I’m so thankful that President Biden does not rise to their bait. He simply addresses issues calmly and competently, and ignores the background noise. We are so fortunate to have him.
Other way around as I saw it Susan; Biden flexed decades of political muscle, callous, and sinews. He baited them; they walked right into it. Masterful performance.
He is honed and deft at employing the strategy that suits; both cases are correct. Imagine that--experience and attunement to read the room, and then actually act. Huh!
D4N, while I agree with Susan Flieder that Biden didn't rise to the bait, but was calm and competent, I also share your assessment of Biden's baiting - and hooking - the Repugnants in his masterful landing. They have spent two years making sport of and underestimating Biden, despite his obvious skills and accomplishments, and now every one of them has shown their incompetence. His SOTU address was magnificent.
D4N What I like about Biden (among many other things) is that he is capable of both: calmly ignoring "crap" from the other side, AND flexing his muscles and baiting (LOVED IT!) the other side. He's a both/and kind of guy!
Biden was not my first choice in the Presidrntial primaries, but I voted for him in the general, and am very glad of that! His decades of experience in foreign relations are paying off big-time! And his deft handling of the House crazies is excellent.
Cheryl and Sharon, I definitely had doubts about Biden's candidacy, given his age (a few months older than me). There were other candidates, like Amy Klobuchar, but I believed Biden had the best chance of beating tFg. I was dead wrong! The only problem that I've seen is his difficulty with delivering his thoughts publicly. He proved me wrong Tuesday night, and left me in tears when I wasn't shouting for joy when he laughed at MTG and Rick Scott, then sprung his trap. Wiley Coyote, for sure!
Each day I post LFAA to my feed with a short comment of my own. This is thoughts to accompany the brilliant reporting of Dr Richardson. You guys all know this stuff; many of my colleagues don’t
As Biden took the strategic security route regarding “the balloon” we learn that experienced advisors know more than the media AND the hyped up Howler Monkeys complaining about how he handled the situation
High stakes global cyber espionage at play, only discovered because in 2021, “ Sleepy Joe” ordered a marked increase in cyber defense
As the radical right screams for his head, Joe is five steps ahead of them, protecting us
Soon, the Congress will receive a briefing on the security details. As Kevin McCarthy complained tweets Biden was ignoring the threat of China in his SOTU address, Joe had been on the job for over a year when he called for increased cyber defense. Kevin ignored it then and is now faced with the folly of his insipid lack of insight
Given the high national security sensitivity, a reporter asked McCarthy if George Santos would allowed to hear the Congressional briefing. Kevin said “of course”
Keystone Kev proves once again that he is all talk and what he says belies what he actually does. It's OK for the liar Santos to get intelligence briefings eh. How dumb is that.
Wouldn’t Santos have to be cleared just like anyone would to receive these briefings? How does anyone that has so many false identities and misrepresented themselves so severely get any level of clearance?
In the beginning of Biden’s address I noticed that “Sleepy Joe” was wide awake but watching Qevin he could hardly keep his eyes open. It wasn’t him just closing his eyes, you could tell he was “sleepy Qevin”. He did wake up to mostly make his negative responses to a few of Biden’s comments about republicans plans!
You're most welcome - the acronyms are abundant, many being aimed at T***p, the Master of Disaster. However, this one is obviously for Heather, the Mistress of Enlightenment.
I am so grateful for the professors retelling of events. The last line of the newsletter brings a smile to my face. How I would love to share a cuppa with Prof Richardson!
Unfortunately, his skill at governing is the product of years of experience working in a culture of government that no longer exists. Having him now is just delaying the inevitable descent into the cesspool that has been American politics since the election of Ronald Reagan and Gingrich the Newt.
My hat's off to Biden for his ability to keep the swamp from sucking him in, but I don't see his like among the younger generation of leaders in either party.
Mobiguy, while I've been on the verge of hopelessness many times in the last six-plus years, and still see a battle ahead, I think you're being too negative. As Kathleen Allen says below, consider Jon Ossof, among others, and keep in mind that the "Red Tsunami" that was predicted in the last election developed only into a pink dribble. That has almost never happened in mid-terms, we kept the Senate, plus one, and it occurred with Biden's very low approval ratings - go figure.
Governing is different than winning a popularity contest. In complete agreement with you about Joe Biden. He knows what he's doing, and he has an incredible team surrounding him.
First, that tweet by Qevin is a lie. Poor guy, he is trying to be relevant and simply is not. Biden was very successful last night and today also, when he visited Wisconsin. He showed the "pamphlet" which was drawn up by Rick Scott and Ron Johnson stating that Social Security and Medicare should be "sunsetted", to American workers. The old grey fox outsmarted the little piggies! I am totally mesmerized by Biden's ability to do the Ali shuffle!
The Speaker of the House tweeting petulantly during SOTU? Impotently shushing his unruly members? Shaking his head and muttering? Right on camera behind the President? What a loser! He makes John Boehner look like a superhero!
It was a great speech, if only for the number of times McCarthy was forced to clap and even rise. (Meanwhile, Kamala must be in great shape if she can get up and down that frequently.)
He isn't very astute. Proof is that question he was aksed and he answered yes to about if he was OK with Santos getting an intelligence briefing. That was what used to be called a "Have you stopped beating your wife" question, no matter whether you answer yes or no you are wrong. McCarthy could have just smiled and said "5th amendment". Saying Yes meant he was unaware of the risk, and saying no meant he was prejudging a Republican, God help us.
No one expected Ali to defeat George Foreman in Zaire. I remember Ali watching Foreman topple over, not throwing that one last punch which would have been superfluous. With all due respect to George Foreman, who was -- and still is -- a good guy.
The Old Grey Fox has video skills as well. Today the White House released a split-scren videos: on the Left block was a close up of Ron Johnson faking puzzlement at Biden's assertion at SOTU that R's have long harbored the death of Medicare & Medicaid. On the right screen was a video of Ron Johnson circa 2010 taken by a cell phone at fund a raiser privately telling donors he was aiming to kill Medicare. Senator speak with forked tongue.
We didn't watch because we knew what Keystone Kev and his unruly stupid band of Kops would do. I was commenting on a thread the next day and said she was feral and someone committed about her having the fur. I had no idea until I saw how awful she looked with that coat....rat fur??
Somehow I had missed this piece of distressing news from the Trump era. Thanks for posting. I easily could have been that woman who couldn't restrain a laugh at what was being said about Sessions treating everyone equally.
Thanks to CNN for concentrating on the speech and not the theatrics!! Please keep up the good work. Unruly misbehavior and outright stupidity is not news.
I disagree. It may not be news in the traditional sense, but the degree to which this childish behavior spreads propaganda and demolishes civility in government ought to be seen as it’s happening and understood for what it is.
I understand what you are saying but I see it as just another repub red herring to take attention away from what the president was saying. There were plenty of pictures and video afterward of the idiocracy. It was really a separate story. Repubs are the best crybabies. Boohoo. Pelosi ripped the speech in half. That is all they could complain about in 3 years of Trump lies they gobbled down so quickly while Dems behaved and what did it get us? We already know what MAGnut crazy looks like. It’s not news to me and unfortunately will not change any opinions in their cult of clowns.
As Governor (!) Sanders said, there is normal and there is crazy. Crazy wears machine gun pins, believes Donald Trump was chosen by God, or maybe Q to rule the world, participated in planning an insurrection to overthrow the government and is now seemingly in charge. Crazy is not going to back down and admit they were wrong about anything and there's no evidence crazy voters will ever distinguish crazy from normal and prefer normal. .Maybe someday? 🙏🏼🙄 I hope I live long enough to admit I was wrong because having the light dawn inside their very thick skulls is something I would love to see.
My 30’s DIL asked me last night if people like MTG, et al had always behaved that way at SOTU. I said absolutely not. It was a rude habit starting with—who else—Obama’s administration.
