In the year that it has been in office, the Biden administration has had to deal with something unprecedented in our history: a former president who refused to admit he lost the election and who has worked ever since, alongside allies, to undermine the administration of his successor.
Most important point of this letter to me regards the fact that no other president has had to deal with a defeated president who not only tried to reverse the election, but has promoted the lie that he (Biden) didn’t really win. And is believed by large numbers of our countrymen. Let that sink in. Biden has been actively undercut at every turn and in fact criminally opposed not just by one deranged man but by a whole party and by a large percentage of the public. And in spite of this he has made huge accomplishments on behalf of the American people! The psychic burden of such determined opposition must be immense on Biden. And yet liberal media talk of his “failures” and the democrats inability to get things done. Shame on them for not relentlessly reporting the truth of the threats to our democracy by this domestic enemy! Biden’s demeanor and calm presence are nothing short of miraculous! This beleaguered man is standing with one finger in the dyke while trying to orchestrate the restabilization of our whole country and doing it with grace and courage! Every day I say to myself, “imagine if TFG were president today - what a disaster we would be living through.”
This situation must be reported like the war that it is. And the man who leads us against this fascistic enemy needs our loud and unending gratitude and support!
Thank you, Ned. I threw a slipper last night at the TV aimed at CNN for the incessant judgment and missed opportunity to skewer Sen McConnell’s blatant racist remarks, the hand shaking cotillion held in Sinema’s honor after the Senate fail, and most of all, the complete fail of setting up blame on the President regarding Ukraine and not that miserable Putin. And I will throw in the glee that DeSantis must feel at the direction mainstream media trods.
i get a dinner break at work, 45 minutes, and generally spend it in my car. while i eat, i listen to the radio, then turn off the radio, rinse my mouth with coffee, play jazz harmonica for twenty minutes, and return to the trenches, somewhat restored. but last night, it was hard to get the sandwich and the coffee down. i listened to two anchors on NPR peppering a 'reporter' in the field, trying to get her to say that biden was a failure, that he had made great promises and had failed to deliver. what is a reporter supposed to do, i mean if she wants any more ear time on NPR? slowly but surely she eased into their camp, tho she wouldn't go much further than saying that the public thinks he is a failure and that this is a problem for him. would not even come close to saying that if the media stopped claiming that he was a failure the public might feel differently. then there was some business about people feeling "anxious" about everything. anxious about their children, would they be in school or learning at home, anxious about their jobs, anxious about inflation. sorry, but anxiety is part of life. if you've spent ten days of your life not anxious about something, you need to get out more. these people should thank god that they never had to live through the blitz, the holocaust, or jim crow. i thought of leaving a pair of slippers in my car, just so i can pound the dashboard with both hands on these occasions, but there are many people walking thru the parking lot and one of them might call the men in the white coats, and if they show up, i might be taken to a looney bin. they might even take my harmonicas away, as they are partly metal and i might sharpen an edge and harm myself, considering the state i am in as i shout, 'what do they want him to do?! go door to door knocking people unconscious so he can give them a jab?!' really, i should be interviewed on NPR. 'we have desperado on the line from he won't say where, and he is very anxious these days about someone taking his harmonicas away. would you tell us about your feelings of anxiety, desperado? in twenty seconds?
But the public doesn’t think he’s a failure! The media is pursuing a narrow line of failure and survey questions are written to elicit answers that say failure. My own GOP Congressman has put out a few surveys where answering them would do nothing but make it look like you think Democrats and Biden are failing. The bots and trolls online put short incendiary statements out to make it look like real, though illiterate, people support this garbage. During Biden’s long speech the other day my congressman put out one line tweets taking what Biden was saying out of context, rephrasing it into a negative statement. His constituents in the district are picking up against him and pushing back. More and more are there to criticize him. The ones supporting him are bots, trolls and people in other parts of the country. I can tell which ones actually live in the district because they are the same ones who respond to county supervisors remarks. They know what they’re talking about.
those surveys are everything you say they are. i won't even respond to the DNC surveys i get in the mail. am glad to see that the folks in your district are pushing back. let's hope the media turn out to be wrong about the 2022 mid-terms.
Same. I toss any survey - including National Geographic - when they are obviously looking for the answer they want to promote. Why waste my time? And then they ask for money. I am sending less than I used to because these methods are horrid.
Great post. I too have wondered what people here (who complain about everything including that the test availability came out a day early) would do in really dire circumstances like being in a war zone or the other things you mentioned.
Years ago we used to listen to NPR as we were getting ready for work. Haven't listened since. We listen to All Classical Portland which soothes. We do get a daily news email from OPB which has many good articles.
I listen to KMFA, Austin's all classical radio! It does soothe. My two "innies" (rescued cats raised from kittens and inside cats only) have grown up on classical music and LOVE it!
This month is sustainers month for All Classical and we are sustainers. They are reading comments each day from sustainers. One day it was us and I had mentioned how all our doggies and kitties had listened all their lives and even occasionally donated. Last year during one of their fundraisers they had a donation from a musical group called something like the All Terrier Band (a human outfit) and so many people who had terriers donated along with funny stories about their pets.
I love it! Thanks so much, desperado for your comments. You have nailed NPR for what they are. Twenty seconds seems a lot for them to allow. Most of them are not real journalists. They just read from scripts that have been supplied by news outlets that send "the news" out to the various networks. Talk about anxious, NPR and PBS are very anxious that some of their reporters and talking heads might say something else that would be out of order for their milked down news reports. They are anxious, anxious, anxious that they might lose money from corporate sponsors they allow to do ads on the NPR network. They are anxious because they never receive enough donations from listeners to remain on the air. Most of their coverage is spare and does not go into detail. If only they would interview more of the real people whose stories NPR misses, that would be far better. But anxious is as anxious is. And if we didn't have NPR and PBS, what the hell would we do to get somewhat real news?
I heard that NPR broadcast, too, and had a similar reaction. The dog and cat tilted their heads and kept their eyes on me as I shook my fist at the radio and ranted. But really—so infuriating—and coming from these supercilious arrogant people!
NPR is Federal government and donation funded and, in the (likely?) event of a return of Trump to the White House and both houses of congress as Republican, NPR could easily be defunded.
So, they have to make sure that they appear "unbiased". They cannot take on the left's version of Fox News. A leftie Rupert needs to do that.
The majority of funding for NPR comes from the public. This has been discussed in depth multiple times when we hear outcries to Defund NPR. We’ve already seen what Trump did with the military media. He hates anything that will expose is criminal actions and lies. He will destroy this country with the help of FOX and Koch.
My own MPR, Minnesota Public Radio, doesn't do what you all are describing in their local broadcasts. I don't listen often enough, I guess, to hear the things you are talking about and I am sorry to hear that they are.
It is kinda weird that people seem to be blaming Biden for Putin's apparent preparations to invade Ukraine. What kind of power do they think an American President actually has? Is he supposed to stand in the Rose Garden, wave his official seal in the air, and shout, "Expelliarmus Ruskie!"
Bravo! I am constantly horrified at what mainstream media is doing to Biden, and by extension, to the country. I pulled up the CNN site online yesterday, and felt as though Fox and OAN had written every line trashing Biden. Biden deserves a medal, not scorn, especially when we think of the horror that he inherited and the obstruction he constantly faces.
I believe The Whitehouse (Biden/Harris both) are undergoing an in-house campaign to retool their public appeal and visibility. More to the point the visibilty of the work they’ve accomplished and that which lays ahead.
This administration went to work instead of panning for the cameras. There is a lot of work to do. To wit, Tom Hanks is in a national ad hugging folks back to center. Who hasn’t watched Hanks in “?” <—Drop in a film. Most recently a cameo role in 1883 as a Union Commander sitting with Confederate James Dutton at the end of The Battle of Antietam. It’s poignant as all get out. And very timely. Getting the walls to come down amongst voters is big.
Neither Biden or Harris are unhinged braggarts. This is another thing, amongst much, that they have to work at.
They truly counted on buildbackbetter to land safely and effectively. We understand why it didn’t. The two closet republicans stalled that effort along with our voting freedoms. It seems money got to these two actors and they lost their way. Which cost us dearly. But we’ll recover.
Onward.
In my on-going letter of thanks to this administration, I frequently cite HCR’s Letters. I can’t think of a greater boon than for Biden or Harris, or any member of this administration to read through the intelligent support they receive daily from us, the people. We’re on their team dearly AND INTELLIGENTLY. No halfbaked misdirected support, but thoughtful and intelligent people who want good things for both them and this Country of ours.
Thank you for another wonderful letter, Professor. Thank you as well to all of the contributors. I’m learning to quilt. I’m working on a design to memorialze what these Letters mean. 🙏
Biden has far outperformed expectations in his first year. However I think he’s a prisoner of a too-ambitious agenda, coupled with an insufficient army to pull it off. His early legislation was well-timed and deeply welcomed. Subsequent to that, he has had indifferent results, as one would expect from such limited margins in the two chambers of Congress.
And he’s not been well-served by his strategists. After taking a first run at Covid, as was vital, the party pivoted to infrastructure. It was, at the time, inexplicable to me, and remains so now. All the while the Democrats were stewing and wrangling over those bills, state Republican legislatures were passing bill after bill that choked off the voting rights of people of color. The message that the Democrats sent those voters was shameful - we’ll get to you. And in the end, they got nearly the worst of both worlds - one infrastructure bill passed (the one with a centrist tilt), and one delightfully imaginative and progressive one crushed. And an abortive effort at voting rights quickly defeated.
Had it been defeated in, say June, the entire Democratic constituency would have remained behind him. Now many feel marginalized and may well not bother voting at all in the midterms and perhaps in 2024. And it will have been through an own goal.
As for Biden, it’s been an extraordinarily tough year. All Presidencies face special challenges in their term, but Biden’s has been beset from a dizzying array of angles - Covid, Afghanistan, threats from Russia and an ongoing war between the two parties.
He has been wonderfully energetic in his first year and has worked with honor and unrivaled tenacity. He deserves our appreciation and also a little luck. I fear he’s getting neither in any great quantity.
And I do think it’s beginning to wear on him. As David Axelrod noted this week, he has appeared “cranky” more and more often in public appearances. His comment, “What a stupid question”, picked up on a live mic yesterday, will not go unnoticed.
Through all of this though, he (and we) can be consoled by the fact that things are starting to snowball on Trump. He could be in the opening stages of a complete exposition of his crimes and legal retribution. It’s a near certainty that Biden’s poll numbers will rise in proportion to the depth of Trump’s fall.
Yes!! What is the matter with our news people! Even on PBS and NPR.
I will leave another comment at NPR. If I figure out how to show you all how I did it I will post.
I’m so grateful for all of you and especially you Dr HCR!
Ned, your eloquent response including words such as “psychic burden” “one finger in the dyke” and “orchestrate” painted a vivid and accurate picture in my mind.
I really feel for Biden and his administration. Such a heavy relentless load they are bearing each day. I’m sending them all the good energy I can muster.
Thanks, Mitzi. It occurs to me that we are inundated with so many negative pictures created by and related to the "defeated president" that it has been difficult to conjure up positive pictures. I have to discipline myself not to gawk at the horror show of sickening images and revolting statements that come up daily. So we must all search our vocabularies to come up with compelling images and phrases to inspire us in this ugly and often dispiriting battle. Biden's grace and decency are too easy to ignore in the blast furnace of hellish crap that spews out of those that oppose him and democracy.
I totally agree, Cheri. I was going to write exactly the same thing here. Perfect letter to the editor particularly to WaPo, NYT and beyond, including local papers.
I've had so much trouble understanding why the general population doesn't see what Biden is up against. NOBODY could be an effective president in his sitation. I think he has done very well, considering. His attention is split in so many different directions, it's amazing anything gets done. I wish the press would lay off him or explain what is really happening.
Ned….While your points are well taken…it’s terrible Joe Biden is taking such a beating after what he has done for America in the last year…especially after the mess he was handed! More importantly… I find it outrageous that not one of tRump’s traitorous scum has seen a day of prison time. I think we shouldn’t be surprised to find how many individuals presently sit behind bars convicted with far, far less evidence!
I completely agree!!! It is deeply frustrating that legal action has been turtle slow while everyone knows that crimes were committed, what they are and who's guilty!! My fervent hope is that Garland is actually a clever strategist and is building airtight cases and planning midnight raids and perp walks. If not, get Preet Baraha in there. He looks and sounds and acts like a real prosecutor.
Ned- Turtle slow, but sure. I think we’re seeing a tortoise-and-hare thing happening. We’re comparing an investigation to a race. This investigation CANNOT be a race.
Unsnarling all of the rabbit holes the former administration dove and ducked into is being approached almost hermetically by the Jan 6 Committee (and the DOJ). This Committee understands this is our last stand against this disaster that befell us.
W E
C A N N O T
R U S H
There is not one item uttered or given to the public that hasn’t been sorted and sifted through (vetted fiercely) because we can’t be caught short for facts.
While I too wish justice was swift - BUT - there’s no justice with false facts.
This era is one in which will truly be appreciated in totality via the perspective of history.
There’s NOT just trump and trump world, pretty much every facet of our way of life, law, order and justice have been permeated with usury, greed and power grabbing.
Point in case? SCOTUS. Yes, we witnessed three questionable choices to the highest court get elevated like helium.
But - who’s been watching Ginny Thomas? Clarence Thomas’s wife who has developed a cottage industry using, networking and posturing with some two hundred court clerks working for Thomas through his thirty year tenure? The Thomas factor clealry obliterates any line to NOT be crossed between legal business for the people which is ruled and constrained by the highest court. While Judge rules, Mrs, Judge, is sweeping the net vetting support for her opinions on what Judge gavels.
“Ginny” has clearly usurped any rules governing separation of her activities from that contained in her husbands calendar. Frankly, I don’t know who wears what pants in that household she’s in so deep. From abortion, to guns, to even sending flamers excoriating Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney calling for their banishment. Settle down, Ginny.
