The last several days have seen a Republican stampede to distance the party from the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision of a week ago, when it ruled that embryos frozen for in vitro fertilization (IVF) should be considered children and that their injury can be treated like injury to a child.
Heather Cox Richardson we continue to spread the truth of these matters in the face of the constant attack on democracy and our rights. The pernicious aggression towards women, rights and social freedoms has to be shut down and stopped.
Thanks to all freedom fighters and your continuing beacon Professor ⭐.
In today's Letter, Heather Cox Richardson, laid out in the clearest terms how Trump has worked with Putin to bring Democracy down.
'The use of Russian disinformation to destabilize democracy in the U.S. looks much like the information warfare Russia has used to establish Ukrainian leaders that worked for the Kremlin. It was the ouster of one of those leaders, Viktor Yanukovych, in the 2014 Maidan Revolution ten years ago that prompted Russian president Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine later that year. Yanukovych won office with the help of American political consultant Paul Manafort, who advised and, briefly, chaired the Trump campaign in 2016, when it weakened the Republican party’s platform plank that supported arming Ukraine against Putin after his 2014 invasion.'
'Seeding lies about corruption that came from Russian-linked Ukrainians was central to Trump’s 2019 impeachment: his phone call to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky demanding Zelensky announce an investigation into Burisma and Joe Biden’s son Hunter was part of an attempt to create dirt on the Bidens. That call happened after Trump’s advisor Rudy Giuliani went to Ukraine, where he talked to “an active Russian agent,” according to the FBI. FBI agents warned Giuliani that he was a target of Russian disinformation.'
'That poison has now spread from Trump’s rogue team in the White House to the Republican Party itself, which has apparently been carrying water for Putin at the very center of our government.' (Letter)
I would add '...that poison has now also spread from Trump's rogue team in the White House...' to The Supreme Court of the US, state legislatures, governors and the American people.
Reading this edition of Letters was hard to grasp, I kept flinching at HCRs descriptions of this whole rotten, republican sh*tstorm and I had to go back and reread sentences because it’s all so damn hard to absorb and what came to my mind was a line from Bob Dylan’s “Stuck Inside Of Mobile….”: Here’s the relevant part: “an’ it strangled up my mind…, now people just get uglier an’ I have no sense of time. Oh Mama, can this really be the end?” I was a Marine on my way to Vietnam when I first heard that song and it became one of my favorites.
Elizabeth, your not being able to get "The Music Man" out of your mind for the first two years of tffg's era shows how relevant "The Music Man's" music and message were and are.
So, it looks as though you've hit the bulls-eye, Potter, thinking of Elmer Gantry when the topic of TFFG comes up. For some reason, I haven't, and I think that the reason why I haven't made that association is that Gantry was a mere hypocrite. TFFG was much more than that, actually inflicting harm on great numbers of people and not the very few.
'Timeline: Paul Manafort’s long history with oligarch Oleg Deripaska' (WAPO)
Analysis by Philip Bump
September 20, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. EDT
'In March, the Associated Press reported that former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort had drafted a proposal to help advance the business interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2005. In light of that report, we’ve compiled this history of Manafort’s interactions with political campaigns and Russian interests.'
'It became newly relevant on Wednesday, when The Post reported that Manafort had offered to provide private campaign briefings to a Russian oligarch with whom he’d previously done business. This timeline has been updated with what we now know.'
'1976. Manafort helps guide Republican presidential nominee Gerald R. Ford’s efforts at the Republican National Convention.'
'1980. After helping shepherd Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign at the Republican convention, Manafort is a founder of the lobbying and strategy firm Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly in Washington. The “Stone” in that title was for Roger Stone, a longtime Trump confidante.'
'1984. Manafort helps plan the convention for Reagan’s reelection bid.'
'November 1985. Manafort’s firm is hired to represent Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos, apparently after being connected to Marcos via an emissary — Sen. Paul Laxalt of Nevada — sent by President Reagan. (This history comes from Ken Vogel’s thorough look at the relationship.) Manafort’s firm is tasked with advising Marcos on public relations and electoral strategy.'
'Feb. 7, 1986. Marcos wins the country’s presidential election thanks to obvious and rampant voter fraud. Manafort describes his efforts during the election to Time magazine as trying to' “make it more of a Chicago-style election and not Mexico’s.”
'Feb. 25, 1986. Marcos flees the country.'
'1988. Manafort manages the convention for Republican presidential nominee George H.W. Bush.'
'January 1991. Public relations firm Burson-Marsteller acquires Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly.'
'1995. Manafort and partner Rick Davis found a new lobbying firm, Davis Manafort.'
'1996. Manafort manages Republican Robert J. Dole’s unsuccessful presidential campaign.'
'Late 2004. Ukraine holds a series of elections in which fraud is rampant. Viktor Yanukovych of the Party of Regions, who came in second in the first round, wins a runoff in November. Outcry at alleged fraud leads the European Union to reject the runoff results; Ukrainians take to the streets in protest in what comes to be known as the Orange Revolution. On a third ballot, Yanukovych again loses.'
'June 2005. According to the Associated Press, Manafort develops a strategic plan aimed at promoting the interests of the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin.'
“We are now of the belief that this model can greatly benefit the Putin Government if employed at the correct levels with the appropriate commitment to success,” 'Manafort wrote in the document.'
'2006. Manafort signs a $10 million-a-year agreement with the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska apparently based on that plan. The work is not conducted through Davis Manafort but through a separate corporation called LOAV Ltd. Deripaska is identified in a 2006 diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks as being' “among the 2-3 oligarchs Putin turns to on a regular basis.”
'The relationship with Deripaska also connects Manafort to Yanukovych. At some point before parliamentary elections in March 2006, the Party of Regions officially hires Davis Manafort to help reshape the party’s image. The party gains a number of seats in the election, and Yanukovych becomes prime minister in August after extensive political wrangling.'
'January 2006. Davis arranges a meeting between Deripaska and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). The two would meet again in August.'
'July 2006. Deripaska’s American visa is revoked.'
'2007. A secret ledger kept by the Party of Regions indicates that Manafort began receiving under-the-table payments at this point — nearly two dozen of them totaling nearly $13 million. Manafort denies the allegation.'
'December 2007. Yanukovych is ousted as prime minister after parliamentary elections. Yulia Tymoshenko takes the position, becoming the first woman to do so.'
'2008. After the presidential election — Davis served as McCain’s campaign manager, creating some bad press for the candidate because of his business relationships — Davis Manafort is disbanded.'
'2009. Manafort’s business relationship with Deripaska continued until at least this point. It’s not clear when it ended again, according to the AP.'
'February 2010. Yanukovych wins the presidency with Manafort’s help. Beforehand, Manafort warns that he’s concerned about voter fraud working against his client, echoing concerns raised by his next prominent client.'
'2012. The last secret payment to Manafort is listed in the ledger.'
'Feb. 21, 2014. After prolonged protests beginning in November the year before, Yanukovych flees to Russia. The next day, he’s officially removed from his post. This triggers Russia’s incursion into Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea.
'September 2014. Manafort flies to Ukraine to try to help Yanukovych’s former party once again gain power. The party is rebranded as the Oppo Bloc, at Manafort’s suggestion.'
'March 28, 2016. Manafort is hired by Trump to guide the campaign’s delegate-wrangling effort in the lead-up to the Republican convention. He’s recommended for the position by Roger Stone.'
'At some point, intelligence agencies allegedly surveil a call or calls between Manafort and Russian government actors. Manafort later told the New York Times that he had “never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers.”
'Spring 2016. According to the Times, the FBI begins investigating Manafort’s business relationships and ties to foreign powers, including Russia.'
'In this time period, the Democratic National Committee’s email system is hacked by people who U.S. authorities believe are linked to the Russian government.'
'April. Manafort emails Hope Hicks, a senior campaign staffer, telling her to ignore questions sent by The Post about his relationship with Deripaska.'
'May. Manafort meets with Konstantin Kilimnik, a longtime business associate of his. Kilimnik is veteran of the Soviet army who often acted as a liaison between Manafort and Deripaska.'
'June 9. At the invitation of Donald Trump Jr., Manafort joins Jared Kushner, Trump Jr. and a Russian attorney tied to the Kremlin for a meeting at Trump Tower. Read a timeline of that interaction.'
'June 21. After months of tension between himself and campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, Lewandowski is fired. Manafort becomes campaign chairman.'
'July 7. Manafort emails Kilimnik to extend an offer to Deripaska: If the oligarch wanted private briefings on the state of the Trump campaign, that could be arranged. There’s no indication that a briefing was ever conducted.'
'Week of July 11. At the national security platform meeting establishing the Republican Party positions on the subject, representatives of the Trump campaign intervene to remove a call for arming the Ukrainian military to battle Russian and rebel fighters in the eastern part of the country.'
'July 18. The convention begins. Trump is nominated on the 21st.'
'July 22. The emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee are released by WikiLeaks.'
'July 29. Kilimnik emails Manafort to tell him that he’d met with the person “who gave you the biggest black caviar jar several years ago” — apparently a reference to Deripaska. They arrange a meeting in August.'
'Aug. 14. The secret ledger comes to light.'
'Aug. 17. Reports emerge that Manafort also helped the Party of Regions secretly route $2.2 million in unreported lobbying spending to D.C. in 2012.'
'Aug. 19. Manafort quits the Trump campaign, at the request of the candidate.'
'Among the reasons he was asked to resign were Trump’s dissatisfaction with his tactical advice, and news articles raising questions about his ties to Russia and Ukraine.'
'Nov. 8. Trump is elected president.' (WAPO) Article was copied in full.
Renee, what is as good as it was; some stuff has gotten better - President Biden, for instance.
I learn a good deal from reading The Washington Post. I recommend its free newsletter 'Today's WorldView' authored by Ishaan Tharoor. The paper's science and nature pieces are very good. Its coverage around the world and the US is solid, if not always what I'm looking for.
Agree. As someone who doesn't live in a major metropolitan area, (so no major newspaper) I prefer WAPO to The NY Times. More straightforward, not editorializing in every article. Far less irritating.
Manafort’s work for Putin and Russia have never been a secret. [It is not like this is the ONLY rundown of his tenure working for despots around the world that we’ve ever seen.] Why are we here now, thinking about his work “for” Trump? Do we think Manafort and Stone are OK, just legitimate opponents, not working for the ascendance of Putin, just because they don’t have Russian names?
Sorry, Les, I cannot account for other outlets that published a timeline of Manafort's work with US on behalf of Russian interests. I do know that it was fairly widespread; but where and when is the work of an archivist, librarian, investigative journalist, etc.
The media did report on Manafort; I remember reading about him and several other trump campaign irregularities. The media reported but we were all so sure that Hillary was going to win and trump was such a nasty unfit candidate...
Asleep at the wheel. "Access journalism" means cozying up to sources to get carefully measured bits of news. Meanwhile the big story is seldom reported.
Fern, The Ghost of Rush Limbaugh smiles down on the chaos he is responsible for. The Ghost of Ronald Reagan has lost his script and doesn’t know whether to smile or not. Pretty sure Rush will provide him some advice
FERN, well I would note the poison has been neutralized in Unite States vs. Smirnov in a California Federal Court. Good job by Special Counsel DAVID C. WEISS. Much more to come in 2:24-cr-00091.
SCOTUS is taking a long time to rule on Wreck's Writ for "CERT". A ruling is possible by this Friday, March 1, 2024.
In the Prez Primary Vote in Redder-than-Red, South Carolina. 280,000 voted for Nikki Haley. One exit Poll's found 60% of those Haley Voters would NEVER vote for Wreck. The NBC exit Poll had it the 'Never-Trump' % even higher. That is valuable data for the Biden Team.
Bryan, although the notes you made about a number of actions that reflect a few positive instances with reference to, perhaps, slowing the spread of Putinism/Trump fascism in the country, they hardly neutralize it, if they have slowed the spread.
I do not disagree Pat. I just think it worthy to state that DAVID C WEISS has already been successful on a major battle front, the 'impeachment' BS. That victory also includes the Prisoners that will now get trashed at the so-called 'Hearing'.
UPDATED: 2:30 PM Eastern:
True, there are many battle fronts. In a fiery protest act that recalls Vietnam Buddhist self-immolation in the 1960's, an active U.S. airman, AARON BUSHNELL (Age 25) has burned himself to death iat Washington DC, Israeli Embassy on Sunday. to protest Palestinian deaths in GAZA.
Last night, in the first segment of '60 Minutes" a Pennsylvania woman MD who treats casualties in conflict zones reported on the shrapnel wounds of children that she treated 3-4 times a night in a GAZA Hospital.
This Doctor's report came from a battle-environment ready MD that has already done 4 or 5 two week volunteer tours in UKRAINE.
There have been comments here in the US in various venues to the effect that the US was involved in the overthrowing Yanukovych, the Ukrainian president at the time of the Maidan to the point of saying that we did this and from that that we caused this war. So far has this lie spread. This IS a lie. And when anyone comes across it, it should be beaten back, exposed. Yanukovych fled to Russia; he was a Russian puppet, betraying the will of the UKR people. That is what the Maidan was about. They wanted their independence and to ally with the West, with the EU. Russia did not want that...this is the "why" one of the why's, of the war. It also connects Trump via Manafort to Putin, doing Putin's bidding.
Victoria Nuland gets mentioned a lot and blamed for supporting the overthrow of Yanukovych .
The rich white "developed" world is full of "soft fascist" neo-imperialists and their lackeys and minions.
We are worse than the Russians.
One example, documented by a former U.S. Attorney General, is our crimes in the Gulf War, where we used lots and lots of bombs to de-industrialize a darker-skinned country that was actually managing to successfully industrialize:
The Russians have reason to hate and mistrust us, just like the darker-skinned countries whose economies have been strangled by the International Monetary Fund.
Quoting from Davison Budhoo's 100-page resignation letter from the International Monetary Fund, confessing his guilt in "our own peculiar Holocaust":
"To me resignation is a priceless liberation, for with it I have taken the first big step to that place where I may hope to wash my hands of what in my mind’s eye is the blood of millions of poor and starving peoples. ...The blood is so much, you know, it runs in rivers....
"The charges that I make touch at the very heart of western society and western morality and post-war inter-governmental institutionalism that have degenerated into fake and sham under the pretext of establishingand maintaining international economic order and global efficiency....
"Will the world be content merely to brand our institution as among the most insidious enemies of humankind? Will our fellowmen condemn us thus and let the matter rest? Or will the heirs of those whom we have dismembered in our own peculiar Holocaust clamor for another Nuremberg?
"I don’t mind telling you that this matter has haunted me; it has haunted me particularly over the past five years. It has haunted me because I know that if I am tried I will be found guilty, very guilty, without extenuating circumstance...."
The far right faction of the Republicans - now the whole party - has been working on this for years (recounted in Democracy in Chains, Nancy MacLean). The Democrats have been asleep at the switch. Even now the Dems don't seem to be able to tell it like it is, except for a few recent forays in that direction by Pres. Biden and some isolated Republicans such as L. Cheney, A. Kinzinger (to whom no Republicans listen).
Talking about how we destabilized the Middle East with our invasion and destruction of Iraq — I wonder what political party that was? Way back when we used illegal money from SELLING WEAPONS to Iran to secretly fund rebels in South America, who did that? When someone wrote an opinion legitimizing torture and created a plan to ignore the right of the accused by housing prisoners offshore , I wonder who did that? Which party pulled that off, I mean?
We should be carful not to vote for that party in November {Mr. Schmeekle. The US is certainly NOT worse than the Russia state. But we don’t need to vote for people who are trying to be worse …}
Everyone needs to read “Democracy in Chains.” Having read it several years ago and seen Rachel Maddow’s “Koch chain—ALEC, etc.), knowing that Koch Industries is alive and well in Russia in spite of sanctions….
Fern, it didn't have to spread, it was already there, except for the American people, who I am still hopeful have seen enough from the Republicans to vote solid Democratic in November. As Leonard Cohen said, democracy is coming to the U.S.A..
If children are so precious to the republicants, how can they allow so many to be killed every day in Ukraine? You can call Capitol Hill switchboard and ask anyone —-(202) 224-3121
"The Republicans want to overthrow democracy." It's already gone, or just a hollow shell stuffed full of super-big-dollar donations. "Corporate Joe" Biden, for example, is the all-time biggest recipient of campaign money from the pro-Israel lobby. The American people don't support the ongoing genocide in Gaza, but corrupt Biden does, because money talks.
I have argued with Schmeekle. You can't get through with facts. He writes enough to rope you in and if there is fact, he then casts it perversely, negatively, even outrageously. It's arguing with a wall. But he WANTS to engage you. A wall does not. I am recovering.
Definition of trolling on the internet: "Trolling is when someone posts or comments online to 'bait' people, which means deliberately provoking an argument or emotional reaction."
EVERY response to a troll feeds their algorithm. Unfortunately you can block someone's newsletter on this website but it appears you can't block an individual from showing up in your feed.
Exactly!! I have argued with him, as well. Until I realized it amplifies him.
That long screed about how we are “worse” than Russia — OMG, does he have a CLUE!?
I do not have to think the US always behaves with the purity of driven snow to know that we ARE NOT worse than Russia. At our worst {and we have done some terrible things}, we do not approach Kremlin-like monstrosity, which rivals the Nazis.
But if you try to explain or counter what he says and he has no response at hand, he segues to something else: "what about this?" or makes another outrageous statement. He wants to engage you and USE you to his end- which is attention seeking and whatever else. This can go on and on.. leading you by the nose.... if you let him.