Obama’s presidency was an affront to every racist, wannabe Nazi, and religious fanatic in the land. All disguised as lawless haters in religious robes. The genie is out of the bottle…
Sigh…Tho mom was born in a barn on the banks of the Yellowstone she left that selfsame morning transcended her humble birth and gave to the world her most precious gift…ME. Ironically my five siblings have a different take.
Current, and long standing; but there had been a concerted effort since the "Yellow Journalism" to gradually improve journalistic standards. We have been slipping on that score ever since Milton Friedman's "The only corporate social responsibility a company has is to maximize its profits" became national policy.
Something bothers me about the idea of the Speaker of the House sitting behind the real speaker of the occasion and tweeting critiques in real time. Maybe that was why his eyes were cast downward for a good portion of the president's speech, as if what he had to say was more important than the content of the speech itself. Try as we might, we really can't attend to multiple things at once with equal attention. It's a bit disrespectful, albeit not surprising, that doing something other than simply listening would be considered acceptable on an occasion like this. A few months ago, I watched 8 young teens at a high school football game spend the whole time, backs to the game, in parallel play on their phones. They weren't tuned in to the game, only partly tuned in to each other, but glued to their screens. I looked around and saw multiple adults doing the same. I wondered why they even came. We are truly distracted, somehow addicted to constant surveillance of our mobile internet connections. When you're only half there, splitting your attention between the person(s) presenting and some distraction, you'll miss pieces, misinterpret the part you did hear out of context with what you missed, misquote the speaker the next day, demonstrate that you weren't really paying attention. I recall similar behavior in 5th grade when the teacher's back was turned. We thought we were so sophisticated with our subterfuge...
Ralph Nader was interviewing some teens from Brooklyn recently. They call themselves Luddites because they don’t use their iPhones or devices anymore… They get together on Sundays on a hill and read books.
Half there. Only half there. Your comment really came home to roost. My grand kids are half there. My children are only half there. My spouse is only half there. I am only half there. You are right! I am going to cut the toilet seat in half and see if anyone notices. We emerge from our caves to check the weather and scurry back into our caves. Isolation seems to be preferred. I remember when I would get lonely after a few months of isolation.
You should rejoice that you have a variety of information sources, but reasses how much time all this knowledge deserves. The fact that you're seeking truth and thinking about how you use your time tells me your likely immunized against the MAGA bug.
I wonder if the pandemic sealed the deal on phone obsession. Phones were the lifeline, the only thing that didn't desert us in a time of extreme isolation.
I'm a substitute teacher, and I had that exact experience with fifth graders yesterday. One even yelled across the room in MTG fashion! We are outside the US, though, and I don't think any of those students watched the SOTU. They are an especially challenging group, thankfully the other grades are enjoyable to work with.
Although I “liked” your comment, I fear we elders sometimes sound like a bunch of fogies harping about how the old ways are the best. I think there are many dangers in social media, but it and cyber culture in general are here to stay. My adult kids are astonishingly capable of multitasking; although they may appear “half there,” they easily demonstrate their ability to repeat back what I said when I call the question. My infant and toddler grandchildren show an instinctive grasp of technology and how to use it. I think we should accept and embrace this and think about how to build guard rails around its most dangerous elements.
Yes Maureen! I love my phone and iPad for the library/phone/encyclopedia/newspaper/cinema/post office it is. The changes it has brought to our society psychologically is ahead of our understanding of how to safeguard our minds against undue influence. Crafting guardrails is important.
I think it has been proven time and again multitasking is not the best route to go. Do you want the surgeon operating on your brain to multitask? I do not. Do you want your hair cutter to have a scathing convo on the phone while you sit in the chair mid clip waiting? I did not appreciate this.
I think the term multi-tasking has different meanings in different contexts for different people. My brother's brain surgeon was most definitely multitasking in one sense: he had to be alert to every possibility while coordinating his hands and the amazing machines used to do the complex surgery. (My brother is doing well 11 yrs later.) Then there are people who "multi-task" by trying to take on everything at once, and end up not really doing any of them, but feeling driven to try (perhaps this is what you are referring to?). There are other ways I've heard the term used. Suspect Pat was referring to a typical morning in a household with kids. Watched my daughter deal with this; she's a whiz, but knows when she needs to back off. I did the same thing when I was a single working mom. I would hate for some stranger to judge me based on the fact that at 80 I rarely have only one thing going- I move from one to another and back as needed. Plus there's the dog....
As a genuine old guy I agree with your assessment of adopting to and using technology to learn about our world. HCR is an incredible lesson to us all by using the tools of a Historian to discern the importance of events and identify and frame them with specific internet locations.
Fifty years ago I moved from construction to administrative work and we learned we were supposed to eliminate paper records. It was theorized the still unknown Internet would replace it.
Yesterday my visit to my cardiologist resulted in six pieces of form letters and information that could have been produced with less energy and effort in a single e-mail.
We have not adopted our culture to technology much less cybortechnology.
While I agree with guardrails Maureen other behavior disturbs me. When my children and grand kids arrive for a visit the grandkids disappear on their iPhones the parents plop down on the couch and drag out their iPhones. They remain moribund in this fashion for hours. I have to break into their reverie for a few words of conversation. Events like Steele head fishing, floating the river, horseback riding etc. break in to this reverie of electronic mesmerization. I have observed days of inactivity while bent over these devices. I have since learned not to interfere and usually go about my business and wish them well when they depart after saying they had such a wonderful time. It’s not a bad thing it’s just a difference.
I see the same thing everywhere I go. The YMCA, the grocery store, the library, even where my wife and I go to watch a few Sunday football games and EVEN in church.
Folks are not tuned into the the events around them. And, there necks are bent looking at their phones.
I am not sure what is so interesting on those phones.
I've noticed the same. At church, even on the altar (teenage acolyte). I said something to him afterwards and told him how it looked to everyone. I don't know if it helped or not.
I get really annoyed when I'm speaking to someone and they can't help themselves but scroll through their phone at the same time. My sister does that to me.
To be fair, I didn’t notice him scrolling or typing on his phone, and even Biden posted tweets during the SOTU. I received an email from Jill Biden during the address. I think their communications teams made the posts, not them in real time.
Perhaps you are right. I didn’t see it either. But all the nonverbal behavior was right there. I had my tv on closed captioning so I could watch the nonverbals more closely.
I got this email also and knew it was not directly from Biden or Jill. I thought McCarthy promised not to tear up Biden's speech if Biden congratulated him on the speakership. We have to remember what Pelosi did. And because I loved what she did, what does that say about me?
I am heading off for day three of a training class put on by a regional public safety peer support organization. The training has been fascinating, including information and approaches to trauma recovery that are both new to me, and newly developed. I've attended some riveting breakout sessions, and connected with people from other agencies whose approaches to critical incident intervention are different that ours, or what I have seen over the past almost 25 years. In the final session yesterday, which was a panel discussion from high level supervisors in two agencies and one mindfulness instructor, I noted several people bringing out their devices and "checking out" for a few minutes (self included). Now, admittedly, most folks in the class are still employed as public safety personnel and are, literally, always on call. Still, it is (as it was for me) a brain break. (My issue was dealing with an upcoming concert, but certainly not one that required immediate response.) They have indeed become a pacifier of sorts for a lot of folks.
Ally, I like your term "brain break". It explains, I think, some of the things we do and see other people do. In one of my jobs, we had a supervisor who had conniptions over the fact that sometimes people would take some time to play a mindless game (the simple things that just keep the noisy part of the brain occupied while you relax). He banned the games outright. Several of my co-workers, including me, pointed out that we dealt with complex issues, and the "brain breaks" let our brains relax and work in the background. We could come back and do better work. Not a "pacifier" in this context, but a reset. I still do this when involved in complex issues. Also, like a lot of people my age who have health limitations, the computer provides a critical link to the rest of my community and expands my social connection outward into the rest of the world. For someone like me, that has made a huge difference.
