Too many. Bush/Cheny started that by militarizing the PDs and sheriff’s departments with surplus’s military and the funds to buy it. Silly us. We thought it was to help them serve and protect us.
Yup. "Military toys to play with " was something I heard more than once.
That said, I was grateful for one such armored vehicle that was sent to a call where our deputies had been shot at, pinned down, and were rescued even as rifle rounds bounced off the armored vehicle, including one on a trajectory that would have killed the operator of the vehicle. No way my agency could afford a law-enforcement built commercial armored vehicle, but that "military surplus" did save my friends' lives.
Thank you, Ally, for giving us an inside look. And I also agree with your post below that says far too many LE individuals support death star. I had the "pleasure" of engaging with a couple of them on one of your Facebook posts. Here in Salem we have some problems with LE helping out Proud Boys and harassing citizens. Then there are the Oath Keeper sheriffs. I can remember one of my ex-students who became LE and who voiced his antigay stance. He was of course, a fundamentalist "Christian" as well. I thought at the time, that he would love throwing his weight around and being able to express his prejudicial views. I have an ex-colleague (Jewish) who is married to a Salem police officer and I am sure he is an excellent officer. My husband has a cousin (Lakota ancestry) who was in the military and spent 30 years in the Dallas TX police department. She was a R and changed to a D. And then there is your many years of service in Lane County.
Thank you. Yes, that conservative bent is all too common in the LEO community. I was one of a relatively vocal handful of staunch liberals. We had quite a crew that worked graveyard together for several years... that was a lot of fun.
The so called christians??? who follow trump are not followers of Christ and any organization that supports them have no religious background. Maybe they are devil worshippers taking their orders from trumpie, the orange devil.
Depends what you mean by "published". It is just one of many encounters that law enforcement has that really does not rise to the level of "news". I need to add that we have no "local" paper (ours was taken over by Gatehouse, then Gannet, and now we're a USA Today Lite) and that 2 of our 3 local stations are Sinclair stations. Not worth a lot of press because no one was injured or died, basically. I just did a search for "LCSO Butler Road Shooting" and got several links.
Some explanation: the DA's team investigates all law enforcement shootings.
From Thomas L. Friedman, who wrote an op-ed in the NYTimes, The G.O.P. Bumper Sticker: Trump First. Putin Second. America Third. (Accessible to all.)
Friedman writes,
“How should we react? Should we despair? Should we shrink from another story that seems to turn the world on its head? No. We need only recognize that the rot in the GOP is beyond repair and that electing Joe Biden is a necessary condition to preserving democracy.
There is no gray area in the 2024 election. A vote for Trump is a vote for Putin. A vote for RFK Jr. is a vote for Putin. A vote for No Labels is a vote for Putin. Staying home is a vote for Putin. A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Democracy. It’s that simple.”
Yes, Sky 777 you put the voting scenario in very clear language. When I post Heather's letters on Facebook, I usually end with vote D. This am I ended with vote D as if your life depended on it because it does.
We still don’t know what’s up his sleeve when he loses. Did he assemble another “army” to storm state capitals? Does he have people in key places to overturn the results?
I agree. He will stop at nothing. He is a cunning, desperately evil madman (as suggested in one of Heather's quotes above, as well as by others). He manipulates by fear
Doug, Mike Murphy's comment that "The bottom line is he's completely unhinged. He is literally off his rocker" is exactly the same comment I've been making for eight years. What makes this true assessment of him most dangerous, is that supposedly "hinged" men and women might recognize this, but will never admit it because they DON'T CARE or they've sold their soul to Trump- the devil.
As I was reading the Letter just now, despair and disbelief took over my usually optimistic nature, but I know that sitting in a chair being despaired is not going to change anything.
It's past time to get out of the chair and do what we can to promote Biden's bid for the survival of our
I wish Prof. Heather would stop calling hm former President trump. This is a mobster who was a mobster before, during, and now after he sat in a presidential chair planning the overthrow of the nation's government.
Beside the low in intellect followers occupying a cell at a low restriction prison and at our expense, some legislators should be there with them. They had the brains and power to incite the attack and the power to stop it. Who can forget the picture of Josh Hawley hotfooting it to a safe room after inciting the mob? Hand up and a fist in the air.
Yes. This is the problem. Trump has power because he personifies the government a msjority of white voters want. It’s that simple, and, ironically, that’s what makes it an almost impossible problem to solve, even if by some miracle decent human beings manage to outvote them.
Honestly, it isn't so much the rioters that worry me, it's the anti-American seditionists/secessionists/perjurers and suborners of perjury within various elected bodies at the federal and state levels around the country. What is to stop fake electors again? What is stopping the seditionist republican legislatures in former Confederate states from defying court-ordered redrawing of voting maps to allow actual representation of all Americans? Remember the infamous quotation attributed to president Jackson, defying the Supreme Court over Worcester v. Georgia (1832), when he (allegedly) stated, “John Marshall has made his decision now let him enforce it.” The lies are insidious and seductive, and stupid, ignorant (wilfully or not), ill-informed, selfish, venal, corrupt people are all too ready to be seduced. And the lies are backed by threats, so those not willing to be corrupted are also not willing to be endangered.
The primary turnout for Biden in South Carolina was 4%. MAGats have to be removed in the primaries. Even if tfg/wmd melts into a puddle, there are too many MAGats in Congress ready to take his place. All must be voted away or removed for their Jan 6 crimes.
If Trump goes down, GOP implosion may be next. Losing the House, a few more Dems in the Senate.... the polls likely won't do a great job "forecasting" the fine structure of opinion and voting intentions.
So hope the voting demographics works out thus! Saw a poll the other day that said younger voters have a growing minority of liberal and extremely liberal views generally, increasingly so in the younger age cohorts. Liberal views are held most widely among the Dems, about 65% among the "independents", a minority among the Reps. Blacks have a relatively high percent of liberal minded. Despite all the complaints about Biden's age or his administrations policies in the Gaza war. And what's with voter's so persistently negative sentiments over the economy, which has done nothing but bounce back after high inflation and high unemployment. The business press has been singing high praises now for some time.
Frank, I agree that demographics are on our side - in the long run. But this year we have two very big problems relative to younger voters.
Gaza - the death stats and the video images.
Age bigotry - many of the young can't relate to the wisdom of Biden.
I will vote for Joe Biden because he has been the finest president in my lifetime. Young people don't have the perspective that comes with age.
Our job now is to challenge every young person we encounter to vote. To make what Heather said today very clear. ANY vote not for Joe Biden is a vote for Trump and a vote for Putin. ANY vote not for Joe Biden is a vote for fascism, murder and mayhem. ANY vote other than for Joe Biden is a callous decision to abandon democracy. It has never been so stark a choice. It has never been so dangerous.
Gen Z will take up the torch, and we older folks need to support them however we can. Those younger voters 18-29 care about climate and gun control . It is the cheating the GOP are using to undermine voting and set up questions about the next election that many of our institutions are crumbling under.
The big question for skeptics will be the alternative to Biden and the Dems. I'm only hoping the current negative polls don't pan out come the voting booth.
All the rose-tinteds keep pounding on 'US leads the world in recovery' and the like, when in fact most USians don't give a rat's patoot about the rest of the world. They really do not care, unless they happen to have close relatives somewhere other than USA.
Also, most people will complain about prices pretty much no matter WHAT they are. Gas high? Maybe, depends. Compared to when? They are not making distinctions. Point being the economic reporters are not wrong but the citizenry is not listening nor caring. It simply does not matter what gets reported, neither its truth (if so) nor its impact.
Well, there is a steady propaganda machine at work. Truth also includes, more much of it, or most of it, top level political policy makers have little influence of the course of economic well being, regardless who's being blamed or taking the credit for it.
Relax? Hrmph. I assume you realize that the current class of horror-clowns are going to remain in power for more than a year. That's a lot of damage and I've no idea how to stop it. Which means you're right, Mr. Saperstein, we might as well just bend over and relax, at least until November 2024.
I disagree. Fear of a possible physical and rhetorical reaction if the courts turn Trump into history by November will prevent the courts from doing that very thing. He will be on the ballot in 50 States. History will have to wait. A presidential election year is never a time to 'relax.' Make sure you vote and get others to do so, as well. Do not 'relax.'
We all hope so but if he is defeated by extremist Nikki Haley and she becomes the GOP’s presidential candidate I fear being defeated by her at the ballot box has more probability than being defeated by Nutcase.
We can't relax. Some of the supreme court judges are in his cult. He is a criminal and should be in jail now. He isn't because of our court system. He is already setting the stage to delegitimize the 2024 election.
The polls seem to indicate otherwise. I know, I know, the polls often are not reliable. But time after time, pols are taken, and Biden trails TFFG. I sure hope you are right. And I would not rely too much on our system of justice - Trump's team seems to have that problem largely in hand with their delay tactics. Much is going well with our economy, and there is a well-worn statement in politics - "It's the economy stupid". So as long as the economy continues to do well, that is a great arrow in the quiver. And, as long as Republicans keep suffering own-goals, like yesterday's three debacles, and as long as Trump keeps becoming more and more unhinged, then sooner or later, the voting public must abandon their idiotic support for this monster and the party that has become his. Seems like the polls ought to be showing that by now, don't ya think?
The reality behind how it's dressed up to look is that the second is first, while the zombified first functions as automatic transmission for the seeming second.
And the more meaningless chaos, the better.
Bedlam if he wins and a personal promise of Bedlam if he's denied.
'Ukraine Worries About Losing Its Biggest Weapon: U.S. Military Aid
Without it, Kyiv could hold out for part of the year, one expert said, but would then begin losing the war.' (NYTimes) By Andrew E. Kramer and Marc Santora
Reported from Kyiv, Ukraine
'In the two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine has had its back to the wall many times, in many forms: fighting with Molotov cocktails and guns handed out to the population, coping with blackouts and fleeing refugees. But there was always the prospect of more American aid on the horizon.'
'That support was critical, analysts and leaders in Kyiv say. The United States has provided about half of the foreign military assistance to Ukraine’s arsenal, roughly $47 billion.'
'But this week leaders in Kyiv have waited anxiously to see if that lifeline will come to an end, as a stalemate between lawmakers in the United States Congress threatens to end, for now, American support for the war against Russia.'
'A measure that would allow American arms to flow to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and fund border security was defeated in a Senate vote on Wednesday amid growing Republican opposition and deep division on Capitol Hill.'
'After the vote, the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, said he would try an alternate path, pushing a vote on foreign military aid stripped of the more contentious measures on immigration. Democrats and Republicans alike expressed some optimism for the new measure, but by Wednesday evening, lawmakers were bogged down again. Mr. Schumer recessed the Senate until noon on Thursday.'
'But even if the Senate approves the aid, its fate in the House remains uncertain.'
'Ukraine’s army would not suddenly be overwhelmed, analysts say, but the degradation of its forces would be inexorable. European nations lack American-level stockpiles of weapons and ammunition, and would be unlikely to fill the gap, military analysts say.'
“Ukraine could effectively hold for some part of this year” without more American military aid, Michael Kofman, a Russia expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said in a telephone interview. “But over time there would be no prospect to rebuild the military, and they will start to lose slowly.”
'The absence of further American help, he said, would “point to a dour, negative trajectory in the latter half of this year.”
'Not since the first chaotic months of the invasion, when Russian troops poured across the borders from every direction and the country rose up en masse to resist, has Ukraine faced such a precarious moment in the war.' (NYT) See gifted link below,
The international consequences of USA's failure to deliver over metastatic political cancer will reverberate into the century. MAGA has destroyed whatever international credentials GOP ever had.
I grew up during the Cold War. Seeing US Senators and Representatives praise Putin is almost impossible to imagine. Are there really so many people who know nothing of history?
My computer has crashed, MaryPat, maybe because I was giving readers lessons in Afrikaans.
Ah, they do have some wonderful words in that language, and readers can probably imagine why I was explaining the sonorous adjective VERKRAMPTE (conservative or REACTIONARY, especially as regards APARTHEID) and the noun (a person holding BIGOTED and REACTIONARY views).
This led me to add a neologism, VERKRAMPTE-VERTRUMPTE for the kind of parasitic wotsits that can on occasion worm their way into even the greatest of Great Minds.
As someone fluent in Dutch and familiar with a lot of Afrikaans, I heartily endorse "vertrumpte"! Modern Dutch, to my knowledge, doesn't use "verkrampte/verkrampen" in a political sense or to describe a bigot or reactionary -- at least Van Dalen's complete dictionary or idiomatic dictionary doesn't mention it as a usage -- so it must be specifically Afrikaans, or is quite idiomatic. I like "vertrumpte" and may mention it to my Dutch friends!
With the Pu pronounced... pooooo (hold yer nose)ooooo...
And sing Trumpski-Dumpski s*at on his Wall...
Yes, that Beeoootiful Wall [to be paid for by the Mexicans, cos' in Trumpskiworld, someone else always pays... while HE fills his pockets. Art of the Cardsharp Deal].
Come to think of it, We Too, have a pocketfull of sharp nicknails for that broad bum.
That said, let's not waste time. Let's leave him and his in their unchanged diapers and keep to wanting all we want and getting what we really want!
It would be best if the Supreme Court would take him off the ballot now. Why let him go on to the election and continue to wreak havoc by continuing to hurt our country. Republicans. Need to bite the bullet and untangle yourselves from this person who loves himself so much that he will harm our country in order to enrich himself and hang on to power.
Let’s hope so but we must not take this result for granted as T. Friedman stresses.
Hopefully he will finally be brought to court in DC, Florida and Georgia to answer for his crimes and the Supreme Court will rapidly reject his claim for absolute immunity or even better let the Federal Court’s decision stand and refuse to take up the case.
OMG, you are right. I had copied from Hubbell and then gone to get the link for the Freeman article and somehow forgot to close the loop and say it was from Robert Hubbell’s post.
I have to start writing comments in notes and proof-reading then copy and paste into comments.
Mea culpa. And thanks for clarifying. Appreciate it.
Thomas Friedman absurdly lies. The Democratic National Committee is a money-grubbing parasite that has inserted itself between the voters and the selection of a presidential candidate. Bernie Sanders was the choice of the people. (I'm not a big Bernie fan, but I would have voted for him.) Corporate Joe "Creepy Snuggles" Biden (and Hillary before him) was the choice of the DNC.
Sorry Tom. The Happy Poo emoji is right next to the Rolling Eyes emoji in my list of favorite icons. I tapped Happy Poo and posted the comment but can't edit on my mobile device. Consider a Rolling Eyes emoji in its place if it bothers you that much.
Thanks, i had gathered that. just thought I would test his resistance to snark so I used this quote from Jerry Seinfeld that went right over his head. “If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.” I have other and even better remarks if i decide to play with him again but without a sense of humor, it is doubtful.