We are a democracy, very divided ( and naive and wrong) at times as to how to run it and how to behave in the world. Administrations change and use their ideology to actions that affect and have effect all of us. GWBush invasion of Iraq did us great harm in the world.. and Putin uses that . I doubt Gore would have. But I agree Putin is in another category. He's connived into the presidency since about 2000 but also in office before. He is an ill intentioned autocrat, running a kleptocracy, repressing his people, moving Russia toward totalitarianism... while driving Russia's reputation in the world and the goal of world order into the ground. Schmeekle hits you in your vulnerability to the truth of how we have been wrong at times. You want to defend, but he's not listening to you, does not care. It's punching the wall.
In the words of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert: "Netanyahu's messianic coalition partners want an all-out regional war. Gaza is just a first step."
Lula spent some time in jail and then made a comeback.
And Netanyahu needs a war to keep him out of jail, himself.
Olmert, having been on top, has a view worth considering:
"The ultimate aim of this gang is "purging" the West Bank of its Palestinian inhabitants, cleansing the Temple Mount of its Muslim worshippers and annexing the territories to the state of Israel. This aim will not be achieved without extensive violent conflict. Armageddon."
As well as every person who has helped or received financial help from Israel. As well as the military and arms industry that sells weapons to Israel. As well as every citizen who purchases a firearm from a company that sells to Israel. In other words, your road is crowded. Now, shall I mention Trump and his complicity? His fondness for the pm.
Ad the media won't report any of this - not the fact that Trump had to refer to a card to name his own children and still managed to forget Eric and Lara, Friday night - not the increasingly looney stuff he spouts. If Biden said 5% ot what Trump says and had the failures of memory and intellect Trump has, there would be a hue and cry about Biden bveing unfit. But they want Trump back because they've lost 60% of their viewers since 2020 and their owners can't get rid of them if they aren't "profitable," so since they can't see further than the end of their owner's nose, we get public idiocy from allegedly smart people like Kirsten Welker (who got her bullshit called by Gavin Newsom today to the point she went to another topic).
Jen Andrews, I thought it was just me that found him creepy. I also found him (and MTP) to be biased and an R bootlicker. Maybe that's why I found him creepy.
Nor I…no FOX, no MTP , no TFFG, No Nitwitanyahoo. The infiltration, disinformation, lies, a scourge on our own nation voting rights, women’s right BY THE FACIST RIGHT..has wrought distain, rot the soul of Democracy.
Will it wake the heart of Democracy to come out ? 🗣️CODIFY ☮️ EQUALITY , and HONOR …is it not our place in the world? Were we not the big brother? It sure smells like ‘oh, brother!’ 🤦♀️!
Europe is wondering, the Ukrainian battle 24/7 their bravest die everyday holding the world’s defining line of DEMOCRACY while this mousy minority of traitors in our very our own ‘House’ lay Republicans in Ruin…playing Russian Roulette .
Will we continue seat after seat? Stay Democracy? ..there IS loud affidavit! Yes! Put women/voting/children/truth/rights and freedom long fought for …and needed , FIRST again.
All this calling him "Mr. President" sends a chuckle my way. If he's the president, then he should not be allowed to run again since he will have served two terms already!
Amendment 22, first sentence says, "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once." So for those who believe Trump was elected in 2020, sorry; it doesn't say anything about serving, only if they are elected. Yikes!
I thought that they could put him in January 19th, 2025, give him his 400K (minus the withholding taxes) and send him on his way on the 20th. "The 47th President has now retired."
Oh, I agree wholeheartedly, Tom. My post was written as a bit of a snark, seeing as how my powers are limited as to our possible remedies. Yet, those on the other side of the aisle that have insisted that he is the president, IMO, should be cautioned about what the 22nd amendment says. (I know, they don't believe in the Constitution anymore)
JFYI - I'll be joining conversations later today EST going forward. Too fatigued and that will be my 'new norm' here on out. Radiation treatments are sapping everything out of me. Cheers !
Take care of yourself. Radiation is powerful, and there's no reason to stress yourself further. (One day, it occurred to me that the news does nothing good for my high blood pressure, so I try to choose carefully.)
Hi 4Dan, I went through radiation treatments 6 years ago. They were a bugger. Rest when you need to, eat good food when you can, say "I love you" to someone every day, and try to accept the new reality you're in, knowing it is not permanent. Also, I found watching Youtube videos of people fixing/restoring things very restful and healing, for some reason. Peace to you.
D4N, just jump in whenever you are inclined or have the energy. My wife has been down that road. Surgery, chemo, radiation, more surgery and ten years of a nasty pill. A tough road to say the least.
I wish for you the same success she has had. Every year since, we have had the joy of reading the results of her annual screening that says "all clear". Phew.
My son faced chemo and radiation at the age of 42. Had a 5% survival rate for a rare cancer that usually shows up in people in their 70’s and heavy smokers. He was not.
He is cancer free now and sending his eldest son to college this year. I know somethings may sound counterintuitive, but walking, even just outside to a mailbox or driveway end makes an enormous difference in healing time.
Wishing you complete freedom from the illness you are now suffering. May the treatments work the best kind of magic and let you regain strength and vitality. ❤️
D4N, my heart is with you. I’m almost exactly three years out from the start of my treatment, and still no evidence of disease, and wishing you the same good result. A few things that helped me were yoga when I could and meditation when I couldn’t, audiobooks, and just staring out the window at my bird feeder. I had chemo simultaneously and didn’t want to eat much, but protein shakes went down ok and were calorie bombs. Lots of people get relief from gummies, although I didn’t. Oh! And every time I got on that wretched table, I visualized the beams sizzling the f**k out of those bastard tumors! Hang in there, and please keep us updated with your progress - we all care about you.
Sending you warm wishes, D4N. There are so many of us who have these treatments in our rear view mirrors. One step, one treatment at a time and soon you’ll be on the other side.
Try Meidas Touch Network on Youtube and Apple (etc.) podcasts for straightforward, detailed, unvarnished news reporting and analysis, particularly from Michael Popok and Karen Friedman Agnifilo. Popok's podcast "Legal AF" is enlightening..
I watched the Sunday morning lie-fest that Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds spewed, doing a Gish Gallop while Welker lamely attempted to rein him in. Disgusting stuff. Why give any of them a platform for lies? At the first lie, just cut the mike and move on.
His title is President. We didn’t remove him from office; he just wasn’t re-elected. We are not going to change history so keep your attention on keeping him from earning that title again.
I don’t watch the Sunday-morning shows, but it’s protocol to call former presidents “Mr.President.” It happens with Clinton, Obama and Bush, it should be the same for Trump, repellent as he is. Let’s not imitate him.
At age 78 I fully agree with you! My mind is clear but proper nouns occasionally escape me. I can describe and tell you all kinds of details but the actual name...
Barbara Keating, hahaha. I think it might be time for his family or someone to take him off the stage and for a rest somewhere. He's not well. Probably hasn't slept in months and add that to his pre-existing condition of being a lunatic and well.... he thinks he's married to a car.
Yes...it's definitely not a good look for this country if we have so many people who are so stupid that they still support Drumpf, a pathetic mock-up of a "leader".
As I was counting down to the end of his "reign," I was sure that we would reject him with vigor, not listen to any excuses, and certainly not excuse his incompetence. I sure have seen that repubs had long ago given up on fair elections.
Lynette Stover, no worries, I spell things wrong all the time. I blame it on the keys being too sensitive. And right, maybe less wives would help with his memory.
Network execs should ask themselves if trying to become kingmakers is really worth it? Just ask Boris Berezovsky, the Russian media mogul that helped sell Putin to their people post Yeltsin. He ended up in exile in England and then was found dead under a staged suicide. Even if they don’t fear for their lives ( yet), what else will TFG order them to do? And when they refuse? Why do media execs believe they can trust TFG if they help him win by playing “neutral” in this election?
Heather packed several days worth of information in this one letter. Holy cow!
Why oh why isn't every newspaper in the US printing this above the fold on page 1?
when right-wing activist Jack Posobiec opened this weekend’s conference of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) outside Washington, D.C., with the words: “Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely. We didn’t get all the way there on January 6, but we will endeavor to get rid of it and replace it with this right here.” He held up a cross necklace and continued: “After we burn that swamp to the ground, we will establish the new American republic on its ashes, and our first order of business will be righteous retribution for those who betrayed America.”
How can ANYONE vote for these Fascists? None of them are afraid or ashamed to scream the quiet part out loud anymore.
With one simple selfish justification. "I like my money and I want to keep it." Bigotry is fuel for greed. "Those others are coming for my money". And it's not the first time religion has been appropriated as a tool for theft and murder.
One can only hope that there are followers of that cross who will be repelled and angered to the point of voting for a Blue Ticket - top to bottom. Hoping...
Agreed. There are millions who are so disillusioned that they have just shut down. Stopped listening. Stopped participating.
When we all watched the same news, it was easier to find a common narrative. Cronkite and Brinkley were generally reporting the same events. The competition was to get the story first and get it right.
Posobiec's words, and at CPAC mind you, not a Proud Boys convention, qualify as a gut punch. This is not my father's GOP, not that it was perfect either- but even worse, Posobiec needs to get his dirty mitts off the Cross. It has nothing to do with what he or Team Orange want.
How can anyone vote for? Well they are not just anyone. They are simple minded people who do not read or watch anything but what they are told to read or watch. If the groper in Mar-a-Lago says watch this or read that they do. If they are told COVID is a hoax, they believe it. If an election is stolen, they believe it. And on and on.
At the top of this pile of hubris (who are 'Not' OiD) are self affirming, stroking, out of touch exec. types from 4 disciplines. Despite differences, they have much in common with manipulators like Musk, who really believe to their cores that they are entirely self made, god like leaders and creators. They all believe that collectively they can disrupt a nation like ours, then rebuild it to their liking; They are self assured they can put Humpty Dumpty back together again, no matter how chaotic, lawless the mess becomes. _rump, for the time being, is but a useful 'tool' - means to an end.
...they believe collectively they can disrupt a nation like ours.
And they are.
Years ago, when I was working in a job, trying to change people's (in power) attitudes about improving social safety nets and helping out vulnerable populations...my mentor said...we are seeking evolution, not revolution... Evolution happens slowly and avoids awaking the forces that would push back on change. Republicans have mastered the evolution social change method (unfortunately reversing decades of efforts that strengthened democracy). So much so, even Democrats have been complicit thinking their compromises were essential to governing. (Why didn't the democratic party pursue the 2016 Russian election interference of 2016 at all costs. If not through legal channels...then through massive media channels? Or through local channels like getting rid of the electoral system) Only now is the Democratic party understanding how pervasive and successful the Rs efforts have been.
They've done it so well ...we think it all started with Trump. It started long before and Heather Cox Richardson has done a beautiful job helping us see the undercurrents of anti-democracy efforts in play since the birth of our nation.
Democrats it's time to get off of our lazy butts and play hardball.
True. He's microdosing only the most XP€N$IV $H1T and thinks it makes him a genius (speaking of South African parodies, that's a Die Antwoord reference)
A producer for Jimmy Kimmel went to SC and talked to Trump voters. She read them statements she said we're from Biden and they all condemnef him; then she says, oops, I was wrong , that's what Trump said. They INSTANTLY switched to making excuses. One woman said she didn't believe he'd do that. Saying these people are in a cult truly is no exaggeration.
I saw that. It’s crazy how they switched gears on a dime to defend their position. I bet they thought since she said she made a mistake that their previous statement would be edited out.
I always thought that he was too ignorant to know that he was ignorant. Sort of like chump. Catered to his whole life and did NOTHING on his own. Useful idiots, pretending to be president. Come to think of it, describes Reagan, W and chump. It's a mystery how the USA is still functioning at all.
Americans in Name Only! We need to call out the AINOs who are Putin sympathizers, pseudo religious zealots, white supremacists, and/or Christo-fascist traitors. They are willful home-grown terrorists, no better than the terrorist who bombed the WTC and probably worse. Show them no quarter!
Heartbreaking is the word for it. I don't remember her pushing back and asking why it was okay for Trump to say the things they thought were bad for Biden to say.
That has been debunked. Trump was referring to Mercedes Schlapp, a former White House staffer and wife of the cretinous Matt Schlapp, head of CPAC. What is actually more interesting about that is the fact that he didn't refer to his wife by name, only as "first lady."
I wonder to what extent the news media is intimidated by the numbers and fanaticism of MAGA? Like the occasions when the Bundy gang got kid glove treatment for threatening officials with guns? Had they been (armed) environmental protesters or Black Lives Matter, it is hard to imagine such restraint. I think there is a strong element of intimidation from the right wing, and they do all they can promote it.
It was a serious blow to the concept of equal justice and rule of law, and thus for the power and respect of rule of law. Prohibition is one of many examples (organized crime flourished) of what happens when a law is not respected by the public.
I think Obama was cowed by the hatred against him and the republican opposition to EVERYTHING he tried to do. I was surprised that he lived through two terms. I'll bet the secret service could tell some tales.
Yes, you are correct.We The People who are informed know that the msm are part of the problem and are also trying to install Trump for mainly monied reasons.Heather’s letter today should be read by everyone.Shame on the press but we will get her message out to as many people as we can.I forward this letter every day to several people who also do the same. Knowledge is power and power to the people!
TFFG doesn't even know what a grandchild is anymore. But I don't blame him, all of his progeny are serial immigrators and therefore have poisoned blood. All except Tiffany who TFFG seems to have disowned.
I read a few things recently about this. The media reports what is new, not what is important. We all know that Trump is like this; that he slurs and rambles and mistakes words and talks like a fascist. It’s not new, but it is very important. We also all have an expectation of competence from Biden, so when he makes a gaffe, the media thinks it’s important when it’s not. The two things are not the same.
Thx. He squashed every single (f’kg) whataboutism question she tried float, handily. He’s formidable, she’s an employee with a headset, a teleprompter and a producer working for the Board of (f’kg) directors
Sorry for letting my inner TCinLA loose. Its a Mr Hyde thing
“The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum. That gives people the sense that there’s free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of debate.”
Sounds exactly like what the MSM is doing. By spending so much of its time and attention focusing on Biden’s age and saying next to nothing about Trump’s age, his memory failures, off the wall looney statements, etc. etc., the MSM is effectively “limiting the spectrum of acceptable opinion”. In other words they keep the focus, the debate, on Biden and in the process keep people much more “passive” to the lunacy that is Trump. The MSM can claim there is “very lively debate” taking place but they (the MSM) are limiting it “within that spectrum”.
Ya, sure (sarcasm intended), “there’s free thinking going on” but only if the focus is on Biden’s age and not Trump. As you say TC that is profitable, they need Trump around to fill their wallets. If they exposed him for the looney he is then the drama they’ve created goes away. If you ask me the MSM is being complicit in the way things are moving toward the potential destruction of our Democracy.
Maybe soon he'll forget his own name. Wouldn't that be nice? I can picture orange man's sermon on the mar with cue cards, going off on rant upon rant. Makes me think of Mel Brooks and the stand up philosopher bit. Nobody ever ruined a good joke like orange man.
The media are how we know what we do. The problem is people who ignore news until another part of the media calls their attention to it. Then they complain about the media. If the Times gets it wrong say so, especially if the Post got it right. Trump gets his ideas from they as in they say. Talking about the media without specifying is just as ridiculous.
I have a dear young friend who also went through IVF. She told me that heartache of not having viable eggs numerous times was so awful. Plus, she had had 5 miscarriages, all at the 3 month stage. Finally, last year, while on IVF, she and her husband could proclaim that she was pregnant. Three months ago, she gave birth to a handsome son. She is 38 years of age. No couple should have the rug pulled out from them because some white guy thinks he’s got all the answers. No man should be informing women what she can or cannot do…PERIOD!
Those who claim to be "pro-life" are, in reality, only pro-birth. May your friend and her husband and their baby have a long, happy, and healthy life, and may all those who are trying to conceive succeed despite the impediments the scripture-quoters put in their way.
Remember this: Powerful right wingers are rich white male fascists. They can obtain abortions for their women no matter how illegal they become. The reason they want to ban abortion is to increase the number of babies born to poor mothers who will grow up to be paid slave wages and thereby increase the profits of their enterprises. Keeping those poor folks from voting for democrats is easy, as we all know by now.
I don't think it's that conscious. If you talk to them, they don't want black and brown babies. It's just misogyny. After all, it increases their power to have women relying on their rich and powerful boyfriends/ husbands/ adulterers.
Very true. But the Republicans need their white Christian anti-abortion base. The oligarchs need those votes desperately to help them destroy democracy and increase their wealth as a result. They think they can maintain their power even if their abortion bans marginally increase the number of black and brown babies, which they will gleefully gerrymander into meaninglessness. This is offset by the increased birth rates of working class white babies, which also increases the number of low-paid workers into the future and continues to fuel the white Christian nationalism that keeps all those white workers under the spell that the wealthy have their best interests at heart. Misogyny is a powerful and essential part of the madness we just can't seem to eradicate.
Not just pro-birth, but anti-women. Women without the right to make decisions about their own reproduction.. women as “baby-making-machines” for men who believe their status is derived by the number of offspring (mainly sons) they have fathered. Women’s right to use contraception is next!
Their actions speak louder than their words. I don't have data to prove the point, but we suspect that the people who insist on forced birth are the same people who insist that we should have no restrictions on gun ownership.
One website I found avers that there are 466 million guns in private ownership in the US.
Your observation about the correlation is 100% in my little corner of the world. I just read a FB discussion between three retired folks from my field (two street cops, including one who couldn't finish out his career and ended up selling real estate, and a medical examiner); the cops are 100% convinced that CPAC info is gospel and that the 2020 election was stolen. One of these guys I have alluded to recently as being so anti abortion that he could barely acknowledge that a child who became pregnant after being raped by her father should be able to abort the fetus. Sigh. They believe that stuff with all their pointy little hearts.
At least my ME buddy is very well spoken and articulate.
