrating. Why can't he be like Wiley Coyote and have the anvil fall on his head instead of ours?
Thank you for your encouraging words. Our state's two senators will fight tooth and nail for justice and I will do my part, but sometimes it seems like a sisyphean task.
I agree, it is a Sisyphean task, and Elaine Hewitt (below) is right — we assume our elected officials will pay attention for us. The right time to make one’s voice heard, as with planting a tree, is twenty years ago; the second best time is today.
I live in MA, and am proud of our Congressional delegation, who are all Democrats. Even though my voice may not be as compelling to Congresspeople from other states, it IS a voice, and the more voices any Senator or Representative hears from around the country, the more pressure to listen and actually act. It may be a long shot, but it’s not nothing.
My thoughts precisely.
THIS is So Ridiculous that this CRIMINAL (trump)can do ALL of This, AND get away with ALL of This, and No One does ANYTHING!!!!👹
I LOVE Adam Schiff. He became my new hero for his laser focused and powerfully articulated speeches during the impeachment proceedings. Of course, he was spot-on.
I loved Schiff for the same reason but was disappointed that he said not seating the 126 representatives who signed the Texas lawsuit to overturn the election would be fighting fire with fire.
I agree with you. Every person who signed onto that lawsuit made a public statement to the effect that he or she does not believe in a representative democracy, and feels no need to uphold the Oath of Office, either. They've showed us clearly who they are. Isn't it time we believe them, and take the necessary steps to prevent them from doing further damage to the nation?
I feel like we're re-living the 1845-1855 years all over again.
My level of absolute disgust leaves me speechless. I am rarely speechless. Linda, your words mirror my feelings exactly.
We were blocked by an intransigent Republican Senate. The same as we will get if we don't have a majority in the Senate. Fairfight.com if you want to continue to have a Republic. Stacey Abrams is doing a hell of a job.
His criminality is bottomless. He's doing what he is to the election and riling up the evolutionary U-turns to take their money. It's no different from his casinos, his "university," or any of his many other scams - except that doing this, he doesn't have to worry about them suing him for not delivering anything to them, or going bankrupt through mismanagement that forces investors to go after him. It's "free money" to him, with no restrictions on what he can do with it. It's the ultimate "fleece the rubes" scam.
And the worthless scum calling themselves "Republicans" are worse, that they see it, know what is happening, and are fine with it since they too get to fleece the rubes.
Jen O'Malley Dillon was right: they ARE "fuckers."
Every day, another proof that President Truman was right 72 years ago: "the only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies."
Evolutionary U-turns is a great descriptor!
but when did they "change course" over the last 250 years?
Perhaps when they first logged into Facebook and Twitter...
Yes!
Really enjoy your style and punch. Especially when JOMD and Truman appear in same reply! 🥰❤️🤍💙
Even though I know McMurdering McConnell and his Minions are evil, cynical power mongers who don't give a crap about people dying, losing their homes, and the world going to hell, I weirdly continue to be surprised by the depths to which they are willing to go in order to facilitate the deranged tantrums of their Dear Leader. I agree with you, HCR, that the "decision" to stop Biden's team from gaining access to DOD reports--and I would not be surprised if the rest of the transition ground to a halt as well--has to do with the Russian hacks. Putin has probably told his little Donny that he needs to prevent Biden from learning how deep they got so that they can continue to monitor and mess with our essential infrastructure systems.
The fact that their actions are utterly illegal has no effect: this "administration" has refused to abide by subpoenas, judicial decisions, and congressional condemnation and blithely ignore all references to the rule of law--and they get away with it. Why? How? Because Moscow Mitch and His Merry Band of Traitors are protecting the Deranged One and his enablers.i They have spent four years engaging in historic levels of illegality. Why stop now? To expect that they would come to some level of consciousness of their culpability now at the end is fantasy.
When do we make the entire "Republican" Party an illegal domestic terrorist organization? Because that is what they are.
Linda, I believe your question >>When do we make the entire "Republican" Party an illegal domestic terrorist organization?<< should be the central issue now. Yes, Trump is a miserable excuse for a human being, a career grifter who has done great damage to the office of the Presidency and the country. And though I think (federal) prosecution is unlikely, his massive self-dealing should be investigated and exposed.
