Last night, in an interview with host Sean Hannity on the Fox News Channel, President Donald Trump tried to explain away his blanket pardons for the January 6 rioters, calling the instances of violence against police officers “very minor incidents.”
In today's letter Professor finds two heros: Mr. Bloomberg and U.S. District Judge John Coughenour. I look forward to see more heros will rise against Trump and Republicans who are destroying their own country.
Unlike DJT, Mike Bloomberg is an actual Self-Made Billionaire that has Tangible Assets... Mike Bloomberg also ran New York City which is the largest, most Diverse City in the USA... He cleaned up the Mess that Rudi Giuliani left...
I read recently that people get a huge dopamine hit from doing selfless acts, otherwise known as "helpers high". Added to this must be the adulation from the communities who benefit. Bravo the Bloomsberg's of this world. Here's hoping that after enough naming and shaming, the fragile ego's of The Dirty Three (Musk, Zuckerberg and Bezos) will realise their drug of choice, aka megalomania, is no longer getting them high.
Hello Kazz.... I hope that You are Right... I don't hold hope for these three... Warren Buffet, and Bill Gates have Teamed Up to do some Good... Warren Buffet once compared DJT to a Street-Bum always Panhandling... Class Will Tell...
Yes - the stony look on Trump's face while the Bishop gently spoke truth against him - and he must know of the thousands writing on social media to thank her.
I don’t go on FB often but the other day when I did there was a post from MZ with his wife all dressed up for inauguration gala and then 100s of comments telling him what a scumbag, sellout he is. 😄
He was the first wealthy person to publicly state that his administrative assistant paid more taxes than he did, and he thought that was shameful. Good man.
While I did not always agree with Bloomberg when he was our Mayor - I respected him enormously - he said what he thought; he could not be bought and what he did for the waterfront parks in Brooklyn and other parts of the city was nothing short of transformational. I am so thankful he stepped up to cover our dues. That is indeed heroic.
Trump unleashed January 6th criminals who are unrepentant who are gathering again into paramilitary militias. How does that sit with his lies complaining that we are being flooded with criminals at the border invading???
What I can't believe is that trump is trying to get rid of an office in the Pentagon that works to help the military against unintended civilian deaths. It's getting worse by the hour....
Potter, this is blatant hypocrisy. You can be sure that if death star is complaining about something, he and his minions are doing it in spades. People who are undocumented and working here are not nearly as likely to commit crimes. They do not want to call attention to themselves. Now they are scared to go to work, to school, to church, leave the house. This is so disgusting. And you can be sure some of the brown shirts who work for ICE be delighted to beat people and drag them out of wherever.
Let's at least be honest here. Bloomberg also tried to overturn the "will of the people" when he attempted a third term after New Yorker's chose to impose term limits on city offices.
Any Republican that says the Republicans are the party of law and order are bald-faced liars. We need to call them out because the corporate media isn't going o.
Vigilante justice can and will go both ways. And it doesn't have to be violent. Just like with the sexual predator list, we need to all be aware of where the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are setting up their operations.
And we need to make them and their allies economically destitute. Since Trump has now made discrimination legal, don't hire or sell to these ingrates.
The problem is, there is Maga Party and they won the public's support. The Repblican Party is at best, in hibernation. The Democratic Party lost to Maga - it lost to extremist populism. They have two years to set a new course or be cast aside. Listen to Bernie.
Steve. The oligarchs bought the Presidency with their money and the MAGA lies. Trump is already firing women from the military and guys from Federal agencies according to Stephanie Miller at Progress Radio. They also bought several House seats and a few Senate seats like in Ohio and Montana.
Disagree, Steve. MAGAts are the rubes being manipulated and 'cultified' by the NAZIs. It's not a party, it's a cult. Look at the history of NAZIs from the '30s, and then look at the NAZIs of today. They are virtual mirror images, only today it's worse, due to technology. And I don't think they 'won' any support; rather, they won the apathy of over a third of the population. That third, it seems, is beginning to wake up!
They are a cult but they are the cult party in power. The Nazi's may have been a small cult but they turned into the winning political party. Whatever President Baal says, they do. But cult or not, it is the Maga party that is in power. They got rid of the establishment Republicans - Bush people for example, and Kinzinger and Cheney being the last who had voice, and they are now castrating the Dems. As to winning the vote, our historic direction is determined by those who vote - we have always had many who do not vote, they do not count in a democracy, or in the case of supporting popular extremists, their nonvote is a vote for evil. Those with the most votes and who control the archaic electoral college, wins. That is the reality. Maga will remain the party until they are crushed - and it will take a crushing, not just a few more Dems in two years. Popularism was crushed after decades of doing harm from Jackson until the early 20th century reformers, with notable breaks such as Lincoln. It will take firm vision, dedication to the cause (will), and time. It also won't happen until people on the street stop staying quiet, it has to go way beyond our beloved HCR's daily letters and our responses to each other - we are all ready allies of each other. Public silence supports tyranny.
I am afraid that these pardoned insurrectionists will hunt down the Liz Cheneys and Rachel Maddows. They sure were willing to murder lawmakers on 1/6. Is unfathomably possible that they actually murder trump's perceived enemies and keep getting pardoned thereby creating an unmonitored, uncontrolled militia? Are there ANY guardrails to presidential pardon power??
There is a problem with just watching those known members. Remember that a lot of law enforcement, especially sheriffs’ personnel, who are tied in with those groups as well.
Yes, we have heroes this week. Judge Coughenour, Michael Bloomberg, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budd. It does my heart good to have these angels among us during this especially difficult week. I know more will be coming forward in the coming days and weeks.
Jessica Craven's Substack "Chop Wood, Carry Water" does something similar to that. I subscribed to it after seeing multiple recommendations from this community.
Add to it Judge Beryl Howell. And, even though they endorsed Trump, the Fraternal Order of Police stood against the pardon of the protesters. And Costco is still standing up for DEI.
Costco took a stand and I am happy shopping there. The police seem to be self-serving - the rank and file voted for Trump even as they knew what happened to their brothers and sisters in DC and even as they knew Trump said while campaigning he was going to release them - they sold their souls to Trump. Now with his new orders, Trump will make it almost impossible for accusing police for crossing the line - and some police will rejoice. They sold out the Capitol police and gained an ally against future charges of violating civil rights. No pass from me.
Unfortunately, not all but lots of Republicans. They don’t know how to do anything but follow the leader. Fox News has been telling them for years. What a wonderful candidate Trump is. As a result, they have a hard time figuring out what’s true. I know I have a friend who doesn’t really pay much attention, but she still thinks Trump is wonderful. I am hoping that some of these snoozing Republicans will wake up and realize that they have voted in a monster. And one who owes an enormous amount to both Putin and Saudi Arabia’s power behind the throne.
I totally agree. MAGAts is what they are. (It reminds me of maggots, except they actually provide a necessary function, including being used to debride wounds.) But this crowd needs an agreed upon identifier so everyone is on the same page when referring to them.
Everything’s going to come out in the wash. It will take a while. Biden is old and he stutters but he is smart (Donald really IS in early dementia). and he has not sold his soul to Putin, which Trump did many years ago.
His citations all come from the Trump propaganda machine. Honestly, they’re here to spread malicious lies to detract from the inhumanity of the orange clown they consider the leader of their cult.
"U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly summed up the judges’ outrage when she wrote: 'Dismissal of charges, pardons after convictions, and commutations of sentences will not change the truth of what happened on January 6, 2021. What occurred that day is preserved for the future through thousands of contemporaneous videos, transcripts of trials, jury verdicts, and judicial opinions analyzing and recounting the evidence through a neutral lens. Those records are immutable and represent the truth, no matter how the events of January 6 are described by those charged or their allies.'"
This encapsulates the enduring significance of January 6, highlighting the judges’ insistence that historical records, rather than political narratives, will define the truth.
By not holding #45 accountable soon enough, Merrick Garland permitted all the hard work the DOJ did do to bring Jan.6 rioters to justice to be undone by the stroke of a Sharpie. The release of these violent criminals has put people’s lives in danger. These released felons were dangerously before they rioted at the Capitol. These pardons and the pardons issued in #45’s first term make a mockery of the pardon power. Talk about weaponizing the government. We all saw the videos and photos of January 6. The rioters would certainly have hurt or killed any lawmakers or staff they could have gotten hold of. Can you not imagine Mike Pence struggling to keep his head out of that noose? Did people need to see dead politicians to know how deadly serious those violent people were on that day? The Capitol police officers are heroes because there were not more deaths. Would more dead bodies have shown January 6 to be the violent power grab attempt that it was?
My U.S. senator, Bill Hagerty, approves of what tfg did. His aide said during the conversation, “the senator cares DEEPLY what his constituents think.” I pointed out several J6 felons were from TN and Hagerty was willing to put us at risk from their retribution. I also went on to say Hagerty considers himself a “Christian” but I never remember seeing in the Bible where Jesus said “get even with your enemies.” She thanked me and hung up.
I am so sorry, MLMinET. I am stunned that people buy into that utter garbage, but I see it in my former work cohort. They are brainwashed by their sources of disinformation. I have had at least three of them tell me that the FBI photos of the bathroom at Merde a Lardo were of Biden's house. They are nucking futs.
Right, and all those Antifa and FBI agents that attacked our officers on 1/6 were pardoned by Trump because they were doing his bidding. They can’t have it both ways.
Actually this disastrous monstrosity should lay at the feet of Mitch McConnell and the republicans that did not impeach trump for his attempt to overthrow our democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. McConnell is a traitor to this country, it begins with him.
Next up we’ll see abortion providers slaughtered and clinics destroyed because they see they will never be prosecuted. The pro-life contingent that murders people is quite the message.
Does this herald the beginning succession of people leaving to Bloomberg, the first designated state of The New Democratic Union ? One can dream, huh? Let them eat the dust!
How can this possibly be legally allowed? It won’t . But given them time the rest will hang themselves on the gallow they constructed and choke on the cake they baked. As if that isn’t obvious. What is the catastophy looming that will send us into the most vulnerable predicament America has ever been in…it’s coming!
As my husband always says, what goes around comes around. I absolutely agree with you. The Republican "law makers" aka Congress will soon be urged to surrender their power to whomever is president, Trump, Vance, or Musk, who will then have totalitarian control of the government.
Where are the other brave and courageous wealthy men and women* who can help fund the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement. The countries that benefit the most from DJT and his regime pulling out of both well-run organizations are China and Russia who will have more influence now that the US has exited. *You may want to read How We Learn to be Brave by Bishop Budde, altho it's sold out now.
Isn't this just the other side of the oligarch coin? We shouldn't be asking for handouts from sympathetic, likeminded billionaires. We should be demanding a functioning, sane government, a high bar right now I know. But this is what our taxes should be paying for, not starting a war with Mexico at the border or a looming public health crisis because DT's fragile ego got bruised by WHO. The gutting of fundamental agencies and preparedness by this administration is straining my sanity by the minute.
Yes, but it shouldn't be necessary. The Paris Accord is an agreement between states, and philanthropists, although they play a role in environmental financing, can't replace states.