Texas is about to execute someone else, and I have to remember to make a call in the morning. And, of course, Alabama executed a man by nitrogen poison while the top judge there was saving embryos.
The number of botched executions since the "good" <please note there is nothing "good" about them, only that they are efficient and effective> lethal injection drugs are no longer available is mind boggling; worse is the fact that these killing states do not seem to care.
It's worse than that, Marlene. NO lawyer, judge, or law maker has the right to dictate ANYTHING about a medical procedure about which they have never been trained
Physicians have to go through 4 to 5 years of pre-med education, a grueling and expensive quest to get into med school, 3 to 4 years of medical school, one year of internship followed by three to seven years of Residency. My, now deceased, daughter was a physician, specializing in Dermatology. I know the strain she was in (and she was a straight A student from Junior High school on.)
I am not belittling lawyers, they also need 4 to 5 years of pre-law and 3 to 4 years of law school. But nowhere does that include medical training.
And frankly theology is not exactly a taxing subject
Marlene Lerner-Bigley (CA), one of my friend's children was conceived through IVF. Connor is now 16, about 6' tall, driving, going to school, playing sports, and having fun with his friends. (And cleaning my gutters in his spare time )
4 of my nephews are from IVF -- 2 sets of identical twin boys from 2 different sets of parents.
If there are 340 million Americans and the 2% number for IVF births is accurate that's 6.8 million people in the US many of whom have and will do amazing things.
Right on to you too, Doug. I think it's time for Heather to host a retreat of some kind or reserve a bar with a view of the Maine coast, something where so many of us that obviously share so much in attitude and point of view could meet face to face and enjoy each other's company for real.
Marlene, I'd love to be in the company of people who see the truth about Trump and his dangerous
Rhetoric and actions.
I live in a town, county, and state where most people love him and refuse to hear any truths about his despicable character. Either they don't WANT to believe it, or they Dont CARE.
I even have a neighbor who said during Trump's presidency that he didn't care what he said, how he said it, or what he did. His policies were what mattered.
I am almost drowning in a sea of mucky Trump waters.
Even if Joe Biden is infirm, feeble and a poor communicator he can be relied upon to surround himself with smart, experienced and articulate advisers and staff. Trump will surround himself with people like himself. Your choice.
Joe Biden is not infirm. He is not feeble. He rides a bike for recreation. He does not need to be driven around in a golf cart. He is an excellent communicator, speaking slowly because of the stutter that he has generally conquered. He knows where his values lie. He knows that our country's democracy is fragile. He knows that Trump's autocratic vision would mean the end of our democracy. And he may not know it, but many of us who contribute to these pages, or who just read them, would be targeted for "retribution" by the white christian nationalist regime the former president seeks to impose.
Yes, agree completely!! Biden's health, stamina and acumen is way beyond tfg's!!! Ridiculous how the media keeps harping on Biden's age! Being just 3 or 4 years younger than Biden, the tfg can't be called young or fit in any sense of the word, and yes, he's a heart attack waiting to happen, for sure!
My spouse is praying daily for a myocardial infarction to be visited on T****. Until I pointed her to that 'Mercedes' video, she wouldn't believe it to be so blatant an example of his declining mental state. Now if the MSM would give that as much air time as they do to every Biden slip of the tongue, perhaps the idiots who still support the Orange Skidmark would begin to see the light.
I have never believed in the efficacy of prayers of intercession.
But considering the damage that would likely be done to Creation if the orange menace were to legally move into the White House, I think maybe prayers of intercession might be worth the effort.
As Heather seems to take more of a directly-critical approach to trompy and his MAGA cult these days, I've wondered to myself if she worries about her security. It's bonkers to me that this thought has come up on occasion, but given the bonkers world we presently inhabit, it is sadly an appropriate concern.
"Religious retribution" seems to be an oxymoron, or should be viewed that way. My impression over the years is that people who really understand Jesus tend to be humble, and kind, and easy to be with and hang out with. I think the people who are aggressive, and violent, and who don't understand the wisdom of the First Amendment, seem to use Jesus' name as a badge, without really understanding what he was about. Following his advice and wisdom can be extremely difficult: love your enemy? That's not intuitive or easy, and it appears that many people can't figure out how to do that. But they know they can claim to be Christian and get automatic approval from many people.
I would not give voice to that fear. I would not want to put an idea into the mind of some confused half-wit.
Maybe everyone who has expressed adverse attitudes toward the execrable lump of protoplasm need to be paranoid if dipstick is legally elected in November. The Nazis and the Soviets and all manner of bad guys did things like going over things people wrote in their private diaries, let alone published for the whole world to see. The violent scenarios in my imagination are bad enough -- when they come to me from other people, it's worse. If you were in a war you would know that it never goes away. Always alert for danger. Always doing threat assessment. Even in the quietest neighborhood. Even half a century later. The people who are threatening violence and war are beyond despicable. They have not seen the light. If they had seen the light, they would not be violent or aggressive. They would seek peace, and patiently work toward consensus. We can try to help them see the light. But all attempts thus far have failed. We need to keep trying to get through to them somehow.
You are so right! Perception is reality and the Trumplican's are experts at creating false narratives and selling it to the American people. Don't be fooled!
The press and media outlets are running with the Trumplican's gaslighting game. Joe Biden may be old but his performance and servant leadership are outstanding. Aging is a privilege, not a curse and should be celebrated. I stand with President Biden.
Among the many forms of prejudice in our nation, I believe age-ism occurs in far too many minds. We do not venerate our elders, unlike places such as Japan. And G*d help the poor elder citizens who did not manage to accumulate enough wealth to sustain them comfortably in their retirement.
David you are right about so many other cultures being anti-ageism if anything.
I am 69 years old and work with dozens of Indian computer programmers. I am almost embarrassed when they treat me with so much respect. If I'd have known this about Indians I would have married differently. /S (Don't tell my wife or my kids I wrote this).
As someone that voted for Ralph Nader and Ross Perot twice, I understand their thinking. But Biden has accomplished so much and helped all Americans, not just the 1% that I will vote for him regardless of who runs against him.
When I heard tffg's words regarding people who volunteered for military service, it amplified my belief that not only was he unfit to serve as the 45th president -- he is unfit to serve in any capacity of public trust. We couldn't even trust him to do the right thing if he were allowed to be a "dog catcher".
Look at all of the amazing things Jimmy Carter accomplished after he served as President. All of the homes he helped build, the books he wrote, the elections he monitored and so many more things. Both him and Rosalyn gave so much of their precious time to help so many people.
I can see the Biden's doing the same thing when he leaves office in 2029.
I have concerns that the odds of serious illness rise with age and are at least to some degree unpredictable. That said, Biden's output is impressive. Minor gaffs are meaningless. Who never misspeaks?
Reagan was "As Seen on TV" slick, while Carter was substance without the gift of banter. Some of Biden's utterances that HCR has featured here have been eloquent, is but he not a practiced orator.
It would be my guess that Trump's appointments have been overall the worst and most corrupt choice in the history of the presidency. Not in a theatrical way at least. TV encourages us to pick entertainers over thinkers.
Corrupt men/people will only surround themselves with other corrupt people. An honest person might spill the beans. Corrupt people have enough on each other that they will follow the rules of omertà.
I completely agree. Biden has hired some great people in his administration, which I think shows where his heart lies. Only I'm not so fond of Merrick Garland; but that said he is between a rock and a hard place regarding taking classified documents home.
I know. I wrote the comment very late and wanted to get to bed. I was actually surprised there was so much nitpicking about the verb rather than the statement of fact. Thanks for understanding!
You’re being vague. Throwing a link in peoples face isn’t saying a think about what you, specifically, are getting at. Not a discussion. Fling your mudd elsewhere
I believee the Alabama Supreme Court made a colossal mistake in its supreme judgment. Here is why:
Scientifically and biologically speaking, the Alabama Supreme Court's recent ruling equating fertilized embryos outside the womb with legal "personhood" and rights equal to born children does not align with the realities of human embryological development.
For an embryo to progress into a viable fetus and eventually a child, it requires the nurturing environment of the uterus/womb. The intricate processes of - cell division, differentiation, implantation, placental formation, etc. - can only occur properly within the physiological conditions provided by the mother's body during gestation.
A fertilized embryo outside of that context, such as those created through IVF and frozen for potential transfer, lacks the biological ability to develop into a child autonomously.
It remains in a suspended, undifferentiated state without the biochemical signaling, protection, and nutrient exchange facilitated by the uterine environment.
From a strictly scientific perspective, the Alabama court's ruling ascribing full legal "personhood" to embryos outside the womb at the point of fertilization is extremely tenuous & wrong. The biological dependence on the maternal conditions for any realistic chance at further development undermines the rationale for considering such embryos ontologically and legally equivalent to children.
Judges, you need to get this right because it impacts thousands of families. Currently, your logic appears seriously flawed.
This judge cares not a whit for logic or law. He cares only about ramming the terrible swift sword down America's throat. The only difference between him and Hamas is the color of his robe.
Shane, I saw a great meme featuring Dame Maggie Smith, in her Hogwarts (or maybe it was Downton Abbey) costume, with a quote "Religion is like a penis. All well and good to have, but do not take it out and cram it down my throat."
For some reason, I am thinking of that meme a lot these days.
E.B. in Baldwin, NY, writes: I would like to note the lovely concept of "malicious compliance." It refers to when someone makes a stupid rule, and another person or people comply with that rule forcing the rule-maker to suffer the consequences.
In the United States, around three quarters of a million eggs are harvested each year for IVF, many of which go unused. Fertility clinics fear they would have to shut down if they are not allowed to destroy unused embryos. I suggest they should instead simply comply with the rule. Malicious compliance.
Alabama, like probably every other U.S. state, has a Safe Haven law. It allows parents to safely and anonymously surrender any unwanted "child 45 days old or younger." The state takes custody of the child, including responsibility for all expenses, until the child is adopted or turns 18. In the case of an "embryo child," the state would be stuck with eternal maintenance expenses, unless they can find enough women each year in which to implant them all.
Exactly so! A carrot seed is not a carrot unless it is planted into fertile soil at the right depth, and watered and weeded regularly. It’s crazy and ignorant to think any other way.
I think it's the notion that our bodies are some sort of embarrassing encumbrance rather like a mobile cocoon, and the actual person is something that cannot be pysically detected or measured, so science is beside the point. The judges assume that certain something is imbued or created when an sperm meets an egg and that's that.
Annie-- to say these judges have no scientific understanding is an understatement.
Years ago, a company I was invested in had their patent infringed upon. It wasn't an exact copy of our device, but extremely close.
The Federal judge ruled in the other companies favor because he had no understanding of science or engineering. And he specialized in patent law cases.
But just as bad, is that the Republican Supreme Court justices are pushing the US to be a theocracy when they have no regard for what the Bible teaches.
Gary, regarding the movement to convert the US to a theocracy, we have not yet seen nor heard any attempt on their part to articulate the metaphysical aspects of their religious beliefs. Evidently they believe that everyone shares their beliefs, so there is no need to say out loud what they believe, or to justify what they want to do, using reason and logic and rhetoric to persuade the rest of us that they are right and justified in their desire to convert our secular nation into a one-religion theocracy. I want to hear them articulate their brand of theology. They can't, or won't, because all they can say is "Well, that's what I believe". So far nobody has been able to describe the Supreme Being, or demonstrate its existence, in the same way that we can describe a molecule consisting of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. They should be called out and required to describe their metaphysics in detail, and to defend it publicly.
Well put David. If you asked 1000 "Christians" to articulate the metaphysical aspects of their religious beliefs it's likely you would get 1000 different answers.
Or maybe many of them would cop out and say, "whatever Trump believes."
I don't recall anyone asking a Trump support to describe the metaphysical aspects of their belief, partly because they wouldn't understand the directive.
Freedom of religion means that you and your friends can believe what works for you, but not impose it in anyone against their will. Many reformists are motivated by their religious beliefs, such as MLK, but the whatever the source of the belief, democratic rule of law is to be negotiate by the collective people and to be supported by evidence that can be viewed buy all. We don't necessarily know why Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald but I think few doubt that he did it. Pasteur proved germ theory (vs "spontaneous generation") an you can do the same by "canning" some plums. That's verification we can share in as opposed to prophesy, and as such, is inherently. Yes, we can't observe Higgs Bosons on the kitchen table, but people with the right gear continue to labor to demonstrate as openly as possible whether they are real or not by continued experiment, and that's unlikely to impact governance any time soon.
RBG did so many great things for over 20 years that it was hard to fault her for not retiring. So we end up with Amy whose father runs a sub-cult of the Catholic Church that believes that women are subservient to men. And that's ok, if she didn't take that belief into her decisions and followed the law instead of the Catholic Church.
Tom Parker, the Lead Judge on the Alabama Supreme Court, is a totally abolish abortion and contraception because his (and Mike Johnson’s) religious beliefs based on a who has been working for years to abolish abortion and contraceptives because their faith believes that God owns and controls seven pillars or mountains of life, including family which is defined as men in control of women whose job is to have babies. It’s an insidious and insidious misreading of Revelations. That’s the reference at CPAC. Few Evangelicals believe this except Christian Nationalists.
What's especially "fun" about the Alabama Supreme's decision is that it's the Court of last resort for this question of Alabama law. The only way it can be "overturned" will be for the Alabama legislature to pass a law to supersede the decision. And I hope they televise the gyrations that body will have to go through in order to somehow protect IVF without saying that embryos are not people. Hahahahahahahaha (retch).
Dirk, there exists a mouse trap with a teeter-totter like plank that dumps the mouse into a bucket of water where it struggles to keep its head above water before it drowns. Talibama has jumped the shark catching the automobile. May the Spirit of Karma drown them all
And there’s that little matter of the Constitutional separation between church and state…. Declaring a few cells a person is clearly not the position of all religions (nor agnostics, like me!).
That's far too logical for the battles we find ourselves in Tim; Accurate, but too logical.. and long. I'm not objecting; I'm just saying these battles have address logic and "feeling." We have to ask the right questions, which is what we're not doing enough of.
I agree with you. Most people understand things from the gut and not from logic. What is happening with IVF embryos has nothing to do with logic/science.
Thanks for your comment! I think you are right that just having fully human DNA in a single cell or even a few cells does not necessarily constitute being a viable human being. At that point you are a potential human being.
As far as preventing unwanted pregnancies, there is birth control and the morning after pill for that, and these solutions need to be widely available.
Things do then get more complicated morally as the pregnancy continues. A cutoff for abortion no-questions-asksed might be just before the baby first gains consciousness, unless there are medical complications beyond that point in time.
Of course, I'm male, and so we need women to chime in on such a debate.
We clearly have plenty of human beings to go around! So even from a practical perspective, banning birth control makes no sense. And of course the potential mother should be able to choose this course of action.
Matt, it’s always been about the patriarchy believing in the right to control women. Nothing has changed. It may look like change on the outside. It isn’t change
Won’t be from a “practical” perspective; it’ll be from a fundamentalist, Bible-as-literal-guide to life perspective. Not to mention male superiority, self-serving, need my ego boosted perspective.
Anne, the sad thing is that it’s been shown that the most effective way of reducing the number of abortions is free contraception. When Colorado tried just free long lasting contraceptives, the number of abortions in teens dropped by 50%. Imagine the effect of free IUD’s, hormonal patches, tubal ligations and vasectomies with no questions asked.
“The program also failed to make it into last year's budget. When the line item was in last year's budget, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote a letter to DeSantis asking him to veto it, citing concerns about what the group called "abortifacients."
Tim, from my reading I thought a fertilized egg does not become an embryo unless and until it is implanted into a uterine environment for a period of time?
Sadly, we have predominantly male judges, apparently without any medical or scientific training or any desire to consult with such, making decisions based on an "end in mind."
The end in mind appears to be to further the control of women's reproductive rights using "advances" in the SCOTUS ruling related to rejecting Roe v. Wade.
Thank you for sharing this. We need not to end our song with pity. We need to move on to determined action so that we protect our Sweet land of liberty!
Republicans offer nothing that is good to the American people. They seem to be friends only of oligarchs, racists, and totalitarians. For sure, they are enemies of democracy and anything that resembles freedom.
James: They are a party bereft of ideas and have no interest in serving the PEOPLE of this country. They continually espouse "freedom" while systematically taking away our rights: our right to be free of fear of being shot, or having our loved ones shot; our right to have self-determination over personal health and self-identity; our right to have laws made based upon a foundational Constitution instead of a Christian bible; our right to live lives free of religious interference and indoctrination, if we so choose; our right to marry whomever we wish regardless of race or gender; our right to have faith that the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food and medicines we consume are acceptably safe; our right to have convenient access to a ballot box; our right to be governed by people who represent our interest, not the disproportionate wish of corporate donors; the right to have affordable health care for all; etc. (I could go on, but I think you get my point.)
They offer something white voters desperately want: Republicans deliver on their promise to preserve systemic white advantages and have done so for over 50 years. That is how they win elections. They have received a majority of white votes in every presidential election since 1968, when they initiated their Southern Strategy.
I’m happy that I know several of people I used to send this now subscribe and read you everyday.
One note of caution for everyone: Mike Allen of Axios is the journalist who recently made a big deal of Biden using note cards (because Biden’s old) when we know everyone (who’s smart) uses them at one time or other.
Yes, I was also disappointed in Mr. Allen making note cards out as something unusual or suspect. As you have said, lots of people use notecards so what was Allen's point?
We Americans are playing a chess game. By way of the Oath of Office, our politicians have agreed to play by certain rules. The ultimate power of American democracy is that we ask each and every American to act in good faith and play by those rules, too. Donald Trump, the Republican Party, certain corporations, certain billionaires and the MAGA horde are acting in bad faith. In a fit of pique, they want to upend the game board and scatter the chess pieces, the Tantrum Gambit. At the State of the Union Address, Joe Biden must declare the Republican Party a domestic terror organization, and he must clearly state that Trump is not the Second Coming; MAGA is not the Master Race; Fascism is not the future of America.