Joe Biden is not "corporatist." He is a believer in and supporter of American institutions -- an "institutionalist." . He had made change within the context of the institutions we've got. From the American Rescue Plan (recovery from Covid) to the infrastructure plan (the specific projects that Republicans keep pretending to have supported) to a serious effort to address climate change (through the Inflation Reduction Act) and many smaller decisions, Joe Biden has provided both the road map and the vehicles for transforming the country. For this moment, he has been unable to get past Donald Trump's control of the Republican Party to do the same for America's international relations. But only for this moment. There is yet time to achieve his goals.
Leonard- Thank you for a civil discussion in the middle of this blinding storm of rage against corporate America in which Mr. Sc———-kle indulges. I think most of Dr. Richardson’s readers are knowledgeable about the destructive effects of corporate money in politics. We will never know what Bernie Sander’s success in real policy would have been to stem this force. President Biden is taking measurable steps to gain some ground for millions of Americans.
Our goals as citizens who love this country and each hero and heroine who have gone before us and paved the way......Thank you for being a hero, President Joe Biden!
With your great heart...your quiet but strong and determined voice...we will continue to actively demonstrate love for this country and respect to those who have sacrificed with their lives, before us.
Instead of crudeness and violence you, and your team along with many devoted citizens of ALL COLORS will move forward loving this nation, its people....all of them.....so that we can continue and BUILFD BACK BETTER ...ALL the great projects we as a country have begun .....UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP !!!! Many are working steadily everyday to improve our country with infrastructure plans guided by your administration.
We need to support Ukraine! The leaders in Israel have shown us who they are.....they have told us what their goals are....they do not plan to give Gaza to the Palestinians...if any are left alive and move back to homes...if their homes have not been bombed....Israel leadership has said ....those citizens will be under their authority. What more needs to be said.
It is the leadership in Israel that must no longer be supported.
The people of Israel and the people of Palestine are the ones being killed....NOT A SCAR ON THE LEADERS WHO ARE USING THIS SITUATION FOR PERSONAL GAIN. This is not healing our global relationships.
President Biden....I am for you! I am for our peacemakers. I thank you and will vote for you. We must examine whys we are being used....spending American dollars to further the will of evil. I realize it is a complicated situation but we do not have to continue to support further death and destruction in order to grant the wishes of evil men!
I also realize that we have been patient with the disruption involving the transport of goods.
Our enemies are participating and watching. They intend to destroy us. They understand the love many have for combat. Remember the ones "playing chess" with the lives of our soldiers will not be on the ground...in the oceans ...or in the skies.
p.s. Don't forget the Biden campaign's sick talking point (echoed by HCR) for a lax immigration policy: "We need immigrants to do jobs that Americans won't do." In other words, they think we need to exploit desperate immigrants because our corporations won't pay a living wage for unskilled and semi-skilled labor.
Joe Biden is most certainly a corporatist. What you, and most commenters here, have trouble grasping, is that we no longer live in a democracy. That is just the illusory face covering the corporate coup that has already taken place. What does it matter whether one is a ‘institutionalist’ when most every institution, from the media to academia to government itself, is corrupted by monied interests?
Your assertion that Biden made a ‘serious’ effort to address climate change is absurd. Watch the linked video below. Though the discussion specifically relates to Middle East recent events, Max links the policy to the control corporate interests have on policy, from players like Jen Psaki to Tony Blinken to yes, corporatist Joe Biden.
p.p.s. More about Corporate Joe's sick "bipartisan" immigration policy, which the Establishment has been running for decades:
1. Use our domination over the International Monetary Fund to strangle the economies of the darker-skinned countries, creating an "expendable garbage heap of three billion souls" (quoting senior IMF official Davison Budhoo:
Young Joe Biden was installed as a "safe seat" Senator from tiny Delaware (where the biggest industry is low-tax hosting of corporate headquarters) so he could gain seniority on the Judiciary Committee and help select corporate-friendly judges.
Now, as a Vampire Liberal, Corporate Joe Biden sucks money from other countries (in the form of Unpayable Debt) to fund Worthwhile Programs so Bernie's supporters will hold their noses and vote for him.
Just as the United States survived despite the presence of Tories in 1776 and despite the secessionists who rebelled in 1861, we should be able to survive today's Republican Party. But that won't happen if Americans committed to representative democracy sit on their hands. Trumpublicans, and their not necessarily ignorant or gullible supporters, are deeply dedicated to taking representative democracy away from us. Listen to what they are saying! Defend our Democracy by voting for it and working to get others to also do so in November.
Sky 777; “There is no gray area in the 2024 election. A vote for Trump is a vote for Putin. A vote for RFK Jr. is a vote for Putin. A vote for No Labels is a vote for Putin. Staying home is a vote for Putin. A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Democracy. It’s that simple.” Simply stated, Brilliant. Democracy is not perfect, but it is superior to authoritarianism and or fascism which is the path that this Republican Party is leading and promoting. Thank you for sharing.
I honestly think the only way mobster TUMP can be stopped is for the ''Grim Reaper'' comes calling for him. Too bad that might not happen soon. I am confident that he won't win the election by the vote, however, the mischief surrounding the delegates and the vote count causes me great concern. I may be wrong, but i think Biden will defeat him by more of the popular vote than in the 2020 election...just my opinion. There is no way he should even be allowed to run for President. In other Democratic nations of the world, he would already be in prison, or would have been executed by now.
Yes - I never wished so fervently that someone would have a heart attack and die. It would have to be at a “huge” MAGA event for them to believe it though. But then we would have to contend with all those sheepish, scared, flying monkey Republicans so willing to do his bidding.
Meanwhile many Americans are sleepwalking & show little interest in the possibility of an indicted and convicted criminal becoming President! If voters don’t awaken, we’ll pay a huge price !
Right? Manifest destiny on their side. Big guns, small brains, among other things. Yet still they rise. We must rise higher. I grew up with gun sloppy cowboys in East NM and west Texas. Without their guns they are a bunch of busses-- there, I said it. Humph. Hi ho
The Republican Party is a joke, it doesn’t really exist anymore. Look at Nevada, a primary where None of the Candidates beats Haley. Trump doesn’t run in it and there’s a Caucus on Thursday that he is in but she is not. The primary doesn’t award delegates but the caucus does. What a joke!
The mischief also causes me great concern. I think he also knows he’s going to loses which is why I worry about what lengths will he go to win and garner votes. They talk of hurting democrats often and recently a man murder his father over his democratic political beliefs. I think there’s a serious mental health crisis going on in our county and there’s a lot of sick people eager to cause chaos. On another note, the mobster has showcased how incredibly broken and flawed our political system is. Where does the buck stop with him? We’re all waiting to find out…
I agree, i am extremely concerned about this whole situation. At this point, i think the insane and arrogant creep would be willing to commit serious crimes to garner votes in order to win. There has to be something wrong with a person that would murder his father over his democratic beliefs. There is in fact a serious mental health crisis going on here in the United States, and DJT is the root cause out of most of it. I fail to understand how anyone could be conned into worshiping someone as horrible and evil as DJT is. This whole thing reeks of the Jim Jones thing many years ago when he conned his followers into drinking Kool-Aid laced with Cyanide.
I have read of many of his followers will fork out half of their paychecks and let their children go without food to donate to him. Also, i have read of some elderly people that will donate a good portion of their Social Security checks to him. It's appalling that they have been brainwashed and conned so easily. DJT even said one time, '' I love the uneducated and gullible.'' I am beyond sick and fed up with this kind of thing happening here.
I hope you don't mind me saying this, but your picture posted on your profile is awesome. You are so cute in it..
Trump will either be stopped by the Supreme Court via 14.3, or by the will of the American people. Again, the majority of voters will vote for Democracy in 2024, as happened in 2023, 2022 and every election since 2018.
It appears to me that he knows that, but his unhinged mentality is goaded bull, and he's looking to stop the elections from taking place, by any means at all. Putin is his mentor.
Indeed true. I suspect his crowd will face the same result that we saw in 2023 with the elections in KY, VA, OH and NJ. The special Congressional election next Tues, Feb 13, in NY to replace Geo Santos will, again, go Democratic.
Somehow this needs to be addressed more emphatically. Mark Elias needs more support. We absolutely have to change what is happening with gerrymandering and voter suppression, and voter intimidation.
Trump, if allowed to run will lose. However, the certification process could be a disaster for our democratic republic. That's a very real possibility given that the Republicans' control the House.
I don't expect Biden to lose any of the states he won in 2020. Neither trump nor the MAGA Party will gain ground, simply due to their utter incompetence.
So, the certification process of the electors will run through ... VP Harris, to simply carry out her constitutional authority to certify. The House will not come into play with this process.
If I recall correctly, under the US Constitution the new congress is sworn in before the date for certification of the presidential vote. It is therefore of utmost importance that non-MAGA congressional representatives be elected to minimize the likelihood of a repetition of Jan 6 2021. What trump and his acolytes in congress and elsewhere (e.g. the Heritage Foundation with its Project 2025) are doing is engaging in a rolling insurrection at this very moment. They must be exposed at every opportunity and stopped. Vote blue all the way down the ticket.
Marcia- You have hit on a very necessary election message that must be given more traction by Dems. “Vote in a Blue House to stop Republicans. decertification 2.0” .🗳️💙🇺🇸🧢
Smart people support chump this time. If they are as smart as I think they are, they will replace him in short order using 25th amendment, and replace him with an efficient Putin toadie. Unless he and Putin ditch them first… stay tuned…
Read the Constitution about how the House votes for President. The majority of the state legislatures must be in Democratic control for Biden to win if it goes to the House. Another flaw in the Constitution--the results could be that TFFG wins because of gerrymandered legislatures in states like TX, FL, WI and NC to name a few. Of course they only get one vote each if it goes to the House to decide.
We cannot be overconfident; too much is at stake - for the present and the future and not just for America and Americans but for our world’s order … too many people have and continue to depend upon us and we cannot nor should not let them - nor ourselves - down!!!
I wonder in SCOTUS will ignore the Constitution. This court already ignores standing. They are agreeing to hear the mifepristone case when it was submitted by Doctors with no possible affect on them. And the articles cited by Kasmyrik in his opinion have been invalidated and pulled from Sage Publishing.
My concern is that given the opportunity he will succeed at subverting the election results. This must be stopped now. The recent actions with immigration reform speaks volumes.
Today, 2/8, the Supreme Court will hear Colorado’s attempt to disqualify Trump for being part of an insurrection. There is no doubt that he is guilty and his crime is exactly what the amendment describes. Trump’s defense is to challenge the meaning of a few words. He really has nothing except that the court probably doesn’t have the will or nerve to defend the Constitution, even though they must know that they are being used as pawns in the insurrection. They could save the world today. Odds are 1 in 10.
I think we have better odds. My optimistic coffee tells me it will be a 5 - 4 to disqualify. Barrett and Roberts to join and stop the madness. I could be wrong. It happens all the time.
There is a chance that Kavanaugh and Gorsuch want to prove their independence, especially if they see it will be the winning side. Why is Thomas listening to this case? He certainly appears to have a bias.
Noted: You correctly stated that he will not be stopped by Merrick Garland. The DOJ has been Washington’s Potemkin village under his leadership. Lots of show. A pretty rationale for tackling 1/6 “from the bottom up”. Justice for some but not for one. As the insider said, “You couldn’t even Trump’s name in the building for the first year or so”. Now we are counting months to see if we can squeeze in a trial before it’s too late.
Full credit to the House Committee for shaming him into hiring Jack Smith. But it’s likely going to be too late. I hope Biden wins as fervently as anybody does. But if it looks probable, America’s worst will go wild. If he does win, he may never see office.
Oh I hope so. I have kids -- girls, if you will -- in Florida. Mom's for Liberty are trying to get a toe hold in my blue reserve state of Connecticut. We need huuuge bull horns. Can/will we be strong and still be nice? The thought of sitting duo with those poor people and start to connect with them in a reasonable way is a a fading light sinking into a black hole. Frankly, I'm scared shitless, and I've not had an easy life. Time to get going. Hi ho. Lonesome no more.
First, we need to understand it's not just Trump. All of MAGA is a neofascist party working directly with neofascists in Russia, Hungary, and likely Italy and The Netherlands. When Trump goes away the neofascist threat will not end.
Second, we must remember no fascist party has ever really gotten more than 1/3 of the population to vote for it (in a reasonably free election) much less support it. They're turning to violence because a) THEY LOVE VIOLENCE and b) they're a minority.
Third we have to not make the mistakes the Germans made by allowing differences among the non fascists to allow the fascists to take control (they did so in Germany through an election they only got about 30% of the vote--but the opposition couldn't form a coalition to stop them).
This means voting for the only significant opposition party, the Democrats. We can fight about our very real political differences within the not fascist coalition later. No exceptions this year. It also means doing everything we can to make sure our neighbors can and do vote.
Well said, Philip. "third" is the kicker here. We have got to make sure that we don't think "that can't happen here" because it is happening at this moment.
He is trying very hard to find someone or something who will stop him. His attacks on Judge Engoron and his side clerk were and continue are without any parallel that I can think of. How bout you ? And they will prove to be extraordinarily destructive. Of him. And of all who served him. But principally him.. it is almost as if he has a death wish. Or is being driven by someone or something else. Which he actually professed to be the case always and at every opportunity. For as he portrays it he is leading a campaign to right all sorts of wrongs, drive from power enemies of the People, and turn gi ernment inside out in order to "Make America, etc.
I think he is indeed driven given how self destructive his ambitions and behavior have been ever since he decided to run for office. They promise to continue to be. But so aggressive and hostile has his behavior been of late, and energetic for a man of his age in a destructive way, that I have come to suspect that he is a coke head, or worse, uses meth. Apparently there was plenty of drug abuse in his White House, judging from the Army IGs report.
As one of Johnson's economic advisors said: "if something is unsustainable, it will stop". Sooner or later Trump will find the person or the thing he will run in to. At the rate he is going, Judge Chutkin, on her own motion, may raise the issue of his competency to stand trial, and order a ten day involuntary vommitak for psychiatric evaluation. That might due the trick, for then he would call for her assassination That would happen so quick there is no way he could enter an appeal and get a stay Right out the door of the courtroom. In a straightjacket.
But unfortunately, there is no stopping what the American people will do to themselves.
Either delusional or driven - or both - but the latest antics of Carlson certainly appear to show where the driver sits. I wonder if T Carlson has any inkling of the danger he's in? I can't see him making friends with Ed Snowden. Anyone seen his Moscow interview?
The orange con operates according to Roy Cohns rules. A few of which we have witnessed throughout hie public exposure. One, claim victory regardless of the outcome. and two you do not have to believe what you say. And his own quote, "People will just believe you. You just tell them and they believe you." How do we get out of this mess? We need a huge megaphone that calls out his lies and motives. The president, and high profile people need to speak out loudly and clearly calling out tRumps BS and his MAGATs.
