Yesterday Jen Psaki opened the day’s Press Briefing simply exuberant.
Introducing John Kerry and Gina McCarthy for a climate briefing and Q&A, she was bubbling with enthusiasm and pride in the administration. Later she took questions and no matter how tough or repetitive they were, she kept her cool, positive attitude and answered each one – except, a question about Marjorie Taylor Greene, about whom Ms. Psaki said, she would “not speak further about her… in this briefing room”.
The contrast between Ms. Psaki, who is fronting for a President with integrity, and those who fronted for the fraud who recently vacated the premises, was so dramatic I felt genuine joy streaming into my heart.
I clean my house one room at a time, and some chores that are more unpleasant and some stains more difficult than others. They need more effort, maybe a little Ajax – but at the end of the day, when I throw the windows open and clear the air, the house is more or less the way I hoped it would be when I started the job.
I know we will lose some battles. We’ve got some stubborn, old stains to deal with and a lingering stench that will take a good airing to clear. But yesterday in the Briefing Room we witnessed the power of truth telling – of doing a job when you know you are doing the right thing.
I have faith that Joe and Kamala and the powerful team they have assembled are Ajax-strong enough to clean this nation’s house – and perhaps (with our help) the senate too!
And on the other side of my brain, there is this:
Trumpist Representatives Boebert (CO) and Greene (GA) were both given Committee assignments by McCarthy.
The party formerly known as Republican (PFKAR) has done the math and chosen their course: They have embraced the Trumpist cause.
Their number controls most of the States. They will likely gerrymander the districts and take the House and Senate in the next two years. The majority of Americans oppose them, but existing rules favor their agenda.
We can either change the rules or change minds. Neither of these seem likely to change outcomes in the short run.
Short of taking up arms, how do we prevail? How does Democracy prevail?
The conflict I’m experiencing right now isn’t unique to me, of that I’m quite sure. At the end of the day, I stand on the side of supporting the President and encouraging our elected representatives to do the right thing, while working to unseat those Trumpists who currently hold office.
But, I also believe that we need to be thinking about and working on, plans to turn things around in States and Localities as well as on the Federal level, and that is not going to be a short-term project.
I just became re-energized in issues of voting machine security. In NYS, the state-wide Board of Elections is voting on certifying equipment that has been widely panned. If the equipment gets certified, then county boards of election can and might purchase these items. I researched the issues, read the web sites of the manufacturer and a testing lab and a white-hat hacking group, followed activist tweets, reached out to people I know to talk about what they might do (become aware of the issues and contact the BoE).
This was harder and more frustrating than dealing with strictly national issues, because there are fewer eyes and fewer interested journalists.
But I feel that I had come to grips with real-world issues, closer to home.
That is exactly what HCR has suggested we do. My sister (one of the least political people I've ever known) has joined the planning commission of her tiny town of Phoenix, OR as they move to rebuild after the Almeda Fire last September (over 1/2 the town was destroyed, including a LOT of low income housing that is in very desirable locations). I am represented by two Democratic senators (Jeff Merkely and Ron Wyden) and a Democratic representative (Peter DeFazio), and Oregon has a very secure vote by mail system that has been in place for 20+ years. I'm thinking school board or police commision for me.
So sorry to hear about the devastation in Phoenix, OR. My family lived in Phoenix for a short time in the 1960s and I attended 8th grade there. Kudos to both you and your sister!
I'm just hoping that Kentuckians are researching what happened with the Senatorial race where Amy McGrath seemed to be lined up to at least make it a close race and possibly win, and then McConnell won handily. According to Alison Greene in DC Reports (Dec. 19, 2020):
"Even as Republicans across the country still insist that the election was rife with fraudulent Democratic votes, no one’s asking how McConnell managed one of the most lopsided landslides of the Nov. 3 election. They should. An investigation of Kentucky voting results by DCReport raises significant questions about the vote tallies in McConnell’s state.
-- McConnell racked up huge vote leads in traditionally Democratic strongholds, including counties that he had never before carried.
-- There were wide, unexplained discrepancies between the vote counts for presidential candidates and down-ballot candidates.
-- Significant anomalies exist in the state’s voter records. Forty percent of the state’s counties carry more voters on their rolls than voting-age citizens.
-- Kentucky and many other states using vote tabulation machines made by Election Systems & Software all reported down-ballot race results at significant odds with pre-election polls."
One thing that happened was Goodwife Chao's massive DOL budget dump on Kentucky a month before Nov 3. Talk about a gigantic thumb on the pork scale.
KY sounds like the 2004 Repug electoral theft in Ohio which returned Shrub to the WH. The odds of all the election variables aligning in the GOP's favor was 37 million to one, yet they did. Coincidence? I think not.
I read about that and was absolutely astounded that it didn't get more media attention. BTW, Kentucky uses E&S voting machines, not Dominion, and I smell a real ratfink move by the Republicans to sully Dominion's reputation (projecting, projecting, projecting, the Roy Cohn maneuver) so E&S could get installed in more places. Remember, Ivanka bout the rights to Chinese voting machines.
These machines are ridiculously insecure no matter what you do right now, paper voting with scanning machines, so you have the two factor (electronic tabulation through the scanner, then as a fallback manual counts of paper ballots): this is the only way to go.
As long as you have "non-political experts" handling the cyber protection and evaluating the machines that you place within a "firewall" that politicians can't get at....machine are great as long as they leave a paper trail.
I feel very confident that New York has and historically has had secure voting. So this leaves me to wonder ...
Which voting machines are they considering? Most importantly, who exactly is questioning the equipment, “that has been widely panned.”
I’d like to know the specific groups you have researched Bob, and their political bent.
Let us not be mistaken that this is a widespread problem throughout our democracy. The voting irregularities happen in states who have a history of voter suppression. These are basically southern states where the voting rights of blacks and other minorities, historically, have been challenged by a white majority. I held my breath through the entire Georgia recount, simply because of the Republican Gov’s successful elimination of tens of thousands of black voters, pro to his 2018 race against Stacey Abrams.
I remain very skeptical of claims of any potential voter subterfuge in states that have had active voter drives to increase participation, such as New York, AND haver never been cited for suppression, as is the case throughout the south.
-- Hand-marked, hand-counted paper ballots. Voting machines should not both "help" the voter mark a ballot and cast the ballot (put it in a secure bin) unless the voter's disability requires machine assistance; and
-- Voting machines should not be connected to the Internet.
Re: Jen Psaki. She has experience, broad and deep knowledge of how government works, clarity in communication and civility and respect for the reporters in the room. The contrast with the most recent spokesperson is startling. I was amazed at how seamlessly she managed the room and moved from topic to topic. She referred to notes but did not have to read responses but was able to articulate them from her own understanding. Smart (and, my peeve re Kayleigh, she wears clothes with sleeves!!!!). But it was her easy civility and unfailing respect, regardless of question, that made the press conference a pleasure to watch.
I agree. I cringed at all the spokespeople for 45 and the way they treated the press. Ms. Psaki is professional, friendly, and yet firm about not going beyond her remit from the White House. She will not answer or speculate on questions that she has no information about but does not accuse anyone of being "fake" media or asking "bad questions".
I just bought Ajax for the first time (since my store ran out if Comet) and I wonder if there isn't a federal cleaner for stopping the snaky gerrymandering. Look at state models for Redistricting that work or are promising: California and Michigan are two. Watch the video "Slay theDragon" to see how Katie Fahey launched the "tripartisan" commission in Michigan. Replicate it NOW, as 2020 Census numbers ard being finalized. Democracy needs a thorough cleaning.
Regarding your concerns about next election, I think it’s imperative we keep a list of Trump loyalists and keep publicizing their crimes and misdemeanors on our social media outlets. Those who vote for these candidates are aiding and abetting the lawlessness that is eating at the fabric of our democracy. I’m ordering prestamped postcards so I can write Liz Chenny, Mitt Romney, and others thanking them for their support for our country. They may not see them, but their staff has to record their receiving them. Postcards are more likely to be read.
What a great idea. I still have a couple of postcards I haven't written on from the Postcardstovoters.org campaign for Ossoff, Warnock, and Blackman in the GA runoff election. I've been saving them for a good use.
Should Congress stop giving committee assignments to all its members? The problem isn't committee assignments it is all the amoral politicians who are willing to support Trump solely to further their own careers.
This is my favorite comment to this HCR letter. If we want to build a country that actually “is” what our Constitution intended for it to be, then let the current executive branch, now full of wise, experienced, loving and moral people do what we elected them to do. Many of us have been focused on little else. Now it’s time for everyone who is able, and cares to save our country from greedy and power hungry fascists, to focus on local politics. Maybe if you’re bored with your sane and safe blue state, you could take on the challenge of moving to a red one, or maybe st least a purple one.
"Short of taking up arms, how do we prevail? How does Democracy prevail?"
It is not individual citizens that enforce the Constitution, it is our Government. The government needs to enforce our laws. It is the government who must take up arms to enforce complaince with our laws.
It frightens me to even hear someone say this. That sounds like a police state. Who gets to decide what and when violence is required and who to direct it against?
First of all, few laws ever require arms to enforce compliance. Most are simply procedural, and we do, as individuals, comply willingly, because most law is guidance on how to do things. It is up to us as individuals who choose whom to hire, who to rent a house to, who to serve in a restaurant. We've had to turn to the government to enforce laws requiring equity, not through use of arms- but through our courts, by individuals and groups bringing complaints. The other side of that, of course, is when a government uses violence against people who have committed no offense against the law, or who are the targets of unfair laws or the whim of the person doing the "enforcement" .
Who ensures that this doesn't happen? We do, by our presence and our willingness to speak out, and again, through the courts.
WE are the government. We elect those who make the laws, and we are the ones who hold them accountable. Again, not by taking up arms, but through the courts. In the recent assault on the process of making and implementing law, the courts held, and because they held, we still have a government. To quote something that will never grow stale: of the people, by the people, for the people.
“Today, Republican House leadership assigned her to the Education and Labor Committee.” Her = Marjorie Greene. As a teacher, I find this horrifying for two reasons. First, it shows how little people think of education. “Here’s a whack job...throw her into education because who cares?” Second, well, I CARE. It’s the lack of education to discern truth from lies that has someone like Greene in office. Then to put her somewhere responsible for education policy??? Time to fight this one.
I suggest she be expelled from Congress entirely. She has nothing, nothing to offer of value to any committee or Congress and is clearly unfit and unworthy to serve in any capacity. There is a mechanism for her removal, and it begins with her prosecution for criminal offenses. Let’s not excuse those simply because she has constituents foolish enough to have selected her. Equal justice under law for all.
And to have followed, berated and filmed student activist David Hogg! He was just a kid, doing what he thought was right to fight against school shootings. Despicable.
I supply this reference that answers your question on the disciplinary measures available for House members and point out that over our history five have actually been removed.
The most infamous case is dastardly Preston Brooks in 1856. His cowardly assault on our great abolitionist Sen. Charles Sumner beat him half to death. Brooks was promptly expelled from the House, then almost as promptly reelected by his SC district (not coincidentally the most violent county in America.) A mere few months later he croaked from bronchitis.
There is a magnificent statue of Sumner in the heart of Harvard Sq, well worth a visit. It has quite a story behind it. Originally accepted as an anonymous submission in a competition for a memorial in Boston Public Garden, it was rescinded when the sculptor was revealed to be (gasp) a woman! Cambridge was perfectly happy to have it. It was renovated and rededicated in 2011 to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth.
Thanks so much! I was scrolling through the comments on the last two days, as I recalled that this link was provided by someone, you?! But that is a challenging task! So, now that I know that you are capable of reading my mind, I will count on you going forward to keep my thoughts ordered!
Rep, Rifle Boebert deserves 10-20 years for inciting insurrection and conspiracy to overthrow the US government. Greene is no better, though I'm less informed about her crimes.
Greene should be removed from office and arrested based on her advocacy of violence. It is truly horrifying that they assigned her to the Education Committee given the video of her harassment of Parkman student David Hoag and her extreme pro-gun stance. It's almost as if the Republican leadership is saying "screw you" those who want to regulate guns because of school shootings.
Agreed! Why are they even allowing her to stay? Madness! And Jennifer... you are so right. Toss her into anything to do with education?! That’s ridiculous... a real slap in the face! She belongs nowhere except on a bus trip home. And even that is the easy way out for her.
As a retired teacher, my response was the same. A woman who followed a student who witnessed the horror of the Parkland massacre, threatening him with words and a concealed weapon? She has no more place determining anything about education than did Betsy De(Vos)Vil!
My sentiments exactly Jennifer! I too have friends and family that are/were teachers and listening to their laments about the lack of financial resources for education. There was much talk then about the "dumbing of America"! Few, if any, were very enthusiastic about No Child Left Behind. They were especially concerned with the reduced emphasis give to the arts & humanities, social studies, civics and history. Teaching-to-the-test was not well received! That, in my opinion, is a major factor in the social chaos we're experiencing today in America!