I'm really tired of Chuck Todd and Steve Kornacki on MSNBC with their "white board" projections, most of which have implied heavy criticism of the Democrats and their actions. This isn't factual reportage, either -- it's sheer speculative nonsense couched in "what if," exit polls and other seriously non-concrete evidence that in any way supports what they spew. They both try to make the audience look for ulterior motives, horrible strategic errors, and a "horse race" to the breathless finish.
Both over-sensationalize their reports, and the result is a flimsy, tasteless broth of tepid re-hash. I can't figure out why Todd isn't history at MSNBC.
Imagine what President Biden and his administration could be accomplishing for this country, and the world, if he did not have an army of his own countrymen attacking him at every front. I am so impressed with everything he has been able to accomplish, despite the odds. And he does this with strength, grace and humility. I am so thankful for our POTUS, President Biden. 💯Team Biden
I agree, but we also have progressives here locally who do not understand what he has accomplished despite all this happening. If I suggest that dissing him because he is part of the the D "establishment" is not a good idea, then I am "toxic", a word I am adding to the my list of words to be retired.
Also yesterday I learned that Redmond managed to get rid of the Stone and Flynn show and now it is coming to a church that is basically at the end of our street in April. I don't know that anything can be done about this turn of events. This is the same church the took over a part of the downtown Riverside Park this summer, blasting their hatred and menacing other park users. I am hoping that the leadership of the Proud Boys who like to attend these sorts of things are arrested before then like the Oath Keepers. I am thinking seriously of burning sage around our property.
Can you explain that Biden's inability to move forward is due to Manchin, siniema (sp?) and the filibuster, requiring 60 votes instead of a simple majority? Perhaps they would be more understanding then.
They are true believers on the left...not reachable. They have a thing about the D "establishment" in contrast, they think, to Bernie. They want candidates to be able to check all their boxes which may mean in our area that they are not electable due to demographics. And they want what they want, NOW.
Well, I am for Bernie. But I also realize that some of Biden's proposals aren't moving forward because of factors out of his control: repubs and democrats like Manchin and sinema.
I support progressive ideas, but am a political realist. These things move slowly and I understand the frustration, but our system does not lend itself to "revolution."
I don't think that anyone is asking for a revolution. As Biden pointed out, the majority of Americans are for "progressive" ideas such as lower drug prices, public education for preschoolers, etc. This would only bring us into the 20th century: all other Western, and many "Third World" countries already have these programs, and had them 50-60 years ago. The US is way behind.
It has to do with destroying negative energy which this dog and pony show will spread into our neighborhood. I practice reiki which has to do with energies and I was being both serious and facetious at the same time. My hope realistically is that the PB leadership will have visits from the FBI before then. Article in today's rag says they are seeking to find out any communication from the Marion County Commissioners, wing nut Rs, all of them. This nonsense is $250 a pop which hopefully will keep some of the local death star donny followers away.
Well said Ned. It infuriates me to hear MSNBC and CNN hosts bringing up the failures of the administration, as if by some act of magic it could do better. It's clear what is going on here, and this would be taking place even if there was no big lie and no insurrection. That is the game plan to obstruct obstruct obstruct. No matter the efficacy of a bill, whether it helps the American people, or the economy, or what. Do not allow any victories at all for the current administration. That is the plan. To obstruct plays right into the hands of Republicans - they don't want government involved in much of anything anyway, and obstruction makes it look like (to the uninitiated anyway) the current administration is inept. It will keep disappointed progressives at home come November. It's as clear as the nose on ones face. The news media MUST make that fact an important part of their reporting on the Biden administration. NEVER act as if the current administration is at fault - because it isn't. It is not hard to call out this seditious plan by the Republican Party. And god knows, with what it has become, our country cannot afford for it to be at the wheel after this coming election. We may never recover.
Ned - your comment got me thinking. If there were a person (but not a former president) who continued over the course of the first year of a president to act/say in the manner of Dumpster Fire - the person would have been arrested by now. The person (maybe? Likely?) would have been deemed mentally unstable or a threat to the president. Thoughts?
That’s what’s so frustrating. A democracy is an open form of government and the first amendment is fundamental. So TFG is protected. He should be arrested, but he is protected by the very government he wants to destroy! And if he gets back in office, he will use the military to protect himself against the very people who elected him and who he scorns and hates.
Second response. Yes. It is guerrilla warfare. Instead of bullets, it’s a snide war of words and appearances. Neither Biden or Harris are camera hogs. They truly are dedicated civil servants first, and public figures second.
Their salaries are bank deposits franked from civil service pay scales. Their jobs happen to have a level of visibilty that courts paparazzi. But their jobs have teeth that cut into and manage the fabric of this Nation.
The trick is to manage a public profile that shields them as to allow them to get the work done they campained to accomplish.
Kennedy. That Kennedy thing comes to mind. To be undeterred and understood and to get taken seriously while looking fabulous. It’s a snap, correct?
What Ned said. This administration started with a megaton of negative publicity. To not only *not* be taken seriously, but not even have the respect of acknowledgement of their jobs. Imagine walking into a room to, “And who are you? Again?” What an uphill battle just to get to work.
TFG is a cage wrestler! Biden and Harris have been trying to stay out of the cage. What they have been trying to do is build a much much bigger cage that encompasses the people as a whole, not just the rabid fans of sweaty combat. A treacherous and difficult tightrope to walk!
most of the gop's remarks come as counterpunches, after the dems have done or said something. this is also trump's approach. if the dems do not want to get into the cage/sandbox, they have to learn to counterpunch. the media love the counterpunch. they can show the original remark and the counterpunch. this takes up more time, and that is their main job, to take up time. biden is doing a good job of speaking clearly and directly. he needs coaching for those moments when asked, 'so and so said such and such about this or that. what is your response?' these situations are easily anticipated.
He also needs more vocal surrogates - people that have charisma and can light up the airwaves with colorful, attention getting slogans and soundbites. TFG excels at that - his utterances are red meat for networks like a carnival side show we can't resist looking at even when we feel ashamed for being suckered in. Democrats are sincere and rational in their desire to govern and "make sense" or reality - but we need lessons in how to entertain and put on a show!
Dear Heather: Another powerful and vividly informative letter! How do you manage it day in and day out?
Your opening lines are so very telling and sobering. Each time Biden fails, we forget that he "has had to deal with something unprecedented in our history: a former president who refused to admit he lost the election and who has worked ever since, alongside allies, to undermine the administration of his successor."
It behooves us to criticize less and to work harder on the ground to vote members of the Grand Old Profligates out of office this year and in '24.
There are many days, Rowshan, that I fervently call upon the greater good to restore and reinforce resilience in our President. The sheer, unprecedented onslaught of obstruction, mean spirited criticism, and treasonous tentacles of some lawmakers is strangling the governance of the President and Vice President. The failure of all media to let go of the theatrics of the former’s “fake news” and just report the truth instead of their judgment is beyond acceptance. It does behoove us to criticize less, quit calling or wishing for different people to be the attorney general or the president’s staff, and concentrate fully on our active resistance to autocracy and active support of the current president and those he has appointed to normalize our institutions from the destruction and rampant chaos generated by the former and his ghastly, yipping dogs of greed and corruption.
Remember the game Red Rover? So many games of it on summer evenings with all the neighborhood kids. Each side linking arms and holding fast so the opponent could not run through and break the line. Well, “Red Rover, Red Rover, Let any Trumpy come over.” And our line damn well better hold.
Hmmmmph. And add in a sniff, crossed arms, and toss of my head.
What is simple is that we are free to choose our attitudes regarding respect for our leaders, our democracy, and our unity. I keep my glass half full. And add to it.
"... active resistance to autocracy and active support of the current president and those he has appointed to normalize our institutions..."
Exactly. Thank you, Christine. Your entire post is spot on, but the part that made my heart soar is the paragraph containing the above words. "Active" is the key word. We do need a place to share our thoughts and feelings and know that we are not flailing in the wind, but it is the doing, the speaking up and standing up, as often and as long as necessary, to make a difference. (Love your ending!)
The thing is, that even when reporting only the truth, they can choose which truths to report, which go first, which get headlined, which even get covered, and so forth. They still have a lot of ability to manipulate the news.
The majority of Biden's "fails" can be laid at the doorstep of Manchin and Sinema and the solid bloc of Republicans who refuse, time after time, to put the country first. McConnell laid out his game plan when President Obama took office and has not wavered from it during President Biden's time in office.
Tell your local papers and stations what they should be covering, and the importance of accuracy, not the pre-ordained script. If you use FB or Twitter, spend a little time out there to make the case for truth and democracy.
Keep it up. Don't stop. That's how the they win. Keep on telling them, writing to specific stories and what they should be including. Simply, don't give up. Make a pest of yourself, but keep it clean and concise.
My local media (TV) has 2 out of three stations owned by Sinclair. My local paper was sold a couple years ago by its founding family, the Bakers, to Gatehouse Media, which has decreased the size of the paper by 50% and is now stopping Saturday print editions. I have no local media. Half of our 3-5 local stories are now written by the best newspaper photographer I've ever had the pleasure to read (at least he's still with the paper).
It's up to us to call MSM and other media out. Write a letter to the editor. Be clear and concise about your concerns, and above all, be blunt so they get the point.
And not just the crazy former prez but a 100 year pandemic with a virus that shape changes. Kind of like when Obama took office. Cleaning up after the Repubs leave a mess. This reminds me of the fact that Trump didn't leave a letter for Biden or any staff to help with the transition. What an obnoxious baby!
His crew set up as many land mines as they possibly could. No other president had to deal with such deliberate evil. Incompetence yes, but nothing like what Joe inherited.
It makes my blood boil when I think about the filibuster and the GOP sitting on their couches eating Chee-tos and saying "Nope" to even bringing a bill up for discussion. I think the messaging is coming around to focus on what the hell are they doing. This is a good message, I think, for the Dems to repeat and repeat. Chris Sununu's reason for declining to run was quite remarkable combined with Biden's question, "What are they for?" On the Josh Marshall podcast yesterday, he gets this and I appreciated his saying it. They have it exactly the way they want it. They don't have to do anything. They made carve outs for the things that are important to them, budget and placing judges. Anything else, "Nope." All on taxpayer dollars. It's criminal. Or should be!
It was a huge mistake to believe once the Dems got in power we would see action, movement on critical issues. Instead the r party doesn’t care if blocking legislation hurts even their own voters. And their obstruction is out in the open. Voters who support a criminal candidate. But, that’s how tfg first got elected.
Biden- in his first year, no incendiary racist comments, no mocking of disabled reporters, no massive turnover of white house staff and advisors, no use of the office of the president for personal gain, no fawning to dictators, no personal attacks on judges when their decisions go against him, no crowing against deceased political rivals such as Trump's disparaging comments about John McCain- the list could go on. And yet, despite his successes in distributing vaccines against covid, the passage of bills that make life better for millions of impoverished Americans, despite the weak hand he has been dealt- there is a chorus out there-and not just Trump's lackeys- who are using ageist tropes to write Biden's obituary less than half through his first term. I appreciate so much the efforts of this blog- it takes fortitude to keep your eyes open - to record history even when the news each day makes it so easy to sink into despair.
Thank you Richard for the reminder of what every day of the defeated x45 manchild administration was like. His mishandling and lies about Covid killed and is still killing thousands in the US. First mass murder of the citizens he took an oath to protect will be his legacy.
I was taught early on that decency is a high moral virtue and is its own reward. I applaud President Biden on exhibiting that trait, especially considering what he is up against. However, part of me says that what goes under the rubric of decency should earn a person at least some plaudits from the other side of the political divide. However, decency appears to mean little to those who belong to the right-leaning sub-species of homo politicus. At least such an attribute seems to have gained Biden no traction vis-à-vis those elected officials and their minions. This begs the question: Are there any elected Republicans who hold plain human decency in high regard? Even the junior Senator from Utah, presumably a devout and high-ranking member of the LDS church, seems to have lost his way on his voyage toward the isle of moral rectitude. By all accounts, his moral/ethical compass is broken; its needle is drawn to the weird magnetism of the former POTUS. It is indeed a sad commentary on the morality of Biden administration opponents that few, if any, of them have the presence of mind (or dare I say "cojones"?) to acknowledge just how much good Biden has done for this country in his first and exceedingly challenging year as president.
Yes and mainstream media amplifies every effort that “fails” because of lack of bipartisan votes and Sinema and Manchin blocking movement on legislation.
Congresswoman Katie Porter, who has quite a head for finance, told Lawrence O'Donnell this evening the cost of NOT doing the BBB Act. It would cost citizens $8 billion if Medicare is not allowed to negotiate drug prices with the big drug companies. $145 billion is the cost of handling the climate disasters we're experiencing which could be mitigated by the climate provisions of BBB Act. And, the government would have another Trillion dollars if with BBB the IRS is fully funded and people especially the rich payed what the really owed. The IRS is so short-handed that there are 6 million 2020 tax returns still unprocessed including my own although they cashed my check in 3 days. The IRS is warning that is will be worse in this year coming year with even refunds being considerably delayed. Representative Porter also said even with inflation that the average person has $354 more dollars in their pocket every month than the year before.
At 5:05 in the video Katie mentions “the cost if Joe Manchin and others block action in the Senate” - ugh!!! Framing! How do we get our own best people to frame the conversation correctly? We need to stop highlighting disagreements between Democrats and start pounding the fact that Republicans are 100% - all 50 Senators - blocking action. I would much rather hear Katie Porter say “the cost of all 50 Republican Senators blocking action in the Senate…”
Wow. She is GOOD! In the past, I tended to avoid Twitter as a pointless rabbit hole. At the point now seeing it as a useful tool. This convinced me. THANK YOU for posting link. Might become a Katie fan girl.