What an amazing bunch of spineless corrupt sycophants that have the audacity to have been elected to represent their constituents when they in fact are frieghtened children who obey a criminal sociopath many of which should be kept from office due to their violating their oath of office by contributing to the insurrection.
Something that should of been done back in January 2021, the day he left office - put his ass in jail pending an investigation of an attempted coup (on his behalf) and treason.
In any case, it his incomprehensible how this monster is still walking free today. The courts have inexplicably crumbled in deference to his illegitimate power.
America is in crisis! The collapse of the rule of law, the blatant political corruption of the Supreme Court, and the diminution of the Constitution can not be blamed solely on tRump. This is a systemic failure that nobody in power has successfully fought or even defended.
They all, including every member of the Republican Party are guilty of forsaking their oath of office. Not one of them can legitimately claim they "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter." These people are all traitors and should be prosecuted as such!
It also has to be said, the Fourth Estate, including most in the mainstream media should be scorned for their inexcusable and grossly irresponsible coverage and reporting of what is abundantly clear to anyone paying attention. The Republican Party is actively engaged in a coup to take over the United States of America. They are doing it at the Federal level and in most State governments. The Justice Department is in catastrophic failure under the leadership of Garland, who should have been replaced within a few months following his timorous response to the January 6th coup.
We are in a 21st century civil war for the future of America and Biden thinks that by his good deeds and steady leadership, he can reunite the country and preserve democracy. Isn't going to happen!
I have a fantasy/hope gripping my heart in which the SCOTUS sees clearly that they have a golden, once-in-an-epoch opportunity to save the US by affirming that 1) Trump WAS an officer of the government, 2) the uprising on January 6th at the Capitol WAS an insurrection, and 3) Trump DID aid and abet an insurrection.
If he is kicked off the ballot everywhere, the problem would be solved, and he could scream at the sky until his lungs collapsed, but we wouldn't have to deal with him ever again.
Plus, it would open the door for kicking out the worst of the insurrection supporters currently in Congress and keep any others out.
Trump is governing by proxy through the Republicans in the House, led by head sheep MAGA Mikey Johnson, even though he is not an elected representative. In fact, the people chose not to elect him, and he is ignoring this. I really think that there should be ways that Trump reaps what he sows. However, for Democrats to question the election would lead to further invalidation of our electoral process. Instead, I was thinking that the question should be put out there, "Who is more popular ,Trump or Putin? " In answering this, it would redirect Trump's focus and his ally would be his rival in that way, on the record. It would be great to pose that same question only switch out other current dictator's names. In the meantime, Trump puts a loyalist in as head of the party, so that he can have Nikki Haley pushed out. I am sure the mob will be going after her. I guess she and her husband need to beef up their security. With her out, it is Trump or no one for the Republican party, which is after all, what Nevada voted for. If Trump were then removed from being eligible as he should be according to the Fourteenth Amendment, then that would leave Biden vs. the third party candidates. All I can say to Robert Kennedy is, "You are no JFK!" Of course he has had a Trump light endorsement, so that would be an interesting set of circumstances.
No one is in more danger from chump than the ones who boosted his chances in the first place. Even us Dems are down on the list. Looks like they would notice, but they are too busy quaking in their boots. Bullies have no friends, for long…
This is getting boring.. Surely the more rational GOP-ers are aware that the voting is supposed to be secret. Yes-no??? So, they can stop Trump at the polls without any (shall we say little) chance of retribution.
Sky, I just read On Tyranny by Dr. Timothy Snyder, Lesson 10, Believe in Truth: “To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. You submit to tyranny when you renounce the difference between what you want to hear and what is actually the case. Truth dies in 4 modes. The 1st is the open hostility to verifiable reality. In 2017, the American President averaged 6 lies a day. The next year it was 16, the following year, 22. In 2020 he told an average about 27 lies a day. Demeaning the world as it is, begins the creation of a fictional counterworld. The 2nd, mode is shamanistic incantation, endless repetition to make the fictional plausible and the criminal desirable. At rallies, Build the Wall or Lock him Up did not describe anything that would actually happen, but their very grandiosity established a connection between the speaker and his audience. The 3rd mode is magical thinking or the open embrace of contradiction. A billionaire is someone who can pay neither his taxes nor his debts. Liberating the wealthy from taxes will not increase the national debt. Fighting corruption means selling the presidency for favors. A disease that kills hundreds of thousands will vanish. The vote is always rigged and you should vote for me anyway. Accepting untruth of this radical kind requires abandonment of reason. The 4th mode is misplaced faith. It involves the sort of self-deifying claims a President made when he said that “I alone can solve it,” or “I am your voice.’ When faith descends from heaven to earth in this way, no room remains for the small truths of our individual discernment and experience. Evidence was irrelevant.”
A copy of this book is on my bedside table. I read one chapter each morning. When I get to the end of the book, I start over from Chapter 1. Reading it when I get up reminds me of what we are fighting for.
Exactly! The person who gave it to me, a retired 49 year educator, Ph.D. and well loved principal at our Beach Elementary School who wrote a note to me, "Read, Re-read, Share ->" I am Re-reading and Showing now. Bone chilling! And he has just decided to run for School Board. Today is the last day to file! He will be a terrific Board member! He is running for office, as recommended in On Tyranny in Lesson (? cant find which Lesson) and we are blessed to have him step up to provide us with a great candidate and to serve our County for office!
The Murkowski’s - in the past I would have added Collins, but she continues to show her fealty to trump - and any other non-tRUmpista Republicans (are there any left) must hang together or surely, as Ben Franklin said, they will hang separately.
At their last convention, such as it was, didn't the GOP adopt a "platform" that essentially offered nothing except for loyalty to Trump? Gaetz and his 60 toads are trying to make good on that platform.
Yes, McConnell's chickens have come home to roost. I have written to him regularly even though I don't live in his state and other Republican senators to remind them of the monster their silence has created. They have forsaken and trampled their oath of office.
No, I didn't receive any replies. To me, the important thing was I respectfully expressed my opinions and concerns. A person one time told me I was doing "good trouble" ala John Lewis. That was a huge compliment to me!
Let's not forget McCarthy's post-Jan 6 embrace of TSF (Biden's sub Rosa name for you-know-who) down in Mar a Lago. I thought that was pivotal in giving TSF his power back.
I have a feeling McConnell will conveniently retire from active duty soon without ever admitting his part in enabling a hostile, antidemocratic pollitics in this country.
McConnell accomplished his two goals: stuffing the federal court system with young, hard-right conservatives with or without qualifications to be a judge and reducing taxes.
He will be remembered for not impeaching trump, the surest easiest way all this could have been avoided..everything he’s done in his too long career before and after this will be secondary..it will also be easy for historians to point out the irony that the SCOTUS decision on the Colorado case will ensure trump gets votes there even as he denied millions of voters their votes with his insurrection attempt.. all these enablers are just so sickening.
All he and seven others had to do was vote to convict Trump in the second impeachment. By now the Gammas would have moved on to the next thing in their addled minds.
Why can’t these brainless but more so spineless Republicans see what is happening to literally all of their fellow Republicans that are eventually becoming worthless in Trump’s eyes and then cast aside like so much worthless trash.
The MAGANAZIs and white faux-Christian nationalists are not conservatives. They are repressive regressives. They have taken away voters rights by gerrymandering. They have taken away women's right to health care and refuse to pass ANY legislation. They refuse to prosecute rapists other sexual predators in TX and other states. They won't fund the border patrol but they bitch about the Southern border. (Have you ever heard any of them say anything about the northern border?)
They have done nothing to help anyone that makes less than $300,000 a year while McConnell was in charge of the Senate. They are repressive regressives -- not conservatives.
Pat, they do see what is happening. Those in office hope to have a seat at the table of the first Authoritarian Government in the former United States. Those not in office want "daddy" to tell them what to do and how to think - because thinking for oneself is so terribly difficult and time consuming.
Many of the Republican politicians are actually afraid for the safety of their families. Death threats and swatting - all encouraged by a former president. We are in dark times.
"Swatting is a term used to describe the action of making hoax phone calls to report serious crimes to emergency services. People who carry out a swatting prank call aim to fool emergency services into sending a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team to respond to the supposed emergency."
So you look out your front window and a team of heavily armed cops are rushing your house....
The RNC drums the ones with any trace of conscience or courage out. So far, utter lack of decency has been their superpower. It could also be their epitaph; but we need to resist them together. That's always how tyranny falls.
Exactly. And lets not forget that duplicitous McCarthy. Now the monster is back running the show and *literally everyone* is scared of him. This sordid time in our history eminds me of a Western, where the cluelessly dull sheriff has captured and cuffed the deranged outlaw. Sitting around the campfire, the outlaw convinces the lawman to loosen the cuffs, thus allowing him to get the band back together to rain terror and retribution across the land.
It’s only appropriate that a child molester rallies the extremists to pass a resolution that a rapist did not cause an insurectiin. Bravo GOP, Bravo! You have set the lowest standard ever in American politics!
Another name for this is called negative modeling which has a long history of its own, as in don't be like such and such. And now we have the biggest demonstration of this ever presented to us in this century at least.
Well isn't that one way to keep being talked about forever especially for somebody who has absolutely no shame and all his followers who also bear their shame openly. I feel great compassion for their children the way I feel compassion for the children of Hamas who are forced to be warriors and love it before they even know what they're doing.
The journalist/author Kurt Anderson mentions in his book - "Fantasyland - How America went Haywire" that he has never hated any President before Trump. Obviously, he was implying that he hated Trump without coming out and saying it.
But many other Republican journalists say they "hate" Trump and Ann Coulter the other day said that he should "die".
Maybe one of the many Big Macs he consumes daily will contain particles of toxic bacteria, or perhaps the corn syrup from one of his multitudinous Diet Cokes will finally tip the scales of plaque around the organ that would be the heart in every other human;
Perchance, per dream, the ten gallon vat hosting the bronzer that he sprays upon his ever widening face will contain some effluents that just don't mix with the human epidermis.
Nah, it will take us to say Hell No. I like my comfort zone as much as anybody, (more since I’m old), but wishing and hoping need energy and conviction. We had better have it,
Me too, Cathy. I’m shocked, too, that I so fervently wish for someone to die. But I hope for it, every single morning. And for my part, if the Grim Reaper is at it, he can take Putin, too.
As difficult as our situation is, my thinking is that the best is to have him taken down by his own. If enough of the Justice System can function as constitutionally directed, he will be held accountable. Slowly. Glaciers melt faster, I know. But along the way to this accountability, he is shedding supporters, losing his mind, and warranting heftier, and heftier legal fines. The maga-phone “Civil-War”, “There-Will-Be-Blood!” threats, belie the fact that his supporters are already acting violently. They already are the largest terrorist threat we face. We are already IN the civil war.
Thank you MLRGRMI. Why do people mention the threat of violence when the violence has already begun? I'm so done with MAGAt threats. I refuse to be pushed around any longer. They're going to have their war and terrorism no matter what we do, so we might as well do what's right and just.
It does suck and as I have said it s not quite clear what is more dangerous, WW3 or disgusting fascist Trump. It is pretty shameful that this is what the two parties give us, but how much is on us as citizens and when does it stop. Are we just helpless lemmings or do we have some way to fight back and do something for our kids and grandchildren? One thing I will not do for sure is be ok with what Biden is doing. Trump is hopeless but perhaps there is some way to push back on Biden. HCR has a bigger voice than most or all of us do but all she does is promote what he does right and ignore the horrible stuff he is doing which is what is causing his poll numbers to be in the toilet.
WW3 is the biggest threat if Trump gets in. There will be no chance of American funding to help Ukraine, Putin finally wins the war and then goes after Poland or some other Eastern European country. Then seeing how we've helped Putin win in Ukraine, Pres. XI in China takes Taiwan; and who knows what Kim in North Korea will do to South Korea. They all have nuclear weapons and are a terrible threat. Only our American democracy, along with our allies, will keep them in check. Trump will be a total, unmitigated disaster to world peace. I don't know what 'horrible stuff' you speak of for Biden, but he's doing a fantastic job.
Well if you think funding a genocide and blocking peace negotiations in Ukraine is a fantastic job, well ok then. Both anointed choices by the two parties are horrible and scary.
Yes, you've made your feelings known. The truth still stands. Trump would give free rein to Netanyahu. Slow as it may seem at least with democratic majorities we can push progress. Trump offers only to burn everything down.
Gail perhaps get out of your comfort zone and listen to others beyond the main stream media and HCR. Chris Hedges posted a devastating piece today and the GreyZone also has written of why people should not vote for Biden. Your truth is not my truth. I read this to see other sides I challenge you to do the same.
Thank you Mike Fanone. As bad as TFG is, these extremist in the midst, the challenges of the chaos, knowing we have people like Officer Fanone restores a lot hope. We are going to beat them.
I am in Germany this week, visiting my parents in my home town. It is very worrying, disheartening, nauseating, frustrating, maddening (you name it…) to watch the developments over here (rise of the right populist AFD party) and in the US, my home for the past 27 years. Until recently I have thought of Germany as our safety net and it is hard to put into words, how unsettling it is to see this safety net deteriorate.
There are also positive signs here in Germany that citizens are fed up with the AFD.
Millions have demonstrated in major cities throughout the country. The people of Germany do not want this party to exist. As one protestor said, ‘’I don’t want any of this soup!”
Recent article in the Washington Post:
‘’Over 1 million rally in Germany against rising power of far-right party’’
True. But at the same time, the AFD seems to gain some momentum from its base. Same as with Trump, the more scandals, the more the base digs in their heels.
Such a disgrace, these Republicans scurrying to do the bidding of the waddling orange fat guy.
Even the U.S. Supreme Court knows it, is embarrassed by it.
So watch for the truth of my words now:
The U.S. Supreme Court will rule, unanimously, and soon, that Trump does not qualify for any ballot, and that due to the Constitution' section 3, article 14, his name will be stricken from all state ballots.
That is the very essence of the problem. It's the bullies and low-level terrorists against the rest of us who wish to remain civilized. Our insistence on remaining civilized should not be mistaken for weakness, or cowardice.
I'm afraid Alito will write the opinion quoting court decisions in England from the 1600's again. He got away with that with Dobbs, he'll do it again in a heartbeat and Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Comey-Barrett will follow suit.
If they can't be swayed by reading the amici briefs submitted by the Civil War historians and the democracy scholars, they can't be helped. The stakes are made so clear, and they'll have to betray their own "originalist" philosophy to reject it. That said, they are fond of picking up textualism when they want, and laying it down when it's inconvenient. And needless to say, some Who Must Not Be On Named need to recuse too (cough Thomas cough). So I'll hope and pray you're right, Phil, for the sake of all our children and grandchildren.
I think they're all repulsed, Susan, all these nine, by the freak show partisan idiocy.