Wow. Not what I expected from Heather. But Yes. We have been infiltrated. We are in big trouble.
Here is the simple truth. Regardless of any concerns you might have... IF you don't vote for Biden and every other Democrat on any ticket ... you are voting for NAZIS. THIS IS WAR.
Who are we? Are we people who love or are we people who hate? Choose now. You either choose or you are complicit.
Bill, now that we have decided that we are people who love, we have to go back out to those friends we might have among the haters and talk with them based on whatever common ground we may still have. Many of my friends are/were loving christians, when I explain to them my pain about the perversion of our faith that is the center of the MAGAt culture, often we can relate. I have made it my personal quest at this time of separation to reach back to some of those and see if their pain mirrors mine. If so, then we have something to talk about, and one Trump voter brought over the fence now, doubles our vote. At this point in time, I'd rather do this than close the bunker door behind us "lovers". There may be some out there secretly wanting to come in, as the South Carolina Primary showed us. I'm happy to say that one old friend has "rejoined" the lovers...on to the next.
Thanks Bruce. When I wrote that angry comment, we had just returned from a dinner with neighbors. People I consider friends. One of them announced that he would be staying home on election day. Five of us reacted in horror. We tried endlessly to explain that he was actually voting for Trump. He would be assisting Trump in getting elected. All five of us repeated in heated tones "if you don't vote for President Biden, you are voting for Trump and Putin!"
And this morning I realized that despite his description of himself as an independent, he was really part of why MAGA has thrived.
My friend is someone who I would want with me in the trenches of a real war. He is the neighbor who is there when you need someone. He has been a unifying leader in town. He's the kind of neighbor you want. And he is a good cook!
But as we went through the issues I realized he was spewing the lies and propaganda from Fox News. Nothing he said about all the major issues reflected reality. His otherwise kind and gentle brain has been poisoned. He believes the lies.
I'll follow your advice. I'll try and try again. But last evening was a demonstration of how powerful and destructive a TV channel can be. I'm not talking about philosophical differences like the size of government or how we should construct a tax code. I am talking about facts vs lies. About Biden, about immigrants, about Ukraine, about what the EPA actually does, the functioning of the Department of Education - his lens is what Murdoch and Sinclair have manufactured. He had never heard of Project 2025. It is terrifying. My friend does not see the danger of Trump being president - and it's now clear why. His world view is based on absolute nonsense.
Putin has been very successful in creating an alternate reality via the very rich who want to keep people like my friend in the dark - so they can continue their plundering.
I’m so sorry, Bill. It’s happening all around us. A dear friend posted a “ the US is a Christian nation” blurb the other day. I gently rebutted. It may harm our relationship. Her husband is a dedicated Fox viewer.
Thanks for that, Bill. Maybe, when you do go back to him, talk to him about your pain. Make yourself vulnerable, and maybe your friend will do the same. The cause of your pain, I can't tell you, but you will know what is common between you, and start the talk on that basis, authentically. This way, rather than telling him what to do, you might have some influence. Maybe: The truth has gone from our culture.
Nice Dave. The only better if, would be if before you tell them what you think, is if you can get on a shred level with them, so they might listen to you. That's why going to a shared pain might be useful for you too. Only a suggestion on my part...if it works for you, Great, and multiple your vote by every one that listens. I have just found that when I tell them what I think they ain't listening any more.
Bruce, empathy is the best method for defusing contentious beginnings. I NEVER argue my position NEVER, I simply state my case in a “matter of fact” manner. If they have questions, I respond with what I know, but I NEVER enter a discussion unless I’m versed in the topic. I ask a lot of questions too. NEVER implying accusation, but rather trying to get to the 5 whys of why the believe what they do. 5 Whys is an insidious methodology of problem solving, and that’s goal, get to the heart if the matter
I don't have the patience or endurance to try to convert ignorant, non-critical thinking ppl, even if they once presented as a friend. They are what they believe. Of the two ppl I have cut off ties with since Nov 2016, one a redneck relative in MS, the other a co-worker "friend" of 15 years. BTW, she was Russian and I often saw her watching Russian newscasts streaming in 2015. I didn't know she was a MAGAt until later. Now I can understand she ate up the Russky propaganda.
"...the leaders of the Republican Party are working to overthrow democracy."
Boom. There it is, in black and white, put down as plainly as could be. We need to do everything we can as individual citizens to amplify and spread the message, in terms just as blunt and plain. Let WaPo and NYT editors hear it, again and again, as well as the other MSM directors. Help voters who haven't been paying attention or can't figure out what's happening to understand what's going on and why it's so important that they vote.
Generally across society we have for a long time been denying and dancing around the truth that HCR just laid out so succinctly. There can be no more avoidance, no more denial. Time is running short. Our democracy is very much in jeopardy, and the only people who can save it is us.
From Heather's essay: 'How religion and authoritarianism have come together in modern America was on display Thursday, when right-wing activist Jack Posobiec opened this weekend’s conference of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) outside Washington, D.C., with the words: “Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely. We didn’t get all the way there on January 6, but we will endeavor to get rid of it and replace it with this right here.” He held up a cross necklace and continued: “After we burn that swamp to the ground, we will establish the new American republic on its ashes, and our first order of business will be righteous retribution for those who betrayed America.”' IS THIS NOT A CLEAR DECLARATION OF INSURRECTION AND SECESSION? IS IT NOT INDICTABLE?????
Tonight's two main topics suggest we are living in a time of insanity. Surely,, every person has a right to his/her own relgious beliefs but where does the rigth to impose one's own beliefs on another come from ? When this extends to the control of another persons body it is in essence a form of slavery. And speaking of slavery have those Republicans who want to end democracy noticed what has been going on in Russia recently ? Forgetting their own selfish motivation would they like their children and grandchildren to live in a country where simply expressing disagreement with the government leads to being murdered by the government? Please people, wake from this nightmare -don't drink the acid. If we don't protect our own democracy and that of others- yes, Ukraine - freedom and the rule of law may well perish from this earth.
The "right to impose one's own beliefs on another" comes from the never ending need to "convert" people to their way of believing. The whole concept of proselytizing makes no sense to me, from the outside looking in.
Hey Nathan, nice rant! All of us here have done it in some form or other. The question now is: What are YOU going to do about it. Illuminating your personal solution and current activities to secure the Vote would help some of us to, maybe move forward out of our hate/rant/separation stage to more productive ACTION states. Please, let us know if you have any ideas we can build into our action plans. Lots of us here seem to have moved to action: Ceaselessly writing Postcards, Stopping our subscriptions to negative Media, Mentoring haters, Writing songs, Making Trump attack Adds etc. etc. We are in this together.
Heather Cox Richardson we continue to spread the truth of these matters in the face of the constant attack on democracy and our rights. The pernicious aggression towards women, rights and social freedoms has to be shut down and stopped.
Thanks to all freedom fighters and your continuing beacon Professor ⭐.
In today's Letter, Heather Cox Richardson, laid out in the clearest terms how Trump has worked with Putin to bring Democracy down.
'The use of Russian disinformation to destabilize democracy in the U.S. looks much like the information warfare Russia has used to establish Ukrainian leaders that worked for the Kremlin. It was the ouster of one of those leaders, Viktor Yanukovych, in the 2014 Maidan Revolution ten years ago that prompted Russian president Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine later that year. Yanukovych won office with the help of American political consultant Paul Manafort, who advised and, briefly, chaired the Trump campaign in 2016, when it weakened the Republican party’s platform plank that supported arming Ukraine against Putin after his 2014 invasion.'
'Seeding lies about corruption that came from Russian-linked Ukrainians was central to Trump’s 2019 impeachment: his phone call to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky demanding Zelensky announce an investigation into Burisma and Joe Biden’s son Hunter was part of an attempt to create dirt on the Bidens. That call happened after Trump’s advisor Rudy Giuliani went to Ukraine, where he talked to “an active Russian agent,” according to the FBI. FBI agents warned Giuliani that he was a target of Russian disinformation.'
'That poison has now spread from Trump’s rogue team in the White House to the Republican Party itself, which has apparently been carrying water for Putin at the very center of our government.' (Letter)
I would add '...that poison has now also spread from Trump's rogue team in the White House...' to The Supreme Court of the US, state legislatures, governors and the American people.
The human brain works in mysterious ways. Reading about T's threat to our D brought "The Music Man" to my mind:
"Trouble (oh, we got trouble)
Right here in River City (right here in River City)
With a capital "T" and that rhymes with "D" and that stands for dictator (that stands for dictator)
We've surely got trouble (we've surely got trouble)
Right here in River City (right here)"
Yep, we've got problems caused by T and it rhymes with D.
Reading this edition of Letters was hard to grasp, I kept flinching at HCRs descriptions of this whole rotten, republican sh*tstorm and I had to go back and reread sentences because it’s all so damn hard to absorb and what came to my mind was a line from Bob Dylan’s “Stuck Inside Of Mobile….”: Here’s the relevant part: “an’ it strangled up my mind…, now people just get uglier an’ I have no sense of time. Oh Mama, can this really be the end?” I was a Marine on my way to Vietnam when I first heard that song and it became one of my favorites.
YES
You were not alone! And, describe it perfectly.
I could not get "The Music Man" out of my mind for the first few years of tfg's era.
Elizabeth, your not being able to get "The Music Man" out of your mind for the first two years of tffg's era shows how relevant "The Music Man's" music and message were and are.
I keep thinking of the movie Elmer Gantry with Burt Lancaster....
So, it looks as though you've hit the bulls-eye, Potter, thinking of Elmer Gantry when the topic of TFFG comes up. For some reason, I haven't, and I think that the reason why I haven't made that association is that Gantry was a mere hypocrite. TFFG was much more than that, actually inflicting harm on great numbers of people and not the very few.
🎯 Potter.
That is the same movie that all of this Trumpism brings to my mind.
Elizabeth, 🎶 were certain words creeping into the language like 🎶 "Incredible". Wow, what a Tell.
The last line should be "we gotta find a way to sway the voters solid blue (until we do we've surely got trouble)".
That we had no idea what Manafort was...where was the media?
'Timeline: Paul Manafort’s long history with oligarch Oleg Deripaska' (WAPO)
Analysis by Philip Bump
September 20, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. EDT
'In March, the Associated Press reported that former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort had drafted a proposal to help advance the business interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2005. In light of that report, we’ve compiled this history of Manafort’s interactions with political campaigns and Russian interests.'
'It became newly relevant on Wednesday, when The Post reported that Manafort had offered to provide private campaign briefings to a Russian oligarch with whom he’d previously done business. This timeline has been updated with what we now know.'
'1976. Manafort helps guide Republican presidential nominee Gerald R. Ford’s efforts at the Republican National Convention.'
'1980. After helping shepherd Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign at the Republican convention, Manafort is a founder of the lobbying and strategy firm Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly in Washington. The “Stone” in that title was for Roger Stone, a longtime Trump confidante.'
'1984. Manafort helps plan the convention for Reagan’s reelection bid.'
'November 1985. Manafort’s firm is hired to represent Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos, apparently after being connected to Marcos via an emissary — Sen. Paul Laxalt of Nevada — sent by President Reagan. (This history comes from Ken Vogel’s thorough look at the relationship.) Manafort’s firm is tasked with advising Marcos on public relations and electoral strategy.'
'Feb. 7, 1986. Marcos wins the country’s presidential election thanks to obvious and rampant voter fraud. Manafort describes his efforts during the election to Time magazine as trying to' “make it more of a Chicago-style election and not Mexico’s.”
'Feb. 25, 1986. Marcos flees the country.'
'1988. Manafort manages the convention for Republican presidential nominee George H.W. Bush.'
'January 1991. Public relations firm Burson-Marsteller acquires Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly.'
'1995. Manafort and partner Rick Davis found a new lobbying firm, Davis Manafort.'
'1996. Manafort manages Republican Robert J. Dole’s unsuccessful presidential campaign.'
'Late 2004. Ukraine holds a series of elections in which fraud is rampant. Viktor Yanukovych of the Party of Regions, who came in second in the first round, wins a runoff in November. Outcry at alleged fraud leads the European Union to reject the runoff results; Ukrainians take to the streets in protest in what comes to be known as the Orange Revolution. On a third ballot, Yanukovych again loses.'
'June 2005. According to the Associated Press, Manafort develops a strategic plan aimed at promoting the interests of the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin.'
“We are now of the belief that this model can greatly benefit the Putin Government if employed at the correct levels with the appropriate commitment to success,” 'Manafort wrote in the document.'
'2006. Manafort signs a $10 million-a-year agreement with the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska apparently based on that plan. The work is not conducted through Davis Manafort but through a separate corporation called LOAV Ltd. Deripaska is identified in a 2006 diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks as being' “among the 2-3 oligarchs Putin turns to on a regular basis.”
'The relationship with Deripaska also connects Manafort to Yanukovych. At some point before parliamentary elections in March 2006, the Party of Regions officially hires Davis Manafort to help reshape the party’s image. The party gains a number of seats in the election, and Yanukovych becomes prime minister in August after extensive political wrangling.'
'January 2006. Davis arranges a meeting between Deripaska and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). The two would meet again in August.'
'July 2006. Deripaska’s American visa is revoked.'
'2007. A secret ledger kept by the Party of Regions indicates that Manafort began receiving under-the-table payments at this point — nearly two dozen of them totaling nearly $13 million. Manafort denies the allegation.'
'December 2007. Yanukovych is ousted as prime minister after parliamentary elections. Yulia Tymoshenko takes the position, becoming the first woman to do so.'
'2008. After the presidential election — Davis served as McCain’s campaign manager, creating some bad press for the candidate because of his business relationships — Davis Manafort is disbanded.'
'2009. Manafort’s business relationship with Deripaska continued until at least this point. It’s not clear when it ended again, according to the AP.'
'February 2010. Yanukovych wins the presidency with Manafort’s help. Beforehand, Manafort warns that he’s concerned about voter fraud working against his client, echoing concerns raised by his next prominent client.'
'2012. The last secret payment to Manafort is listed in the ledger.'
'Feb. 21, 2014. After prolonged protests beginning in November the year before, Yanukovych flees to Russia. The next day, he’s officially removed from his post. This triggers Russia’s incursion into Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea.
'September 2014. Manafort flies to Ukraine to try to help Yanukovych’s former party once again gain power. The party is rebranded as the Oppo Bloc, at Manafort’s suggestion.'
'March 28, 2016. Manafort is hired by Trump to guide the campaign’s delegate-wrangling effort in the lead-up to the Republican convention. He’s recommended for the position by Roger Stone.'
'At some point, intelligence agencies allegedly surveil a call or calls between Manafort and Russian government actors. Manafort later told the New York Times that he had “never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers.”
'Spring 2016. According to the Times, the FBI begins investigating Manafort’s business relationships and ties to foreign powers, including Russia.'
'In this time period, the Democratic National Committee’s email system is hacked by people who U.S. authorities believe are linked to the Russian government.'
'April. Manafort emails Hope Hicks, a senior campaign staffer, telling her to ignore questions sent by The Post about his relationship with Deripaska.'
'May. Manafort meets with Konstantin Kilimnik, a longtime business associate of his. Kilimnik is veteran of the Soviet army who often acted as a liaison between Manafort and Deripaska.'
'June 9. At the invitation of Donald Trump Jr., Manafort joins Jared Kushner, Trump Jr. and a Russian attorney tied to the Kremlin for a meeting at Trump Tower. Read a timeline of that interaction.'
'June 21. After months of tension between himself and campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, Lewandowski is fired. Manafort becomes campaign chairman.'
'July 7. Manafort emails Kilimnik to extend an offer to Deripaska: If the oligarch wanted private briefings on the state of the Trump campaign, that could be arranged. There’s no indication that a briefing was ever conducted.'
'Week of July 11. At the national security platform meeting establishing the Republican Party positions on the subject, representatives of the Trump campaign intervene to remove a call for arming the Ukrainian military to battle Russian and rebel fighters in the eastern part of the country.'
'July 18. The convention begins. Trump is nominated on the 21st.'
'July 22. The emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee are released by WikiLeaks.'
'July 29. Kilimnik emails Manafort to tell him that he’d met with the person “who gave you the biggest black caviar jar several years ago” — apparently a reference to Deripaska. They arrange a meeting in August.'
'Aug. 14. The secret ledger comes to light.'
'Aug. 17. Reports emerge that Manafort also helped the Party of Regions secretly route $2.2 million in unreported lobbying spending to D.C. in 2012.'
'Aug. 19. Manafort quits the Trump campaign, at the request of the candidate.'
'Among the reasons he was asked to resign were Trump’s dissatisfaction with his tactical advice, and news articles raising questions about his ties to Russia and Ukraine.'
'Nov. 8. Trump is elected president.' (WAPO) Article was copied in full.
Thank you Fern!
Thank you, Helen, for your attention and support of Democracy.
Thank you Fern.
This timeline summary puts so much in perspective.
Thank you efh for you attention and support of democracy.
Grateful for your perseverence, also!
WAPO is no longer what it was.
Renee, what is as good as it was; some stuff has gotten better - President Biden, for instance.
I learn a good deal from reading The Washington Post. I recommend its free newsletter 'Today's WorldView' authored by Ishaan Tharoor. The paper's science and nature pieces are very good. Its coverage around the world and the US is solid, if not always what I'm looking for.
Agree. As someone who doesn't live in a major metropolitan area, (so no major newspaper) I prefer WAPO to The NY Times. More straightforward, not editorializing in every article. Far less irritating.
Tharoor is good!
The only thing missing Fern is Manafort’s a presidential pardon from the President Trump in December 2020.