My sentiments exactly Jennifer! I too have friends and family that are/were teachers and listening to their laments about the lack of financial resources for education. There was much talk then about the "dumbing of America"! Few, if any, were very enthusiastic about No Child Left Behind. They were especially concerned with the reduced emphasis give to the arts & humanities, social studies, civics and history. Teaching-to-the-test was not well received! That, in my opinion, is a major factor in the social chaos we're experiencing today in America!
"Two [Capitol Police] officers have since taken their own lives."
Why?
Was it remorse for having failed to protect the capitol building or, worse, remorse at perhaps aiding and abetting something that went way beyond what they thought they were getting into?
I think it is important to know.
Were these two part of those officers who posed for selfies and held the door for surrectionists? (And if not, are those officers up on charges of gross dereliction of duty?)
These two suicides won't leave me alone. I hope at some point we, and their families, get some clues about why they did it.
Howard Liebengood is from my hometown of Vienna, VA 9 miles SW of D.C. He graduated from my high school and he was a legacy Capitol Police Officer. That means his father was a Capitol Police Officer, but he was also, Sergeant-at-Arms there. Howie spent his boyhood visiting with Congressmen in the halls of the Capitol building. On school field trips, his friends did not know until they saw him stop and chat with famous Congressman, that Howie's Dad worked there. He died because he felt he could not protect the building he respected, loved and revered since childhood. He was only married for 3 years when all of this Just year, after year, of steady public service unfolded. Please do not sit in judgement of this fine young man. In the future, who will wish to serve like he did if there is no accountability for these perpetrators? These are real people, with lives filled with Civil Service. No "branding" for their family. No hotel with their name emblazoned on it. What a concept! Civil Service! Who will step forward to serve again? Looks increasingly like the National Guard will be there for a very long time.
Thank you for sharing this with us. I know the Capitol Police fought for two hours or more on the East side of the Capitol, often in hand-to-hand combat, in an attempt to keep the violent insurrectionists out of the building. The vast majority of these officers serve honorably and take their responsibilities to heart, protecting the People's House. Officer Liebengood's death is a terrible tragedy
Police suicide is our profession's "dirty little secret" that never seems to make sense to those of us left behind. I have lost 4 friends to police suicide (primary responding officer on one of them) and while each situation was very different, the common thread was that none of them felt they had "done enough". When I heard of Liebengood's death, I was both saddened and worried that more would follow.
I cannot imagine the stress and trauma suffered by law enforcement on that day. I hope and pray they get the interventions they need to help them through that trauma. (For those that don't know, I am a retired full time patrol deputy and now a part time court security deputy who maintains an active presence on the county's Peer Support Team.)
As a veteran and daughter of a mother who committed suicide I agree with everything you said. It's such a world-shattering act, whether it's a family or an organization like vets or LEOs –it's such a loud scream. It's an act that seems to be ignored because it is so scary. We need to start listening, there is no going back, no do-over. It leaves wounds that never heal. Enough with the 'secrets' the shame of getting help needs to end.
Very good comment. Thank you. I’ve had several police officers and DEA guys in therapy over the years. The trauma they store, and the shame they feel in seeking help (don’t get me started on why seeking help is looked down upon by their fellow colleagues), are very heavy psychological burdens. Very painful burdens.
Suicide is a huge...growing issue among the general population as well. My sister just told me about a 3rd grader who took their life last week. Besides adults, so many young people are being affected by stress, anxiety and depression. Prayers all around as we move forward.
My God ! Third grade.... on this note I am going to sleep and pray that we can evolve, and learn more compassion, understanding, and learn to have more kindness for everyone around us... sweet dreams my friends.
Thank you for sharing this, which I had no idea about. And thank you for being involved in your county’s Peer Support Team. Clearly, we need many more of you.
When I saw that uncontrollable melee on Jan 6, it was like any military blunder where the enemy did a surprise assault. Those cops were caught off-guard and could do nothing except get trampled by the mob and be at their mercy, which we saw on video, was not given.
I was once a cop in New Orleans, when a ship collided and burned in the river. I was assigned ALONE to keep order on Eads Plaza where hundreds of ppl came down to see the tragedy on the water. Luckily, there wasn't a mob directed at me, but I felt the overpowering futility of being able to do nothing if violence broke out. Observe & Report was all I could do.
Thank you for your personal insight into the life and the death of Officer Leibengood. It's a shame he took his own life; he had nothing to be ashamed of.
Ralph, that is so true, but try to embrace this young man's history and his worldview. He was overwhelmed. He felt he did not defend this hallowed ground. In his view, with his background he could not go on living because this was all too much much to bear. We need to make the effort to see through the eyes of others.
The responibility was not his alone, though he likely thought it was. Had there been people up the chain of command, all the way to the White House, with similar dedication and sense of responsibility this whole tragic event would have turned out differently, and Howard Leibengood would still walk among us.
Those that sat on their hands purposely to allow the mob to get further entrenched in the Capitol have blood on their hands and must be held accountable. Those that sat in the WH and watched the events ( with glee) unfold on television are responsible for every injury and death. Those that sit in Congress and do not hold the former President and his minions accountable are complicit. This is a dark and dangerous Congress that represents the people of this country. 😞
Carla, thanks for your passion for someone who shouldn’t have paid for the actions of people he could not control. I didn’t take Daria’s comments as criticism, just concern. Such a terrible tragedy.
Oh, Carla, your anger and sadness are palpable. I’m so sorry for your (and our Nation’s) loss. The nightmare of the Big Lie lives on. I put so much faith in the goodness and fairness of President Biden’s administration, it’s hard to read about the continuing influence of the despicable creatures who are no longer in office. Hopefully the memory of the good, upstanding people who lost their lives for our country will be a blessing and lesson for all. ❤️
Thank you, Carla. We're reading more now about the awful painful injuries sustained by those defending the Capitol. The suicides may be part of the whole awful story.
My sincerest. Sympathies to his family. Capitol police were so outnumbered and trumps Republican angry mob were no match. They came armed. If the Republicans don't stop the terrorists in their own party, our democracy will be destroyed from within.
I am reminded of comments made by members of Congress, who were as horrified by the desecration of the Capitol as they were about their own safety. They too called it "hallowed." I can understand why one would feel an immense pain at such destruction, particularly if one's JOB was to protect it. I am so sorry about Officer Leibengood and I appreciate knowing more of his story here.
I have read about him since his tragic death and what a good man he was, and I wondered why he ended his life. Thank you for sharing this.. I hadn’t considered that he and maybe the other police officer couldn’t live with the fact that their force had been unable to protect a place and people he had sworn to do. It is deeply troubling and sad.
What a terrible loss! I don’t stand in judgment of those lost to suicide, I feel anguish! I know what the family left behind is feeling and the what ifs that will always remain. Another example of why we need better mental health care in our country. But the whole trump era is proof of that! Thank you for your insight. I’m very angry too! You’ve come to the right place to express yourself! So sorry! It’s just too much to bear.
Thank you for sharing. It’s important to know this. It stops the burden of anxiety that he was a part of something dangerous and that killed himself to protect the information he had.
One of the Black Capitol Police Officers, once the riot was over and the insurrectionists pushed out, walked to the center of the dome and yelled "I just got called N****g* over and over again, in this House! How could this happen?" I don't think people realize how hard the Black community is taking the multiple betrayals by a very ugly part of our population, which looks to be a very large majority the Republicans (half the country--?) against democracy. There is real desperation among my friends, because they regard democracy's success as their only chance for living with dignity in this country. They are watching it get torn apart, and they keep standing up over and over again for it, only to have (as one of my Hispanic co-workers described it) the whites who support Trump "refuse to take "No" for an answer" and perhaps worse, get away with their defiance that for me is awfully close to sedition if they refuse to acknowledge Biden is the legitimate President. I cannot sleep well these days, as many others on this forum reported. But my Black friends are in constant agony right now, the highs and lows are crushing. I don't know if these Police Officers committed suicide for any such reasons, but perhaps. Representatives and Senators defying the masking laws, marching so arrogantly around the magnetometers every day with guns on their hips, are daily proof that the country is betraying them, and exhausted as they are, the fight to protect votes and weather severe, racist abuse will go on for many more years. We all need to step up and help our democracy now. Sherrod Brown has talked about a few incidents that show how bad the atmosphere is in there:
Any low thing from Lindsey Graham is not surprising. He's a worm (and I apologize to the worms in my compost bin for that remark)!
As for the video of Sherrod Brown praising and commending the work of the predominently Black and Brown Capitol Custodial Staff - good on you, Senator! Having worked at many jobs in my life before I was able to achieve my dream of teaching, including custodial work, his quoting the words of Rev. King on the dignity of all work was very meaningful to me.
Wow. Thank you for sharing this, as brutal as it is to read. Hearing these things from the real people living them is what we need to hear. It’s like being in a plane, 30,000 feet up, and the picture below us looks ordered and serene. And while nothing is ordered and serene right now, it’s the nitty gritty truth of how real peoples’ lives are affected, what they are going through, that we need to be made aware of.. not just statistics and broad ideas.
That knocked me over. I hadn’t heard of a second one, and I want to know more.
Today’s letter has put a knot in my stomach, and I am very afraid for our country. I don’t want to overreact, but Marjorie Greene is despicable, and these Republican monsters are... I can’t even find the word. How do we get the ship righted ?
I agree. It is deplorable that MTG is on the EDUCATION committee. She shouldn't even be in Congress, much less a committee which oversees schools. Recall that she is a Newtown denier as well as a Parkland denier (note the hideous assault on David Hogg.) She has no business being associated with anything student-related.
I want to share a correction that my husband brought to my attention regarding the nomenclature of the concept of suicide. It is no longer appropriate to use the expression ‘committed suicide’ but rather ‘died by suicide’ so as not to suggest that it is a criminal act. Just being the messenger here... Also, I would be interested in knowing how many police officers on the CP have taken their lives over the past few years. There’s no information that I can find online, but ABC news had an article about that in 2019 the number of police who took their own lives in the U S had increased dramatically from 2018.... from 172 to 228.
I do know that one these offers apparently had a complicated background, his father was affiliated with the likes of Roger Stone and other sketchy people, I can’t imagine how that may have affected him?
It is such a tragedy, and I can’t stop aching for Jamie Raskin and his family whenever I see the word, and often without any reminders. The fact that these vets, who have sworn an oath to our country, would be committed to this madness of King Trump rocks me to the core.
I’m reading this thread 2 days late, Cynthia, but want to thank you for correcting the nomenclature for dying by suicide. It is an important difference in how we discuss the tragedy of suicide.
The two most prominent CP seditionists, Officer Selfie and Officer MAGA Hat, have both been suspended and I believe arrested. Not sure if either is a suicide. It's all part of the unfolding tragedy of the Capitol insurrection.
In 1864 Jubal Early's Confederates Attacked Fort Stevens but came no closer than 6 miles from the Capitol. On Jan 6 the new Confederates stormed the Capitol and brought their filthy traitor's flag into the Rotunda. We're struggling to process it all.
I have been wondering about the suicides as well, and am concerned there could be more, unless we understand why the first two occurred. Is it PTSD? Did they feel abandoned by the American people and their government? Did they have access to mental health professionals? Is anyone in charge paying attention to the mental health of the officers? Sometimes we never know why someone chooses to take their own life, but that doesn’t mean we stop looking for answers. It also doesn’t mean we are judging the person or their family but without understanding how can we prevent more tragedy?
With due respect, your post implies collusion on the part of the capital police officers who took their own lives. They didn't fail to protect the capital, the Trump Administration's delay in sending in the National Guard did. In no way do we deserve answers as to why they committed suicide and, to be frank, it's none of our business. It's something their families will grapple with for years. I would hope we would show more respect.
I asked a question that could be answered any number of ways; honorable or otherwise.
The suicide of a public servant resulting from the failure of a public organization involved in a violent attemp to overthrow the government is absolutely the business of every citizen, along with the other casualties. The same goes for the many suicides of soldiers returning from duty overseas. In a way they died for me and my country and I absolutely have something to say about that.
I will not shrug it off as someone else's business, someone else's tragedy.
Please see my post above. The assault on the Capitol building was a traumatic incident for all involved, from the Vice President on down to the junior law enforcement person to the cleaning crews. I am hopeful there is some triage going on in the Critical Incident Response realm to assist all of these public servants to cope with the normal responses to an abnormal event.
Thank you, I understood this as your original intent and I’m glad you brought it up. The suicide (I only had read if the one) had dogged me also. I lost my father to suicide and those of us who go through that always wonder WHY? What could we have done?
While I also think we may never know the answer, I have had those thoughts. Video footage from Jan 6 make it appear that Capitol Police were helping the rioters get easy access. I never saw photos of officers taking selfie’s with the seditionists. I did see Capitol Police move barriers and step aside, even joining the mob. Could some of them have felt such a loyalty to Trump that they thought it was the right thing to do? And then the resulting death and destruction and the revulsion of so many in response may have awakened some Trump followers to the wrongness of it all.
Wanting to know why someone has taken his or her own life is a natural response. We may never know.
Well, I read that the 1st Capitol police officer to commit suicide wasn’t on duty that day and was summoned to help out. So, no, he didn’t do anything nefarious.