But Trump is not master-minding the trail of destructive moves to undercut the powers and prospects of the incoming administration. This is all what has become the standard Repo playbook. Recall their scorched earth approach to government assistance programs in the aftermath to the 2008 crash once Obama was elected. Their moves vastly expanded the suffering and extended the crawl toward recovery. Delaying and reducing any COVID-relief packages, gutting the Civil Service, further executive orders and departmental mandates to muck up the "deep state," etc. are all part of a considered plan. The plutocrats will thrive, working people will suffer, news media will spread distraction and blame imagined enemies. Putin doesn't have to do anything but sit back, enjoy it, and grab advantages where and when he can. As Prof. Richardson has written frequently, the Repos have a long history of developments leading them to be the party of plutocratic populism. And in a split-majority government, they are quite experienced at and willing to continue to be the obstructive opposition.
I am cheered by the fact that a lot of Republicans (well, a significant number of them) are hewing to principles. Among them: Max Boot, Charlie Sykes, Steve Schmidt, Bill Kristol. These are important voices in our national conversation.
https://twitter.com/BillKristol/status/1340366392978251778?s=20
Steve Scmidt recently registered as Democrat.
WHOA!
If we had an Attorney General with some cojones we might have been able to stop some of this. But he would have been fired.
Indeed.
We will be getting a new one soon from Biden. I wish for Sally Yates or Anita Hill.
Anita Hill please.
Maybe if not for AG, he will expand the Supreme Court and rightfully place her there. RBG would approve.
Let’s just start calling him McMurderer!
Wow 😳
A powerful summary this morning Professor, and as has been said many times, this one day in the news of our “President” would be enough to fuel years of Republican investigations, hours of vein-bursting outrage on Fox et al, and reams of self-righteous print from the old guard, lard-ass, Republican Intelligentsia (oxymoron alert).
But what strikes me is something you noted some days back when bodies started piling up in the Defense and Intelligence mortuaries as Trump launched his campaign to purge the few remaining truth-tellers following four years of filling posts with true believers.
The internet attacks on Homeland Security, Commerce, Treasury, and others that began in March have now begun to come to light. It isn’t much of a stretch to imagine that similar attacks on vital domestic infrastructure are taking place under the radar as well – water, power, banking, communications …
Trump delayed the standard briefings for the incoming Administration and now Defense is stalling its briefings and lying about it. The distribution of the Covid vaccine is in shambles, the Federal Reserve is having its legs cut out from under it, all as the inevitable reality of Trump’s exit from power draws near.
Is it preposterous to believe that all of this is of a piece? Who benefits when the incoming Biden Administration takes office facing not only a floundering economy and a raging pandemic, but hamstrung by deliberate actions of the current Administration to deny them critical intelligence at a time when the nation is under attack?
Professor Richardson: You started these Letters during the administration of a President who challenged the integrity of our Democracy. Now, as his term of office comes to an end, it seems to this reader that your voice needs to be heard ever more broadly. Thank you for what you do – I pray you are able to continue this work.
Complete agreement with your commendations for Prof. Richardson, and wishes for her continuation, to all our benefit. As to your thoughts about the recent delays and hollowing out of agency staffs, I hear a strong background noise of humming shredders and vigorous online scrubbing.
I can’t remember where I first read it, maybe from Malcolm Nance or Sarah Kendzior, but this question haunts me: If Tя☭mp were in fact working for Putin, what would he be doing differently than what he’s doing now?
That’s where my mind keeps going, too. It would be a rational for letting the virus spread out of control. Sick and dying people can’t fight back. Others of us can’t risk gathering as groups to protest. And a nifty side effect of a pandemic is the weakening of the economy. And while we freak out about getting sick, losing jobs, paying rent, and buying groceries, the rat bastard guts the government , pilfers money, and leaves the country wide open for attack. Sort of the opposite of fattening the pig, but it feels like we are being led to the slaughter.
I keep thinking of the phrase from his inaugural speech, “American carnage” - I see Steve Bannon’s hand in all of this, his desire to burn it all down.
Bannon's now in the queue for a pardon, too. He ignited the fire that has laid waste to everything most of us hold dear, and deserves nothing from us, or history, but scorn and contempt.
