Members of Congress who perpetuated the lie of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election and voted to reject State Electoral College Votes, should be prohibited from serving in leadership positions on House and Senate Committees.
Senator McConnell’s obstruction in the face of the enormous challenges and threats facing the country must be called out boldly. To hobble this Administration, to prevent it from doing the people’s business is an act of political extortion. The people should understand exactly what is at stake by preventing the President from assembling his cabinet and allowing them to get on with their duties. The former president did everything in his power to slow-walk the transition. Republicans attempted to scuttle the election after the fact by voting in large numbers to eject the votes of the Electoral College. Now, the senior Republican senator is throwing up procedural roadblocks to prevent the new administration from getting on with their work.
I just called Senator Schumer and suggested that he threaten McConnell with Amy Klobuchar -- either get going and do the people's business or he (Schumer) will get out of the way and let McConnell deal with Klobuchar.
Schumer would then become an éminence grise in the Senate, working behind the scenes to smooth things over.
(If this actually happens I will be astonished. But pleased.)
I voted for Klobuchar in the primary, but after we lost George Floyd, her connections to MN law enforcement negated her campaign. Still, I like the idea of her as SML. She'd use that salad comb to gobble up McConnell!
Hello Kathy. Since you used the past tense, I take it you have already sent the text to your senators.
I’m not a registered voter in Oregon, so attributing the words to me will carry little weight. That said, if you share the sentiments expressed, you are welcome to use the text without attribution.
Thanks so much! I appreciated your words so much, that I forgot to ask first. I told my senators to please accept your words as representing my own sentiments. I Also mentioned Dr. Heather's 'Letters From an American'....hoping they will have a staff read and pass on her thoughts.
Kathy, Thank you for your kind words. I shared these thoughts with my Member of Congress as well. Let’s hope someone listens – that’s the important thing.
I live in NYS and I get Merkley's emails often - likely I made a comment about the wild horse situation - but whatever the reason - he certainly keeps his people up to date AND intelligently!! How about that.
Thanks so much from MA — I just used your words in notes to my Senators, Markey and Warren, and to my Representative, Katherine Clark. We still have our voices, and using them is a good between-election exercise of our democratic power — thanks for the reminder!
When we hear one of our Senators say, “To hobble this Administration, to prevent it from doing the people’s business, is an act of political extortion,” we’ll know that they are reading our letters! Full credit to you, R. Dooley. You know, the idea of crowdsourcing powerful letters to our Reps and Senators might be a worthwhile endeavor for this group.
Question to those who email congresspeople. Can you email someone not from your state? I've noticed they want addresses & prefilled the state. I assume I can change that, but will my email be read? There are a few that I want to encourage to leave. We have a problem if this is the best politician(s) that money can buy.....
At some point, I found a way around that because once you are recognized as not a constituent - you get stopped. Now if I could remember what I did to succeed - would be glad to tellyou!!!!
Yes! And how? This filibuster issue is a real problem. How can we, the people, demand that it be changed? If calling and writing will make a difference, who should we call or write?
text filibuster to 50409 and robocall does the work for you. It will find your reps and assemble a letter for you to approve and send. text 50409 and you can ask for a list of petitions available to sign and go crazy! There are many topics. They will show you how many others have also sent the letter and give you an opportunity to text or email to others.
The call to bar or censure those who challenged the electors is a waste of time.
First, the law allows it. And, if we claim to be a nation of laws, then it is time to put this to bed. You may not like the law, so persuade your elected representative to change it. Remember it works both ways.
In 2001, the Black Congressional Caucus challenged Bush’s electors.
In 2005, Democrats challenged Bush’s electors from Ohio.
I couldn’t find evidence that anyone challenged Obama’s electors in 2009 or 2013.
In 2017, Democrats challenged Trump’s electors. And, adding fuel to this fire, though ten electors tried, 7 were successful in becoming faithless electors. Five didn't vote for Hillary Clinton, two didn't vote for Trump. None of the seven voted for the other candidate.
As we know, in 2021, Republicans, for the first time, challenge electors.
My favorite quote from President Biden when a First Term Washington Congresswoman stood up to challenge Georgia’s electors were words to the effect, “The election’s over lady. Get over it.”
Maybe it time to quit rehashing the right of those Republicans to challenge electoral votes when history seems to show that the Democrats tend to use the tool more often than not. And no one called on them to be censured or removed from committees, etc.
I made reference to two points – the perpetuation of the lie of voter fraud, initiated by the President and established as meritless in the courts and, the sustained misrepresentations made by members of congress culminating in the session on January 6th.
It may be futile to suggest they be denied leadership positions on Committees, but I would support such and effort. For the record, I did not suggest that anyone should be barred from sitting on a committee.
It is difficult to dispute that in 2000 and 2016, republican candidates attained the Presidency without a popular margin, or that the circumstances of their victories were not questionable. The 2000 and 2016 victories will be studied for decades to come and perhaps one day we will have clarity.
The election of 2020 was by any measure an outlier. The great lie of that election, sustained by many republican members of Congress, merits serious scrutiny.
I agree that the challenges were themselves legal, but even a lawsuit, properly submitted, can bring about penalties to the attorneys who file them if the grounds on which the claims are made are found to be frivolous.
I would argue the situation on January 6th is analogous.
A couple of things. First I'd point to the difference in degree. A handful of Dems have made objections in the past, while a sizable majority of Republicans did here.
Then I'd point to the circumstances. In 2000 there were serious unanswered questions about the Florida vote count. Which through chicanery (in my opinion) and skillful use of the courts Republicans managed to dodge. Those questions, when finally analyzed by news organizations certainly cast doubt on the final call for Bush. Which is not even addressing other issues I've since heard indicating there was a fix in for Bush.
Likewise, in 2004 there was a lot of murk around the issue of Diebold electronic voting machines used in Ohio, including the political affiliation of their manufacturer, their source code, their susceptibility to tampering, and their lack of a paper trail, of which I don't know if any of those questions were laid to rest.
So in those two elections I feel confident in saying there were legitimate questions in the air regarding the outcomes in two deciding swing states. Emphasis on legitimate. And again, the objections were no more than symbolic protests that were not backed by the party.
Comparisons to what happened this year are laughable. After a violent putsch attempt (honestly unsure if there is any other type) over 120 Republican congress members voted to object to two states' electors in support of a discredited theory of fraud that every right thinking person knows was a complete lie. To try and conflate past Democratic actions with what happened now actually takes a good bit of gall, so I'll tip my hat at your attempt.
Censure and threat of removal from congress are required to send the message that elected representatives should give serious consideration before supporting treasonous acts and untruths.
Context matters. The Dems did not raise their challenges in the context of a strong, widely propagated propaganda campaign, led by the loser who never ever conceded, and who urged his supporters to "get 'em."
I'm an old white guy. I have a car and a roof over my head and interesting things to do. I can joke about "robbing a bank" and most people would not call the cops and ask to have me investigated. But if the context were different -- if I were in dire financial straights and likely to lose my car and housing and Internet access because I couldn't pay bills -- my joking about "robbing a bank" might not be so much of a joke.
Hooray! You are published at an early hour! Sleep, sleep, perchance to dream...
One of the most significant attributes of your Letters is your willingness to use plain language and not dazzle with high falutin pseudo intellectual jargon meant to intimidate those who may not have the vocabulary or education to dig through pretentious language. If history is to be understood by the people and for the people it must be written so it is accessible to all the people. You do that important work. Thank you.
Excellent observation. I found out yesterday during her chat that HCR's masters is in English literature. Well, that explains some things. She writes WELL. I noticed this when I first started following her. I happened to wonder (still don't know) if she also had a very verbal mother who loved to read aloud, as I did.
This is an aside: When my somewhat silly, girlish mother was young, she had a teacher, a single lady, who dedicated her life to seeing one class of children through their entire schooling. She followed them grade to grade. This was in Georgia, I think. She was determined that every one of them would succeed. One of her techniques was to make them memorize and recite poetry. Okay, so I assume they all did pretty well. My mother never went to college, but she certainly could have.
Fast forward to my mother's last illness. She had Parkinson's disease and rode it to the bitter end, cared for by me. One thing I did was read aloud to her, classic British or American novels. I have read THEM ALL and ALOUD, some SEVERAL TIMES. Now, this is amazing for learning to write. You hear written language like music. Some authors are much better than others for reading aloud. (Not saying I write particularly well, but I probably could if I made more effort.) I also worked at a public library where I read to children a lot. But my mother, her love of language, and perhaps most fundamentally her TEACHER's love of language is precisely why I love language so much. Just suspecting that HCR's mother had some similar qualities. Or father or other relative, but probably mother. End of aside. Not proofreading this.
Spot on! I think HCR's mother was incredibly engaged with her... She has spoken of her mother being a remarkable woman on a few occasions. I am so glad HCR has chosen to be a communicator rather than an obfuscator! Telling the story of US America, warts and all, is important in the process of understanding who we are and healing the wounds that have been inflicted on people from the colonial era through the years to this very day.
I am so glad your mother had your care, dedication and thoughtfulness. Reading to someone is such a profound act of kindness and love. And you're right about hearing written language as music - there are some authors I listen to via audio books for that very reason. It's wonderful feeling when the words wash over me and envelope me in a story.
My mother taught kindergarten for decades and was also an avid reader, consequently she raised 4 voracious readers. We were read to daily and encouraged to read as well. Reading by flashlight in bed was an approved activity if we wanted to read while our sibling was asleep. When our daughter was born we read to her day and night. One of her first gifts from her paternal grandparents was a tape recorder and a huge collection of children's books on tape. By the time she was two she had learned how to operate it and play a book so when she was in her playroom she would almost always be listening to a book if she wasn't "writing". Before she could actually write she would fill pages with lines of cursive like figures. When we went to check on her she would say, " I can't stop right now, I'm writing". I kid you not. It's no surprise that she grew up to be a writer, both journalism and fiction.
Words make us who we are. The words we hear. The words we read. Of all things, words hold the power to shape a people. Heather's words are an important element in providing us with an honest path forward.
I loved hearing Amanda Gorman (poet at Biden's inauguration) speak of not seeing images but words and thus she's a poet! And a dancer I might add. Look at her hands as she recites her poems. Beautiful.