Thank you, Cathy, for pointing out the other side of the equation that MSM doesn’t report. Evaluating the true cost of an option requires critical thinking that considers not just the visible cost of doing something, but the often unseen costs of NOT doing that particular something. In the business world this is called opportunity costs and is a major component of decision making.
New term for me, Lena. “opportunity costs”. Thank you. Am using it today in working on a platform for a probable second run for a school board seat in my county in ‘22.
Thanks for digging in on the local level Christine! We need to keep the foundation of democracy strong on every rung from the bottom up (local, regional, state, national). Another key term is framing, from the field of psychology. Basically how our decisions are influenced by the way information is presented. George Lakoff’s Don’t Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate is a short book that Google Books describes as “the definitive handbook for understanding and communicating effectively about key social and political issues.” I consider it an essential read. Right along with Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake-Up Call from Behind the Lines by David Pepper. David‘ s book spells out in the real life example of Ohio, how local politics is where it all starts and then snowballs from there. An absolute eye-popper!
Yes. I’ve been a fan of “framing” since childhood. It used to drive my mom crazy. And still causes flummoxing behavior and flailing arms of opponents when confronted with my delivery of information. I think it an attribute of my violet aura.
I clapped and woohoo’ed repeatedly for Ms Katie Porter and her presence and presentation to mainstream media. Get it with that white board! Old school. Love it.
It will be interesting to see if, having lost the BBB package, the administration follows through on Mr. Biden's "chunks" comment. Individually, such universally popular ideas as the CTC, negotiated drug prices and increased funding for the IRS to ensure that all taxes levied are collected in a timely manner should garner bi-partisan support and be easy, obvious wins for the President which he could use right now. Not holding my breath but the "all or nothing" strategy has gotten exactly what could be expected.
Another aspect of this is called "external costs". These are costs that are downstreamed and not accounted for in computing costs of almost anything you have to compute costs of doing or producing. Externalities are common in the industrial and business world: They are real costs that are not accounted for within a budget or cost/benefit analysis. instance, absorbed at the individual level, or by local governments in taking care of the consequences of those costs, which are not really hidden, but simply ignored as "external" to the project.
At the federal level and often state and local, Republicans are very good at manipulating false externalities to fight legislation. It's good to be aware of that little trick, because it sounds reasonable on the face of it (think of all the disastrous fiscal consequences they love to throw up as obstacles to legislation that might cost tax dollars or require industry to pay costs, but would generate much higher value social goods). It's a companion to the Opportunity Costs that Congresswoman Katie Porter so clearly explained. We need to be aware of both of these, and look for them.
Back to Katie Porter’s point about the IRS, Republicans are always claiming our government should be run like a business. If the IRS was a company it would hire enough qualified people to collect every dollar owed, up to the point of diminishing returns. It would be obligated to its shareholders to do that, wouldn’t it?
And remember. it was the Republicans ho set out to "punish" the IRS for questioning the tax exempt status of organizations who claimed their actions were not actually political campaigns, lie the Tea Party, which in some states had actual candidates running for office under that banner. (Check out the campaigns of Amanda Chase in Virginia, for one especially Mad Hatter...).
At this point in time, for movement on legislation that helps Americans, we need voters who understand and Repub (and Dem) senators/ representatives with a conscience.
Most of this is on The Rachel Maddow Show. She goes into great detail and about all of it and is very through. You hear sprinklings of this on the CNN but they are to busy talking about poll numbers and inane points. The things they say about Biden on NewsMax are criminal. Thank you Heather, I feel like your letters should be on the front page of every major newspaper.
What Sinema and Manchin did to Biden and voting rights was simply deplorable. It reminds me of when then street thug, Jeff Gillooly, kneecapped Olympian Nancy Karagan, on behalf of her fellow Olympian Tonya Harding. While clearly hurt by Sinema and Manchin’s betrayal, Biden didn’t cry in front of the cameras, or whine like the former President does. Instead, he stood there defiantly, trading blows with the press for two hours, like the scrapper from Scranton that he is. 😎
It should be clear to everyone by now, especially Democrats, that Sinema and Manchin have been working on behalf of Republicans to block them, all along. Manchin and Sinema are Republicans’ hedge bet against the filibuster exceptions (financial bills and judicial appointments), where Manchin (plan A) is the 50th vote, Dems don’t have, in those matters. Then Sinema (plan C) is the 50th vote, Dems don’t have, in whatever Manchin does vote for or doesn’t try to block.
Yes, when Susan Collins said she was working behind the scenes for a bipartisan solution, I can only think that it was to come to a bipartisan defeat of the voting rights bill.
Pffffft to Susan Collins. Tired of her tremulous voice and her even more tremulous politics. Weak and so not relevant to anything fitting the word “bipartisan”.
Indeed, in these militarized politics and at this decisive moment, the fifth column is stepping forward and showing its true face. And a civil party has no defence against it.
Yes! Any republicans who continue to vote en masse (and other so called “non-republicans”)and as Fifth Column, are obstructing not only the January 6 and 2020 election investigations, but the critical democratic system that runs our government. Is this Transparency? We’re watching this dismantling of Democracy in real time and each minute is history.
You can follow the money or use hindsight, and see a pattern. When we look back at what they’ve been doing, the whole fighting for bipartisanship thing, it looks like a “false flag operation”. Republicans have already admitted that politics has become a zero sum game for them. Plus, Russia and Trump are involved now, so Republicans have really upped their game.
Yes, exactly. Manchin and Sinema are not always *with* Dems. But they *are* always Dems where it counts in a big way - holding the Democratic majority.
Rep. Jared Golden here in Maine's CD2 voted against BBB but he supported and even co sponsored HR1 and HR4. And a lot of other good solid Democratic bills. Confounding yes. But ... Golden flipped the seat and is the only Maine Dem who can hold it. It would be folly to primary him and unconscionable not vote for him. Worse it would be bad strategy. I will be campaigning for him. A Dem who doesn't always vote with his party's best, is much better than a Repub who always votes with his party's worst.
Some action items as we move quickly into 2022: Beto, running for governor in Texas, reminds us how important primaries are. The Texas primary is March and you can help, especially if you live in Texas. Same with Stacey Abrams in Georgia.
Fair Fight Action is gearing up again. There is a good training video and staff support is excellent. Call or texting. It focuses on voter registration now, not in the fall on Election Day.
Unsubscribe from msm that annoys you and tell them why. There are lots of free newsletters without clickbait. I like the LĀ Times.
On YouTube see actual entire videoes of the Biden administration in action, instead of CNN’s annoying talking heads and false poll stats. Biden and Harris were great last night on Democrats.org 1 year inauguration town hall. Jaime Harrison was outstanding when he had to wing it after Kamala’s audio failed. The slide show was full of clear info about what the Biden Administration has accomplished. Also check Whitehouse.gov.
I’m told the interview 2 days ago with Brian Tyler Cohen and Adam Schiff (YouTube) was a much more important discussion of what our attention needs to be on. I’ll be watching that today.
In other words, stop letting the msm get inside your head. Stress is bad for you and orange idjt 🤡 is happy to provide. You can always call CapitolHill switchboard, talk to any senator or rep office and tell them what ⭐️HCR⭐️ wrote. (202) 224-3121 ⭐️👍🏻🤣👏🏼
No idjt zone🤮🤡🤮🎃.
Primaries are vital to get out the vote. The time is now.
Thank you professor Heather. I read your letter every morning, over breakfast, in Brussels. It sets me on a hopeful (and deeply informed) path for the day. Thanks, too, for the comments everyone. They are also treasures.
Wow! Once again, Prof. Heather, you hit the nail on the head: President Biden "has had to deal with something unprecedented in our history: a former president who refused to admit he lost the election and who has worked ever since, alongside allies, to undermine the administration of his successor." That's the factor that is missing from every MSM story about the Biden presidency and the Democrat's "failures!" And many of T***p's "alongside allies" are actually in the government with actual power to block Biden's agenda! What can we do about this?
Remember boycotting lettuce and grapes in the early 1970's to support Cesar Chavez and the farmworkers? What if we started a national movement to boycott selected MSM until they start telling this story? They seem to be more influenced by ratings rather than by their job to "protect the governed not the governors." (U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) in an article by ACLU https://www.aclu.org/issues/free-speech/freedom-press)
I just googled "Biden administration failures" and within 1/2 second got "51,500,000 results" beginning with a headline from Newsweek: "Joe Biden's six biggest failures in his first year as president."
I subscribe to WaPo and NY Times and I used to be a fan of MSNBC. How would they respond to something like: "President Biden "has had to deal with something unprecedented in our history: a former president who refused to admit he lost the election and who has worked ever since, alongside allies, to undermine the administration of his successor." (cite Prof. Heather) Until you tell the WHOLE story each time you report on one of the Biden administration's "failures," starting with something like "Republican lawmakers block Biden administrations effort to (fill in the blank) we will no longer pay for your product."
I'm no expert and I certainly have never started a national movement. But from your comments over the months, I bet many of you would know how to do this. What's next?
Ok I sent this message on Twitter to Olivia Troye, the former Homeland Security and counterterrorism adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, who has been speaking out forcefully about the T***p administration:
Hi, I've admired your courage and I just read about the phone call of former T's staff about how to "counter the assault on democracy....and how to affect electoral outcomes." https://bit.ly/3fIuWSz
How about starting with a national movement to get the MSM to tell the WHOLE story when they report on the Biden administration's (and therefore the democrat's) "failures." Prof. Heather Cox Richardson of Boston U, in her daily newsletter, just stated, "the Biden administration has had to deal with something unprecedented in our history: a former president who refused to admit he lost the election and who has worked ever since, alongside allies, to undermine the administration of his successor." ( https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-20-2022?r=eznl2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email ) Every one of those stories should start with "Republican's block Biden administrations efforts to (fill in the blank....) MSM depends on ratings...so how about following the Cesar Chavez model (boycotting grapes and lettuce to force companies to treat farm workers fairly) and organize a boycott of selected MSM until they meet their obligation to tell the whole truth to their readers/viewers (the ELECTORATE that you want to affect.) What do you think? Thank you!
Yes Lynell and Chaplain! Biden's "failure" is due to their blocking anything and everything (as stated by Chris Sununu and McConnell's lack of an agenda until the mid-terms if we need any more proof!) and a slim majority in Congress. His "failure" to get his party together is actually anything but when you consider the spectrum of Dems in Congress. He actually has gotten a far flung herd together but for two who are essentially falsely partied.
Thank you, Christine! There are certain advantages to living simply on my SS and not needing to work for someone else for 40 hours each week! I will let you know what response when I get it. And you've inspired me to send a 280 character version of this to any news person I can find on twitter. Blessings,
OK here's my tweet to any MSM who reports about Biden's failures w/o the whole story. I also posted this as a separate comment, but I wanted it to be here in ths thread. It's 279 characters long with one to spare. I edited it right in a tweet box so I would get the length right!
I'm working on a 280 chaarcter version of this message so I can tweet to all available news folks on twitter. I'll post it as soon as it's done Blessings,
I just sent a letter to my local news outlet, the Columbus Dispatch— shaming them for ZERO coverage of all that has occurred in the past 48h regarding the investigations into jan 6 and attempts by Trump to alter the outcome of a lawful election. Looking at my local news you’d never know that those at the top are starting to feel heat regarding their complicit role in the insurrection.
Must be part of the plan….but the rest of us are paying attention!
Imho I don’t think the nighttime presenters on MSNBC are touting Biden’s failures. To the contrary, Rachel and in particular, Lawrence O’Donnell, have pointed out those facts of Biden having obstacles no other presidents have had to deal with in unprecedented lies about the election outcome and a president who won’t turn over his office. Maybe it’s just not heard often enough from the network.
I know you are right about Rachel and Lawrence - and I've stopped listening now that I get this and Robert Hubbell's newsletters. I think they might be the exception. Maybe they deserve the opposite message: "thank you for including the whole story of Biden's "failures." I think that word should be revealed for what it is - a cheap shot with no context - poor journalism. Just now I got 332,000,000 results when I googled "Biden's failures" including one of Colin Jost from SNL "mocking Biden." I'm afraid to listen because I actually have admired Jost's work. I'm working on a "Do your job; tell the WHOLE story" tweet inspired by this newsletter. Blessings,
Good point! Mocking President Biden on SNL can be added to the humor in “respected” late night comedy talk shows. While left leaning, these programs often still diminish the positive. I once read a news story commentary that many late night comedy show viewers don’t always “get” the humor and don’t know the truth from a joke. And even get their primary news from these political- comedians. So how funny is that?
HEre's the basic one - probably will need some tweeking for some specific situations. What' good about twitter is that you can edit it down to 280 characters right in the tweet.
The story is going public, amazing how many of the "players" are being fingered as perps. Sadly, it'll take the entire course of this administration to dig through the garbage of the last one, so the news will continue to be full of this story long after the sensation has extinguished. Noone is likely to get the kind of comeuppance that will satisfy the public, but the light of public scrutiny will demonstrate that this kind of conspiracy can't stay buried forever. Just one picture of the Orange-utang with cuffs in a striped suit, Ivanka in a Vera Wang jumpsuit accessorized with an ankle monitor, Junior hanging with the boys in the excercise yard and Jared on laundry duty would be enough for me.
"Just one picture of the Orange-utang with cuffs in a striped suit, Ivanka in a Vera Wang jumpsuit accessorized with an ankle monitor, Junior hanging with the boys in the excercise yard and Jared on laundry duty would be enough for me."
That would be OK with me too, however, I assess the probability of this occurrence in the neighborhood of, well, sadly, zero.
When Ronald Reagan declared government the enemy, he was speaking to the disgruntled Dixiecrats the GOP was courting and the entrenched Republican elite resentful of taxation and regulation. He was speaking the language of the Confederacy and of the Capitalists. Of the populists and the paymasters.
Trump's intransigence has Republican provenance and precedence. Newt Gingrich burning down the House during the Clinton administration. Mitch McConnell opting out of the agreed legal framework of the Constitution during the Obama administration. Now the Trump show during the Biden administration.