I do not have a tv, and relish silence in my home. I listen to the radio selectively. I do not carry my phone with me unless I am going to be on the road. I walk to the PO and the grocery store (but drive to the coop 20 miles away). My daughter and I regularly exchange texts because it is the easiest way to keep in touch with differing schedules. We often get together, and this is sort of the electronic equivalence of leaving notes on the kitchen table. I love getting reminders from drs and venders via text: lessens my brain load. And Zoom sure beats driving to meetings (especially right now), and it is wonderful for taking seminars and other online events that I can't walk or drive to easily. I do LFAA in small breaks through the day or sometimes just read the letter.
So not only a reset, but a spark that keeps me energized and connected to the rest of the world.
Police Officers make lots of money doing extra details outside their regular shifts. To see them looking at their phones and not directing traffic or doing what the taxpayers are paying them to do is a pet peeve of mine. We time and again vote down 'regular' people being tasked this job for a decent hourly wage. This would be a great savings to tax payers. Police unions make noise.
While I agree with the premise, so much communication comes via text message or email that there are legitimate work needs for utilizing cell phones.
Another thing about “doing what the taxpayers are paying them to do”. I was on duty for 10 hours a day, most of that in the public eye, in my patrol car. I was (by contract) given 2 15 minute breaks and a single 30 minute break. There were times I was multitasking; running radar, writing reports, responding to community requests while “sitting in my patrol car looking down”. I was subject to immediate dispatch regardless of what other job-related task I was doing.
I get that the public expects us to do the job. Just be aware that there are more “jobs” to hand than you can even imagine.
I feel it is totally disrespectful to multi task when others are speaking. I let a friend go for exactly this reason. When we were together I felt we were not.
Maybe we should go back to the way it was originally done: the President sent a written summary to Congress. But I think we'd miss a lot of the nuance of how our system works if we did that. Better we see it live than have it all in the dark. We got a good look at the people who are really clogging up the drain. They deserve the scoldings, but they were being who they are. Biden was at his best, and that was good to see too.
I'm still feeling good about how President Biden played the republicans during his speech on Tuesday. Gonna go into the weekend feeling really really good about where we are.
And I guess the first meeting yesterday in regards to Twitter helping democrats turned out to be a big nothing burger.
Except for the fact that those Twitter people said that it was the drumpf administration that was asking for help. In fact they said they changed their rules just for the orange man baby.
And it looks like more Americans watch President Bidens speech and are now happy with the way things are going.
If we could get rid of fox angertaintment our country would be so much better.
Anyway, not gonna let anything harsh my buzz. President (I didn't type that word during the previous admin) Biden is doing a great job.
So let's all raise a glass and thank President Biden.
The seven sentences below spoken by President Biden are worth rereading multiple times. They are a clear announcement of our policy with China and they are factual -- based on 'reality'. Clear, factual and based on reality. Isn't that refreshing? What did we get from Trump, his administration and the Republican Party? What are we still getting from them? I don't go in for cursing and expletives, although the Republican Party is worthy of such invective. I suggest rereading Biden instead.
'President Joe Biden told reporters Monday that the balloon did not change the developing patterns between the U.S. and China. “We’ve made it clear to China what we’re going to do,” he said. '“They understand our position. We’re not going to back off. We did the right thing. And there’s not a question of weakening or strengthening. It’s just the reality.” (Letter)
reality
the state of things as they are, rather than as they are imagined to be:
a fact:
reality
the actual state of things, or the facts involved in such a state:
Republicans are not interested in governing if any are even capable of doing so. Republicans have become destructive. I would not be surprised to learn that several GOP members of Congress are in the pay of Russia or China.
While hurting the public. Appeasing Wall Street and Koch family, god, guns and country. A twisted narrative that is entrenched in what is become a minority. Who will do anything to hold on to power.
The eight who went to Russia several years ago, my own “rep” Kay Granger, for starters. There to suck the blood and bucks out of the folks of Ft. Worth. Hate to imagine what else…
"In addition to Shelby, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee and has limited foreign policy responsibilities, the official congressional delegation featured Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), and Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas)....
"As the 2018 midterm elections approach, there are widespread concerns among U.S. officials about Putin's government launching another intelligence operation against our political system. The more Russia thinks it can get away with these attacks, the more emboldened it will be to launch them.
"And yet, there was Alabama's Richard Shelby, traveling to Moscow and signaling weakness, reluctant to make accusations about "this or that or so forth."
Kay and her son are “helping” the citizens of FW with that mega expensive Panther Island project, for which she has secured big bucks. BTW, she hung up on me on a phone town hall when she didn’t like what I said about W and his WMD. Yes, she has been around that long.
Today's Letter is a perfect example of how there has been little to no media coverage of so many of the Biden's major accomplishments. I had seen nothing about the Japan/Netherlands/US deal to limit exports of critical chip technology to China--that is a HUGE deal with far-reaching military and security and economic implications. You know that when the Chinese military complains. Similarly with the enhanced cybersecurity initiative. BT (Before Trump) these would have been banner headline worthy.
Instead we get culture war crap coverage At least Biden is hitting back--bringing the "pamphlet" to Wisconsin was a good bit of truth over fiction. I read the Rick Scott "pamphlet" way back when it was released and wrote about it because it scared the sh*t out of me but the media had little coverage of it. After all the pamphlet was the Republican Senatorial Committee's talking points document for the midterms. And Scott was the head of that group.
I am old enough to remember pre-social media click bait days and the FCC fairness doctrine. It was not distortion free reporting by any means, but there was definitely more balanced coverage and a wider range of what was important. There were fringe news outlets but they didn't completely crowd out important coverage with the trivial. Like reporting on Kamala Harris' reaction to Jill Biden kissing the 2nd Gentleman....rather than Kamala Harris' reaction to the State of the Union.
Good news...things like Biden's accomplishments...are boring. Mainstream media is more obsessed with things that are bad, controversial, fraudulent, etc. etc. etc....that's all that's newsworthy in their eyes. It's no wonder the American people still believe everything is terrible.
I am old enough to recall listening to some of FDR’s later Fireside chats, as he spoke with his fellow citizens about the realities of what he was accomplishing and the future societal needs that he planned to address.
I had the same positive feeling when listening to President Biden’s State of the Union address.
Facts supporting well-thought-out plans that are carefully implemented to help the nation in many ways — that's leadership. Read all about it, Republicans, and get a clue.
J L-My favorite game with my grandson-but my least favorite reality when she actually sits there, re-elected, behaving like she’s at a...I’m not sure there’s ever a place where her behavior would be acceptable.
WHEREAS, The primary mission of the Republican Party is to elect Republicans who support the United States Constitution and share our values;
WHEREAS, The Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress have embarked on a systematic effort to replace liberty with socialism; eliminate border security in favor of lawless, open borders; create record inflation designed to steal the American dream from our children and grandchildren; neuter our national defense and a peace through strength foreign policy; replace President Trump’s “Operation Warp Speed” with incompetence and illegal mandates; and destroy America’s economy with the Green New Deal;
WHEREAS, Winning back the majority in Congress, including the United States House of Representatives, in 2022 must be the primary goal of the House Republican Conference (“Conference”) and requires all Republicans working together to accomplish the same...
WHEREAS, The Conference must not be sabotaged by Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger who have demonstrated, with actions and words, that they support Democrat efforts to destroy President Trump more than they support winning back a Republican majority in 2022;
WHEREAS, Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger are participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse, and they are both utilizing their past professed political affiliation to mask Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power for partisan purposes, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Republican National Committee hereby formally censures Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and shall immediately cease any and all support of them as members of the Republican Party...