She was absolutely stunning all the way around. I'm sure being so young and so exquisite has inspired many both young and old. What a brilliant choice for an important ceremony.
Well, since you 'jacked this thread, I will be complicit. I have been told that I write well - one publisher said I have an "inimitable style." (?) Fact is, I write like I speak and don't know one part of English from another. I passed grammar school "diagramming" by putting words on the chart by how they sounded. Think of a musician who can play the notes well, but can't read the notes on paper. My computer grammar checker fills my writing with green lines, which I ignore.
I have often thought how very lucky HCR children are to have her as their mom. Her patience, her understanding of people, personalities and her ability to teach without lecturing. She comes at every problem or issue with first listening and understanding before speaking or writing and I love how she encourages discussion of opposing points of view as long as they are factually backed up. I also imagine her children had to be quite grown up before ever winning an argument, Lol! Anyway, I'm so grateful she has been so gracious in sharing her knowledge, expertise and kindness to the world.
There is no plain English. It “is a language that lurks in dark alleys beats up other languages and rifles through their pockets for spare vocabulary.”
My 5 year old grandson is learning to read. We keep running into words that are impossible to sound out following English “rules”. I help him and explain again that English is a crazy language, that we borrowed words from lots of different languages, and they have different rules. Thus the need for learning “sight words”.
As a teacher, it was easy to identify the avid readers. They were the ones who used words properly but mispronounced the words because they’d learned them reading.
Yes, I remember in middle school the first time I used the word “gay”in class in the meaning of happy. My German teacher, Frau Blechschmidt, took me aside after class to tell me the new meaning of the word. It’s one of those things you never forget.
Great - I love that Rob. I think we would have a good time discussing just that point over a single malt - or a strong coffee - whichever poison you prefer.
Depending on what time of day either coffee or brew.
Here is the source of that quote: "The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary." James D. Nicoll, 1990
I feel lucky to have been born into this language because it would be an ordeal to learn as a second language. Some of our words are nothing but ideograms like Chinese (cough-kof . though-tho, people-ppl,) which is why I use so many fonetic spellings and abbreviations.
I teach English to attorneys and legal journalists here in Germany. I love words and it is a challenge at times to explain why we use this or that word, the meaning of which can change ever so slightly, or quite dramatically, depending on context. In German, the words are, for the most part, straight-forward – they speak what they spell. Our language is a gumbo of begged, borrowed, and stolen ingredients. That said, it is great fun!
“Plain English”, as I used the word in my comment, is more a movement than a lexicon. During the Obama administration, there were significant efforts made to write regulations and rules in language that didn’t require an attorney to interpret them: I support this idea.
I also feel lucky to have been born in America, even though my first five years was German as my first language. it’s really handy that English, in particular American English, has become lingua franca
Good luck with that! If written in plain language people might actually understand when their elected representatives are being coopted by contributors and special interests. Who would want that?!?
I once worked with a man who used a plethora of words to convey a dearth of information. (The irony is that this HS graduate wrote some of his stuff for his Ph.D)
Yeah, Rob, you get it, I have no doubt, better than most! Words matter and they can be used as weapons in many, many ways.
There is a group of academics in Denver who developed something called Latinometer. It's a tool a body can use to get an idea how their words come across to others. Here's their little blurb about Latinometer:
"A Latinometer™ gives you a reading on how others read you. Insert your prose into the slot below and find out! Too Germanic? You sound dumb! Too Latinate? You sound like a liar."
OK, I tried it with a '70s quote of mine "In your journey thru this life you often find yourself closer related to those you encounter than to those whose physical flesh you were born of and you realize that your physical heritage is no more than a garment you were issued by others and not always of your style or fit." Got a 37.5% Latinate. IDK what that means, but I refer to myself as a "wordweaver" instead of the usual "wordsmith."
That means that your Latinate density is at 37.5, which means you are erudite but not pompous. I'd say you are a wordweaver too.
("Latinate diction indicates education, which in turn denotes status or upward mobility. Also, because Latin was for centuries the language of the Church, Latinate words elevate the level of discourse. But a lofty plane can turn too quickly into a slippery slope. Hypocrites use Latinate words to gloss over their sordid intentions. George Orwell pointed out how deceivers misuse Latinate words." - from Latinometer)
Egggzactly! Plain language makes all the difference to me. I enjoyed many volumes of Sir Winston Churchill's History of the English Speaking People because of that!
Thank you Heather for calling out the rules of the Senate as anti-democratic. That has been my beef with Congress for a long time. Newt Gingrich is the man credited with breaking politics in 1994 with his ferociously partisan politics. And, it's why the two party system in my opinion seems antithetical to the Constitution although the Constitution mentions nothing about parties. Parties themselves do not use good democratic methods to select their candidate especially with the impact of the legalized bribery of money in politics and the Super PACs that get around election rules.
Here is how I was quoted to the 10-point column's readers' response question of the Wall Street Journal in the summer of 2017 during the "debate" on repealing the Affordable Care Act.
“I fully and heartily agree with Sen. John McCain’s eloquent plea to make the Senate great again by going back to the synergistic and open process of public hearings, open debate and working together across party lines. The undemocratic petty ping pong by whichever party is in power only serves to keep citizens scared and the insurance companies uncertain. The real fallacy is that competition will lower health-care costs when patented drugs and insurance companies are monopolistic. It is time to remove the center aisle and seat the Senators by seniority rather than by party, so they’ll work for solutions that benefit all citizens.”
Now we have "minority" leader McConnell who is STILL doing his obstructionist damage to the first branch of government making the Senate into a total joke if it wasn't so pitiful and harmful to the American People. I don't know why Senators get paid for doing nothing.
Until the Fairness Doctrine is renewed or revived in some form, and being that the WH press room has limited seating (with an overflow room with a monitor), can the priority of which journalists can be in the press room with the ability to ask questions, be limited to those orgs registered as "news media" rather than "entertainment media" (such as Fox, OAN, etc.)?
Until everyone gets used to this "new rule", the reason could be explained over and over again (an opportunity to educate the public), which would basically be the example that Fox keeps losing truth-related law suits because they are not news, but are entertainment, and thus only true news media orgs are allowed to attend the limited space pressers.
I like your idea in theory but I think it would backfire spectacularly. The viewers of Fox, OAN, NewsMax, etc., already don't care about the legitimacy of the content they consume or the spin those outlets provide. Excluding those outlets from attending "limited space pressers" would end up being weaponized against the administration and the "left" and increase the accusations of censorship and Big Brother tactics by those on the right.
I thought of this, but I really only read Heather C. R. (and Elizabeth C. McLaughlin) on Twitter, without posting, myself. Also, "they say" that when they have hundreds of thousands of followers, as they do, it's impossible to read all the comments and tags. Thoughts?
That’s a really interesting idea, Sarah. Anyone have a line of communication to Jen Psaki? I suppose there’s always the option of trying to create a trend with this suggestion on Twitter, although I honestly don’t know if senior government officials have anyone looking to Twitter to identify areas of public concern.
Would this exclude ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS? They are primarily entertainment channels, which carry mainstream news programs. Perhaps slightly left-leaning, but they readily identify their opinion segments as such. Whereas Fox at best blurs the lines between its news coverage by Chris Wallace, et al, and it’s opinion/entertainment shows in prime time, with Tucker Carlson, et al.
I'm still researching this. So far, "broadcast" media requires FCC licensure, but cable media does not. So, I believe ABC, CBS, NBS, PBS, and even Fox are broadcast (as well as cable). More to learn about this.
Sickened but not surprised. My state was told big shipment was coming. But nothing happened. That same week, in the state next door, people there were receiving vaccinations at drive-through set-ups. I admit to feelings of frustration, because I and others like me should be receiving vaccinations now too. I can't help but wonder if it had something to do with our (so far) Republican governor openly expressing disdain for Donald Trump (as he has all along), and freely admitting he would not and did not vote for him. But the fact is Trump is punishing all of us the only way he can.
So we are doing what we have done so well most of the time: hunker down, stay home as much as we can, mask up, keep our distance, don't socialize. Biden's people will pick up wherever things were left off and hopefully pick a more sensible name for it. It will be later than expected, but it will still happen before the daffodils are up in Vermont. (Apologies: that is a Vermont joke. Our daffs are always late, but they always show up.)
Oh, my friends, please be patient and please take care of yourselves and your neighbors. Trump couldn't resist a last passing dump, as is his nature. But he is gone now, and we can get on with what needs to be done. (Don't forget to wear your mask!) Sending a hug with this, just in case there's someone else out there who needs one too.
I wish I could hunker down! Our Texas AG Paxton, who is indicted for fraud, and our TEA Mike Morath, who is a realtor in charge of education, forced schools open. Any school that didn’t provide f2f would have funding slashed. An attempt to force herd immunity, and stimulate the economy. It didn’t work and it is speeding up the spread of Covid. We’re told to brace ourselves for the surge coming from Christmas break. A parent passed away, teachers have gotten severely sick! A student today accidentally said my dad has that guitar, well had. Broke my heart! I said it’s great your dad helped you learn to play the guitar. Phew, a quick save, he smiled! Swift safe return to school? We’re already in school, just not safe enough!
Oh Denise, you came up with a good line for that kid and at the right time. I feel for you and all teachers and staff. The jerks in charge will someday get what’s coming to them. My best to you.
Thanks! Not my first time dealing with grief and children. Unfortunately. I teach Art, so this is my fifth year to have this student. I love building these relationships for so long! They will always be my kids! The staff at my school is pretty incredible. We’re all pulling together!
Yeah our district is mandating all staff members back in buildings 100% on Feb 1st with planned roll out of students returning and fully by end of June. Criminal. I’m so angry I can’t even talk about it. I’m not a teacher any longer and will be isolating myself in my 6x8 office for 9 hours a day doing the exact same work I’ve learned to implement comprehensively in the safety of my home.
I really, really feel for you, Denise. What a horrible situation and of course you are worried! It’s the same way here in FL. You are obviously a kind and caring, and fine teacher. I will keep you and your safety in my thoughts.
Yeah I received my first shot last week. I have an appointment for 2nd but in light of all this news I spoke to my pharmacist and he said to call a week before. Our governor is also setting up 3 mass sites in our state. So I will drive to one of those (closest is 2 hours away) for my second dose. Fingers crossed.