Republican abuses are not simply sequential, their effect is exponential. And this, with the pandemic and climate change, is unprecedented. The Senate debate and vote over voting rights was dominated by a terrifying lack of imagination on the part of the Republicans, Manchin, and Sinema who believe it is business as usual. As contrasted with the foresight and insight of the Democrats who recognize these are parlous times.
Each of us must do all we can to keep
the Democratic majority in Congress. This is no time for the blinkered self indulgence which gave Trump the White House in 2016. The moment calls for imagining different metrics, different calculations, and unprecedented alliances. We do not have to imagine what a Republican takeover would be.
"He was speaking the language of the Confederacy and of the Capitalists".
He was also speaking and does speak the language of the Nazi's. He also mimics their actions and behaviors including generating a gigantic lie about the election outcome.
We? WE are behaving as did Nazi Germany, pre-WWII, in the presence of a rising Fuhrer.
As people on the right arm themselves and prepare to follow Trump's clarion call for violent overthrow of the government, we are sort of wondering if it really could happen, and, led by such a loser con-man. Some, like Dr. Richardson are outlining the daily record in the context of our own history, but, not in the context of Nazi history, which, might be more relevant at this point.
We look nearly EXACTLY like Germany at the moment, in 1938 or so.
Olivia Troye had an excellent piece in the NY Daily News the other day, exhorting Mike Pence to shelve his presidential ambition, and “clear his conscience, start telling the truth. and tell Americans what really happened in four years under Trump. Tell them how he spent every day wondering whether our country would survive.” What a difference that could make.
Maine had a third party supposed rational-actor gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler, who only opened the door for Trump-lite Paul LePage's two terms of slash and burn social policy. Maine is still recovering from that decade.
Yes, it was slightly more complex than that – arguably weak-ish, though totally sane, Dems, and a five-candidate race in the Tea Party wave election of 2010. In 2014, it was all Cutler whose ego wouldn't let him retire even when he saw the coming trainwreck.
Those years, a painful preview of our current scene, plus the Nader/Gore debacle, has soured me, probably for life, on third party, hope-project, experiments.
Fun fact: LePage is running again against Maine's current thoroughly sane and smart Democratic Governor Janet Mills in 2022 and the ever-craven Sen. Susan Collins has endorsed him.
Yup, can't get more perfect than The Donald. Just not possible.
Full prosecution, all of them who don't plea/make a deal. Bring it down and hard, and don't be afraid to indict the OCP. Hesitancy and mercy in this endeavor will be looked at as weakness and exploited the next time around (does anyone doubt they're looking ahead to the next time?). Full throttle. Do all those neat lawyer things, get them to turn on each other (since they're all so self-interested) and bring the whole house down. Do. Not. Stop.
Biden's problem is that he was a "French general" facing the Trump/Republican blitzkrieg when he came into office. Unable to comprehend the nature of his opposition, unable to accept that that people he had known for years and considered friends now had to be seen as his sworn enemies out to kill him. That's hard for anyone to get their head around, but he had four years watching Trump take over the Republicans, and he seemed to think that the thoroughly-inadequate "I'm not him" would be enough to change things around and bring back the nice sunny days of yore. His realization of the true nature of the enemy may be too late, but I really hope he can pull it out with his promise to campaign hard. (It also didn't help that too many - including many here - spent the first six months of 2021 thinking all was fine and dandy since Trump was out of office). Trump's like the monster in one of the movies I wrote: you have to kill him three times to finally put him face down.
But if this government and the Europeans think rapping Putin's knuckles over Ukraine will work, they are delusional. We should have given the Ukrainians 100 M1A3 Abrams tanks this past year and trained their crews. They'd then be able to take out every creaky old T-55 Putin's still dependent on in his 1995 army. The only thing someone like Putin understands is a gun barrel shoved up his mouth till it takes out his tonsils, and then he gets the "good talking to" with the hammer cocked.
Tough talk. But empty. Biden's problem is that these are parlous and unprecedented times and too many people are acting as though it's 'business as usual.' That some phantom of historical precedent applies, when forward looking imagination is needed.
lin talks sense. In football lingo, it's playoff season, 4th quarter, 2 minute warning, and we're down by 7. We're standing on our own 10 yard line and we need a touchdown and a 2 point conversion. It's time to get WAY creative. Think outside of box and Go. Play hard. Leave it all on the field. Because you know what? There is no tomorrow.
The US having lost every war it has been in since WWII is not exactly in a position to win a war against Russia on Russia's turf. So, pretending that would be possible is folly in the extreme.
Or shoved up his keister. Seriously. Help get the Ukranians ready to repel putrid Putin. People act like Ukraine is a backwards country with no sophistication. There are 44 million people there. And they do not want to be part of Russia. At all.
I like what you say and the way you say it, TC, but I worry that M1A3 Abrams tanks might be an invitation to the Ruskies to use "tactical" nuclear weapons in response. When Putin inevitably loses face, might he not lose all the rest, too, and do something really crazy? And maybe the Ukrainians, fighting against all odds, but on their home turf, will remind Putin of the final days of Russia's Afghanistan adventure. How about we send our friends some devilishly clever hand-held anti-tank weapons and see how it goes?
He's counting on us worrying about that to stop us doing anything. In such a stand-off, having the enemy worry about you losing face gives him a massive advantage too.
I don’t think we have enough 1A3’s to spare, and I agree with you that they would be directly provocative to Poo-tin. And we’d better not cheap-out and send them Dragons instead of the Javelins....I dunno, there are certainly enough military experts on this forum who would have way more knowledge than I do about this. I’m probably talking out of the top of my head.
I do know one thing however: the first Russian tactical nuke that is deployed will change our world forever. Nobody wants this, but that doesn’t ever seem to count for anything in brinksmanship, desperate ego, or hot wars.
True, MAD has worked for more than 50 years, and Putin is probably not that crazy, though I'm not sure how to calculate the odds on that.
Really, it is no more insane to start a nuclear than it is to retaliate with nukes, yet we and the Russians (and others, by now) have spent many, many billions over the years developing the capacity to detect the other side's missile launches and respond before our retaliatory capacity is wiped out. Use it or Lose it, MAD, the Triad, multiple re-entry vehicles, Star Wars, Neutron bombs, cruise missiles, hypersonic missiles, the "Doomsday Device", even "clean" bombs: we have heard it all, yet we are still fighting the American Civil war (having convinced ourselves that we won the Cold War) and unable to rid ourselves of our modern robber barons.
All we are looking at right now is status reports. We’re in the sixth or seventh inning, the game isn’t over. I’m not saying it will end well on either count, democracy here and democracy in Ukraine, no one knows, but while there’s still time, the status can change.
Right now I’m with TC and with the Republicans who are screaming loudly for strong action on the Ukraine front. As things stand now, if nothing changes in how our wimpy-ass govt is dealing here, Russian military rolls into Ukraine and goodbye democracy, just like Hong Kong.
Megalomania is clinical. Paranoia is clinical. Fascism threatens. Fascism is societal megalomania for paranoiac fascists. Fred Trump’s son hid all his transcripts. Fred Trump was a Queens landlord that would not rent to certain ethnic, religious and ethnic populations.
Prejudice is a disease. It spreads in communities and in families first.
Dictators need a whipping post. Donald knows this instinctively.
Donald Trump came by it honestly.
Our nation was predictable - for 500 years.
Fantasyland - How America Went Haywire
A 500-Year History
By Kurt Andersen
“A stunning sweeping explanation of how we got to Trump … the most important book that I have read this year.” Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC
Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History
by Kurt Andersen
'In this sweeping, eloquent history of America, Kurt Andersen shows that what's happening in our country today--this post-factual, "fake news" moment we're all living through--is not something new, but rather the ultimate expression of our national character. America was founded by wishful dreamers, magical thinkers, and true believers, by hucksters and their suckers. Fantasy is deeply embedded in our DNA.
'Over the course of five centuries--from the Salem witch trials to Scientology to the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, from P. T. Barnum to Hollywood and the anything-goes, wild-and-crazy sixties, from conspiracy theories to our fetish for guns and obsession with extraterrestrials--our love of the fantastic has made America exceptional in a way that we've never fully acknowledged. From the start, our ultra-individualism was attached to epic dreams and epic fantasies--every citizen was free to believe absolutely anything, or to pretend to be absolutely anybody. With the gleeful erudition and tell-it-like-it-is ferocity of a Christopher Hitchens, Andersen explores whether the great American experiment in liberty has gone off the rails. "
"I believe we are living in a world imagined by ancestors who didn’t love us, who didn’t believe in an abundant earth and our collective power to steward it. It is time for us to imagine beyond the current oppressive construct."
"How do we pivot from being victims of change to being shapers of it?"
Most important point of this letter to me regards the fact that no other president has had to deal with a defeated president who not only tried to reverse the election, but has promoted the lie that he (Biden) didn’t really win. And is believed by large numbers of our countrymen. Let that sink in. Biden has been actively undercut at every turn and in fact criminally opposed not just by one deranged man but by a whole party and by a large percentage of the public. And in spite of this he has made huge accomplishments on behalf of the American people! The psychic burden of such determined opposition must be immense on Biden. And yet liberal media talk of his “failures” and the democrats inability to get things done. Shame on them for not relentlessly reporting the truth of the threats to our democracy by this domestic enemy! Biden’s demeanor and calm presence are nothing short of miraculous! This beleaguered man is standing with one finger in the dyke while trying to orchestrate the restabilization of our whole country and doing it with grace and courage! Every day I say to myself, “imagine if TFG were president today - what a disaster we would be living through.”
This situation must be reported like the war that it is. And the man who leads us against this fascistic enemy needs our loud and unending gratitude and support!
Thank you, Ned. I threw a slipper last night at the TV aimed at CNN for the incessant judgment and missed opportunity to skewer Sen McConnell’s blatant racist remarks, the hand shaking cotillion held in Sinema’s honor after the Senate fail, and most of all, the complete fail of setting up blame on the President regarding Ukraine and not that miserable Putin. And I will throw in the glee that DeSantis must feel at the direction mainstream media trods.
i get a dinner break at work, 45 minutes, and generally spend it in my car. while i eat, i listen to the radio, then turn off the radio, rinse my mouth with coffee, play jazz harmonica for twenty minutes, and return to the trenches, somewhat restored. but last night, it was hard to get the sandwich and the coffee down. i listened to two anchors on NPR peppering a 'reporter' in the field, trying to get her to say that biden was a failure, that he had made great promises and had failed to deliver. what is a reporter supposed to do, i mean if she wants any more ear time on NPR? slowly but surely she eased into their camp, tho she wouldn't go much further than saying that the public thinks he is a failure and that this is a problem for him. would not even come close to saying that if the media stopped claiming that he was a failure the public might feel differently. then there was some business about people feeling "anxious" about everything. anxious about their children, would they be in school or learning at home, anxious about their jobs, anxious about inflation. sorry, but anxiety is part of life. if you've spent ten days of your life not anxious about something, you need to get out more. these people should thank god that they never had to live through the blitz, the holocaust, or jim crow. i thought of leaving a pair of slippers in my car, just so i can pound the dashboard with both hands on these occasions, but there are many people walking thru the parking lot and one of them might call the men in the white coats, and if they show up, i might be taken to a looney bin. they might even take my harmonicas away, as they are partly metal and i might sharpen an edge and harm myself, considering the state i am in as i shout, 'what do they want him to do?! go door to door knocking people unconscious so he can give them a jab?!' really, i should be interviewed on NPR. 'we have desperado on the line from he won't say where, and he is very anxious these days about someone taking his harmonicas away. would you tell us about your feelings of anxiety, desperado? in twenty seconds?
But the public doesn’t think he’s a failure! The media is pursuing a narrow line of failure and survey questions are written to elicit answers that say failure. My own GOP Congressman has put out a few surveys where answering them would do nothing but make it look like you think Democrats and Biden are failing. The bots and trolls online put short incendiary statements out to make it look like real, though illiterate, people support this garbage. During Biden’s long speech the other day my congressman put out one line tweets taking what Biden was saying out of context, rephrasing it into a negative statement. His constituents in the district are picking up against him and pushing back. More and more are there to criticize him. The ones supporting him are bots, trolls and people in other parts of the country. I can tell which ones actually live in the district because they are the same ones who respond to county supervisors remarks. They know what they’re talking about.
those surveys are everything you say they are. i won't even respond to the DNC surveys i get in the mail. am glad to see that the folks in your district are pushing back. let's hope the media turn out to be wrong about the 2022 mid-terms.
Same. I toss any survey - including National Geographic - when they are obviously looking for the answer they want to promote. Why waste my time? And then they ask for money. I am sending less than I used to because these methods are horrid.
So why send them any money? - Just say why you won't.
Great post. I too have wondered what people here (who complain about everything including that the test availability came out a day early) would do in really dire circumstances like being in a war zone or the other things you mentioned.
I avoid CNN AND NPR for all the reasons you noted. It's as if they are already campaigning on behalf of the enemy from within. Not "as if." They are.
Years ago we used to listen to NPR as we were getting ready for work. Haven't listened since. We listen to All Classical Portland which soothes. We do get a daily news email from OPB which has many good articles.
I listen to KMFA, Austin's all classical radio! It does soothe. My two "innies" (rescued cats raised from kittens and inside cats only) have grown up on classical music and LOVE it!
This month is sustainers month for All Classical and we are sustainers. They are reading comments each day from sustainers. One day it was us and I had mentioned how all our doggies and kitties had listened all their lives and even occasionally donated. Last year during one of their fundraisers they had a donation from a musical group called something like the All Terrier Band (a human outfit) and so many people who had terriers donated along with funny stories about their pets.