More on "sick puppy" Santos, MotherJones' Noah Lanard & David Korn report additional details on Santos' multiple campaign violations to wit "dozens" of Santos' donors on listed on his campaign reports "do not appear to exist".
Mother Jones contacted a Santos' family member who was listed on a form as having contributed $5,800 to the campaign stated he was "dumbfounded" by Santos' fraud.
Several prosecutors have active investigations open. Meanwhile a special House [4th] District election is set in Virginia in 13 days.
State Senator Jennifer McClellan-VA is vying for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, 4th District. Election is February 21, 2023. Postcarded for her to 4th District Virginians; donated, too! She has a healthy record of legislative accomplishments since her time in Virginia's General Assembly.
After selling his soul for a title, whom the radical white christian nationalists held out voting for him until their horrendous agenda was put forward.
There will simply be more and more chaos as each of the GQP anarchists fight for their fleeting 15 seconds of twitter fame. The Clown House will be known as "The Circus".
The spotted hyena has a long history of interaction with humanity; depictions of the species exist from the Upper Paleolithic period, with carvings and paintings from the Lascaux and Chauvet Caves.[19] The species has a largely negative reputation in both Western culture and African folklore. In the former, the species is mostly regarded as ugly and cowardly, while in the latter, it is viewed as greedy, gluttonous, stupid, and foolish, yet powerful and potentially dangerous. The majority of Western perceptions on the species can be found in the writings of Aristotle and Pliny the Elder, though in relatively unjudgmental form. Explicit, negative judgments occur in the Physiologus, where the animal is depicted as a hermaphrodite and grave-robber.[20] The IUCN's hyena specialist group identifies the spotted hyena's negative reputation as detrimental to the species' continued survival, both in captivity and the wild.
Now that it’s been shown that TFG’s administration had 3 balloons, it’s crickets from Fix and “friends”.
As far as having concerns about US security, McCarthy has no problem including someone (Santos) who probably wouldn’t qualify for the lowest classified clearance to attend a classified briefing. If that information ends up in the wrong hands, I predict that he will use the tired excuse “I never expected him to do THAT!”
That's why Qevin will never be respected as speaker. He has no integrity whatsoever. He just cares that Santos-whatever-his-name-is, votes. Hopefully soon, that toad will be removed from Congress.
Santos has been lying just about everything so far; maybe that makes him an untrustworthy informant to others? Also I wonder who is out there, listing the unthinkable, hair-raising actions of a certain McCarthy that will speed up his demise as Speaker ... Then again, McCarthy had a good teacher in tfg who gave his children security clearance without going through the legal channels. Let's hope Cave-In McCarthy does not have the same magical power to declare classified information as non-classified just by thinking it ...
I really do not see the difference between trump and santos. Why didn't people react this way in 2016? NEITHER have truth in their DNA. Just bloody narcissism.
Santos makes me think of the canary in the mineshaft or the test chicken, depending on your side of fear. Santos ran, won, and proved you can run and win and stay in your elected seat even when you lie outrightly. A privilege no longer reserved for the highest office in our nation. Strategy works. As I said, which side of fear you sit on, loser or winner
I’m so thankful that President Biden does not rise to their bait. He simply addresses issues calmly and competently, and ignores the background noise. We are so fortunate to have him.
Other way around as I saw it Susan; Biden flexed decades of political muscle, callous, and sinews. He baited them; they walked right into it. Masterful performance.
He is honed and deft at employing the strategy that suits; both cases are correct. Imagine that--experience and attunement to read the room, and then actually act. Huh!
D4N, while I agree with Susan Flieder that Biden didn't rise to the bait, but was calm and competent, I also share your assessment of Biden's baiting - and hooking - the Repugnants in his masterful landing. They have spent two years making sport of and underestimating Biden, despite his obvious skills and accomplishments, and now every one of them has shown their incompetence. His SOTU address was magnificent.
D4N What I like about Biden (among many other things) is that he is capable of both: calmly ignoring "crap" from the other side, AND flexing his muscles and baiting (LOVED IT!) the other side. He's a both/and kind of guy!
Very true.
President Biden is the adult in the room.
The only one at times
Biden was not my first choice in the Presidrntial primaries, but I voted for him in the general, and am very glad of that! His decades of experience in foreign relations are paying off big-time! And his deft handling of the House crazies is excellent.
Cheryl and Sharon, I definitely had doubts about Biden's candidacy, given his age (a few months older than me). There were other candidates, like Amy Klobuchar, but I believed Biden had the best chance of beating tFg. I was dead wrong! The only problem that I've seen is his difficulty with delivering his thoughts publicly. He proved me wrong Tuesday night, and left me in tears when I wasn't shouting for joy when he laughed at MTG and Rick Scott, then sprung his trap. Wiley Coyote, for sure!
Nancy, I am absolutely with you on this. 😊❤️👍
He was my choice after putting up with tfg for four years. I don't think there was any of the others that could have saved our country!
Each day I post LFAA to my feed with a short comment of my own. This is thoughts to accompany the brilliant reporting of Dr Richardson. You guys all know this stuff; many of my colleagues don’t
As Biden took the strategic security route regarding “the balloon” we learn that experienced advisors know more than the media AND the hyped up Howler Monkeys complaining about how he handled the situation
High stakes global cyber espionage at play, only discovered because in 2021, “ Sleepy Joe” ordered a marked increase in cyber defense
As the radical right screams for his head, Joe is five steps ahead of them, protecting us
Soon, the Congress will receive a briefing on the security details. As Kevin McCarthy complained tweets Biden was ignoring the threat of China in his SOTU address, Joe had been on the job for over a year when he called for increased cyber defense. Kevin ignored it then and is now faced with the folly of his insipid lack of insight
Given the high national security sensitivity, a reporter asked McCarthy if George Santos would allowed to hear the Congressional briefing. Kevin said “of course”
Should that scare you? It does me
You should read this LFAA
Keystone Kev proves once again that he is all talk and what he says belies what he actually does. It's OK for the liar Santos to get intelligence briefings eh. How dumb is that.
Qevin is just a plain old hypocrite.
He is the depraved Gollum. A walking schizophrenic adoring his precious chair. Can he be saved? Oh thank you we’ll answer that. Nope.
Kevin really appreciated Joe acknowledging his win of speakership. Then he tried to kick him in the arse. No shame, no honor in MAGAt world.
I'm starting to believe that a lack of shame, capacity for hypocrisy, and obliviousness to truth are actually requirements for the MAGA Rs.
I did notice my little MAGApie was wearing hospital white.
Wouldn’t Santos have to be cleared just like anyone would to receive these briefings? How does anyone that has so many false identities and misrepresented themselves so severely get any level of clearance?
In the beginning of Biden’s address I noticed that “Sleepy Joe” was wide awake but watching Qevin he could hardly keep his eyes open. It wasn’t him just closing his eyes, you could tell he was “sleepy Qevin”. He did wake up to mostly make his negative responses to a few of Biden’s comments about republicans plans!
Saw that too. I suspect he doesn't get much rest these days.
Heather's "Letters from an American."
You're most welcome - the acronyms are abundant, many being aimed at T***p, the Master of Disaster. However, this one is obviously for Heather, the Mistress of Enlightenment.
I am so grateful for the professors retelling of events. The last line of the newsletter brings a smile to my face. How I would love to share a cuppa with Prof Richardson!
Wouldn't we all!
Unfortunately, his skill at governing is the product of years of experience working in a culture of government that no longer exists. Having him now is just delaying the inevitable descent into the cesspool that has been American politics since the election of Ronald Reagan and Gingrich the Newt.
My hat's off to Biden for his ability to keep the swamp from sucking him in, but I don't see his like among the younger generation of leaders in either party.