It's obvious to even the Republican-appointed and Federalist Society loyal that many House and other Republicans are obviously nothing more than white trash, and being led by their noses (they've no spines) by the fat orange guy who's gone beyond sucking up to mass murderers abroad, crossed too many lines for stochastic terrorists at home, gone beyond the multiple rapes he's bragged of, beyond historic level fraud, historic level gross lying.
I wish this would be true but given the cowards who are on the Supreme Court, I believe they will rule in favor or Orange Man. It’s easy to say just vote and they will be ousted from office. They have rigged elections for a long time with their extreme gerrymandering. They have too much power. I so want to believe that right will win over might but I have little confidence this will happen. Too many Americans are not paying attention. Literally, they take our freedom for granted. After republicans crafted the Border bill then went about killing it so quickly on trump’s orders, what is going to stop them?
I wish they would, but I don’t think they have the courage. It appears that a majority has been bought and will continue to take away rights and create chaos.
It’s worse than that. SCOTUS is dominated by life-long white supremacists, starting with Roberts. It’s not that they’re afraid. It’s that they’re true believers.
That would be best. And it would say "obviously the Constitution prohibits insurrectionists from serving...obviously!"
But...if four of them get ego fever and want to be etched in the history books one way or the other, they may take the case and continue the psychological torture of the nation. Let's not underestimate the "lust for legacy".
My palms are sweating as I think about this and type these thoughts....
It's very early morning (now Feb. 9, next day) here in Japan. I awake to find the court hearings done, with most justices having voiced skepticism at a possible chaos of state interpretations.
Looks like they'll punt, declare their orange guy free to reign so long as the U.S. Congress passes no legislation clarifying otherwise.
I'm pessimistic about a lot of things right now, but not how SCOTUS will respond. Hopefully they won't take the case, as the Appeals Court decision was so well-constructed (according to legal scholars, and I'm not one) that they'll simply endorse it by sending it back. If they take it, it would be such a weighty ruling that the most sober justices (and even Kavanaugh, hee hee) would say this goes too far. 6-3 or 7-2 in favor of Colorado.
I will say this: if TSF loses at court, I fear the wrath that WILL be carried out against Haley, CO and federal judges, amici-writing attorneys, gloating Dems, opinion writers, etc.: in short, against our institutions. It may be better to have TSF and his minions absolutely crushed in November (which will likely also bring about bloodshed.)
It will end up in a civil war regardless of the outcome of the elections in November, I'm afraid. If GOD (the Great Orange Dictator) wins, he will start a violent purge of everyone he doesn't like, and his minions will be happy to carry out those orders (finally! the Reckoning!). And if he loses, well, he is the most sore loser in the world, so he will retaliate violently as well. Is his narcissistic little world, there is no way he can lose: he is so fantastic, if he loses a game, it MUST be rigged, and he is more than entitled to use violence to set things right!
I fear you're right about a civil war (how it can be called 'civil' I haven't a clue.) Perhaps a likely prison sentence will at last render TSF incommunicado, something nobody has yet been able to do.
In the summer of 2016, a Russian politician is quoted as saying, “Trump can drive western democracy right off the rails!” Putin doesn’t support Trump to make deals with, he supports him, because he knows Trump can destroy American Democracy faster and cheaper than by any other means.
Isn't it time for a nine Republican senators and a handful of Republican representatives to put country above party and declare that they are changing their party affiliation to independent in order to caucus with the Democrats and pass some key legislation. (Of course, they would need beefed up security to protect them from the Trump's goons.) One can only hope that the Trumpies are overplaying their hand as Dr. Richardson has taught us the Democrats did in the 19th century. (I am not a very good student -- was that what led to the election of Garfield?)
I agree it would likely end their careers, but what's the use of a career in the GOP if one loses one's soul to have it? I don't get how they stay in...
Mitt Lisa Susan where are you? Be a profile in courage. Mitch how about a late career “ come to Jesus” and leave the MAGA CULT and organize a traditional GOP party? Maybe you could attract a few house members too? Independents might vote for you. The time is now. History is calling.
Sorry, Seth, I think that Susan Collins will just follow McConnell’s lead, and he is continuing to capitulate to the MAGA crowd, as he did when he failed to vote to impeach. Remember that she is allegedly pro-choice yet she single-handedly ensured Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court.
Excellent point! It would take just a handful of moderate Republicans in Biden districts to fix this. Yeah, I get the fear factor, but while Trump's blustering and bellowing is mighty, his deeds are almost nonexistent. Grow a spine assholes!
Guardrails? What guardrails? Help, has anyone seen my guardrails? With the collapse of the Senate, there ain’t much left.
Now I’m just trying to hold on to a workable definition of “normal.” Because besides being disgusting and pathetic what we’re seeing is just not normal. It’s not. Really.
It’s a direct attack on our freedom using our system to destroy it. There are some good people in the Senate, the House, and Judiciary. But it is close to the point where getting rid of all of them and starting over is necessary.
I’m so so grateful that every day you write, you are abundantly loud and clear about the danger that Trump and MAGA extremists pose to our country and our Democracy. We must work tirelessly and rally others to the urgency of this cause, our Democracy, and hope that November isn’t too late. Many thanks for your strong voice and leadership.
I hope America is not stupid enough to elect "the Donald" again. Also I hope the Dems run strong enough candidates to knock out his sheep. I live in the VA 1st and will do my best to knock out do-nothing Rob Whittman
I’m a voter in the 1st also, though in Florida until May. Worked some with Herb Jones last go round but have received texts from another Democratic challenger. A request for information from her campaign went unanswered. Any info you have would be appreciated. Whittman needs to go.
lol I gave up the Times Disgrace a bit back. Google has only shown me that she’s primarying him. I really like Herb, but I’d like to know where she stands. I’ll try reaching out.
When Trump loyalists show us who they are in public acts of cowardice, they give us leverage to vote them out. MAGA chaos and cowardice have been losing propositions in close elections across the nation.
Let's call out these cowards through effective messaging and ads, show videos of their statements before and after caving to tRump's demands, promote the values they have betrayed, many of which appeal to conservatives. You love freedom but abandon those fighting for freedom? You believe in securing our border but won't fund enforcing the law?
These MAGA cowards are doubling down because they're more vulnerable than ever. Let's get to work!
Well said officer Fanone!
Law without law enforcement is meaningless.
Alec, the same can be said about the courts
Must be said about the courts.
How many in law enforcement are sympathetic to the MAGgot movement?
Too many. Bush/Cheny started that by militarizing the PDs and sheriff’s departments with surplus’s military and the funds to buy it. Silly us. We thought it was to help them serve and protect us.
Yup. "Military toys to play with " was something I heard more than once.
That said, I was grateful for one such armored vehicle that was sent to a call where our deputies had been shot at, pinned down, and were rescued even as rifle rounds bounced off the armored vehicle, including one on a trajectory that would have killed the operator of the vehicle. No way my agency could afford a law-enforcement built commercial armored vehicle, but that "military surplus" did save my friends' lives.
Thank you, Ally, for giving us an inside look. And I also agree with your post below that says far too many LE individuals support death star. I had the "pleasure" of engaging with a couple of them on one of your Facebook posts. Here in Salem we have some problems with LE helping out Proud Boys and harassing citizens. Then there are the Oath Keeper sheriffs. I can remember one of my ex-students who became LE and who voiced his antigay stance. He was of course, a fundamentalist "Christian" as well. I thought at the time, that he would love throwing his weight around and being able to express his prejudicial views. I have an ex-colleague (Jewish) who is married to a Salem police officer and I am sure he is an excellent officer. My husband has a cousin (Lakota ancestry) who was in the military and spent 30 years in the Dallas TX police department. She was a R and changed to a D. And then there is your many years of service in Lane County.
Thank you. Yes, that conservative bent is all too common in the LEO community. I was one of a relatively vocal handful of staunch liberals. We had quite a crew that worked graveyard together for several years... that was a lot of fun.
The so called christians??? who follow trump are not followers of Christ and any organization that supports them have no religious background. Maybe they are devil worshippers taking their orders from trumpie, the orange devil.
LE….. Law-enforcement
Has that story been published?
Depends what you mean by "published". It is just one of many encounters that law enforcement has that really does not rise to the level of "news". I need to add that we have no "local" paper (ours was taken over by Gatehouse, then Gannet, and now we're a USA Today Lite) and that 2 of our 3 local stations are Sinclair stations. Not worth a lot of press because no one was injured or died, basically. I just did a search for "LCSO Butler Road Shooting" and got several links.
Some explanation: the DA's team investigates all law enforcement shootings.
Local News coverage:
https://kval.com/news/local/elmira-man-arrested-after-firing-several-shots-at-police-sparking-stand-off
LCSO Press Release:
https://www.lanecounty.org/government/county_departments/sheriff_s_office/public_information/current_news_releases/suspect_in_butler_road_shooting_arrested
Far, far too many.
He and the other officers who testified are absolute diamonds, and I know they're not the only ones ♥️
Michael Fanone says it best about the traitors in congress doing Felonious trump's bidding. He's a hero victimized by the rats.
“It appears that Trump is trying to turn the Republican Party into an instrument he can use as he wishes”.
I would say that it is a fait accompli at this point.
How can he be stopped?
From Thomas L. Friedman, who wrote an op-ed in the NYTimes, The G.O.P. Bumper Sticker: Trump First. Putin Second. America Third. (Accessible to all.)
Friedman writes,
“How should we react? Should we despair? Should we shrink from another story that seems to turn the world on its head? No. We need only recognize that the rot in the GOP is beyond repair and that electing Joe Biden is a necessary condition to preserving democracy.
There is no gray area in the 2024 election. A vote for Trump is a vote for Putin. A vote for RFK Jr. is a vote for Putin. A vote for No Labels is a vote for Putin. Staying home is a vote for Putin. A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Democracy. It’s that simple.”
Sky 777, that's excellent. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, Sky 777 you put the voting scenario in very clear language. When I post Heather's letters on Facebook, I usually end with vote D. This am I ended with vote D as if your life depended on it because it does.
What do you mean vote D?
Do you mean Democrat?
Yes.💙💙
Yes. I am usually posting first thing after I get up and tend to shorten things.
Trump will be history by November 2024. Relax.
We still don’t know what’s up his sleeve when he loses. Did he assemble another “army” to storm state capitals? Does he have people in key places to overturn the results?
I agree. He will stop at nothing. He is a cunning, desperately evil madman (as suggested in one of Heather's quotes above, as well as by others). He manipulates by fear
Doug, Mike Murphy's comment that "The bottom line is he's completely unhinged. He is literally off his rocker" is exactly the same comment I've been making for eight years. What makes this true assessment of him most dangerous, is that supposedly "hinged" men and women might recognize this, but will never admit it because they DON'T CARE or they've sold their soul to Trump- the devil.
As I was reading the Letter just now, despair and disbelief took over my usually optimistic nature, but I know that sitting in a chair being despaired is not going to change anything.
It's past time to get out of the chair and do what we can to promote Biden's bid for the survival of our
democracy.
It’s a bluff. Trump may have backing but he’s still a mad bluff.
Thanks to AG Garland, most of Trumputin's brownshirt militia leaders are serving time. But he grows new ones daily.
Garland should have begun the process much earlier. Thank goodness for the 1/6 committee.
MaryPat, may I copy that name the for the former pres?
‘Trumputin’ ?
Very apt.
MaryPat:
I wish Prof. Heather would stop calling hm former President trump. This is a mobster who was a mobster before, during, and now after he sat in a presidential chair planning the overthrow of the nation's government.
Beside the low in intellect followers occupying a cell at a low restriction prison and at our expense, some legislators should be there with them. They had the brains and power to incite the attack and the power to stop it. Who can forget the picture of Josh Hawley hotfooting it to a safe room after inciting the mob? Hand up and a fist in the air.
Put them in with the prison crowd.
Yes. This is the problem. Trump has power because he personifies the government a msjority of white voters want. It’s that simple, and, ironically, that’s what makes it an almost impossible problem to solve, even if by some miracle decent human beings manage to outvote them.
"Trumputin". Love it!
Honestly, it isn't so much the rioters that worry me, it's the anti-American seditionists/secessionists/perjurers and suborners of perjury within various elected bodies at the federal and state levels around the country. What is to stop fake electors again? What is stopping the seditionist republican legislatures in former Confederate states from defying court-ordered redrawing of voting maps to allow actual representation of all Americans? Remember the infamous quotation attributed to president Jackson, defying the Supreme Court over Worcester v. Georgia (1832), when he (allegedly) stated, “John Marshall has made his decision now let him enforce it.” The lies are insidious and seductive, and stupid, ignorant (wilfully or not), ill-informed, selfish, venal, corrupt people are all too ready to be seduced. And the lies are backed by threats, so those not willing to be corrupted are also not willing to be endangered.
Ominous possibilities. We already know what lies Trump is capable of, and the perverse results.
Millions of European Jews thought the same thing about Hitler.
Blue Wave coming. I feel it.
The primary turnout for Biden in South Carolina was 4%. MAGats have to be removed in the primaries. Even if tfg/wmd melts into a puddle, there are too many MAGats in Congress ready to take his place. All must be voted away or removed for their Jan 6 crimes.
If Trump goes down, GOP implosion may be next. Losing the House, a few more Dems in the Senate.... the polls likely won't do a great job "forecasting" the fine structure of opinion and voting intentions.
Yes. Know them. Say their names. Confront their BS, their hipocrisy. Be ready with facts. Take no prisoners!
Not in Texas
Counting on Colin Allred to defeat Cruz, he’s exactly what both Texas and the US Senste need!
I know. But in enough places where it will make a difference.
I wish I felt this.
🤞🏽🙏🏽🤞🏽🙏🏽🤞🏽🙏🏽
So hope the voting demographics works out thus! Saw a poll the other day that said younger voters have a growing minority of liberal and extremely liberal views generally, increasingly so in the younger age cohorts. Liberal views are held most widely among the Dems, about 65% among the "independents", a minority among the Reps. Blacks have a relatively high percent of liberal minded. Despite all the complaints about Biden's age or his administrations policies in the Gaza war. And what's with voter's so persistently negative sentiments over the economy, which has done nothing but bounce back after high inflation and high unemployment. The business press has been singing high praises now for some time.
Frank, I agree that demographics are on our side - in the long run. But this year we have two very big problems relative to younger voters.
Gaza - the death stats and the video images.
Age bigotry - many of the young can't relate to the wisdom of Biden.
I will vote for Joe Biden because he has been the finest president in my lifetime. Young people don't have the perspective that comes with age.
Our job now is to challenge every young person we encounter to vote. To make what Heather said today very clear. ANY vote not for Joe Biden is a vote for Trump and a vote for Putin. ANY vote not for Joe Biden is a vote for fascism, murder and mayhem. ANY vote other than for Joe Biden is a callous decision to abandon democracy. It has never been so stark a choice. It has never been so dangerous.