But, trying to ‘guess’ why a person commits suicide w/o deeply knowing the individual is a fool’s errand. Just my $0.02.
Now that we can actually control what happens in the Senate with an extreme effort and to address the problem of 2022, Biden needs to attack now the question of a New Voting Rights Act in which he not only states that everyone must have the right to vote, nullifying all restrictions on that sacred right, and declaring that each vote must have equal value........thus also outlawing gerrymandering and limits on House Representatives in one blow.
It would go to the Supreme Court obviously, so he needs also to get his new SCOTUS reform commission to give him assured passage of this key measure too. We can't accept that the Supreme Court would be able to block such a measure.
Time is short, I know...but this seems to me to be an absolute priority. Get this through and into law and you win the 2022 elections with a massive majority......Democracy is alive and well.....almost! Otherwise we are back where we started.
This won't be complete or successful unless it also includes campaign finance reform including overturning Citizens United which will take years since it can only be done by a Convention of States. How can democracy be well with this legalized corruption?
The SC is most interesting in recent months. Gorsuch shows some Roberts-esque merit; Barrett is so green that she wisely sided with the elders on the crucial election cases; even Brute Kavanaugh offers glimmers of promise. Perhaps only Thomas and Alito are truly lost causes; both were nominated for their extreme youth and extreme rock heads. Optimistic? Of course. But history shows that the Court often surprises. Remember when Eisenhower and Bush I nominated Bill Brennan and David Souter as solid, reliable conservatives? Oops!
The SC is, at least right now, a third rail almost as touchy as Social Security and, as a couple of other commenters have said, has already delivered some surprises. People who suggest changing the Court make the same erroneous assumptions that the disgraced former president made. I'd leave that alone and focus on a VRA as being more achievable.
As long as they don't scuttle it like last time. It might need at least the threat of appointing new judges or of returning the Court to its original limited mandate to make sure the VRA does the job.
Having a Plan B never hurts. I'd like to see a mandate, probably requiring a Constitutional Amendment, that all Congressional districting be done by algorithm so that each is equally populated, geographically coherent (?) and absent of any partisan bias. It's a pipe dream but it's a nice pipe dream.
Chuck Schumer said S.B. 1, which mirrors what the House passed several years ago, is teed up. Of course McConnell wouldn’t bring the house bill to the floor then. This bill covers voting rights, election security, etc.
The House passed the For the People Act H.R. 1 on March 8, 2019 The bill addresses things like voting rights, ethics laws, independent redistricting commissions, special interests, foreign election interference and fixing the FEC. [CLC is nonpartisan and nonprofit.]
More realistically (or, maybe, less) the Democrats need to start campaigning for the 2022 mid-terms NOW. The DSCC and DCCC should be beating the bushes for good candidates everywhere, returning to Howard Dean's FIFTY STATE Strategy, and be ready to attack Republican incumbents for their every opposition to those worker-friendly programs proposed by the Biden Administration. Stronger majorities are within reach and should not be lost in a cacophony of "Presidential parties always lose the mid-terms" predictions. All it takes is a willingness to fight for funds, for media attention, and for the dominant position in messaging.
The next campaign begins the day after the last election. Throughout 2020 I got 50 emails a day seeking donations; now it's down to "only" 30 but surely will rise again. Yeah, the game's afoot already. (Apologies to Sherlock Holmes.)
Thank you, Stuart, for directing my attention to this priority action. The late John Lewis would agree. My head is spinning. I just 🙏🏻 that Schumer and Bernie and Warren and every other decent Senator can use their power now to make change happen. ❤️🤍💙
I am wondering if we need- just for clarity's sake- to keep the separation of powers clear when we write. Congress passes laws, not the president, who can *propose* laws and even write them for consideration by Congress. But we need to keep in mind that the President does not unilaterally create laws. I think it is critical for us to make the effort to do this, especially right now. I feel a responsibility to help our nation remember the principles by which our government is supposed to operate. We've talked extensively about what the Constitution means, and I agree with Heather that it provides the framework for the structure of how we govern ourselves through electing representatives who are intended to work together to fill in that framework with the practical aspects of getting things done. Right now, especially, with our democracy having barely survived (with tatters) a man who didn't want to be President, but had aspirations of autocracy, I feel that it is important to continually reinforce what our Constitution has asked us to do. Separation of powers and how that works is a critical part of that. By doing that, it should help those whose lives were caught up in autocratic expectations to understand better how our government is supposed to function.
As a Georgia resident living in an affluent suburb of Atlanta, Marjorie Taylor Greene is widely looked upon as a kook. But she has plenty of support in the less educated, under informed rural counties. (Sorry, it's true.) Her constituents have come under the Trumpism spell, based on misinformation and watching too many action movies. But she was duly elected and must be allowed to serve her term. The best Congress can do is censure her for making false statements and bragging that she carries a weapon. We can only hope that her own actions will extinguish her oxygen herself.
Speaking of Integrity, Biden is schooling Republicans on how to get things done and to keep his promises. His opponents, however, will vote against impeachment for one reason: They want to get re-elected. So they subjugate any sense of integrity for another term, thus fueling right wing "challenged" supporters, selling their souls to the devil. Mitt Romney and others will vote to convict former president Trump because they possess character in voting their consciences. This moment in history argues strongly in favor of term limits.
Sometimes, I dream of a sci fi movie taking over and large words forming over people’s heads when they lie or exaggerate and maybe even why. Or, wizards putting truth serum in the Congressional coffee makers and suddenly no one is able to lie. They just start spilling the beans on themselves. Wouldn’t that be fun?
I had a similar thought but mine ran to electrical surges, varying in intensity, that would be activated with lies. Small lies would receive a tremor - big ones would have the force of a stun gun.
I like your solution - it would definitely have a stultifying effect LOL. It would even help with social distancing! (But would put noses in closer proximity! )
OR remember when Obama spoke at the Press dinner & Mr. Key (forgot his first name) the comedian stood behind him & acted out what he really thought??? If you didnt see it - worth looking for. Jeanne, bet there are a lot of "movies" we could come up with, right?
Randy, Trumpism is a National Enquirer mentality. Always a lie and a smear to roil and titillate. Trump is envious of dictators and has always used salacious accusations to stay in the news to sustain his power. Trump was never in business to build a product, he used it as a front to access other people’s money. He owes his soul to those to whom he is indebted and the tricks he learned from Roy Cohn on how to live off other people are no longer enough. So he will take a democracy down with him using what remains of the republican party. What filth is being alleged or true that keeps them in his control? It has gone too far to be just re-election. What keeps his hold? What powers back him? We need to know.
IMHO, a long history of repub lies and brainwashing. Racist smears on Dukakis, a book of lies on Kerry, 8 years of birther nonsense...And lots of guns. There should have been a big incredulous reaction when 45 wanted to start a Patriot political party. He and his worshippers have desecrated the concept of patriotism.
It was astounding that Kerry, a true war hero, was swiftboated so effectively by Shrub's flying monkeys. Shrub himself went AWOL to kickstart his political ambitions, and even was a near-deserter. Yet Kerry was partly responsible for his own loss.
That was an era when Repugs said "bend over so we can whack you" and Dems answered "how far?" It happened a lot to good MA Dems: Dukakis, Kerry, Scott Harshbarger for governor. We've had Repug guvs for 22 out of the last 30 years; only Deval Patrick broke the streak. MA voters prefer Repug guvs to watch our, um, problematic Dem-dominated legislature. I do not.
If Greene has indeed broken the law and given support to insurrectionists she should be charged and held accountable. The fact that she was elected should give her no protection. Quite the opposite.
Why does the Harry Potter series continue to come to mind? Voldemort now retreated but the dark elements still seethe with dementors lurking in the shadows. We’re only on book five.
There are certain authors whose literary work has held resonance with this chapter: George Orwell, Margaret Atwood, Stephen King. Are they clairvoyant, or does civilization merely repeat this age old "rhyme of history"? (HCR's poetic reference).
Yeah--alas it is so much easier to embrace evil than to do good. Good requires a certain level of selflessness and a lot of empathy. These are actually difficult tasks for many people, especially Americans who have bought into the idea that "rugged individualism" is better than "community spirit."
Oh my, that’s perfect. I hadn’t thought of it. Whenever I felt the urge to call Trump “45” or “the boil on the ass of our country” or my sister’s favorite, “BLOTUS” (big loser of the US), I would take a deep breath and write “Donald Trump,” because somehow not using his name felt like giving him more power. As in He Who Shall Not be Named.
For over four years and counting, I managed to scourge him without writing or searching for his real name. The many insulting nicknames are like sands upon the shore.
PS, Buttigieg could audition for the role of House Elf.
I’ve watched interviews with JK Rowling’s and she absolutely wrote the Potter’s series with history and government in mind. I see mirrors of it all the time myself and having read the entire series twice now. And the movies!
Thank you Heather. I mentioned you to a friend the other day that if she wants a fact based read, you are it. She is now a devote follower quite engrossed in reading your past posts, engaging me and others about them.
Needless to say I am concerned that there are Republicans that refuse to accept reality and are continuing to bang the drum of contempt. I don't remember there being this level of divide after an Inauguration. The QAnon are very much in the mix with their goal post changing agenda. Entirely to many negative factors pushing back a rebirth of Democracy. As President Biden pushes ahead towards his goals I can't help but wonder how far he will actual get. I suppose that is why we say we don't know the future, only the past.
I hope that they are doing good due diligence investigations so that the charges, when they come down, are air tight. This investigation is going to be incredibly complex, and I hope that it is thorough and complete. It means we won't get immediate satisfaction, and we will get convictions.
I agree, Jeanne. I’m hoping that some of these investigations will be either completed, or progress shared, before the Senate trial on the Articles of Impeachment in February.
I’m, again, worried for the future of our country 🇺🇸
I am as much, if not more interested in who was being ushered through in those tours by Rep Boebert and others. Were there men who showed up the next day to assault our Capitol?
Is this based on the picture that was shared or other hard evidence? Snopes labeled the picture as “Miscaptioned.” Their comment, “This photograph shows Boebert with a group of extremists in December 2019 at Colorado's state capitol.” Would she do it at the US Capitol? Maybe so. Did she? I don’t know. Just asking...
Another Representative, Mikie Sherrill, Dem, NJ, and former Navy helicopter pilot, said on Twitter and FB that she witnessed a fellow Representatives (to be fair, she never named them) giving tours to groups of people on January 5, when tours had been prohibited because of Covid since March 2019. Here is the story:
Later, Rep Boebert railed against a different legislator who called out any fellows who gave tours. He didn’t name her, either, but she claimed in her rant that he was unfairly accusing her, thereby damning herself.
I can’t find that story again. Here is another related article:
And as I recall, the representatives who personally witnessed these tours described the Congress persons in the PLURAL, meaning more than one. I am also waiting to learn that Marjorie Taylor Greene was another accomplice.
There is a certain calm, a peacefulness to your words today. And yet, the message is at its optimistic best, worrisome.
Trump has been quiet, and Biden productive which are both good things. But the Insurrection Movement did not begin on Jan. 6, and still has plenty of oxygen. When a movement depends on pure fantasy and falsity, any message pushed out by bad actors will have legs. This one seems to be quietly moving from outright horror to a resigned acknowledgement of its continued presence.
We should have known this when on November 3rd, Trump gained 11 million new voters and the GOP House actually picked up several seats and seated Q-Anon believers.Right now, America is an overheated boiler. The plates are holding... for now, but the pressure is still too strong, and more than a few rivets have popped.
What feel right now seems more like an uneasy truce than a peace agreement. I do not see the majority of the GOP party peeling away from Trumpism. The "Big Lie" continues, as does the "Big Con". These days the "Lost Cause" seems to have found its way, its path lit by the torches of hatred. And their cause guided by the Grandest Wizard there ever was.
May God Bless Joe Biden. May God bless America. May God bless our troops.
There are so many experts on cults and authoritarian movements and coups. The FBI and CIA surely have some of the world’s experts in these areas and I imagine that President Biden and the men and women he is choosing for leadership recognize the danger we are stewing in and will look for the best way forward with the help of some of our best minds in this area. Joe Biden is the antithesis of Donald Trump
I feel as you do. But then I remember corporate America is pulling their money from the trumpists PACs, and I have hopes that the Oligarchs will defeat the tRump Fascists, and the Democrats will defeat the ignorance and poverty and joblessness and illness that fed the magates. And a new/old Republican party will emerge with a conscience. But for now, yes, the pressure is still too strong...
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Marjorie Taylor Greene got a committee assignment yesterday after pledging $175K to the RNC Congressional PAC. Remember all that money that Trump raised after Nov 3rd for his "defense fund"? As much as he wants to run again, he can bankroll a lot of wackos with $250M.
What can we learn from continuing to read about anything that includes the phrase “polls say a majority of Americans believe ... , but a majority of Republicans side with Trump and believe ...”. Every time I see another poll result on any issue that includes this phrase it confirms my view that most Republicans are just f****** stupid. Sorry for that observation, but I have reached the conclusion that triage demands that those destined irretrievably to the lowest ring of Dante’s inferno should be allowed to go to ****, and we focus on saving those Republicans who believe in facts, science, truth, and democracy.