Mobiguy, while I've been on the verge of hopelessness many times in the last six-plus years, and still see a battle ahead, I think you're being too negative. As Kathleen Allen says below, consider Jon Ossof, among others, and keep in mind that the "Red Tsunami" that was predicted in the last election developed only into a pink dribble. That has almost never happened in mid-terms, we kept the Senate, plus one, and it occurred with Biden's very low approval ratings - go figure.
Jon Ossoff.
Governing is different than winning a popularity contest. In complete agreement with you about Joe Biden. He knows what he's doing, and he has an incredible team surrounding him.
First, that tweet by Qevin is a lie. Poor guy, he is trying to be relevant and simply is not. Biden was very successful last night and today also, when he visited Wisconsin. He showed the "pamphlet" which was drawn up by Rick Scott and Ron Johnson stating that Social Security and Medicare should be "sunsetted", to American workers. The old grey fox outsmarted the little piggies! I am totally mesmerized by Biden's ability to do the Ali shuffle!
The Speaker of the House tweeting petulantly during SOTU? Impotently shushing his unruly members? Shaking his head and muttering? Right on camera behind the President? What a loser! He makes John Boehner look like a superhero!
It was a great speech, if only for the number of times McCarthy was forced to clap and even rise. (Meanwhile, Kamala must be in great shape if she can get up and down that frequently.)
She doesn't get the credit she deserves....
No, she doesn’t, you are absolutely right
My legs were aching!
He isn't very astute. Proof is that question he was aksed and he answered yes to about if he was OK with Santos getting an intelligence briefing. That was what used to be called a "Have you stopped beating your wife" question, no matter whether you answer yes or no you are wrong. McCarthy could have just smiled and said "5th amendment". Saying Yes meant he was unaware of the risk, and saying no meant he was prejudging a Republican, God help us.
And boy, is that a feat
My thinking too, Maureen!
No one expected Ali to defeat George Foreman in Zaire. I remember Ali watching Foreman topple over, not throwing that one last punch which would have been superfluous. With all due respect to George Foreman, who was -- and still is -- a good guy.
My hubs is a huge boxing fan, loves Foreman and his success and adored Ali.
Scott was just on CNN. He got owned. https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2023/02/09/sen-rick-scott-biden-social-security-medicare-cnntm-intvu-vpx.cnn
Kaitlin Collins showed her skills in that interview. LOL, she had him tied up in knots.
Definitely a couple of “deer in the headlights” moments!
Yet the idiot keeps on yammering. "Jake Tapper! Jake Tapper!"
Jeez!!
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Marlene… here is another masterful performance and shuffle.
Politics Girl, Leigh McGowan today on the SOTU and her usual rant style from her kitchen.
She is correct on all points.
https://youtu.be/9eg-tuk1rlw
Salud, compatriot!
🗽🙋🏻♀️🙋🏼♀️🙋🏽♀️🙋🏾♀️🙋🏿♀️
Thanks, Christine. She's terrific in this one too!
Gawwwwd, what’s not to love about Leigh!! Thanks, Christine!
There she is Christine. A natural born press secretary or anything else she wants to be. She should be on the tour. Thank you.
I couldn’t agree more and your reference to the “Ali shuffle” was just was perfect.
The Old Grey Fox has video skills as well. Today the White House released a split-scren videos: on the Left block was a close up of Ron Johnson faking puzzlement at Biden's assertion at SOTU that R's have long harbored the death of Medicare & Medicaid. On the right screen was a video of Ron Johnson circa 2010 taken by a cell phone at fund a raiser privately telling donors he was aiming to kill Medicare. Senator speak with forked tongue.
It was Mike Lee. He did call out Johnson’s perfidy yesterday in Wisconsin.
I watched SOTU w my family as a young person. Anyone behaving like MTG would have been escorted to the exit. What has happened to my country?
It caught the Trumps.
Yes. A nasty attack of the Trumps.
Yes, and fed by Fox “News” propaganda
Yes. Owned by Rupert Murdock, age 91 years. Trumpites swallow Rupert's sh$t without any salt, but then say Biden's too old?
Way past time for that old monster to die. Of course he is leaving behind worse. Is that possible??? Maybe the heirs will devour each other.
Yes, because they instinctively believe a liar.
Yes Cathy. Fox Newds the naked lie you don’t want to see.
Fox Newds etc - very neat! He-he-he..... Or maybe "more than you can see with the naked eye"? Various possibilities!
We are quickly heading towards the rude behavior of the British Parliament !
First laugh I've had today! (Ordah. Ordaaaah.)
Got bit by a newt awhile ago. And also was stoned.
🤣
Talia, we need to find a cure for this virus.
😂
Talia Morris. Stunning, simply stunning
MTG, in her stylish polar jacket, was actually on her way to Alaska in search of space lasers. The white balloon was her transportation.
I mistook her for the chinese spy ballon especially when the hot air started spewing from her mouth.
hahahahaha...that's what I'm talking about!!!
That's what she wanted to remind us of. Wonder when she went shopping (or gave her staff that task)?
😃
hahahahahahahaha
We didn't watch because we knew what Keystone Kev and his unruly stupid band of Kops would do. I was commenting on a thread the next day and said she was feral and someone committed about her having the fur. I had no idea until I saw how awful she looked with that coat....rat fur??
LOL....
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/activist-faces-jail-time-laughing-during-sessions-hearing-n754326
Somehow I had missed this piece of distressing news from the Trump era. Thanks for posting. I easily could have been that woman who couldn't restrain a laugh at what was being said about Sessions treating everyone equally.
Thank you for this. ☮️
Thanks to CNN for concentrating on the speech and not the theatrics!! Please keep up the good work. Unruly misbehavior and outright stupidity is not news.
I disagree. It may not be news in the traditional sense, but the degree to which this childish behavior spreads propaganda and demolishes civility in government ought to be seen as it’s happening and understood for what it is.
I understand what you are saying but I see it as just another repub red herring to take attention away from what the president was saying. There were plenty of pictures and video afterward of the idiocracy. It was really a separate story. Repubs are the best crybabies. Boohoo. Pelosi ripped the speech in half. That is all they could complain about in 3 years of Trump lies they gobbled down so quickly while Dems behaved and what did it get us? We already know what MAGnut crazy looks like. It’s not news to me and unfortunately will not change any opinions in their cult of clowns.
Fair enough. We agree on the clown show. I want the other 30 million people watching to see who they elected!
As Governor (!) Sanders said, there is normal and there is crazy. Crazy wears machine gun pins, believes Donald Trump was chosen by God, or maybe Q to rule the world, participated in planning an insurrection to overthrow the government and is now seemingly in charge. Crazy is not going to back down and admit they were wrong about anything and there's no evidence crazy voters will ever distinguish crazy from normal and prefer normal. .Maybe someday? 🙏🏼🙄 I hope I live long enough to admit I was wrong because having the light dawn inside their very thick skulls is something I would love to see.
My 30’s DIL asked me last night if people like MTG, et al had always behaved that way at SOTU. I said absolutely not. It was a rude habit starting with—who else—Obama’s administration.
Obama’s presidency was an affront to every racist, wannabe Nazi, and religious fanatic in the land. All disguised as lawless haters in religious robes. The genie is out of the bottle…
She was raised in the same barn as Sarah Sanders
They were raised indoors....who knew...I thought maybe out in the woods of Georgia and Arkansas. Or maybe a swamp.
Sigh…Tho mom was born in a barn on the banks of the Yellowstone she left that selfsame morning transcended her humble birth and gave to the world her most precious gift…ME. Ironically my five siblings have a different take.
reality tv , 24 hour news cycleand entertainment over reality...this is the current fad
Current, and long standing; but there had been a concerted effort since the "Yellow Journalism" to gradually improve journalistic standards. We have been slipping on that score ever since Milton Friedman's "The only corporate social responsibility a company has is to maximize its profits" became national policy.
I meant to say the yellow journalism of the 19th Century.
Fascitis: haha, I made up a word to describe that we’ve been infected and are now diseased by Fascism.