PBS did an excellent snippet last night on manufacturing those little bottles, the syringes, the packaging and shipment and storage and the worldwide tracking with real time computer imagines if where the airplanes are even. It was daunting. 600,000 million dosages (#1 and #2) are needed for the USA alone. Manufacturers of all the above are overwhelmed. Because there was no plan in place from the government.
Oh good grief! He's like a horror movie monster that won't die. McConnell, of course. Just. Go. Away. Let us have our country back. Now.
Also, for something truly not entirely unexpected, I still find your first paragraph about the absolute lack of ANY vaccination plan shocking. How can I STILL be so shocked?! I don't know. But reading the words, “There is nothing for us to rework. We are going to have to build everything from scratch.," gave me a cold chill. Like in another scene of the horror movie where there's supposed to be, say, some kind of busy governmental department, but when they open the doors, there are just acres of empty building with florescent lights.
Some somewhat high profile talk of bringing back the Fairness Doctrine? That's good to hear. Don't think it's likely to happen, but having it at least talked about more seriously is something.
I’m in North Texas and there is a website for signing up to get an appointment for the vaccine. But there’s not enough to go around. People show up at some sites to be told to reapply for another appointment. There was a report on the news that the place where I would go is out of vaccine so no more shots until further notice. Rumors are flying. My son has a lead on a place that will give you the vaccine after you spend a day volunteering to help a site.
One smaller city procured the vaccine for all school employees. One school district announced to their teachers where to get the vaccine over winter break. When I asked my principal if there any plan for teachers, he said he was on the list to get his. No information for our teachers. But the district is sitting on rapid tests, since the beginning of the school year but no one to administer. And teachers are sharing the sign up portal and asking daily did you get your appointment yet?
It’s a hodgepodge of sketchy information.
It’s crazy! I already full well knew there wasn’t a plan!
I recommend you send what you have written here, to the Biden administration and your Texas health dept. As Dr. Heather has said, there is no plan on the federal level and states as we know, are 'all over the map' in terms of 'organization'. Speak out!
Blessings to you as teacher- a most essential worker! From a retired teacher of 37 yrs.
Per an editorial in Ztge Courier Journal, MM is at war with the rest of Kentucky Republican because of his break with DJT. So he's trying to demonstrate his worth...ugh.
He doesn't work for the American people because that's not where the money is. He works for wealthy business owners who donate big bucks to big PACS. People are limited as to how much money they can donate but Super-pacs are not. The wealthy business owners who donate can donate as much as they want into the pacs and remain anonymous. It's money laundering for the benefit of the wealthy and the candidates who represent them. The policy Citizens United allows this to happen. The only way to get monsters like MM out is to even the financial playing field so that people who want to work for the people can win. Doing away with Citizens United would eliminate the money disparity.
HCR did a good riff on this in one of her Facebook talks recently. She laid it right out, as you did above - he works for the highest bidder. And don't forget, he then gets to dole out money to his caucus, sort of the gift that keeps on giving.
Well, when you wear $300 velvet slippers embroidered with your initials you really need to keep the money coming in. Not sure where I read that and it was quite some time ago but it definitely was in a news article, I just can’t reference it. Obviously it had a big enough impact to stick with me so it’s out there somewhere.
So, I went digging and I had it completely wrong! Rather than delete the post I had to correct myself: it was Wilbur Ross, not MM and the news source was the Daily Mail - and I even got the price wrong! :
Thanks so much for bringing up the point about the representation issue buried in the filibuster. Like the Electoral College, it shows its origins in the wish of a powerful and unscrupulous minority to dominate the majority. People I know in Europe, where I work a lot, tend to forgive us--individual American people and the "American people" generally--for our horror-show governments by saying "Your government doesn't represent you, we know that." Kindly meant, but awful in its truth.
Smart people are at work as we read and type this morning, parsing details into cogent messages to put the heat on the now MINORITY LEADER. Most important is to tell the public the truth. The Administration of djt and all elected republicans who supported him are culpable in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent Americans. It did not have to be this way. Now discovering that there was NEVER a plan to confront the virus or distribute the vaccine to the states is criminal. Denial of financial support to the states is criminal. There should be consequence. As we gain access to memos, files, and testimony under oath, the horror of this episode will be manifest. Our own Nuremberg. Unimaginable.
Liberals, Progressives, just plain old democrats, and independents have to stop the tyranny of the minority. The midterms of 2022 should be viewed as an opportunity, and 2024 when we pronounce the current version of the Republican Party emasculated and on life support. And on trial in the court of history for generations.
Completely agree that keeping the heat on our elected officials shouldn’t end with an election tally. We, the governed can keep making our views known to the public servants we elected.
Thank you. I’m afraid I sounded strident. I am trying not to be so, because it is counterproductive when trying to discover the hearts as well as the minds of others.
The Axe Files latest issue(free pod cast) features Doris Kearns Goodwin, and is a great listen at this moment.
I’m not sure the current version of the Republican Party should even be on life support. Steve Schmidt, Lincoln Project co-founder, said the party should be burned to the ground, that it is not redeemable.
The Republican party in California is on life-support, it’s an endangered species here, politically at least. There are still plenty of Trumpsters in California don’t get me wrong. I have been speculating that the Republican party will go on life-support nationally at some point, I just have no idea when or how.
McTurtleneck is the worst! Apparently now he's insisting that the Dems maintain the filibuster, or the rethuglicans will hold up cabinet confirmations. I say let Biden then make "acting" cabinet appointments until McTurtleneck and the other obstructionists come around. BTW, I sure hope authorities are looking into the likes of Cruz, Hawley, Bobert and others and whether they have any responsibility for the 1/6 insurrection. They should not be allowed to walk away.
McConnell is trying to keep his power to block all legislation, by claiming he won't agree to anything else (notably power sharing arrangements) until he gets his way. McC also asked to schedule Tя☭mp's Senate impeachment trial at the beginning of February. Schumer replied to all that by announcing the process would start Monday. I think this comes to, "if you won't agree to basic setup, then we'll try Tя☭mp while you think it over." I am hoping that means that Schumer is not going to put up with McC pushing him for more power.
I'm glad Schumer is not going to be pushed around/threatened. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out. I just hope the Dems don't back down, and that McTurtleneck will finally be put in his place.
There needs to be some kind of rules for this kind of abuse of power and the ability to shut down the function of the Senate. Senators need to be focused to come together and with discussion enact laws beneficial to the American People. Of course there will be compromise on both sides but it has fallen into such a backstabbing, if you don't do this, I'll do that. As opposed to Ok, I'll agree to this if you will let me that that. The behind the scene lobbiest manipulation and payoffs needs to be controlled somehow. It almost seems it needs to get back to each proposal needs to have specific backup on how and why it is more beneficial to the most people. So much seems to be done for their own personal profit these days or just to get re-election support. The American People's needs have been an after thought.
McC has spent most of the last 12 years keeping the Senate from voting. He is very proud of that, and wants most of all to be able to continue doing it. It is wrong for one man, elected by a tiny percentage of the nation and beholden to an even smaller (but wealthier) group of wealthy donors, to have that kind of power.
A group of Senate Democrats filed an ethics complaint against Republican Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz on Thursday calling for an investigation to determine whether they coordinated with the organizers of the Jan. 6 pro-Trump rally that preceded the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The Senate Ethics Committee "should also offer recommendations for strong disciplinary action, including up to expulsion or censure, if warranted by the facts uncovered," the seven Democrats, led by Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, said in a letter to the committee's chair and vice chair.
Hawley, R-Mo., and Cruz, R-Texas, had announced in the days before the riot that they would object to accepting the votes from states that former President Donald Trump falsely claimed to have won during the Jan. 6 electoral vote count, which "amplified claims of election fraud that had resulted in threats of violence against state and local officials around the country," the letter said.
"The question the Senate must answer is not whether Sens. Hawley and Cruz had the right to the object to the electors, but whether the senators failed to '[p]ut loyalty to the highest moral principles and to country above loyalty to persons, party, or Government department' or engaged in 'improper conduct reflecting on the Senate' in connection with the violence on January 6," the letter said.
It noted that both voted to reject electoral votes even after the violence at the Capitol disrupted the counting process.
The letter said "the pair touted their plan to challenge the electors to drum up campaign contributions," even though it is "probable" that both knew the underlying election fraud claims were false. "These solicitations continued during and after the insurrection," the complaint said.
Excellent, thank you, and thank you for the info on how to text to oppose the filibuster. As for these seditionists, the Dems need to go after them full-throated. No nicey nicey.
Among other heinous things Boebert does (besides insisting on carrying a firearm into the House and allegedly taking insurrectionists on a Jan. 5 Capitol Bldg tour), she frequently says, "I call bullcrap!" in debate. If she hasn't got the guts to say "bullshit", she should avoid swearing altogether. In fact, why is she swearing in the House? Since everyone knows that "crap" is a slightly milder version of "shit", if members are called out of order for saying "shit", they are no less out of order for "crap". On top of her fines for refusing to walk through the metal detectors, if she gets fined for every time she utters her favorite epithet, maybe she won't be able to afford to stay in office.
Yes. I do agree with you. No decorum whatsoever. Horrifying to watch her rant and rave like that. In the presence of our nation’s leaders. If I spoke like that at my workplace I would be fired.
It is fascinating, to me, about how much work is now being done, as the cover is ripped off the previous administration to see how much was left undone. The news about the complete lack of planning about the coronavirus pandemic is horrible and sadly, not unexpected.
One thing that I think is crucially important as we go forward is that the congress critters who held an active role in the 6 Jan insurrection be held accountable for their actions as well as those who took the bait and tried to circumvent the process of counting the electoral college votes. A key component to that is accountability and that holds true for the impeachment going forward as well. This assault on our democracy cannot be ignored, or pardoned, or excused.
As HCR has said in the past about Ford pardoning Nixon, if we let this slide others will be emboldened in the future to this and so much worse! (I'm 69, so I remember that pardon and at that point in my life didn't think much of it one way or the other, but I knew Nixon was a slimeball. I thought Ford was doing a nice thing. But now, hearing this in relationship to our recent past, I am so supportive of ACCOUNTABILITY before the law and the people.)