Gen Z will take up the torch, and we older folks need to support them however we can. Those younger voters 18-29 care about climate and gun control . It is the cheating the GOP are using to undermine voting and set up questions about the next election that many of our institutions are crumbling under.
The big question for skeptics will be the alternative to Biden and the Dems. I'm only hoping the current negative polls don't pan out come the voting booth.
On the economy thing:
All the rose-tinteds keep pounding on 'US leads the world in recovery' and the like, when in fact most USians don't give a rat's patoot about the rest of the world. They really do not care, unless they happen to have close relatives somewhere other than USA.
Also, most people will complain about prices pretty much no matter WHAT they are. Gas high? Maybe, depends. Compared to when? They are not making distinctions. Point being the economic reporters are not wrong but the citizenry is not listening nor caring. It simply does not matter what gets reported, neither its truth (if so) nor its impact.
Well, there is a steady propaganda machine at work. Truth also includes, more much of it, or most of it, top level political policy makers have little influence of the course of economic well being, regardless who's being blamed or taking the credit for it.
And if he has the republicans in the right place to mess with the electoral counts at counting time it is game over.
Relax? Hrmph. I assume you realize that the current class of horror-clowns are going to remain in power for more than a year. That's a lot of damage and I've no idea how to stop it. Which means you're right, Mr. Saperstein, we might as well just bend over and relax, at least until November 2024.
Or be a good boy scout - be prepared. Leave the bending and relaxing part to the "black belts" among us.
You got that right.
I do hope you are right.
I disagree. Fear of a possible physical and rhetorical reaction if the courts turn Trump into history by November will prevent the courts from doing that very thing. He will be on the ballot in 50 States. History will have to wait. A presidential election year is never a time to 'relax.' Make sure you vote and get others to do so, as well. Do not 'relax.'
From your mouth. If the Supreme Court justices uphold their oaths in the case to be argued today, he will be.
There are two many justices that are given $$$$$$$$ to not do truth.
🙏🏻
We all hope so but if he is defeated by extremist Nikki Haley and she becomes the GOP’s presidential candidate I fear being defeated by her at the ballot box has more probability than being defeated by Nutcase.
So we have said ad nauseam…
We can't relax. Some of the supreme court judges are in his cult. He is a criminal and should be in jail now. He isn't because of our court system. He is already setting the stage to delegitimize the 2024 election.
I hope to to the salvation of our democracy this is TRUTH
I wish that were true. If he loses, he will repeat January 6th, only much worse this time I’m afraid. Again, I can think of only one way to stop him.
The polls seem to indicate otherwise. I know, I know, the polls often are not reliable. But time after time, pols are taken, and Biden trails TFFG. I sure hope you are right. And I would not rely too much on our system of justice - Trump's team seems to have that problem largely in hand with their delay tactics. Much is going well with our economy, and there is a well-worn statement in politics - "It's the economy stupid". So as long as the economy continues to do well, that is a great arrow in the quiver. And, as long as Republicans keep suffering own-goals, like yesterday's three debacles, and as long as Trump keeps becoming more and more unhinged, then sooner or later, the voting public must abandon their idiotic support for this monster and the party that has become his. Seems like the polls ought to be showing that by now, don't ya think?
That's what my husband says, and I'd like to believe it but...
"Trump first. Putin second" is just appearances.
The reality behind how it's dressed up to look is that the second is first, while the zombified first functions as automatic transmission for the seeming second.
And the more meaningless chaos, the better.
Bedlam if he wins and a personal promise of Bedlam if he's denied.
Take yer pick.
I prefer denying him and let the chips fall where they may. Letting him win is asking for defeat. Fighting him is healthy.
Beyond absolutely on that one, Susan.
'Ukraine Worries About Losing Its Biggest Weapon: U.S. Military Aid
Without it, Kyiv could hold out for part of the year, one expert said, but would then begin losing the war.' (NYTimes) By Andrew E. Kramer and Marc Santora
Reported from Kyiv, Ukraine
'In the two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine has had its back to the wall many times, in many forms: fighting with Molotov cocktails and guns handed out to the population, coping with blackouts and fleeing refugees. But there was always the prospect of more American aid on the horizon.'
'That support was critical, analysts and leaders in Kyiv say. The United States has provided about half of the foreign military assistance to Ukraine’s arsenal, roughly $47 billion.'
'But this week leaders in Kyiv have waited anxiously to see if that lifeline will come to an end, as a stalemate between lawmakers in the United States Congress threatens to end, for now, American support for the war against Russia.'
'A measure that would allow American arms to flow to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and fund border security was defeated in a Senate vote on Wednesday amid growing Republican opposition and deep division on Capitol Hill.'
'After the vote, the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, said he would try an alternate path, pushing a vote on foreign military aid stripped of the more contentious measures on immigration. Democrats and Republicans alike expressed some optimism for the new measure, but by Wednesday evening, lawmakers were bogged down again. Mr. Schumer recessed the Senate until noon on Thursday.'
'But even if the Senate approves the aid, its fate in the House remains uncertain.'
'Ukraine’s army would not suddenly be overwhelmed, analysts say, but the degradation of its forces would be inexorable. European nations lack American-level stockpiles of weapons and ammunition, and would be unlikely to fill the gap, military analysts say.'
“Ukraine could effectively hold for some part of this year” without more American military aid, Michael Kofman, a Russia expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said in a telephone interview. “But over time there would be no prospect to rebuild the military, and they will start to lose slowly.”
'The absence of further American help, he said, would “point to a dour, negative trajectory in the latter half of this year.”
'Not since the first chaotic months of the invasion, when Russian troops poured across the borders from every direction and the country rose up en masse to resist, has Ukraine faced such a precarious moment in the war.' (NYT) See gifted link below,
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/07/world/europe/ukraine-us-military-aid-russia.html?unlocked_article_code=1.T00.DW2w.SiQe50vzA_nt&smid=url-share
Fern, if THIS is not high treason, what is?
If this, and every millisecond of the non-stop MAGA PermaPutsch is not insurrection, what is?
By their fruits you will know them.
Return said fruits to sender, c/o Kremlin, Moscow.
The international consequences of USA's failure to deliver over metastatic political cancer will reverberate into the century. MAGA has destroyed whatever international credentials GOP ever had.
That is if 'we' address Climate Change or, perhaps, quicken its lethal impact.
I feel like we are living in silence next door to the gas chambers while ignoring the stench.
I grew up during the Cold War. Seeing US Senators and Representatives praise Putin is almost impossible to imagine. Are there really so many people who know nothing of history?
I pick Bedlam when he's denied, because if he's elected, then we'll be the insurrectionists.
He’ll threaten bedlam again, but look how all those threats of bedlam if he’s indicted/arrested/loses in court/etc. have panned out.
Putrump.
Trumputin.
My computer has crashed, MaryPat, maybe because I was giving readers lessons in Afrikaans.
Ah, they do have some wonderful words in that language, and readers can probably imagine why I was explaining the sonorous adjective VERKRAMPTE (conservative or REACTIONARY, especially as regards APARTHEID) and the noun (a person holding BIGOTED and REACTIONARY views).
This led me to add a neologism, VERKRAMPTE-VERTRUMPTE for the kind of parasitic wotsits that can on occasion worm their way into even the greatest of Great Minds.
TaDa!!
As someone fluent in Dutch and familiar with a lot of Afrikaans, I heartily endorse "vertrumpte"! Modern Dutch, to my knowledge, doesn't use "verkrampte/verkrampen" in a political sense or to describe a bigot or reactionary -- at least Van Dalen's complete dictionary or idiomatic dictionary doesn't mention it as a usage -- so it must be specifically Afrikaans, or is quite idiomatic. I like "vertrumpte" and may mention it to my Dutch friends!
Sure.
With the Pu pronounced... pooooo (hold yer nose)ooooo...
And sing Trumpski-Dumpski s*at on his Wall...
Yes, that Beeoootiful Wall [to be paid for by the Mexicans, cos' in Trumpskiworld, someone else always pays... while HE fills his pockets. Art of the Cardsharp Deal].
Come to think of it, We Too, have a pocketfull of sharp nicknails for that broad bum.
That said, let's not waste time. Let's leave him and his in their unchanged diapers and keep to wanting all we want and getting what we really want!
It would be best if the Supreme Court would take him off the ballot now. Why let him go on to the election and continue to wreak havoc by continuing to hurt our country. Republicans. Need to bite the bullet and untangle yourselves from this person who loves himself so much that he will harm our country in order to enrich himself and hang on to power.
They are probably hoping the Supreme Court will do this.
It doesn’t look like they will with the odd questions that they asked
World headlines share your view.
Trumputin.
Thx for sharing that Sky 777! Friedman nailed it!
Let’s hope so but we must not take this result for granted as T. Friedman stresses.
Hopefully he will finally be brought to court in DC, Florida and Georgia to answer for his crimes and the Supreme Court will rapidly reject his claim for absolute immunity or even better let the Federal Court’s decision stand and refuse to take up the case.
Yup. Ina nutshell.
Clarification, Sky 777: The words you quoted are by Substack author Robert Hubbell writing today about Friedman's article.
https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/america-last
Truth
OMG, you are right. I had copied from Hubbell and then gone to get the link for the Freeman article and somehow forgot to close the loop and say it was from Robert Hubbell’s post.
I have to start writing comments in notes and proof-reading then copy and paste into comments.
Mea culpa. And thanks for clarifying. Appreciate it.
Robert Hubbell is on my always read list.
Thomas Friedman absurdly lies. The Democratic National Committee is a money-grubbing parasite that has inserted itself between the voters and the selection of a presidential candidate. Bernie Sanders was the choice of the people. (I'm not a big Bernie fan, but I would have voted for him.) Corporate Joe "Creepy Snuggles" Biden (and Hillary before him) was the choice of the DNC.
💩
So we’ve gone from ‘don’t feed the trolls’ pleadings to poo emojis?
What’s next, gonna start dropping f-bombs like TCinLA?
Sorry Tom. The Happy Poo emoji is right next to the Rolling Eyes emoji in my list of favorite icons. I tapped Happy Poo and posted the comment but can't edit on my mobile device. Consider a Rolling Eyes emoji in its place if it bothers you that much.
Derek, My Man
Go away troll!!! Get off this post!
Elizabeth Wallace,
How rude of you. Perhaps you think that the DNC is a bunch of nice philanthropists who don't use cocaine.
That's why Biden was snorting coke in the White House -- fundraising.
If you can’t be kind at least have the decency to be vague.
Hoyt Bangs: Don’t bother. Schmeeckle is just a nasty little man child. Not worth the type.
Thanks, i had gathered that. just thought I would test his resistance to snark so I used this quote from Jerry Seinfeld that went right over his head. “If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.” I have other and even better remarks if i decide to play with him again but without a sense of humor, it is doubtful.
It's ever so much more comfortable with your head in the sand.
Hillary was the corporatist Senator from Wall Street.
Joe Biden was the Senator from tiny corporatist Delaware, a low-rent suburb of Wall Street.
Joe Biden is not "corporatist." He is a believer in and supporter of American institutions -- an "institutionalist." . He had made change within the context of the institutions we've got. From the American Rescue Plan (recovery from Covid) to the infrastructure plan (the specific projects that Republicans keep pretending to have supported) to a serious effort to address climate change (through the Inflation Reduction Act) and many smaller decisions, Joe Biden has provided both the road map and the vehicles for transforming the country. For this moment, he has been unable to get past Donald Trump's control of the Republican Party to do the same for America's international relations. But only for this moment. There is yet time to achieve his goals.
Leonard- Thank you for a civil discussion in the middle of this blinding storm of rage against corporate America in which Mr. Sc———-kle indulges. I think most of Dr. Richardson’s readers are knowledgeable about the destructive effects of corporate money in politics. We will never know what Bernie Sander’s success in real policy would have been to stem this force. President Biden is taking measurable steps to gain some ground for millions of Americans.
Leonard Lubinsky,
Our goals as citizens who love this country and each hero and heroine who have gone before us and paved the way......Thank you for being a hero, President Joe Biden!
With your great heart...your quiet but strong and determined voice...we will continue to actively demonstrate love for this country and respect to those who have sacrificed with their lives, before us.
Instead of crudeness and violence you, and your team along with many devoted citizens of ALL COLORS will move forward loving this nation, its people....all of them.....so that we can continue and BUILFD BACK BETTER ...ALL the great projects we as a country have begun .....UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP !!!! Many are working steadily everyday to improve our country with infrastructure plans guided by your administration.
We need to support Ukraine! The leaders in Israel have shown us who they are.....they have told us what their goals are....they do not plan to give Gaza to the Palestinians...if any are left alive and move back to homes...if their homes have not been bombed....Israel leadership has said ....those citizens will be under their authority. What more needs to be said.
It is the leadership in Israel that must no longer be supported.
The people of Israel and the people of Palestine are the ones being killed....NOT A SCAR ON THE LEADERS WHO ARE USING THIS SITUATION FOR PERSONAL GAIN. This is not healing our global relationships.
President Biden....I am for you! I am for our peacemakers. I thank you and will vote for you. We must examine whys we are being used....spending American dollars to further the will of evil. I realize it is a complicated situation but we do not have to continue to support further death and destruction in order to grant the wishes of evil men!
I also realize that we have been patient with the disruption involving the transport of goods.
Our enemies are participating and watching. They intend to destroy us. They understand the love many have for combat. Remember the ones "playing chess" with the lives of our soldiers will not be on the ground...in the oceans ...or in the skies.
Please dear leaders BE WISE!!!!!
Please do not feed the troll
p.s. Don't forget the Biden campaign's sick talking point (echoed by HCR) for a lax immigration policy: "We need immigrants to do jobs that Americans won't do." In other words, they think we need to exploit desperate immigrants because our corporations won't pay a living wage for unskilled and semi-skilled labor.
Joe Biden is most certainly a corporatist. What you, and most commenters here, have trouble grasping, is that we no longer live in a democracy. That is just the illusory face covering the corporate coup that has already taken place. What does it matter whether one is a ‘institutionalist’ when most every institution, from the media to academia to government itself, is corrupted by monied interests?
Your assertion that Biden made a ‘serious’ effort to address climate change is absurd. Watch the linked video below. Though the discussion specifically relates to Middle East recent events, Max links the policy to the control corporate interests have on policy, from players like Jen Psaki to Tony Blinken to yes, corporatist Joe Biden.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfxhOevvPRM
p.p.s. More about Corporate Joe's sick "bipartisan" immigration policy, which the Establishment has been running for decades:
1. Use our domination over the International Monetary Fund to strangle the economies of the darker-skinned countries, creating an "expendable garbage heap of three billion souls" (quoting senior IMF official Davison Budhoo:
https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1oJzvpfFzIKu76oE1CkzZlarRiVpYIggFMFzSt6OgHx0/mobilebasic?pli=1 )
2. Exploit desparate immigrant economic refugees to avoid paying a living wage to un- and semi-skilled workers here in the U.S.A.