They will have to shore up within their own circle for a time …we got a fight on our hands that should have been stopped waaay before this..set the task given more strain…
This was good news. My wife brought it to my attention and listening to the report, I feel grateful to Mr. Bloomberg but here is my secondary take, in case no one has raised this point: Michael Bloomberg was one of the 26 or so candidate wannabes that went through the 2020 presidential primary debate process. My wife and I egerly watched every one of those debates and discovered there were plenty of also-rans in that crowded bunch and MB was fairly unimpressive (along with Joe Biden). More than likely, COVID had something or a lot to do with how Biden went on to take control of the Democratic primary process and win the election. Yes he did a good job as president but you had to know that his popularity ratings were in the dumpster. and that foretold last years election results. So my secondary take? He's positioning for another run at the White House...What do y'all think? If it is true, and maybe other billionaires leaning left will apply for the job, I think we lefties are going to have to invite the wealthy (even if they are centrists) to pull us out of mess. TR and FDR and ER (Eleanor) were from the wealthy class and I thought they did a damn good job when this oligarch thing was taking hold in the 20th century.
Check out Senator Christopher Murphy's (D-Connecticut) scathing indictment of the 06jan21 pardon. Start at the three-minute mark. https://youtu.be/ud0OTYq_BAk
Shame resigned from the right side of the aisle after Joe Wilson yelled "you lie" during Obamas' SOTU and faced no consequences for the insult to decorum.
Yes, during the 80s they were shamelesly claiming the moral high ground with Reagan at the helm. I was furious with them but they were fraudulent in their righteousness and successful. They managed to move a whole portion of the voting population in a shift to the right. Progressive policies got thrown under the bus and the next dem to take the stage was Clinton...He was also shameless and resembled a moderate republican to my eyes. Don't forget this https://tinyurl.com/565yn8n3 "Alleged and actual crime and wrongdoing during the Reagan administration exceeded that of previous presidents, including Nixon, Harding, Grant, and Buchanan. Between 1980 and 1988, over 200 individuals from the Reagan administration came under either ethical or criminal investigation." And guess what GH Bush did upon entering office? He pardoned those who had been convicted and jailed.
Incredible. I wish there was a camera trained on some of the GOP senators to watch their reactions, though I suspect they'd look just like Trump did in the church.
Ned McDoodle -- Grateful thanks for your Chris Murphy YouTube link! I'm debating whether or not to post it on Facebook "simply" because Sen. Murphy's life could be put further in danger. I am also wondering how many senators of both parties actually were present. I watched his entire presentation -- no need to skip the first three minutes.
I wonder where the Doomsday clock stands now. Can it be pushed any further towards both hands being straight up without an actual world-ending occurrence?
It’s at its lowest point since the Cuban missile crisis. Donnie no fit. Sociopaths are prone to impulsivity. No discipline in the decision making process. No process, no ethical decision making framework. No framework for problem solving. No consideration of others, or consequences. ( same as Hegseth), and Pete is a no filter / no guardrail / not an advisor, under pressure they launch. I’m afraid.
You've touched on my worst nightmare: a crisis that requires exceptional leadership in order to prevent the unthinkable. When there is a leader whose only consistent trait is the obsessive need for loyalty and the willingness to punish all who aren't, none of us can feel safe.
Consider the possibility that the world-ending occurrence is actually happening now. For us, four years (or more) will seem like an eternity. But four years are merely a moment on the timeline of Earth's history.
If the Project 2025 goons accomplish everything laid out in their agenda, the world will, in fact, end in the very near future. AND THAT IS THE GOAL.
More than anything else, christianists look forward to the end of the world and "The Millennium," or thousand years reign of peace. This is when Jesus returns from Heaven and rules the world. (Don't ask any metaphysical questions.)
Two things are preventing that from happening: 1. The last "heathen" in the remotest corner of the planet must hear the gospel of Jesus, and 2. The battle of Armageddon must take place.
Christianists are doing their utmost to spread their religion around the world and provoke another world war focused on the Middle East, because that's where biblical prophecy says it will take place. All because christianists want their place in the sun. And they don't care who has to die for them to get there.
Thank you for the term "christianists." As a practicing Christian, I have been looking for a way to distance myself from people who profess to be Christian, but who do not adhere to any of Christ's stated principles.
Why not take a leaf from Republican senator Tim Burchett who claimed that it was unclear if some of the defendants were truly violent? "Do I know that they were violent - I don't know" he told CNN's Jim Acosta and he was there (he claimed during the interview that he was the last member of Congress to leave the building on that day).
“Do I know that they were violent - I don't know". Yea, you don’t know because you were hiding under a desk with gas mask on in the Senate chamber as they tried to break down the doors.
If they weren’t violent, then why did Tim Burchett hide (cower) under his desk? We all witnessed, unedited and in real time, the violence and destruction that took place on J6.
Well, the rest of us need to snap out of our comfy apathy because our country is now a 1500-alarm fire. Time to buck up and prepare to defend our democracy and loudly call out these fascist political leaders and their criminal mob.. All of them.
Well, they had their day in court and evidence was produced. Shall we say no one is ever guilty of anything if Burchett and these other clowns claim they didn’t see it with their own eyes. These people are a disgrace to this country.
A number of judges now (Howell, Chutkan, Lamberth, Nichols, and Kollar-Kotelly) have refused to dismiss J6 cases 'with prejudice' which would prevent charges to be filed against the men in the future. Some of these pardons won't be worth the paper they're written on.
The poor man is blind Dana, he didn't see any violence.....not even in the hundreds of very graphic videos played over and over on the news and congressional investigations.
This idea of an “off the books” military type group to support a president is perhaps one of the most frightening aspects of this assault on the very notion of democracy. Yes the act of pardoning them is wrong on its face but the motivation is where the outrage needs to focus. Is this a payback for their support in the attempt to invalidate the electors on January 6th or is this a marshaling of a paramilitary organization to strike fear in any opposition? Or both? For example could a cognitively failing president resist 25th amendment replacement by use of such organizations?
So there always must have been groups like these and also the KKK and hard for me to figure out alll the different threads and twists and turns but were they ever tracked? And like in my town knew but hands were tied?
When I made my last post, and did the math, I realized that it was 40 years ago that I started my career (no freaking way I am that old...oh, yes I am!). I remember thinking that I was on the cutting edge of a new wave in law enforcement (I was, kinda, as a woman). To think that 40 years before I started my career was 1945 (🤯) and I thought the "dinosaurs" (old cops, at that point mostly in service since the late 1960's) were past their prime. We were of one mind, however, about these militia/paramilitary/constitutionalist movements.
My last day in uniform was in April, 2022; I was part time doing courthouse security, and during the George Floyd murder trial, I got to watch the young guys coming into the patrol division. As much as I politically and practically disagreed with a lot of them, they appeared to be cut from the same cloth regarding the anti-government movements.
I have been aware of the paramilitary movement for decades. My town’s police department were aware of one family who had ties in Michigan. That was 1995.
I had to re-read the paragraph about Michael Bloomberg twice to be sure that I did not misunderstand what I read the first time. Kudos to him for not being like the other billionaires and actually doing some good with his money!
"And after Trump announced he would withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), billionaire former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday announced that his philanthropic foundation will cover the financial contribution the U.S. will not. According to Zack Budryk of The Hill, it will also provide the agreement’s reporting requirements for emissions associated with climate change."
"Antisocial personality disorder, sometimes called sociopathy, is a mental health condition in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others. People with antisocial personality disorder tend to purposely make others angry or upset and manipulate or treat others harshly or with cruel indifference. They lack remorse or do not regret their behavior."
I saw DJT's Davos Speech... The Audience seemed Awestruck, Numb... Seems that they can't tell the Difference Between DJT's Lies, and Delusions... Besides sounding Drugged, his Ignorance was Breathtaking, and this was 'Reading' off a Teleprompter!!!... DJT was embarrassing the USA in front of some very Smart People... The 'Atlantic' reported today that DJT also wants to take the Scandinavian Countries as well as Canada, and Greenland... DJT is on an Insane Death Trip... HE IS NOT MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN... DJT IS HUMILIATING US ALL...
No Apache, he is humiliating people like you, me and the readers of this letter. The rest are not being humiliated because, in their profound stupidity, they think he is making America great again.....can't believe what I'm writing 😫
Europe laughs at his stupidity and takes his authoritarian bent seriously. His threats to NATO are because of one fact. Europe understands the existential danger of unregulated social media.
Donald has "daddy issues." For him, the 1950s-60s were the time of Camelot, when his daddy was still alive and building his enormous wealth. Daddy created a fantasy world for Donald, where he was isolated from the real world and had no responsibilities. From his perch in Fred Trump's wealth-bubble, which obscured or distorted reality, America seemed great.
Hitler's Secret Service, the "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH)" was a part of the SS, made up of the most vicious of the Nazi Militia at the time. They were instrumental in the consolidation of all Nazi Militias during "the night of the long knives" under the SS organization led by Himmler. Watch it happen again: "standby and be ready".
Anyone who refers to ANYONE As a modern day Hitler is a Total moron. Let us all know when the gestapo grab you and send you on a rail to an extermination camp. Sick demented humans occupying this social space.
Everybody, the Troll's violations of the 9/24 Terms of Use have been reported with a specific request to take Substack Inc to JAMS SF per their own choice of contract law.
You obviously hadn’t read a lot of people posting to me. I’m not the one who name calls. It’s the children here, the liberal children that love name-calling in fact, they name call using vulgar language on top of that. If you mean, mental illness is name-calling if you want me to be more specific, I will, but it’s not necessary. People here seem to hate for no reason at all, and look for excuses to hate and follow their peers here blindly. It’s the most one-sided discussion website I’ve ever seen.
Of all the people here nobody disagrees with anybody here is pathetic just a bunch of lemmings and if that’s a name-calling …. how can there be discussion after discussion after pages and pages of discussion and not one bit of disagreement? I’ve seen more disorganized schools of fish than I see here.
I can’t believe how horribly I’ve hurt my feelings. Lololol. And I thought the people on this particular sub stack were supposed to be smart, but all they are is one-sided. They’re not even interested in hearing an alternative opinion.
Have you ever tried being outnumbered 100 to one? That’s how pathetic this blog is out of all these people that keep patting each other on the back and kissing each other’s ass I am the only one who has an alternative opinion isn’t that unusual?
Yes. Trump's Brownshirt insurrectionist militia is now free, armed, ready and growing. I will let you know when it heats up, as I did on HCR's site on January 4, 2021 when my MAGA neighbor began target practice and verbally harassing us about Biden killing babies. We think the only thing that saved him from getting arrested at the Capitol on J6 was that he rode down on a church bus, and the minister herded them away when the violence began. By the way, Thank God for this site! HCR readers got me through that horrible night!
Just like Desantis’’ weaponized “state guard” in Florida who act and answer only to and for him. The rest of the country is now seeing what we in Florida have endured as a project 2025 Petri dish these past few years. I’m sickened.
I fear there is an agenda that hasn’t become crystal clear yet. Please accompany me to the end of the pier….. I believe he truly wants to start a Civil War that will give him an excuse to put in place martial law. And by doing that, I believe he can suspend voting rights or voting in general. This guy is got an agenda that we know nothing about just yet.
I think you have a good point, Janis. I have worried about him declaring Martial Law before he became president. There's no question in my mind that the Jan. 6 criminals have become quite emboldened in just the few days since their pardons. They are already threatening revenge. Lest we forget about the paramilitary groups in Portland who had no identification but were rounding up people on the streets during Trump's last term. Terribly frightening and worrisome. They will be all over before we know it.
I will say however, that the news of the day has given me hope. First the news of Federal judge John Coughenour entering a nationwide injunctions against Trump. Then the news of Michael Bloomberg. Isn't it amazing that billionaires can actually do good!