It is beyond frustrating, that because of what appears to be a procedural mishap, the ability to pass legislation essentially falls, in this Senate, to just 10 republicans who represent a small percentage of the population. And, I’ll wager most people are completely unaware of that situation (and so many others)! I wish Heather’s Letters could be read out loud each day on all the major cable networks :)
I watched Fox News today for a record breaking 15 minutes (previous record was 3 minutes). It is actually unwatchable. They were speaking about the unfair coverage of and attacks on the trump administration by the “liberal media”. They were not covering any of the day’s real events and I believe I heard that the next guest was going to be the “repairman” of Hunter Biden’s computer. I turned it off before my head exploded .... and that was the end of my personal “fairness doctrine” experience!
—————————-
“The filibuster remains in place for legislation.”
“..... While the new Senate is split evenly—50 Democrats, 50 Republicans—the 50 Democrats in the Senate represent over 41.5 million more people than the 50 Republicans represent. The filibuster means that no legislation can pass Congress without the support of 10 Republicans. Essentially, then, the fight over the filibuster is a fight not just about the ability of the Democrats to get laws passed, but about whether McConnell and the Republicans, who represent a minority of the American people, can kill legislation endorsed by lawmakers who represent quite a large majority.”
Yes! This is just so frustrating! The lies continue, people will blame Biden for not getting things done, blaming him for the deficit and the economy, blame him for more Covid deaths... all of which was created by the former mal-administration.
I was on floor doing stretches and since I’m so out of shape, I waited to get up to find the remote ..... I may need therapy after that much exposure to Fox 😂
I think that cable with its bundling is slowly going to die in favor of streaming. Frankly, any news channel, show or movie is available on-line via streaming. FNC should slowly feel the bite.
GOP = Grand Obstruction Party. In other words, the more things change, the more they stay the same. I question whether Chuck Schumer is cunning enough to deal with McConnell. And, in fact, whether the Democrats generally have the guts to engage in the kind of hardball that the times demand. Hope I'm proved wrong.
At the end of Heather's letter, there is a tweet from Pam Keith Esq. suggesting calling our cable service to attempt to take off Fox News, OANN and Newsmax from your service bundle. Going to give it a try this weekend.
The question of the "filibuster" is rightly placed front and center by Heather and in particular for its oft anti-democratic character. However it is a direct reflection of the anti-democratic intentions of the founding fathers when writing the Constitution. Never did they think that the majority of the population should be able to overrule their "wise council" as they, as opposed to the uneducated masses, were guided by reason and the greater good of the "nation" as opposed to the "individual" whilst of course the "mob" would only vote their passions and the deire for vengence upon their "betters"! We may of course laugh now after Reagan, Bush and Trump!
Obviously exactly the same considerations were brought to bear in designing the Electoral College and thus the indirect election of the President. The limits on the numbers of Representatives in the lower House is a measure in the same vein.
Europe is struggling collectively with exactly the same problem in trying to eliminate absolute majority requirements on most issues that face the Union; getting fully 27 countries to agree to work for the common good as opposed to fighting uniquely their own corner. The lack of success in this and the maintenance of veto rights for individual countries has largely condemned the EU to inertia and the "lowest common denominator" approach.....and is neither really democratic, overly credible nor appreciated greatly by the people.
The other aspect of this question that needs to be faced is common to all bi-cameral systems. Italy has 2 houses...Senate and House...just like the US each with equal power! The result is habitual stagnation. France and the UK have 2 Chambers and the Senate in France and the Lords in the UK have a residual role, for discussion, delay and a limited filibuster but the "lower" house can overrule them without a great deal of difficulty. The result.....things move if the Executive is so inclined or is sufficiently daring and organized!
Thank you for bringing Europe into the conversation! Very interesting. How do you recommend my gaining daily access to international news. NYT isn’t doing it for me. 🙏🏻❤️🤍💙
The Guardian at least covers Europe from close by. And is a terrific paper that also covers climate change with the seriousness of a mission. Der Spiegel is Germany’s Time/Newsweek only a little more thoughtful, and there’s an English language version. The very good French online paper Mediapart, heavy on investigative reporting, publishes many of its articles in English translation. The Irish Times is also a good paper. (I live in Europe sometimes, that’s why I know about these papers!)
As long as you recognize that Mediapart, much as it is practically alone in France really doing investigative journalism, has a distinct preference for investigating its "poitical foes" viewed from a relatively extreme left wing positioning. Guardian is soft left in comparison.
Mr Attewell, I live in France often. All French papers, very much including Le Monde, have political leanings. Not many people in France would agree with you that it’s ‘hard left’! We don’t even have a left in the US, so what wd be seen as center-left in France—at most—might seem hard left to an American reader. But that is one of the benefits of reading the international press, don’t you think? Being able to place our country in a wider context.
My hard left label referred to Mediapart and not Le Monde which you rightly say is somewhat center left.....".bobo intellectual" for want of a better description and still often imbued with its own importance....not what it used to be!
Unfortunately, Le Monde was recently "recapitalized by Bill Gates and has become largely irrelevant because of its insistance on " political correctness" and mdedia part is a pillar of what is referred to the "Islamo-gauchism" . libération "only"belongs to the Rothschilds!
Mr. Attewell we clearly have different political views. Some of my French friends would also consider that an attitude of peaceful coexistence with immigrants and asylum seekers from Muslim-majority or multi-religious Middle Eastern countries can be accurately mocked with a word like “Islamo-gauchism.” With them as with you I settle for agreeing to disagree. I have lived on and off in France for many years, and have friends there too from the feared and hated populations—poets, doctors, engineers, students, neighbors of mine, the staff of the hamam next door where I get massages in the winter. Islamophobia is a spreading disease in France, thanks to the horrific deeds of mostly Belgians, and the use the National Front puts them to, but I have hope that even in that nativist country they will eventually be accepted—as increasingly they are in this one, now that the gross violence of 19 Saudis is a generation behind us. Of course we have a long history of grudgingly absorbing immigrants from countries other than England
Also, if you have time, we watch the UK's Questions and Answers with the Prime Minister. It gives insight into the issues at play across the UK and especially in the ongoing Labor/Conservative debate. For sheer fun and irreverent comic take, Mock the Week. Both have managed to survive largely virtually through the shut downs.
CNN is of course a place to start or indeed the BBC as both are free. I look at Reuters too as it is also free. Otherwise in print media you need to check the main papers in each country but they are frequently at least partially on subscription. That would be Times in UK or Guardian if you insist on a left wing slant, Le Figaro (right) or Libération (left) in France but readership is far from being as important as in England and coverage of anything but French affairs is "not very important to the French mind. On the screen you will also find Euronews in English.
Stuart, if I may insert a caveat; BBC World News America has, as their 'resident experts', only GOP mouthpieces - Jonathan Turley, the conservative law prof, Anthony Zurcher, their American reporter, and Ron Christie, a Republican analyst.
You can't blame the filibuster on the writers of the Constitution. It was invented a half-century or more later, by John C. Calhoun, as a pro-slavery maneuver when he noticed the Senate's rules left room for it. The Senate makes its own procedural rules, as does the House.
Calhoun would indeed have his place in todays GOP and not his Democratic origins. He at least was mostly coherent and consistent in his "States rights" philosophy. In those days speeches by key Senators were a major political event and tended to be very long anyway. My point really was that it fitted very well with the approach of the founding fathers as it permitted the majority to obstruct the wishes of the majority...and with impunity ...other than perhaps a little fatigue!
Two things:
Members of Congress who perpetuated the lie of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election and voted to reject State Electoral College Votes, should be prohibited from serving in leadership positions on House and Senate Committees.
Senator McConnell’s obstruction in the face of the enormous challenges and threats facing the country must be called out boldly. To hobble this Administration, to prevent it from doing the people’s business is an act of political extortion. The people should understand exactly what is at stake by preventing the President from assembling his cabinet and allowing them to get on with their duties. The former president did everything in his power to slow-walk the transition. Republicans attempted to scuttle the election after the fact by voting in large numbers to eject the votes of the Electoral College. Now, the senior Republican senator is throwing up procedural roadblocks to prevent the new administration from getting on with their work.
We need to nip this in the bud.
I just called Senator Schumer and suggested that he threaten McConnell with Amy Klobuchar -- either get going and do the people's business or he (Schumer) will get out of the way and let McConnell deal with Klobuchar.
Schumer would then become an éminence grise in the Senate, working behind the scenes to smooth things over.
(If this actually happens I will be astonished. But pleased.)
OOOooooohhhhh breaking out the Minnesota Nice!
brrr
She was/is fabulous!
I voted for Klobuchar in the primary, but after we lost George Floyd, her connections to MN law enforcement negated her campaign. Still, I like the idea of her as SML. She'd use that salad comb to gobble up McConnell!
Very well said! I trust it was ok to copy (your words credited) and send as email to my Oregon US Senators under the heading: 'Government Reform'.
Hello Kathy. Since you used the past tense, I take it you have already sent the text to your senators.
I’m not a registered voter in Oregon, so attributing the words to me will carry little weight. That said, if you share the sentiments expressed, you are welcome to use the text without attribution.
Thanks so much! I appreciated your words so much, that I forgot to ask first. I told my senators to please accept your words as representing my own sentiments. I Also mentioned Dr. Heather's 'Letters From an American'....hoping they will have a staff read and pass on her thoughts.
Kathy, Thank you for your kind words. I shared these thoughts with my Member of Congress as well. Let’s hope someone listens – that’s the important thing.
Thank you Mr. Dooley, I'll do it too!
I think that both Wyden and Merkley have gotten earfuls of HCR from a lot of us here in Oregon.
I live in NYS and I get Merkley's emails often - likely I made a comment about the wild horse situation - but whatever the reason - he certainly keeps his people up to date AND intelligently!! How about that.
Thanks so much from MA — I just used your words in notes to my Senators, Markey and Warren, and to my Representative, Katherine Clark. We still have our voices, and using them is a good between-election exercise of our democratic power — thanks for the reminder!
Keep taking up oxygen!
When we hear one of our Senators say, “To hobble this Administration, to prevent it from doing the people’s business, is an act of political extortion,” we’ll know that they are reading our letters! Full credit to you, R. Dooley. You know, the idea of crowdsourcing powerful letters to our Reps and Senators might be a worthwhile endeavor for this group.