I love it! Thanks so much, desperado for your comments. You have nailed NPR for what they are. Twenty seconds seems a lot for them to allow. Most of them are not real journalists. They just read from scripts that have been supplied by news outlets that send "the news" out to the various networks. Talk about anxious, NPR and PBS are very anxious that some of their reporters and talking heads might say something else that would be out of order for their milked down news reports. They are anxious, anxious, anxious that they might lose money from corporate sponsors they allow to do ads on the NPR network. They are anxious because they never receive enough donations from listeners to remain on the air. Most of their coverage is spare and does not go into detail. If only they would interview more of the real people whose stories NPR misses, that would be far better. But anxious is as anxious is. And if we didn't have NPR and PBS, what the hell would we do to get somewhat real news?
Yup. And that's why I stopped donating to KQED.
CBC & CTV & BBC
The Guardian!
Read newspapers, the AP? Other newsletters like this?
AP? Depends on the reporters, I guess. I've seen some basically op-ed pieces passed off as "news."
These comments should be sent to NPR, CNN, NYT, etc.
DO IT!
Hear hear!! Pound your slipper and play your harp!! Love it!
i'm working on 'lullaby of birdland' in case i end up in the cuckoo's nest.
How about "They Can't Take That Away From Me" as a follow up to Birdland?
I heard that NPR broadcast, too, and had a similar reaction. The dog and cat tilted their heads and kept their eyes on me as I shook my fist at the radio and ranted. But really—so infuriating—and coming from these supercilious arrogant people!
NPR is Federal government and donation funded and, in the (likely?) event of a return of Trump to the White House and both houses of congress as Republican, NPR could easily be defunded.
So, they have to make sure that they appear "unbiased". They cannot take on the left's version of Fox News. A leftie Rupert needs to do that.
The majority of funding for NPR comes from the public. This has been discussed in depth multiple times when we hear outcries to Defund NPR. We’ve already seen what Trump did with the military media. He hates anything that will expose is criminal actions and lies. He will destroy this country with the help of FOX and Koch.
Thank You Desperado. My feelings exactly. Play that jazz!
My own MPR, Minnesota Public Radio, doesn't do what you all are describing in their local broadcasts. I don't listen often enough, I guess, to hear the things you are talking about and I am sorry to hear that they are.
It is kinda weird that people seem to be blaming Biden for Putin's apparent preparations to invade Ukraine. What kind of power do they think an American President actually has? Is he supposed to stand in the Rose Garden, wave his official seal in the air, and shout, "Expelliarmus Ruskie!"
Turned off the national news again. We watch NBC.
Right on!
Bravo! I am constantly horrified at what mainstream media is doing to Biden, and by extension, to the country. I pulled up the CNN site online yesterday, and felt as though Fox and OAN had written every line trashing Biden. Biden deserves a medal, not scorn, especially when we think of the horror that he inherited and the obstruction he constantly faces.
I believe The Whitehouse (Biden/Harris both) are undergoing an in-house campaign to retool their public appeal and visibility. More to the point the visibilty of the work they’ve accomplished and that which lays ahead.
This administration went to work instead of panning for the cameras. There is a lot of work to do. To wit, Tom Hanks is in a national ad hugging folks back to center. Who hasn’t watched Hanks in “?” <—Drop in a film. Most recently a cameo role in 1883 as a Union Commander sitting with Confederate James Dutton at the end of The Battle of Antietam. It’s poignant as all get out. And very timely. Getting the walls to come down amongst voters is big.
Neither Biden or Harris are unhinged braggarts. This is another thing, amongst much, that they have to work at.
They truly counted on buildbackbetter to land safely and effectively. We understand why it didn’t. The two closet republicans stalled that effort along with our voting freedoms. It seems money got to these two actors and they lost their way. Which cost us dearly. But we’ll recover.
Onward.
In my on-going letter of thanks to this administration, I frequently cite HCR’s Letters. I can’t think of a greater boon than for Biden or Harris, or any member of this administration to read through the intelligent support they receive daily from us, the people. We’re on their team dearly AND INTELLIGENTLY. No halfbaked misdirected support, but thoughtful and intelligent people who want good things for both them and this Country of ours.
Thank you for another wonderful letter, Professor. Thank you as well to all of the contributors. I’m learning to quilt. I’m working on a design to memorialze what these Letters mean. 🙏
I wonder what design that quilt will use......what a wonderful idea.
Well, it will have to include a Log Cabin block or two and HOPEFULLY a Courthouse Steps block when tfg gets his subpoena.
I’m learning. It’s quiet work. Lots of time to think. 😊
Carolyn McKee 🤣
Biden has far outperformed expectations in his first year. However I think he’s a prisoner of a too-ambitious agenda, coupled with an insufficient army to pull it off. His early legislation was well-timed and deeply welcomed. Subsequent to that, he has had indifferent results, as one would expect from such limited margins in the two chambers of Congress.
And he’s not been well-served by his strategists. After taking a first run at Covid, as was vital, the party pivoted to infrastructure. It was, at the time, inexplicable to me, and remains so now. All the while the Democrats were stewing and wrangling over those bills, state Republican legislatures were passing bill after bill that choked off the voting rights of people of color. The message that the Democrats sent those voters was shameful - we’ll get to you. And in the end, they got nearly the worst of both worlds - one infrastructure bill passed (the one with a centrist tilt), and one delightfully imaginative and progressive one crushed. And an abortive effort at voting rights quickly defeated.
Had it been defeated in, say June, the entire Democratic constituency would have remained behind him. Now many feel marginalized and may well not bother voting at all in the midterms and perhaps in 2024. And it will have been through an own goal.
As for Biden, it’s been an extraordinarily tough year. All Presidencies face special challenges in their term, but Biden’s has been beset from a dizzying array of angles - Covid, Afghanistan, threats from Russia and an ongoing war between the two parties.
He has been wonderfully energetic in his first year and has worked with honor and unrivaled tenacity. He deserves our appreciation and also a little luck. I fear he’s getting neither in any great quantity.
And I do think it’s beginning to wear on him. As David Axelrod noted this week, he has appeared “cranky” more and more often in public appearances. His comment, “What a stupid question”, picked up on a live mic yesterday, will not go unnoticed.
Through all of this though, he (and we) can be consoled by the fact that things are starting to snowball on Trump. He could be in the opening stages of a complete exposition of his crimes and legal retribution. It’s a near certainty that Biden’s poll numbers will rise in proportion to the depth of Trump’s fall.
I agree - but the truth is: they ARE asking stupid, idiotic questions - in the MSM as well as the FAUX ones! Click worthy questions.
And we wanted him to spreak out more loudly and directly to the opposition. Don't see that as cranky.
Exactly! Dammed if he did & dammed if he didnt!
Yes!! What is the matter with our news people! Even on PBS and NPR.
I will leave another comment at NPR. If I figure out how to show you all how I did it I will post.
I’m so grateful for all of you and especially you Dr HCR!
Ned, your eloquent response including words such as “psychic burden” “one finger in the dyke” and “orchestrate” painted a vivid and accurate picture in my mind.
I really feel for Biden and his administration. Such a heavy relentless load they are bearing each day. I’m sending them all the good energy I can muster.
Thanks, Mitzi. It occurs to me that we are inundated with so many negative pictures created by and related to the "defeated president" that it has been difficult to conjure up positive pictures. I have to discipline myself not to gawk at the horror show of sickening images and revolting statements that come up daily. So we must all search our vocabularies to come up with compelling images and phrases to inspire us in this ugly and often dispiriting battle. Biden's grace and decency are too easy to ignore in the blast furnace of hellish crap that spews out of those that oppose him and democracy.
Absolutely. Thank you. I think this should be sent to all news outlets, newspapers, editors, etc.
I totally agree, Cheri. I was going to write exactly the same thing here. Perfect letter to the editor particularly to WaPo, NYT and beyond, including local papers.
I've had so much trouble understanding why the general population doesn't see what Biden is up against. NOBODY could be an effective president in his sitation. I think he has done very well, considering. His attention is split in so many different directions, it's amazing anything gets done. I wish the press would lay off him or explain what is really happening.
Ned….While your points are well taken…it’s terrible Joe Biden is taking such a beating after what he has done for America in the last year…especially after the mess he was handed! More importantly… I find it outrageous that not one of tRump’s traitorous scum has seen a day of prison time. I think we shouldn’t be surprised to find how many individuals presently sit behind bars convicted with far, far less evidence!
I completely agree!!! It is deeply frustrating that legal action has been turtle slow while everyone knows that crimes were committed, what they are and who's guilty!! My fervent hope is that Garland is actually a clever strategist and is building airtight cases and planning midnight raids and perp walks. If not, get Preet Baraha in there. He looks and sounds and acts like a real prosecutor.
Ned- Turtle slow, but sure. I think we’re seeing a tortoise-and-hare thing happening. We’re comparing an investigation to a race. This investigation CANNOT be a race.
Unsnarling all of the rabbit holes the former administration dove and ducked into is being approached almost hermetically by the Jan 6 Committee (and the DOJ). This Committee understands this is our last stand against this disaster that befell us.
W E
C A N N O T
R U S H
There is not one item uttered or given to the public that hasn’t been sorted and sifted through (vetted fiercely) because we can’t be caught short for facts.
While I too wish justice was swift - BUT - there’s no justice with false facts.
This era is one in which will truly be appreciated in totality via the perspective of history.
There’s NOT just trump and trump world, pretty much every facet of our way of life, law, order and justice have been permeated with usury, greed and power grabbing.
Point in case? SCOTUS. Yes, we witnessed three questionable choices to the highest court get elevated like helium.
But - who’s been watching Ginny Thomas? Clarence Thomas’s wife who has developed a cottage industry using, networking and posturing with some two hundred court clerks working for Thomas through his thirty year tenure? The Thomas factor clealry obliterates any line to NOT be crossed between legal business for the people which is ruled and constrained by the highest court. While Judge rules, Mrs, Judge, is sweeping the net vetting support for her opinions on what Judge gavels.
“Ginny” has clearly usurped any rules governing separation of her activities from that contained in her husbands calendar. Frankly, I don’t know who wears what pants in that household she’s in so deep. From abortion, to guns, to even sending flamers excoriating Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney calling for their banishment. Settle down, Ginny.
Ginny, sweet Ginny. The “hidden” judge.
Republican folk are a cult and machine both.
Yes, Thomas needs to recuse himself and her involvement in far right activities exposed.
Right, Kathy, like that's about to happen. :-(
Adding: 45 and his administration/cronies/ psychophants are all about false “facts.”
Repeat - We’ve got to go slow on this.
Anyone remember this story? “White House Classified Computer System Is Used to Hold Transcripts of Sensitive Calls” https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/27/us/politics/nsc-ukraine-call.amp.html
The dragnet being cast MUST nail it more than not.
I'm really tired of Chuck Todd and Steve Kornacki on MSNBC with their "white board" projections, most of which have implied heavy criticism of the Democrats and their actions. This isn't factual reportage, either -- it's sheer speculative nonsense couched in "what if," exit polls and other seriously non-concrete evidence that in any way supports what they spew. They both try to make the audience look for ulterior motives, horrible strategic errors, and a "horse race" to the breathless finish.
Both over-sensationalize their reports, and the result is a flimsy, tasteless broth of tepid re-hash. I can't figure out why Todd isn't history at MSNBC.
Never watch them...Todd in particular drives me nuts.
Glad my TV cable box blew up 6 weeks ago. I am in no rush to replace it.
Imagine what President Biden and his administration could be accomplishing for this country, and the world, if he did not have an army of his own countrymen attacking him at every front. I am so impressed with everything he has been able to accomplish, despite the odds. And he does this with strength, grace and humility. I am so thankful for our POTUS, President Biden. 💯Team Biden
I agree, but we also have progressives here locally who do not understand what he has accomplished despite all this happening. If I suggest that dissing him because he is part of the the D "establishment" is not a good idea, then I am "toxic", a word I am adding to the my list of words to be retired.
Also yesterday I learned that Redmond managed to get rid of the Stone and Flynn show and now it is coming to a church that is basically at the end of our street in April. I don't know that anything can be done about this turn of events. This is the same church the took over a part of the downtown Riverside Park this summer, blasting their hatred and menacing other park users. I am hoping that the leadership of the Proud Boys who like to attend these sorts of things are arrested before then like the Oath Keepers. I am thinking seriously of burning sage around our property.
I'd be doing sage and lavender and cedar pretty much every day.
Can you explain that Biden's inability to move forward is due to Manchin, siniema (sp?) and the filibuster, requiring 60 votes instead of a simple majority? Perhaps they would be more understanding then.
They are true believers on the left...not reachable. They have a thing about the D "establishment" in contrast, they think, to Bernie. They want candidates to be able to check all their boxes which may mean in our area that they are not electable due to demographics. And they want what they want, NOW.
Well, I am for Bernie. But I also realize that some of Biden's proposals aren't moving forward because of factors out of his control: repubs and democrats like Manchin and sinema.
I support progressive ideas, but am a political realist. These things move slowly and I understand the frustration, but our system does not lend itself to "revolution."
I don't think that anyone is asking for a revolution. As Biden pointed out, the majority of Americans are for "progressive" ideas such as lower drug prices, public education for preschoolers, etc. This would only bring us into the 20th century: all other Western, and many "Third World" countries already have these programs, and had them 50-60 years ago. The US is way behind.
I’m sorry…what is the significance/efficacy of burning herbs against the Proud Biys or Oath Keepers?
It has to do with destroying negative energy which this dog and pony show will spread into our neighborhood. I practice reiki which has to do with energies and I was being both serious and facetious at the same time. My hope realistically is that the PB leadership will have visits from the FBI before then. Article in today's rag says they are seeking to find out any communication from the Marion County Commissioners, wing nut Rs, all of them. This nonsense is $250 a pop which hopefully will keep some of the local death star donny followers away.