He is always pushing the limit to see what can get away with. If he gets little or no opposition he will go full dictator. That is why we must oppose him.
As I recall, the author of the Agenda said this would be carried out peacefully UNLESS the Left insisted on resistance. The sooner Trump and his core supporters are confronted, the better. Not mentioned here (that I have read) is that Microsoft's software was instrumental in helping Israel's IDF level Gaza. Here I had been thinking Bill Gates was on the side of the angels. He might not have been on the platform with Bezos and Zuckerberg, but he is complicit in the chaos we must address.
Bill Gates is in Kevin Roberts’ (Heritage Foundation President, Project2025 architect) crosshairs. He lists him in his book that JD Vance wrote the forward to.
I'm not sure he needs a civil war, Janis. A Southern border "insurgency" could trigger the 1807 and it gives him all the power he needs to proceed with "culling the American herd". And yes, you are right to be cautious, he is almost at that point.
I don't agree with your contention that we know nothing of his agenda. I think it has been laid out very clearly by quite a few of us. Read Snyder, Applebaum, Contrarian, and commenters right here. And by Trump himself, many times. Maybe listen closer to what he is saying, and filter out the "Kayefabe", and look up the word. He tries to throw us off with a whole bunch of crap, but the agenda is and has been pretty clear, and he lays it out to us quite openly, in my opinion.
Democrats are dithering, but Trump has now literally started a civil war. The white supremacists want revenge for all manner of imagined evil against white men and they will be hunting down anyone who has challenged their insane, conspiracy -theory-laden, violent world view. This is why Republicans have consistently worked so long to make it easier to have gunscand weapons of war, open carry, stand your ground laws, no licensing. Mass mental illness is HERE and we are fools if we don't think it's serious.
MAGA's useful idiots already think they're the revolutionaries.
Keemit Roosevelt wrote a book framing that the Confederacy was a major logical endpoint of the (office-holding) Founders, defeated by Lincoln's Republicans and Reconstruction.
(Then there was another two-party twist ... And another ... But by this point all the MAGA eyes glaze over and prefer to reinforce the eternal false-dichotomy narrative)
Donnyboy is a resentful little bully who wants revenge. Him going on about the "weaponization of the government" was not a complaint or a warning, it was a promise. I won't be surprised if he declares martial law and starts executing his political enemies by the end of this month. Concentration camps for all non-whites and non-heterosexual people may fire up next month. Remember, it took Hitler only a few weeks to get them up and running, while people were still mumbling: "But... But he can't do that, can he?" Yes, he can, because he's got the "yes, you can"-card from the Supreme Court.
"I fear there is an agenda that hasn’t become crystal clear yet."
I think it's simpler than that.
Trump is hugely transactional - you do something for me and I will repay you. He has a list of people he needs to repay, and he's doing it all early - by the week after Super Bowl almost all the outrage will have dissipated, and he knows that. He will have paid off his major pressing debts, and it will all be back to normal.
He has the mainstream media, most cable media, and even social media, nailed down, Congress is secure, and the Supreme Court is pretty safe too. He has nothing to fear really.
The DNC needs to restructure in order to be able to fight. Today, Janis we do not have the leadership organization which even knows how to fight. They are defeated, giving up in Advance as Tim Snyder puts it. Yes, Apache, we certainly need leadership that is actually willing to take the gloves off, although Joan actually put them on didn't she, so correction.
But there also needs to be an organization that knows how to fight a strategic conflict. Trump's transactional activities are only part of the overall Strategic war he is waging. We need to know where and when to defend and where to attack in a Yuge number of skirmishes, many of which we can't engage in directly but need to have the judges fight for us.
As Senator Whitehouse keeps saying and pressing the DNC: "We need an Offensive Coordinator". I think he understands that you can't win the game if you don't supply the team with guidance, and re-structure the teams from the sidelines and by gathering intelligence both from the Offense and Defensive perspective. Without a battle control center, skirmishers are dead meat. The DNC (or whomever) needs to become that now, in the next 3 Months, or we will lose again in 2026 and 2028.
Sure - the Democrats have to become an effective and professional opposition for four long years - but I have no confidence they know how to be that - they are paralysed by being inside the Beltway. Biden was the worst example.
The first thing they need to do (in my my humble Aussie view) is have a serious presidential candidate emerge (and be anointed) pretty-well now. They need to put the GOP on notice that they are serious about taking 2028, and there will NOT be a dynastic handing of the baton to the execrable Hillbilly Vance.
But they won't ... it will be the same ridiculous primary season, as if Washington politics are normal. They are truly hopeless, and don't deserve to govern while they are like that.
No ... to be perfectly blunt, to win they need a straight white guy - a moderate lefty but with union cred - with no skeletons in the closet. If such a person even exists in the US.
As much as it pains me to say it, our country is not able to elect a woman as president. The two times we have run a supremely qualified female candidate, the tangerine taint has won both those elections. If neither a former senator/sec state or senator/vice president could beat a lying con man, this country cannot elect a woman presiden.
It's not only about "the guy/person only, Ian. In my experience, it is the whole structure that needs to change. A shadow organization for times that we have majority, and a shadow organization for times they have the majority, each doing very different things tactically and strategically.
We Can Hope... The DNC needs an Inspiring Figure that can Lift-Up the Downtrodden... For a SWG, a Conventional Choice, I would suggest Seth Moulton... In 2016, and 2020 I preferred Bernie.. DJT will leave a Mess... We Will Need A Genuine Hero/Heroine...
Trump has surrounded himself and his administration with the most vile, racist, misogynistic, bigots and violent xenophobic weasels whispering in his fecal aroma'd ear.
I agree with your concern, but think some clarification is in order. First, Donald is not an evil mastermind; he is a puppet. He is motivated by desperation to stay out of prison and increase his wealth. The christianists of Project 2025 have harnessed that desperation in furtherance of their agenda to start, not a civil war, but a world war, known to them as Armageddon. With the U.S. Government weakened and mired in chaos, the entire global geopolitical system will be destabilized, providing ideal conditions for a global conflict.
Republican Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, who has touted her military experience, betrays her record of service by showing herself a coward afraid to reject Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense. She should know better than most Senators that he is unfit to occupy the highest leadership position in DoD. And she betrays women in the military who, like her, have been or still are victims of sexual predation. She is a disgrace and should never be forgiven for failing her country
I wrote this to my homies, and I urge you to make some calls:
I called Lisa Murkowski because she said that she'll reject Pete Hegseth's nomination. I called her DC office--(202)-224-6665--and left a voicemail message thanking her for her decision. I heard subsequently that Susan Collins had made the same decision, but I didn't bother to call her since she has said and done a bunch of ridiculously unforgivable things.
However, I did call Joni Ernst--(202) 224-3254--and urged her to join her sisters in the
Senate by voting against Hegseth, pointing out that there were millions of current and former service members who were more qualified than Hegseth without his negatives of drunkenness, adultery, misogyny, white nationalist ties, and mismanagement of the groups he led.
All I can say is thank you for your coverage. I can’t bear to listen to or read MSM right now, but it’s important to know what’s happening. I truly thank you.
Susan... I can sympathize with Tuning Out the Corporate MSM... However, they do Report on how the 'Mucky Mucks' are Trending... Notice on how the Mainstream Churches are starting to Resist... They also resisted the Iraq War in 2003... The Evangelicals?
I do not belong to a vulnerable, readily identifiable minority. I am not poor. I am old, but in pretty good health for my age. I live in a comfortable, safe community. By almost any standards, I am a privileged, affluent, white person.
So why am I literally trembling as I read this? I have lived in this country for nearly 83 years. I have lived in years when I strongly opposed the President, my governor or a U.S. senator, yet I have never lived in fear.
So why am I now terrified? I am absolutely terrified of living in this country and contemplating the horrors being set in motion by a despicable, cruel, corrupt, criminal fraud with millions of my fellow citizens and complicit officeholders ready to, at best ignore, and at worst support his devastation of my country.
To repost (will do so as long as needed!) Susan Sontag: “Courage is as contagious as fear”…..let’s all spread some courage around…look to those who speak truth to power…most recently Bishop Budde….may there be many, many more!🗽💪🏼🇺🇸☮️
Absolutely. Fear needs to be recognized. Then dealt with. Fear itself is not, not a good motivator, except as a motivator to find courage. Courage must be found and can be found. Fear is seductive. Be good to yourself. Pat yourself on the back. Rest. Take a walk, even a tiny one. Find connection. Read some of Churchill's words from the beginning of WWll. Things looked dire! Re-read the post above.
Today, both Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) said they could not support Hegseth’s nomination. They were the only two Republicans who refused to vote in favor of his nomination advancing to the full Senate today.
Well, ya, know, there are only two kinds of people, M and F, so using the Republicans in the Senate as an example, here's how to tell them apart: the spineless, sycophantic cowards are the men, and at least some of the women are individuals of courage and integrity.
Actually, because the exec order claims that gender is identified as that at conception, there is only ONE "gender" BECAUSE ALL FERTILIZED EGGS ARE FEMALE. The chipping off of the chromosome happens well after conception. Also, as I say in a comment above, don't give the gals any kudos: they are merely virtue signaling because they know their votes don't count. If the Senate majority were only 1 or 2 you can betcha that one of them would have capitulated despite being "concerned" (Collins's fave word which shows what a hypocrite she really is).
" There are three kinds of men. The ones who learn by reading. The few who learn by observing. The rest have to pee on the electric fence for themselves." Will Rogers
"Billionaire former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday announced that his philanthropic foundation will cover the financial contribution the U.S. will not. According to Zack Budryk of The Hill, it will also provide the agreement’s reporting requirements for emissions associated with climate change."
What we’re witnessing is the most corrupt president of all time. Full stop. He obviously made a deal with Silicon Valley Tech and venture capitalist to favor crypto and their AI adventure without regulation. They are buying up his meme crypto to make him tens of billions, taking the risk and reselling retail at any price even if it craters, the bigs won’t be that hurt, besides, it’s just another investment like the election. Spend 100s of million on Trump, make 100s of billions later. They need a place to hide the cash to crypto origin, and that probably explains the threats to Panama. And tonight the crypto laundering has spread to El Salvador. How much damage can America take? Diabolical Donnie.
"What we’re witnessing is the most corrupt president of all time. Full stop." Of that I have no doubt. And while big time corruption is nothing new, I would think the most corrupt American political party of all time as well. They enable one another.
Yeah, Trump makes Warren Harding look like an amateur candy thief. He makes Nixon look like a bumbler. I don't believe in god but we might need one for our country to survive.
Weaponized social psychology of social media is a force as powerful the world has ever seen. The new “idol” , Elon wants us all to worship, #bendtheknee2TECH
Thank you for tracking this barrage of news, Heather. If nothing else, we can enjoy the moments when Trump turns on his former/current allies.
According to Alemany, “multiple colleagues had raised concerns with the speaker’s office about the potential for public disclosure of ‘sexual texts from members who were trying to engage in sexual favors’ with Hutchinson.” Is Hutchinson suing those members of Congress for sexual harrasment and intimidation? Will their names be released to the public.
I'm grateful I still have the mental strength to read about this !@#%&%#! from Trump and his accomplices. I hope everyone who still feels overwhelmed by his election will join all of us actively opposing Trump. Check out www.indivisible.org.
Per WaPo quoting Cassidy Hutchinson's attorney, who says Hutchinson stands behind every word of her testimony despite "men in powerful positions" attacking her.