Ok, these are feeling like conspiracy theories. Let’s reason it out. Trump and a number of others have criminal minds, lack integrity AND the wisdom to know what ye reap, ye sow. That said, I’m going with the belief they are too mentally challenged to hide their criminality. I don’t think there’s anything magnificently beyond that. We need to stop giving them so much power by believing they have this grand scheme to destroy us all aside from the fact that destroying us would destroy them.
I tend to think the only "scheme" or "plan" is revenge. I can envision him simply approaching everything as an angry child might - thinking only "how can I make them pay for hurting me?" His sycophants offer ideas and he selects the meanest.
What you said is exactly how I felt for the first two years of this administration, so I hesitated to share my “conspiracy theory” on a forum like this. But the longer this goes on, the less “bumbling” Tя☭mp seems, especially when he’s raking in $$ hand over fist while he “bumbles”.
I understand but lots of crooks separate people from their money. It honestly isn’t rocket science. People want to believe in something, sometimes anything. Religion is one example of that phenomena.
I've been wondering EXACTLY this, for years, actually. Glad to know someone more knowledgeable than myself confirms the suspicion. I keep waiting for someone to unearth the smoking gun.
Nothing. And he regularly gets instructions directly from his handler and doesn't allow anyone to listen in or take notes on the calls.
We are crippled far beyond the recovery of one term, and the suffering of people will continue for longer than we realize.
On top of all this is the knowledge that Biden / Democrats / Liberals will be blamed for everything that Trump et al have done to damage America.
I feel too much despair to even acknowledge the rage that is surely beneath it.
What more can be said?
Right now, the right wing media is not telling their audience much of anything about the issues raised in these newsletters. But they'll hammer the hell out of them after Biden is sworn in, so yes, the GOP base probably will blame Biden for all those "new" problems that will "occur" as soon as he takes over.
Just like they conveniently forgot Bush left Obama a crashing economy.
And that Bush was relieved to have Obama step in to work on untangling the mess right after the election, well before Obama’s inauguration, because he recognized how essential fast action was. This Administration’s wish and actions to hobble the transition feel needlessly cruel and seem criminal.
They are cruel, nasty, vindictive, and absolutely criminal! I am infuriated that nothing can be done to stop him/them.... I/be felt this was sense the beginning... “How can they get away with this?” <y mantra since 11/09//16
And that really pisses me off....
I sadly must agree that this is the chaos-strategy set up by Republicans for Republicans up for re-election in 2022, so they can point to everything that is not yet perfect and blame Biden and the Democrats for "their failures". The more that is revealed about how incompetence and greed - for power and money - the better. Americans have to have a transparent government as far as is legally feasible so trust can be rebuilt. Follow the money!
Trump is burning the country down and some of those who are sworn to protect it are passing the gasoline and matches to him and setting stage to blame it on someone else. Truly disturbing.
He is a very angry man with a lot of power. I have to give him and his enablers credit for how inventive they are for using our own freedom to assault us.
I feel like America is on suicide watch.
I wonder what his escape plan is when leaves the burning building? The fire brigade will show but I’m sure that some demented soul will not allow them to turn on the water.
Was watching an interview of a biographer of Biden https://www.gc.cuny.edu/All-GC-Events/Calendar/Detail?id=58726 today, and the author talked about how the country is suffering from PTSD. I think that is very true. With the darkness setting in earlier due to Daylight Savings, and all this bad news, people are really depressed and blue. I keep reminding myself of what Russian activists tell us, that part of the way Putin and dictators like him win power is by convincing the population things are so hopeless, they need an authoritarian. This steady drumbeat of bad news is deliberate relentless. We need to resist the temptation to give into our despair. There is some good news: our enemies that used to slink below the surface have shown themselves for what they are. Those who ignored the rule of law have been outed. And if we can get through the next month, if we can squeak through on getting at least one if not both Georgia Senate seats, I for one won't forget who stood up for our elections and who did not. The hamstringing attempts may go on and on in Biden's first term, McConnell is gonna McConnell no matter what, but we've seen it all before. Now we know exactly what it is, and I think those who love this country and cherish Democracy will not get rolled over so easily this time around. Hypocrisy yields its own harsh rewards in the end.
