"Today the Heritage Foundation preemptively accused the Biden administration of cheating in the 2024 election and warned that Biden might try to hold the White House “by force.” It said that Biden and his administration could “circumvent constitutional limits and disregard the will of the voters should they demand a new p…
"Today the Heritage Foundation preemptively accused the Biden administration of cheating in the 2024 election and warned that Biden might try to hold the White House “by force.” It said that Biden and his administration could “circumvent constitutional limits and disregard the will of the voters should they demand a new president.”
Almost laughable, almost. Google: ''Psychological projection''
Please file a complaint on them with the IRS for violating their tax status. Here is the link, how to do it, and 2 different suggestions on what to say.
Seen on Mastodon. At this link you can download a PDF form to file a complaint to the IRS, requesting that they revoke the Heritage Foundation‘s non-profit status. Fill out the form and mail it to: eoclass@irs.gov
This is what is suggested on the sample form to fill in:
Based on the statements of Kevin Roberts, the Heritage Foundation’s president, on June 11 and July 2, the foundation’s mission is no longer solely “research and education,” but now includes preparing for a possibly bloody revolution.
Specifically, in an interview on “The War Room” on July 2, Roberts stated that the Heritage Foundation has developed a prominent series of policy plans (Project 2025) to overhaul the federal government under a Republican president, and that the country was “in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be”
Sure sounds like Roberts and the other authors of Project 2025 are planning to start a bloody war as part of the Heritage Foundation’s mission.
The Heritage Foundation clearly and overtly supports presidential candidate Donald Trump. This shows the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken.
You'll need more information about The Heritage Foundation to be able to fill out IRS complaint form 13909. This information is from Jessica Craven, Chop Wood Carry Water:
The Heritage Foundation's street address is 214 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., city is Washington, state is D.C. Zip code is 20002
Their tax ID/EIN was tricky to submit - you cannot have a hyphen so it's 237327730
You can name both John P. Bakiel (VP of Finance) and Kevin Roberts (President).
Jessica suggested saying something like:
The Heritage Foundation clearly and overtly supports presidential candidate Donald Trump. This shows the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken.
I just completed my complaint and found that it is easy to submit electronically.
She also says, “No need to email. You'll get a download of your submittal for your records.” I could not get it to do that and had to email. If you can figure out how to do it, please do.
Thanks, but why stop there? How about the Southern Baptist Convention and even individual MegaMaga churches like Osteen's church in Dallas and many others so called religious organizations that bring in speakers with the sole purpose of bashing Biden and Harris.
We give them millions in tax breaks to trash our democracy and denigrate our leaders.
Then, go after them. We should all be concentrating on SCOTUS to take back our country, because otherwise they will just block any action and support the right wing. Clearly Alito's goals are those of the New Apostolic Reformation.
Has anybody seen “Bad Faith” on Amazon Prime?? It’s exactly who these crazy people are. They need to be stripped of their tax-exempt status and exposed for their lunacy. ASAP.
Gobsmacking movie. My formerly-Republican (couldn’t stomach the Orange Clown a second time) and very devout Christian friends were completely speechless after watching “God + Country” with my husband and me. Wish the majority of this country would view this and start thinking for themselves.
I always prefer to self criticize and this is what we should do more of to understand how great the backlash is. The right has gone way right and the left has gone way left. The center is a great place to strengthen not either extreme. But try teaching that to old dogs.
Bill, try teaching that to the young dogs on the left who want nothing but purity. Our garden person, who has a wonderful heart, but was for Bernie, thinks Biden sucks..her word. And mentioned oil and gas companies and timber. Never mind that he has a very diverse cabinet including a native American woman and a gay man, that he has chosen many diverse judges including many women, and has a black lesbian as a press secretary. Our garden person is also a lesbian, so I wish she would see the progress. One of our friends also never forgave me because his rep in the state house didn't do all that he said he would do and I pointed out that people find things are different once they are in the legislature and may have to compromise. This I guess was a mortal sin. This is also the guy who tried to tell me that Auschwitz was touristy and sneered at me. After that I told my husband that we would no longer socialize with them before basketball games in Eugene.
Re your lesbian gardener, is there some way you can communicate to her the threats, under a Trump administration and Project 2025, that will remove all of the rights and protections that the Biden administration and pre-Trump administrations will remove from her and all other non-binary Americans?
Many have already been removed in a few states, and it's likely that the current majority of the Supreme Court will act to reverse those protections and rights if Trump is reelected.
She finally happened upon Project 25. I don't know where she gets her news, but I am sure it's not main stream media. She does have access to my Facebook feed where I post Heather's letter everyday. Sometimes being an outlier all of one's life makes one cynical and I think that's part of it. We have a group here in the Salem area, that if you belong to a certain group, people should support you for some office even if you are not electable. I cite Jamie McCloud Skinner who cannot win here in Marion County, so we have a R in the Congressional 5th district. Fortunately, Jamie lost in the primary this time. We do have a married lesbian governor. These people want some kind of purist, that talks their ideals, even if in reality they cannot be achieved or only achieved in increments. I bet Bernie would have lots of compromising to do if he had been elected president. I told her that I am pragmatic when it comes to politics and yes, held my nose and voted for that dip Kurt Schrader. At this point, I would vote for a dead body if it had a D next to it.