It is now only matter of a short time before the Republican lawmakers' damning emails & other forms of sexual harassment of a 28 year old witness are identified. The evidence is apparently on Cassidy's phone.
Clearly, she has been protected. If you heard her testimony and read her book, I think you can see why. She is one of my heroes, and was able to see what was happening and not back down from her observations. After her testimony, she never returned to the apartment where she had lived out of fear for her life.
I have watched & questioned many witnesses in my legal career. Cassidy Hutchinson is the definition of credibility & personification of courage. She is a remarkable person.
So Bloomberg responds to the war of oligarchs with generosity and respect for facts and science. Good to know, go man! Give them he'll by setting good examples!
Well here we sadly part company. If you want to send me an extra few thousand dollars a month I would give up Amazon gladly, but i live on relatively meager social security in San Francisco where rent takes more than half my SS payment each month (and that is with rent control!). With physical mobility difficulties, basic shopping needs are hard to do except by delivery and like or not there is no way I can give up lining Bezos' wallet and still make ends meet. I wish there was a viable alternative but so far none of the other options have been close to adequate. Sigh...
Trump voiced his oft-repeated complaint to Hannity about the Biden administration's open-door immigration policy and repeated his claim that other countries were 'emptying out their prisons' into the United States when he had literally just done the same thing. He also blamed the fires on California and bizarrely claimed that the Californians were "forest people" and claimed he had spoken to them and that's how they described themselves to him (Stephen Colbert joked "I am Groot").
Russell John Netto, don’t forget that Trump agreed to release all the Taliban military prisoners as part of the agreement that he made with the Taliban in Afghanistan. He’s good about releasing dangerous violent criminals.
He also wanted to invite the Taliban to Camp David on 9/11, no less, to sign the agreement. Tone deaf doesn’t begin to explain him, but maybe malicious psychopathy does.
It was a prisoner exchange (1,000 US troops for 5,000 Taliban) but the secretive nature of parts of the deal was partly to blame for the loss of morale and eventual collapse of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces as they were overrun by the Taliban, according to a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
You can bet Trump never held back on watering his resorts in California even when there were restrictions. Golf courses use more water than farming but no one has pointed out that hypocrisy. When he comes today to survey the fire damage he will denigrate the state and probably make everyone stay at his property while charging exorbitant prices against our taxes.
He did nothing to protect federal lands in California while he was 45, he’ll blame that on the state. There are quite a few Republicans in the House in those fire ravaged districts and they’re starting to push back on Johnson for his unnamed conditions (blackmail) for aid to their districts.
I did notice a lot of prescribed burns way up north on federal land on the fire map yesterday. I’m sure courtesy of the Biden administration.
The last time he visited California after damaging wildfires he visited the town of Paradise, ravaged by the Camp Fire, and in front of the cameras he twice within a few seconds called it 'Pleasure' instead of Paradise even though after the first aberration he was reminded by those around him of its name. He didn't know and he didn't care.
It's interesting that when approached to comment on the release of violent J6 offenders a number of Republican members of Congress said something to the effect that they wanted to move forward and not look backwards. Yet a couple of days later House Speaker Mike Johnson is convening a special committee to review the events of that day, presumably to rebut the findings of the January 6 Commission. One of Trump's executive orders repealed an order from 1965 by LBJ which he claimed mandated affirmative action. So much for looking forward - this is all about retribution.
Their rhetoric shifts with the breeze and the time of day. Anything to give the illusion of talking sense. The primacy of "States Rights" AND an imperial president. "Law and order" and pardons for unrepentant crooks.
JL, perhaps the far-right Repubs in power are trying to clarify that they are the party of LAWN Order, you know, raking the forests and bringing water down from the north to SoCal to water them.
I can’t wait for that pipeline from Canada to pour water into our emptied reservoirs. Meanwhile I’m hoping the rain coming starting tomorrow brings us some relief. We had a fire close to UCSD yesterday that evacuated the area right next to my grandson’s dorms and I told him to get in a car with anyone that had one and bring them all here if they needed to go. Thankfully San Diego fire has been doing an awesome job stomping these out quickly.
I think the majority of state legislators, including in Republican-controlled states, would have been disconcerted by Trump going further than attaching conditions to aid for natural disasters to a position where states had to bear the full burden themselves. He told Hannity that FEMA just made things worse (presumably this refers to the garbage published on social media about the actions of FEMA in response to hurricane Helene). He said that Oklahoma, for example, dealt pretty well themselves with tornadoes even though they always receive substantial assistance from FEMA.
This might be a dyslexia-type thing in me, but I am confused. Are you referring to individual legislators (as in the people) or legislatures (the bodies of government)? I do not see the legislative bodies in any way "disconcerted" by these actions. There might be one or two individuals that are "disconcerted" but not what I see in the legislative bodies.
My understanding is that a state legislature is made up of individual legislators. I am doubtful that any Republican legislatures are likely to openly deplore Trump's suggestion, but individuals will be concerned about the response of the people they represent if they believe that no help will be forthcoming when they most need it.. One would imagine that most of those legislators are in practice very happy to have FEMA support in a crisis, in spite of moaning at other times about federal government spending.
Bravo, Michael Bloomberg!
In today's letter Professor finds two heros: Mr. Bloomberg and U.S. District Judge John Coughenour. I look forward to see more heros will rise against Trump and Republicans who are destroying their own country.
Unlike DJT, Mike Bloomberg is an actual Self-Made Billionaire that has Tangible Assets... Mike Bloomberg also ran New York City which is the largest, most Diverse City in the USA... He cleaned up the Mess that Rudi Giuliani left...
#notallbillionaires
I read recently that people get a huge dopamine hit from doing selfless acts, otherwise known as "helpers high". Added to this must be the adulation from the communities who benefit. Bravo the Bloomsberg's of this world. Here's hoping that after enough naming and shaming, the fragile ego's of The Dirty Three (Musk, Zuckerberg and Bezos) will realise their drug of choice, aka megalomania, is no longer getting them high.
Hello Kazz.... I hope that You are Right... I don't hold hope for these three... Warren Buffet, and Bill Gates have Teamed Up to do some Good... Warren Buffet once compared DJT to a Street-Bum always Panhandling... Class Will Tell...
I won't be holding my breath either Apache, but I do draw solace from imagining their inner torment - that the whole world views them as scumbags.
Yes - the stony look on Trump's face while the Bishop gently spoke truth against him - and he must know of the thousands writing on social media to thank her.
I don’t go on FB often but the other day when I did there was a post from MZ with his wife all dressed up for inauguration gala and then 100s of comments telling him what a scumbag, sellout he is. 😄
No more Amazon purchases for me.
Did Warren B say that? I'm happy to hear it. I used to work for a very prominent Finance Director in London, whose respect for him was immense.
Yes... For a Genuine Billionaire, Warren Buffet lives very Humbly...
He was the first wealthy person to publicly state that his administrative assistant paid more taxes than he did, and he thought that was shameful. Good man.
"a Street-Bum always Panhandling" - thank you for a big laugh!
"There's class warfare, alright, but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war. And we're winning."
-Warren Buffett
Becky... Thanks for reminding Us... I believe that Warren Buffett said said this about 20years ago....
Please explain what Class Will Tell means; I don't understand. Many thanks!
Meaning “class” isn’t bought or inherited. It’s doing or saying the right thing even when it isn’t popular.
Kazz, great point
Hope they don’t take the path of the Nazi “illiterati.”
While I did not always agree with Bloomberg when he was our Mayor - I respected him enormously - he said what he thought; he could not be bought and what he did for the waterfront parks in Brooklyn and other parts of the city was nothing short of transformational. I am so thankful he stepped up to cover our dues. That is indeed heroic.
We should write him a thank you note too! Does anyone know his address?
Trump unleashed January 6th criminals who are unrepentant who are gathering again into paramilitary militias. How does that sit with his lies complaining that we are being flooded with criminals at the border invading???
How long before they start wearing brown shirts?
Depends on what color Hegseth ( or Trump-- maybe Melania) decides upon.
Snicker.
Potter, they will all have new hats with a wide prime, primarily black.
They’ll be Ivanka designed, made in China and sold for $100 when they only cost $2 to make.
When Trump starts to market it
Probably won't be a long wait before the brown shirts arrive with Enrique Tarrio as the new Ernst Rohm.
They have already planned for that using "legal" not ethical means. They spell it out in Project 2025 I think..
No logic, no where. Just used the rhetoric to attract the haters
We have progressed from open borders to open jails.
The hypocrisy is indigestible....
What I can't believe is that trump is trying to get rid of an office in the Pentagon that works to help the military against unintended civilian deaths. It's getting worse by the hour....
Potter, they are "good 'Muricans", and not criminal in the MAGAt world.
Ally, vomit.
Double. 🤮🤮
Potter, this is blatant hypocrisy. You can be sure that if death star is complaining about something, he and his minions are doing it in spades. People who are undocumented and working here are not nearly as likely to commit crimes. They do not want to call attention to themselves. Now they are scared to go to work, to school, to church, leave the house. This is so disgusting. And you can be sure some of the brown shirts who work for ICE be delighted to beat people and drag them out of wherever.
My thoughts exactly Potter
Touche!!!!!
Let's at least be honest here. Bloomberg also tried to overturn the "will of the people" when he attempted a third term after New Yorker's chose to impose term limits on city offices.
L
Any Republican that says the Republicans are the party of law and order are bald-faced liars. We need to call them out because the corporate media isn't going o.
Vigilante justice can and will go both ways. And it doesn't have to be violent. Just like with the sexual predator list, we need to all be aware of where the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are setting up their operations.
And we need to make them and their allies economically destitute. Since Trump has now made discrimination legal, don't hire or sell to these ingrates.
There is no more Republican party. They are NAZIs. They mirror Germany of the 1930's. And we all need to refer to them as such. All the time.
ALL THE TIME
The problem is, there is Maga Party and they won the public's support. The Repblican Party is at best, in hibernation. The Democratic Party lost to Maga - it lost to extremist populism. They have two years to set a new course or be cast aside. Listen to Bernie.
Steve. The oligarchs bought the Presidency with their money and the MAGA lies. Trump is already firing women from the military and guys from Federal agencies according to Stephanie Miller at Progress Radio. They also bought several House seats and a few Senate seats like in Ohio and Montana.
Disagree, Steve. MAGAts are the rubes being manipulated and 'cultified' by the NAZIs. It's not a party, it's a cult. Look at the history of NAZIs from the '30s, and then look at the NAZIs of today. They are virtual mirror images, only today it's worse, due to technology. And I don't think they 'won' any support; rather, they won the apathy of over a third of the population. That third, it seems, is beginning to wake up!
They are a cult but they are the cult party in power. The Nazi's may have been a small cult but they turned into the winning political party. Whatever President Baal says, they do. But cult or not, it is the Maga party that is in power. They got rid of the establishment Republicans - Bush people for example, and Kinzinger and Cheney being the last who had voice, and they are now castrating the Dems. As to winning the vote, our historic direction is determined by those who vote - we have always had many who do not vote, they do not count in a democracy, or in the case of supporting popular extremists, their nonvote is a vote for evil. Those with the most votes and who control the archaic electoral college, wins. That is the reality. Maga will remain the party until they are crushed - and it will take a crushing, not just a few more Dems in two years. Popularism was crushed after decades of doing harm from Jackson until the early 20th century reformers, with notable breaks such as Lincoln. It will take firm vision, dedication to the cause (will), and time. It also won't happen until people on the street stop staying quiet, it has to go way beyond our beloved HCR's daily letters and our responses to each other - we are all ready allies of each other. Public silence supports tyranny.