I recommend Republicans learn a lesson from the Grimm brothers tale of Rumpelstiltskin, the imp seeming to have the ability to spin straw into gold. Trump supporters continue to offer their treasure and loyalty to this imp, so long as they have treasure to surrender and he continues to perpetuate the illusion of his spinning more straw to gold. This spell is only broken when they can correctly identify him by name. Trump supporters continue to surrender treasure and their souls to this tormentor and now he will take their first born. Only correctly identifying him out loud will save them and their first born. But, will they yet be able to say his real name or is all lost? We can only hope the tale ends well.
Amazing how "nasty" the Grimm Bros tales were...reflection of the society they lived in.....but the moral and psychological basis is out of time. What folk tales will the future tell about us?
Nice use of the Grimms. Future folk tales will tell of a vile, evil ogre who tried to dismember and devour the country, and the good prince who came out of retirement to save it. I hope.
In keeping with your comment, Bruce, I have been wondering when the Republican Party became the party of satan. Today’s mention of Greene’s despicable actions made me wonder it again and actually say it out loud.
Satan being an architype buried deep in our collective and individual unconscious.....we all have a bit of it somewhere but most of us keep it firmly anchored there and not in our conscious personality......some not! GOP becomes, with Trump in charge, a gang of those, so afflicted and thus not managing to evolve to adulthood.
I understand your question and would reply, this is why I used the term triage. One of my earlier life experiences was as a conscientious objector medic in Vietnam. We learned that when many lives are at risk you have to make critical decision about which can be saved and focus on those first. Yes, those choices are exceedingly difficult but better to lose one destined to die no matter what you do, than lose one you can save. So if some can be saved by focusing on them and it means losing some of the Confederate elite and Mudsills, say a prayer for the souls of those lost and save those you can.
74 million would need a lot of praying.....best do what's necessary to keep them from getting "injured" in the first place. Societal conflict is often at once more complicated, intractable and bloodier than the military variety!
Tell me if I am wrong but as I understand it, the House managers can use the latest video of Greene harassing David Hogg and his sister, plus her FB postings as evidence of insurrection and criminal activity. They can present this in Fake45’s trial. Those inflammatory statements and videos are also proof positive that she must be expelled from Congress. A resolution to do so was introduced tonight by Rep. Gomez ( I think) from CA. saying that she basically is dangerous and should no longer hold that seat. Dems must “claw” and scrape for democracy.
Since the inauguration, I am deliberately regenerating my belief in my country by only reading you for my political news and finding my way back to the positive, creative being I was before 2016 ripped the scab from the underbelly of America allowing the dark ooze to flow and spread until I no longer recognized former family, friends, neighbors.
Thank you for the increasingly granular analysis of the country's state of affairs. The core of it is stated succinctly today: "While the Republican Party’s apparent embrace of Trump and all he now stands for is grabbing headlines, Biden and his administration officials are taking on the radicalization of his opponents in a new and promising way. They are demonstrating an approach to sidelining Trumpism by shifting the focus off the exhausting drama of the former president and his supporters and onto a functioning government that is working for ordinary Americans."
Workmanlike and precise, urgent but not rushed, organized and with momentum to address the national crisis. The Biden admin resembles the beginning of FDR's New Deal in March 1933. That opening period, highlighting plans and policies for confronting immediate priorities, defined the concept of The First 100 Days of a presidency. New Deal? Here's The Deal!
Morning all! Thank you HCR--and I hope your semester has begun smoothly, as I am sure you're also (like me) in the purgatory of online course prep--it is really refreshing to wake up and not hear the constant drumbeat of terrible, awful, disgusting things coming out of the White House and Congress. My favorite phrase in this letter is "deprive the Republicans of oxygen." That is the most useful and best strategy, I think, in terms of their attempts to prop up their Naked Emperor again. But I also am enjoying the research and social media mining that is happening (and popping up in my FB feed as well as in print media and here) in which people are revealing the myriad times when some of the most egregious examples of Gormless Obstructionist Party members (Greene, Hawley, etc) engaged in acts of bullying, faux outrage, and--in Hawley's case--verbal "manspreading". Greene should be ejected. But short of that, every disgusting thing she has done should be aired in public and no one should let up. This is kind of the reverse of depriving them of oxygen: it is sort of replacing the oxygen with another gas that is less palatable. Maybe helium? They can breathe it but it makes them sound ridiculous.
As I enjoy the many ways in which the Biden-Harris administration is working hard to present explicitly different ways of doing business as a kind of re-normalization of government work, I am reminded also--in news stories of rich and powerful people jumping ahead of essential workers to get Covid vaccines when they pooh-poohed the idea of Covid being a "thing" or they are threatening to withdraw support of hospitals (there is a hospital board in Topeka that got vaccinated while the police and hospital WORKERS were told there were no vaccines left) unless they get ahead of the people who really need early vaccines--I am reminded of something that Martin Luther King articulated many times, (I'm paraphrasing here). The wealthy and powerful benefit from a political and economic system (let's call it a form of socialism, shall we?) that supports and uplifts them with government handouts and access to the halls of power. The poor and those outside the usual white male dominant trope are told to "pull up their bootstraps" and are told that they have to "prove themselves" in order to make a living wage and survive. The level of inequality is notional, not only economic and physical, and the ideas have to change, as well. We need to call corporate welfare by its true name, and call out the corporations objecting to a living minimum wage--because they benefit by not paying their workers who have to rely on food stamps and other forms of assistance that we all pay for. I am not begrudging the people who have to use food stamps and WIC to survive. I am furious that the billionaire Walton family won't release a fraction (tiny, tiny fraction) of their billions in order not to have the US taxpayer subsidize their great experiment in economic autocracy.
So yeah: hoping that the push from the POTUS continues unabated for two solid years and that we throw the bums out in 2022.
On Jan 6th, 2020 the Republican Party became the Seditionist Party as they tried to overthrow our US Democracy.. This is how they should be forever branded, even after Trump is trown into the trash heap.
Even 78% of the Republicans, according to this article now stand behind Trump ... is aa far cry from the 94% or so just a few weeks ago. I have to think that the Independents have a MUCH more negative view of the Republican Seditionists than they had not too long ago, and are leaning away from the Seditionist party and/or joining the Democratic party in record numbers. (See how easy it is to brand them ... just brand them as Seditionist at every opportunity)
The Republican Seditionist Party has boxed themselves into a corner. If they support Trump's riot the Independents and moderate Republicans will desert them ... and if they don't support Trump the Republican nut jobs will primary them. A no-win situation.
After all, NEVER attack the US and our Democracy, no real Americans will go with that program.
While I don't rule out the possibility of another attack on the government, I'm not afraid. What makes the Capitol vulnerable also makes it safe. We're talking about protecting 535 people. The insurgents were lucky the first time because their threat was not taken seriously. They had a real chance and they blew it. It's a shame DC looks like a war zone. This is a Republican Party problem and they deserve whatever befalls them between now and March 4.
Your confidence just made me feel reassured. You’re right. They had the ultimate insider on the 6th—the former president. Plus whichever lawmakers were in on the attack. Cheerleader Hawley. The press has swung away from them. At least the press to which I listen. They label misinformation, they always add “claims which have been roundly debunked and for which no evidence was found,” whenever they mention the falsely held belief that the election was fraudulent.
Sanity and ethics are in the White House now. Our Constitution shall prevail.
The media will always run towards the bright shiny "thing". Meanwhile the real news goes under reported. When you feel overwhelmed by bad news that has yet to and may never happen, read this list of 100 things Biden has done in just a week:
I like at least one foreign news source. When I saw HCR often list The Independent as a source I decided to try it for a few days and then subscribed. I often find the stories that mean the most to me in its front page that I don't see on the front pages of NYT and WaPo which these days are often indistinguishable from each other.
Both The Independent and The Guardian give you their US edition when you subscribe. I've subscribed to The Guardian too until they priced themselves out of my budget.
You really can't have a well rounded news perspective without sources looking from the outside in imho.
At the moment, I’m conflicted.
Yesterday Jen Psaki opened the day’s Press Briefing simply exuberant.
Introducing John Kerry and Gina McCarthy for a climate briefing and Q&A, she was bubbling with enthusiasm and pride in the administration. Later she took questions and no matter how tough or repetitive they were, she kept her cool, positive attitude and answered each one – except, a question about Marjorie Taylor Greene, about whom Ms. Psaki said, she would “not speak further about her… in this briefing room”.
The contrast between Ms. Psaki, who is fronting for a President with integrity, and those who fronted for the fraud who recently vacated the premises, was so dramatic I felt genuine joy streaming into my heart.
I clean my house one room at a time, and some chores that are more unpleasant and some stains more difficult than others. They need more effort, maybe a little Ajax – but at the end of the day, when I throw the windows open and clear the air, the house is more or less the way I hoped it would be when I started the job.
I know we will lose some battles. We’ve got some stubborn, old stains to deal with and a lingering stench that will take a good airing to clear. But yesterday in the Briefing Room we witnessed the power of truth telling – of doing a job when you know you are doing the right thing.
I have faith that Joe and Kamala and the powerful team they have assembled are Ajax-strong enough to clean this nation’s house – and perhaps (with our help) the senate too!
And on the other side of my brain, there is this:
Trumpist Representatives Boebert (CO) and Greene (GA) were both given Committee assignments by McCarthy.
The party formerly known as Republican (PFKAR) has done the math and chosen their course: They have embraced the Trumpist cause.
Their number controls most of the States. They will likely gerrymander the districts and take the House and Senate in the next two years. The majority of Americans oppose them, but existing rules favor their agenda.
We can either change the rules or change minds. Neither of these seem likely to change outcomes in the short run.
Short of taking up arms, how do we prevail? How does Democracy prevail?
The conflict I’m experiencing right now isn’t unique to me, of that I’m quite sure. At the end of the day, I stand on the side of supporting the President and encouraging our elected representatives to do the right thing, while working to unseat those Trumpists who currently hold office.
But, I also believe that we need to be thinking about and working on, plans to turn things around in States and Localities as well as on the Federal level, and that is not going to be a short-term project.
I just became re-energized in issues of voting machine security. In NYS, the state-wide Board of Elections is voting on certifying equipment that has been widely panned. If the equipment gets certified, then county boards of election can and might purchase these items. I researched the issues, read the web sites of the manufacturer and a testing lab and a white-hat hacking group, followed activist tweets, reached out to people I know to talk about what they might do (become aware of the issues and contact the BoE).
This was harder and more frustrating than dealing with strictly national issues, because there are fewer eyes and fewer interested journalists.
But I feel that I had come to grips with real-world issues, closer to home.
That is exactly what HCR has suggested we do. My sister (one of the least political people I've ever known) has joined the planning commission of her tiny town of Phoenix, OR as they move to rebuild after the Almeda Fire last September (over 1/2 the town was destroyed, including a LOT of low income housing that is in very desirable locations). I am represented by two Democratic senators (Jeff Merkely and Ron Wyden) and a Democratic representative (Peter DeFazio), and Oregon has a very secure vote by mail system that has been in place for 20+ years. I'm thinking school board or police commision for me.
You go, girl!
Yes.
So sorry to hear about the devastation in Phoenix, OR. My family lived in Phoenix for a short time in the 1960s and I attended 8th grade there. Kudos to both you and your sister!
My cousin lived in Detroit, OR & after the fire has moved to Hawaii!
YES!!!
Good on you, Bob. You and your allies may save NY for the Dems in the next round.
I'm just hoping that Kentuckians are researching what happened with the Senatorial race where Amy McGrath seemed to be lined up to at least make it a close race and possibly win, and then McConnell won handily. According to Alison Greene in DC Reports (Dec. 19, 2020):
"Even as Republicans across the country still insist that the election was rife with fraudulent Democratic votes, no one’s asking how McConnell managed one of the most lopsided landslides of the Nov. 3 election. They should. An investigation of Kentucky voting results by DCReport raises significant questions about the vote tallies in McConnell’s state.
-- McConnell racked up huge vote leads in traditionally Democratic strongholds, including counties that he had never before carried.
-- There were wide, unexplained discrepancies between the vote counts for presidential candidates and down-ballot candidates.
-- Significant anomalies exist in the state’s voter records. Forty percent of the state’s counties carry more voters on their rolls than voting-age citizens.
-- Kentucky and many other states using vote tabulation machines made by Election Systems & Software all reported down-ballot race results at significant odds with pre-election polls."
https://www.dcreport.org/2020/12/19/mitch-mcconnells-re-election-the-numbers-dont-add-up/
One thing that happened was Goodwife Chao's massive DOL budget dump on Kentucky a month before Nov 3. Talk about a gigantic thumb on the pork scale.
KY sounds like the 2004 Repug electoral theft in Ohio which returned Shrub to the WH. The odds of all the election variables aligning in the GOP's favor was 37 million to one, yet they did. Coincidence? I think not.