Well said Ned. It infuriates me to hear MSNBC and CNN hosts bringing up the failures of the administration, as if by some act of magic it could do better. It's clear what is going on here, and this would be taking place even if there was no big lie and no insurrection. That is the game plan to obstruct obstruct obstruct. No matter the efficacy of a bill, whether it helps the American people, or the economy, or what. Do not allow any victories at all for the current administration. That is the plan. To obstruct plays right into the hands of Republicans - they don't want government involved in much of anything anyway, and obstruction makes it look like (to the uninitiated anyway) the current administration is inept. It will keep disappointed progressives at home come November. It's as clear as the nose on ones face. The news media MUST make that fact an important part of their reporting on the Biden administration. NEVER act as if the current administration is at fault - because it isn't. It is not hard to call out this seditious plan by the Republican Party. And god knows, with what it has become, our country cannot afford for it to be at the wheel after this coming election. We may never recover.
Ned, would you mind if I used parts of this in a letter to the editor of my local newspaper?
Delighted! Use whatever you want!
Thank you, Ned. He deserves our support and resources!
Ned - your comment got me thinking. If there were a person (but not a former president) who continued over the course of the first year of a president to act/say in the manner of Dumpster Fire - the person would have been arrested by now. The person (maybe? Likely?) would have been deemed mentally unstable or a threat to the president. Thoughts?
That’s what’s so frustrating. A democracy is an open form of government and the first amendment is fundamental. So TFG is protected. He should be arrested, but he is protected by the very government he wants to destroy! And if he gets back in office, he will use the military to protect himself against the very people who elected him and who he scorns and hates.
Second response. Yes. It is guerrilla warfare. Instead of bullets, it’s a snide war of words and appearances. Neither Biden or Harris are camera hogs. They truly are dedicated civil servants first, and public figures second.
Their salaries are bank deposits franked from civil service pay scales. Their jobs happen to have a level of visibilty that courts paparazzi. But their jobs have teeth that cut into and manage the fabric of this Nation.
The trick is to manage a public profile that shields them as to allow them to get the work done they campained to accomplish.
Kennedy. That Kennedy thing comes to mind. To be undeterred and understood and to get taken seriously while looking fabulous. It’s a snap, correct?
What Ned said. This administration started with a megaton of negative publicity. To not only *not* be taken seriously, but not even have the respect of acknowledgement of their jobs. Imagine walking into a room to, “And who are you? Again?” What an uphill battle just to get to work.
TFG is a cage wrestler! Biden and Harris have been trying to stay out of the cage. What they have been trying to do is build a much much bigger cage that encompasses the people as a whole, not just the rabid fans of sweaty combat. A treacherous and difficult tightrope to walk!
most of the gop's remarks come as counterpunches, after the dems have done or said something. this is also trump's approach. if the dems do not want to get into the cage/sandbox, they have to learn to counterpunch. the media love the counterpunch. they can show the original remark and the counterpunch. this takes up more time, and that is their main job, to take up time. biden is doing a good job of speaking clearly and directly. he needs coaching for those moments when asked, 'so and so said such and such about this or that. what is your response?' these situations are easily anticipated.
He also needs more vocal surrogates - people that have charisma and can light up the airwaves with colorful, attention getting slogans and soundbites. TFG excels at that - his utterances are red meat for networks like a carnival side show we can't resist looking at even when we feel ashamed for being suckered in. Democrats are sincere and rational in their desire to govern and "make sense" or reality - but we need lessons in how to entertain and put on a show!
Dear Heather: Another powerful and vividly informative letter! How do you manage it day in and day out?
Your opening lines are so very telling and sobering. Each time Biden fails, we forget that he "has had to deal with something unprecedented in our history: a former president who refused to admit he lost the election and who has worked ever since, alongside allies, to undermine the administration of his successor."
It behooves us to criticize less and to work harder on the ground to vote members of the Grand Old Profligates out of office this year and in '24.
There are many days, Rowshan, that I fervently call upon the greater good to restore and reinforce resilience in our President. The sheer, unprecedented onslaught of obstruction, mean spirited criticism, and treasonous tentacles of some lawmakers is strangling the governance of the President and Vice President. The failure of all media to let go of the theatrics of the former’s “fake news” and just report the truth instead of their judgment is beyond acceptance. It does behoove us to criticize less, quit calling or wishing for different people to be the attorney general or the president’s staff, and concentrate fully on our active resistance to autocracy and active support of the current president and those he has appointed to normalize our institutions from the destruction and rampant chaos generated by the former and his ghastly, yipping dogs of greed and corruption.
Remember the game Red Rover? So many games of it on summer evenings with all the neighborhood kids. Each side linking arms and holding fast so the opponent could not run through and break the line. Well, “Red Rover, Red Rover, Let any Trumpy come over.” And our line damn well better hold.
Hmmmmph. And add in a sniff, crossed arms, and toss of my head.
Salud, Rowshan! United!
🙋🏻🙋🏼🙋🏽🙋🏾🙋🏿
Salut, Christine! Perfectly put!
If only it was as simple as "Red Rover, Red Rover, let any Trumpy come over.” But, regardless, we shall forge on UNITED and strong!
What is simple is that we are free to choose our attitudes regarding respect for our leaders, our democracy, and our unity. I keep my glass half full. And add to it.
Great comments, Christine and Rowshan!
"ghastly, yipping dogs of greed and corruption"
Christine, you've scripted the most appropriate line of this new year! Thanks.
Salud, JP!
"... active resistance to autocracy and active support of the current president and those he has appointed to normalize our institutions..."
Exactly. Thank you, Christine. Your entire post is spot on, but the part that made my heart soar is the paragraph containing the above words. "Active" is the key word. We do need a place to share our thoughts and feelings and know that we are not flailing in the wind, but it is the doing, the speaking up and standing up, as often and as long as necessary, to make a difference. (Love your ending!)
Thank you, Annie. Support feels so good. Let us send as much as possible to our President and Vice President and their administration!!!
The thing is, that even when reporting only the truth, they can choose which truths to report, which go first, which get headlined, which even get covered, and so forth. They still have a lot of ability to manipulate the news.
I agree, Kim. My point is, manipulate it on the side of truth of the truth, not truth of lies.
The TRUTH. Thank you, Christine. In these scary and amplified times, we must remember that we, too, have a voice.
The majority of Biden's "fails" can be laid at the doorstep of Manchin and Sinema and the solid bloc of Republicans who refuse, time after time, to put the country first. McConnell laid out his game plan when President Obama took office and has not wavered from it during President Biden's time in office.
Why can’t that be the headlines in MSM!
Tell your local papers and stations what they should be covering, and the importance of accuracy, not the pre-ordained script. If you use FB or Twitter, spend a little time out there to make the case for truth and democracy.
Ha, tried that on both, the truth didn’t fly far.
Keep it up. Don't stop. That's how the they win. Keep on telling them, writing to specific stories and what they should be including. Simply, don't give up. Make a pest of yourself, but keep it clean and concise.
No longer on either
If at first…
Good question. Ask your local media.
Just wrote a scathing letter to local paper for an “opinion” savaging Dems and quoting Rupert’s rag, the NY Post. Cancelling, they are hopeless.
My local media (TV) has 2 out of three stations owned by Sinclair. My local paper was sold a couple years ago by its founding family, the Bakers, to Gatehouse Media, which has decreased the size of the paper by 50% and is now stopping Saturday print editions. I have no local media. Half of our 3-5 local stories are now written by the best newspaper photographer I've ever had the pleasure to read (at least he's still with the paper).
And therein lies a large part of the problem with media today--it's not just Fox.
No, but the copy cats are worse.
Same in Ft Worth. Worse than Worthless
Can I include your words?
It's up to us to call MSM and other media out. Write a letter to the editor. Be clear and concise about your concerns, and above all, be blunt so they get the point.
DO IT
And not just the crazy former prez but a 100 year pandemic with a virus that shape changes. Kind of like when Obama took office. Cleaning up after the Repubs leave a mess. This reminds me of the fact that Trump didn't leave a letter for Biden or any staff to help with the transition. What an obnoxious baby!
One from Heather’s Hive said the DEFEATED ex-president handed off a basket of hand grenades with the pins pulled, to President Biden.
I think a letter wasn’t even considered. Love our current administration!
His crew set up as many land mines as they possibly could. No other president had to deal with such deliberate evil. Incompetence yes, but nothing like what Joe inherited.
toddller who stayed one
Not just didn't leave a letter, but did not have any transition meetings at all.
How could he? It's taken him a year to utter the words "If we had won".
The MSM has apparently forgotten, since they still blather about republicans like they are the party of old, way old. That first paragraph tells all.
It makes my blood boil when I think about the filibuster and the GOP sitting on their couches eating Chee-tos and saying "Nope" to even bringing a bill up for discussion. I think the messaging is coming around to focus on what the hell are they doing. This is a good message, I think, for the Dems to repeat and repeat. Chris Sununu's reason for declining to run was quite remarkable combined with Biden's question, "What are they for?" On the Josh Marshall podcast yesterday, he gets this and I appreciated his saying it. They have it exactly the way they want it. They don't have to do anything. They made carve outs for the things that are important to them, budget and placing judges. Anything else, "Nope." All on taxpayer dollars. It's criminal. Or should be!
My blood may be about boiled away, at this point
It was a huge mistake to believe once the Dems got in power we would see action, movement on critical issues. Instead the r party doesn’t care if blocking legislation hurts even their own voters. And their obstruction is out in the open. Voters who support a criminal candidate. But, that’s how tfg first got elected.
Biden- in his first year, no incendiary racist comments, no mocking of disabled reporters, no massive turnover of white house staff and advisors, no use of the office of the president for personal gain, no fawning to dictators, no personal attacks on judges when their decisions go against him, no crowing against deceased political rivals such as Trump's disparaging comments about John McCain- the list could go on. And yet, despite his successes in distributing vaccines against covid, the passage of bills that make life better for millions of impoverished Americans, despite the weak hand he has been dealt- there is a chorus out there-and not just Trump's lackeys- who are using ageist tropes to write Biden's obituary less than half through his first term. I appreciate so much the efforts of this blog- it takes fortitude to keep your eyes open - to record history even when the news each day makes it so easy to sink into despair.
Thank you Richard for the reminder of what every day of the defeated x45 manchild administration was like. His mishandling and lies about Covid killed and is still killing thousands in the US. First mass murder of the citizens he took an oath to protect will be his legacy.
worth repeating, we are a 'what have done for me today' society. dopey don had a low bar for behavior!
The media attitude 'Joe be damned, why hasn't he cured cancer by now!'
Yes, Richard. And all delivered on the former’s cowardly Twitter feed.
I thank our Democracy every day and all who are united to keep the former’s yoke off the neck of myself and my sisters and brothers in this nation.
I was taught early on that decency is a high moral virtue and is its own reward. I applaud President Biden on exhibiting that trait, especially considering what he is up against. However, part of me says that what goes under the rubric of decency should earn a person at least some plaudits from the other side of the political divide. However, decency appears to mean little to those who belong to the right-leaning sub-species of homo politicus. At least such an attribute seems to have gained Biden no traction vis-à-vis those elected officials and their minions. This begs the question: Are there any elected Republicans who hold plain human decency in high regard? Even the junior Senator from Utah, presumably a devout and high-ranking member of the LDS church, seems to have lost his way on his voyage toward the isle of moral rectitude. By all accounts, his moral/ethical compass is broken; its needle is drawn to the weird magnetism of the former POTUS. It is indeed a sad commentary on the morality of Biden administration opponents that few, if any, of them have the presence of mind (or dare I say "cojones"?) to acknowledge just how much good Biden has done for this country in his first and exceedingly challenging year as president.
Decency is another 'four letter word' which has been banned by the cult!
Richard, thank you for your comment. This would be a great for "letter to the Editor" and/or opinion piece in local news papers!
Yes and mainstream media amplifies every effort that “fails” because of lack of bipartisan votes and Sinema and Manchin blocking movement on legislation.
Thank you, Richard. All true and more!
Congresswoman Katie Porter, who has quite a head for finance, told Lawrence O'Donnell this evening the cost of NOT doing the BBB Act. It would cost citizens $8 billion if Medicare is not allowed to negotiate drug prices with the big drug companies. $145 billion is the cost of handling the climate disasters we're experiencing which could be mitigated by the climate provisions of BBB Act. And, the government would have another Trillion dollars if with BBB the IRS is fully funded and people especially the rich payed what the really owed. The IRS is so short-handed that there are 6 million 2020 tax returns still unprocessed including my own although they cashed my check in 3 days. The IRS is warning that is will be worse in this year coming year with even refunds being considerably delayed. Representative Porter also said even with inflation that the average person has $354 more dollars in their pocket every month than the year before.
Heeeeeeeeeeeeerrre's Katie !
https://twitter.com/Lawrence/status/1484380296594149377?s=20
She and Sen Whitehouse need to go on the road!
I love it! A bicoastal force!
Yes!
At 5:05 in the video Katie mentions “the cost if Joe Manchin and others block action in the Senate” - ugh!!! Framing! How do we get our own best people to frame the conversation correctly? We need to stop highlighting disagreements between Democrats and start pounding the fact that Republicans are 100% - all 50 Senators - blocking action. I would much rather hear Katie Porter say “the cost of all 50 Republican Senators blocking action in the Senate…”
100% Lena
Fabulous! Thanks Ellie!
Wow. She is GOOD! In the past, I tended to avoid Twitter as a pointless rabbit hole. At the point now seeing it as a useful tool. This convinced me. THANK YOU for posting link. Might become a Katie fan girl.
If you don’t already, you can follow Heather: @HC_Richardson
I still plan to minimize Twitter time. But doing stuff now in which I can see Twitter's usefulness.
Thank you, Ellie!
Thank You Ellie!!!
Thank you, Cathy, for pointing out the other side of the equation that MSM doesn’t report. Evaluating the true cost of an option requires critical thinking that considers not just the visible cost of doing something, but the often unseen costs of NOT doing that particular something. In the business world this is called opportunity costs and is a major component of decision making.