I used to call that party Repukeigans, I think I will change that to Repubnazis now.
Judy, just the party of death.
They believe that law is for their own benefit, and order is to control others.
They are going to be protected financially by Mu$k and they are going to receive donations from maga people .From poor bastards they will be rich.
I am afraid that these pardoned insurrectionists will hunt down the Liz Cheneys and Rachel Maddows. They sure were willing to murder lawmakers on 1/6. Is unfathomably possible that they actually murder trump's perceived enemies and keep getting pardoned thereby creating an unmonitored, uncontrolled militia? Are there ANY guardrails to presidential pardon power??
There is a problem with just watching those known members. Remember that a lot of law enforcement, especially sheriffs’ personnel, who are tied in with those groups as well.
They.Just. Don't. Care.
Yes, we have heroes this week. Judge Coughenour, Michael Bloomberg, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budd. It does my heart good to have these angels among us during this especially difficult week. I know more will be coming forward in the coming days and weeks.
Your comment gives me an idea. We should have a weekly list called “this week’s heroes.”
Jessica Craven's Substack "Chop Wood, Carry Water" does something similar to that. I subscribed to it after seeing multiple recommendations from this community.
I like that idea.
Love it
And MLMinET…. You are on that list…. Me too!
Add to it Judge Beryl Howell. And, even though they endorsed Trump, the Fraternal Order of Police stood against the pardon of the protesters. And Costco is still standing up for DEI.
Costco took a stand and I am happy shopping there. The police seem to be self-serving - the rank and file voted for Trump even as they knew what happened to their brothers and sisters in DC and even as they knew Trump said while campaigning he was going to release them - they sold their souls to Trump. Now with his new orders, Trump will make it almost impossible for accusing police for crossing the line - and some police will rejoice. They sold out the Capitol police and gained an ally against future charges of violating civil rights. No pass from me.
And so “we” are!!!!! YES! WE ARE!
They are MAGAts, not Republicans. There are no more Republicans
Unfortunately, not all but lots of Republicans. They don’t know how to do anything but follow the leader. Fox News has been telling them for years. What a wonderful candidate Trump is. As a result, they have a hard time figuring out what’s true. I know I have a friend who doesn’t really pay much attention, but she still thinks Trump is wonderful. I am hoping that some of these snoozing Republicans will wake up and realize that they have voted in a monster. And one who owes an enormous amount to both Putin and Saudi Arabia’s power behind the throne.
I totally agree. MAGAts is what they are. (It reminds me of maggots, except they actually provide a necessary function, including being used to debride wounds.) But this crowd needs an agreed upon identifier so everyone is on the same page when referring to them.
NAZIs
Many of us! Let’s go!
If enough of these selfless acts pile up, maybe djt will get so angry that he has a coronary.
I am cautiously optimistic that my senator (Collins, ME) joined the opposition to Hegseth.
Btw, is Baron Trump now only half a citizen?
Hero's
You mean same people who lied about Biden's mental state? Ukraine?
COVID vaccine? Hunter Biden laptop? Lawfare? The election? Harris winning
Iowa by 5%?
Those people? Stenographers for the Democratic party.
Biden and Harris are honorable democrats. They assembled an administration which was also honorable.
In addition to first felon, how many left his administration in shame?
Everything’s going to come out in the wash. It will take a while. Biden is old and he stutters but he is smart (Donald really IS in early dementia). and he has not sold his soul to Putin, which Trump did many years ago.
And Trump was never smart.
Stop. Just Stop. Unless you can produce citations for these absurd statements, you should just be quiet.
His citations all come from the Trump propaganda machine. Honestly, they’re here to spread malicious lies to detract from the inhumanity of the orange clown they consider the leader of their cult.
Good point! Yep, two shining examples of goodness.
That would take people with a lot of what Republicans don't have.
- Pulled Quote -
"U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly summed up the judges’ outrage when she wrote: 'Dismissal of charges, pardons after convictions, and commutations of sentences will not change the truth of what happened on January 6, 2021. What occurred that day is preserved for the future through thousands of contemporaneous videos, transcripts of trials, jury verdicts, and judicial opinions analyzing and recounting the evidence through a neutral lens. Those records are immutable and represent the truth, no matter how the events of January 6 are described by those charged or their allies.'"
This encapsulates the enduring significance of January 6, highlighting the judges’ insistence that historical records, rather than political narratives, will define the truth.
By not holding #45 accountable soon enough, Merrick Garland permitted all the hard work the DOJ did do to bring Jan.6 rioters to justice to be undone by the stroke of a Sharpie. The release of these violent criminals has put people’s lives in danger. These released felons were dangerously before they rioted at the Capitol. These pardons and the pardons issued in #45’s first term make a mockery of the pardon power. Talk about weaponizing the government. We all saw the videos and photos of January 6. The rioters would certainly have hurt or killed any lawmakers or staff they could have gotten hold of. Can you not imagine Mike Pence struggling to keep his head out of that noose? Did people need to see dead politicians to know how deadly serious those violent people were on that day? The Capitol police officers are heroes because there were not more deaths. Would more dead bodies have shown January 6 to be the violent power grab attempt that it was?
My U.S. senator, Bill Hagerty, approves of what tfg did. His aide said during the conversation, “the senator cares DEEPLY what his constituents think.” I pointed out several J6 felons were from TN and Hagerty was willing to put us at risk from their retribution. I also went on to say Hagerty considers himself a “Christian” but I never remember seeing in the Bible where Jesus said “get even with your enemies.” She thanked me and hung up.
I am so sorry, MLMinET. I am stunned that people buy into that utter garbage, but I see it in my former work cohort. They are brainwashed by their sources of disinformation. I have had at least three of them tell me that the FBI photos of the bathroom at Merde a Lardo were of Biden's house. They are nucking futs.
Right, and all those Antifa and FBI agents that attacked our officers on 1/6 were pardoned by Trump because they were doing his bidding. They can’t have it both ways.
Actually this disastrous monstrosity should lay at the feet of Mitch McConnell and the republicans that did not impeach trump for his attempt to overthrow our democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. McConnell is a traitor to this country, it begins with him.
Garland failed us. He was our Nero.
Next up we’ll see abortion providers slaughtered and clinics destroyed because they see they will never be prosecuted. The pro-life contingent that murders people is quite the message.
For once I agree.
Jo. What are you agreeing to??
Those exact words were what I was going to post, so I will just say Ditto!
Does this herald the beginning succession of people leaving to Bloomberg, the first designated state of The New Democratic Union ? One can dream, huh? Let them eat the dust!
How can this possibly be legally allowed? It won’t . But given them time the rest will hang themselves on the gallow they constructed and choke on the cake they baked. As if that isn’t obvious. What is the catastophy looming that will send us into the most vulnerable predicament America has ever been in…it’s coming!
Mark.Those.Words.
As my husband always says, what goes around comes around. I absolutely agree with you. The Republican "law makers" aka Congress will soon be urged to surrender their power to whomever is president, Trump, Vance, or Musk, who will then have totalitarian control of the government.
Yup that was the plan…saw it coming in 2016.
Where are the other brave and courageous wealthy men and women* who can help fund the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement. The countries that benefit the most from DJT and his regime pulling out of both well-run organizations are China and Russia who will have more influence now that the US has exited. *You may want to read How We Learn to be Brave by Bishop Budde, altho it's sold out now.
Isn't this just the other side of the oligarch coin? We shouldn't be asking for handouts from sympathetic, likeminded billionaires. We should be demanding a functioning, sane government, a high bar right now I know. But this is what our taxes should be paying for, not starting a war with Mexico at the border or a looming public health crisis because DT's fragile ego got bruised by WHO. The gutting of fundamental agencies and preparedness by this administration is straining my sanity by the minute.
At last a bit has trickled down
What a mensch!
Yes, but it shouldn't be necessary. The Paris Accord is an agreement between states, and philanthropists, although they play a role in environmental financing, can't replace states.
They will have to shore up within their own circle for a time …we got a fight on our hands that should have been stopped waaay before this..set the task given more strain…
This was good news. My wife brought it to my attention and listening to the report, I feel grateful to Mr. Bloomberg but here is my secondary take, in case no one has raised this point: Michael Bloomberg was one of the 26 or so candidate wannabes that went through the 2020 presidential primary debate process. My wife and I egerly watched every one of those debates and discovered there were plenty of also-rans in that crowded bunch and MB was fairly unimpressive (along with Joe Biden). More than likely, COVID had something or a lot to do with how Biden went on to take control of the Democratic primary process and win the election. Yes he did a good job as president but you had to know that his popularity ratings were in the dumpster. and that foretold last years election results. So my secondary take? He's positioning for another run at the White House...What do y'all think? If it is true, and maybe other billionaires leaning left will apply for the job, I think we lefties are going to have to invite the wealthy (even if they are centrists) to pull us out of mess. TR and FDR and ER (Eleanor) were from the wealthy class and I thought they did a damn good job when this oligarch thing was taking hold in the 20th century.
We SAW the attack on the capitol with our own eyes. A day we can never forget.
Trump wants his own off-books army in addition to being commander in chief of the United States military.
He is behaving exactly as expected. None of us should be surprised.
Check out Senator Christopher Murphy's (D-Connecticut) scathing indictment of the 06jan21 pardon. Start at the three-minute mark. https://youtu.be/ud0OTYq_BAk
Wow! If Republican senators can look themselves in the mirror without flinching after that, there is no shame among them.
Shame resigned from the right side of the aisle after Joe Wilson yelled "you lie" during Obamas' SOTU and faced no consequences for the insult to decorum.
There has been no shame for decades, didn’t anybody notice…
Yes, during the 80s they were shamelesly claiming the moral high ground with Reagan at the helm. I was furious with them but they were fraudulent in their righteousness and successful. They managed to move a whole portion of the voting population in a shift to the right. Progressive policies got thrown under the bus and the next dem to take the stage was Clinton...He was also shameless and resembled a moderate republican to my eyes. Don't forget this https://tinyurl.com/565yn8n3 "Alleged and actual crime and wrongdoing during the Reagan administration exceeded that of previous presidents, including Nixon, Harding, Grant, and Buchanan. Between 1980 and 1988, over 200 individuals from the Reagan administration came under either ethical or criminal investigation." And guess what GH Bush did upon entering office? He pardoned those who had been convicted and jailed.
I remember the old witticism back then: the Moral Majority is neither.
HOLY COW!
Incredible. I wish there was a camera trained on some of the GOP senators to watch their reactions, though I suspect they'd look just like Trump did in the church.
A stiff frown, I suspect.
Thanks, Ned. Wow. And then what happened?
Two days ago, I believe.
Ned McDoodle -- Grateful thanks for your Chris Murphy YouTube link! I'm debating whether or not to post it on Facebook "simply" because Sen. Murphy's life could be put further in danger. I am also wondering how many senators of both parties actually were present. I watched his entire presentation -- no need to skip the first three minutes.
Risk is the price that we all will pay as we stand up to this fascism.
Great and important clip Ned thank you
The clock strikes 13.
The clock struck 13 on Nov 5.
I wonder where the Doomsday clock stands now. Can it be pushed any further towards both hands being straight up without an actual world-ending occurrence?