Something bothers me about the idea of the Speaker of the House sitting behind the real speaker of the occasion and tweeting critiques in real time. Maybe that was why his eyes were cast downward for a good portion of the president's speech, as if what he had to say was more important than the content of the speech itself. Try as we might, we really can't attend to multiple things at once with equal attention. It's a bit disrespectful, albeit not surprising, that doing something other than simply listening would be considered acceptable on an occasion like this. A few months ago, I watched 8 young teens at a high school football game spend the whole time, backs to the game, in parallel play on their phones. They weren't tuned in to the game, only partly tuned in to each other, but glued to their screens. I looked around and saw multiple adults doing the same. I wondered why they even came. We are truly distracted, somehow addicted to constant surveillance of our mobile internet connections. When you're only half there, splitting your attention between the person(s) presenting and some distraction, you'll miss pieces, misinterpret the part you did hear out of context with what you missed, misquote the speaker the next day, demonstrate that you weren't really paying attention. I recall similar behavior in 5th grade when the teacher's back was turned. We thought we were so sophisticated with our subterfuge...
Ralph Nader was interviewing some teens from Brooklyn recently. They call themselves Luddites because they don’t use their iPhones or devices anymore… They get together on Sundays on a hill and read books.
I want to know those people. I needed to read that today. 🙏
impressed that know what a Luddite is....
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/02/opinion/teen-luddite-smartphones.html
Thank you for the link, Lucy. A wonderful read. Brava to Logan!
Puke on Ralph, used to like him, he ruined that
Kind of OT, Jeri.
?
Half there. Only half there. Your comment really came home to roost. My grand kids are half there. My children are only half there. My spouse is only half there. I am only half there. You are right! I am going to cut the toilet seat in half and see if anyone notices. We emerge from our caves to check the weather and scurry back into our caves. Isolation seems to be preferred. I remember when I would get lonely after a few months of isolation.
But we are here together, sharing within this forum. Electronic media aren't bad per se. We just have to learn to use new technology wisely.
Humanity is evolving, and we are in the midst of the confusing evolution.
I am concerned in how much time I-spend reading Substack and news on my phone or I~pad. Never watch TV
You should rejoice that you have a variety of information sources, but reasses how much time all this knowledge deserves. The fact that you're seeking truth and thinking about how you use your time tells me your likely immunized against the MAGA bug.
I’m immune as long as I’m breathing.
Weird. Reading your comment, I took a nice deep breath. The sun is shining. Time to go out.
Why would you want to spend time watching talking heads spouting off?
Background noise with the occasional feelgood moment, while I mainline my morning Java.
These devises have become our pacifiers in so many ways.
I wonder if the pandemic sealed the deal on phone obsession. Phones were the lifeline, the only thing that didn't desert us in a time of extreme isolation.
Awww. I pouted a bit when I read your comment. I mean, sometimes I read on my tablet. Is that an improvement?
Yup. Sure enough. Captured. Enraptured. Enthralled. Oh no honey, I’m in the middle of my substack. We can walk later. Interpret walk here freely.
Reminds me of a silly joke I read, How to frighten a teenager - lock them in a room with a rotary phone and a TV with no remote.
I never had either in my room growing up. I would draw, read books and spend times outdoors! Interestingly I make art for a living now.
I'm a substitute teacher, and I had that exact experience with fifth graders yesterday. One even yelled across the room in MTG fashion! We are outside the US, though, and I don't think any of those students watched the SOTU. They are an especially challenging group, thankfully the other grades are enjoyable to work with.
Although I “liked” your comment, I fear we elders sometimes sound like a bunch of fogies harping about how the old ways are the best. I think there are many dangers in social media, but it and cyber culture in general are here to stay. My adult kids are astonishingly capable of multitasking; although they may appear “half there,” they easily demonstrate their ability to repeat back what I said when I call the question. My infant and toddler grandchildren show an instinctive grasp of technology and how to use it. I think we should accept and embrace this and think about how to build guard rails around its most dangerous elements.
Yes Maureen! I love my phone and iPad for the library/phone/encyclopedia/newspaper/cinema/post office it is. The changes it has brought to our society psychologically is ahead of our understanding of how to safeguard our minds against undue influence. Crafting guardrails is important.
I think it has been proven time and again multitasking is not the best route to go. Do you want the surgeon operating on your brain to multitask? I do not. Do you want your hair cutter to have a scathing convo on the phone while you sit in the chair mid clip waiting? I did not appreciate this.
I think the term multi-tasking has different meanings in different contexts for different people. My brother's brain surgeon was most definitely multitasking in one sense: he had to be alert to every possibility while coordinating his hands and the amazing machines used to do the complex surgery. (My brother is doing well 11 yrs later.) Then there are people who "multi-task" by trying to take on everything at once, and end up not really doing any of them, but feeling driven to try (perhaps this is what you are referring to?). There are other ways I've heard the term used. Suspect Pat was referring to a typical morning in a household with kids. Watched my daughter deal with this; she's a whiz, but knows when she needs to back off. I did the same thing when I was a single working mom. I would hate for some stranger to judge me based on the fact that at 80 I rarely have only one thing going- I move from one to another and back as needed. Plus there's the dog....
As a genuine old guy I agree with your assessment of adopting to and using technology to learn about our world. HCR is an incredible lesson to us all by using the tools of a Historian to discern the importance of events and identify and frame them with specific internet locations.
Fifty years ago I moved from construction to administrative work and we learned we were supposed to eliminate paper records. It was theorized the still unknown Internet would replace it.
Yesterday my visit to my cardiologist resulted in six pieces of form letters and information that could have been produced with less energy and effort in a single e-mail.
We have not adopted our culture to technology much less cybortechnology.
Your cardiologist knows that paper is easier for some people to pay attention to and to share with other people.
I agree with you about email but I have relatives who hand me a paper to see if I can make sense of it.
They would delete the email.
While I agree with guardrails Maureen other behavior disturbs me. When my children and grand kids arrive for a visit the grandkids disappear on their iPhones the parents plop down on the couch and drag out their iPhones. They remain moribund in this fashion for hours. I have to break into their reverie for a few words of conversation. Events like Steele head fishing, floating the river, horseback riding etc. break in to this reverie of electronic mesmerization. I have observed days of inactivity while bent over these devices. I have since learned not to interfere and usually go about my business and wish them well when they depart after saying they had such a wonderful time. It’s not a bad thing it’s just a difference.
Nathan,
I see the same thing everywhere I go. The YMCA, the grocery store, the library, even where my wife and I go to watch a few Sunday football games and EVEN in church.
Folks are not tuned into the the events around them. And, there necks are bent looking at their phones.
I am not sure what is so interesting on those phones.
They have surrendered to a power greater than themselves: “Likes” and “Dislikes”
Mike,
I've noticed the same. At church, even on the altar (teenage acolyte). I said something to him afterwards and told him how it looked to everyone. I don't know if it helped or not.
I get really annoyed when I'm speaking to someone and they can't help themselves but scroll through their phone at the same time. My sister does that to me.
To be fair, I didn’t notice him scrolling or typing on his phone, and even Biden posted tweets during the SOTU. I received an email from Jill Biden during the address. I think their communications teams made the posts, not them in real time.
Perhaps you are right. I didn’t see it either. But all the nonverbal behavior was right there. I had my tv on closed captioning so I could watch the nonverbals more closely.
I got this email also and knew it was not directly from Biden or Jill. I thought McCarthy promised not to tear up Biden's speech if Biden congratulated him on the speakership. We have to remember what Pelosi did. And because I loved what she did, what does that say about me?
