There is a frantic feeling in the political air as stories fly around: the leader of the Proud Boys has been arrested in Washington, D.C.; senators will contest the counting of electoral votes; Georgia election officials destroy Trump’s accusations of a fraudulent election.
Thanks, Heather. I spent the entire day following the news blow by blow so I got nothing else done. I should have waited for tonight's Letter but it's now become something close to an addiction to stay abreast. I might need to go on a news blackout.
The insanity and overblown passion Trump Republicans express in the comments during live video broadcasts is overwhelming; from the declarations that Trump is the best ever president to he's "our lord and savior" to people vowing to take to the streets bearing arms because "this is war". It's mind boggling and frightening. These folks are consuming news from sources that bend the facts so totally out of shape that by the time Trump walked out on stage they were all lathered up and raring to go. Trump is stoking a sense of rage amongst his supporters that is volatile and intended to reverberate throughout the country well after he is dead and gone.
All the bigots, all the religious zealots who dreamed of a Supreme Court that would create a Christian Caliphate, all the homophobes, are in a fever dream. They know their time is gone. Their own children and grandchildren who will have nothing to do with their contrived hoaxes.
Now is not the time of violence, for it never wins. It creates more hate. Now is the time of reason and compassion. The good people who have been fooled for whatever reason, or just misplaced emotion, will come around to their normal selves. Once out of office, djt and his spawn will be discovered. Empty vessels. Worthless. And all the Sycophants will dry up and wither away.
This is the time to believe in the hard fought dream that all humans are equal. That all deserve the support of all. That life without equality cannot bring true freedom and happiness. If Georgia disappoints, be resolved to vote again. Vote in every election. Until we succeed. In the names of John Lewis and Ruth Ginsberg, have resolve. Good trouble!
Thank you Heather for this concise review of yet another diminishing day of this Country. The world can't possibly laugh harder at us. I do feel we will continue to spiral down until January 20th and beyond. This free fall may well be unrecoverable. I can remember the day when the Medal of Freedom meant something. It's now nothing more than a flea market trinket.
What we are seeing are the desperate attempts of a deranged man trying to stay revelant and at the same time not pay the prices for his crimes. He is as pathetic as this nation has so quickly become.
I was so glad we made it to 2021, I'm no longer sure that's a prize.
And Trump appears to be fueling a plane to escape to Scotland before Biden’s Inauguration.
Likely expecting the city in which he resided (part-time) over for the last four years to be in flames, or at least smoldering, he is off to play golf and into the arms of his pal Boris – and the less welcoming Nicola Sturgeon.
Is this what Boris needs right now – a 250-pound weight around his neck? Welcome to our world, Boris!
Every day, I awaken to read your summation, only to find that the depths to which this president will go to rob, cheat, and steal from the American people has reached yet an even lower bottom. Vladimir Putin's efforts to divide us has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams!
The next fourteen days could prove to be the most consequential days in the history of our Republic, determining as Franklin said in 1787, "... if we can keep it."
The damage that 45 has inflicted on our country and her citizens has gone beyond anything comprehensibly foolhardy -- it is utter madness! As of yesterday, the number of Covid cases had risen to 20.9 million and the unfathomable number of deaths to 354k; and yet, our daily news must, perforce, center on the political antics of a narcissist rather than on the pain and suffering of the sick, the dying, those who care for them in overcrowded hospitals, the grieving, the hungry, the homeless ...
It is heart wrenching to witness such calamities! The letter signed yesterday by the heads of over 170 business leaders which condemned "attempts to 'thwart or delay' the process of counting the electoral votes as a threat 'to the essential tenets of our democracy'" spoke to me because of its focus on this: “'The incoming Biden administration faces the urgent tasks of defeating COVID-19 and restoring the livelihoods of millions of Americans who have lost jobs and businesses during the pandemic. Our duly elected leaders deserve the respect and bipartisan support of all Americans at a moment when we are dealing with the worst health and economic crises in modern history. There should be no further delay in the orderly transfer of power.'"
We can no longer stand by and allow the people's representatives to give credence to the lies perpetrated by a WH that has never and will never have this country and its citizens' best interests at heart.
To say that Trump and his enablers "have no evidence" of election fraud isn't accurate--and not for reasons that are purely semantic hair-splitting. They have lots and lots of evidence, it just happens to be of abysmal quality. Trump supporter Trish White, interviewed yesterday by NPR at a Trump rally in GA, said "... I believe the election was stolen in the state of Georgia. Absolutely believe it. Look around. No way Biden won this state." I have heard Trump use the exact same logic, pointing to the size of his rallies in the run-up to the election. I won't waste any time here explaining the sheer stupidity of that argument or the questionable intelligence of those who buy into it uncritically.
I think the correct response isn't to dismiss their claims, but to address them head-on in more public forums. I don't think I've heard any politicians speak up to defend election procedures in any informative way beyond parroting that they were fairly conducted. I have heard much about the stunning number of Trump's failed law suits, but virtually nothing about their content. I have only heard a trickle of reports in the media regarding how fraud was investigated in GA (and elsewhere), how the recounts were conducted, how remarkably secure the GA procedures were -- even in comparison to those in a lot of other states. I would love to see the media step-up and try to reach more people with information on the social science of rumor- and conspiracy-mongering. I'm sure there are other approaches.