Yes, Chris, the pardon was missing, and there may be others, but this article was written in 2017, so I would not fault the analyst.
Soden was my family name. are you from the albany NY area?
Wow, It is my married name and as far as I know there was no family in that area.
Egad.
Manafort’s work for Putin and Russia have never been a secret. [It is not like this is the ONLY rundown of his tenure working for despots around the world that we’ve ever seen.] Why are we here now, thinking about his work “for” Trump? Do we think Manafort and Stone are OK, just legitimate opponents, not working for the ascendance of Putin, just because they don’t have Russian names?
Fern, thanks. From what I see, only WAPO ran this. Yes ?
Sorry, Les, I cannot account for other outlets that published a timeline of Manafort's work with US on behalf of Russian interests. I do know that it was fairly widespread; but where and when is the work of an archivist, librarian, investigative journalist, etc.
I recall reading that quite early on... in a British publication...
And I heard it on MSNBC more than once. Did it make The NY Times?
Virginia I also remember very good reporting for months from Natasha Bertrand on Chris Hayes show.
Jen. The media? In bed with Trump. I knew of Manafort via publications like the New Yorker
The media did report on Manafort; I remember reading about him and several other trump campaign irregularities. The media reported but we were all so sure that Hillary was going to win and trump was such a nasty unfit candidate...
Helping trump get elected, just as the are doing once again. It infuriates me.
Just like Mike Johnson!
Where was and where is the media!!
Asleep at the wheel. "Access journalism" means cozying up to sources to get carefully measured bits of news. Meanwhile the big story is seldom reported.
Fern, The Ghost of Rush Limbaugh smiles down on the chaos he is responsible for. The Ghost of Ronald Reagan has lost his script and doesn’t know whether to smile or not. Pretty sure Rush will provide him some advice
Dave: Limbaugh, Reagan and their cohorts have been reborn!
I’d have preferred “unborn”, but alas…
Ahhh, but as "unborns" their lackeys would confer on them personhood status nonetheless. Arrrrgggghhhh!
Only in Alabama so far.
Please not to mention those names! I'm joking.
Yes, Fern, we are on a precipice. It’s time to shed exceptionalism—quickly.
FERN, well I would note the poison has been neutralized in Unite States vs. Smirnov in a California Federal Court. Good job by Special Counsel DAVID C. WEISS. Much more to come in 2:24-cr-00091.
SCOTUS is taking a long time to rule on Wreck's Writ for "CERT". A ruling is possible by this Friday, March 1, 2024.
In the Prez Primary Vote in Redder-than-Red, South Carolina. 280,000 voted for Nikki Haley. One exit Poll's found 60% of those Haley Voters would NEVER vote for Wreck. The NBC exit Poll had it the 'Never-Trump' % even higher. That is valuable data for the Biden Team.
Bryan, although the notes you made about a number of actions that reflect a few positive instances with reference to, perhaps, slowing the spread of Putinism/Trump fascism in the country, they hardly neutralize it, if they have slowed the spread.
We will likely NEVER neutralize opposition. We can lessen it, and prevail over it.
That’s our task.
Proposing viable methods for overcoming these efforts to destroy our government — that’s needed at this juncture.
I do not disagree Pat. I just think it worthy to state that DAVID C WEISS has already been successful on a major battle front, the 'impeachment' BS. That victory also includes the Prisoners that will now get trashed at the so-called 'Hearing'.
UPDATED: 2:30 PM Eastern:
True, there are many battle fronts. In a fiery protest act that recalls Vietnam Buddhist self-immolation in the 1960's, an active U.S. airman, AARON BUSHNELL (Age 25) has burned himself to death iat Washington DC, Israeli Embassy on Sunday. to protest Palestinian deaths in GAZA.
Last night, in the first segment of '60 Minutes" a Pennsylvania woman MD who treats casualties in conflict zones reported on the shrapnel wounds of children that she treated 3-4 times a night in a GAZA Hospital.
This Doctor's report came from a battle-environment ready MD that has already done 4 or 5 two week volunteer tours in UKRAINE.
On Ukraine, our Congress dithers at the behest of the Orange Disaster, people suffer and die, and Putin celebrates.
On Gaza, I want our Current President to come out more strongly in support of human decency!! That is something he CAN do.
There have been comments here in the US in various venues to the effect that the US was involved in the overthrowing Yanukovych, the Ukrainian president at the time of the Maidan to the point of saying that we did this and from that that we caused this war. So far has this lie spread. This IS a lie. And when anyone comes across it, it should be beaten back, exposed. Yanukovych fled to Russia; he was a Russian puppet, betraying the will of the UKR people. That is what the Maidan was about. They wanted their independence and to ally with the West, with the EU. Russia did not want that...this is the "why" one of the why's, of the war. It also connects Trump via Manafort to Putin, doing Putin's bidding.
Victoria Nuland gets mentioned a lot and blamed for supporting the overthrow of Yanukovych .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Nuland
Clarity and context — SO important when trying to cope with all that is going on.
[Oh, how I appreciate people like Heather Cox Richardson!]
Thank you, Potter. Misinformation dominates.
The rich white "developed" world is full of "soft fascist" neo-imperialists and their lackeys and minions.
We are worse than the Russians.
One example, documented by a former U.S. Attorney General, is our crimes in the Gulf War, where we used lots and lots of bombs to de-industrialize a darker-skinned country that was actually managing to successfully industrialize:
https://www.amazon.com/Fire-This-Time-U-S-Crimes/dp/1560250712
We have been provoking the Russians for decades, and they finally shoved back. Regarding the repeated NATO promises of "Not one inch to the east!" See https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/russia-programs/2017-12-12/nato-expansion-what-gorbachev-heard-western-leaders-early
NATO started expanding to the east in the wake of Yeltsin's coup against the Duma, and he leaned on President Clinton in his time of need, oops.
And then there was the western-imposed "shock therapy" genocide that killed off all the old people in Russia:
https://archive.org/details/AGenocideRussiaAndTheNewWorldOrder1999
The Russians have reason to hate and mistrust us, just like the darker-skinned countries whose economies have been strangled by the International Monetary Fund.
Quoting from Davison Budhoo's 100-page resignation letter from the International Monetary Fund, confessing his guilt in "our own peculiar Holocaust":
"To me resignation is a priceless liberation, for with it I have taken the first big step to that place where I may hope to wash my hands of what in my mind’s eye is the blood of millions of poor and starving peoples. ...The blood is so much, you know, it runs in rivers....
"The charges that I make touch at the very heart of western society and western morality and post-war inter-governmental institutionalism that have degenerated into fake and sham under the pretext of establishingand maintaining international economic order and global efficiency....
"Will the world be content merely to brand our institution as among the most insidious enemies of humankind? Will our fellowmen condemn us thus and let the matter rest? Or will the heirs of those whom we have dismembered in our own peculiar Holocaust clamor for another Nuremberg?
"I don’t mind telling you that this matter has haunted me; it has haunted me particularly over the past five years. It has haunted me because I know that if I am tried I will be found guilty, very guilty, without extenuating circumstance...."
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oJzvpfFzIKu76oE1CkzZlarRiVpYIggFMFzSt6OgHx0/mobilebasic
The far right faction of the Republicans - now the whole party - has been working on this for years (recounted in Democracy in Chains, Nancy MacLean). The Democrats have been asleep at the switch. Even now the Dems don't seem to be able to tell it like it is, except for a few recent forays in that direction by Pres. Biden and some isolated Republicans such as L. Cheney, A. Kinzinger (to whom no Republicans listen).
Talking about how we destabilized the Middle East with our invasion and destruction of Iraq — I wonder what political party that was? Way back when we used illegal money from SELLING WEAPONS to Iran to secretly fund rebels in South America, who did that? When someone wrote an opinion legitimizing torture and created a plan to ignore the right of the accused by housing prisoners offshore , I wonder who did that? Which party pulled that off, I mean?
We should be carful not to vote for that party in November {Mr. Schmeekle. The US is certainly NOT worse than the Russia state. But we don’t need to vote for people who are trying to be worse …}
Everyone needs to read “Democracy in Chains.” Having read it several years ago and seen Rachel Maddow’s “Koch chain—ALEC, etc.), knowing that Koch Industries is alive and well in Russia in spite of sanctions….
Fern, it didn't have to spread, it was already there, except for the American people, who I am still hopeful have seen enough from the Republicans to vote solid Democratic in November. As Leonard Cohen said, democracy is coming to the U.S.A..
Just horrible.
If children are so precious to the republicants, how can they allow so many to be killed every day in Ukraine? You can call Capitol Hill switchboard and ask anyone —-(202) 224-3121
Or in US classrooms?
"The Republicans want to overthrow democracy." It's already gone, or just a hollow shell stuffed full of super-big-dollar donations. "Corporate Joe" Biden, for example, is the all-time biggest recipient of campaign money from the pro-Israel lobby. The American people don't support the ongoing genocide in Gaza, but corrupt Biden does, because money talks.
Wrong. AGAIN. Are you a witting agent of Putin and Trump, or a useful idiot?
Please don't feed the troll.
Sharon Tobin doesn't want people to think about Biden's complicity in Israeli genocide in Gaza.(More bombs? Yes.)
I have argued with Schmeekle. You can't get through with facts. He writes enough to rope you in and if there is fact, he then casts it perversely, negatively, even outrageously. It's arguing with a wall. But he WANTS to engage you. A wall does not. I am recovering.
Definition of trolling on the internet: "Trolling is when someone posts or comments online to 'bait' people, which means deliberately provoking an argument or emotional reaction."
EVERY response to a troll feeds their algorithm. Unfortunately you can block someone's newsletter on this website but it appears you can't block an individual from showing up in your feed.
DO NOT RESPOND TO SCHMEEKLE. He is a Russian troll. Simply report any of his statements as Russian misinformation.
Russians are smarter than to send this.
Potter doesn't want to discuss Biden's complicity in Israeli genocide in Gaza, so he changes the subject.
I don't know if he is a Russian troll. I'm done with him because engaging with him is foolish and I learned that. He taunts.
Robert Hull is a deliberate liar. Perhaps a paid liar?
Does Biden pay people to steer discussion away from the genocide in Gaza unfolding right before our eyes?
Potter doesn't want to discuss Biden's complicity in Israeli genocide in Gaza, so he changes the subject.
Exactly!! I have argued with him, as well. Until I realized it amplifies him.
That long screed about how we are “worse” than Russia — OMG, does he have a CLUE!?
I do not have to think the US always behaves with the purity of driven snow to know that we ARE NOT worse than Russia. At our worst {and we have done some terrible things}, we do not approach Kremlin-like monstrosity, which rivals the Nazis.
Just saying.
But if you try to explain or counter what he says and he has no response at hand, he segues to something else: "what about this?" or makes another outrageous statement. He wants to engage you and USE you to his end- which is attention seeking and whatever else. This can go on and on.. leading you by the nose.... if you let him.
Potter is resolutely avoiding saying anything about Biden's complicity in Israeli genocide in Gaza.
We are a democracy, very divided ( and naive and wrong) at times as to how to run it and how to behave in the world. Administrations change and use their ideology to actions that affect and have effect all of us. GWBush invasion of Iraq did us great harm in the world.. and Putin uses that . I doubt Gore would have. But I agree Putin is in another category. He's connived into the presidency since about 2000 but also in office before. He is an ill intentioned autocrat, running a kleptocracy, repressing his people, moving Russia toward totalitarianism... while driving Russia's reputation in the world and the goal of world order into the ground. Schmeekle hits you in your vulnerability to the truth of how we have been wrong at times. You want to defend, but he's not listening to you, does not care. It's punching the wall.
Paid Bidenista propagandists have trouble arguing when they run out of talking points.
Trolling is when someone posts or comments online to 'bait' people, which means deliberately provoking an argument or emotional reaction.
You know what trolling is, and he does it.
He does NOT seem not seem to know what trolling, so defines it as he chooses. I have wondered if someone put him up to this.
Trolling is when people post content-free rude dismissals of reasoned thoughts worth discussing.
In the words of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert: "Netanyahu's messianic coalition partners want an all-out regional war. Gaza is just a first step."
https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-02-22/ty-article-opinion/.premium/netanyahus-messianic-coalition-partners-want-an-all-out-regional-war/0000018d-d237-d06c-abbd-daf733870000
Time for your pills.
Coke-head the troll knows what he needs, brought by Eric Clapton:
https://youtu.be/qYS732zyYfU?si=e8AMBlVnBumukV_Q
ooooh, an opinion piece. There's a reason FORMER PM Olmert is wholly ignored and discredited after spending 16 months in prison for corruption.
Lula spent some time in jail and then made a comeback.
And Netanyahu needs a war to keep him out of jail, himself.
Olmert, having been on top, has a view worth considering:
"The ultimate aim of this gang is "purging" the West Bank of its Palestinian inhabitants, cleansing the Temple Mount of its Muslim worshippers and annexing the territories to the state of Israel. This aim will not be achieved without extensive violent conflict. Armageddon."
Doesn't take a former PM to know that about the Likkud extremists
Yes.
True as this is, it’s still the better alternative; and Biden has done an incredible job bringing the country back from Trump’s disastrous chaos.
I have to say I respectfully disagree.
pro-tip everyone -- please do not feed the troll
Are you a troll or you do you just dress that way?
I'm not a troll, and I suspect that your thoughts about trollish fashion sense are make-believe.
John
Israel has supported both Democrat and Republicans in their campaigns. The bond between the US and Israel is tight. And will remain so.
And that makes people like Biden complicit in Israeli genocide.
As well as every person who has helped or received financial help from Israel. As well as the military and arms industry that sells weapons to Israel. As well as every citizen who purchases a firearm from a company that sells to Israel. In other words, your road is crowded. Now, shall I mention Trump and his complicity? His fondness for the pm.
Trump and Bibi were in bed together, and from a safe distance it was hard to figure out which one was on top.
This time around, Trump seems to not be bothering with pro-Israel campaign contributions, which is a curious development.
💓💙💓💙💓💙👍👍👍
Here, Hear! We’ll said!
Ad the media won't report any of this - not the fact that Trump had to refer to a card to name his own children and still managed to forget Eric and Lara, Friday night - not the increasingly looney stuff he spouts. If Biden said 5% ot what Trump says and had the failures of memory and intellect Trump has, there would be a hue and cry about Biden bveing unfit. But they want Trump back because they've lost 60% of their viewers since 2020 and their owners can't get rid of them if they aren't "profitable," so since they can't see further than the end of their owner's nose, we get public idiocy from allegedly smart people like Kirsten Welker (who got her bullshit called by Gavin Newsom today to the point she went to another topic).
Welker is very disappointing. I don’t think I will ever forgive her for calling Trump “Mr. President” when interviewing him.
She is following orders from her corporate owners! And is not a real change from Todd! I no longer watch MTP.
Janet Carter, I could never watch it with Todd at the helm. I don't know what it was, he just creeped me out. Gave me the heebee jeebees.
Could be because he’s doesn’t resemble a journalist in any fashion
Jeri Chilicutt, could be.
Me too. Thom hartmann called MTP Meet the republicans, and I don't find any value in it either.
Jen Andrews, that's so funny how Hartmann refers to the show. Someone recommended Hartmann to me. He is stellar.
Jen Andrews, I thought it was just me that found him creepy. I also found him (and MTP) to be biased and an R bootlicker. Maybe that's why I found him creepy.
Jen. Hartmann!!!!
I stopped watching Meet the Press after Tim Russert died.
Janet, I’m with you. She’s definitely trying to punch above her pay grade.
I haven’t watched MTP for many years.
Nor I…no FOX, no MTP , no TFFG, No Nitwitanyahoo. The infiltration, disinformation, lies, a scourge on our own nation voting rights, women’s right BY THE FACIST RIGHT..has wrought distain, rot the soul of Democracy.
Will it wake the heart of Democracy to come out ? 🗣️CODIFY ☮️ EQUALITY , and HONOR …is it not our place in the world? Were we not the big brother? It sure smells like ‘oh, brother!’ 🤦♀️!
Europe is wondering, the Ukrainian battle 24/7 their bravest die everyday holding the world’s defining line of DEMOCRACY while this mousy minority of traitors in our very our own ‘House’ lay Republicans in Ruin…playing Russian Roulette .
Will we continue seat after seat? Stay Democracy? ..there IS loud affidavit! Yes! Put women/voting/children/truth/rights and freedom long fought for …and needed , FIRST again.
We CAN. Whether WE will …is on the ballot 11/24…
💙💙VOTE ALL THE COMPLICIT OUT💙💙
Neither do I or my husband.
All this calling him "Mr. President" sends a chuckle my way. If he's the president, then he should not be allowed to run again since he will have served two terms already!
Amendment 22, first sentence says, "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once." So for those who believe Trump was elected in 2020, sorry; it doesn't say anything about serving, only if they are elected. Yikes!
I thought that they could put him in January 19th, 2025, give him his 400K (minus the withholding taxes) and send him on his way on the 20th. "The 47th President has now retired."
Ignore the evil bastard.
As a taxpayer, I love the idea. No bodyguards, no convoys…. I counted 6 cars to get him to a recent trial. 🤡💩🎃
Oh, I agree wholeheartedly, Tom. My post was written as a bit of a snark, seeing as how my powers are limited as to our possible remedies. Yet, those on the other side of the aisle that have insisted that he is the president, IMO, should be cautioned about what the 22nd amendment says. (I know, they don't believe in the Constitution anymore)
JFYI - I'll be joining conversations later today EST going forward. Too fatigued and that will be my 'new norm' here on out. Radiation treatments are sapping everything out of me. Cheers !
And Cheers to YOU, D4N!
All with you -- and with everyone that's going through
radiation or chemo!
All here to cheer you.