Agreed, it has always been the pot calling the kettle black.
I'm with you - when 120% of a voting age population is registered to vote in key Kentuvky counties, it is time for a major and public investigation.
I read about that and was absolutely astounded that it didn't get more media attention. BTW, Kentucky uses E&S voting machines, not Dominion, and I smell a real ratfink move by the Republicans to sully Dominion's reputation (projecting, projecting, projecting, the Roy Cohn maneuver) so E&S could get installed in more places. Remember, Ivanka bout the rights to Chinese voting machines.
These machines are ridiculously insecure no matter what you do right now, paper voting with scanning machines, so you have the two factor (electronic tabulation through the scanner, then as a fallback manual counts of paper ballots): this is the only way to go.
Definitely the best option for in-person voting.
Better still: motor-voter registration + mail-in voting. Cost goes down, participation goes up. Sweet!
As long as you have "non-political experts" handling the cyber protection and evaluating the machines that you place within a "firewall" that politicians can't get at....machine are great as long as they leave a paper trail.
That is IMHO a very sound strategy. All the best!
I feel very confident that New York has and historically has had secure voting. So this leaves me to wonder ...
Which voting machines are they considering? Most importantly, who exactly is questioning the equipment, “that has been widely panned.”
I’d like to know the specific groups you have researched Bob, and their political bent.
Let us not be mistaken that this is a widespread problem throughout our democracy. The voting irregularities happen in states who have a history of voter suppression. These are basically southern states where the voting rights of blacks and other minorities, historically, have been challenged by a white majority. I held my breath through the entire Georgia recount, simply because of the Republican Gov’s successful elimination of tens of thousands of black voters, pro to his 2018 race against Stacey Abrams.
I remain very skeptical of claims of any potential voter subterfuge in states that have had active voter drives to increase participation, such as New York, AND haver never been cited for suppression, as is the case throughout the south.
OK, here are a few of the many reports I have turned up:
Here's a writeup by Common Cause NY:
https://www.commoncause.org/new-york/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/01/Common-Cause-New-York-Exexcutive-Summary-The-ExpressVote-XLVoting-Machine-Bad-for-New-Yorks-Elections.pdf
Here's a horror story from Northampton County, PA: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/30/us/politics/pennsylvania-voting-machines.html
Info about suits brought by ES&S:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/3an7kj/election-hardware-vendor-threatens-researchers-for-exposing-valid-security-flaws
And here are some sources I am paying attention to: Jenny Cohn (@jennycohn1
on Twitter), Alison Greene (@GrassrootsSpeak on Twitter), Susan Greenhalgh (@SEGreenhalgh on Twitter).
For an academic's point of view, see Andrew W. Appel's studies of voting technology: https://www.cs.princeton.edu/~appel/voting/
The overall points of security I'm picking up:
-- Hand-marked, hand-counted paper ballots. Voting machines should not both "help" the voter mark a ballot and cast the ballot (put it in a secure bin) unless the voter's disability requires machine assistance; and
-- Voting machines should not be connected to the Internet.
I appreciate your repose, and thx for your sources. I like them !
* your response (I need to check the spell check 😂
Kudos for your watchdog service, Bob. You earn your repose!
Good for you and thank you. It’s every little thing that counts and i am indebted to you and others who do these things.
Re: Jen Psaki. She has experience, broad and deep knowledge of how government works, clarity in communication and civility and respect for the reporters in the room. The contrast with the most recent spokesperson is startling. I was amazed at how seamlessly she managed the room and moved from topic to topic. She referred to notes but did not have to read responses but was able to articulate them from her own understanding. Smart (and, my peeve re Kayleigh, she wears clothes with sleeves!!!!). But it was her easy civility and unfailing respect, regardless of question, that made the press conference a pleasure to watch.
I agree. I cringed at all the spokespeople for 45 and the way they treated the press. Ms. Psaki is professional, friendly, and yet firm about not going beyond her remit from the White House. She will not answer or speculate on questions that she has no information about but does not accuse anyone of being "fake" media or asking "bad questions".
Who was that most recent spokesperson? The revolving door spun so fast, I got dizzy and lost track.
Kayleigh McEnany
Thanks C. I knew it had something to do with kale. The vegetable.
I just bought Ajax for the first time (since my store ran out if Comet) and I wonder if there isn't a federal cleaner for stopping the snaky gerrymandering. Look at state models for Redistricting that work or are promising: California and Michigan are two. Watch the video "Slay theDragon" to see how Katie Fahey launched the "tripartisan" commission in Michigan. Replicate it NOW, as 2020 Census numbers ard being finalized. Democracy needs a thorough cleaning.
Regarding your concerns about next election, I think it’s imperative we keep a list of Trump loyalists and keep publicizing their crimes and misdemeanors on our social media outlets. Those who vote for these candidates are aiding and abetting the lawlessness that is eating at the fabric of our democracy. I’m ordering prestamped postcards so I can write Liz Chenny, Mitt Romney, and others thanking them for their support for our country. They may not see them, but their staff has to record their receiving them. Postcards are more likely to be read.
What a great idea. I still have a couple of postcards I haven't written on from the Postcardstovoters.org campaign for Ossoff, Warnock, and Blackman in the GA runoff election. I've been saving them for a good use.
I agree this is a great idea. And, pre-stamped postcards apparently go through security checks quicker.
Should Congress stop giving committee assignments to all its members? The problem isn't committee assignments it is all the amoral politicians who are willing to support Trump solely to further their own careers.
No, but these two stand out. The assignments are a gesture of support and in these cases, repugnant.
This is my favorite comment to this HCR letter. If we want to build a country that actually “is” what our Constitution intended for it to be, then let the current executive branch, now full of wise, experienced, loving and moral people do what we elected them to do. Many of us have been focused on little else. Now it’s time for everyone who is able, and cares to save our country from greedy and power hungry fascists, to focus on local politics. Maybe if you’re bored with your sane and safe blue state, you could take on the challenge of moving to a red one, or maybe st least a purple one.
I'm glad it resonated with you.
McCarthy went to Mar a Lago yesterday. Why?
I don't know - this is the first I've heard of it.
Trumpsky fired his latest caddy at Mega-Lardo.
Organize.
"Short of taking up arms, how do we prevail? How does Democracy prevail?"
It is not individual citizens that enforce the Constitution, it is our Government. The government needs to enforce our laws. It is the government who must take up arms to enforce complaince with our laws.
It frightens me to even hear someone say this. That sounds like a police state. Who gets to decide what and when violence is required and who to direct it against?
First of all, few laws ever require arms to enforce compliance. Most are simply procedural, and we do, as individuals, comply willingly, because most law is guidance on how to do things. It is up to us as individuals who choose whom to hire, who to rent a house to, who to serve in a restaurant. We've had to turn to the government to enforce laws requiring equity, not through use of arms- but through our courts, by individuals and groups bringing complaints. The other side of that, of course, is when a government uses violence against people who have committed no offense against the law, or who are the targets of unfair laws or the whim of the person doing the "enforcement" .
Who ensures that this doesn't happen? We do, by our presence and our willingness to speak out, and again, through the courts.
WE are the government. We elect those who make the laws, and we are the ones who hold them accountable. Again, not by taking up arms, but through the courts. In the recent assault on the process of making and implementing law, the courts held, and because they held, we still have a government. To quote something that will never grow stale: of the people, by the people, for the people.
Now let's just ask our government to lay down their arms. Law enforcement...who needs it.
It was a rhetorical question, possible answers to which, I addressed in the sentences that followed.
Agree wholeheartedly.
“Today, Republican House leadership assigned her to the Education and Labor Committee.” Her = Marjorie Greene. As a teacher, I find this horrifying for two reasons. First, it shows how little people think of education. “Here’s a whack job...throw her into education because who cares?” Second, well, I CARE. It’s the lack of education to discern truth from lies that has someone like Greene in office. Then to put her somewhere responsible for education policy??? Time to fight this one.
I suggest she be expelled from Congress entirely. She has nothing, nothing to offer of value to any committee or Congress and is clearly unfit and unworthy to serve in any capacity. There is a mechanism for her removal, and it begins with her prosecution for criminal offenses. Let’s not excuse those simply because she has constituents foolish enough to have selected her. Equal justice under law for all.
And to have followed, berated and filmed student activist David Hogg! He was just a kid, doing what he thought was right to fight against school shootings. Despicable.
You're right, Kathleen, despicable! But that's life under an authoritarian and repressive government.
Rep. Greene (R-Insurrection) will never, ever be as mature as Mr Hogg already is.
I have the deepest respect and admiration for the Parkland FL activists. It is an honor to be inspired by them.
Amen! They are our future!
Has Heather ever shared history of other unsavory characters getting booted out of Congress? Do they need to be impeached?
I supply this reference that answers your question on the disciplinary measures available for House members and point out that over our history five have actually been removed.
https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RL31382.html
Thanks for the link. It inspired me to drill down a bit more. Here’s the list of those who faced Congressional discipline.
https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/expulsion.htm
Great, now the House needs to get rid of her!
The most infamous case is dastardly Preston Brooks in 1856. His cowardly assault on our great abolitionist Sen. Charles Sumner beat him half to death. Brooks was promptly expelled from the House, then almost as promptly reelected by his SC district (not coincidentally the most violent county in America.) A mere few months later he croaked from bronchitis.
There is a magnificent statue of Sumner in the heart of Harvard Sq, well worth a visit. It has quite a story behind it. Originally accepted as an anonymous submission in a competition for a memorial in Boston Public Garden, it was rescinded when the sculptor was revealed to be (gasp) a woman! Cambridge was perfectly happy to have it. It was renovated and rededicated in 2011 to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth.
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2018/2/8/charles-sumner-anne-whitney/
If there's a monument to Brooks, I don't care, except to tear it down.
<> O Burton, In my Father's House are Many Mansions
<> D Donald, Charles Sumner
<> S Puleo, The Caning
Thanks so much! I was scrolling through the comments on the last two days, as I recalled that this link was provided by someone, you?! But that is a challenging task! So, now that I know that you are capable of reading my mind, I will count on you going forward to keep my thoughts ordered!
THANK YOU, Bruce! This gives me hope!
I think of Barney Frank being forced to retire. Aren't there laws against threats of violence?
Al Franken!
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/29/the-case-of-al-franken
Rep, Rifle Boebert deserves 10-20 years for inciting insurrection and conspiracy to overthrow the US government. Greene is no better, though I'm less informed about her crimes.
Greene should be removed from office and arrested based on her advocacy of violence. It is truly horrifying that they assigned her to the Education Committee given the video of her harassment of Parkman student David Hoag and her extreme pro-gun stance. It's almost as if the Republican leadership is saying "screw you" those who want to regulate guns because of school shootings.
Agreed! Why are they even allowing her to stay? Madness! And Jennifer... you are so right. Toss her into anything to do with education?! That’s ridiculous... a real slap in the face! She belongs nowhere except on a bus trip home. And even that is the easy way out for her.
Perhaps a busload of antimaskers that stops frequently to let some off and others on?
I suggest the Agriculture Committee, Chair of Subcommittee on Fertilizer Distribution /snark
That's too funny!
Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks?
That’s it!
As a retired teacher, my response was the same. A woman who followed a student who witnessed the horror of the Parkland massacre, threatening him with words and a concealed weapon? She has no more place determining anything about education than did Betsy De(Vos)Vil!
My sentiments exactly Jennifer! I too have friends and family that are/were teachers and listening to their laments about the lack of financial resources for education. There was much talk then about the "dumbing of America"! Few, if any, were very enthusiastic about No Child Left Behind. They were especially concerned with the reduced emphasis give to the arts & humanities, social studies, civics and history. Teaching-to-the-test was not well received! That, in my opinion, is a major factor in the social chaos we're experiencing today in America!
No Child Left with A Mind
Unfortunately, sad but true!
Thanks Bill. Keep your own comments coming.
My sentiments exactly Jennifer! I too have friends and family that are/were teachers and listening to their laments about the lack of financial resources for education. There was much talk then about the "dumbing of America"! Few, if any, were very enthusiastic about No Child Left Behind. They were especially concerned with the reduced emphasis give to the arts & humanities, social studies, civics and history. Teaching-to-the-test was not well received! That, in my opinion, is a major factor in the social chaos we're experiencing today in America!
"Two [Capitol Police] officers have since taken their own lives."
Why?
Was it remorse for having failed to protect the capitol building or, worse, remorse at perhaps aiding and abetting something that went way beyond what they thought they were getting into?
I think it is important to know.
Were these two part of those officers who posed for selfies and held the door for surrectionists? (And if not, are those officers up on charges of gross dereliction of duty?)
These two suicides won't leave me alone. I hope at some point we, and their families, get some clues about why they did it.