Young Joe Biden was installed as a "safe seat" Senator from tiny Delaware (where the biggest industry is low-tax hosting of corporate headquarters) so he could gain seniority on the Judiciary Committee and help select corporate-friendly judges.
Now, as a Vampire Liberal, Corporate Joe Biden sucks money from other countries (in the form of Unpayable Debt) to fund Worthwhile Programs so Bernie's supporters will hold their noses and vote for him.
You are fecallly impacted. This is not a forum for one of you ilk.
Georgia Girl. Say it over and over, No Oxygen
Please do not feed the troll.
...said the Thought Controller who wants to ban honest Democrats.
Do corporatists stand in union picket lines these days?
I think they stand with TFFG in non-union shops in Michigan trying to hold to keep wages as low as possible.
As Fain put it, "Trump is a scab."
As part of political theater, you betcha.
Only for show.
Hahahahahahahaha
Silly boy is ether desperate or scared.
Hell, why not both?
Guess you like lying sexual assaulter con man who doesn't give two shot about you much less this country.
No one is above the law and your orange pile of smega is going to find out that a criminal trial is way different than a civil one.
Gotta buy more popcorn.
While he might never see the inside of a cell, he will never see the inside of the White House again.
Beth - to paraphrase- from your pen to God’s eyes.
Joe "penis finger" Biden did to Tara Reade what Donald "penis finger" Trump did to Jean Carroll.
I'm sure many of us want to read Friedman's article. Here's the link
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/opinion/immigration-senate-house.html?searchResultPosition=1
Just as the United States survived despite the presence of Tories in 1776 and despite the secessionists who rebelled in 1861, we should be able to survive today's Republican Party. But that won't happen if Americans committed to representative democracy sit on their hands. Trumpublicans, and their not necessarily ignorant or gullible supporters, are deeply dedicated to taking representative democracy away from us. Listen to what they are saying! Defend our Democracy by voting for it and working to get others to also do so in November.
Yep, and to borrow from Basil Fawlty “now for the tricky bit “ getting it done.
Sky 777; “There is no gray area in the 2024 election. A vote for Trump is a vote for Putin. A vote for RFK Jr. is a vote for Putin. A vote for No Labels is a vote for Putin. Staying home is a vote for Putin. A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Democracy. It’s that simple.” Simply stated, Brilliant. Democracy is not perfect, but it is superior to authoritarianism and or fascism which is the path that this Republican Party is leading and promoting. Thank you for sharing.
Sky 777 Thanks! Based on your answer, I’ve come up with a new slogan:
Biden—Democracy Today, Democracy Tomorrow
💙❣️💙❣️💙
I honestly think the only way mobster TUMP can be stopped is for the ''Grim Reaper'' comes calling for him. Too bad that might not happen soon. I am confident that he won't win the election by the vote, however, the mischief surrounding the delegates and the vote count causes me great concern. I may be wrong, but i think Biden will defeat him by more of the popular vote than in the 2020 election...just my opinion. There is no way he should even be allowed to run for President. In other Democratic nations of the world, he would already be in prison, or would have been executed by now.
If tRump were anyone else, he would be waiting out these trials in jail.
John, “mischief” is much too gentle of a word. All 60 of the representatives who signed off on exonerating TFG should themselves be arrested !!!
Yes - I never wished so fervently that someone would have a heart attack and die. It would have to be at a “huge” MAGA event for them to believe it though. But then we would have to contend with all those sheepish, scared, flying monkey Republicans so willing to do his bidding.
Unfortunately, both his parents lived into their 90s. Both were demented. I think we are seeing that progression now in trumputin.
We could just put those monkeys in a zoo.
Love it!
They would treat him like an Incan emperor. After all they worship Schitt, why not a corpse.
Who is Schitt?
A phonetic spelling for fecal matter, like that contained in adult diapers.
Flying monkeys! Yes!
Meanwhile many Americans are sleepwalking & show little interest in the possibility of an indicted and convicted criminal becoming President! If voters don’t awaken, we’ll pay a huge price !
Or Mussolinied. I'd suggest the pitchforks-and-torches approach, but his followers have assault rifles.
Right? Manifest destiny on their side. Big guns, small brains, among other things. Yet still they rise. We must rise higher. I grew up with gun sloppy cowboys in East NM and west Texas. Without their guns they are a bunch of busses-- there, I said it. Humph. Hi ho
Some will die, question is how many
Or more pointedly, how have we gotten so far down this road that we are speculating about death counts? What frightful times.
sad but true
I agree and it can’t happen soon enough for me.
The Republican Party is a joke, it doesn’t really exist anymore. Look at Nevada, a primary where None of the Candidates beats Haley. Trump doesn’t run in it and there’s a Caucus on Thursday that he is in but she is not. The primary doesn’t award delegates but the caucus does. What a joke!
The Republicans have been a joke since 1980. Trump’s insight was to figure out just how far that joke could go.
(Gloomy heart)
Same here, Anne-Louise Luccarini.
The mischief also causes me great concern. I think he also knows he’s going to loses which is why I worry about what lengths will he go to win and garner votes. They talk of hurting democrats often and recently a man murder his father over his democratic political beliefs. I think there’s a serious mental health crisis going on in our county and there’s a lot of sick people eager to cause chaos. On another note, the mobster has showcased how incredibly broken and flawed our political system is. Where does the buck stop with him? We’re all waiting to find out…
I agree, i am extremely concerned about this whole situation. At this point, i think the insane and arrogant creep would be willing to commit serious crimes to garner votes in order to win. There has to be something wrong with a person that would murder his father over his democratic beliefs. There is in fact a serious mental health crisis going on here in the United States, and DJT is the root cause out of most of it. I fail to understand how anyone could be conned into worshiping someone as horrible and evil as DJT is. This whole thing reeks of the Jim Jones thing many years ago when he conned his followers into drinking Kool-Aid laced with Cyanide.
I have read of many of his followers will fork out half of their paychecks and let their children go without food to donate to him. Also, i have read of some elderly people that will donate a good portion of their Social Security checks to him. It's appalling that they have been brainwashed and conned so easily. DJT even said one time, '' I love the uneducated and gullible.'' I am beyond sick and fed up with this kind of thing happening here.
I hope you don't mind me saying this, but your picture posted on your profile is awesome. You are so cute in it..
The grim reaper doesn’t have a vote, or does he have the most important vote. Not a sure thing, either way.
I can easily imagine bus loads of tRumpers led by the mob boss clown car all crashing into each other if they try something stupid.
Trump will either be stopped by the Supreme Court via 14.3, or by the will of the American people. Again, the majority of voters will vote for Democracy in 2024, as happened in 2023, 2022 and every election since 2018.
Your typing fingers to God’s inbox.
Sky, I love that variation! I've been wondering how to update that phrase.
It appears to me that he knows that, but his unhinged mentality is goaded bull, and he's looking to stop the elections from taking place, by any means at all. Putin is his mentor.
Indeed true. I suspect his crowd will face the same result that we saw in 2023 with the elections in KY, VA, OH and NJ. The special Congressional election next Tues, Feb 13, in NY to replace Geo Santos will, again, go Democratic.
Democracy will win out in 2024
May it be so.
It must be so. At all costs.
The red states have been cheating by all means they can conjure, wake up.
Somehow this needs to be addressed more emphatically. Mark Elias needs more support. We absolutely have to change what is happening with gerrymandering and voter suppression, and voter intimidation.
https://substack.com/redirect/04db6deb-3d92-4f36-9448-1f54872e6bae?j=eyJ1IjoiNXY0anYifQ.UrizqtClmARYntH-71tbbtx2h9Tpuo6CRnogDq904ug
Suozzi ahead in poll.
So many postcards......
There's a very discouraging headline and piece about this race in the NYT today. There was a similar one in the WaPo a few days ago. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/08/nyregion/tom-suozzi-santos-election.html?unlocked_article_code=1.T00.K35F.1N0x89kxaYgp&smid=url-share
TrumPutin.
Trump, if allowed to run will lose. However, the certification process could be a disaster for our democratic republic. That's a very real possibility given that the Republicans' control the House.
I don't expect Biden to lose any of the states he won in 2020. Neither trump nor the MAGA Party will gain ground, simply due to their utter incompetence.
So, the certification process of the electors will run through ... VP Harris, to simply carry out her constitutional authority to certify. The House will not come into play with this process.
If I recall correctly, under the US Constitution the new congress is sworn in before the date for certification of the presidential vote. It is therefore of utmost importance that non-MAGA congressional representatives be elected to minimize the likelihood of a repetition of Jan 6 2021. What trump and his acolytes in congress and elsewhere (e.g. the Heritage Foundation with its Project 2025) are doing is engaging in a rolling insurrection at this very moment. They must be exposed at every opportunity and stopped. Vote blue all the way down the ticket.
Marcia- You have hit on a very necessary election message that must be given more traction by Dems. “Vote in a Blue House to stop Republicans. decertification 2.0” .🗳️💙🇺🇸🧢
Smart people support chump this time. If they are as smart as I think they are, they will replace him in short order using 25th amendment, and replace him with an efficient Putin toadie. Unless he and Putin ditch them first… stay tuned…
Such surety, you must live under a blue sky, with nary a cloud.
And if it does, we must ensure the House is securely in Dem control in November.
Read the Constitution about how the House votes for President. The majority of the state legislatures must be in Democratic control for Biden to win if it goes to the House. Another flaw in the Constitution--the results could be that TFFG wins because of gerrymandered legislatures in states like TX, FL, WI and NC to name a few. Of course they only get one vote each if it goes to the House to decide.
We cannot be overconfident; too much is at stake - for the present and the future and not just for America and Americans but for our world’s order … too many people have and continue to depend upon us and we cannot nor should not let them - nor ourselves - down!!!
Along the lines of the world's order, I noticed this from Japan,
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2024/02/08/world/us-election-world-history/?utm_source=pianodnu&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=72&tpcc=dnu&pnespid=p.foypue56kb9rattkp0spnovagyos5yi1wuburpt1svfg.hkmyz6zdgh6o.z5_ai2kyc2w
Thanks for the link!
Great article!
They won't after 2024
I wonder in SCOTUS will ignore the Constitution. This court already ignores standing. They are agreeing to hear the mifepristone case when it was submitted by Doctors with no possible affect on them. And the articles cited by Kasmyrik in his opinion have been invalidated and pulled from Sage Publishing.
One can only hope.
Really?
My concern is that given the opportunity he will succeed at subverting the election results. This must be stopped now. The recent actions with immigration reform speaks volumes.
Listen up people!!
Today, 2/8, the Supreme Court will hear Colorado’s attempt to disqualify Trump for being part of an insurrection. There is no doubt that he is guilty and his crime is exactly what the amendment describes. Trump’s defense is to challenge the meaning of a few words. He really has nothing except that the court probably doesn’t have the will or nerve to defend the Constitution, even though they must know that they are being used as pawns in the insurrection. They could save the world today. Odds are 1 in 10.
I think we have better odds. My optimistic coffee tells me it will be a 5 - 4 to disqualify. Barrett and Roberts to join and stop the madness. I could be wrong. It happens all the time.
There is a chance that Kavanaugh and Gorsuch want to prove their independence, especially if they see it will be the winning side. Why is Thomas listening to this case? He certainly appears to have a bias.
Why hasn't Robert's had a "side bar" with Thomas and suggested he step down to prepare for his criminal prosecution?
It will have to be by the ballot box. I believe the sc will uphold trump’s appeal.
Dems get the votes, repubs get the wins. Chump still rules the fools and all of us
Noted: You correctly stated that he will not be stopped by Merrick Garland. The DOJ has been Washington’s Potemkin village under his leadership. Lots of show. A pretty rationale for tackling 1/6 “from the bottom up”. Justice for some but not for one. As the insider said, “You couldn’t even Trump’s name in the building for the first year or so”. Now we are counting months to see if we can squeeze in a trial before it’s too late.
Full credit to the House Committee for shaming him into hiring Jack Smith. But it’s likely going to be too late. I hope Biden wins as fervently as anybody does. But if it looks probable, America’s worst will go wild. If he does win, he may never see office.
It will be wild.
And if there claims of fraud from the GOP, we must get out in the streets and start a movement defending democracy.
And if the so called originalists on the Court try and claim the 14th doesn't say what it says, SCOTUS reform becomes a priority.
My fear is that they don't want to issue a ruling they think red states will ignore.
But they brought us to this and it's up to them to fix it.
Right… but what if Johnson is not Pence?
Oh I hope so. I have kids -- girls, if you will -- in Florida. Mom's for Liberty are trying to get a toe hold in my blue reserve state of Connecticut. We need huuuge bull horns. Can/will we be strong and still be nice? The thought of sitting duo with those poor people and start to connect with them in a reasonable way is a a fading light sinking into a black hole. Frankly, I'm scared shitless, and I've not had an easy life. Time to get going. Hi ho. Lonesome no more.
Peace.
My thoughts exactly
First, we need to understand it's not just Trump. All of MAGA is a neofascist party working directly with neofascists in Russia, Hungary, and likely Italy and The Netherlands. When Trump goes away the neofascist threat will not end.
Second, we must remember no fascist party has ever really gotten more than 1/3 of the population to vote for it (in a reasonably free election) much less support it. They're turning to violence because a) THEY LOVE VIOLENCE and b) they're a minority.
Third we have to not make the mistakes the Germans made by allowing differences among the non fascists to allow the fascists to take control (they did so in Germany through an election they only got about 30% of the vote--but the opposition couldn't form a coalition to stop them).
This means voting for the only significant opposition party, the Democrats. We can fight about our very real political differences within the not fascist coalition later. No exceptions this year. It also means doing everything we can to make sure our neighbors can and do vote.
Well said, Philip. "third" is the kicker here. We have got to make sure that we don't think "that can't happen here" because it is happening at this moment.
He is trying very hard to find someone or something who will stop him. His attacks on Judge Engoron and his side clerk were and continue are without any parallel that I can think of. How bout you ? And they will prove to be extraordinarily destructive. Of him. And of all who served him. But principally him.. it is almost as if he has a death wish. Or is being driven by someone or something else. Which he actually professed to be the case always and at every opportunity. For as he portrays it he is leading a campaign to right all sorts of wrongs, drive from power enemies of the People, and turn gi ernment inside out in order to "Make America, etc.
I think he is indeed driven given how self destructive his ambitions and behavior have been ever since he decided to run for office. They promise to continue to be. But so aggressive and hostile has his behavior been of late, and energetic for a man of his age in a destructive way, that I have come to suspect that he is a coke head, or worse, uses meth. Apparently there was plenty of drug abuse in his White House, judging from the Army IGs report.