It’s at its lowest point since the Cuban missile crisis. Donnie no fit. Sociopaths are prone to impulsivity. No discipline in the decision making process. No process, no ethical decision making framework. No framework for problem solving. No consideration of others, or consequences. ( same as Hegseth), and Pete is a no filter / no guardrail / not an advisor, under pressure they launch. I’m afraid.
You've touched on my worst nightmare: a crisis that requires exceptional leadership in order to prevent the unthinkable. When there is a leader whose only consistent trait is the obsessive need for loyalty and the willingness to punish all who aren't, none of us can feel safe.
Consider the possibility that the world-ending occurrence is actually happening now. For us, four years (or more) will seem like an eternity. But four years are merely a moment on the timeline of Earth's history.
If the Project 2025 goons accomplish everything laid out in their agenda, the world will, in fact, end in the very near future. AND THAT IS THE GOAL.
More than anything else, christianists look forward to the end of the world and "The Millennium," or thousand years reign of peace. This is when Jesus returns from Heaven and rules the world. (Don't ask any metaphysical questions.)
Two things are preventing that from happening: 1. The last "heathen" in the remotest corner of the planet must hear the gospel of Jesus, and 2. The battle of Armageddon must take place.
Christianists are doing their utmost to spread their religion around the world and provoke another world war focused on the Middle East, because that's where biblical prophecy says it will take place. All because christianists want their place in the sun. And they don't care who has to die for them to get there.
Thank you for the term "christianists." As a practicing Christian, I have been looking for a way to distance myself from people who profess to be Christian, but who do not adhere to any of Christ's stated principles.
Why not take a leaf from Republican senator Tim Burchett who claimed that it was unclear if some of the defendants were truly violent? "Do I know that they were violent - I don't know" he told CNN's Jim Acosta and he was there (he claimed during the interview that he was the last member of Congress to leave the building on that day).
“Do I know that they were violent - I don't know". Yea, you don’t know because you were hiding under a desk with gas mask on in the Senate chamber as they tried to break down the doors.
When are people like Acosta going to stop asking questions he knows won't be answered and simply say, "Stop your goddam lying"?
When CNN grows a pair.
CNN is a lost cause
Ha! I cannot see that coming anytime soon.
12th of Never, Philoctetes.
Was going to post the same thing but you beat me to it!
😁
If they weren’t violent, then why did Tim Burchett hide (cower) under his desk? We all witnessed, unedited and in real time, the violence and destruction that took place on J6.
If that was MAGA's 'day of love', it would probably be wise to lay low when they get angry.
Nope. They're notches.
Burchett says aliens are living under the seas. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5102361-tim-burchett-aliens-earth/
Burchett is a walking MAGA machine and a stupendous embarrassment to TN.
Well, the rest of us need to snap out of our comfy apathy because our country is now a 1500-alarm fire. Time to buck up and prepare to defend our democracy and loudly call out these fascist political leaders and their criminal mob.. All of them.
The Daily Show on why Tim Burchett and other GOP legislators are “unclear if some of the defendants were truly violent”. 😂
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwWhs_6x42TyRM4Wstoq8HA
I will continue to call and write to “half-horse🐴”, Rick Scott. Not giving up in the “freedom” state!
They need eye drops to be able to see " clearly "
Never miss it!
Burchett is TN’s village idiot. And my rep.
At least you are not one of the many idiots in your "village" .Congratulations!!!
Wish he had stayed (on January 6), perhaps he’d be singing a different tune.
Well, they had their day in court and evidence was produced. Shall we say no one is ever guilty of anything if Burchett and these other clowns claim they didn’t see it with their own eyes. These people are a disgrace to this country.
A number of judges now (Howell, Chutkan, Lamberth, Nichols, and Kollar-Kotelly) have refused to dismiss J6 cases 'with prejudice' which would prevent charges to be filed against the men in the future. Some of these pardons won't be worth the paper they're written on.
Not surprised but further filling with more hatred. He is Satan.
The poor man is blind Dana, he didn't see any violence.....not even in the hundreds of very graphic videos played over and over on the news and congressional investigations.
Blind with a blank, open-eyed stare as when he sat looking at Bishop Budde.
Exactly right Joann 😉
This idea of an “off the books” military type group to support a president is perhaps one of the most frightening aspects of this assault on the very notion of democracy. Yes the act of pardoning them is wrong on its face but the motivation is where the outrage needs to focus. Is this a payback for their support in the attempt to invalidate the electors on January 6th or is this a marshaling of a paramilitary organization to strike fear in any opposition? Or both? For example could a cognitively failing president resist 25th amendment replacement by use of such organizations?
George, the answer to your first question is "both". The answer to your second is "yes."
So there always must have been groups like these and also the KKK and hard for me to figure out alll the different threads and twists and turns but were they ever tracked? And like in my town knew but hands were tied?
When I made my last post, and did the math, I realized that it was 40 years ago that I started my career (no freaking way I am that old...oh, yes I am!). I remember thinking that I was on the cutting edge of a new wave in law enforcement (I was, kinda, as a woman). To think that 40 years before I started my career was 1945 (🤯) and I thought the "dinosaurs" (old cops, at that point mostly in service since the late 1960's) were past their prime. We were of one mind, however, about these militia/paramilitary/constitutionalist movements.
My last day in uniform was in April, 2022; I was part time doing courthouse security, and during the George Floyd murder trial, I got to watch the young guys coming into the patrol division. As much as I politically and practically disagreed with a lot of them, they appeared to be cut from the same cloth regarding the anti-government movements.
I have been aware of the paramilitary movement for decades. My town’s police department were aware of one family who had ties in Michigan. That was 1995.
I've been aware since 1985 when I started my law enforcement career.
From one George to another: that is my worst nightmare.
The ‘off-books’ army is so scary because I think our military mostly takes their oath to defend the constitution not a person seriously
A day that "will live in infamy " Asher.
He is behaving like a dictator!
I had to re-read the paragraph about Michael Bloomberg twice to be sure that I did not misunderstand what I read the first time. Kudos to him for not being like the other billionaires and actually doing some good with his money!
===========================================================
"And after Trump announced he would withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), billionaire former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday announced that his philanthropic foundation will cover the financial contribution the U.S. will not. According to Zack Budryk of The Hill, it will also provide the agreement’s reporting requirements for emissions associated with climate change."
We will see resistance coming from surprising places---as we did with the bishop's soft-voice plea for mercy.
Time to organize and prepare another impeachment proceeding, this time with a conviction. We need Jamie Raskin.James Hawley
And in two years we need a majority in Congress to get a conviction James. It's an imperative job .
Who pardons seditious conspiracists and police assaulting riot insurrectionists?
The sociopath that’s who. Donnie is one sick demented empty person.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/antisocial-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353928
Nice summary.
"Antisocial personality disorder, sometimes called sociopathy, is a mental health condition in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others. People with antisocial personality disorder tend to purposely make others angry or upset and manipulate or treat others harshly or with cruel indifference. They lack remorse or do not regret their behavior."
I saw DJT's Davos Speech... The Audience seemed Awestruck, Numb... Seems that they can't tell the Difference Between DJT's Lies, and Delusions... Besides sounding Drugged, his Ignorance was Breathtaking, and this was 'Reading' off a Teleprompter!!!... DJT was embarrassing the USA in front of some very Smart People... The 'Atlantic' reported today that DJT also wants to take the Scandinavian Countries as well as Canada, and Greenland... DJT is on an Insane Death Trip... HE IS NOT MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN... DJT IS HUMILIATING US ALL...
No Apache, he is humiliating people like you, me and the readers of this letter. The rest are not being humiliated because, in their profound stupidity, they think he is making America great again.....can't believe what I'm writing 😫
He did before 11-5
Europe laughs at his stupidity and takes his authoritarian bent seriously. His threats to NATO are because of one fact. Europe understands the existential danger of unregulated social media.
Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Z.
Zucked by Roger McNamee
Sounds like Trump to the T!
He has malignant narcissistic personality disorder as well, and it is a dangerous combination for a political figure.
Trump loves ignorant gullible followers.
That’s so clear on the
whitehouse.gov website.
And he also is so strangely stuck in the 1950’s1960’s when he thought America was great.
Roy Cohn-education. Donnie got a Masters in stupidity with an emphasis in fascism.
Donald has "daddy issues." For him, the 1950s-60s were the time of Camelot, when his daddy was still alive and building his enormous wealth. Daddy created a fantasy world for Donald, where he was isolated from the real world and had no responsibilities. From his perch in Fred Trump's wealth-bubble, which obscured or distorted reality, America seemed great.
Got a mirror?
I suppose it's all to be expected when a convicted but unsanctioned felon runs the government.
AND wants his own militia
Hitler's Secret Service, the "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH)" was a part of the SS, made up of the most vicious of the Nazi Militia at the time. They were instrumental in the consolidation of all Nazi Militias during "the night of the long knives" under the SS organization led by Himmler. Watch it happen again: "standby and be ready".
Anyone who refers to ANYONE As a modern day Hitler is a Total moron. Let us all know when the gestapo grab you and send you on a rail to an extermination camp. Sick demented humans occupying this social space.
Go get a life. Not a depraved mental illness.
You can disagree about an idea, but don't stoop to name calling. If that is what you're looking for, go to X or FB.
Everybody, the Troll's violations of the 9/24 Terms of Use have been reported with a specific request to take Substack Inc to JAMS SF per their own choice of contract law.
Teresa, do not bother. This guy gets a boner from attacking others.
You obviously hadn’t read a lot of people posting to me. I’m not the one who name calls. It’s the children here, the liberal children that love name-calling in fact, they name call using vulgar language on top of that. If you mean, mental illness is name-calling if you want me to be more specific, I will, but it’s not necessary. People here seem to hate for no reason at all, and look for excuses to hate and follow their peers here blindly. It’s the most one-sided discussion website I’ve ever seen.
Of all the people here nobody disagrees with anybody here is pathetic just a bunch of lemmings and if that’s a name-calling …. how can there be discussion after discussion after pages and pages of discussion and not one bit of disagreement? I’ve seen more disorganized schools of fish than I see here.
The camps (in Texas) are being designed already. Stay tunned.
Cool. But simply will act as pass throughs.
I thought AIs were supposed to be smart, there are always exceptions, I guess.
I can’t believe how horribly I’ve hurt my feelings. Lololol. And I thought the people on this particular sub stack were supposed to be smart, but all they are is one-sided. They’re not even interested in hearing an alternative opinion.
A pretorian guard!
Whatever it takes so that one of your children isn’t abducted and raped multiple times so be thankful.
Better shot in the next school shooting? By a good, white 'murican gun owner?
There is something seriously aggressively wrong with you, Rick.
Have you ever tried being outnumbered 100 to one? That’s how pathetic this blog is out of all these people that keep patting each other on the back and kissing each other’s ass I am the only one who has an alternative opinion isn’t that unusual?
Now thing that a Trump presidency can’t solve
Calm down Rick.
Calm down I am calm. I’m totally calm. I’m just sitting here watching the meltdowns for no reason.
¿Does anyone fear that Trump spontaneously created a paramilitary force with those odious pardons? 😨
Rep. Goldman (D-N.Y.) on the latter day brown / black / blue shirts; forty-five second vid. 🤢 https://www.c-span.org/clip/news-conference/user-clip-rep-dan-goldman-d-ny-on-the-06jan21-pardons-45secvid/5150910
Yes. Trump's Brownshirt insurrectionist militia is now free, armed, ready and growing. I will let you know when it heats up, as I did on HCR's site on January 4, 2021 when my MAGA neighbor began target practice and verbally harassing us about Biden killing babies. We think the only thing that saved him from getting arrested at the Capitol on J6 was that he rode down on a church bus, and the minister herded them away when the violence began. By the way, Thank God for this site! HCR readers got me through that horrible night!