Howard Liebengood is from my hometown of Vienna, VA 9 miles SW of D.C. He graduated from my high school and he was a legacy Capitol Police Officer. That means his father was a Capitol Police Officer, but he was also, Sergeant-at-Arms there. Howie spent his boyhood visiting with Congressmen in the halls of the Capitol building. On school field trips, his friends did not know until they saw him stop and chat with famous Congressman, that Howie's Dad worked there. He died because he felt he could not protect the building he respected, loved and revered since childhood. He was only married for 3 years when all of this Just year, after year, of steady public service unfolded. Please do not sit in judgement of this fine young man. In the future, who will wish to serve like he did if there is no accountability for these perpetrators? These are real people, with lives filled with Civil Service. No "branding" for their family. No hotel with their name emblazoned on it. What a concept! Civil Service! Who will step forward to serve again? Looks increasingly like the National Guard will be there for a very long time.
Thank you for sharing this with us. I know the Capitol Police fought for two hours or more on the East side of the Capitol, often in hand-to-hand combat, in an attempt to keep the violent insurrectionists out of the building. The vast majority of these officers serve honorably and take their responsibilities to heart, protecting the People's House. Officer Liebengood's death is a terrible tragedy
Police suicide is our profession's "dirty little secret" that never seems to make sense to those of us left behind. I have lost 4 friends to police suicide (primary responding officer on one of them) and while each situation was very different, the common thread was that none of them felt they had "done enough". When I heard of Liebengood's death, I was both saddened and worried that more would follow.
I cannot imagine the stress and trauma suffered by law enforcement on that day. I hope and pray they get the interventions they need to help them through that trauma. (For those that don't know, I am a retired full time patrol deputy and now a part time court security deputy who maintains an active presence on the county's Peer Support Team.)
As a veteran and daughter of a mother who committed suicide I agree with everything you said. It's such a world-shattering act, whether it's a family or an organization like vets or LEOs –it's such a loud scream. It's an act that seems to be ignored because it is so scary. We need to start listening, there is no going back, no do-over. It leaves wounds that never heal. Enough with the 'secrets' the shame of getting help needs to end.
There is an image we maintain when we put on the uniform and it belies the fact that we are still human under that image and also vulnerable.
Such an important post, Ally. I am the mother of a police officer. It's great to know your county as a Peer Support Team.
Very good comment. Thank you. I’ve had several police officers and DEA guys in therapy over the years. The trauma they store, and the shame they feel in seeking help (don’t get me started on why seeking help is looked down upon by their fellow colleagues), are very heavy psychological burdens. Very painful burdens.
Suicide is a huge...growing issue among the general population as well. My sister just told me about a 3rd grader who took their life last week. Besides adults, so many young people are being affected by stress, anxiety and depression. Prayers all around as we move forward.
My God ! Third grade.... on this note I am going to sleep and pray that we can evolve, and learn more compassion, understanding, and learn to have more kindness for everyone around us... sweet dreams my friends.
Thank you for sharing this, which I had no idea about. And thank you for being involved in your county’s Peer Support Team. Clearly, we need many more of you.
When I saw that uncontrollable melee on Jan 6, it was like any military blunder where the enemy did a surprise assault. Those cops were caught off-guard and could do nothing except get trampled by the mob and be at their mercy, which we saw on video, was not given.
I was once a cop in New Orleans, when a ship collided and burned in the river. I was assigned ALONE to keep order on Eads Plaza where hundreds of ppl came down to see the tragedy on the water. Luckily, there wasn't a mob directed at me, but I felt the overpowering futility of being able to do nothing if violence broke out. Observe & Report was all I could do.
Hopefully you emerged unscathed, both then and later. Stay well, Rob.
Thank you for your personal insight into the life and the death of Officer Leibengood. It's a shame he took his own life; he had nothing to be ashamed of.
Ralph, that is so true, but try to embrace this young man's history and his worldview. He was overwhelmed. He felt he did not defend this hallowed ground. In his view, with his background he could not go on living because this was all too much much to bear. We need to make the effort to see through the eyes of others.
The responibility was not his alone, though he likely thought it was. Had there been people up the chain of command, all the way to the White House, with similar dedication and sense of responsibility this whole tragic event would have turned out differently, and Howard Leibengood would still walk among us.
Those that sat on their hands purposely to allow the mob to get further entrenched in the Capitol have blood on their hands and must be held accountable. Those that sat in the WH and watched the events ( with glee) unfold on television are responsible for every injury and death. Those that sit in Congress and do not hold the former President and his minions accountable are complicit. This is a dark and dangerous Congress that represents the people of this country. 😞
Carla, thanks for your passion for someone who shouldn’t have paid for the actions of people he could not control. I didn’t take Daria’s comments as criticism, just concern. Such a terrible tragedy.
Thank you. I really should not be commenting at all here. I am still so angry about January 6th and the 5 years prior to that.
Carla, this is exactly the place you should be commenting! 🌷 I think we all feel and understand your anger.
Oh, Carla, your anger and sadness are palpable. I’m so sorry for your (and our Nation’s) loss. The nightmare of the Big Lie lives on. I put so much faith in the goodness and fairness of President Biden’s administration, it’s hard to read about the continuing influence of the despicable creatures who are no longer in office. Hopefully the memory of the good, upstanding people who lost their lives for our country will be a blessing and lesson for all. ❤️
Thank you, Carla. We're reading more now about the awful painful injuries sustained by those defending the Capitol. The suicides may be part of the whole awful story.
My sincerest. Sympathies to his family. Capitol police were so outnumbered and trumps Republican angry mob were no match. They came armed. If the Republicans don't stop the terrorists in their own party, our democracy will be destroyed from within.
I am reminded of comments made by members of Congress, who were as horrified by the desecration of the Capitol as they were about their own safety. They too called it "hallowed." I can understand why one would feel an immense pain at such destruction, particularly if one's JOB was to protect it. I am so sorry about Officer Leibengood and I appreciate knowing more of his story here.
The last full measure of devotion.
-- A Lincoln
I have read about him since his tragic death and what a good man he was, and I wondered why he ended his life. Thank you for sharing this.. I hadn’t considered that he and maybe the other police officer couldn’t live with the fact that their force had been unable to protect a place and people he had sworn to do. It is deeply troubling and sad.
What a terrible loss! I don’t stand in judgment of those lost to suicide, I feel anguish! I know what the family left behind is feeling and the what ifs that will always remain. Another example of why we need better mental health care in our country. But the whole trump era is proof of that! Thank you for your insight. I’m very angry too! You’ve come to the right place to express yourself! So sorry! It’s just too much to bear.
Thank you for sharing. It’s important to know this. It stops the burden of anxiety that he was a part of something dangerous and that killed himself to protect the information he had.
As a point of reference, Officer Liebengood was 51 years old at the time of his death.
I'm 71 years old and to me he was very young. Why is a "point of reference" even required? I am so angry that this great guy is no longer with us.
Please accept my apologies, Daria.
I'm not sure why your apologizing, Carla.
Because I think my answer to your point of reference was an over reaction on my part.
Ah. I didn't interpret it that way. No apology necessary!
Heartbreaking, and important. May I repost? May I include your name?
I don't mind if you repost, but please don't use my name. Thanks for asking MaryPat.
Thank you. No name. And no words can describe how sad and wrong this is. tRump set these officers up to be destroyed.
MaryPat, may I please suggest that you don't ID Dr Richardson or Letters from an American as sources? It protects privacy better. Thank you.
One of the Black Capitol Police Officers, once the riot was over and the insurrectionists pushed out, walked to the center of the dome and yelled "I just got called N****g* over and over again, in this House! How could this happen?" I don't think people realize how hard the Black community is taking the multiple betrayals by a very ugly part of our population, which looks to be a very large majority the Republicans (half the country--?) against democracy. There is real desperation among my friends, because they regard democracy's success as their only chance for living with dignity in this country. They are watching it get torn apart, and they keep standing up over and over again for it, only to have (as one of my Hispanic co-workers described it) the whites who support Trump "refuse to take "No" for an answer" and perhaps worse, get away with their defiance that for me is awfully close to sedition if they refuse to acknowledge Biden is the legitimate President. I cannot sleep well these days, as many others on this forum reported. But my Black friends are in constant agony right now, the highs and lows are crushing. I don't know if these Police Officers committed suicide for any such reasons, but perhaps. Representatives and Senators defying the masking laws, marching so arrogantly around the magnetometers every day with guns on their hips, are daily proof that the country is betraying them, and exhausted as they are, the fight to protect votes and weather severe, racist abuse will go on for many more years. We all need to step up and help our democracy now. Sherrod Brown has talked about a few incidents that show how bad the atmosphere is in there:
https://www.politicususa.com/2021/01/11/sen-sherrod-brown-while-we-were-in-lockdown-at-capitol-lindsey-graham-was-berating-police-officers-for-not-protecting-lawmakers.html https://www.brown.senate.gov/imo/media/video/United%20States%20Senate%20Floor-8_00%20AM%20-%204_00%20PM-Custodial%20Staff-2021-01-25.mp4
Any low thing from Lindsey Graham is not surprising. He's a worm (and I apologize to the worms in my compost bin for that remark)!
As for the video of Sherrod Brown praising and commending the work of the predominently Black and Brown Capitol Custodial Staff - good on you, Senator! Having worked at many jobs in my life before I was able to achieve my dream of teaching, including custodial work, his quoting the words of Rev. King on the dignity of all work was very meaningful to me.
I think he’s one of the best that we’ve got!
Wow. Thank you for sharing this, as brutal as it is to read. Hearing these things from the real people living them is what we need to hear. It’s like being in a plane, 30,000 feet up, and the picture below us looks ordered and serene. And while nothing is ordered and serene right now, it’s the nitty gritty truth of how real peoples’ lives are affected, what they are going through, that we need to be made aware of.. not just statistics and broad ideas.
Well worth clicking thru and watching.
That knocked me over. I hadn’t heard of a second one, and I want to know more.
Today’s letter has put a knot in my stomach, and I am very afraid for our country. I don’t want to overreact, but Marjorie Greene is despicable, and these Republican monsters are... I can’t even find the word. How do we get the ship righted ?
I agree. It is deplorable that MTG is on the EDUCATION committee. She shouldn't even be in Congress, much less a committee which oversees schools. Recall that she is a Newtown denier as well as a Parkland denier (note the hideous assault on David Hogg.) She has no business being associated with anything student-related.
I’m with you, Cynthia.
I want to share a correction that my husband brought to my attention regarding the nomenclature of the concept of suicide. It is no longer appropriate to use the expression ‘committed suicide’ but rather ‘died by suicide’ so as not to suggest that it is a criminal act. Just being the messenger here... Also, I would be interested in knowing how many police officers on the CP have taken their lives over the past few years. There’s no information that I can find online, but ABC news had an article about that in 2019 the number of police who took their own lives in the U S had increased dramatically from 2018.... from 172 to 228.
I do know that one these offers apparently had a complicated background, his father was affiliated with the likes of Roger Stone and other sketchy people, I can’t imagine how that may have affected him?
It is such a tragedy, and I can’t stop aching for Jamie Raskin and his family whenever I see the word, and often without any reminders. The fact that these vets, who have sworn an oath to our country, would be committed to this madness of King Trump rocks me to the core.
I’m reading this thread 2 days late, Cynthia, but want to thank you for correcting the nomenclature for dying by suicide. It is an important difference in how we discuss the tragedy of suicide.
'officers', not 'offers'.... sorry
The two most prominent CP seditionists, Officer Selfie and Officer MAGA Hat, have both been suspended and I believe arrested. Not sure if either is a suicide. It's all part of the unfolding tragedy of the Capitol insurrection.
In 1864 Jubal Early's Confederates Attacked Fort Stevens but came no closer than 6 miles from the Capitol. On Jan 6 the new Confederates stormed the Capitol and brought their filthy traitor's flag into the Rotunda. We're struggling to process it all.
Yes, seems they have declared war on "us" yet, we disbelieve.
I have been wondering about the suicides as well, and am concerned there could be more, unless we understand why the first two occurred. Is it PTSD? Did they feel abandoned by the American people and their government? Did they have access to mental health professionals? Is anyone in charge paying attention to the mental health of the officers? Sometimes we never know why someone chooses to take their own life, but that doesn’t mean we stop looking for answers. It also doesn’t mean we are judging the person or their family but without understanding how can we prevent more tragedy?
With due respect, your post implies collusion on the part of the capital police officers who took their own lives. They didn't fail to protect the capital, the Trump Administration's delay in sending in the National Guard did. In no way do we deserve answers as to why they committed suicide and, to be frank, it's none of our business. It's something their families will grapple with for years. I would hope we would show more respect.
Thank you for your response to my post.
I asked a question that could be answered any number of ways; honorable or otherwise.
The suicide of a public servant resulting from the failure of a public organization involved in a violent attemp to overthrow the government is absolutely the business of every citizen, along with the other casualties. The same goes for the many suicides of soldiers returning from duty overseas. In a way they died for me and my country and I absolutely have something to say about that.
I will not shrug it off as someone else's business, someone else's tragedy.
Please see my post above. The assault on the Capitol building was a traumatic incident for all involved, from the Vice President on down to the junior law enforcement person to the cleaning crews. I am hopeful there is some triage going on in the Critical Incident Response realm to assist all of these public servants to cope with the normal responses to an abnormal event.