Take care of yourself. Radiation is powerful, and there's no reason to stress yourself further. (One day, it occurred to me that the news does nothing good for my high blood pressure, so I try to choose carefully.)
Gave up TV when I was 19, I'm 79 now and ever grateful that I did. I chose my YouTube to watch at my own peril.
Sorry to hear, D4N. Stay with us when you can.
Hi 4Dan, I went through radiation treatments 6 years ago. They were a bugger. Rest when you need to, eat good food when you can, say "I love you" to someone every day, and try to accept the new reality you're in, knowing it is not permanent. Also, I found watching Youtube videos of people fixing/restoring things very restful and healing, for some reason. Peace to you.
D4N, just jump in whenever you are inclined or have the energy. My wife has been down that road. Surgery, chemo, radiation, more surgery and ten years of a nasty pill. A tough road to say the least.
I wish for you the same success she has had. Every year since, we have had the joy of reading the results of her annual screening that says "all clear". Phew.
Best wishes from us.
D4N, Radiation sucks your energy. Chemo's no better. Take care of yourself first and foremost.
First things first…
My son faced chemo and radiation at the age of 42. Had a 5% survival rate for a rare cancer that usually shows up in people in their 70’s and heavy smokers. He was not.
He is cancer free now and sending his eldest son to college this year. I know somethings may sound counterintuitive, but walking, even just outside to a mailbox or driveway end makes an enormous difference in healing time.
❤️❤️
Here you are, D4N. Your presence is good for us and for you, too. Big hug, see you soon.
D4N, cheering you on from Florida. Rest, eat as you can, hydrate, be gentle to yourself. I’m holding you in my prayers for healing and strength.
Oh man, sorry to hear this. Sending heartfelt best wishes to you.
Wishing you complete freedom from the illness you are now suffering. May the treatments work the best kind of magic and let you regain strength and vitality. ❤️
Pace yourself and good luck!
D4N, my heart is with you. I’m almost exactly three years out from the start of my treatment, and still no evidence of disease, and wishing you the same good result. A few things that helped me were yoga when I could and meditation when I couldn’t, audiobooks, and just staring out the window at my bird feeder. I had chemo simultaneously and didn’t want to eat much, but protein shakes went down ok and were calorie bombs. Lots of people get relief from gummies, although I didn’t. Oh! And every time I got on that wretched table, I visualized the beams sizzling the f**k out of those bastard tumors! Hang in there, and please keep us updated with your progress - we all care about you.
Sending you warm wishes, D4N. There are so many of us who have these treatments in our rear view mirrors. One step, one treatment at a time and soon you’ll be on the other side.
Standing with you D4N as you get through your treatment. Sending you strength & hugs from here on the Atlantic coast.
That 'fried' my bacon too Marlene. It was never fitting that such a creature occupy the 'office' that it did.
How can anybody watch that Sunday crap anymore. I gave it up 10 years ago.
Ditto.
Welker and Todd ruined Meet the Press. I miss Tim Russert every day.
Try Meidas Touch Network on Youtube and Apple (etc.) podcasts for straightforward, detailed, unvarnished news reporting and analysis, particularly from Michael Popok and Karen Friedman Agnifilo. Popok's podcast "Legal AF" is enlightening..
I watched the Sunday morning lie-fest that Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds spewed, doing a Gish Gallop while Welker lamely attempted to rein him in. Disgusting stuff. Why give any of them a platform for lies? At the first lie, just cut the mike and move on.
His title is President. We didn’t remove him from office; he just wasn’t re-elected. We are not going to change history so keep your attention on keeping him from earning that title again.
I don’t watch the Sunday-morning shows, but it’s protocol to call former presidents “Mr.President.” It happens with Clinton, Obama and Bush, it should be the same for Trump, repellent as he is. Let’s not imitate him.
TCinLA, I heard one of the anchors on MSNBC say that, the other day at a rally, the former guy called his wife, Mercedes instead of Melania.
Trump calling out Mercedes is on video.
Linda A, do you happen to know where his rally was? I could use a good laugh. I'll look it up.
Here’s the video. It was at CPAC. 😆
https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=video%20of%20Trump%20calling%20Melania%20%E2%80%9CMercedes%E2%80%9D&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:fad8cf05,vid:2v2BnB6jn2g,st:0
Seen.
"This is a tale of two brains. Biden's brain is ageing. Trump's brain is dementing."
Dr John Gartner
(And at 84 I'm well aware of fumbling for the word or name I need... and that my thinking has never been clearer...)
At age 78 I fully agree with you! My mind is clear but proper nouns occasionally escape me. I can describe and tell you all kinds of details but the actual name...
Wow - thank you. Everytime I hear "his" voice, I think of SNL....
Gee, every time I hear his voice or see his face I think about doing something illegal.
I think of phony baloney
I could not tell one from the other for a while!
Wowwwww, and he didn’t flinch at all
And the audience kept applauding!
Marlene Lerner-Bigley (CA), thanks so much!
Oh my god!
Me too 😀
Yet he is seen as strong when Joe outperforms him in every way possible. Maybe Joe needs one of those $7,000 haircuts and a glamour shot. God forbid.
That’s funny.
Mercedes must have knocked him back! and that's why he's so obsessed with Mexicans...
Yes, he did. How much crazy do we have to deal with?
TCinLA, a lot, apparently.
He did M; it was hilariously stupid.
D4N, yikes, I just watched it. I'm embarassed for him. It was so bad.
Wonder if he was thinking of getting a new car????? You know they are, um, interchangeable!
Barbara Keating, hahaha. I think it might be time for his family or someone to take him off the stage and for a rest somewhere. He's not well. Probably hasn't slept in months and add that to his pre-existing condition of being a lunatic and well.... he thinks he's married to a car.
I don’t think he knows how to drive.
Needed that chuckle, Barbara!
I’m embarrassed for us. He stopped being funny long ago.
Yes...it's definitely not a good look for this country if we have so many people who are so stupid that they still support Drumpf, a pathetic mock-up of a "leader".
As I was counting down to the end of his "reign," I was sure that we would reject him with vigor, not listen to any excuses, and certainly not excuse his incompetence. I sure have seen that repubs had long ago given up on fair elections.
I’m delighted he was showing his cognitive decline!
I'm with you! Let him show the world just how quickly he is losing what few functioning segments of his mind he has remaining.
Marge Wherley, yes, he was doing a bang up job.
Bet it’s not on any newsreel that the cult watches
Right ? !!!
Why are they picking on Biiden?At least he knows her name!!
I meant to spell it Biden-sorry.I still think it’s funny that Trump can’t remember his wife’s name.Probably doesn’t help that he’s had more than one!
Lynette Stover, no worries, I spell things wrong all the time. I blame it on the keys being too sensitive. And right, maybe less wives would help with his memory.
...or the difference between Marla Maples & E. Jean Carroll!
Lynette Stover, the double standard is alive.
Network execs should ask themselves if trying to become kingmakers is really worth it? Just ask Boris Berezovsky, the Russian media mogul that helped sell Putin to their people post Yeltsin. He ended up in exile in England and then was found dead under a staged suicide. Even if they don’t fear for their lives ( yet), what else will TFG order them to do? And when they refuse? Why do media execs believe they can trust TFG if they help him win by playing “neutral” in this election?
Heather packed several days worth of information in this one letter. Holy cow!
Why oh why isn't every newspaper in the US printing this above the fold on page 1?
when right-wing activist Jack Posobiec opened this weekend’s conference of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) outside Washington, D.C., with the words: “Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely. We didn’t get all the way there on January 6, but we will endeavor to get rid of it and replace it with this right here.” He held up a cross necklace and continued: “After we burn that swamp to the ground, we will establish the new American republic on its ashes, and our first order of business will be righteous retribution for those who betrayed America.”
How can ANYONE vote for these Fascists? None of them are afraid or ashamed to scream the quiet part out loud anymore.
How Gary?
With one simple selfish justification. "I like my money and I want to keep it." Bigotry is fuel for greed. "Those others are coming for my money". And it's not the first time religion has been appropriated as a tool for theft and murder.
One can only hope that there are followers of that cross who will be repelled and angered to the point of voting for a Blue Ticket - top to bottom. Hoping...
Plus most voters do not know the truth and likely never heard of Jack Posobiec or the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Agreed. There are millions who are so disillusioned that they have just shut down. Stopped listening. Stopped participating.
When we all watched the same news, it was easier to find a common narrative. Cronkite and Brinkley were generally reporting the same events. The competition was to get the story first and get it right.
Now we are living in silos of attitudes.
Yes. Blue top to bottom and from sea to shining sea.
Nailed it Bill.
Dan Rather used this ludicrous statement by Posobiac as the centerpiece of this "Steady" column on Friday. https://open.substack.com/pub/steady/p/cpac-speakers-goal-ending-democracy?
Posobiec's words, and at CPAC mind you, not a Proud Boys convention, qualify as a gut punch. This is not my father's GOP, not that it was perfect either- but even worse, Posobiec needs to get his dirty mitts off the Cross. It has nothing to do with what he or Team Orange want.
Why, indeed
How can anyone vote for? Well they are not just anyone. They are simple minded people who do not read or watch anything but what they are told to read or watch. If the groper in Mar-a-Lago says watch this or read that they do. If they are told COVID is a hoax, they believe it. If an election is stolen, they believe it. And on and on.
These folks are just flat out special.
At the top of this pile of hubris (who are 'Not' OiD) are self affirming, stroking, out of touch exec. types from 4 disciplines. Despite differences, they have much in common with manipulators like Musk, who really believe to their cores that they are entirely self made, god like leaders and creators. They all believe that collectively they can disrupt a nation like ours, then rebuild it to their liking; They are self assured they can put Humpty Dumpty back together again, no matter how chaotic, lawless the mess becomes. _rump, for the time being, is but a useful 'tool' - means to an end.
...they believe collectively they can disrupt a nation like ours.
And they are.
Years ago, when I was working in a job, trying to change people's (in power) attitudes about improving social safety nets and helping out vulnerable populations...my mentor said...we are seeking evolution, not revolution... Evolution happens slowly and avoids awaking the forces that would push back on change. Republicans have mastered the evolution social change method (unfortunately reversing decades of efforts that strengthened democracy). So much so, even Democrats have been complicit thinking their compromises were essential to governing. (Why didn't the democratic party pursue the 2016 Russian election interference of 2016 at all costs. If not through legal channels...then through massive media channels? Or through local channels like getting rid of the electoral system) Only now is the Democratic party understanding how pervasive and successful the Rs efforts have been.
They've done it so well ...we think it all started with Trump. It started long before and Heather Cox Richardson has done a beautiful job helping us see the undercurrents of anti-democracy efforts in play since the birth of our nation.
Democrats it's time to get off of our lazy butts and play hardball.
Musk is your brain on an overdose of money.
Nah - my brain isn't nearly as screwed up, pathetic, and irrational as Musk's is.
Few are, but then you probably don't hoover one million bucks for breakfast.
True. He's microdosing only the most XP€N$IV $H1T and thinks it makes him a genius (speaking of South African parodies, that's a Die Antwoord reference)
Musk is rich a white South African. What don’t we understand about that?
I used to think Musk is a horrible problem, but after watching the February 13 Musk- RFKJR interview I have a new opinion of him.
Humpty is shattered, deliberately.
Absolutely...... dangerous stuff.
HCR tells it like it is.
The fifth column operations at the heart of US government are so unbelievable that nobody does.
Plenty of evidence, but the money clouds our alarm system, extinction coming up…
A producer for Jimmy Kimmel went to SC and talked to Trump voters. She read them statements she said we're from Biden and they all condemnef him; then she says, oops, I was wrong , that's what Trump said. They INSTANTLY switched to making excuses. One woman said she didn't believe he'd do that. Saying these people are in a cult truly is no exaggeration.
I saw that. It’s crazy how they switched gears on a dime to defend their position. I bet they thought since she said she made a mistake that their previous statement would be edited out.
And then there was W before chump, in 2000, I saw interviews that still should be rerun. Repub insanity that nobody noticed
Oh, I really disliked that swaggering minor league braggart Dubya, who was PROUD of his own ignorance.
I always thought that he was too ignorant to know that he was ignorant. Sort of like chump. Catered to his whole life and did NOTHING on his own. Useful idiots, pretending to be president. Come to think of it, describes Reagan, W and chump. It's a mystery how the USA is still functioning at all.
Americans in Name Only! We need to call out the AINOs who are Putin sympathizers, pseudo religious zealots, white supremacists, and/or Christo-fascist traitors. They are willful home-grown terrorists, no better than the terrorist who bombed the WTC and probably worse. Show them no quarter!
I think the plural of AINO is ANI. I just like that better.
I saw that too. It was funny, but also pathetic and honestly heartbreaking. The cognitive dissonance is insane. It sure looked like cult behavior.
Heartbreaking is the word for it. I don't remember her pushing back and asking why it was okay for Trump to say the things they thought were bad for Biden to say.
Right? Maybe she couldn’t keep a straight face?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v2BnB6jn2g
That has been debunked. Trump was referring to Mercedes Schlapp, a former White House staffer and wife of the cretinous Matt Schlapp, head of CPAC. What is actually more interesting about that is the fact that he didn't refer to his wife by name, only as "first lady."
OK. Other folks were asking for a link. I found it.
MisTBlue, Where can I find this online? Would it be on the Jimmy Kimmel show this week? Do you remember which night?
Sorry I can't find it.
I wonder to what extent the news media is intimidated by the numbers and fanaticism of MAGA? Like the occasions when the Bundy gang got kid glove treatment for threatening officials with guns? Had they been (armed) environmental protesters or Black Lives Matter, it is hard to imagine such restraint. I think there is a strong element of intimidation from the right wing, and they do all they can promote it.
Yeah, somehow the MSM seems inured to right wing transgressions and lies that they would and have made a thing of if a Democrat was remotely close to such behavior. Journalists might be advised to look at this: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/2/24/2225277/--Art-of-the-Deal-ghostwriter-warns-journalists-that-they-should-fear-for-their-safety-if-Trump-wins
I remember thinking that the Bundy fiasco would come back to bit us in the arse.
It was a serious blow to the concept of equal justice and rule of law, and thus for the power and respect of rule of law. Prohibition is one of many examples (organized crime flourished) of what happens when a law is not respected by the public.
I think Obama was cowed by the hatred against him and the republican opposition to EVERYTHING he tried to do. I was surprised that he lived through two terms. I'll bet the secret service could tell some tales.
Yes, you are correct.We The People who are informed know that the msm are part of the problem and are also trying to install Trump for mainly monied reasons.Heather’s letter today should be read by everyone.Shame on the press but we will get her message out to as many people as we can.I forward this letter every day to several people who also do the same. Knowledge is power and power to the people!
I've always wanted the two men to write down the names of their Grandchildren. One of them could do it.
TFFG doesn't even know what a grandchild is anymore. But I don't blame him, all of his progeny are serial immigrators and therefore have poisoned blood. All except Tiffany who TFFG seems to have disowned.
I read a few things recently about this. The media reports what is new, not what is important. We all know that Trump is like this; that he slurs and rambles and mistakes words and talks like a fascist. It’s not new, but it is very important. We also all have an expectation of competence from Biden, so when he makes a gaffe, the media thinks it’s important when it’s not. The two things are not the same.
Tc. Link to Gavin’s takedown?
Jeff took care of it for you.
kirsten welker vs. gavin newsom
https://youtu.be/uLJSf9Ws2ms?si=Ke-NOmdjsFSQhdbo
Thx. He squashed every single (f’kg) whataboutism question she tried float, handily. He’s formidable, she’s an employee with a headset, a teleprompter and a producer working for the Board of (f’kg) directors
Sorry for letting my inner TCinLA loose. Its a Mr Hyde thing
I like that! :-)
“The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum. That gives people the sense that there’s free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of debate.”
Sounds exactly like what the MSM is doing. By spending so much of its time and attention focusing on Biden’s age and saying next to nothing about Trump’s age, his memory failures, off the wall looney statements, etc. etc., the MSM is effectively “limiting the spectrum of acceptable opinion”. In other words they keep the focus, the debate, on Biden and in the process keep people much more “passive” to the lunacy that is Trump. The MSM can claim there is “very lively debate” taking place but they (the MSM) are limiting it “within that spectrum”.
Ya, sure (sarcasm intended), “there’s free thinking going on” but only if the focus is on Biden’s age and not Trump. As you say TC that is profitable, they need Trump around to fill their wallets. If they exposed him for the looney he is then the drama they’ve created goes away. If you ask me the MSM is being complicit in the way things are moving toward the potential destruction of our Democracy.
So, so, so, so very true... dammit.
Maybe soon he'll forget his own name. Wouldn't that be nice? I can picture orange man's sermon on the mar with cue cards, going off on rant upon rant. Makes me think of Mel Brooks and the stand up philosopher bit. Nobody ever ruined a good joke like orange man.
As well as everything else he's touched.
MSM is lunacy. And that’s the good news.. Zzz, maybe..
The media are how we know what we do. The problem is people who ignore news until another part of the media calls their attention to it. Then they complain about the media. If the Times gets it wrong say so, especially if the Post got it right. Trump gets his ideas from they as in they say. Talking about the media without specifying is just as ridiculous.
I have a dear young friend who also went through IVF. She told me that heartache of not having viable eggs numerous times was so awful. Plus, she had had 5 miscarriages, all at the 3 month stage. Finally, last year, while on IVF, she and her husband could proclaim that she was pregnant. Three months ago, she gave birth to a handsome son. She is 38 years of age. No couple should have the rug pulled out from them because some white guy thinks he’s got all the answers. No man should be informing women what she can or cannot do…PERIOD!
Those who claim to be "pro-life" are, in reality, only pro-birth. May your friend and her husband and their baby have a long, happy, and healthy life, and may all those who are trying to conceive succeed despite the impediments the scripture-quoters put in their way.