✅
I am heading off for day three of a training class put on by a regional public safety peer support organization. The training has been fascinating, including information and approaches to trauma recovery that are both new to me, and newly developed. I've attended some riveting breakout sessions, and connected with people from other agencies whose approaches to critical incident intervention are different that ours, or what I have seen over the past almost 25 years. In the final session yesterday, which was a panel discussion from high level supervisors in two agencies and one mindfulness instructor, I noted several people bringing out their devices and "checking out" for a few minutes (self included). Now, admittedly, most folks in the class are still employed as public safety personnel and are, literally, always on call. Still, it is (as it was for me) a brain break. (My issue was dealing with an upcoming concert, but certainly not one that required immediate response.) They have indeed become a pacifier of sorts for a lot of folks.
Ally, I like your term "brain break". It explains, I think, some of the things we do and see other people do. In one of my jobs, we had a supervisor who had conniptions over the fact that sometimes people would take some time to play a mindless game (the simple things that just keep the noisy part of the brain occupied while you relax). He banned the games outright. Several of my co-workers, including me, pointed out that we dealt with complex issues, and the "brain breaks" let our brains relax and work in the background. We could come back and do better work. Not a "pacifier" in this context, but a reset. I still do this when involved in complex issues. Also, like a lot of people my age who have health limitations, the computer provides a critical link to the rest of my community and expands my social connection outward into the rest of the world. For someone like me, that has made a huge difference.
I do not have a tv, and relish silence in my home. I listen to the radio selectively. I do not carry my phone with me unless I am going to be on the road. I walk to the PO and the grocery store (but drive to the coop 20 miles away). My daughter and I regularly exchange texts because it is the easiest way to keep in touch with differing schedules. We often get together, and this is sort of the electronic equivalence of leaving notes on the kitchen table. I love getting reminders from drs and venders via text: lessens my brain load. And Zoom sure beats driving to meetings (especially right now), and it is wonderful for taking seminars and other online events that I can't walk or drive to easily. I do LFAA in small breaks through the day or sometimes just read the letter.
So not only a reset, but a spark that keeps me energized and connected to the rest of the world.
I just like to procrastinate. There is no finer method than to have you tube research for your excuse.
Police Officers make lots of money doing extra details outside their regular shifts. To see them looking at their phones and not directing traffic or doing what the taxpayers are paying them to do is a pet peeve of mine. We time and again vote down 'regular' people being tasked this job for a decent hourly wage. This would be a great savings to tax payers. Police unions make noise.
While I agree with the premise, so much communication comes via text message or email that there are legitimate work needs for utilizing cell phones.
Another thing about “doing what the taxpayers are paying them to do”. I was on duty for 10 hours a day, most of that in the public eye, in my patrol car. I was (by contract) given 2 15 minute breaks and a single 30 minute break. There were times I was multitasking; running radar, writing reports, responding to community requests while “sitting in my patrol car looking down”. I was subject to immediate dispatch regardless of what other job-related task I was doing.
I get that the public expects us to do the job. Just be aware that there are more “jobs” to hand than you can even imagine.
I feel it is totally disrespectful to multi task when others are speaking. I let a friend go for exactly this reason. When we were together I felt we were not.
You nailed us…
Those folks have staff who run their social media accounts. Some may do it themselves but many do not.
I doubt that Biden tweets, but he has an account in his name.
He has a new communications person who is doing a very good job with his Twitter account.
Maybe we should go back to the way it was originally done: the President sent a written summary to Congress. But I think we'd miss a lot of the nuance of how our system works if we did that. Better we see it live than have it all in the dark. We got a good look at the people who are really clogging up the drain. They deserve the scoldings, but they were being who they are. Biden was at his best, and that was good to see too.
Happy Thursday everyone.
I'm still feeling good about how President Biden played the republicans during his speech on Tuesday. Gonna go into the weekend feeling really really good about where we are.
And I guess the first meeting yesterday in regards to Twitter helping democrats turned out to be a big nothing burger.
Except for the fact that those Twitter people said that it was the drumpf administration that was asking for help. In fact they said they changed their rules just for the orange man baby.
And it looks like more Americans watch President Bidens speech and are now happy with the way things are going.
If we could get rid of fox angertaintment our country would be so much better.
Anyway, not gonna let anything harsh my buzz. President (I didn't type that word during the previous admin) Biden is doing a great job.
So let's all raise a glass and thank President Biden.
🥛🍷🥂😎
Don’t harsh my buzz, I like that. Also like one I’ve heard recently, “Don’t yuck my yum!”
Ooh, that's a good one, Maureen!
HEAR, HEAR!🥂
Cheers!
The seven sentences below spoken by President Biden are worth rereading multiple times. They are a clear announcement of our policy with China and they are factual -- based on 'reality'. Clear, factual and based on reality. Isn't that refreshing? What did we get from Trump, his administration and the Republican Party? What are we still getting from them? I don't go in for cursing and expletives, although the Republican Party is worthy of such invective. I suggest rereading Biden instead.
'President Joe Biden told reporters Monday that the balloon did not change the developing patterns between the U.S. and China. “We’ve made it clear to China what we’re going to do,” he said. '“They understand our position. We’re not going to back off. We did the right thing. And there’s not a question of weakening or strengthening. It’s just the reality.” (Letter)
reality
the state of things as they are, rather than as they are imagined to be:
a fact:
reality
the actual state of things, or the facts involved in such a state:
'Reality', isn't it refreshing?
Again, showing he's the "adult" in the room of toddlers flinging excrement.
A lesson about ageism; the accumulation of experience, understanding, patience, empathy, strength, humor, love and wisdom. Salud, Bruce.
Amen!
Republicans are not interested in governing if any are even capable of doing so. Republicans have become destructive. I would not be surprised to learn that several GOP members of Congress are in the pay of Russia or China.
They are focused on accumulating unaccountable power, which is way different than governing.
Yes, and in their quest for raw power have Republicans slipped into the realm of sedition and treason?
whatever you call it, it's corrupt, unprofessional, unacceptable, and dangerous.
While hurting the public. Appeasing Wall Street and Koch family, god, guns and country. A twisted narrative that is entrenched in what is become a minority. Who will do anything to hold on to power.
"Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!"
they have blindered themselves
Well stated JL.
The eight who went to Russia several years ago, my own “rep” Kay Granger, for starters. There to suck the blood and bucks out of the folks of Ft. Worth. Hate to imagine what else…
I’ve often wondered about those eight and why that visit didn’t get more attention
I had totally forgotten about that trip - here’s what msnbc had to say about it:
https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/amp/msna1119676
"In addition to Shelby, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee and has limited foreign policy responsibilities, the official congressional delegation featured Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), and Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas)....
"As the 2018 midterm elections approach, there are widespread concerns among U.S. officials about Putin's government launching another intelligence operation against our political system. The more Russia thinks it can get away with these attacks, the more emboldened it will be to launch them.
"And yet, there was Alabama's Richard Shelby, traveling to Moscow and signaling weakness, reluctant to make accusations about "this or that or so forth."
Jeri I'm watching from Grapevine and I've seen the crazies around here......
But I remember the eight politicians who went to Russia over the 4th of July weekend- and at that time I thought WTF-
Kay and her son are “helping” the citizens of FW with that mega expensive Panther Island project, for which she has secured big bucks. BTW, she hung up on me on a phone town hall when she didn’t like what I said about W and his WMD. Yes, she has been around that long.
I love how the politicians always bring the family in................
Today's Letter is a perfect example of how there has been little to no media coverage of so many of the Biden's major accomplishments. I had seen nothing about the Japan/Netherlands/US deal to limit exports of critical chip technology to China--that is a HUGE deal with far-reaching military and security and economic implications. You know that when the Chinese military complains. Similarly with the enhanced cybersecurity initiative. BT (Before Trump) these would have been banner headline worthy.