Thank you, I understood this as your original intent and I’m glad you brought it up. The suicide (I only had read if the one) had dogged me also. I lost my father to suicide and those of us who go through that always wonder WHY? What could we have done?
Agreed.
Here's another group of professionals we should be worried about.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/26/well/mind/doctors-facing-burnout-turn-to-self-care.html?surface=home-discovery-vi-prg&fellback=false&req_id=936686560&algo=identity&variant=no-exp&imp_id=916554546&action=click&module=Science%20%20Technology&pgtype=Homepage
Oh, yes...
Great point, Ralph.
While I also think we may never know the answer, I have had those thoughts. Video footage from Jan 6 make it appear that Capitol Police were helping the rioters get easy access. I never saw photos of officers taking selfie’s with the seditionists. I did see Capitol Police move barriers and step aside, even joining the mob. Could some of them have felt such a loyalty to Trump that they thought it was the right thing to do? And then the resulting death and destruction and the revulsion of so many in response may have awakened some Trump followers to the wrongness of it all.
Wanting to know why someone has taken his or her own life is a natural response. We may never know.
And will the guilty pay a price? So far it seems trump and his followers, including Greene, get a pass.
Well, I read that the 1st Capitol police officer to commit suicide wasn’t on duty that day and was summoned to help out. So, no, he didn’t do anything nefarious.
But, trying to ‘guess’ why a person commits suicide w/o deeply knowing the individual is a fool’s errand. Just my $0.02.
Most recent suicide was on DC force not Capitol
Interesting... do you know what happened leading up to that?
Details have not been released per media
Thanks....
My questions EXACTLY
I’ve been wondering about that too.
I’m with you on this one.
Now that we can actually control what happens in the Senate with an extreme effort and to address the problem of 2022, Biden needs to attack now the question of a New Voting Rights Act in which he not only states that everyone must have the right to vote, nullifying all restrictions on that sacred right, and declaring that each vote must have equal value........thus also outlawing gerrymandering and limits on House Representatives in one blow.
It would go to the Supreme Court obviously, so he needs also to get his new SCOTUS reform commission to give him assured passage of this key measure too. We can't accept that the Supreme Court would be able to block such a measure.
Time is short, I know...but this seems to me to be an absolute priority. Get this through and into law and you win the 2022 elections with a massive majority......Democracy is alive and well.....almost! Otherwise we are back where we started.
This won't be complete or successful unless it also includes campaign finance reform including overturning Citizens United which will take years since it can only be done by a Convention of States. How can democracy be well with this legalized corruption?
But if you pass such a VRA and deal with the SCOTUS you'll also win more states and then you can do away with Citizens United Too
Although SCOTUS is conservative they are also institutionalists so may surptise everyone by supporting a VRA.
The SC is most interesting in recent months. Gorsuch shows some Roberts-esque merit; Barrett is so green that she wisely sided with the elders on the crucial election cases; even Brute Kavanaugh offers glimmers of promise. Perhaps only Thomas and Alito are truly lost causes; both were nominated for their extreme youth and extreme rock heads. Optimistic? Of course. But history shows that the Court often surprises. Remember when Eisenhower and Bush I nominated Bill Brennan and David Souter as solid, reliable conservatives? Oops!
Unless they take a "States' Rights" position and say that it isn't a federal matter!
The SC is, at least right now, a third rail almost as touchy as Social Security and, as a couple of other commenters have said, has already delivered some surprises. People who suggest changing the Court make the same erroneous assumptions that the disgraced former president made. I'd leave that alone and focus on a VRA as being more achievable.
As long as they don't scuttle it like last time. It might need at least the threat of appointing new judges or of returning the Court to its original limited mandate to make sure the VRA does the job.
Having a Plan B never hurts. I'd like to see a mandate, probably requiring a Constitutional Amendment, that all Congressional districting be done by algorithm so that each is equally populated, geographically coherent (?) and absent of any partisan bias. It's a pipe dream but it's a nice pipe dream.
Then the battle will range aver who writes the algorithm, maintains it and keeps it "pertinent".
Chuck Schumer said S.B. 1, which mirrors what the House passed several years ago, is teed up. Of course McConnell wouldn’t bring the house bill to the floor then. This bill covers voting rights, election security, etc.
Good to hear. Do you have any more info or sources to learn more about SB1?
The House passed the For the People Act H.R. 1 on March 8, 2019 The bill addresses things like voting rights, ethics laws, independent redistricting commissions, special interests, foreign election interference and fixing the FEC. [CLC is nonpartisan and nonprofit.]
https://campaignlegal.org/update/how-hr-1-will-help-us-achieve-government-people
I believe that SB1 is the same as this, was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance on March 28, 2019
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/949
Many thanks.
Now it must hit the Senate Floor! What's the difference with SB1?
More realistically (or, maybe, less) the Democrats need to start campaigning for the 2022 mid-terms NOW. The DSCC and DCCC should be beating the bushes for good candidates everywhere, returning to Howard Dean's FIFTY STATE Strategy, and be ready to attack Republican incumbents for their every opposition to those worker-friendly programs proposed by the Biden Administration. Stronger majorities are within reach and should not be lost in a cacophony of "Presidential parties always lose the mid-terms" predictions. All it takes is a willingness to fight for funds, for media attention, and for the dominant position in messaging.
"I'm from the democratic wing of the Democratic party."
Right on!
The next campaign begins the day after the last election. Throughout 2020 I got 50 emails a day seeking donations; now it's down to "only" 30 but surely will rise again. Yeah, the game's afoot already. (Apologies to Sherlock Holmes.)
The dog has certainly barked in the night this time!
Ugg! Act; not campaign!
Thank you, Stuart, for directing my attention to this priority action. The late John Lewis would agree. My head is spinning. I just 🙏🏻 that Schumer and Bernie and Warren and every other decent Senator can use their power now to make change happen. ❤️🤍💙
I am wondering if we need- just for clarity's sake- to keep the separation of powers clear when we write. Congress passes laws, not the president, who can *propose* laws and even write them for consideration by Congress. But we need to keep in mind that the President does not unilaterally create laws. I think it is critical for us to make the effort to do this, especially right now. I feel a responsibility to help our nation remember the principles by which our government is supposed to operate. We've talked extensively about what the Constitution means, and I agree with Heather that it provides the framework for the structure of how we govern ourselves through electing representatives who are intended to work together to fill in that framework with the practical aspects of getting things done. Right now, especially, with our democracy having barely survived (with tatters) a man who didn't want to be President, but had aspirations of autocracy, I feel that it is important to continually reinforce what our Constitution has asked us to do. Separation of powers and how that works is a critical part of that. By doing that, it should help those whose lives were caught up in autocratic expectations to understand better how our government is supposed to function.
As a Georgia resident living in an affluent suburb of Atlanta, Marjorie Taylor Greene is widely looked upon as a kook. But she has plenty of support in the less educated, under informed rural counties. (Sorry, it's true.) Her constituents have come under the Trumpism spell, based on misinformation and watching too many action movies. But she was duly elected and must be allowed to serve her term. The best Congress can do is censure her for making false statements and bragging that she carries a weapon. We can only hope that her own actions will extinguish her oxygen herself.
Speaking of Integrity, Biden is schooling Republicans on how to get things done and to keep his promises. His opponents, however, will vote against impeachment for one reason: They want to get re-elected. So they subjugate any sense of integrity for another term, thus fueling right wing "challenged" supporters, selling their souls to the devil. Mitt Romney and others will vote to convict former president Trump because they possess character in voting their consciences. This moment in history argues strongly in favor of term limits.
Sometimes, I dream of a sci fi movie taking over and large words forming over people’s heads when they lie or exaggerate and maybe even why. Or, wizards putting truth serum in the Congressional coffee makers and suddenly no one is able to lie. They just start spilling the beans on themselves. Wouldn’t that be fun?
I had a similar thought but mine ran to electrical surges, varying in intensity, that would be activated with lies. Small lies would receive a tremor - big ones would have the force of a stun gun.
or there's always Pinocchio's nose...
I like your solution - it would definitely have a stultifying effect LOL. It would even help with social distancing! (But would put noses in closer proximity! )
Kind of like a shock collar?
OR remember when Obama spoke at the Press dinner & Mr. Key (forgot his first name) the comedian stood behind him & acted out what he really thought??? If you didnt see it - worth looking for. Jeanne, bet there are a lot of "movies" we could come up with, right?
Actually was Michael Key from Key & Peele at the Correspondence Dinner - Just watched it over again on UTube.
or noses growing longer
Neat!
On a lighter note, cf. Jim Carrey in "Liar, Liar."
I have to admit to never having seen that. Have I stolen someone’s plot LOL?
No, you're perfectly OK.
Theft: taking something with the intent to permanently deprive someone of their property.
Randy, Trumpism is a National Enquirer mentality. Always a lie and a smear to roil and titillate. Trump is envious of dictators and has always used salacious accusations to stay in the news to sustain his power. Trump was never in business to build a product, he used it as a front to access other people’s money. He owes his soul to those to whom he is indebted and the tricks he learned from Roy Cohn on how to live off other people are no longer enough. So he will take a democracy down with him using what remains of the republican party. What filth is being alleged or true that keeps them in his control? It has gone too far to be just re-election. What keeps his hold? What powers back him? We need to know.
IMHO, a long history of repub lies and brainwashing. Racist smears on Dukakis, a book of lies on Kerry, 8 years of birther nonsense...And lots of guns. There should have been a big incredulous reaction when 45 wanted to start a Patriot political party. He and his worshippers have desecrated the concept of patriotism.
It was astounding that Kerry, a true war hero, was swiftboated so effectively by Shrub's flying monkeys. Shrub himself went AWOL to kickstart his political ambitions, and even was a near-deserter. Yet Kerry was partly responsible for his own loss.
That was an era when Repugs said "bend over so we can whack you" and Dems answered "how far?" It happened a lot to good MA Dems: Dukakis, Kerry, Scott Harshbarger for governor. We've had Repug guvs for 22 out of the last 30 years; only Deval Patrick broke the streak. MA voters prefer Repug guvs to watch our, um, problematic Dem-dominated legislature. I do not.
If Greene has indeed broken the law and given support to insurrectionists she should be charged and held accountable. The fact that she was elected should give her no protection. Quite the opposite.
House of Representatives can vote on expulsion and kick het out. She is a danger to every congressperson.
Congress will never support term limits. We need a grass roots effort to amend the constitution. Ted Cruz for term limits, wow.
https://www.cbs7.com/2021/01/25/sen-cruz-reintroduces-amendment-imposing-term-limits-on-members-of-congress/
Why does the Harry Potter series continue to come to mind? Voldemort now retreated but the dark elements still seethe with dementors lurking in the shadows. We’re only on book five.
There are certain authors whose literary work has held resonance with this chapter: George Orwell, Margaret Atwood, Stephen King. Are they clairvoyant, or does civilization merely repeat this age old "rhyme of history"? (HCR's poetic reference).
Yeah--alas it is so much easier to embrace evil than to do good. Good requires a certain level of selflessness and a lot of empathy. These are actually difficult tasks for many people, especially Americans who have bought into the idea that "rugged individualism" is better than "community spirit."
We all need to learn from Richardson her knowledge of Defence Against the Dark Arts.
Like Dumbledore’s Army. What could we be? Heather’s History Heros?
Oh my, that’s perfect. I hadn’t thought of it. Whenever I felt the urge to call Trump “45” or “the boil on the ass of our country” or my sister’s favorite, “BLOTUS” (big loser of the US), I would take a deep breath and write “Donald Trump,” because somehow not using his name felt like giving him more power. As in He Who Shall Not be Named.
Is Biden Harry? Or is Biden Professor Dumbledore?
POS-TUS. Spelling it out would be rude.
For over four years and counting, I managed to scourge him without writing or searching for his real name. The many insulting nicknames are like sands upon the shore.
PS, Buttigieg could audition for the role of House Elf.
Maybe Harris is Harry.
Yes!!
I think we'll have every chance to find out what she really has in her guts quite quickly! A more Tolkien role might be more appropriate!
I’ve watched interviews with JK Rowling’s and she absolutely wrote the Potter’s series with history and government in mind. I see mirrors of it all the time myself and having read the entire series twice now. And the movies!
On Jan 6 a horde of insects swarmed the Capitol.
Thank you Heather. I mentioned you to a friend the other day that if she wants a fact based read, you are it. She is now a devote follower quite engrossed in reading your past posts, engaging me and others about them.
Needless to say I am concerned that there are Republicans that refuse to accept reality and are continuing to bang the drum of contempt. I don't remember there being this level of divide after an Inauguration. The QAnon are very much in the mix with their goal post changing agenda. Entirely to many negative factors pushing back a rebirth of Democracy. As President Biden pushes ahead towards his goals I can't help but wonder how far he will actual get. I suppose that is why we say we don't know the future, only the past.
Stay safe, stay well. This is far from over.
This nation shall have a new birth of freedom.
-- A Lincoln
I keep waiting for news that Rep Boebert is being charged with sedition for the tours she gave on Jan 5 to insurrectionists. Who gave those tours?