Obviously, better info won't sway the opinions of Trump cultists, but it will move the needle by influencing the more thoughtful Republicans who can appreciate both the attractiveness and the invalidity of anecdotal evidence and conspiracies. In short, more talking heads on both sides of the aisle need to explain *why* the election was fair, not just declare that it was so.
[W]e are right now fighting over whether or not America will remain a democracy.”
Heather’s presentation may be calm, but the situation is terrifying. Let us at least hope that Ossoff and Warnock will win today, that the seditionists will lose tomorrow, and that Biden will be president on the 20th. Let us hope that we are not living through the final days of our democracy.
Thank you for this calm report of such a chaotic start to 2021. Those of us who have faith should pray for the peaceful transfer of power. I had to take my husband to a doctor’s appointment yesterday and because of COVID they didn’t want me to come with him. I used the time to listen to the phone call as I read the transcript. It was truly horrifying and it felt endless. DT is desperate.
"The two Republican Senators in Georgia, in a fight for reelection, have now signed onto the effort, although it means they are saying that the voters in their own state should be overruled in their choice for president."
As a matter of principle, if not of law, this should disqualify the Perdue and Loeffler candidacies. I'm sure they'd say they're standing up for electoral integrity, but in fact they're saying that they're running to become part of the junta that will make America an autocracy.
Once again, I don't know exactly what tools are available to render their efforts null, but should they win, to seat them would be one of the most lasting and blatant insults of Trump's reign.
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! Fingers crossed for a Warnock/Ossoff win in GA. There seems to be a split in the opinions of newsies about whether the forthcoming Republican objection of states' electors is unprecedented. What is new for sure is we are being treated to a front row seat as it will unfold. I pray that there will be no counter-protesting tomorrow in D.C. And here's a link to the arrest of the Proud Boy leader: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/proud-boys-enrique-tarrio-arrest/2021/01/04/8642a76a-4edf-11eb-b96e-0e54447b23a1_story.html
15 Days 7 Hours 18Minutes...and Seconds to January 20, 2021 (You're Welcome, Catherine!
Devin Nunes receiving the Medal of Freedom makes me sick to my stomach.
I just hope that Trump's phone call results in Ossoff/Warnock victories today.
Thanks, Heather. I spent the entire day following the news blow by blow so I got nothing else done. I should have waited for tonight's Letter but it's now become something close to an addiction to stay abreast. I might need to go on a news blackout.
The insanity and overblown passion Trump Republicans express in the comments during live video broadcasts is overwhelming; from the declarations that Trump is the best ever president to he's "our lord and savior" to people vowing to take to the streets bearing arms because "this is war". It's mind boggling and frightening. These folks are consuming news from sources that bend the facts so totally out of shape that by the time Trump walked out on stage they were all lathered up and raring to go. Trump is stoking a sense of rage amongst his supporters that is volatile and intended to reverberate throughout the country well after he is dead and gone.
All the bigots, all the religious zealots who dreamed of a Supreme Court that would create a Christian Caliphate, all the homophobes, are in a fever dream. They know their time is gone. Their own children and grandchildren who will have nothing to do with their contrived hoaxes.
Now is not the time of violence, for it never wins. It creates more hate. Now is the time of reason and compassion. The good people who have been fooled for whatever reason, or just misplaced emotion, will come around to their normal selves. Once out of office, djt and his spawn will be discovered. Empty vessels. Worthless. And all the Sycophants will dry up and wither away.
This is the time to believe in the hard fought dream that all humans are equal. That all deserve the support of all. That life without equality cannot bring true freedom and happiness. If Georgia disappoints, be resolved to vote again. Vote in every election. Until we succeed. In the names of John Lewis and Ruth Ginsberg, have resolve. Good trouble!
Perhaps we should stop using the language “a threat to our democracy” and replace it with “these folks are traitors and seditionists”.
Thank you Heather for this concise review of yet another diminishing day of this Country. The world can't possibly laugh harder at us. I do feel we will continue to spiral down until January 20th and beyond. This free fall may well be unrecoverable. I can remember the day when the Medal of Freedom meant something. It's now nothing more than a flea market trinket.
What we are seeing are the desperate attempts of a deranged man trying to stay revelant and at the same time not pay the prices for his crimes. He is as pathetic as this nation has so quickly become.
I was so glad we made it to 2021, I'm no longer sure that's a prize.
Be safe, be well.
And Trump appears to be fueling a plane to escape to Scotland before Biden’s Inauguration.
Likely expecting the city in which he resided (part-time) over for the last four years to be in flames, or at least smoldering, he is off to play golf and into the arms of his pal Boris – and the less welcoming Nicola Sturgeon.
Is this what Boris needs right now – a 250-pound weight around his neck? Welcome to our world, Boris!