Instead we get culture war crap coverage At least Biden is hitting back--bringing the "pamphlet" to Wisconsin was a good bit of truth over fiction. I read the Rick Scott "pamphlet" way back when it was released and wrote about it because it scared the sh*t out of me but the media had little coverage of it. After all the pamphlet was the Republican Senatorial Committee's talking points document for the midterms. And Scott was the head of that group.
https://thehill.com/homenews/3849304-scott-doubles-down-on-sunsetting-all-federal-programs-after-bidens-jab/
news media is for profit enterprise. Gossip, violence, tragedy...if it bleeds it leads!!
I am old enough to remember pre-social media click bait days and the FCC fairness doctrine. It was not distortion free reporting by any means, but there was definitely more balanced coverage and a wider range of what was important. There were fringe news outlets but they didn't completely crowd out important coverage with the trivial. Like reporting on Kamala Harris' reaction to Jill Biden kissing the 2nd Gentleman....rather than Kamala Harris' reaction to the State of the Union.
The days of news as public service succumbed to news as big bucks. Thanks to Ronnie and Rupert, to start…
The bullshitery proliferates or something like that. /s
I prefer the term bullshitery over hockeypucks, Charlie. Adding it to my spellchecker. 😉
Good news...things like Biden's accomplishments...are boring. Mainstream media is more obsessed with things that are bad, controversial, fraudulent, etc. etc. etc....that's all that's newsworthy in their eyes. It's no wonder the American people still believe everything is terrible.
I am old enough to recall listening to some of FDR’s later Fireside chats, as he spoke with his fellow citizens about the realities of what he was accomplishing and the future societal needs that he planned to address.
I had the same positive feeling when listening to President Biden’s State of the Union address.
(My New York Times/Nicholas Kristof comment)
Facts supporting well-thought-out plans that are carefully implemented to help the nation in many ways — that's leadership. Read all about it, Republicans, and get a clue.
MT Greene, in the Rotunda, with the space laser
J L-My favorite game with my grandson-but my least favorite reality when she actually sits there, re-elected, behaving like she’s at a...I’m not sure there’s ever a place where her behavior would be acceptable.
A few federal prisons?
BINGO!!! Haha
Like in the halls of Congress, not really acceptable but given the individuals involved, expectable.
Any RNC meeting
Words that MUST live in infamy:
***********
WHEREAS, The primary mission of the Republican Party is to elect Republicans who support the United States Constitution and share our values;
WHEREAS, The Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress have embarked on a systematic effort to replace liberty with socialism; eliminate border security in favor of lawless, open borders; create record inflation designed to steal the American dream from our children and grandchildren; neuter our national defense and a peace through strength foreign policy; replace President Trump’s “Operation Warp Speed” with incompetence and illegal mandates; and destroy America’s economy with the Green New Deal;
WHEREAS, Winning back the majority in Congress, including the United States House of Representatives, in 2022 must be the primary goal of the House Republican Conference (“Conference”) and requires all Republicans working together to accomplish the same...
WHEREAS, The Conference must not be sabotaged by Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger who have demonstrated, with actions and words, that they support Democrat efforts to destroy President Trump more than they support winning back a Republican majority in 2022;
WHEREAS, Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger are participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse, and they are both utilizing their past professed political affiliation to mask Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power for partisan purposes, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Republican National Committee hereby formally censures Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and shall immediately cease any and all support of them as members of the Republican Party...
No Schitt, shameful
JL, you’re on a roll this morning.
Thanks for the morning chuckle JL!!
More on "sick puppy" Santos, MotherJones' Noah Lanard & David Korn report additional details on Santos' multiple campaign violations to wit "dozens" of Santos' donors on listed on his campaign reports "do not appear to exist".
Mother Jones contacted a Santos' family member who was listed on a form as having contributed $5,800 to the campaign stated he was "dumbfounded" by Santos' fraud.
Several prosecutors have active investigations open. Meanwhile a special House [4th] District election is set in Virginia in 13 days.
[ Hat tip to Lynell in VA just below.]
State Senator Jennifer McClellan-VA is vying for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, 4th District. Election is February 21, 2023. Postcarded for her to 4th District Virginians; donated, too! She has a healthy record of legislative accomplishments since her time in Virginia's General Assembly.
https://jennifermcclellan.com/
I’m currently writing postcards for Jennifer.
Yay, Joanne! I understand the 4th District is heavily Democratic, but don't want to take anything for granted.
santos represents my district. I voted blue. I hold my tongue, but feel like shouting you got who you voted for. Great job in vetting him.
McCarthy is rapidly becoming low-hanging fruit...
Low in any case.
Nuts.
After selling his soul for a title, whom the radical white christian nationalists held out voting for him until their horrendous agenda was put forward.
The performance by MTG and co. humiliated McCarthy.....shows he is indeed not a leader, just a useful idiot with no real power.
There will simply be more and more chaos as each of the GQP anarchists fight for their fleeting 15 seconds of twitter fame. The Clown House will be known as "The Circus".
Throwing the fate of the Nation to the lions.
I think of them more as hyenas.
Wiki:
The spotted hyena has a long history of interaction with humanity; depictions of the species exist from the Upper Paleolithic period, with carvings and paintings from the Lascaux and Chauvet Caves.[19] The species has a largely negative reputation in both Western culture and African folklore. In the former, the species is mostly regarded as ugly and cowardly, while in the latter, it is viewed as greedy, gluttonous, stupid, and foolish, yet powerful and potentially dangerous. The majority of Western perceptions on the species can be found in the writings of Aristotle and Pliny the Elder, though in relatively unjudgmental form. Explicit, negative judgments occur in the Physiologus, where the animal is depicted as a hermaphrodite and grave-robber.[20] The IUCN's hyena specialist group identifies the spotted hyena's negative reputation as detrimental to the species' continued survival, both in captivity and the wild.
So there you have it.
Thanks for the good humor here amidst the many comments !
Is a rutabaga a fruit?
It's a root. In the cabbage family. Please don't make fun of it. It's homely, but trying its best to just be food.
Now that it’s been shown that TFG’s administration had 3 balloons, it’s crickets from Fix and “friends”.
As far as having concerns about US security, McCarthy has no problem including someone (Santos) who probably wouldn’t qualify for the lowest classified clearance to attend a classified briefing. If that information ends up in the wrong hands, I predict that he will use the tired excuse “I never expected him to do THAT!”
That's why Qevin will never be respected as speaker. He has no integrity whatsoever. He just cares that Santos-whatever-his-name-is, votes. Hopefully soon, that toad will be removed from Congress.
A red devil with horns would get the nod in exchange for votes. Even Putin would.
Hope a lot of toads are removed, for sedition, from congress.
Santos has been lying just about everything so far; maybe that makes him an untrustworthy informant to others? Also I wonder who is out there, listing the unthinkable, hair-raising actions of a certain McCarthy that will speed up his demise as Speaker ... Then again, McCarthy had a good teacher in tfg who gave his children security clearance without going through the legal channels. Let's hope Cave-In McCarthy does not have the same magical power to declare classified information as non-classified just by thinking it ...
I really do not see the difference between trump and santos. Why didn't people react this way in 2016? NEITHER have truth in their DNA. Just bloody narcissism.
Santos makes me think of the canary in the mineshaft or the test chicken, depending on your side of fear. Santos ran, won, and proved you can run and win and stay in your elected seat even when you lie outrightly. A privilege no longer reserved for the highest office in our nation. Strategy works. As I said, which side of fear you sit on, loser or winner
He promised he wouldn't.
If the entire House indeed got briefed, I worry about Swhoeverheis and dozens of other Rs as well.
So, HCR, what did you do to piss off Elon the Mucker? Tell the truth about something? :-)
Lol
lol ~
It is so “interesting” how a multi-nation plan works so much more effectively. I wish the opposition would recognize that too.
As Heather states at the end: “All this is to say that actual governance is about a lot more than reacting to a balloon.”
Thank you Heather.
“... actual governance is about a lot more than reacting to a balloon.”
Indeed.