And charges against Trump, when will they drop? I think these arrests will take some wind out of some sails.
A list of the people on Boebert's tour would also be informatve. Were they allowed to take video of particular congressional offices?
I hope that they are doing good due diligence investigations so that the charges, when they come down, are air tight. This investigation is going to be incredibly complex, and I hope that it is thorough and complete. It means we won't get immediate satisfaction, and we will get convictions.
Thanks for this reminder to be patient.
I agree, Jeanne. I’m hoping that some of these investigations will be either completed, or progress shared, before the Senate trial on the Articles of Impeachment in February.
I’m, again, worried for the future of our country 🇺🇸
I am as much, if not more interested in who was being ushered through in those tours by Rep Boebert and others. Were there men who showed up the next day to assault our Capitol?
Is this based on the picture that was shared or other hard evidence? Snopes labeled the picture as “Miscaptioned.” Their comment, “This photograph shows Boebert with a group of extremists in December 2019 at Colorado's state capitol.” Would she do it at the US Capitol? Maybe so. Did she? I don’t know. Just asking...
Another Representative, Mikie Sherrill, Dem, NJ, and former Navy helicopter pilot, said on Twitter and FB that she witnessed a fellow Representatives (to be fair, she never named them) giving tours to groups of people on January 5, when tours had been prohibited because of Covid since March 2019. Here is the story:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/01/13/mikie-sherrill-reconnaissance-capitol-attack/%3foutputType=amp
Later, Rep Boebert railed against a different legislator who called out any fellows who gave tours. He didn’t name her, either, but she claimed in her rant that he was unfairly accusing her, thereby damning herself.
I can’t find that story again. Here is another related article:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.khou.com/amp/article/news/politics/colorado-lauren-boebert-republican-resignation-response/73-192ec0ed-bca9-40e9-98d1-8b33dd864449
And as I recall, the representatives who personally witnessed these tours described the Congress persons in the PLURAL, meaning more than one. I am also waiting to learn that Marjorie Taylor Greene was another accomplice.
Thanks, Jeanne.
There is a certain calm, a peacefulness to your words today. And yet, the message is at its optimistic best, worrisome.
Trump has been quiet, and Biden productive which are both good things. But the Insurrection Movement did not begin on Jan. 6, and still has plenty of oxygen. When a movement depends on pure fantasy and falsity, any message pushed out by bad actors will have legs. This one seems to be quietly moving from outright horror to a resigned acknowledgement of its continued presence.
We should have known this when on November 3rd, Trump gained 11 million new voters and the GOP House actually picked up several seats and seated Q-Anon believers.Right now, America is an overheated boiler. The plates are holding... for now, but the pressure is still too strong, and more than a few rivets have popped.
What feel right now seems more like an uneasy truce than a peace agreement. I do not see the majority of the GOP party peeling away from Trumpism. The "Big Lie" continues, as does the "Big Con". These days the "Lost Cause" seems to have found its way, its path lit by the torches of hatred. And their cause guided by the Grandest Wizard there ever was.
May God Bless Joe Biden. May God bless America. May God bless our troops.
There are so many experts on cults and authoritarian movements and coups. The FBI and CIA surely have some of the world’s experts in these areas and I imagine that President Biden and the men and women he is choosing for leadership recognize the danger we are stewing in and will look for the best way forward with the help of some of our best minds in this area. Joe Biden is the antithesis of Donald Trump
I feel as you do. But then I remember corporate America is pulling their money from the trumpists PACs, and I have hopes that the Oligarchs will defeat the tRump Fascists, and the Democrats will defeat the ignorance and poverty and joblessness and illness that fed the magates. And a new/old Republican party will emerge with a conscience. But for now, yes, the pressure is still too strong...
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Marjorie Taylor Greene got a committee assignment yesterday after pledging $175K to the RNC Congressional PAC. Remember all that money that Trump raised after Nov 3rd for his "defense fund"? As much as he wants to run again, he can bankroll a lot of wackos with $250M.
Grrrrrrrrr
What can we learn from continuing to read about anything that includes the phrase “polls say a majority of Americans believe ... , but a majority of Republicans side with Trump and believe ...”. Every time I see another poll result on any issue that includes this phrase it confirms my view that most Republicans are just f****** stupid. Sorry for that observation, but I have reached the conclusion that triage demands that those destined irretrievably to the lowest ring of Dante’s inferno should be allowed to go to ****, and we focus on saving those Republicans who believe in facts, science, truth, and democracy.
I recommend Republicans learn a lesson from the Grimm brothers tale of Rumpelstiltskin, the imp seeming to have the ability to spin straw into gold. Trump supporters continue to offer their treasure and loyalty to this imp, so long as they have treasure to surrender and he continues to perpetuate the illusion of his spinning more straw to gold. This spell is only broken when they can correctly identify him by name. Trump supporters continue to surrender treasure and their souls to this tormentor and now he will take their first born. Only correctly identifying him out loud will save them and their first born. But, will they yet be able to say his real name or is all lost? We can only hope the tale ends well.
Amazing how "nasty" the Grimm Bros tales were...reflection of the society they lived in.....but the moral and psychological basis is out of time. What folk tales will the future tell about us?
Nice use of the Grimms. Future folk tales will tell of a vile, evil ogre who tried to dismember and devour the country, and the good prince who came out of retirement to save it. I hope.
Could be "jack and the beanstalk" or whatever, the storyline changes but not the moral and the lesson for humanity.
In keeping with your comment, Bruce, I have been wondering when the Republican Party became the party of satan. Today’s mention of Greene’s despicable actions made me wonder it again and actually say it out loud.
Satan being an architype buried deep in our collective and individual unconscious.....we all have a bit of it somewhere but most of us keep it firmly anchored there and not in our conscious personality......some not! GOP becomes, with Trump in charge, a gang of those, so afflicted and thus not managing to evolve to adulthood.
If we ignore the plight of these "ignoramouses" and their rights are we any better than the Confederate elite and the Mudsills?
I understand your question and would reply, this is why I used the term triage. One of my earlier life experiences was as a conscientious objector medic in Vietnam. We learned that when many lives are at risk you have to make critical decision about which can be saved and focus on those first. Yes, those choices are exceedingly difficult but better to lose one destined to die no matter what you do, than lose one you can save. So if some can be saved by focusing on them and it means losing some of the Confederate elite and Mudsills, say a prayer for the souls of those lost and save those you can.
74 million would need a lot of praying.....best do what's necessary to keep them from getting "injured" in the first place. Societal conflict is often at once more complicated, intractable and bloodier than the military variety!
Thousands unregistered from the Republican Party after the 6th. I wonder what their numbers are looking like lately
Tell me if I am wrong but as I understand it, the House managers can use the latest video of Greene harassing David Hogg and his sister, plus her FB postings as evidence of insurrection and criminal activity. They can present this in Fake45’s trial. Those inflammatory statements and videos are also proof positive that she must be expelled from Congress. A resolution to do so was introduced tonight by Rep. Gomez ( I think) from CA. saying that she basically is dangerous and should no longer hold that seat. Dems must “claw” and scrape for democracy.
Fast forward to 2048:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States, Mr David Hogg."
I hope so...get her out! And Boebert... they are poisoning the water hole.
Since the inauguration, I am deliberately regenerating my belief in my country by only reading you for my political news and finding my way back to the positive, creative being I was before 2016 ripped the scab from the underbelly of America allowing the dark ooze to flow and spread until I no longer recognized former family, friends, neighbors.
Thank you for the increasingly granular analysis of the country's state of affairs. The core of it is stated succinctly today: "While the Republican Party’s apparent embrace of Trump and all he now stands for is grabbing headlines, Biden and his administration officials are taking on the radicalization of his opponents in a new and promising way. They are demonstrating an approach to sidelining Trumpism by shifting the focus off the exhausting drama of the former president and his supporters and onto a functioning government that is working for ordinary Americans."
Workmanlike and precise, urgent but not rushed, organized and with momentum to address the national crisis. The Biden admin resembles the beginning of FDR's New Deal in March 1933. That opening period, highlighting plans and policies for confronting immediate priorities, defined the concept of The First 100 Days of a presidency. New Deal? Here's The Deal!
I couldn't agree more!
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
Morning all! Thank you HCR--and I hope your semester has begun smoothly, as I am sure you're also (like me) in the purgatory of online course prep--it is really refreshing to wake up and not hear the constant drumbeat of terrible, awful, disgusting things coming out of the White House and Congress. My favorite phrase in this letter is "deprive the Republicans of oxygen." That is the most useful and best strategy, I think, in terms of their attempts to prop up their Naked Emperor again. But I also am enjoying the research and social media mining that is happening (and popping up in my FB feed as well as in print media and here) in which people are revealing the myriad times when some of the most egregious examples of Gormless Obstructionist Party members (Greene, Hawley, etc) engaged in acts of bullying, faux outrage, and--in Hawley's case--verbal "manspreading". Greene should be ejected. But short of that, every disgusting thing she has done should be aired in public and no one should let up. This is kind of the reverse of depriving them of oxygen: it is sort of replacing the oxygen with another gas that is less palatable. Maybe helium? They can breathe it but it makes them sound ridiculous.
As I enjoy the many ways in which the Biden-Harris administration is working hard to present explicitly different ways of doing business as a kind of re-normalization of government work, I am reminded also--in news stories of rich and powerful people jumping ahead of essential workers to get Covid vaccines when they pooh-poohed the idea of Covid being a "thing" or they are threatening to withdraw support of hospitals (there is a hospital board in Topeka that got vaccinated while the police and hospital WORKERS were told there were no vaccines left) unless they get ahead of the people who really need early vaccines--I am reminded of something that Martin Luther King articulated many times, (I'm paraphrasing here). The wealthy and powerful benefit from a political and economic system (let's call it a form of socialism, shall we?) that supports and uplifts them with government handouts and access to the halls of power. The poor and those outside the usual white male dominant trope are told to "pull up their bootstraps" and are told that they have to "prove themselves" in order to make a living wage and survive. The level of inequality is notional, not only economic and physical, and the ideas have to change, as well. We need to call corporate welfare by its true name, and call out the corporations objecting to a living minimum wage--because they benefit by not paying their workers who have to rely on food stamps and other forms of assistance that we all pay for. I am not begrudging the people who have to use food stamps and WIC to survive. I am furious that the billionaire Walton family won't release a fraction (tiny, tiny fraction) of their billions in order not to have the US taxpayer subsidize their great experiment in economic autocracy.
So yeah: hoping that the push from the POTUS continues unabated for two solid years and that we throw the bums out in 2022.
On Jan 6th, 2020 the Republican Party became the Seditionist Party as they tried to overthrow our US Democracy.. This is how they should be forever branded, even after Trump is trown into the trash heap.
Even 78% of the Republicans, according to this article now stand behind Trump ... is aa far cry from the 94% or so just a few weeks ago. I have to think that the Independents have a MUCH more negative view of the Republican Seditionists than they had not too long ago, and are leaning away from the Seditionist party and/or joining the Democratic party in record numbers. (See how easy it is to brand them ... just brand them as Seditionist at every opportunity)
The Republican Seditionist Party has boxed themselves into a corner. If they support Trump's riot the Independents and moderate Republicans will desert them ... and if they don't support Trump the Republican nut jobs will primary them. A no-win situation.
After all, NEVER attack the US and our Democracy, no real Americans will go with that program.
While I don't rule out the possibility of another attack on the government, I'm not afraid. What makes the Capitol vulnerable also makes it safe. We're talking about protecting 535 people. The insurgents were lucky the first time because their threat was not taken seriously. They had a real chance and they blew it. It's a shame DC looks like a war zone. This is a Republican Party problem and they deserve whatever befalls them between now and March 4.
Your confidence just made me feel reassured. You’re right. They had the ultimate insider on the 6th—the former president. Plus whichever lawmakers were in on the attack. Cheerleader Hawley. The press has swung away from them. At least the press to which I listen. They label misinformation, they always add “claims which have been roundly debunked and for which no evidence was found,” whenever they mention the falsely held belief that the election was fraudulent.
Sanity and ethics are in the White House now. Our Constitution shall prevail.
The media will always run towards the bright shiny "thing". Meanwhile the real news goes under reported. When you feel overwhelmed by bad news that has yet to and may never happen, read this list of 100 things Biden has done in just a week:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/biden-first-week-executive-orders-cabinet-list-b1793561.html
Thank you for this link! I appreciate that it’s from the U.K., too. Outsiders’ perspectives are important.
I like at least one foreign news source. When I saw HCR often list The Independent as a source I decided to try it for a few days and then subscribed. I often find the stories that mean the most to me in its front page that I don't see on the front pages of NYT and WaPo which these days are often indistinguishable from each other.
Both The Independent and The Guardian give you their US edition when you subscribe. I've subscribed to The Guardian too until they priced themselves out of my budget.
You really can't have a well rounded news perspective without sources looking from the outside in imho.
Clarification - article was written by Chris Riotta who is a U. S. reporter based in NYC, working on a Master's in journalism at Columbia.