Good lord! Keep us posted.
Well I am girding me for civil war.
EDIT: prayer your way via FedEx, MaryPat.
Unfortunately yes. This is the nucleus of Trump’s American Brownshirt gang.
Brownshirt is the accurate description.
Just like Desantis’’ weaponized “state guard” in Florida who act and answer only to and for him. The rest of the country is now seeing what we in Florida have endured as a project 2025 Petri dish these past few years. I’m sickened.
After I finished swearing, Jen, I will send a prayer your way via FedEx.
Yep Ned, see my comment above.
Yes.
Watch the Frontline documentary "Unfit."
Ellen, I am not finding that Frontline documentary. Is there more to the title?
Is this what you're looking for?
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DecJ02Rg5qaE&ved=2ahUKEwipusS5x46LAxXHDkQIHW6cDyoQFnoECBYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3qWG931DyMPlVRfw6T0szA
I fear there is an agenda that hasn’t become crystal clear yet. Please accompany me to the end of the pier….. I believe he truly wants to start a Civil War that will give him an excuse to put in place martial law. And by doing that, I believe he can suspend voting rights or voting in general. This guy is got an agenda that we know nothing about just yet.
I think you have a good point, Janis. I have worried about him declaring Martial Law before he became president. There's no question in my mind that the Jan. 6 criminals have become quite emboldened in just the few days since their pardons. They are already threatening revenge. Lest we forget about the paramilitary groups in Portland who had no identification but were rounding up people on the streets during Trump's last term. Terribly frightening and worrisome. They will be all over before we know it.
I will say however, that the news of the day has given me hope. First the news of Federal judge John Coughenour entering a nationwide injunctions against Trump. Then the news of Michael Bloomberg. Isn't it amazing that billionaires can actually do good!
Yep. It's like Heather's closing sentence. Rain is forecast.
The criminals are planning to run for office. How frightening is that?
And they already run Texas
And the country… the chief seditionist is who 49 million voted for…
The frightening thing Marilyn is that many people if not the majority in their districts or states would vote for them.
What terrible thought .
He is always pushing the limit to see what can get away with. If he gets little or no opposition he will go full dictator. That is why we must oppose him.
So far he seems to stick with the points on Agenda2025 - that seems to be a good indicator what's to come.
As I recall, the author of the Agenda said this would be carried out peacefully UNLESS the Left insisted on resistance. The sooner Trump and his core supporters are confronted, the better. Not mentioned here (that I have read) is that Microsoft's software was instrumental in helping Israel's IDF level Gaza. Here I had been thinking Bill Gates was on the side of the angels. He might not have been on the platform with Bezos and Zuckerberg, but he is complicit in the chaos we must address.
Bill Gates is in Kevin Roberts’ (Heritage Foundation President, Project2025 architect) crosshairs. He lists him in his book that JD Vance wrote the forward to.
How does Microsoft stop people from doing evil with their product?
I'm not sure he needs a civil war, Janis. A Southern border "insurgency" could trigger the 1807 and it gives him all the power he needs to proceed with "culling the American herd". And yes, you are right to be cautious, he is almost at that point.
I don't agree with your contention that we know nothing of his agenda. I think it has been laid out very clearly by quite a few of us. Read Snyder, Applebaum, Contrarian, and commenters right here. And by Trump himself, many times. Maybe listen closer to what he is saying, and filter out the "Kayefabe", and look up the word. He tries to throw us off with a whole bunch of crap, but the agenda is and has been pretty clear, and he lays it out to us quite openly, in my opinion.
I think what you need in the US is a revolution, not a civil war.
Democrats are dithering, but Trump has now literally started a civil war. The white supremacists want revenge for all manner of imagined evil against white men and they will be hunting down anyone who has challenged their insane, conspiracy -theory-laden, violent world view. This is why Republicans have consistently worked so long to make it easier to have gunscand weapons of war, open carry, stand your ground laws, no licensing. Mass mental illness is HERE and we are fools if we don't think it's serious.
Yes, I chatter with a few online, and there is just no bridging the huge gap, there is really no middle ground.
So sorry 😔
MAGA's useful idiots already think they're the revolutionaries.
Keemit Roosevelt wrote a book framing that the Confederacy was a major logical endpoint of the (office-holding) Founders, defeated by Lincoln's Republicans and Reconstruction.
(Then there was another two-party twist ... And another ... But by this point all the MAGA eyes glaze over and prefer to reinforce the eternal false-dichotomy narrative)
Project 2025 is in full swing.
https://www.project2025.org/policy/
Donnyboy is a resentful little bully who wants revenge. Him going on about the "weaponization of the government" was not a complaint or a warning, it was a promise. I won't be surprised if he declares martial law and starts executing his political enemies by the end of this month. Concentration camps for all non-whites and non-heterosexual people may fire up next month. Remember, it took Hitler only a few weeks to get them up and running, while people were still mumbling: "But... But he can't do that, can he?" Yes, he can, because he's got the "yes, you can"-card from the Supreme Court.
"I fear there is an agenda that hasn’t become crystal clear yet."
I think it's simpler than that.
Trump is hugely transactional - you do something for me and I will repay you. He has a list of people he needs to repay, and he's doing it all early - by the week after Super Bowl almost all the outrage will have dissipated, and he knows that. He will have paid off his major pressing debts, and it will all be back to normal.
He has the mainstream media, most cable media, and even social media, nailed down, Congress is secure, and the Supreme Court is pretty safe too. He has nothing to fear really.
Say what you will - he is the consummate winner.
Then we must fight to change that going forward.
The DNC needs to restructure in order to be able to fight. Today, Janis we do not have the leadership organization which even knows how to fight. They are defeated, giving up in Advance as Tim Snyder puts it. Yes, Apache, we certainly need leadership that is actually willing to take the gloves off, although Joan actually put them on didn't she, so correction.
But there also needs to be an organization that knows how to fight a strategic conflict. Trump's transactional activities are only part of the overall Strategic war he is waging. We need to know where and when to defend and where to attack in a Yuge number of skirmishes, many of which we can't engage in directly but need to have the judges fight for us.
As Senator Whitehouse keeps saying and pressing the DNC: "We need an Offensive Coordinator". I think he understands that you can't win the game if you don't supply the team with guidance, and re-structure the teams from the sidelines and by gathering intelligence both from the Offense and Defensive perspective. Without a battle control center, skirmishers are dead meat. The DNC (or whomever) needs to become that now, in the next 3 Months, or we will lose again in 2026 and 2028.
Sure - the Democrats have to become an effective and professional opposition for four long years - but I have no confidence they know how to be that - they are paralysed by being inside the Beltway. Biden was the worst example.
The first thing they need to do (in my my humble Aussie view) is have a serious presidential candidate emerge (and be anointed) pretty-well now. They need to put the GOP on notice that they are serious about taking 2028, and there will NOT be a dynastic handing of the baton to the execrable Hillbilly Vance.
But they won't ... it will be the same ridiculous primary season, as if Washington politics are normal. They are truly hopeless, and don't deserve to govern while they are like that.
The DNC needs a Genuine 'Joan d'Arc'....
No ... to be perfectly blunt, to win they need a straight white guy - a moderate lefty but with union cred - with no skeletons in the closet. If such a person even exists in the US.
Ian, we also need a young, straight, white guy.
As much as it pains me to say it, our country is not able to elect a woman as president. The two times we have run a supremely qualified female candidate, the tangerine taint has won both those elections. If neither a former senator/sec state or senator/vice president could beat a lying con man, this country cannot elect a woman presiden.
It's not only about "the guy/person only, Ian. In my experience, it is the whole structure that needs to change. A shadow organization for times that we have majority, and a shadow organization for times they have the majority, each doing very different things tactically and strategically.
We Can Hope... The DNC needs an Inspiring Figure that can Lift-Up the Downtrodden... For a SWG, a Conventional Choice, I would suggest Seth Moulton... In 2016, and 2020 I preferred Bernie.. DJT will leave a Mess... We Will Need A Genuine Hero/Heroine...
Sherrod Brown, late Senator from Ohio.
Keep an eye on Josh Shapiro
Faiz Shakir to chair the DNC is a good start here....
DJT may honestly believe that he is a 'Cartoon SuperHero'... However Father Time waits for No One... Watch his Davos Speech Today...
And then we get to see how Vance DGAF anymore than DJT did...
".... he is the consummate winner" ......until he's not.
it is spelled out
https://www.project2025.org/policy/
Trump has surrounded himself and his administration with the most vile, racist, misogynistic, bigots and violent xenophobic weasels whispering in his fecal aroma'd ear.
I think the president of South Korea inspired him
I agree with your concern, but think some clarification is in order. First, Donald is not an evil mastermind; he is a puppet. He is motivated by desperation to stay out of prison and increase his wealth. The christianists of Project 2025 have harnessed that desperation in furtherance of their agenda to start, not a civil war, but a world war, known to them as Armageddon. With the U.S. Government weakened and mired in chaos, the entire global geopolitical system will be destabilized, providing ideal conditions for a global conflict.
Vlad knows
Completely agree, I don’t know why more people don’t see it.
Republican Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, who has touted her military experience, betrays her record of service by showing herself a coward afraid to reject Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense. She should know better than most Senators that he is unfit to occupy the highest leadership position in DoD. And she betrays women in the military who, like her, have been or still are victims of sexual predation. She is a disgrace and should never be forgiven for failing her country
I wrote this to my homies, and I urge you to make some calls:
I called Lisa Murkowski because she said that she'll reject Pete Hegseth's nomination. I called her DC office--(202)-224-6665--and left a voicemail message thanking her for her decision. I heard subsequently that Susan Collins had made the same decision, but I didn't bother to call her since she has said and done a bunch of ridiculously unforgivable things.
However, I did call Joni Ernst--(202) 224-3254--and urged her to join her sisters in the
Senate by voting against Hegseth, pointing out that there were millions of current and former service members who were more qualified than Hegseth without his negatives of drunkenness, adultery, misogyny, white nationalist ties, and mismanagement of the groups he led.
I just tried to call Ernsts office and her mail box is full. Well I am sure she is getting an earful.
Will she listen? We shall see...
She's also got district offices, so you can try those. I need to go back to sleep, so I can't look for them now, but if you do, please add them.
IA: (712) 352-1167
Sioux City, IA 51101 -- PHONE: (712) 252-1550
Des Moines, IA (515) 284-4574
She has been a disgrace for a spell now.
Much as I am appalled by her behavior, it might be useful to consider whether or not she has been treated for trauma.
She is up for re-election in 2026. Didn't one of the billionaires threaten to pour $$$ into the campaign against her if she didn't fall into line??
I'm pretty sure the answer is "yes".
Terrible. Selling her soul.
All I can say is thank you for your coverage. I can’t bear to listen to or read MSM right now, but it’s important to know what’s happening. I truly thank you.
I have turned off cable news for good.
What took you so long? I did that years ago.
I have not had a TV for years. TV is a "vast wasteland." That's what my dad used to say.
Susan... I can sympathize with Tuning Out the Corporate MSM... However, they do Report on how the 'Mucky Mucks' are Trending... Notice on how the Mainstream Churches are starting to Resist... They also resisted the Iraq War in 2003... The Evangelicals?