Question to those who email congresspeople. Can you email someone not from your state? I've noticed they want addresses & prefilled the state. I assume I can change that, but will my email be read? There are a few that I want to encourage to leave. We have a problem if this is the best politician(s) that money can buy.....
At some point, I found a way around that because once you are recognized as not a constituent - you get stopped. Now if I could remember what I did to succeed - would be glad to tellyou!!!!
Of course you can email anyone you want. But I always assumed if you're not a constituent, they won't pay it much mind.
Yes! And how? This filibuster issue is a real problem. How can we, the people, demand that it be changed? If calling and writing will make a difference, who should we call or write?
text filibuster to 50409 and robocall does the work for you. It will find your reps and assemble a letter for you to approve and send. text 50409 and you can ask for a list of petitions available to sign and go crazy! There are many topics. They will show you how many others have also sent the letter and give you an opportunity to text or email to others.
Thanks, I did that.
Thank you.
I wrote to my Senators.
Electoral College Vote Challenge
The call to bar or censure those who challenged the electors is a waste of time.
First, the law allows it. And, if we claim to be a nation of laws, then it is time to put this to bed. You may not like the law, so persuade your elected representative to change it. Remember it works both ways.
In 2001, the Black Congressional Caucus challenged Bush’s electors.
In 2005, Democrats challenged Bush’s electors from Ohio.
I couldn’t find evidence that anyone challenged Obama’s electors in 2009 or 2013.
In 2017, Democrats challenged Trump’s electors. And, adding fuel to this fire, though ten electors tried, 7 were successful in becoming faithless electors. Five didn't vote for Hillary Clinton, two didn't vote for Trump. None of the seven voted for the other candidate.
As we know, in 2021, Republicans, for the first time, challenge electors.
My favorite quote from President Biden when a First Term Washington Congresswoman stood up to challenge Georgia’s electors were words to the effect, “The election’s over lady. Get over it.”
Maybe it time to quit rehashing the right of those Republicans to challenge electoral votes when history seems to show that the Democrats tend to use the tool more often than not. And no one called on them to be censured or removed from committees, etc.
https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/07/us/over-some-objections-congress-certifies-electoral-vote.html
https://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/06/electoral.vote.1718/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/19/electoral-college-revolt-faithless-electors-analysis
https://www.npr.org/2017/01/06/508562183/biden-to-democrats-objecting-to-electoral-college-results-it-is-over
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/01/04/objecting-electoral-college-vote-is-no-constitutional-crisis/
I made reference to two points – the perpetuation of the lie of voter fraud, initiated by the President and established as meritless in the courts and, the sustained misrepresentations made by members of congress culminating in the session on January 6th.
It may be futile to suggest they be denied leadership positions on Committees, but I would support such and effort. For the record, I did not suggest that anyone should be barred from sitting on a committee.
It is difficult to dispute that in 2000 and 2016, republican candidates attained the Presidency without a popular margin, or that the circumstances of their victories were not questionable. The 2000 and 2016 victories will be studied for decades to come and perhaps one day we will have clarity.
The election of 2020 was by any measure an outlier. The great lie of that election, sustained by many republican members of Congress, merits serious scrutiny.
I agree that the challenges were themselves legal, but even a lawsuit, properly submitted, can bring about penalties to the attorneys who file them if the grounds on which the claims are made are found to be frivolous.
I would argue the situation on January 6th is analogous.
A couple of things. First I'd point to the difference in degree. A handful of Dems have made objections in the past, while a sizable majority of Republicans did here.
Then I'd point to the circumstances. In 2000 there were serious unanswered questions about the Florida vote count. Which through chicanery (in my opinion) and skillful use of the courts Republicans managed to dodge. Those questions, when finally analyzed by news organizations certainly cast doubt on the final call for Bush. Which is not even addressing other issues I've since heard indicating there was a fix in for Bush.
Likewise, in 2004 there was a lot of murk around the issue of Diebold electronic voting machines used in Ohio, including the political affiliation of their manufacturer, their source code, their susceptibility to tampering, and their lack of a paper trail, of which I don't know if any of those questions were laid to rest.
So in those two elections I feel confident in saying there were legitimate questions in the air regarding the outcomes in two deciding swing states. Emphasis on legitimate. And again, the objections were no more than symbolic protests that were not backed by the party.
Comparisons to what happened this year are laughable. After a violent putsch attempt (honestly unsure if there is any other type) over 120 Republican congress members voted to object to two states' electors in support of a discredited theory of fraud that every right thinking person knows was a complete lie. To try and conflate past Democratic actions with what happened now actually takes a good bit of gall, so I'll tip my hat at your attempt.
Censure and threat of removal from congress are required to send the message that elected representatives should give serious consideration before supporting treasonous acts and untruths.
Well done.
Context matters. The Dems did not raise their challenges in the context of a strong, widely propagated propaganda campaign, led by the loser who never ever conceded, and who urged his supporters to "get 'em."
I'm an old white guy. I have a car and a roof over my head and interesting things to do. I can joke about "robbing a bank" and most people would not call the cops and ask to have me investigated. But if the context were different -- if I were in dire financial straights and likely to lose my car and housing and Internet access because I couldn't pay bills -- my joking about "robbing a bank" might not be so much of a joke.
May I copy your writing and send it verbatim to my state's Democratic representatives and Congressmen?
Yes
“Political extortion “. Love that phrase.
Well said!
Hooray! You are published at an early hour! Sleep, sleep, perchance to dream...
One of the most significant attributes of your Letters is your willingness to use plain language and not dazzle with high falutin pseudo intellectual jargon meant to intimidate those who may not have the vocabulary or education to dig through pretentious language. If history is to be understood by the people and for the people it must be written so it is accessible to all the people. You do that important work. Thank you.
Excellent observation. I found out yesterday during her chat that HCR's masters is in English literature. Well, that explains some things. She writes WELL. I noticed this when I first started following her. I happened to wonder (still don't know) if she also had a very verbal mother who loved to read aloud, as I did.
This is an aside: When my somewhat silly, girlish mother was young, she had a teacher, a single lady, who dedicated her life to seeing one class of children through their entire schooling. She followed them grade to grade. This was in Georgia, I think. She was determined that every one of them would succeed. One of her techniques was to make them memorize and recite poetry. Okay, so I assume they all did pretty well. My mother never went to college, but she certainly could have.
Fast forward to my mother's last illness. She had Parkinson's disease and rode it to the bitter end, cared for by me. One thing I did was read aloud to her, classic British or American novels. I have read THEM ALL and ALOUD, some SEVERAL TIMES. Now, this is amazing for learning to write. You hear written language like music. Some authors are much better than others for reading aloud. (Not saying I write particularly well, but I probably could if I made more effort.) I also worked at a public library where I read to children a lot. But my mother, her love of language, and perhaps most fundamentally her TEACHER's love of language is precisely why I love language so much. Just suspecting that HCR's mother had some similar qualities. Or father or other relative, but probably mother. End of aside. Not proofreading this.
Spot on! I think HCR's mother was incredibly engaged with her... She has spoken of her mother being a remarkable woman on a few occasions. I am so glad HCR has chosen to be a communicator rather than an obfuscator! Telling the story of US America, warts and all, is important in the process of understanding who we are and healing the wounds that have been inflicted on people from the colonial era through the years to this very day.
I am so glad your mother had your care, dedication and thoughtfulness. Reading to someone is such a profound act of kindness and love. And you're right about hearing written language as music - there are some authors I listen to via audio books for that very reason. It's wonderful feeling when the words wash over me and envelope me in a story.
My mother taught kindergarten for decades and was also an avid reader, consequently she raised 4 voracious readers. We were read to daily and encouraged to read as well. Reading by flashlight in bed was an approved activity if we wanted to read while our sibling was asleep. When our daughter was born we read to her day and night. One of her first gifts from her paternal grandparents was a tape recorder and a huge collection of children's books on tape. By the time she was two she had learned how to operate it and play a book so when she was in her playroom she would almost always be listening to a book if she wasn't "writing". Before she could actually write she would fill pages with lines of cursive like figures. When we went to check on her she would say, " I can't stop right now, I'm writing". I kid you not. It's no surprise that she grew up to be a writer, both journalism and fiction.
Words make us who we are. The words we hear. The words we read. Of all things, words hold the power to shape a people. Heather's words are an important element in providing us with an honest path forward.
Not proofed.
I loved hearing Amanda Gorman (poet at Biden's inauguration) speak of not seeing images but words and thus she's a poet! And a dancer I might add. Look at her hands as she recites her poems. Beautiful.
She was absolutely stunning all the way around. I'm sure being so young and so exquisite has inspired many both young and old. What a brilliant choice for an important ceremony.
Yes! I hope her book comes out as an audio book with her reciting as well as print. I will buy both
Go to https://www.theamandagorman.com to buy directly from her.
Thank you!
And so obvious no one ever read to tRump.
That is beautiful... the content, and how you expressed it.
Lovely!
Well, since you 'jacked this thread, I will be complicit. I have been told that I write well - one publisher said I have an "inimitable style." (?) Fact is, I write like I speak and don't know one part of English from another. I passed grammar school "diagramming" by putting words on the chart by how they sounded. Think of a musician who can play the notes well, but can't read the notes on paper. My computer grammar checker fills my writing with green lines, which I ignore.
I have often thought how very lucky HCR children are to have her as their mom. Her patience, her understanding of people, personalities and her ability to teach without lecturing. She comes at every problem or issue with first listening and understanding before speaking or writing and I love how she encourages discussion of opposing points of view as long as they are factually backed up. I also imagine her children had to be quite grown up before ever winning an argument, Lol! Anyway, I'm so grateful she has been so gracious in sharing her knowledge, expertise and kindness to the world.
How wonderful you were to your Mom, as Daria said. And yes, we are so much richer for books, literature, words.. and I will add, art.
And music, and theater and dance...
Yes, and our laws and regulations (Tax Regs.) should also be in plain English.
There is no plain English. It “is a language that lurks in dark alleys beats up other languages and rifles through their pockets for spare vocabulary.”
My 5 year old grandson is learning to read. We keep running into words that are impossible to sound out following English “rules”. I help him and explain again that English is a crazy language, that we borrowed words from lots of different languages, and they have different rules. Thus the need for learning “sight words”.