New term for me, Lena. “opportunity costs”. Thank you. Am using it today in working on a platform for a probable second run for a school board seat in my county in ‘22.
Thanks for digging in on the local level Christine! We need to keep the foundation of democracy strong on every rung from the bottom up (local, regional, state, national). Another key term is framing, from the field of psychology. Basically how our decisions are influenced by the way information is presented. George Lakoff’s Don’t Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate is a short book that Google Books describes as “the definitive handbook for understanding and communicating effectively about key social and political issues.” I consider it an essential read. Right along with Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake-Up Call from Behind the Lines by David Pepper. David‘ s book spells out in the real life example of Ohio, how local politics is where it all starts and then snowballs from there. An absolute eye-popper!
https://bookshop.org/books/the-all-new-don-t-think-of-an-elephant-know-your-values-and-frame-the-debate/9781603585941
https://bookshop.org/books/laboratories-of-autocracy-a-wake-up-call-from-behind-the-lines/9781662919572
Yes. I’ve been a fan of “framing” since childhood. It used to drive my mom crazy. And still causes flummoxing behavior and flailing arms of opponents when confronted with my delivery of information. I think it an attribute of my violet aura.
United, Lena! Thank you!🧩💫
OMG…❤️❤️❤️
Yes, Christine, where are you in case I have family and friends who can vote for you.
You go, girl! Keep us posted! May I ask what Fl county ?
Kudos to you, Christine! Would Run For Something be helpful for you?
https://runforsomething.net/
It will if that is decision reached to run for a seat. Thank you Ellie for your constant beam of fabulousness.
You’d have a crew at Heather’s Herd as adjunct campaigners for you.
I clapped and woohoo’ed repeatedly for Ms Katie Porter and her presence and presentation to mainstream media. Get it with that white board! Old school. Love it.
I love Katie Porter!!
She is one on my donation list.
WOW!! Thank You Cathy - and Katie Porter!
It will be interesting to see if, having lost the BBB package, the administration follows through on Mr. Biden's "chunks" comment. Individually, such universally popular ideas as the CTC, negotiated drug prices and increased funding for the IRS to ensure that all taxes levied are collected in a timely manner should garner bi-partisan support and be easy, obvious wins for the President which he could use right now. Not holding my breath but the "all or nothing" strategy has gotten exactly what could be expected.
Rep. Katie Porter And Her White Board Explain Strength Of Biden Economy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYQ5vjKlB1A
Wait—what ? She has 300 kids? Is that a joke? I’m hoping so.
Three hungry kids.
Another aspect of this is called "external costs". These are costs that are downstreamed and not accounted for in computing costs of almost anything you have to compute costs of doing or producing. Externalities are common in the industrial and business world: They are real costs that are not accounted for within a budget or cost/benefit analysis. instance, absorbed at the individual level, or by local governments in taking care of the consequences of those costs, which are not really hidden, but simply ignored as "external" to the project.
At the federal level and often state and local, Republicans are very good at manipulating false externalities to fight legislation. It's good to be aware of that little trick, because it sounds reasonable on the face of it (think of all the disastrous fiscal consequences they love to throw up as obstacles to legislation that might cost tax dollars or require industry to pay costs, but would generate much higher value social goods). It's a companion to the Opportunity Costs that Congresswoman Katie Porter so clearly explained. We need to be aware of both of these, and look for them.
Back to Katie Porter’s point about the IRS, Republicans are always claiming our government should be run like a business. If the IRS was a company it would hire enough qualified people to collect every dollar owed, up to the point of diminishing returns. It would be obligated to its shareholders to do that, wouldn’t it?
And remember. it was the Republicans ho set out to "punish" the IRS for questioning the tax exempt status of organizations who claimed their actions were not actually political campaigns, lie the Tea Party, which in some states had actual candidates running for office under that banner. (Check out the campaigns of Amanda Chase in Virginia, for one especially Mad Hatter...).
Thanks for breaking that down into succinct parts, complete with real consequences, Cathy.
At this point in time, for movement on legislation that helps Americans, we need voters who understand and Repub (and Dem) senators/ representatives with a conscience.
May I share this?!
Yes you may
Thanks Cathy!
Most of this is on The Rachel Maddow Show. She goes into great detail and about all of it and is very through. You hear sprinklings of this on the CNN but they are to busy talking about poll numbers and inane points. The things they say about Biden on NewsMax are criminal. Thank you Heather, I feel like your letters should be on the front page of every major newspaper.
Agree. Even the more 'reputable' media outlets aren't talking about any of this. They seem to prefer perpetuating the 'Biden is bad' narrative.
Could NewsMax etc. be sued for libel?
What Sinema and Manchin did to Biden and voting rights was simply deplorable. It reminds me of when then street thug, Jeff Gillooly, kneecapped Olympian Nancy Karagan, on behalf of her fellow Olympian Tonya Harding. While clearly hurt by Sinema and Manchin’s betrayal, Biden didn’t cry in front of the cameras, or whine like the former President does. Instead, he stood there defiantly, trading blows with the press for two hours, like the scrapper from Scranton that he is. 😎
It should be clear to everyone by now, especially Democrats, that Sinema and Manchin have been working on behalf of Republicans to block them, all along. Manchin and Sinema are Republicans’ hedge bet against the filibuster exceptions (financial bills and judicial appointments), where Manchin (plan A) is the 50th vote, Dems don’t have, in those matters. Then Sinema (plan C) is the 50th vote, Dems don’t have, in whatever Manchin does vote for or doesn’t try to block.
Yes, when Susan Collins said she was working behind the scenes for a bipartisan solution, I can only think that it was to come to a bipartisan defeat of the voting rights bill.
Pffffft to Susan Collins. Tired of her tremulous voice and her even more tremulous politics. Weak and so not relevant to anything fitting the word “bipartisan”.
Pissed on her two faces long ago
Spot on JC!!
Pfffffttt
Indeed, in these militarized politics and at this decisive moment, the fifth column is stepping forward and showing its true face. And a civil party has no defence against it.
Yes! Any republicans who continue to vote en masse (and other so called “non-republicans”)and as Fifth Column, are obstructing not only the January 6 and 2020 election investigations, but the critical democratic system that runs our government. Is this Transparency? We’re watching this dismantling of Democracy in real time and each minute is history.
That's it in a nutshell.
forget about principle, just follow the money, right???
You can follow the money or use hindsight, and see a pattern. When we look back at what they’ve been doing, the whole fighting for bipartisanship thing, it looks like a “false flag operation”. Republicans have already admitted that politics has become a zero sum game for them. Plus, Russia and Trump are involved now, so Republicans have really upped their game.
Exactly, they were never with Dems, believe it Joe
Yes, exactly. Manchin and Sinema are not always *with* Dems. But they *are* always Dems where it counts in a big way - holding the Democratic majority.
Rep. Jared Golden here in Maine's CD2 voted against BBB but he supported and even co sponsored HR1 and HR4. And a lot of other good solid Democratic bills. Confounding yes. But ... Golden flipped the seat and is the only Maine Dem who can hold it. It would be folly to primary him and unconscionable not vote for him. Worse it would be bad strategy. I will be campaigning for him. A Dem who doesn't always vote with his party's best, is much better than a Repub who always votes with his party's worst.
Will donate my last dime (probably) to the two candidates who have the best shot at making those trojan horses irrelevant.
We can start by supporting Sen. Raphael Warnock.
He and Ossoff are on my list, need two more who can make 52
Some action items as we move quickly into 2022: Beto, running for governor in Texas, reminds us how important primaries are. The Texas primary is March and you can help, especially if you live in Texas. Same with Stacey Abrams in Georgia.
Fair Fight Action is gearing up again. There is a good training video and staff support is excellent. Call or texting. It focuses on voter registration now, not in the fall on Election Day.
Unsubscribe from msm that annoys you and tell them why. There are lots of free newsletters without clickbait. I like the LĀ Times.
https://membership.latimes.com/newsletters/
On YouTube see actual entire videoes of the Biden administration in action, instead of CNN’s annoying talking heads and false poll stats. Biden and Harris were great last night on Democrats.org 1 year inauguration town hall. Jaime Harrison was outstanding when he had to wing it after Kamala’s audio failed. The slide show was full of clear info about what the Biden Administration has accomplished. Also check Whitehouse.gov.
I’m told the interview 2 days ago with Brian Tyler Cohen and Adam Schiff (YouTube) was a much more important discussion of what our attention needs to be on. I’ll be watching that today.
In other words, stop letting the msm get inside your head. Stress is bad for you and orange idjt 🤡 is happy to provide. You can always call CapitolHill switchboard, talk to any senator or rep office and tell them what ⭐️HCR⭐️ wrote. (202) 224-3121 ⭐️👍🏻🤣👏🏼
No idjt zone🤮🤡🤮🎃.
Primaries are vital to get out the vote. The time is now.
Quote from Al Gore "Some go from denial to despair without stopping at action." Different topic, but fits
Love it, so appropriate!
Always appreciate advice on sources of info that have been tested. Thanks.
Good to know. Thanks for the info.
Thank you professor Heather. I read your letter every morning, over breakfast, in Brussels. It sets me on a hopeful (and deeply informed) path for the day. Thanks, too, for the comments everyone. They are also treasures.
Wow! Once again, Prof. Heather, you hit the nail on the head: President Biden "has had to deal with something unprecedented in our history: a former president who refused to admit he lost the election and who has worked ever since, alongside allies, to undermine the administration of his successor." That's the factor that is missing from every MSM story about the Biden presidency and the Democrat's "failures!" And many of T***p's "alongside allies" are actually in the government with actual power to block Biden's agenda! What can we do about this?
Remember boycotting lettuce and grapes in the early 1970's to support Cesar Chavez and the farmworkers? What if we started a national movement to boycott selected MSM until they start telling this story? They seem to be more influenced by ratings rather than by their job to "protect the governed not the governors." (U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) in an article by ACLU https://www.aclu.org/issues/free-speech/freedom-press)
I just googled "Biden administration failures" and within 1/2 second got "51,500,000 results" beginning with a headline from Newsweek: "Joe Biden's six biggest failures in his first year as president."
I subscribe to WaPo and NY Times and I used to be a fan of MSNBC. How would they respond to something like: "President Biden "has had to deal with something unprecedented in our history: a former president who refused to admit he lost the election and who has worked ever since, alongside allies, to undermine the administration of his successor." (cite Prof. Heather) Until you tell the WHOLE story each time you report on one of the Biden administration's "failures," starting with something like "Republican lawmakers block Biden administrations effort to (fill in the blank) we will no longer pay for your product."
I'm no expert and I certainly have never started a national movement. But from your comments over the months, I bet many of you would know how to do this. What's next?
Blessings,
Ok I sent this message on Twitter to Olivia Troye, the former Homeland Security and counterterrorism adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, who has been speaking out forcefully about the T***p administration:
Hi, I've admired your courage and I just read about the phone call of former T's staff about how to "counter the assault on democracy....and how to affect electoral outcomes." https://bit.ly/3fIuWSz
How about starting with a national movement to get the MSM to tell the WHOLE story when they report on the Biden administration's (and therefore the democrat's) "failures." Prof. Heather Cox Richardson of Boston U, in her daily newsletter, just stated, "the Biden administration has had to deal with something unprecedented in our history: a former president who refused to admit he lost the election and who has worked ever since, alongside allies, to undermine the administration of his successor." ( https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-20-2022?r=eznl2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email ) Every one of those stories should start with "Republican's block Biden administrations efforts to (fill in the blank....) MSM depends on ratings...so how about following the Cesar Chavez model (boycotting grapes and lettuce to force companies to treat farm workers fairly) and organize a boycott of selected MSM until they meet their obligation to tell the whole truth to their readers/viewers (the ELECTORATE that you want to affect.) What do you think? Thank you!
"Republicans block..." is a must header! Thanks, Chaplain!
Yes Lynell and Chaplain! Biden's "failure" is due to their blocking anything and everything (as stated by Chris Sununu and McConnell's lack of an agenda until the mid-terms if we need any more proof!) and a slim majority in Congress. His "failure" to get his party together is actually anything but when you consider the spectrum of Dems in Congress. He actually has gotten a far flung herd together but for two who are essentially falsely partied.
Start the sentence with "Strong support by Democrats for voting rights....republicans feel threatened by loss of power.
I think you are fabulous, Chaplain Terry Nicholetti. Obv your glass is half full. Let us know the response, please, when you get it.
Thank you, Christine! There are certain advantages to living simply on my SS and not needing to work for someone else for 40 hours each week! I will let you know what response when I get it. And you've inspired me to send a 280 character version of this to any news person I can find on twitter. Blessings,
May we publish this tweet far and wide?
OK here's my tweet to any MSM who reports about Biden's failures w/o the whole story. I also posted this as a separate comment, but I wanted it to be here in ths thread. It's 279 characters long with one to spare. I edited it right in a tweet box so I would get the length right!
Please do your job - tell the WHOLE STORY about Biden’s “failures!” “Repub's block Biden’s efforts to..." It's unprecedented! "A former POTUS who refused to admit he lost… (working) alongside allies to undermine the administration of his successor." https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-20-2022?r=eznl2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
I'm working on a 280 chaarcter version of this message so I can tweet to all available news folks on twitter. I'll post it as soon as it's done Blessings,
Go for it. It's how Twitter works.
I just sent a letter to my local news outlet, the Columbus Dispatch— shaming them for ZERO coverage of all that has occurred in the past 48h regarding the investigations into jan 6 and attempts by Trump to alter the outcome of a lawful election. Looking at my local news you’d never know that those at the top are starting to feel heat regarding their complicit role in the insurrection.
Must be part of the plan….but the rest of us are paying attention!
Thank you. I think it helps. Numbers of us need to do this.
Letters, tweets, FB posts - so many ways to get the message out. Good work!