I am emboldened by your comments, Shelly. I feel the same way. I remember whining to my grandmother one day: "You have no idea what it's like in today's world," I moaned. She correctly informed me that "What's going on has been going on since I was a girl, and has been going on long before that."
"using our own freedom..." very appropos, George.
Thanks Lynell. It has always sounded a bit odd to me when someone professes their freedom and liberty like it’s the most sacred quality of human existence without practicing constraint to go along with it. We have an obligation to practice both. Constraint is the Yin to Freedom’s Yang. ( or perhaps it’s the other way around ;/). Because Freedom without Constraint will always lead to Chaos.
December 20 on CNN, I heard Mitt Romney speak about how the Republican party of old only has a few members left in congress. The so called today Republicans will be like trump in future elections. God bless the United States, I pray our nation will have a future.
I'll give you one guess who is "distributing" the COVID vaccine to friends and the highest bidders. Yep... Jared!
Gold in a vial.
I wonder if he's getting advice from Rod Blagojevich.
Unfortunately, we can already see the how these vaccines are being handled. One hospital holding the special refrigerator with the vaccine for a county is telling a smaller hospital they can't have their 2nd dose bc they have had a outbreak which is not true. They tested their entire staff, everyone came up negative. (2 nurses were positive about a month ago and have not returned to work). As a retired ICU RN for 30 years, having watched administrators do things for their own good, justifying to themselves what they have done. I can imagine these vaccines being sold or redirected to their families or highest bidders. Honestly, I hope nurses walk out if they don't get the vaccine.
The only thing that stands between us and them is our reasoning and our sense of personal power. I see a lot of statements here indicating we are weak and we have no choice. That mentality will bury us for sure. We are not poor things having things done to us. Remember, we are in the majority and we are bright people to say the least. Let’s not walk around in fear that we are being destroyed because in fact if we do that’s exactly what will happen. Keep the faith!
I totally agree @Elaine Hewitt. If you watch the news, it’s all about Trump as usual. There are many things you can do to avoid the gift of gloom the current administration gives us.
Subscribe to the Biden transition channel buildbackbetter.gov Press conference videos are professional and free of drama. Follow Stacey Abrams, Crooked Media or any of the hundreds of smart people and organizations working hard against the torrent of lies. Call Mitch, Ron Johnson or any other blathering phony and tell them you are on to them. Capitol Hill switchboard (202) 224-3121. And of course, spread the word about Dr. Richardson’s column. Check in with friends and neighbors. Get involved in something TRUTHY. Work toward winning in Georgia. Donate, write, read, walk, run. We have lasted 4 years. Only a month left. 💩 Bye Don. 💩
I feel a bit Truthy today.
Thank you Elaine. You too!
Thank you for this eye-opening, detailed, and alarming summary. How bad it can get? = limitless as you have shown. Will the parties "come together" to save the country? I think not. I think heavily hyper-partisan gerrymandered Wisconsin provides a model. The Democratic governor there has been hamstrung by Republicans contolling the state senate and assembly. They passed legislation just before the transfer of power in 2018 limiting the governor's and state attorney general's powers, they've refused to confirm department heads and then used that to deny powers (the Dept. of Health Services head is still unconfirmed and COVID restrictions have been challenged because of that), they've done pretty much nothing during the whole year to help the people, though they have challenged all mask and distancing rules in the conservative state supreme court and did manage to install an unpermitted Christmas tree in the closed capitol. BUT, they won another term as the "minjority" in November. For all the hoo-haw about how successful was the state Democratic party, they were not able to take back control of the legislature. And this is where the state story intersects with the our national future if national Democrats choose to not fight like hell for big people-helping policies and instead return the same centrists, "deficit hawks," and corporation-connected members to power as they mostly seem to be doing. We will just end up back in Hell's anteroom, but next time with a much more evil and effective Devil, I fear. This deliberate destruction by Republicans won't be stopped with an olive branch and a return to "normal," I think.
This is correct. Though they don't have the House, the DC Republicans can do real damage to an incoming Democratic administration just as Republican legislative branches have done in Wisconsin and North Carolina.