As a teacher, it was easy to identify the avid readers. They were the ones who used words properly but mispronounced the words because they’d learned them reading.
Yes, I remember in middle school the first time I used the word “gay”in class in the meaning of happy. My German teacher, Frau Blechschmidt, took me aside after class to tell me the new meaning of the word. It’s one of those things you never forget.
Upper elementary and middle school is where I occasionally had to get past the snickers and explain that “gay” used to mean happy.
The Gay 90s. It’s not the 1900s, and it’s not a Pride parade.
Great - I love that Rob. I think we would have a good time discussing just that point over a single malt - or a strong coffee - whichever poison you prefer.
Depending on what time of day either coffee or brew.
Here is the source of that quote: "The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary." James D. Nicoll, 1990
I feel lucky to have been born into this language because it would be an ordeal to learn as a second language. Some of our words are nothing but ideograms like Chinese (cough-kof . though-tho, people-ppl,) which is why I use so many fonetic spellings and abbreviations.
Terrific description!
I teach English to attorneys and legal journalists here in Germany. I love words and it is a challenge at times to explain why we use this or that word, the meaning of which can change ever so slightly, or quite dramatically, depending on context. In German, the words are, for the most part, straight-forward – they speak what they spell. Our language is a gumbo of begged, borrowed, and stolen ingredients. That said, it is great fun!
“Plain English”, as I used the word in my comment, is more a movement than a lexicon. During the Obama administration, there were significant efforts made to write regulations and rules in language that didn’t require an attorney to interpret them: I support this idea.
I also feel lucky to have been born in America, even though my first five years was German as my first language. it’s really handy that English, in particular American English, has become lingua franca
Check out my above reply to your comment about your ghost PhD work.
Good luck with that! If written in plain language people might actually understand when their elected representatives are being coopted by contributors and special interests. Who would want that?!?
Truth
Yes.
Absolutely.
This. So much this.
I once worked with a man who used a plethora of words to convey a dearth of information. (The irony is that this HS graduate wrote some of his stuff for his Ph.D)
I use a plethora of words to convey a plethora of information! If only a dearth of words would do the same job❗️😂
Yeah, Rob, you get it, I have no doubt, better than most! Words matter and they can be used as weapons in many, many ways.
There is a group of academics in Denver who developed something called Latinometer. It's a tool a body can use to get an idea how their words come across to others. Here's their little blurb about Latinometer:
"A Latinometer™ gives you a reading on how others read you. Insert your prose into the slot below and find out! Too Germanic? You sound dumb! Too Latinate? You sound like a liar."
http://latinometer.com/latinometer/Home.jsp
OK, I tried it with a '70s quote of mine "In your journey thru this life you often find yourself closer related to those you encounter than to those whose physical flesh you were born of and you realize that your physical heritage is no more than a garment you were issued by others and not always of your style or fit." Got a 37.5% Latinate. IDK what that means, but I refer to myself as a "wordweaver" instead of the usual "wordsmith."
That means that your Latinate density is at 37.5, which means you are erudite but not pompous. I'd say you are a wordweaver too.
("Latinate diction indicates education, which in turn denotes status or upward mobility. Also, because Latin was for centuries the language of the Church, Latinate words elevate the level of discourse. But a lofty plane can turn too quickly into a slippery slope. Hypocrites use Latinate words to gloss over their sordid intentions. George Orwell pointed out how deceivers misuse Latinate words." - from Latinometer)
"...plethora of words...dearth of information." Spot on and then some!!
Egggzactly! Plain language makes all the difference to me. I enjoyed many volumes of Sir Winston Churchill's History of the English Speaking People because of that!
Did you write about that in Letters? If so, I missed it but will go back and find it. (I had a class yesterday so I quit scouring the comments early.)
Day 1 B.A. (Biden Administration)
Thank you Heather for calling out the rules of the Senate as anti-democratic. That has been my beef with Congress for a long time. Newt Gingrich is the man credited with breaking politics in 1994 with his ferociously partisan politics. And, it's why the two party system in my opinion seems antithetical to the Constitution although the Constitution mentions nothing about parties. Parties themselves do not use good democratic methods to select their candidate especially with the impact of the legalized bribery of money in politics and the Super PACs that get around election rules.
Here is how I was quoted to the 10-point column's readers' response question of the Wall Street Journal in the summer of 2017 during the "debate" on repealing the Affordable Care Act.
“I fully and heartily agree with Sen. John McCain’s eloquent plea to make the Senate great again by going back to the synergistic and open process of public hearings, open debate and working together across party lines. The undemocratic petty ping pong by whichever party is in power only serves to keep citizens scared and the insurance companies uncertain. The real fallacy is that competition will lower health-care costs when patented drugs and insurance companies are monopolistic. It is time to remove the center aisle and seat the Senators by seniority rather than by party, so they’ll work for solutions that benefit all citizens.”
Now we have "minority" leader McConnell who is STILL doing his obstructionist damage to the first branch of government making the Senate into a total joke if it wasn't so pitiful and harmful to the American People. I don't know why Senators get paid for doing nothing.
Until the Fairness Doctrine is renewed or revived in some form, and being that the WH press room has limited seating (with an overflow room with a monitor), can the priority of which journalists can be in the press room with the ability to ask questions, be limited to those orgs registered as "news media" rather than "entertainment media" (such as Fox, OAN, etc.)?
Until everyone gets used to this "new rule", the reason could be explained over and over again (an opportunity to educate the public), which would basically be the example that Fox keeps losing truth-related law suits because they are not news, but are entertainment, and thus only true news media orgs are allowed to attend the limited space pressers.
Is there a legal or procedural way to do this?
I like your idea in theory but I think it would backfire spectacularly. The viewers of Fox, OAN, NewsMax, etc., already don't care about the legitimacy of the content they consume or the spin those outlets provide. Excluding those outlets from attending "limited space pressers" would end up being weaponized against the administration and the "left" and increase the accusations of censorship and Big Brother tactics by those on the right.
You could tweet WH Press Sec. Jen Psaki this idea. Maybe mention you are an HCR reader (https://twitter.com/HC_Richardson):
https://twitter.com/jrpsaki
https://twitter.com/PressSec
Also, the White House Correspondents' Association, being that they have a significant say in who is allowed into the WH press room.
I thought of this, but I really only read Heather C. R. (and Elizabeth C. McLaughlin) on Twitter, without posting, myself. Also, "they say" that when they have hundreds of thousands of followers, as they do, it's impossible to read all the comments and tags. Thoughts?
Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
That’s a really interesting idea, Sarah. Anyone have a line of communication to Jen Psaki? I suppose there’s always the option of trying to create a trend with this suggestion on Twitter, although I honestly don’t know if senior government officials have anyone looking to Twitter to identify areas of public concern.
Would this exclude ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS? They are primarily entertainment channels, which carry mainstream news programs. Perhaps slightly left-leaning, but they readily identify their opinion segments as such. Whereas Fox at best blurs the lines between its news coverage by Chris Wallace, et al, and it’s opinion/entertainment shows in prime time, with Tucker Carlson, et al.
I'm still researching this. So far, "broadcast" media requires FCC licensure, but cable media does not. So, I believe ABC, CBS, NBS, PBS, and even Fox are broadcast (as well as cable). More to learn about this.
True, and it would be very difficult to get the "educate about Fox truth and lies" info in front of those Fox viewers that need to learn about it.
... uhmm, entertainment ...? What exactly is entertaining about it - or, is that just another Fox Faux Falshood ...?
Sickened but not surprised. My state was told big shipment was coming. But nothing happened. That same week, in the state next door, people there were receiving vaccinations at drive-through set-ups. I admit to feelings of frustration, because I and others like me should be receiving vaccinations now too. I can't help but wonder if it had something to do with our (so far) Republican governor openly expressing disdain for Donald Trump (as he has all along), and freely admitting he would not and did not vote for him. But the fact is Trump is punishing all of us the only way he can.
So we are doing what we have done so well most of the time: hunker down, stay home as much as we can, mask up, keep our distance, don't socialize. Biden's people will pick up wherever things were left off and hopefully pick a more sensible name for it. It will be later than expected, but it will still happen before the daffodils are up in Vermont. (Apologies: that is a Vermont joke. Our daffs are always late, but they always show up.)
Oh, my friends, please be patient and please take care of yourselves and your neighbors. Trump couldn't resist a last passing dump, as is his nature. But he is gone now, and we can get on with what needs to be done. (Don't forget to wear your mask!) Sending a hug with this, just in case there's someone else out there who needs one too.
I wish I could hunker down! Our Texas AG Paxton, who is indicted for fraud, and our TEA Mike Morath, who is a realtor in charge of education, forced schools open. Any school that didn’t provide f2f would have funding slashed. An attempt to force herd immunity, and stimulate the economy. It didn’t work and it is speeding up the spread of Covid. We’re told to brace ourselves for the surge coming from Christmas break. A parent passed away, teachers have gotten severely sick! A student today accidentally said my dad has that guitar, well had. Broke my heart! I said it’s great your dad helped you learn to play the guitar. Phew, a quick save, he smiled! Swift safe return to school? We’re already in school, just not safe enough!
Oh Denise, you came up with a good line for that kid and at the right time. I feel for you and all teachers and staff. The jerks in charge will someday get what’s coming to them. My best to you.
Thanks! Not my first time dealing with grief and children. Unfortunately. I teach Art, so this is my fifth year to have this student. I love building these relationships for so long! They will always be my kids! The staff at my school is pretty incredible. We’re all pulling together!
No matter what you are teaching, you are giving your heart and soul to your students. That means a lot.
Yeah our district is mandating all staff members back in buildings 100% on Feb 1st with planned roll out of students returning and fully by end of June. Criminal. I’m so angry I can’t even talk about it. I’m not a teacher any longer and will be isolating myself in my 6x8 office for 9 hours a day doing the exact same work I’ve learned to implement comprehensively in the safety of my home.
It’s all completely wrong, and criminal, in my opinion. I completely understand your anger!
I really, really feel for you, Denise. What a horrible situation and of course you are worried! It’s the same way here in FL. You are obviously a kind and caring, and fine teacher. I will keep you and your safety in my thoughts.