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/04/trump-biden-inauguration-plane-flight-scotland
Every day, I awaken to read your summation, only to find that the depths to which this president will go to rob, cheat, and steal from the American people has reached yet an even lower bottom. Vladimir Putin's efforts to divide us has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams!
The next fourteen days could prove to be the most consequential days in the history of our Republic, determining as Franklin said in 1787, "... if we can keep it."
The damage that 45 has inflicted on our country and her citizens has gone beyond anything comprehensibly foolhardy -- it is utter madness! As of yesterday, the number of Covid cases had risen to 20.9 million and the unfathomable number of deaths to 354k; and yet, our daily news must, perforce, center on the political antics of a narcissist rather than on the pain and suffering of the sick, the dying, those who care for them in overcrowded hospitals, the grieving, the hungry, the homeless ...
It is heart wrenching to witness such calamities! The letter signed yesterday by the heads of over 170 business leaders which condemned "attempts to 'thwart or delay' the process of counting the electoral votes as a threat 'to the essential tenets of our democracy'" spoke to me because of its focus on this: “'The incoming Biden administration faces the urgent tasks of defeating COVID-19 and restoring the livelihoods of millions of Americans who have lost jobs and businesses during the pandemic. Our duly elected leaders deserve the respect and bipartisan support of all Americans at a moment when we are dealing with the worst health and economic crises in modern history. There should be no further delay in the orderly transfer of power.'"
We can no longer stand by and allow the people's representatives to give credence to the lies perpetrated by a WH that has never and will never have this country and its citizens' best interests at heart.
To say that Trump and his enablers "have no evidence" of election fraud isn't accurate--and not for reasons that are purely semantic hair-splitting. They have lots and lots of evidence, it just happens to be of abysmal quality. Trump supporter Trish White, interviewed yesterday by NPR at a Trump rally in GA, said "... I believe the election was stolen in the state of Georgia. Absolutely believe it. Look around. No way Biden won this state." I have heard Trump use the exact same logic, pointing to the size of his rallies in the run-up to the election. I won't waste any time here explaining the sheer stupidity of that argument or the questionable intelligence of those who buy into it uncritically.
I think the correct response isn't to dismiss their claims, but to address them head-on in more public forums. I don't think I've heard any politicians speak up to defend election procedures in any informative way beyond parroting that they were fairly conducted. I have heard much about the stunning number of Trump's failed law suits, but virtually nothing about their content. I have only heard a trickle of reports in the media regarding how fraud was investigated in GA (and elsewhere), how the recounts were conducted, how remarkably secure the GA procedures were -- even in comparison to those in a lot of other states. I would love to see the media step-up and try to reach more people with information on the social science of rumor- and conspiracy-mongering. I'm sure there are other approaches.
Obviously, better info won't sway the opinions of Trump cultists, but it will move the needle by influencing the more thoughtful Republicans who can appreciate both the attractiveness and the invalidity of anecdotal evidence and conspiracies. In short, more talking heads on both sides of the aisle need to explain *why* the election was fair, not just declare that it was so.
I am so sick of this. 🤬
“Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night” - Bette Davis, All About Eve.
...Better make that a bumpy week!
Sleep well HCR, Tuesday is here. Looking forward to your 4:00 chat. We’re going to need it! Thank you for your dedication 💕
“There is a frantic feeling in the political air.
[...]
[W]e are right now fighting over whether or not America will remain a democracy.”
Heather’s presentation may be calm, but the situation is terrifying. Let us at least hope that Ossoff and Warnock will win today, that the seditionists will lose tomorrow, and that Biden will be president on the 20th. Let us hope that we are not living through the final days of our democracy.
Thank you for this calm report of such a chaotic start to 2021. Those of us who have faith should pray for the peaceful transfer of power. I had to take my husband to a doctor’s appointment yesterday and because of COVID they didn’t want me to come with him. I used the time to listen to the phone call as I read the transcript. It was truly horrifying and it felt endless. DT is desperate.
"The two Republican Senators in Georgia, in a fight for reelection, have now signed onto the effort, although it means they are saying that the voters in their own state should be overruled in their choice for president."
As a matter of principle, if not of law, this should disqualify the Perdue and Loeffler candidacies. I'm sure they'd say they're standing up for electoral integrity, but in fact they're saying that they're running to become part of the junta that will make America an autocracy.
Once again, I don't know exactly what tools are available to render their efforts null, but should they win, to seat them would be one of the most lasting and blatant insults of Trump's reign.
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! Fingers crossed for a Warnock/Ossoff win in GA. There seems to be a split in the opinions of newsies about whether the forthcoming Republican objection of states' electors is unprecedented. What is new for sure is we are being treated to a front row seat as it will unfold. I pray that there will be no counter-protesting tomorrow in D.C. And here's a link to the arrest of the Proud Boy leader: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/proud-boys-enrique-tarrio-arrest/2021/01/04/8642a76a-4edf-11eb-b96e-0e54447b23a1_story.html
15 Days 7 Hours 18Minutes...and Seconds to January 20, 2021 (You're Welcome, Catherine!