I have to wonder, though, whether McConnell plans to ram these changes through with a bare majority, thereby opening the door to an immediate cancellation should the Democrats both prevail in Georgia. BTW, there was a rumor that Biden planned to offer Toomey the Department of Commerce in order to gain that one Senate seat for the Democrats but I expect we can bury that one, now.
Well said!
Gosh...where to start? One thing is for certain, Fake 45 and his minion want to bury the bodies before they are found by the transition team. The team will need metal detectors once they gain access to everything. That is if Biden and Harris ever physically make their way in! The muck and the thorns will be so thick...
So far, Fake 45, McTurtleneck, and the silent GOP continue to push the proverbial envelope. How come Democrats sit idly by? I really do not want to hear complaints. I want someone, ANYBODY to get really ticked off and go after them all! People are hungry and have no money. People are homeless. People are sick. People are dying. Do SOMETHING!
I still cannot get my head around the fact that the destruction trump is causing cannot be stopped. There is a repulsive trump cult following that is hell bent in taking this country down and they don’t even stand for anything.
Also, the video clip on Friday of pence and his wife getting the vaccine struck another visceral reaction - a sickening display of one more “me first” episode. There are front line people across the country who have been delayed in getting the shot so his gesture was hollow and insulting. We don’t need him or anyone else from the criminal cabal to show us the shot is safe!
I put the administrations claims of shortages and bungled attempt to blame it on Pfizer together with their record on PPE distribution and wonder if somebody is black-marketing the supplies (Jared? Jared?) particularly when we see that Rupert Murdoch has somehow moved to the head of the line.
I can’t stop believing that he is dealing the vaccine with the help of some of his former casino ‘masterminds’ and making bundles.
That was my initial reaction, as well, but I also think it is valuable in getting more people to trust and accept the vaccine. And that's good for all of us. Plus, I think political leaders (but not necessarily all their friends and staff members) should be vaccinated, on principle.
As a nurse waiting for another shipment of vaccines to arrive so I can administer to my front line colleagues, that was particularly tough to swallow.
The ethical and appropriate leadership model for congress to show would be all front line workers have access to the vaccine first. Congress and the criminal administration are not essential workers and of course they have no ethics or morals either.
Contrary to a comment somewhere on this thread, I strongly believe that trump is not indifferent. I think he has parked his vast derriere on the nest where vile plots are being hatched. A common thread among all the conversations and books written about him is that he is wildly compulsive about being involved in absolutely everything that's going down. Not least of which appears to be imminent war.
"(DOD) this morning abruptly halted the transition briefings the Pentagon had been providing, AS REQUIRED BY LAW, to the incoming Biden team. Observers were taken aback by this unprecedented halt to the transition process." Could I just say that I hope with my whole heart that there's more out there than "observers"? That there are fierce activists behind the bland voices and faces of pre-Biden leadership?
I get that national security et al is not something top secret details of which are for public consumption. But it would help if someone credible, sincere and tuned in would say, "We know what's going on. We're on it." For example, I would trust Adam Schiff's word. My assumption is Dems are in the dark. So, they sure as hell can't come out and say, "Bad news, Nation. We're all gonna die via trump/Miller or COVID or some Machiavellian combination of the two. Happy holidays!" The silence seems informative and is frightening.
I don't have a red-hot conclusion for this comment. That's the product of fully waking up at 2:30 a.m., wondering how to spell Diplodocus.
On we go.
Completely agree. Also, if what we know is this bad, how much worse is the stuff they can’t tell us? That’s what scares me.
You caused me to spend 10 minutes reading the Wikipedia entry for Diplodocus.
LOL. So did I. I wasn't dreaming about dinosaurs. I know almost nothing about dinosaurs. And yet...go figure, right?!
Snort!!
Ha! I am heading there myself now!
Thank you for sending me to the dictionary😂.....always a treat when the posts include words that have escaped my memory, education, or upbringing.
I think the attribution of indifference to trump and autocrats pertains to a lack of empathy that supports actions causing harm to others. The indifference means having a cold heart that empowers you to act with disregard for humanity. Values on money and power trump values on kindness, caring, and consideration for people at large. Consideration instead is reserved for fellow money-motivated mutual favor-wielding members of the club.
🤦🏻♀️
Reading between the lines is not easy. And when you find something there, speaking up may not be healthy.
