500 Comments

Water is coming over the gunwales and the rats are jumping ship. Storm clouds are building around the once proud grand old party. You know if McConnell is getting out from under, it's going to come down hard. Another superb letter, and another early night for you Heather! Firing on all cylinders. Thank you.

Expand full comment

After Ronald Reagan had been caught out in so many lies that floating the idea that he might be in the early stages of senile dementia seemed a way out, one of his biographers generously termed Reagan a 'fabulist.' Although fables have morals. While the take away from the devolution of the GOP is that whereas Nixon had to deny being a crook for appearances sake, by Reagan it was more like 'so you're not a crook, good there's more for me.' Nixon was teased about putting ketchup on his cottage cheese. Reagan classified ketchup a vegetable for school lunches.

So now we have a Republican congressional caucus with what William Faulkner would call 'a kitchen full of Snopeses.' Let's just say, not top drawer.

McConnell knew exactly what happened on Jan 6 and calls it what is was. Many Republicans do. They just pretend Trump and his loyalists and lackeys - that is many of their Republican colleagues - had nothing to do with it. Republicans have long floated all sorts of lies to see what would fly. Pigs now have their own flight paths.

During the debate on civil rights legislation Republicans used their time to celebrate the end of Roe and the beginning of their reign of terror on women. The author of a new book about 'how the Republicans lost their party and got everything they wanted' said that when he interviewed people in the religious right - the GOP base - about whether after Jan 6 they still thought running with Trump was worth it, they said yes.

My kingdom for a horse.

Our democracy for a fetus.

Ketchup as a vegetable in school lunches. Trump as the second coming of Christ, Reagan, and Rambo. The Church Militant as a militia in kilts graffitiing each others' butt cheeks. And a handmaid on the Supreme Court.

Christ may be weeping. But Big Money Funnel Opus Dei Federalist Leonard Leo, the Kochs, Mercers, et al are rolling in the aisles. Diddling while Rome burns and hedging their bets they'll survive when the roof caves in. Or just that Democrats will save the day, again.

Expand full comment

I wonder whether Republican Representative Troy Nehls even noticed that, in his zeal to discredit Capitol Police, he let slip that January 6 was a “riot” —contrary to the “legislative political discourse” label many in his party are euphemistically spinning. Hilarious!

Expand full comment

Not a peep since January 6, 2020 and NOW some of these despicable republicans say a few words in between not doing one iota of work while sitting on their asses in Congress. Every last republican is a disgrace. As has been said so many times, the democrats need to step up the game, stop the ad nauseam discussion and start actively showing their base, through indictments, that they are serious about defending democracy.

In what other world does our judicial system insist on hearing from the criminals and accomplices before arresting and putting them on trial?! The paper trails are endless, there are videos, telephone recordings, first hand witness statements, etc., etc., etc. There is more than enough evidence; let's get down to the business of putting these people on trial and stop having them suck all the oxygen out of the room. We really need to move forward with infrastructure, social policies, climate change, Russia, China, virus's, and the rest of the mayhem that encompasses the world.

Expand full comment

Hakeem Jeffries called it right today: it's not the Republican National Committee anymore, it's the Republican National Cult.

Expand full comment

"McCarthy “ran down that hall like he was being chased by a bunch of white dudes looking for some ‘legitimate political discourse.’”)"

I got such a good laugh from that.

Also, every time I hear about Jim Jordan complaining about the Jan 6 Committee, I want to yell, Benghazi, Benghazi, Bengahzi!

I take heart that investigations at all levels appear to be moving ahead. There are times I just wish they could speed up a little.

Expand full comment

What stood out to me was Dr. Richardson’s qualifier about that letter, signed by “more than 140 former Republican officials and leaders…” That word: Former. That tells us where the Republicans are. Former political leaders aren’t subject to threats from insurrectionists, aren’t punished at the polls, and they don’t have a vote in Congress. The silence of many, many current federal and state leaders is deafening, horrifying.

Expand full comment

There must be a better description of Bannon than the usual "Trump loyalist". I'd never use the word "loyal" in connection with that lawless, unkempt figure of malevolence on a world scale.

Expand full comment

I don’t trust Mitch McConnell; he talks from both sides of his mouth. I have asked myself countless times how he, Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, et al, can live with themselves. Don’t they get that they eroded their characters and can’t claim to have any real integrity. Very disappointing.

Expand full comment

The Liars Poker Game has no cards. They’ve tried everything. Even destroyed the US Post Office.

Our Ding Dong Don Fascist Heel Spur Draft Dodger Labeled The Donald is bimbo bonkers. Pays off hookers, gropes pussy, sports the yellow $79,000 hair do, the orange face, rapes a women in Bergdorf’s Fifth Avenue changing room, launders Russian money, supports killer MBS for money, sells out to Putin, loves the North Korean Psycho, drives up our deficit, kills hundreds of thousands with Covid-19, cheats his creditors, lies all the time, runs scared and terrifies fellow white racist Republican wimps…

Expand full comment

Color me intrigued about Troy Nehls's whiteboard. This is the first I've heard of a Capitol police officer stumbling upon it. Something tells me that Nehls doth protest too much.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/08/capitol-police-nehl-investigation/

Expand full comment

Some vivid descriptions in this writeup (e.g., "strode speedily away...")! Thank you, Heather! I think I'm starting to exhale.

Expand full comment

Beware of republicans who sign off on letters suggesting that ‘a once great movement has ceded control to grifters and extremists.’ This time in which we find ourselves has been decades in the making. Pence, McConnell, Romney and those like them, past and present, have been ‘grifting’ their voters for years. They are grifters and extremists of a different stripe than the insurrectionists, and perhaps no less dangerous to Democracy, the Constitution and rule of law. Their apparent willingness to distance themselves from the whackanoodle wing of their party should put them no further than arm’s length.

Expand full comment

You cannot make this stuff up. Unbelievable.

Those in the GOP are on a faraway planet, in their minds.

Expand full comment

Reps Gohmert and Nehls' complaints indicates that DOJ is indeed investigating them. Nehls' whiteboard looks extremely suspicious and Gohmert called for blood in the streets prior to J6. On another note, I am sickened that American Congressmen are supporting the Canadian Truckers in stopping the flow of goods across borders...they are supporting an attack on interstate and international business as well as an attack on the Canadian Government. Canada is our closest friend and ally. I am deeply ashamed of these Republican members of Congress.

Expand full comment

Dear HCR, thank you for enriching so many of us on the regular.

Expand full comment