Remember this: Powerful right wingers are rich white male fascists. They can obtain abortions for their women no matter how illegal they become. The reason they want to ban abortion is to increase the number of babies born to poor mothers who will grow up to be paid slave wages and thereby increase the profits of their enterprises. Keeping those poor folks from voting for democrats is easy, as we all know by now.
I don't think it's that conscious. If you talk to them, they don't want black and brown babies. It's just misogyny. After all, it increases their power to have women relying on their rich and powerful boyfriends/ husbands/ adulterers.
Very true. But the Republicans need their white Christian anti-abortion base. The oligarchs need those votes desperately to help them destroy democracy and increase their wealth as a result. They think they can maintain their power even if their abortion bans marginally increase the number of black and brown babies, which they will gleefully gerrymander into meaninglessness. This is offset by the increased birth rates of working class white babies, which also increases the number of low-paid workers into the future and continues to fuel the white Christian nationalism that keeps all those white workers under the spell that the wealthy have their best interests at heart. Misogyny is a powerful and essential part of the madness we just can't seem to eradicate.
Eliot Brody.
Not just pro-birth, but anti-women. Women without the right to make decisions about their own reproduction.. women as “baby-making-machines” for men who believe their status is derived by the number of offspring (mainly sons) they have fathered. Women’s right to use contraception is next!
Yes. However, I think the phrase “broodmare status” gets the point across with more impact than “baby-making-machines.”
But flood the airwaves with ads for Viagara for these geezers.
Remember, the right to life ends at birth.
Yes.
Their actions speak louder than their words. I don't have data to prove the point, but we suspect that the people who insist on forced birth are the same people who insist that we should have no restrictions on gun ownership.
One website I found avers that there are 466 million guns in private ownership in the US.
Seems like insanity.
Your observation about the correlation is 100% in my little corner of the world. I just read a FB discussion between three retired folks from my field (two street cops, including one who couldn't finish out his career and ended up selling real estate, and a medical examiner); the cops are 100% convinced that CPAC info is gospel and that the 2020 election was stolen. One of these guys I have alluded to recently as being so anti abortion that he could barely acknowledge that a child who became pregnant after being raped by her father should be able to abort the fetus. Sigh. They believe that stuff with all their pointy little hearts.
At least my ME buddy is very well spoken and articulate.
It's called mandatory motherhood, by G. Hardin.
Yes; but I like Rex's wording - it 'leans' toward vivid, yet brief. The term 'feed lots' comes to mind as well.
They're not even pro birth. They're simply anti women being full human beings. Call them out
Texas is about to execute someone else, and I have to remember to make a call in the morning. And, of course, Alabama executed a man by nitrogen poison while the top judge there was saving embryos.
The number of botched executions since the "good" <please note there is nothing "good" about them, only that they are efficient and effective> lethal injection drugs are no longer available is mind boggling; worse is the fact that these killing states do not seem to care.
Yep.
Hypocrites, all! And if they believe that the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, do they think that they are the Lord?
Their "lord" says whatever they decide he says. Fuck Mike Johnson
Zygote “lives” rule the fools
It goes back to the quote from the Alabama judge where he inserts the word "wrongfully" that will bring about the wrath of God.
It's worse than that, Marlene. NO lawyer, judge, or law maker has the right to dictate ANYTHING about a medical procedure about which they have never been trained
Physicians have to go through 4 to 5 years of pre-med education, a grueling and expensive quest to get into med school, 3 to 4 years of medical school, one year of internship followed by three to seven years of Residency. My, now deceased, daughter was a physician, specializing in Dermatology. I know the strain she was in (and she was a straight A student from Junior High school on.)
I am not belittling lawyers, they also need 4 to 5 years of pre-law and 3 to 4 years of law school. But nowhere does that include medical training.
And frankly theology is not exactly a taxing subject
Marlene Lerner-Bigley (CA), one of my friend's children was conceived through IVF. Connor is now 16, about 6' tall, driving, going to school, playing sports, and having fun with his friends. (And cleaning my gutters in his spare time )
Likewise both the Obama girls.
Really... ? Were the Obama girls via IBF - is that what you're saying Anne ?
4 of my nephews are from IVF -- 2 sets of identical twin boys from 2 different sets of parents.
If there are 340 million Americans and the 2% number for IVF births is accurate that's 6.8 million people in the US many of whom have and will do amazing things.
2 of my grandsons.........twins but not identical.
Gary Loft ME NE FL CT MI IL CA, That's wonderful! And thanks for doing the math; it really puts it in perspective.
Right on, Marlene, right on! (And I'm a man.) END the patriarchy.
Right on to you too, Doug. I think it's time for Heather to host a retreat of some kind or reserve a bar with a view of the Maine coast, something where so many of us that obviously share so much in attitude and point of view could meet face to face and enjoy each other's company for real.
Wouldn’t that be a blast?
Marlene, I'd love to be in the company of people who see the truth about Trump and his dangerous
Rhetoric and actions.
I live in a town, county, and state where most people love him and refuse to hear any truths about his despicable character. Either they don't WANT to believe it, or they Dont CARE.
I even have a neighbor who said during Trump's presidency that he didn't care what he said, how he said it, or what he did. His policies were what mattered.
I am almost drowning in a sea of mucky Trump waters.
I need a life preserver.:)
What policies did he have during his term in office? I always ask that. And the answer is "O, you know".
His policies were everything that were anti-democratic.
Pam, I hope the community here is your life preserver. It has been for me, but then, I live in a pretty liberal enclave.
Thanks!
I am throwing you a life raft, Pam!!
Just caught it! Thanks!!
Oh, my yes. What a heck of a cocktail hour that would be!
I virtually agree.
Even if Joe Biden is infirm, feeble and a poor communicator he can be relied upon to surround himself with smart, experienced and articulate advisers and staff. Trump will surround himself with people like himself. Your choice.
Joe Biden is not infirm. He is not feeble. He rides a bike for recreation. He does not need to be driven around in a golf cart. He is an excellent communicator, speaking slowly because of the stutter that he has generally conquered. He knows where his values lie. He knows that our country's democracy is fragile. He knows that Trump's autocratic vision would mean the end of our democracy. And he may not know it, but many of us who contribute to these pages, or who just read them, would be targeted for "retribution" by the white christian nationalist regime the former president seeks to impose.
Betsy, thank you. 45 is a heart attack waiting to happen and people keep calling Biden feeble. It infuriates me.
Yes, agree completely!! Biden's health, stamina and acumen is way beyond tfg's!!! Ridiculous how the media keeps harping on Biden's age! Being just 3 or 4 years younger than Biden, the tfg can't be called young or fit in any sense of the word, and yes, he's a heart attack waiting to happen, for sure!
My spouse is praying daily for a myocardial infarction to be visited on T****. Until I pointed her to that 'Mercedes' video, she wouldn't believe it to be so blatant an example of his declining mental state. Now if the MSM would give that as much air time as they do to every Biden slip of the tongue, perhaps the idiots who still support the Orange Skidmark would begin to see the light.
I have never believed in the efficacy of prayers of intercession.
But considering the damage that would likely be done to Creation if the orange menace were to legally move into the White House, I think maybe prayers of intercession might be worth the effort.
Me, I’m hoping for a stroke. If only because it would help speed along his obvious dementia.
Good point Marla. And then we could make fun of his slurred speech and gimpy body parts like he does with the handicapped.
Somebody pointed out elsewhere that if they had attended the same school, they would have been high school classmates.
J'Biden was born in November 1942.
TFFG arrived on June 14th - Flag Day - 1946 - Is that an example of irony?
I was born mid-1948.
Well said, Betsy.
As Heather seems to take more of a directly-critical approach to trompy and his MAGA cult these days, I've wondered to myself if she worries about her security. It's bonkers to me that this thought has come up on occasion, but given the bonkers world we presently inhabit, it is sadly an appropriate concern.
I think of the safety of all the brave souls calling out tffg. Especially if he somehow gets installed in the WH again.
What does "religious retribution" look like?
"Religious retribution" seems to be an oxymoron, or should be viewed that way. My impression over the years is that people who really understand Jesus tend to be humble, and kind, and easy to be with and hang out with. I think the people who are aggressive, and violent, and who don't understand the wisdom of the First Amendment, seem to use Jesus' name as a badge, without really understanding what he was about. Following his advice and wisdom can be extremely difficult: love your enemy? That's not intuitive or easy, and it appears that many people can't figure out how to do that. But they know they can claim to be Christian and get automatic approval from many people.
True! And I live not far from her and there are definitely more than a few magabots in these parts...though I doubt they read her.
I would not give voice to that fear. I would not want to put an idea into the mind of some confused half-wit.
Maybe everyone who has expressed adverse attitudes toward the execrable lump of protoplasm need to be paranoid if dipstick is legally elected in November. The Nazis and the Soviets and all manner of bad guys did things like going over things people wrote in their private diaries, let alone published for the whole world to see. The violent scenarios in my imagination are bad enough -- when they come to me from other people, it's worse. If you were in a war you would know that it never goes away. Always alert for danger. Always doing threat assessment. Even in the quietest neighborhood. Even half a century later. The people who are threatening violence and war are beyond despicable. They have not seen the light. If they had seen the light, they would not be violent or aggressive. They would seek peace, and patiently work toward consensus. We can try to help them see the light. But all attempts thus far have failed. We need to keep trying to get through to them somehow.
You are so right! Perception is reality and the Trumplican's are experts at creating false narratives and selling it to the American people. Don't be fooled!
The press and media outlets are running with the Trumplican's gaslighting game. Joe Biden may be old but his performance and servant leadership are outstanding. Aging is a privilege, not a curse and should be celebrated. I stand with President Biden.
And so does my 78-year-old self. : )
The campaign regarding Biden’s age
Is perfectly disgusting and two faced considering he is only three years older than Trump. It’s the only issue
they can think of to undermine him, and mindless at best. But does the GOP possess any intellect? Or honesty? Doesn’t seem so.
I think the donors couldn’t find any other attack. They want Donald The Menace for tax cuts and deregulation; they just don’t want to be obvious.
I have two women friends, both Democrats, who go bonkers about Biden's age. Not sure what triggers it.
Among the many forms of prejudice in our nation, I believe age-ism occurs in far too many minds. We do not venerate our elders, unlike places such as Japan. And G*d help the poor elder citizens who did not manage to accumulate enough wealth to sustain them comfortably in their retirement.
David you are right about so many other cultures being anti-ageism if anything.
I am 69 years old and work with dozens of Indian computer programmers. I am almost embarrassed when they treat me with so much respect. If I'd have known this about Indians I would have married differently. /S (Don't tell my wife or my kids I wrote this).
I have women friends hell bent to vote for Jill Stein again. Go figure.
As someone that voted for Ralph Nader and Ross Perot twice, I understand their thinking. But Biden has accomplished so much and helped all Americans, not just the 1% that I will vote for him regardless of who runs against him.
My guess is that Biden would make it to a convocation of world leaders to honor WWI dead EVEN IN A LIGHT RAIN!
I'd put my money on his showing up even in a heavy rain. I think that he knows what umbrellas are for...and he's not worried about his hair.
He knows, intimately, what a sacrifice combat service is, and what death in combat means.
When I heard tffg's words regarding people who volunteered for military service, it amplified my belief that not only was he unfit to serve as the 45th president -- he is unfit to serve in any capacity of public trust. We couldn't even trust him to do the right thing if he were allowed to be a "dog catcher".
And none of my Veteran RWNJ friends are anything but avid MAGAts.
Quite literally. People who abuse people often also abuse animals.
Thank You, Betsy
In a few years, if I survive, I'll be as old as Joe Biden is now. I hope I will be doing as well as he's doing when I am as old as he is.
I'd be willing to bet that Joe will still be going strong when he celebrates his 100th birthday!
Look at all of the amazing things Jimmy Carter accomplished after he served as President. All of the homes he helped build, the books he wrote, the elections he monitored and so many more things. Both him and Rosalyn gave so much of their precious time to help so many people.
I can see the Biden's doing the same thing when he leaves office in 2029.
I have concerns that the odds of serious illness rise with age and are at least to some degree unpredictable. That said, Biden's output is impressive. Minor gaffs are meaningless. Who never misspeaks?
Joe Biden is not a dynamic speaker. He’s dealing with his lifelong stutter, but his responses are thoughtful, not
Irrelevant witty quips. They are quietly spoken. We have a problem with delivery vs content.
Reagan was "As Seen on TV" slick, while Carter was substance without the gift of banter. Some of Biden's utterances that HCR has featured here have been eloquent, is but he not a practiced orator.
I get frustrated with family who can’t get beyond presentation and look at the content, dismissing Biden as a doddering old man.
It would be my guess that Trump's appointments have been overall the worst and most corrupt choice in the history of the presidency. Not in a theatrical way at least. TV encourages us to pick entertainers over thinkers.
Corrupt men/people will only surround themselves with other corrupt people. An honest person might spill the beans. Corrupt people have enough on each other that they will follow the rules of omertà.
I completely agree. Biden has hired some great people in his administration, which I think shows where his heart lies. Only I'm not so fond of Merrick Garland; but that said he is between a rock and a hard place regarding taking classified documents home.
His motto was never "I alone can fix it".
Change it to "Even if Joe Biden WERE infirm" etc. and nobody would pick bones with your otherwise fine statement.
I know. I wrote the comment very late and wanted to get to bed. I was actually surprised there was so much nitpicking about the verb rather than the statement of fact. Thanks for understanding!
As long as he takes their advice. However, he may lose, bc of his war criminal action.
There’s no war criminal action and you know it
What makes you think I know it? I suggest you take up your argument with South Africa.
Reasons have been given, yet they’re determined to dump blame on Biden now before the election. Hamas will not honor a
Cease Fire they’ve reneged in the past. “Fool me once…”
You haven't answered and change the subject. With regard to your new claim, read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Israel–Hamas_ceasefire#:~:text=According%20to%20The%20New%20York,those%20who%20were%20firing%20rockets. Again "Reasons have been given." Give them. please.
You’re being vague. Throwing a link in peoples face isn’t saying a think about what you, specifically, are getting at. Not a discussion. Fling your mudd elsewhere
I see, no evidence as usual just disinformation from Michigan
There is a movement to get Michigan voters to vote "non_committed" to send Biden a message. Michael Moore has a podcast today.
I believee the Alabama Supreme Court made a colossal mistake in its supreme judgment. Here is why:
Scientifically and biologically speaking, the Alabama Supreme Court's recent ruling equating fertilized embryos outside the womb with legal "personhood" and rights equal to born children does not align with the realities of human embryological development.
For an embryo to progress into a viable fetus and eventually a child, it requires the nurturing environment of the uterus/womb. The intricate processes of - cell division, differentiation, implantation, placental formation, etc. - can only occur properly within the physiological conditions provided by the mother's body during gestation.
A fertilized embryo outside of that context, such as those created through IVF and frozen for potential transfer, lacks the biological ability to develop into a child autonomously.
It remains in a suspended, undifferentiated state without the biochemical signaling, protection, and nutrient exchange facilitated by the uterine environment.
From a strictly scientific perspective, the Alabama court's ruling ascribing full legal "personhood" to embryos outside the womb at the point of fertilization is extremely tenuous & wrong. The biological dependence on the maternal conditions for any realistic chance at further development undermines the rationale for considering such embryos ontologically and legally equivalent to children.
Judges, you need to get this right because it impacts thousands of families. Currently, your logic appears seriously flawed.
This judge cares not a whit for logic or law. He cares only about ramming the terrible swift sword down America's throat. The only difference between him and Hamas is the color of his robe.
Osama Bin Laden seemed to think God was on his side as well.
Then God sent him some SEALs to show him the error of his ways . . .
Well put.
Much appreciated, Anne-Louise.
Shane, I saw a great meme featuring Dame Maggie Smith, in her Hogwarts (or maybe it was Downton Abbey) costume, with a quote "Religion is like a penis. All well and good to have, but do not take it out and cram it down my throat."
For some reason, I am thinking of that meme a lot these days.
That is a great meme, Ally House, and thanks for pointing it out to me!
Touche Shane - well stated.
Thank you, D4N.
From electoral-vote.com:
E.B. in Baldwin, NY, writes: I would like to note the lovely concept of "malicious compliance." It refers to when someone makes a stupid rule, and another person or people comply with that rule forcing the rule-maker to suffer the consequences.
In the United States, around three quarters of a million eggs are harvested each year for IVF, many of which go unused. Fertility clinics fear they would have to shut down if they are not allowed to destroy unused embryos. I suggest they should instead simply comply with the rule. Malicious compliance.
Alabama, like probably every other U.S. state, has a Safe Haven law. It allows parents to safely and anonymously surrender any unwanted "child 45 days old or younger." The state takes custody of the child, including responsibility for all expenses, until the child is adopted or turns 18. In the case of an "embryo child," the state would be stuck with eternal maintenance expenses, unless they can find enough women each year in which to implant them all.
Exactly so! A carrot seed is not a carrot unless it is planted into fertile soil at the right depth, and watered and weeded regularly. It’s crazy and ignorant to think any other way.
I think it's the notion that our bodies are some sort of embarrassing encumbrance rather like a mobile cocoon, and the actual person is something that cannot be pysically detected or measured, so science is beside the point. The judges assume that certain something is imbued or created when an sperm meets an egg and that's that.
Agreed. These judges clearly have no scientific understanding. Or normal inquisitive thought processes. It’s hard to believe I have to say.
Annie-- to say these judges have no scientific understanding is an understatement.
Years ago, a company I was invested in had their patent infringed upon. It wasn't an exact copy of our device, but extremely close.
The Federal judge ruled in the other companies favor because he had no understanding of science or engineering. And he specialized in patent law cases.