Yeah I received my first shot last week. I have an appointment for 2nd but in light of all this news I spoke to my pharmacist and he said to call a week before. Our governor is also setting up 3 mass sites in our state. So I will drive to one of those (closest is 2 hours away) for my second dose. Fingers crossed.
PBS did an excellent snippet last night on manufacturing those little bottles, the syringes, the packaging and shipment and storage and the worldwide tracking with real time computer imagines if where the airplanes are even. It was daunting. 600,000 million dosages (#1 and #2) are needed for the USA alone. Manufacturers of all the above are overwhelmed. Because there was no plan in place from the government.
Oh good grief! He's like a horror movie monster that won't die. McConnell, of course. Just. Go. Away. Let us have our country back. Now.
Also, for something truly not entirely unexpected, I still find your first paragraph about the absolute lack of ANY vaccination plan shocking. How can I STILL be so shocked?! I don't know. But reading the words, “There is nothing for us to rework. We are going to have to build everything from scratch.," gave me a cold chill. Like in another scene of the horror movie where there's supposed to be, say, some kind of busy governmental department, but when they open the doors, there are just acres of empty building with florescent lights.
Some somewhat high profile talk of bringing back the Fairness Doctrine? That's good to hear. Don't think it's likely to happen, but having it at least talked about more seriously is something.
I’m in North Texas and there is a website for signing up to get an appointment for the vaccine. But there’s not enough to go around. People show up at some sites to be told to reapply for another appointment. There was a report on the news that the place where I would go is out of vaccine so no more shots until further notice. Rumors are flying. My son has a lead on a place that will give you the vaccine after you spend a day volunteering to help a site.
One smaller city procured the vaccine for all school employees. One school district announced to their teachers where to get the vaccine over winter break. When I asked my principal if there any plan for teachers, he said he was on the list to get his. No information for our teachers. But the district is sitting on rapid tests, since the beginning of the school year but no one to administer. And teachers are sharing the sign up portal and asking daily did you get your appointment yet?
It’s a hodgepodge of sketchy information.
It’s crazy! I already full well knew there wasn’t a plan!
I recommend you send what you have written here, to the Biden administration and your Texas health dept. As Dr. Heather has said, there is no plan on the federal level and states as we know, are 'all over the map' in terms of 'organization'. Speak out!
Blessings to you as teacher- a most essential worker! From a retired teacher of 37 yrs.
Thank you! I love my job! But I really worry about staying safe! Wish retirement was already here. 6 more years!
Denise, it is crazy, and as someone who is needed by our chlldren, there should not be any question that you get the vaccine ASAP.
Per an editorial in Ztge Courier Journal, MM is at war with the rest of Kentucky Republican because of his break with DJT. So he's trying to demonstrate his worth...ugh.
That sounds about right. I realize this sounds naive, but what about serving the American people?
He doesn't work for the American people because that's not where the money is. He works for wealthy business owners who donate big bucks to big PACS. People are limited as to how much money they can donate but Super-pacs are not. The wealthy business owners who donate can donate as much as they want into the pacs and remain anonymous. It's money laundering for the benefit of the wealthy and the candidates who represent them. The policy Citizens United allows this to happen. The only way to get monsters like MM out is to even the financial playing field so that people who want to work for the people can win. Doing away with Citizens United would eliminate the money disparity.
HCR did a good riff on this in one of her Facebook talks recently. She laid it right out, as you did above - he works for the highest bidder. And don't forget, he then gets to dole out money to his caucus, sort of the gift that keeps on giving.
https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/mitch-mcconnell/contributors?cid=N00003389&cycle=2020
Well, when you wear $300 velvet slippers embroidered with your initials you really need to keep the money coming in. Not sure where I read that and it was quite some time ago but it definitely was in a news article, I just can’t reference it. Obviously it had a big enough impact to stick with me so it’s out there somewhere.
So, I went digging and I had it completely wrong! Rather than delete the post I had to correct myself: it was Wilbur Ross, not MM and the news source was the Daily Mail - and I even got the price wrong! :
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4270732/Commerce-Secretary-wears-600-slippers-Congress.html
What matters is you dug into it, admitted the error, and corrected it! A refreshingly thoughtful concept! Well played.
Understandable mistake. “If the slipper fits...”
No biggy Karen, we all slip up once in a while ...
I think Mitch McConnell could also be described as an “ultimate powermonger.”
... uhmm, do you mean 'The American People' or the people of America ...? Apparently, there is a difference ....
Thanks so much for bringing up the point about the representation issue buried in the filibuster. Like the Electoral College, it shows its origins in the wish of a powerful and unscrupulous minority to dominate the majority. People I know in Europe, where I work a lot, tend to forgive us--individual American people and the "American people" generally--for our horror-show governments by saying "Your government doesn't represent you, we know that." Kindly meant, but awful in its truth.
Smart people are at work as we read and type this morning, parsing details into cogent messages to put the heat on the now MINORITY LEADER. Most important is to tell the public the truth. The Administration of djt and all elected republicans who supported him are culpable in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent Americans. It did not have to be this way. Now discovering that there was NEVER a plan to confront the virus or distribute the vaccine to the states is criminal. Denial of financial support to the states is criminal. There should be consequence. As we gain access to memos, files, and testimony under oath, the horror of this episode will be manifest. Our own Nuremberg. Unimaginable.
Liberals, Progressives, just plain old democrats, and independents have to stop the tyranny of the minority. The midterms of 2022 should be viewed as an opportunity, and 2024 when we pronounce the current version of the Republican Party emasculated and on life support. And on trial in the court of history for generations.
Completely agree that keeping the heat on our elected officials shouldn’t end with an election tally. We, the governed can keep making our views known to the public servants we elected.
Thank you. I’m afraid I sounded strident. I am trying not to be so, because it is counterproductive when trying to discover the hearts as well as the minds of others.
The Axe Files latest issue(free pod cast) features Doris Kearns Goodwin, and is a great listen at this moment.
Agree about stridency working against one, but I’d say you’re making your good points with thoughtful vehemence.
I’m not sure the current version of the Republican Party should even be on life support. Steve Schmidt, Lincoln Project co-founder, said the party should be burned to the ground, that it is not redeemable.
Given the things that continue to come to light, Schmidt is right. Fire and sunlight are two very effective cleansing agents.
The Republican party in California is on life-support, it’s an endangered species here, politically at least. There are still plenty of Trumpsters in California don’t get me wrong. I have been speculating that the Republican party will go on life-support nationally at some point, I just have no idea when or how.
McTurtleneck is the worst! Apparently now he's insisting that the Dems maintain the filibuster, or the rethuglicans will hold up cabinet confirmations. I say let Biden then make "acting" cabinet appointments until McTurtleneck and the other obstructionists come around. BTW, I sure hope authorities are looking into the likes of Cruz, Hawley, Bobert and others and whether they have any responsibility for the 1/6 insurrection. They should not be allowed to walk away.
McConnell is trying to keep his power to block all legislation, by claiming he won't agree to anything else (notably power sharing arrangements) until he gets his way. McC also asked to schedule Tя☭mp's Senate impeachment trial at the beginning of February. Schumer replied to all that by announcing the process would start Monday. I think this comes to, "if you won't agree to basic setup, then we'll try Tя☭mp while you think it over." I am hoping that means that Schumer is not going to put up with McC pushing him for more power.
I'm glad Schumer is not going to be pushed around/threatened. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out. I just hope the Dems don't back down, and that McTurtleneck will finally be put in his place.
There needs to be some kind of rules for this kind of abuse of power and the ability to shut down the function of the Senate. Senators need to be focused to come together and with discussion enact laws beneficial to the American People. Of course there will be compromise on both sides but it has fallen into such a backstabbing, if you don't do this, I'll do that. As opposed to Ok, I'll agree to this if you will let me that that. The behind the scene lobbiest manipulation and payoffs needs to be controlled somehow. It almost seems it needs to get back to each proposal needs to have specific backup on how and why it is more beneficial to the most people. So much seems to be done for their own personal profit these days or just to get re-election support. The American People's needs have been an after thought.
McC has spent most of the last 12 years keeping the Senate from voting. He is very proud of that, and wants most of all to be able to continue doing it. It is wrong for one man, elected by a tiny percentage of the nation and beholden to an even smaller (but wealthier) group of wealthy donors, to have that kind of power.
Yes. Who should we be calling about that?
from NBC news:
A group of Senate Democrats filed an ethics complaint against Republican Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz on Thursday calling for an investigation to determine whether they coordinated with the organizers of the Jan. 6 pro-Trump rally that preceded the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The Senate Ethics Committee "should also offer recommendations for strong disciplinary action, including up to expulsion or censure, if warranted by the facts uncovered," the seven Democrats, led by Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, said in a letter to the committee's chair and vice chair.
Hawley, R-Mo., and Cruz, R-Texas, had announced in the days before the riot that they would object to accepting the votes from states that former President Donald Trump falsely claimed to have won during the Jan. 6 electoral vote count, which "amplified claims of election fraud that had resulted in threats of violence against state and local officials around the country," the letter said.
"The question the Senate must answer is not whether Sens. Hawley and Cruz had the right to the object to the electors, but whether the senators failed to '[p]ut loyalty to the highest moral principles and to country above loyalty to persons, party, or Government department' or engaged in 'improper conduct reflecting on the Senate' in connection with the violence on January 6," the letter said.
It noted that both voted to reject electoral votes even after the violence at the Capitol disrupted the counting process.
The letter said "the pair touted their plan to challenge the electors to drum up campaign contributions," even though it is "probable" that both knew the underlying election fraud claims were false. "These solicitations continued during and after the insurrection," the complaint said.
Excellent, thank you, and thank you for the info on how to text to oppose the filibuster. As for these seditionists, the Dems need to go after them full-throated. No nicey nicey.
Your U.S. senators.
Among other heinous things Boebert does (besides insisting on carrying a firearm into the House and allegedly taking insurrectionists on a Jan. 5 Capitol Bldg tour), she frequently says, "I call bullcrap!" in debate. If she hasn't got the guts to say "bullshit", she should avoid swearing altogether. In fact, why is she swearing in the House? Since everyone knows that "crap" is a slightly milder version of "shit", if members are called out of order for saying "shit", they are no less out of order for "crap". On top of her fines for refusing to walk through the metal detectors, if she gets fined for every time she utters her favorite epithet, maybe she won't be able to afford to stay in office.