As one of Johnson's economic advisors said: "if something is unsustainable, it will stop". Sooner or later Trump will find the person or the thing he will run in to. At the rate he is going, Judge Chutkin, on her own motion, may raise the issue of his competency to stand trial, and order a ten day involuntary vommitak for psychiatric evaluation. That might due the trick, for then he would call for her assassination That would happen so quick there is no way he could enter an appeal and get a stay Right out the door of the courtroom. In a straightjacket.
But unfortunately, there is no stopping what the American people will do to themselves.
Last sentence says all.
Either delusional or driven - or both - but the latest antics of Carlson certainly appear to show where the driver sits. I wonder if T Carlson has any inkling of the danger he's in? I can't see him making friends with Ed Snowden. Anyone seen his Moscow interview?
The orange con operates according to Roy Cohns rules. A few of which we have witnessed throughout hie public exposure. One, claim victory regardless of the outcome. and two you do not have to believe what you say. And his own quote, "People will just believe you. You just tell them and they believe you." How do we get out of this mess? We need a huge megaphone that calls out his lies and motives. The president, and high profile people need to speak out loudly and clearly calling out tRumps BS and his MAGATs.
What an amazing bunch of spineless corrupt sycophants that have the audacity to have been elected to represent their constituents when they in fact are frieghtened children who obey a criminal sociopath many of which should be kept from office due to their violating their oath of office by contributing to the insurrection.
What insurrection? What oath of office? World news today (Thursday) is that the loaded Supreme Court is "poised" to do what he hired them to do.
Unless the Supreme Court does something unexpected, there's only one way. Vote him out.
Something that should of been done back in January 2021, the day he left office - put his ass in jail pending an investigation of an attempted coup (on his behalf) and treason.
In any case, it his incomprehensible how this monster is still walking free today. The courts have inexplicably crumbled in deference to his illegitimate power.
America is in crisis! The collapse of the rule of law, the blatant political corruption of the Supreme Court, and the diminution of the Constitution can not be blamed solely on tRump. This is a systemic failure that nobody in power has successfully fought or even defended.
They all, including every member of the Republican Party are guilty of forsaking their oath of office. Not one of them can legitimately claim they "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter." These people are all traitors and should be prosecuted as such!
It also has to be said, the Fourth Estate, including most in the mainstream media should be scorned for their inexcusable and grossly irresponsible coverage and reporting of what is abundantly clear to anyone paying attention. The Republican Party is actively engaged in a coup to take over the United States of America. They are doing it at the Federal level and in most State governments. The Justice Department is in catastrophic failure under the leadership of Garland, who should have been replaced within a few months following his timorous response to the January 6th coup.
We are in a 21st century civil war for the future of America and Biden thinks that by his good deeds and steady leadership, he can reunite the country and preserve democracy. Isn't going to happen!
Person to person, one at a time with facts in evidence in hand. And be prepared to do a lot of listening, patiently; then speak and show your truth.
I can think of only one way.
I have a fantasy/hope gripping my heart in which the SCOTUS sees clearly that they have a golden, once-in-an-epoch opportunity to save the US by affirming that 1) Trump WAS an officer of the government, 2) the uprising on January 6th at the Capitol WAS an insurrection, and 3) Trump DID aid and abet an insurrection.
If he is kicked off the ballot everywhere, the problem would be solved, and he could scream at the sky until his lungs collapsed, but we wouldn't have to deal with him ever again.
Plus, it would open the door for kicking out the worst of the insurrection supporters currently in Congress and keep any others out.
Like I said, fantasy/hope. *fingers crossed*
Anne-Louise: tell your friends “Biden: Democracy Today, Democracy Tomorrow!”
Two words: Joe Biden
Hum… Fart on his nose until he is deprived of oxygen?
Trump is governing by proxy through the Republicans in the House, led by head sheep MAGA Mikey Johnson, even though he is not an elected representative. In fact, the people chose not to elect him, and he is ignoring this. I really think that there should be ways that Trump reaps what he sows. However, for Democrats to question the election would lead to further invalidation of our electoral process. Instead, I was thinking that the question should be put out there, "Who is more popular ,Trump or Putin? " In answering this, it would redirect Trump's focus and his ally would be his rival in that way, on the record. It would be great to pose that same question only switch out other current dictator's names. In the meantime, Trump puts a loyalist in as head of the party, so that he can have Nikki Haley pushed out. I am sure the mob will be going after her. I guess she and her husband need to beef up their security. With her out, it is Trump or no one for the Republican party, which is after all, what Nevada voted for. If Trump were then removed from being eligible as he should be according to the Fourteenth Amendment, then that would leave Biden vs. the third party candidates. All I can say to Robert Kennedy is, "You are no JFK!" Of course he has had a Trump light endorsement, so that would be an interesting set of circumstances.
No one is in more danger from chump than the ones who boosted his chances in the first place. Even us Dems are down on the list. Looks like they would notice, but they are too busy quaking in their boots. Bullies have no friends, for long…
How true. Trump has no real friends. Just flunkies. Trump is no one's real friend. He is too egomaniacal.
users and those used
Trumputin
Exactly!
This is getting boring.. Surely the more rational GOP-ers are aware that the voting is supposed to be secret. Yes-no??? So, they can stop Trump at the polls without any (shall we say little) chance of retribution.
Most sadly agree.
Sky, I just read On Tyranny by Dr. Timothy Snyder, Lesson 10, Believe in Truth: “To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. You submit to tyranny when you renounce the difference between what you want to hear and what is actually the case. Truth dies in 4 modes. The 1st is the open hostility to verifiable reality. In 2017, the American President averaged 6 lies a day. The next year it was 16, the following year, 22. In 2020 he told an average about 27 lies a day. Demeaning the world as it is, begins the creation of a fictional counterworld. The 2nd, mode is shamanistic incantation, endless repetition to make the fictional plausible and the criminal desirable. At rallies, Build the Wall or Lock him Up did not describe anything that would actually happen, but their very grandiosity established a connection between the speaker and his audience. The 3rd mode is magical thinking or the open embrace of contradiction. A billionaire is someone who can pay neither his taxes nor his debts. Liberating the wealthy from taxes will not increase the national debt. Fighting corruption means selling the presidency for favors. A disease that kills hundreds of thousands will vanish. The vote is always rigged and you should vote for me anyway. Accepting untruth of this radical kind requires abandonment of reason. The 4th mode is misplaced faith. It involves the sort of self-deifying claims a President made when he said that “I alone can solve it,” or “I am your voice.’ When faith descends from heaven to earth in this way, no room remains for the small truths of our individual discernment and experience. Evidence was irrelevant.”
A copy of this book is on my bedside table. I read one chapter each morning. When I get to the end of the book, I start over from Chapter 1. Reading it when I get up reminds me of what we are fighting for.
Exactly! The person who gave it to me, a retired 49 year educator, Ph.D. and well loved principal at our Beach Elementary School who wrote a note to me, "Read, Re-read, Share ->" I am Re-reading and Showing now. Bone chilling! And he has just decided to run for School Board. Today is the last day to file! He will be a terrific Board member! He is running for office, as recommended in On Tyranny in Lesson (? cant find which Lesson) and we are blessed to have him step up to provide us with a great candidate and to serve our County for office!
The Murkowski’s - in the past I would have added Collins, but she continues to show her fealty to trump - and any other non-tRUmpista Republicans (are there any left) must hang together or surely, as Ben Franklin said, they will hang separately.
At their last convention, such as it was, didn't the GOP adopt a "platform" that essentially offered nothing except for loyalty to Trump? Gaetz and his 60 toads are trying to make good on that platform.
Agreed, Sky 777
McConnell played a pivotal role in stitching this monster together.
Yes, McConnell's chickens have come home to roost. I have written to him regularly even though I don't live in his state and other Republican senators to remind them of the monster their silence has created. They have forsaken and trampled their oath of office.
Did any of them ever answer you? Asking for a friend.
No, I didn't receive any replies. To me, the important thing was I respectfully expressed my opinions and concerns. A person one time told me I was doing "good trouble" ala John Lewis. That was a huge compliment to me!
I have written letters to my various reps and all I ever get is a form letter type response.
Keep writing! We have to!
That's all we deserve in their putin-minds. Wonder where the gulag will be in this country?
That is my experience as well. Do you send emails or do you use the post office?
Let's not forget McCarthy's post-Jan 6 embrace of TSF (Biden's sub Rosa name for you-know-who) down in Mar a Lago. I thought that was pivotal in giving TSF his power back.
This monster destroys his creators. And the newly powerful are moron MAGAts. But with flame throwers.
If you have a Republican Senator they answer to and work for McConnell.
If accused Susan Collins of that many times--multiple times after she voted to approve the sexual predator Kavanaugh.
I have a feeling McConnell will conveniently retire from active duty soon without ever admitting his part in enabling a hostile, antidemocratic pollitics in this country.
McConnell accomplished his two goals: stuffing the federal court system with young, hard-right conservatives with or without qualifications to be a judge and reducing taxes.
On the very wealthy.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/13/wealthiest-americans-tax-income-propublica-investigation
Grrrr
Yup. He did his job.
He didn't do his job for his impoverished constituents.
His allegiance was not to his constituents.
But to his patrons.
So true.
Depends on how the word, "job," is defined.
And then write a book and appear on talk shows . . .
His wife probably would have to do it for him. He is looking very weak now.
Ugh!
Never thought any one would best Moscow Mitch. It’s Putin’s playbook all the way. Yesterday’s friends are today’s corpses…
He will be remembered for not impeaching trump, the surest easiest way all this could have been avoided..everything he’s done in his too long career before and after this will be secondary..it will also be easy for historians to point out the irony that the SCOTUS decision on the Colorado case will ensure trump gets votes there even as he denied millions of voters their votes with his insurrection attempt.. all these enablers are just so sickening.
All he and seven others had to do was vote to convict Trump in the second impeachment. By now the Gammas would have moved on to the next thing in their addled minds.
Wonder if any regret not doing that. Would have been so easy.
You mean that Soma is still available?
Why can’t these brainless but more so spineless Republicans see what is happening to literally all of their fellow Republicans that are eventually becoming worthless in Trump’s eyes and then cast aside like so much worthless trash.
I focus more on the 65% of America that is NOT conservative, nor Republican. Herein is our future.
More of them need to vote. Vote that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
The MAGANAZIs and white faux-Christian nationalists are not conservatives. They are repressive regressives. They have taken away voters rights by gerrymandering. They have taken away women's right to health care and refuse to pass ANY legislation. They refuse to prosecute rapists other sexual predators in TX and other states. They won't fund the border patrol but they bitch about the Southern border. (Have you ever heard any of them say anything about the northern border?)
They have done nothing to help anyone that makes less than $300,000 a year while McConnell was in charge of the Senate. They are repressive regressives -- not conservatives.
That “future” seems to have spoken: “Give me porn or cat videos, and leave me alone.”
The blue pill.
And Fox News.
Sad but true,
Where, not in Texas
Pat, they do see what is happening. Those in office hope to have a seat at the table of the first Authoritarian Government in the former United States. Those not in office want "daddy" to tell them what to do and how to think - because thinking for oneself is so terribly difficult and time consuming.
Fay Reid, and thinking for one's self comes with responsibility for which they want none.
You've got it, Pat.
Sort of like attending a backstabbers convention.
Seem like back when kings were kings, your friends and relations could be your deadliest enemies.
History is full of such. How dare we think we were different.
Clear as a bell to those of us who have eyes and ears
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and of your ears. It was their final, most essential command.
Yep, Orwell knew of what he spoke
Swatters must be smashed.
Many of the Republican politicians are actually afraid for the safety of their families. Death threats and swatting - all encouraged by a former president. We are in dark times.
Bill Alstrom (MA-Maine-MA) could you please explain definition of "swatting"?
"Swatting is a term used to describe the action of making hoax phone calls to report serious crimes to emergency services. People who carry out a swatting prank call aim to fool emergency services into sending a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team to respond to the supposed emergency."
So you look out your front window and a team of heavily armed cops are rushing your house....
I agree, JL. All of this time, i am still baffled why so many yellow belly pricks in Congress are so deathly afraid of that lower than scum SOB??
The RNC drums the ones with any trace of conscience or courage out. So far, utter lack of decency has been their superpower. It could also be their epitaph; but we need to resist them together. That's always how tyranny falls.
The GOP “Profiles in Courage” has one page: Liz Cheney.
Two, Adam
I left Adam out because he did not run again.
But he is still working for American democracy.
https://youtu.be/37mnCQrQmYo?si=Xc0NYVdmNGNS12N9
Ronna sold her soul, what will she do now? Will the LDS let her ancestors go to heaven?
Exactly. And lets not forget that duplicitous McCarthy. Now the monster is back running the show and *literally everyone* is scared of him. This sordid time in our history eminds me of a Western, where the cluelessly dull sheriff has captured and cuffed the deranged outlaw. Sitting around the campfire, the outlaw convinces the lawman to loosen the cuffs, thus allowing him to get the band back together to rain terror and retribution across the land.
Yeah, and look what he gets as a reward: he gets cast aside by the Great Orange Dictator.
“And then they came for me”
Who deserves it more
It’s only appropriate that a child molester rallies the extremists to pass a resolution that a rapist did not cause an insurectiin. Bravo GOP, Bravo! You have set the lowest standard ever in American politics!
Another name for this is called negative modeling which has a long history of its own, as in don't be like such and such. And now we have the biggest demonstration of this ever presented to us in this century at least.
Well isn't that one way to keep being talked about forever especially for somebody who has absolutely no shame and all his followers who also bear their shame openly. I feel great compassion for their children the way I feel compassion for the children of Hamas who are forced to be warriors and love it before they even know what they're doing.
The children learn well…
Every morning, I wake up hoping he’s dead.
And then I wonder what would all these idiot Republican politicians do?
I also know I’m not supposed to think and hope it might happen. Yet I do.
You are not alone. And I have never thought like this before.
The journalist/author Kurt Anderson mentions in his book - "Fantasyland - How America went Haywire" that he has never hated any President before Trump. Obviously, he was implying that he hated Trump without coming out and saying it.
But many other Republican journalists say they "hate" Trump and Ann Coulter the other day said that he should "die".
Me too, Cathy.
Maybe one of the many Big Macs he consumes daily will contain particles of toxic bacteria, or perhaps the corn syrup from one of his multitudinous Diet Cokes will finally tip the scales of plaque around the organ that would be the heart in every other human;
Perchance, per dream, the ten gallon vat hosting the bronzer that he sprays upon his ever widening face will contain some effluents that just don't mix with the human epidermis.
I could go on, but you get my drift
Nah, it will take us to say Hell No. I like my comfort zone as much as anybody, (more since I’m old), but wishing and hoping need energy and conviction. We had better have it,
I heard that…
Cathy 98280, i have EXACTLY the same hopes that you do and I totally agree. He has really did serious damage to our nation already.