But just as bad, is that the Republican Supreme Court justices are pushing the US to be a theocracy when they have no regard for what the Bible teaches.
Gary, regarding the movement to convert the US to a theocracy, we have not yet seen nor heard any attempt on their part to articulate the metaphysical aspects of their religious beliefs. Evidently they believe that everyone shares their beliefs, so there is no need to say out loud what they believe, or to justify what they want to do, using reason and logic and rhetoric to persuade the rest of us that they are right and justified in their desire to convert our secular nation into a one-religion theocracy. I want to hear them articulate their brand of theology. They can't, or won't, because all they can say is "Well, that's what I believe". So far nobody has been able to describe the Supreme Being, or demonstrate its existence, in the same way that we can describe a molecule consisting of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. They should be called out and required to describe their metaphysics in detail, and to defend it publicly.
Well put David. If you asked 1000 "Christians" to articulate the metaphysical aspects of their religious beliefs it's likely you would get 1000 different answers.
Or maybe many of them would cop out and say, "whatever Trump believes."
I don't recall anyone asking a Trump support to describe the metaphysical aspects of their belief, partly because they wouldn't understand the directive.
Freedom of religion means that you and your friends can believe what works for you, but not impose it in anyone against their will. Many reformists are motivated by their religious beliefs, such as MLK, but the whatever the source of the belief, democratic rule of law is to be negotiate by the collective people and to be supported by evidence that can be viewed buy all. We don't necessarily know why Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald but I think few doubt that he did it. Pasteur proved germ theory (vs "spontaneous generation") an you can do the same by "canning" some plums. That's verification we can share in as opposed to prophesy, and as such, is inherently. Yes, we can't observe Higgs Bosons on the kitchen table, but people with the right gear continue to labor to demonstrate as openly as possible whether they are real or not by continued experiment, and that's unlikely to impact governance any time soon.
It’s disheartening, and sad. We all used to hold the Supreme Court in such high esteem.
Of course, the media focuses in on the “right” leaning judges only. There are quite a number of really great judges remaining.
RBG did so many great things for over 20 years that it was hard to fault her for not retiring. So we end up with Amy whose father runs a sub-cult of the Catholic Church that believes that women are subservient to men. And that's ok, if she didn't take that belief into her decisions and followed the law instead of the Catholic Church.
Tom Parker, the Lead Judge on the Alabama Supreme Court, is a totally abolish abortion and contraception because his (and Mike Johnson’s) religious beliefs based on a who has been working for years to abolish abortion and contraceptives because their faith believes that God owns and controls seven pillars or mountains of life, including family which is defined as men in control of women whose job is to have babies. It’s an insidious and insidious misreading of Revelations. That’s the reference at CPAC. Few Evangelicals believe this except Christian Nationalists.
Here’s a source for the Seven Mountain Mandate that Trump has hooked into. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/06/christian-movement, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Mountain_Mandate?wprov=sfti1#
Thank you Rita. The Wikipedia pages are a comprehensive survey of 'Dominion Theology'... a Crusade.
I got a Page 404 on that link, FYI
It works now.
And they believe it so much that they know from the core of their very being that they’ve “corrected” the Bible for God. They’ve got God’s back.
Anne. “Correcting the Bible for God”. How ironically hubris-ed and blasphamist at the same time
Perfectly defined, yes!
What's especially "fun" about the Alabama Supreme's decision is that it's the Court of last resort for this question of Alabama law. The only way it can be "overturned" will be for the Alabama legislature to pass a law to supersede the decision. And I hope they televise the gyrations that body will have to go through in order to somehow protect IVF without saying that embryos are not people. Hahahahahahahaha (retch).
Dirk, there exists a mouse trap with a teeter-totter like plank that dumps the mouse into a bucket of water where it struggles to keep its head above water before it drowns. Talibama has jumped the shark catching the automobile. May the Spirit of Karma drown them all
Or this variation
https://youtu.be/MEaAlxCgO5U?si=pqqcbUBW4ZMi-QH9
And there’s that little matter of the Constitutional separation between church and state…. Declaring a few cells a person is clearly not the position of all religions (nor agnostics, like me!).
That's far too logical for the battles we find ourselves in Tim; Accurate, but too logical.. and long. I'm not objecting; I'm just saying these battles have address logic and "feeling." We have to ask the right questions, which is what we're not doing enough of.
I agree with you. Most people understand things from the gut and not from logic. What is happening with IVF embryos has nothing to do with logic/science.
Well stated Tim, clear analytical work. I attempted to raise these issues over at Professor'Vance's 'Civil Discourse' & failed.
"[H]uman embryological development" -- I attempted to raise the implications of the false premises by deductive reasoning & failed.
I fear tangled, chaotic developments ahead.
Thanks for your comment! I think you are right that just having fully human DNA in a single cell or even a few cells does not necessarily constitute being a viable human being. At that point you are a potential human being.
As far as preventing unwanted pregnancies, there is birth control and the morning after pill for that, and these solutions need to be widely available.
Things do then get more complicated morally as the pregnancy continues. A cutoff for abortion no-questions-asksed might be just before the baby first gains consciousness, unless there are medical complications beyond that point in time.
Of course, I'm male, and so we need women to chime in on such a debate.
Banning birth control is next
We clearly have plenty of human beings to go around! So even from a practical perspective, banning birth control makes no sense. And of course the potential mother should be able to choose this course of action.
I agree, however it’s on their agenda
Matt, it’s always been about the patriarchy believing in the right to control women. Nothing has changed. It may look like change on the outside. It isn’t change
Won’t be from a “practical” perspective; it’ll be from a fundamentalist, Bible-as-literal-guide to life perspective. Not to mention male superiority, self-serving, need my ego boosted perspective.
I only meant "practical" regarding we've already done a bang-up job populating the Earth with humans, and then some!
But the contrary forces want to expand the white birth rate for racist reasons, which they then disguise with preaching Christianity, again to whites.
Anne, the sad thing is that it’s been shown that the most effective way of reducing the number of abortions is free contraception. When Colorado tried just free long lasting contraceptives, the number of abortions in teens dropped by 50%. Imagine the effect of free IUD’s, hormonal patches, tubal ligations and vasectomies with no questions asked.
https://www.colorado.edu/today/2021/05/05/greater-access-birth-control-boosts-high-school-graduation-rates
“The program also failed to make it into last year's budget. When the line item was in last year's budget, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote a letter to DeSantis asking him to veto it, citing concerns about what the group called "abortifacients."
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/health/hlarc-program-florida-vetoed/67-1ab3ffd7-19b6-4d82-9c45-328011d3600a
They behave “reactionary” manner. But for a judge 🤦🏻♀️
There you go, getting all sciency and realistic with these goobers. Have FAITH, man.
<sarcasm. Must avoid the Sarchasm>
Tim, from my reading I thought a fertilized egg does not become an embryo unless and until it is implanted into a uterine environment for a period of time?
Science-informing policy needs integrity-driven explanations like this. Thx Tim Bennett.
Sadly, we have predominantly male judges, apparently without any medical or scientific training or any desire to consult with such, making decisions based on an "end in mind."
The end in mind appears to be to further the control of women's reproductive rights using "advances" in the SCOTUS ruling related to rejecting Roe v. Wade.
“PITY THE NATION” Lawrence Ferlinghetti (After Khalil Gibran) 2007
Pity the nation whose people are sheep And whose shepherds mislead them
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars Whose sages are silenced And whose bigots haunt the airwaves
Pity the nation that raises not its voice Except to praise conquerors And acclaim the bully as hero And aims to rule the world By force and by torture
Pity the nation that knows No other language but its own And no other culture but its own
Pity the nation whose breath is money And sleeps the sleep of the too well fed
Pity the nation oh pity the people who allow their rights to erode and their freedoms to be washed away
My country, tears of thee Sweet land of liberty!
copyright Lawrence Ferlingetti
Thank you for sharing this. We need not to end our song with pity. We need to move on to determined action so that we protect our Sweet land of liberty!
Republicans offer nothing that is good to the American people. They seem to be friends only of oligarchs, racists, and totalitarians. For sure, they are enemies of democracy and anything that resembles freedom.
James: They are a party bereft of ideas and have no interest in serving the PEOPLE of this country. They continually espouse "freedom" while systematically taking away our rights: our right to be free of fear of being shot, or having our loved ones shot; our right to have self-determination over personal health and self-identity; our right to have laws made based upon a foundational Constitution instead of a Christian bible; our right to live lives free of religious interference and indoctrination, if we so choose; our right to marry whomever we wish regardless of race or gender; our right to have faith that the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food and medicines we consume are acceptably safe; our right to have convenient access to a ballot box; our right to be governed by people who represent our interest, not the disproportionate wish of corporate donors; the right to have affordable health care for all; etc. (I could go on, but I think you get my point.)
They offer something white voters desperately want: Republicans deliver on their promise to preserve systemic white advantages and have done so for over 50 years. That is how they win elections. They have received a majority of white votes in every presidential election since 1968, when they initiated their Southern Strategy.
Yes, because corruption is where the money is
And Absolute Power.
I so appreciate your writing to us each day. Thank you for helping me get through this mess we find our selves in as a country. 💙
Me too, Professor!
Love this, Heather, as usual.
I’m happy that I know several of people I used to send this now subscribe and read you everyday.
One note of caution for everyone: Mike Allen of Axios is the journalist who recently made a big deal of Biden using note cards (because Biden’s old) when we know everyone (who’s smart) uses them at one time or other.
And how many reporters rely on their notes via their iPhones?!
We see them with notes all the time. And respect them for it — when and if they get it right.
I just read somewhere that tfg got it so wrong (with cards) at CPAC that he forgot some of his children, including Eric and Lara.
Watch the White House press room sessions across the board the "youthful" reporters are reading their questions from their handheld devices.
Yes, I was also disappointed in Mr. Allen making note cards out as something unusual or suspect. As you have said, lots of people use notecards so what was Allen's point?
We Americans are playing a chess game. By way of the Oath of Office, our politicians have agreed to play by certain rules. The ultimate power of American democracy is that we ask each and every American to act in good faith and play by those rules, too. Donald Trump, the Republican Party, certain corporations, certain billionaires and the MAGA horde are acting in bad faith. In a fit of pique, they want to upend the game board and scatter the chess pieces, the Tantrum Gambit. At the State of the Union Address, Joe Biden must declare the Republican Party a domestic terror organization, and he must clearly state that Trump is not the Second Coming; MAGA is not the Master Race; Fascism is not the future of America.
And then the arrests of these traitors must happen.
It has been reported than DOJ has delivered letters of notification to some congresspersons.
Hoping with all my heart.
Wow. Not what I expected from Heather. But Yes. We have been infiltrated. We are in big trouble.
Here is the simple truth. Regardless of any concerns you might have... IF you don't vote for Biden and every other Democrat on any ticket ... you are voting for NAZIS. THIS IS WAR.
Who are we? Are we people who love or are we people who hate? Choose now. You either choose or you are complicit.
Bill, now that we have decided that we are people who love, we have to go back out to those friends we might have among the haters and talk with them based on whatever common ground we may still have. Many of my friends are/were loving christians, when I explain to them my pain about the perversion of our faith that is the center of the MAGAt culture, often we can relate. I have made it my personal quest at this time of separation to reach back to some of those and see if their pain mirrors mine. If so, then we have something to talk about, and one Trump voter brought over the fence now, doubles our vote. At this point in time, I'd rather do this than close the bunker door behind us "lovers". There may be some out there secretly wanting to come in, as the South Carolina Primary showed us. I'm happy to say that one old friend has "rejoined" the lovers...on to the next.
Thanks Bruce. When I wrote that angry comment, we had just returned from a dinner with neighbors. People I consider friends. One of them announced that he would be staying home on election day. Five of us reacted in horror. We tried endlessly to explain that he was actually voting for Trump. He would be assisting Trump in getting elected. All five of us repeated in heated tones "if you don't vote for President Biden, you are voting for Trump and Putin!"
And this morning I realized that despite his description of himself as an independent, he was really part of why MAGA has thrived.
My friend is someone who I would want with me in the trenches of a real war. He is the neighbor who is there when you need someone. He has been a unifying leader in town. He's the kind of neighbor you want. And he is a good cook!
But as we went through the issues I realized he was spewing the lies and propaganda from Fox News. Nothing he said about all the major issues reflected reality. His otherwise kind and gentle brain has been poisoned. He believes the lies.
I'll follow your advice. I'll try and try again. But last evening was a demonstration of how powerful and destructive a TV channel can be. I'm not talking about philosophical differences like the size of government or how we should construct a tax code. I am talking about facts vs lies. About Biden, about immigrants, about Ukraine, about what the EPA actually does, the functioning of the Department of Education - his lens is what Murdoch and Sinclair have manufactured. He had never heard of Project 2025. It is terrifying. My friend does not see the danger of Trump being president - and it's now clear why. His world view is based on absolute nonsense.
Putin has been very successful in creating an alternate reality via the very rich who want to keep people like my friend in the dark - so they can continue their plundering.
I’m so sorry, Bill. It’s happening all around us. A dear friend posted a “ the US is a Christian nation” blurb the other day. I gently rebutted. It may harm our relationship. Her husband is a dedicated Fox viewer.
Gail, the result of eliminating Civics from our public schools
She and I had identical K-12 educations, before the Powell memo took its toll. I did go on to college, she didn’t.
Was it something in the water then?
Thanks for that, Bill. Maybe, when you do go back to him, talk to him about your pain. Make yourself vulnerable, and maybe your friend will do the same. The cause of your pain, I can't tell you, but you will know what is common between you, and start the talk on that basis, authentically. This way, rather than telling him what to do, you might have some influence. Maybe: The truth has gone from our culture.
Bruce, I “never” tell people how to think. What I do do is tell them what I think and then explain “why” I think this way
Nice Dave. The only better if, would be if before you tell them what you think, is if you can get on a shred level with them, so they might listen to you. That's why going to a shared pain might be useful for you too. Only a suggestion on my part...if it works for you, Great, and multiple your vote by every one that listens. I have just found that when I tell them what I think they ain't listening any more.
Bruce, empathy is the best method for defusing contentious beginnings. I NEVER argue my position NEVER, I simply state my case in a “matter of fact” manner. If they have questions, I respond with what I know, but I NEVER enter a discussion unless I’m versed in the topic. I ask a lot of questions too. NEVER implying accusation, but rather trying to get to the 5 whys of why the believe what they do. 5 Whys is an insidious methodology of problem solving, and that’s goal, get to the heart if the matter
I don't have the patience or endurance to try to convert ignorant, non-critical thinking ppl, even if they once presented as a friend. They are what they believe. Of the two ppl I have cut off ties with since Nov 2016, one a redneck relative in MS, the other a co-worker "friend" of 15 years. BTW, she was Russian and I often saw her watching Russian newscasts streaming in 2015. I didn't know she was a MAGAt until later. Now I can understand she ate up the Russky propaganda.
There is a podcast out there "Debunking Fox News" that you might want to take a listen to:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decoding-fox-news/id1644366053
Thank you for this clear message about what is happening. Many thanks!
"...the leaders of the Republican Party are working to overthrow democracy."
Boom. There it is, in black and white, put down as plainly as could be. We need to do everything we can as individual citizens to amplify and spread the message, in terms just as blunt and plain. Let WaPo and NYT editors hear it, again and again, as well as the other MSM directors. Help voters who haven't been paying attention or can't figure out what's happening to understand what's going on and why it's so important that they vote.
Generally across society we have for a long time been denying and dancing around the truth that HCR just laid out so succinctly. There can be no more avoidance, no more denial. Time is running short. Our democracy is very much in jeopardy, and the only people who can save it is us.
Our Substack is being misappropriated.. what a word!
Your clarity, HCR, is pure as last night’s full moon! Keep bringing your message to all of us!
From Heather's essay: 'How religion and authoritarianism have come together in modern America was on display Thursday, when right-wing activist Jack Posobiec opened this weekend’s conference of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) outside Washington, D.C., with the words: “Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely. We didn’t get all the way there on January 6, but we will endeavor to get rid of it and replace it with this right here.” He held up a cross necklace and continued: “After we burn that swamp to the ground, we will establish the new American republic on its ashes, and our first order of business will be righteous retribution for those who betrayed America.”' IS THIS NOT A CLEAR DECLARATION OF INSURRECTION AND SECESSION? IS IT NOT INDICTABLE?????
Somewhere I heard that Posobiec said he was joking.
Yeah, just like Hitler was kidding.
Tonight's two main topics suggest we are living in a time of insanity. Surely,, every person has a right to his/her own relgious beliefs but where does the rigth to impose one's own beliefs on another come from ? When this extends to the control of another persons body it is in essence a form of slavery. And speaking of slavery have those Republicans who want to end democracy noticed what has been going on in Russia recently ? Forgetting their own selfish motivation would they like their children and grandchildren to live in a country where simply expressing disagreement with the government leads to being murdered by the government? Please people, wake from this nightmare -don't drink the acid. If we don't protect our own democracy and that of others- yes, Ukraine - freedom and the rule of law may well perish from this earth.
The "right to impose one's own beliefs on another" comes from the never ending need to "convert" people to their way of believing. The whole concept of proselytizing makes no sense to me, from the outside looking in.
Hey Nathan, nice rant! All of us here have done it in some form or other. The question now is: What are YOU going to do about it. Illuminating your personal solution and current activities to secure the Vote would help some of us to, maybe move forward out of our hate/rant/separation stage to more productive ACTION states. Please, let us know if you have any ideas we can build into our action plans. Lots of us here seem to have moved to action: Ceaselessly writing Postcards, Stopping our subscriptions to negative Media, Mentoring haters, Writing songs, Making Trump attack Adds etc. etc. We are in this together.