Imho I don’t think the nighttime presenters on MSNBC are touting Biden’s failures. To the contrary, Rachel and in particular, Lawrence O’Donnell, have pointed out those facts of Biden having obstacles no other presidents have had to deal with in unprecedented lies about the election outcome and a president who won’t turn over his office. Maybe it’s just not heard often enough from the network.
Agree, Jan. Also, I watch CBS Mornings who go heavy on empathy for Biden.
I’m glad to hear that Lynell.
I know you are right about Rachel and Lawrence - and I've stopped listening now that I get this and Robert Hubbell's newsletters. I think they might be the exception. Maybe they deserve the opposite message: "thank you for including the whole story of Biden's "failures." I think that word should be revealed for what it is - a cheap shot with no context - poor journalism. Just now I got 332,000,000 results when I googled "Biden's failures" including one of Colin Jost from SNL "mocking Biden." I'm afraid to listen because I actually have admired Jost's work. I'm working on a "Do your job; tell the WHOLE story" tweet inspired by this newsletter. Blessings,
Good point! Mocking President Biden on SNL can be added to the humor in “respected” late night comedy talk shows. While left leaning, these programs often still diminish the positive. I once read a news story commentary that many late night comedy show viewers don’t always “get” the humor and don’t know the truth from a joke. And even get their primary news from these political- comedians. So how funny is that?
When you’ve sent out your tweet, tell us what it says.
HEre's the basic one - probably will need some tweeking for some specific situations. What' good about twitter is that you can edit it down to 280 characters right in the tweet.
Please do your job - tell the WHOLE STORY about Biden’s “failures!” “Repub's block Biden’s efforts to..." It's unprecedented! "A former POTUS who refused to admit he lost… (working) alongside allies to undermine the administration of his successor." https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-20-2022?r=eznl2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
The story is going public, amazing how many of the "players" are being fingered as perps. Sadly, it'll take the entire course of this administration to dig through the garbage of the last one, so the news will continue to be full of this story long after the sensation has extinguished. Noone is likely to get the kind of comeuppance that will satisfy the public, but the light of public scrutiny will demonstrate that this kind of conspiracy can't stay buried forever. Just one picture of the Orange-utang with cuffs in a striped suit, Ivanka in a Vera Wang jumpsuit accessorized with an ankle monitor, Junior hanging with the boys in the excercise yard and Jared on laundry duty would be enough for me.
From your lips . . .
"Just one picture of the Orange-utang with cuffs in a striped suit, Ivanka in a Vera Wang jumpsuit accessorized with an ankle monitor, Junior hanging with the boys in the excercise yard and Jared on laundry duty would be enough for me."
That would be OK with me too, however, I assess the probability of this occurrence in the neighborhood of, well, sadly, zero.
Can you imagine what would’ve happened if Obama and his supporters did any of the things TFG has done and continues to do?
I don’t know, we’ve got Reidsville and it’s got rooms for everyone of them.
When Ronald Reagan declared government the enemy, he was speaking to the disgruntled Dixiecrats the GOP was courting and the entrenched Republican elite resentful of taxation and regulation. He was speaking the language of the Confederacy and of the Capitalists. Of the populists and the paymasters.
Trump's intransigence has Republican provenance and precedence. Newt Gingrich burning down the House during the Clinton administration. Mitch McConnell opting out of the agreed legal framework of the Constitution during the Obama administration. Now the Trump show during the Biden administration.
Republican abuses are not simply sequential, their effect is exponential. And this, with the pandemic and climate change, is unprecedented. The Senate debate and vote over voting rights was dominated by a terrifying lack of imagination on the part of the Republicans, Manchin, and Sinema who believe it is business as usual. As contrasted with the foresight and insight of the Democrats who recognize these are parlous times.
Each of us must do all we can to keep
the Democratic majority in Congress. This is no time for the blinkered self indulgence which gave Trump the White House in 2016. The moment calls for imagining different metrics, different calculations, and unprecedented alliances. We do not have to imagine what a Republican takeover would be.
"He was speaking the language of the Confederacy and of the Capitalists".
He was also speaking and does speak the language of the Nazi's. He also mimics their actions and behaviors including generating a gigantic lie about the election outcome.
We? WE are behaving as did Nazi Germany, pre-WWII, in the presence of a rising Fuhrer.
As people on the right arm themselves and prepare to follow Trump's clarion call for violent overthrow of the government, we are sort of wondering if it really could happen, and, led by such a loser con-man. Some, like Dr. Richardson are outlining the daily record in the context of our own history, but, not in the context of Nazi history, which, might be more relevant at this point.
We look nearly EXACTLY like Germany at the moment, in 1938 or so.
Olivia Troye had an excellent piece in the NY Daily News the other day, exhorting Mike Pence to shelve his presidential ambition, and “clear his conscience, start telling the truth. and tell Americans what really happened in four years under Trump. Tell them how he spent every day wondering whether our country would survive.” What a difference that could make.
https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-mike-pences-choice-20220119-vcgjy3v5mjaelp6aukwz3qjywu-story.html
I actually think sometimes that events are being manipulated to foster a Pence-Cheney run in 2024.
Hmmm that would be interesting. My hope is that Cheney runs third party.
Why?
A. You would vote for a third party presidential candidate.
B. She would peel the fraction of sane GOP voters off leaving room for a Dem.
C. Some other reason that I cannot articulate only three sips into my coffee.
Because of B! I wouldn’t vote for her myself. But she might peel off enough sane conservatives to assure a democratic win.
Exactamente.
Maine had a third party supposed rational-actor gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler, who only opened the door for Trump-lite Paul LePage's two terms of slash and burn social policy. Maine is still recovering from that decade.
Yes, it was slightly more complex than that – arguably weak-ish, though totally sane, Dems, and a five-candidate race in the Tea Party wave election of 2010. In 2014, it was all Cutler whose ego wouldn't let him retire even when he saw the coming trainwreck.
Those years, a painful preview of our current scene, plus the Nader/Gore debacle, has soured me, probably for life, on third party, hope-project, experiments.
Fun fact: LePage is running again against Maine's current thoroughly sane and smart Democratic Governor Janet Mills in 2022 and the ever-craven Sen. Susan Collins has endorsed him.
Your first paragraph should be the lead in EVERY news story about Biden’s first year.
Yup, can't get more perfect than The Donald. Just not possible.
Full prosecution, all of them who don't plea/make a deal. Bring it down and hard, and don't be afraid to indict the OCP. Hesitancy and mercy in this endeavor will be looked at as weakness and exploited the next time around (does anyone doubt they're looking ahead to the next time?). Full throttle. Do all those neat lawyer things, get them to turn on each other (since they're all so self-interested) and bring the whole house down. Do. Not. Stop.
DO NOT STOP!!!
Biden's problem is that he was a "French general" facing the Trump/Republican blitzkrieg when he came into office. Unable to comprehend the nature of his opposition, unable to accept that that people he had known for years and considered friends now had to be seen as his sworn enemies out to kill him. That's hard for anyone to get their head around, but he had four years watching Trump take over the Republicans, and he seemed to think that the thoroughly-inadequate "I'm not him" would be enough to change things around and bring back the nice sunny days of yore. His realization of the true nature of the enemy may be too late, but I really hope he can pull it out with his promise to campaign hard. (It also didn't help that too many - including many here - spent the first six months of 2021 thinking all was fine and dandy since Trump was out of office). Trump's like the monster in one of the movies I wrote: you have to kill him three times to finally put him face down.
But if this government and the Europeans think rapping Putin's knuckles over Ukraine will work, they are delusional. We should have given the Ukrainians 100 M1A3 Abrams tanks this past year and trained their crews. They'd then be able to take out every creaky old T-55 Putin's still dependent on in his 1995 army. The only thing someone like Putin understands is a gun barrel shoved up his mouth till it takes out his tonsils, and then he gets the "good talking to" with the hammer cocked.
Tough talk. But empty. Biden's problem is that these are parlous and unprecedented times and too many people are acting as though it's 'business as usual.' That some phantom of historical precedent applies, when forward looking imagination is needed.
lin talks sense. In football lingo, it's playoff season, 4th quarter, 2 minute warning, and we're down by 7. We're standing on our own 10 yard line and we need a touchdown and a 2 point conversion. It's time to get WAY creative. Think outside of box and Go. Play hard. Leave it all on the field. Because you know what? There is no tomorrow.
lin. Perfectly put.
I will say it another way.
The US having lost every war it has been in since WWII is not exactly in a position to win a war against Russia on Russia's turf. So, pretending that would be possible is folly in the extreme.
Or shoved up his keister. Seriously. Help get the Ukranians ready to repel putrid Putin. People act like Ukraine is a backwards country with no sophistication. There are 44 million people there. And they do not want to be part of Russia. At all.
I like what you say and the way you say it, TC, but I worry that M1A3 Abrams tanks might be an invitation to the Ruskies to use "tactical" nuclear weapons in response. When Putin inevitably loses face, might he not lose all the rest, too, and do something really crazy? And maybe the Ukrainians, fighting against all odds, but on their home turf, will remind Putin of the final days of Russia's Afghanistan adventure. How about we send our friends some devilishly clever hand-held anti-tank weapons and see how it goes?
He's counting on us worrying about that to stop us doing anything. In such a stand-off, having the enemy worry about you losing face gives him a massive advantage too.
Javelins wouldn’t have a problem with T-55’s, methinks. Ukraine has been begging for them.
The UK is supplying them already in large numbers.
I don’t think we have enough 1A3’s to spare, and I agree with you that they would be directly provocative to Poo-tin. And we’d better not cheap-out and send them Dragons instead of the Javelins....I dunno, there are certainly enough military experts on this forum who would have way more knowledge than I do about this. I’m probably talking out of the top of my head.
I do know one thing however: the first Russian tactical nuke that is deployed will change our world forever. Nobody wants this, but that doesn’t ever seem to count for anything in brinksmanship, desperate ego, or hot wars.
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientist putsthe use of nuclear weapons at 100 seconds to midnight!
Stuart, you snuck in a reply while I was writing my last post. Good on the UK. Thanks!
Night all. I am way past it again. Too much crazy in this world....
MAD has worked for over 50 years.
There is no way Putin will start a nuclear war. He’s not that crazy or foolish.
True, MAD has worked for more than 50 years, and Putin is probably not that crazy, though I'm not sure how to calculate the odds on that.
Really, it is no more insane to start a nuclear than it is to retaliate with nukes, yet we and the Russians (and others, by now) have spent many, many billions over the years developing the capacity to detect the other side's missile launches and respond before our retaliatory capacity is wiped out. Use it or Lose it, MAD, the Triad, multiple re-entry vehicles, Star Wars, Neutron bombs, cruise missiles, hypersonic missiles, the "Doomsday Device", even "clean" bombs: we have heard it all, yet we are still fighting the American Civil war (having convinced ourselves that we won the Cold War) and unable to rid ourselves of our modern robber barons.
MAD has worked, but insanity abounds.
The next nuclear device that will be exploded will be by a religious crazy from the Middle East.
Well, certainly more likely than Putin doing it, I guess.
All we are looking at right now is status reports. We’re in the sixth or seventh inning, the game isn’t over. I’m not saying it will end well on either count, democracy here and democracy in Ukraine, no one knows, but while there’s still time, the status can change.
Right now I’m with TC and with the Republicans who are screaming loudly for strong action on the Ukraine front. As things stand now, if nothing changes in how our wimpy-ass govt is dealing here, Russian military rolls into Ukraine and goodbye democracy, just like Hong Kong.
"We should have given the Ukrainians 100 M1A3 Abrams tanks this past year and trained their crews"
I am not so sure that the US entering what would be a conflaguration that we would lose, after thousands of young men die, is a good idea.
We are not the world's protector, although, our military budget and corporate payoffs DO result in us being at war almost all the time (for profit).
But, Biden is right not send more stuff over to Ukraine that the Russians will just run over if they want to.
I don't exactly understand what Putin wants unless it is Ukraine's GIGANTIC gas fields. That is quite a prize.
But, I don't really think it is up to us to stop it. And, I don't think we could if we tried.
Megalomania is clinical. Paranoia is clinical. Fascism threatens. Fascism is societal megalomania for paranoiac fascists. Fred Trump’s son hid all his transcripts. Fred Trump was a Queens landlord that would not rent to certain ethnic, religious and ethnic populations.
Prejudice is a disease. It spreads in communities and in families first.
Dictators need a whipping post. Donald knows this instinctively.
Donald Trump came by it honestly.
Our nation was predictable - for 500 years.
Fantasyland - How America Went Haywire
A 500-Year History
By Kurt Andersen
“A stunning sweeping explanation of how we got to Trump … the most important book that I have read this year.” Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC
Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History
by Kurt Andersen
'In this sweeping, eloquent history of America, Kurt Andersen shows that what's happening in our country today--this post-factual, "fake news" moment we're all living through--is not something new, but rather the ultimate expression of our national character. America was founded by wishful dreamers, magical thinkers, and true believers, by hucksters and their suckers. Fantasy is deeply embedded in our DNA.
'Over the course of five centuries--from the Salem witch trials to Scientology to the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, from P. T. Barnum to Hollywood and the anything-goes, wild-and-crazy sixties, from conspiracy theories to our fetish for guns and obsession with extraterrestrials--our love of the fantastic has made America exceptional in a way that we've never fully acknowledged. From the start, our ultra-individualism was attached to epic dreams and epic fantasies--every citizen was free to believe absolutely anything, or to pretend to be absolutely anybody. With the gleeful erudition and tell-it-like-it-is ferocity of a Christopher Hitchens, Andersen explores whether the great American experiment in liberty has gone off the rails. "
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35171984-fantasyland
Murmurations: Stewarding the Future
(adrienne maree brown)
"I believe we are living in a world imagined by ancestors who didn’t love us, who didn’t believe in an abundant earth and our collective power to steward it. It is time for us to imagine beyond the current oppressive construct."
"How do we pivot from being victims of change to being shapers of it?"
https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2022/01/21/adrienne-maree-brown-stewarding-the-future