Me too, Cathy. I’m shocked, too, that I so fervently wish for someone to die. But I hope for it, every single morning. And for my part, if the Grim Reaper is at it, he can take Putin, too.
As difficult as our situation is, my thinking is that the best is to have him taken down by his own. If enough of the Justice System can function as constitutionally directed, he will be held accountable. Slowly. Glaciers melt faster, I know. But along the way to this accountability, he is shedding supporters, losing his mind, and warranting heftier, and heftier legal fines. The maga-phone “Civil-War”, “There-Will-Be-Blood!” threats, belie the fact that his supporters are already acting violently. They already are the largest terrorist threat we face. We are already IN the civil war.
Thank you MLRGRMI. Why do people mention the threat of violence when the violence has already begun? I'm so done with MAGAt threats. I refuse to be pushed around any longer. They're going to have their war and terrorism no matter what we do, so we might as well do what's right and just.
Margaret, you and I are of the same mind!
I check YAHOO news, hoping there will be a red "breaking news" banner announcing his demise.
Even Death may be too good for what the horrid orange bastard has wrought, but it will be Celebration Day when he is finally gone.
You are not alone. Personally, I am looking forward to singing:
"Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!
Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead."
I hope he dies in jail.
Sadly I feel that way about both candidates, we desperately need better candidates!
We have what we have. That’s reality. Any vote not for Biden, or just staying home, is to support Trump. Enough.
It does suck and as I have said it s not quite clear what is more dangerous, WW3 or disgusting fascist Trump. It is pretty shameful that this is what the two parties give us, but how much is on us as citizens and when does it stop. Are we just helpless lemmings or do we have some way to fight back and do something for our kids and grandchildren? One thing I will not do for sure is be ok with what Biden is doing. Trump is hopeless but perhaps there is some way to push back on Biden. HCR has a bigger voice than most or all of us do but all she does is promote what he does right and ignore the horrible stuff he is doing which is what is causing his poll numbers to be in the toilet.
WW3 is the biggest threat if Trump gets in. There will be no chance of American funding to help Ukraine, Putin finally wins the war and then goes after Poland or some other Eastern European country. Then seeing how we've helped Putin win in Ukraine, Pres. XI in China takes Taiwan; and who knows what Kim in North Korea will do to South Korea. They all have nuclear weapons and are a terrible threat. Only our American democracy, along with our allies, will keep them in check. Trump will be a total, unmitigated disaster to world peace. I don't know what 'horrible stuff' you speak of for Biden, but he's doing a fantastic job.
Well if you think funding a genocide and blocking peace negotiations in Ukraine is a fantastic job, well ok then. Both anointed choices by the two parties are horrible and scary.
Yes, you've made your feelings known. The truth still stands. Trump would give free rein to Netanyahu. Slow as it may seem at least with democratic majorities we can push progress. Trump offers only to burn everything down.
Gail perhaps get out of your comfort zone and listen to others beyond the main stream media and HCR. Chris Hedges posted a devastating piece today and the GreyZone also has written of why people should not vote for Biden. Your truth is not my truth. I read this to see other sides I challenge you to do the same.
I do. I’m also not a one issue voter, and a realist.
Thank you Mike Fanone. As bad as TFG is, these extremist in the midst, the challenges of the chaos, knowing we have people like Officer Fanone restores a lot hope. We are going to beat them.
I am in Germany this week, visiting my parents in my home town. It is very worrying, disheartening, nauseating, frustrating, maddening (you name it…) to watch the developments over here (rise of the right populist AFD party) and in the US, my home for the past 27 years. Until recently I have thought of Germany as our safety net and it is hard to put into words, how unsettling it is to see this safety net deteriorate.
There are also positive signs here in Germany that citizens are fed up with the AFD.
Millions have demonstrated in major cities throughout the country. The people of Germany do not want this party to exist. As one protestor said, ‘’I don’t want any of this soup!”
Recent article in the Washington Post:
‘’Over 1 million rally in Germany against rising power of far-right party’’
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/22/germany-rally-afd-berlin/
Also this in the New York Times:
‘’Germany Has Finally Woken Up’’
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/31/opinion/germany-protests-far-right.html
True. But at the same time, the AFD seems to gain some momentum from its base. Same as with Trump, the more scandals, the more the base digs in their heels.
You may find this panel of opinions on banning the AfD of interest. Some of the opinions expressed echo your concerns.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/08/germany-ban-far-right-afd-panel
Such a disgrace, these Republicans scurrying to do the bidding of the waddling orange fat guy.
Even the U.S. Supreme Court knows it, is embarrassed by it.
So watch for the truth of my words now:
The U.S. Supreme Court will rule, unanimously, and soon, that Trump does not qualify for any ballot, and that due to the Constitution' section 3, article 14, his name will be stricken from all state ballots.
I wish I could believe that.
That would stop him. We'll soon know. (Like, when is "soon"?)
If they don't, the rule of law is gone.
This is dreadful.
That won't stop him. It will result in violence. But nothing like the number that died in the Civil War and it could save our democracy.
These are words we've been trying not to use.
Yeah, but we're the only ones. When someone declares war on you, you ignore them at your peril.
That is the very essence of the problem. It's the bullies and low-level terrorists against the rest of us who wish to remain civilized. Our insistence on remaining civilized should not be mistaken for weakness, or cowardice.
Or, we can just wait to see "Civil War - the Movie," scheduled to be released on April 12, 2024, in a theater near you.
I doubt you're correct as I don’t trust the SC. But I sure pray I’m wrong & you’re right.
I'm afraid Alito will write the opinion quoting court decisions in England from the 1600's again. He got away with that with Dobbs, he'll do it again in a heartbeat and Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Comey-Barrett will follow suit.
If they can't be swayed by reading the amici briefs submitted by the Civil War historians and the democracy scholars, they can't be helped. The stakes are made so clear, and they'll have to betray their own "originalist" philosophy to reject it. That said, they are fond of picking up textualism when they want, and laying it down when it's inconvenient. And needless to say, some Who Must Not Be On Named need to recuse too (cough Thomas cough). So I'll hope and pray you're right, Phil, for the sake of all our children and grandchildren.
I think they're all repulsed, Susan, all these nine, by the freak show partisan idiocy.
It's obvious to even the Republican-appointed and Federalist Society loyal that many House and other Republicans are obviously nothing more than white trash, and being led by their noses (they've no spines) by the fat orange guy who's gone beyond sucking up to mass murderers abroad, crossed too many lines for stochastic terrorists at home, gone beyond the multiple rapes he's bragged of, beyond historic level fraud, historic level gross lying.
I wish this would be true but given the cowards who are on the Supreme Court, I believe they will rule in favor or Orange Man. It’s easy to say just vote and they will be ousted from office. They have rigged elections for a long time with their extreme gerrymandering. They have too much power. I so want to believe that right will win over might but I have little confidence this will happen. Too many Americans are not paying attention. Literally, they take our freedom for granted. After republicans crafted the Border bill then went about killing it so quickly on trump’s orders, what is going to stop them?
I wish they would, but I don’t think they have the courage. It appears that a majority has been bought and will continue to take away rights and create chaos.
It’s worse than that. SCOTUS is dominated by life-long white supremacists, starting with Roberts. It’s not that they’re afraid. It’s that they’re true believers.
If that’s truly The Plan … then I’m all in for working The Plan. If thats Not the Plan, we need to make it the Plan, Instanter.
I think it will be 5 - 4. To disqualify. One person could determine the future of our nation, democracy and the planet itself.
I fear now, Bill, you may be closer to the truth.
The Robert's Supreme Court will let the lower court ruling stand. Best way to stay out of trumPutin's line of fire.
That would be best. And it would say "obviously the Constitution prohibits insurrectionists from serving...obviously!"
But...if four of them get ego fever and want to be etched in the history books one way or the other, they may take the case and continue the psychological torture of the nation. Let's not underestimate the "lust for legacy".
My palms are sweating as I think about this and type these thoughts....
If only that could be so.
Won't happen. SCOTUS will wriggle out of deciding.
At this later date (hearings done), sadly looks you're correct, Sabrina.
Phil Balla: From your lips (pen) to God’s ears! I sure hope you are right in your prediction!
Thanks, Mary Ellen.
It's very early morning (now Feb. 9, next day) here in Japan. I awake to find the court hearings done, with most justices having voiced skepticism at a possible chaos of state interpretations.
Looks like they'll punt, declare their orange guy free to reign so long as the U.S. Congress passes no legislation clarifying otherwise.
It won't be unanimous. There are at least 2...
Dream on, I will too, but really?.?
I’d love to see that happen, but I see NO way that the Extreme Court is ever going to rule against Rump.
I'm pessimistic about a lot of things right now, but not how SCOTUS will respond. Hopefully they won't take the case, as the Appeals Court decision was so well-constructed (according to legal scholars, and I'm not one) that they'll simply endorse it by sending it back. If they take it, it would be such a weighty ruling that the most sober justices (and even Kavanaugh, hee hee) would say this goes too far. 6-3 or 7-2 in favor of Colorado.
I will say this: if TSF loses at court, I fear the wrath that WILL be carried out against Haley, CO and federal judges, amici-writing attorneys, gloating Dems, opinion writers, etc.: in short, against our institutions. It may be better to have TSF and his minions absolutely crushed in November (which will likely also bring about bloodshed.)
It will end up in a civil war regardless of the outcome of the elections in November, I'm afraid. If GOD (the Great Orange Dictator) wins, he will start a violent purge of everyone he doesn't like, and his minions will be happy to carry out those orders (finally! the Reckoning!). And if he loses, well, he is the most sore loser in the world, so he will retaliate violently as well. Is his narcissistic little world, there is no way he can lose: he is so fantastic, if he loses a game, it MUST be rigged, and he is more than entitled to use violence to set things right!
I fear you're right about a civil war (how it can be called 'civil' I haven't a clue.) Perhaps a likely prison sentence will at last render TSF incommunicado, something nobody has yet been able to do.
Yeah, you're right... 'Civil' war is somewhat of a contradictio in terminis ;)
And yes, it seems impossible to make the guy shut up. Imagine the peace and quiet when he would finally stop blabbering...
P.S.: What does "TSF" stand for? That abbreviation is new to me...
Biden reportedly referred to him as "that sick fuck", or TSF. 😂
We are in a perilous period, where a madman has unleashed his followers upon rational, civil people. Not unlike when Hitler dissolved the Reichstag.
The radical right has succeeded in effectively neutering government, to the point where unless Trump controls the narrative, nothing will happen.
I never thought I’d say this, but “Moderate Mitch” is now the target of this radical lynch mob.
Puppet master Don is now president by proxy. He’s pulling the strings, and they’re not even trying to conceal their true intentions anymore.
The havoc they wreak will resonate across the globe for years. We may survive this, but our standing in the world will never be the same.
They are traitors to our democracy!
In the summer of 2016, a Russian politician is quoted as saying, “Trump can drive western democracy right off the rails!” Putin doesn’t support Trump to make deals with, he supports him, because he knows Trump can destroy American Democracy faster and cheaper than by any other means.
Trumputin.
Absolutely correct, Ted.
Exactly!
Isn't it time for a nine Republican senators and a handful of Republican representatives to put country above party and declare that they are changing their party affiliation to independent in order to caucus with the Democrats and pass some key legislation. (Of course, they would need beefed up security to protect them from the Trump's goons.) One can only hope that the Trumpies are overplaying their hand as Dr. Richardson has taught us the Democrats did in the 19th century. (I am not a very good student -- was that what led to the election of Garfield?)
That would be a great idea, even half the number you said could still put a stop to a lot of this foolishness.
I suspect that, as patriotic an act as that would be, it would bring an end to their political careers.
I agree it would likely end their careers, but what's the use of a career in the GOP if one loses one's soul to have it? I don't get how they stay in...
I don't get how they can look at themselves in the mirror each day, or glance at the flag.
Mitt Lisa Susan where are you? Be a profile in courage. Mitch how about a late career “ come to Jesus” and leave the MAGA CULT and organize a traditional GOP party? Maybe you could attract a few house members too? Independents might vote for you. The time is now. History is calling.
Sorry, Seth, I think that Susan Collins will just follow McConnell’s lead, and he is continuing to capitulate to the MAGA crowd, as he did when he failed to vote to impeach. Remember that she is allegedly pro-choice yet she single-handedly ensured Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court.
Yep!
Jesus rejected this crowd of Pharisees long ago, if I remember anything about my youth
Excellent point! It would take just a handful of moderate Republicans in Biden districts to fix this. Yeah, I get the fear factor, but while Trump's blustering and bellowing is mighty, his deeds are almost nonexistent. Grow a spine assholes!
Stomach turning events Professor ⭐
😟
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Guardrails? What guardrails? Help, has anyone seen my guardrails? With the collapse of the Senate, there ain’t much left.
Now I’m just trying to hold on to a workable definition of “normal.” Because besides being disgusting and pathetic what we’re seeing is just not normal. It’s not. Really.
Much of the underlying rule-of-law infrastructure of the republic remains and is still operating, albeit under an array of unprecedented threats.
It’s a direct attack on our freedom using our system to destroy it. There are some good people in the Senate, the House, and Judiciary. But it is close to the point where getting rid of all of them and starting over is necessary.
It’s long past time for those good people to step up and act like it.
I’m so so grateful that every day you write, you are abundantly loud and clear about the danger that Trump and MAGA extremists pose to our country and our Democracy. We must work tirelessly and rally others to the urgency of this cause, our Democracy, and hope that November isn’t too late. Many thanks for your strong voice and leadership.
I hope America is not stupid enough to elect "the Donald" again. Also I hope the Dems run strong enough candidates to knock out his sheep. I live in the VA 1st and will do my best to knock out do-nothing Rob Whittman
I’m a voter in the 1st also, though in Florida until May. Worked some with Herb Jones last go round but have received texts from another Democratic challenger. A request for information from her campaign went unanswered. Any info you have would be appreciated. Whittman needs to go.
Herb Jones is running again but there is also a lady running I believe her last name is Mehta or something like that?
Google the times dispatch. There's an article about her recently
lol I gave up the Times Disgrace a bit back. Google has only shown me that she’s primarying him. I really like Herb, but I’d like to know where she stands. I’ll try reaching out.
When Trump loyalists show us who they are in public acts of cowardice, they give us leverage to vote them out. MAGA chaos and cowardice have been losing propositions in close elections across the nation.
Let's call out these cowards through effective messaging and ads, show videos of their statements before and after caving to tRump's demands, promote the values they have betrayed, many of which appeal to conservatives. You love freedom but abandon those fighting for freedom? You believe in securing our border but won't fund enforcing the law?
These MAGA cowards are doubling down because they're more vulnerable than ever. Let's get to work!
Gary S, excellent striking questions and battle plans.