That's the problem with us ordinary folks speculating about what's going on and how bad it is. One of the effects of these actions is to spread FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt). Amplified online many times. I look for things I can actually do, like preparing. Gonna fill my car with gas, get some cash, and prepare for a "winter emergency."
And make sure to stay in contact with good friends and family.
And help Dems Get Out The Vote in Georgia!
https://twitter.com/BillyBaldwin/status/1339635827341545472?s=20
"I look for things I can actually do," Thanks, Bob. Good advice
Another problem we all face in this post-truth, so-called "alternative facts," era is that because we are no longer certain of anything, everything we can conjecture becomes a possibility -- we're each and every one of us nascent conspiracy theorists. Part of the way authoritarian regimes close down open societies is to sow suspicion and fear of retribution for speaking out.
Does anyone have a warm, fuzzy feeling about what is reported in mainstream media these days? I sure don't. Yet what's our solution? The whispering grapevines that fuel outlandish theories and ascribe unthinkable motives to those who have sworn to uphold our Constitution?
I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not thrilled, living in "interesting times."
Good Morning, mlbrowne,
About those "warm, fuzzy feelings." I get some pleasure from rising to the challenge of sorting out the good from the bad. I think I know enough to know when things are made to seem good but really aren't all that solidly based in fact, or well-sourced. In politics, I can tell the difference between Politico.com and Politicalwire.com (the latter leans more strongly democratic).
I make sure to read a range of material, including The Bulwark, Bloomberg Opinion, as well as the NY Times and the Washington Post,
...and some private persons as well, like John Pavlovitz (https://johnpavlovitz.com/),
...even some folks on social media as well, like
--Bruce Lindner (https://www.facebook.com/macbruce),
--Jim Wright (https://www.facebook.com/Stonekettle) and
--Maureen Gill Ausbrook (https://www.facebook.com/maureen.m.gill).
I can tell when an outlet is making assertions more than reasoning out a set of ideas from verifiable facts.
I actually get a little suspicious when I get too many warm fuzzies from some particularly apt bit of snark. The snark brings a chuckle but I always feel a little bit more successful when I discover the faults in political commentary.
For example, I had a good laugh at a photo of T**** looking awfully fat 'n' sloppy. I believed it for about 10 minutes (it's amazing how a photo can make you look good, or bad, right?). And then a commenter -- on the dreaded Twitter -- posted this link. And then, I had a good laugh at myself and pointed out the subtle image editing that made T**** look worse than he actually does.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/picfat-trump-golfing-real/
As we go along in life, we want to get better and better, right? Developing a healthy skepticism along with the ability to laugh at ourselves while still hewing to our principles -- now that's a challenge I accept willingly,
What times were not "interesting" or even "challenging" in some way?
Thank you, Heather. The evil that starts with Tя☭mp and percolates down to everyone in his administration is horrifying.
Thank you for another brilliant post HCR. No comfort tho. The criminality multiplies and the scams continue. I worry about the next month. a lot of time for more destruction. I hope Dem leadership stays alert. Plus will any Repubs see the light or all stay in darkness. Peace and Courage. Sleep well. Resist.
I heard Malcolm Nance, someone I trust highly and who is a counterterrorism expert, say exactly that this week in an interview.
I highly trust and respect Nance, too. So, as the terrorists who attempted to kidnap and kill my governor are indicted this week, I am hunkering down with a generous supply of culinary treats made by my chef son and his "grand" helpers. I will come out when my number is called for the COVID vaccine. Then back to apple butter, spiced nuts, grape lavendar jam...
I am heart sick.
Me, too, Daria.
Imagine the revelations of criminality that will emerge after Trump and his ilk are out of office. Imagine learning the evidence of why Trump has done Putin's bidding to cause our nation's decline. Or the financial incentives driving a coronavirus strategy that promotes death and suffering on a scale difficult to grasp. Or the defiling and dismantling of government agencies.
I could go on, but we all know the long list. "Letters from an American" has cataloged it. The nation must know the underlying truth. All of it. The cult must be confronted with it. Perhaps some will recoil and renounce their slavish devotion to what they don't see as evil. The new administration must seek justice. Otherwise, America will never recover.