Yes. I do agree with you. No decorum whatsoever. Horrifying to watch her rant and rave like that. In the presence of our nation’s leaders. If I spoke like that at my workplace I would be fired.
It is fascinating, to me, about how much work is now being done, as the cover is ripped off the previous administration to see how much was left undone. The news about the complete lack of planning about the coronavirus pandemic is horrible and sadly, not unexpected.
One thing that I think is crucially important as we go forward is that the congress critters who held an active role in the 6 Jan insurrection be held accountable for their actions as well as those who took the bait and tried to circumvent the process of counting the electoral college votes. A key component to that is accountability and that holds true for the impeachment going forward as well. This assault on our democracy cannot be ignored, or pardoned, or excused.
As HCR has said in the past about Ford pardoning Nixon, if we let this slide others will be emboldened in the future to this and so much worse! (I'm 69, so I remember that pardon and at that point in my life didn't think much of it one way or the other, but I knew Nixon was a slimeball. I thought Ford was doing a nice thing. But now, hearing this in relationship to our recent past, I am so supportive of ACCOUNTABILITY before the law and the people.)
It is beyond frustrating, that because of what appears to be a procedural mishap, the ability to pass legislation essentially falls, in this Senate, to just 10 republicans who represent a small percentage of the population. And, I’ll wager most people are completely unaware of that situation (and so many others)! I wish Heather’s Letters could be read out loud each day on all the major cable networks :)
I watched Fox News today for a record breaking 15 minutes (previous record was 3 minutes). It is actually unwatchable. They were speaking about the unfair coverage of and attacks on the trump administration by the “liberal media”. They were not covering any of the day’s real events and I believe I heard that the next guest was going to be the “repairman” of Hunter Biden’s computer. I turned it off before my head exploded .... and that was the end of my personal “fairness doctrine” experience!
—————————-
“The filibuster remains in place for legislation.”
“..... While the new Senate is split evenly—50 Democrats, 50 Republicans—the 50 Democrats in the Senate represent over 41.5 million more people than the 50 Republicans represent. The filibuster means that no legislation can pass Congress without the support of 10 Republicans. Essentially, then, the fight over the filibuster is a fight not just about the ability of the Democrats to get laws passed, but about whether McConnell and the Republicans, who represent a minority of the American people, can kill legislation endorsed by lawmakers who represent quite a large majority.”
Yes! This is just so frustrating! The lies continue, people will blame Biden for not getting things done, blaming him for the deficit and the economy, blame him for more Covid deaths... all of which was created by the former mal-administration.
Hi-five, Janet, for your Fox News journey!
I was on floor doing stretches and since I’m so out of shape, I waited to get up to find the remote ..... I may need therapy after that much exposure to Fox 😂
Watching yesterday's press conference was like watching an episode of the "West Wing". No "script", no "fake news"! I loved it!
I wondered if Ms. Psaki was channeling C.J. Cregg. I know I was.
That was a thought. Did you see the montage at the end of Lawrence O'Donnell Show on MSNBC. It was really good
I'm uncabled, so I tend to miss network shows. Think I could find it on Youtube?
I am not sure
Agree!
I think that cable with its bundling is slowly going to die in favor of streaming. Frankly, any news channel, show or movie is available on-line via streaming. FNC should slowly feel the bite.
GOP = Grand Obstruction Party. In other words, the more things change, the more they stay the same. I question whether Chuck Schumer is cunning enough to deal with McConnell. And, in fact, whether the Democrats generally have the guts to engage in the kind of hardball that the times demand. Hope I'm proved wrong.
Amy Siskind on FB has posted that Amy Klobachar would be abetted Majority Leader....
Margaret Stapenhorst, I hope Amy Klobuchar is Majority Leader some day
Schumer will never step aside, unfortunately. And the Democrats don't strike me as ready for an internal fight.
Agree
At the end of Heather's letter, there is a tweet from Pam Keith Esq. suggesting calling our cable service to attempt to take off Fox News, OANN and Newsmax from your service bundle. Going to give it a try this weekend.
The question of the "filibuster" is rightly placed front and center by Heather and in particular for its oft anti-democratic character. However it is a direct reflection of the anti-democratic intentions of the founding fathers when writing the Constitution. Never did they think that the majority of the population should be able to overrule their "wise council" as they, as opposed to the uneducated masses, were guided by reason and the greater good of the "nation" as opposed to the "individual" whilst of course the "mob" would only vote their passions and the deire for vengence upon their "betters"! We may of course laugh now after Reagan, Bush and Trump!
Obviously exactly the same considerations were brought to bear in designing the Electoral College and thus the indirect election of the President. The limits on the numbers of Representatives in the lower House is a measure in the same vein.
Europe is struggling collectively with exactly the same problem in trying to eliminate absolute majority requirements on most issues that face the Union; getting fully 27 countries to agree to work for the common good as opposed to fighting uniquely their own corner. The lack of success in this and the maintenance of veto rights for individual countries has largely condemned the EU to inertia and the "lowest common denominator" approach.....and is neither really democratic, overly credible nor appreciated greatly by the people.
The other aspect of this question that needs to be faced is common to all bi-cameral systems. Italy has 2 houses...Senate and House...just like the US each with equal power! The result is habitual stagnation. France and the UK have 2 Chambers and the Senate in France and the Lords in the UK have a residual role, for discussion, delay and a limited filibuster but the "lower" house can overrule them without a great deal of difficulty. The result.....things move if the Executive is so inclined or is sufficiently daring and organized!
Thank you for bringing Europe into the conversation! Very interesting. How do you recommend my gaining daily access to international news. NYT isn’t doing it for me. 🙏🏻❤️🤍💙
The Guardian at least covers Europe from close by. And is a terrific paper that also covers climate change with the seriousness of a mission. Der Spiegel is Germany’s Time/Newsweek only a little more thoughtful, and there’s an English language version. The very good French online paper Mediapart, heavy on investigative reporting, publishes many of its articles in English translation. The Irish Times is also a good paper. (I live in Europe sometimes, that’s why I know about these papers!)
As long as you recognize that Mediapart, much as it is practically alone in France really doing investigative journalism, has a distinct preference for investigating its "poitical foes" viewed from a relatively extreme left wing positioning. Guardian is soft left in comparison.
Mr Attewell, I live in France often. All French papers, very much including Le Monde, have political leanings. Not many people in France would agree with you that it’s ‘hard left’! We don’t even have a left in the US, so what wd be seen as center-left in France—at most—might seem hard left to an American reader. But that is one of the benefits of reading the international press, don’t you think? Being able to place our country in a wider context.
My hard left label referred to Mediapart and not Le Monde which you rightly say is somewhat center left.....".bobo intellectual" for want of a better description and still often imbued with its own importance....not what it used to be!
Unfortunately, Le Monde was recently "recapitalized by Bill Gates and has become largely irrelevant because of its insistance on " political correctness" and mdedia part is a pillar of what is referred to the "Islamo-gauchism" . libération "only"belongs to the Rothschilds!
Mr. Attewell we clearly have different political views. Some of my French friends would also consider that an attitude of peaceful coexistence with immigrants and asylum seekers from Muslim-majority or multi-religious Middle Eastern countries can be accurately mocked with a word like “Islamo-gauchism.” With them as with you I settle for agreeing to disagree. I have lived on and off in France for many years, and have friends there too from the feared and hated populations—poets, doctors, engineers, students, neighbors of mine, the staff of the hamam next door where I get massages in the winter. Islamophobia is a spreading disease in France, thanks to the horrific deeds of mostly Belgians, and the use the National Front puts them to, but I have hope that even in that nativist country they will eventually be accepted—as increasingly they are in this one, now that the gross violence of 19 Saudis is a generation behind us. Of course we have a long history of grudgingly absorbing immigrants from countries other than England
Oh, dear. Just the other day, either Daria? or Ellie Kona?, or somebody referred me to DW News: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCknLrEdhRCp1aegoMqRaCZg
She also recommended this site: https://www.france24.com/en/
Also, if you have time, we watch the UK's Questions and Answers with the Prime Minister. It gives insight into the issues at play across the UK and especially in the ongoing Labor/Conservative debate. For sheer fun and irreverent comic take, Mock the Week. Both have managed to survive largely virtually through the shut downs.
Thank you very much, Carol Stanton. 👍🏻❤️🤍💙
Reuters International, All Africa - https://allafrica.com/ , Reuters Asia - https://www.reuters.com/news/archive/asia , The Moscow Times - https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ - I tend to seek non- US international news sources.
Thank you very much, Jan Angevine. 👍🏻🤍💙
❤️🤍💙
CNN is of course a place to start or indeed the BBC as both are free. I look at Reuters too as it is also free. Otherwise in print media you need to check the main papers in each country but they are frequently at least partially on subscription. That would be Times in UK or Guardian if you insist on a left wing slant, Le Figaro (right) or Libération (left) in France but readership is far from being as important as in England and coverage of anything but French affairs is "not very important to the French mind. On the screen you will also find Euronews in English.
Stuart, if I may insert a caveat; BBC World News America has, as their 'resident experts', only GOP mouthpieces - Jonathan Turley, the conservative law prof, Anthony Zurcher, their American reporter, and Ron Christie, a Republican analyst.
🙏🏻👍🏻❤️🤍💙
Also Deborah. I am an avid reader of The Economist magazine.
🙏🏻👍🏻❤️🤍💙
Thank you very much, Stuart Attewell. 👍🏻❤️🤍💙
You can also check out DW News (Germany) and France 24 (France). Both have streaming services in English.
You can't blame the filibuster on the writers of the Constitution. It was invented a half-century or more later, by John C. Calhoun, as a pro-slavery maneuver when he noticed the Senate's rules left room for it. The Senate makes its own procedural rules, as does the House.
Calhoun would indeed have his place in todays GOP and not his Democratic origins. He at least was mostly coherent and consistent in his "States rights" philosophy. In those days speeches by key Senators were a major political event and tended to be very long anyway. My point really was that it fitted very well with the approach of the founding fathers as it permitted the majority to obstruct the wishes of the majority...and with impunity ...other than perhaps a little fatigue!