I do not belong to a vulnerable, readily identifiable minority. I am not poor. I am old, but in pretty good health for my age. I live in a comfortable, safe community. By almost any standards, I am a privileged, affluent, white person.
So why am I literally trembling as I read this? I have lived in this country for nearly 83 years. I have lived in years when I strongly opposed the President, my governor or a U.S. senator, yet I have never lived in fear.
So why am I now terrified? I am absolutely terrified of living in this country and contemplating the horrors being set in motion by a despicable, cruel, corrupt, criminal fraud with millions of my fellow citizens and complicit officeholders ready to, at best ignore, and at worst support his devastation of my country.
FEAR is a good protective reaction, especially when it is warranted. It is certainly warranted now. Sigh...
To repost (will do so as long as needed!) Susan Sontag: “Courage is as contagious as fear”…..let’s all spread some courage around…look to those who speak truth to power…most recently Bishop Budde….may there be many, many more!🗽💪🏼🇺🇸☮️
Absolutely. Fear needs to be recognized. Then dealt with. Fear itself is not, not a good motivator, except as a motivator to find courage. Courage must be found and can be found. Fear is seductive. Be good to yourself. Pat yourself on the back. Rest. Take a walk, even a tiny one. Find connection. Read some of Churchill's words from the beginning of WWll. Things looked dire! Re-read the post above.
Don't be scairt! Just put one foot down and then the other to help out in what ever way you can! Si! se pueda
Thank you for expressing my concerns, too. I am 84 and so fearful for our future and our neighbors. How has this happened?
Today, both Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) said they could not support Hegseth’s nomination. They were the only two Republicans who refused to vote in favor of his nomination advancing to the full Senate today.
Where are the men?
Well, ya, know, there are only two kinds of people, M and F, so using the Republicans in the Senate as an example, here's how to tell them apart: the spineless, sycophantic cowards are the men, and at least some of the women are individuals of courage and integrity.
Actually, because the exec order claims that gender is identified as that at conception, there is only ONE "gender" BECAUSE ALL FERTILIZED EGGS ARE FEMALE. The chipping off of the chromosome happens well after conception. Also, as I say in a comment above, don't give the gals any kudos: they are merely virtue signaling because they know their votes don't count. If the Senate majority were only 1 or 2 you can betcha that one of them would have capitulated despite being "concerned" (Collins's fave word which shows what a hypocrite she really is).
Some
Men?
" There are three kinds of men. The ones who learn by reading. The few who learn by observing. The rest have to pee on the electric fence for themselves." Will Rogers
Jonathan, as I have posted here before, but could use another listen: Keb’ Mo’ Put A Woman In Charge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FciQeRGYFlw
Millions of us DID try!!!!
They are behind the turd
"Billionaire former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday announced that his philanthropic foundation will cover the financial contribution the U.S. will not. According to Zack Budryk of The Hill, it will also provide the agreement’s reporting requirements for emissions associated with climate change."
Thanks a billion...
Or however much is needed to match this action!
It's good to see legal pushback against these outrageous executive orders.
! ! !
Well said!!!
What we’re witnessing is the most corrupt president of all time. Full stop. He obviously made a deal with Silicon Valley Tech and venture capitalist to favor crypto and their AI adventure without regulation. They are buying up his meme crypto to make him tens of billions, taking the risk and reselling retail at any price even if it craters, the bigs won’t be that hurt, besides, it’s just another investment like the election. Spend 100s of million on Trump, make 100s of billions later. They need a place to hide the cash to crypto origin, and that probably explains the threats to Panama. And tonight the crypto laundering has spread to El Salvador. How much damage can America take? Diabolical Donnie.
"What we’re witnessing is the most corrupt president of all time. Full stop." Of that I have no doubt. And while big time corruption is nothing new, I would think the most corrupt American political party of all time as well. They enable one another.
Yeah, Trump makes Warren Harding look like an amateur candy thief. He makes Nixon look like a bumbler. I don't believe in god but we might need one for our country to survive.
If there is one, he's sitting this one out.
Or, god is here, but can only work through the minds of people. If they don't want to listen, they won't.
Or scarfing popcorn while watching this sh*t-show!
Deity-chasing and believing in old myths and fairy tales is why this species is devolving.
And the republican fascists have weaponized god.
Weaponized social psychology of social media is a force as powerful the world has ever seen. The new “idol” , Elon wants us all to worship, #bendtheknee2TECH
God, or we could just regulate meta, google, and twitter, all social media.
Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff
#scalingcryptocorruption billions more for billionaires
Thank you for tracking this barrage of news, Heather. If nothing else, we can enjoy the moments when Trump turns on his former/current allies.
According to Alemany, “multiple colleagues had raised concerns with the speaker’s office about the potential for public disclosure of ‘sexual texts from members who were trying to engage in sexual favors’ with Hutchinson.” Is Hutchinson suing those members of Congress for sexual harrasment and intimidation? Will their names be released to the public.
I'm grateful I still have the mental strength to read about this !@#%&%#! from Trump and his accomplices. I hope everyone who still feels overwhelmed by his election will join all of us actively opposing Trump. Check out www.indivisible.org.
Per WaPo quoting Cassidy Hutchinson's attorney, who says Hutchinson stands behind every word of her testimony despite "men in powerful positions" attacking her.
It is now only matter of a short time before the Republican lawmakers' damning emails & other forms of sexual harassment of a 28 year old witness are identified. The evidence is apparently on Cassidy's phone.
Go Jacqueline go.
Clearly, she has been protected. If you heard her testimony and read her book, I think you can see why. She is one of my heroes, and was able to see what was happening and not back down from her observations. After her testimony, she never returned to the apartment where she had lived out of fear for her life.
I have watched & questioned many witnesses in my legal career. Cassidy Hutchinson is the definition of credibility & personification of courage. She is a remarkable person.
So Bloomberg responds to the war of oligarchs with generosity and respect for facts and science. Good to know, go man! Give them he'll by setting good examples!
Fortunately not ALL rich people are self centered infants. Unfortunately at least a few are (obviously Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg, Ellison, and others).
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
-- Lord Acton
👆this too….
"Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad"
👆this….hope the gods hurry up on the “destroy” part!
Ketamine, anyone?
Stop buying and paying billionaires and corporations for their CRAP!!! Stop supporting the people crushing us and our lives!
Well here we sadly part company. If you want to send me an extra few thousand dollars a month I would give up Amazon gladly, but i live on relatively meager social security in San Francisco where rent takes more than half my SS payment each month (and that is with rent control!). With physical mobility difficulties, basic shopping needs are hard to do except by delivery and like or not there is no way I can give up lining Bezos' wallet and still make ends meet. I wish there was a viable alternative but so far none of the other options have been close to adequate. Sigh...
Spellcheck? Oh dear. I had to read that twice to see what you were exhorting him to do. :)
Trump voiced his oft-repeated complaint to Hannity about the Biden administration's open-door immigration policy and repeated his claim that other countries were 'emptying out their prisons' into the United States when he had literally just done the same thing. He also blamed the fires on California and bizarrely claimed that the Californians were "forest people" and claimed he had spoken to them and that's how they described themselves to him (Stephen Colbert joked "I am Groot").
Russell John Netto, don’t forget that Trump agreed to release all the Taliban military prisoners as part of the agreement that he made with the Taliban in Afghanistan. He’s good about releasing dangerous violent criminals.
https://dpo.org/news/fact-check-trump-gave-taliban-everything-they-wanted-laid-groundwork-for-afghanistan-challenge/&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwirwuDj0o2LAxWJTjABHSasEFEQFnoECBgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0Rg2_s2fbMGlFEiG1SwyrZ
He also wanted to invite the Taliban to Camp David on 9/11, no less, to sign the agreement. Tone deaf doesn’t begin to explain him, but maybe malicious psychopathy does.
It was a prisoner exchange (1,000 US troops for 5,000 Taliban) but the secretive nature of parts of the deal was partly to blame for the loss of morale and eventual collapse of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces as they were overrun by the Taliban, according to a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
"repeated his claim that other countries were 'emptying out their prisons' into the United States when he had literally just done the same thing. "
Except that he is really doing it.
Behold the trackless Los Angeles Wilderness.
You can bet Trump never held back on watering his resorts in California even when there were restrictions. Golf courses use more water than farming but no one has pointed out that hypocrisy. When he comes today to survey the fire damage he will denigrate the state and probably make everyone stay at his property while charging exorbitant prices against our taxes.
He did nothing to protect federal lands in California while he was 45, he’ll blame that on the state. There are quite a few Republicans in the House in those fire ravaged districts and they’re starting to push back on Johnson for his unnamed conditions (blackmail) for aid to their districts.
I did notice a lot of prescribed burns way up north on federal land on the fire map yesterday. I’m sure courtesy of the Biden administration.
The last time he visited California after damaging wildfires he visited the town of Paradise, ravaged by the Camp Fire, and in front of the cameras he twice within a few seconds called it 'Pleasure' instead of Paradise even though after the first aberration he was reminded by those around him of its name. He didn't know and he didn't care.
It's interesting that when approached to comment on the release of violent J6 offenders a number of Republican members of Congress said something to the effect that they wanted to move forward and not look backwards. Yet a couple of days later House Speaker Mike Johnson is convening a special committee to review the events of that day, presumably to rebut the findings of the January 6 Commission. One of Trump's executive orders repealed an order from 1965 by LBJ which he claimed mandated affirmative action. So much for looking forward - this is all about retribution.
Their rhetoric shifts with the breeze and the time of day. Anything to give the illusion of talking sense. The primacy of "States Rights" AND an imperial president. "Law and order" and pardons for unrepentant crooks.
"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!"
Or oligarchs pulling the the strings.
JL, perhaps the far-right Repubs in power are trying to clarify that they are the party of LAWN Order, you know, raking the forests and bringing water down from the north to SoCal to water them.
I can’t wait for that pipeline from Canada to pour water into our emptied reservoirs. Meanwhile I’m hoping the rain coming starting tomorrow brings us some relief. We had a fire close to UCSD yesterday that evacuated the area right next to my grandson’s dorms and I told him to get in a car with anyone that had one and bring them all here if they needed to go. Thankfully San Diego fire has been doing an awesome job stomping these out quickly.
😂
🤣
I think the majority of state legislators, including in Republican-controlled states, would have been disconcerted by Trump going further than attaching conditions to aid for natural disasters to a position where states had to bear the full burden themselves. He told Hannity that FEMA just made things worse (presumably this refers to the garbage published on social media about the actions of FEMA in response to hurricane Helene). He said that Oklahoma, for example, dealt pretty well themselves with tornadoes even though they always receive substantial assistance from FEMA.
This might be a dyslexia-type thing in me, but I am confused. Are you referring to individual legislators (as in the people) or legislatures (the bodies of government)? I do not see the legislative bodies in any way "disconcerted" by these actions. There might be one or two individuals that are "disconcerted" but not what I see in the legislative bodies.
My understanding is that a state legislature is made up of individual legislators. I am doubtful that any Republican legislatures are likely to openly deplore Trump's suggestion, but individuals will be concerned about the response of the people they represent if they believe that no help will be forthcoming when they most need it.. One would imagine that most of those legislators are in practice very happy to have FEMA support in a crisis, in spite of moaning at other times about federal government spending.
Yet ANOTHER example of oxyMORONS, Russell!!!!!