This attitude is what I call corporate or establishment dems syndrome and not really paying attention to what is actually happening in terms of where the money comes from and who supports whom.
Hum… That’s personalizing things. I’m watching how things play out after so many nations did open borders and look where it’s gotten. Need I identify them: US, UK, Germany, Italy France, Hungry. Well thr Moors were once driven out of Spain. Nobody like uncontrolled open borders and the natural outcome is a rather nasty political shift to the right. And I’m not willing to agree with millions rushing over hot sands to the promised land. And if anyone is, then get ready to salute the new Furur.
It doesn't help that there is much myth making and downright lies around the subject of immigration that stirs up emotions such as fear, anger and bigotry. In fact, it could be argued that much of the problem with immgration stems from people who have been brainwashed to fear and hate it.
We're lucky, if one wants to call it that. Cultures can clash, causing civil unrest, and to say that there is a difference between Muslim culture and Western culture would be an understatement. I think that this helps to explain how Orban got power in Hungary.
The middle is the current Democratic party. I see nothing extreme in the policies they have passed or that Biden is proposing or in their rhetoric. Nothing remotely like what is happening with the GOP. The party itself is the extreme right.
I like this, and I agree. Recently friends who are conservative (but not Trumpers) said that they wished Biden would drop out so there could be a more moderate Democratic candidate. I said that he is a moderate Democratic candidate!
A lot of what I am talking about is local although at one point Bernie types were threatening a D in Nevada if memory serves, including where she worked. I have a long list of blockees on Facebook and many of them are nasty people on the left. What bothers me is that they were full of hubris and not voting or voting for Jill not green Stein and look what we got and immediately hard won progress started to go south. To me it is fine to have ideals to work for and we should, but politics in our system is the art of the possible. We warned people constantly in 2016 about the Supreme Court and as i have already reported, got the middle finger. Now we have all the terrible decisions to contend with including that fact the death star can do treasonous and criminal things and they gave him immunity. And they will decide which acts are official.
I think that there is always a continuum that includes extremes on both sides -- the serious problem comes when the centers of either side are weak. The center left exists, as evidenced by policy successes such as those noted in today's letter. The center right barely exists, if at all with the extreme right threatening/bullying anyone not clicking their boots together simultaneously.
It would see that way, Diane, but I have been having text exchanges with a high school buddy (Class of '58) and he is not only not well educated though highly opinionated, he is also a misanthrope. He's bitter. He's a racist. He's a Trumpster through and through.
Yes, I did and everyone needs to watch it Linda. Right?
The scenes from inside the churches where men of faith(?) are yelling the most hateful slurs at Biden and Harris and every other Democrat they can, are very disturbing. Seeing these scenes in Bad Faith is much of the reason I wrote my comment above.
Alito and Thomas are both Catholics. I am too, and couldn’t disagree more with them. They are blissfully unaware their Protestant evangelical allies will eventually turn on them as well.
" Ivan Raiklin, Trump’s self-declared “Secretary of Retribution” has compiled a “Deep State target list” of 350 people he wants to see arrested and punished for “treason” if Trump is reelected. The list includes Democratic and Republican elected officials, journalists he considers to be Trump’s enemies, U.S. Capitol Police officers, and witnesses against Trump in his impeachment trials and the hearings concerning the events of January 6, 2021."
IMHO if he "named names" then threatened to harm them, he may be criminally and civilly liable and should have to appear at a grand jury ASAP.
Yes. They are "the scum". We.. gentle people.., have been too pre-occupied with other seemingly more-important things, instead of "stirring the pot".. ("SLC")! And, as a result, "the Scum" have risen to the top. Yes.., it's boiling over on us. Heritage Foundation be damned. We have afforded that oxymoron title, and we are paying the price. I hope we can regroup. Libtard behavior is what fueled the fire under that pot. And, you might ask, just what IS libtard behavior..? You think about that. You define it. Or, have we just lost our way like little lambs?
we need to go after SCOTUS first, or at the same time. Back AOC in leading impeachment. I have sent her money, and an email using a dummy address since I am not in her district encouraging her in her work. It is the work that Dick Durbin my elected senator is supposed to be doing. When I repeatedly asked him to he responded with a letter on what he is doing, which is basically nothing. He has drafted rules, but they sit drafted not passed. I told him I was sure he could drag an impeachment investigation out for 4 months. Instead, someone not even on the judiciary committee takes the reins. She deserves our support. It should also scare SCOTUS because they don't know whether or not she will be successful. Here's to bold moves to try to save our democracy from the Court the staged a Coup.
Unfortunately I was taken with Hillsdale and their "free" coursework. I was not interested in obtaining any degree (have those already) or continuing ed. but wanted to continue learning. With the brag that they took no gvt. money & were strictly private, I did some checking & found out they accepted $ from trump. Then started getting letters about courses that sounded very biased & then coursework on Russian topics. It's then I not only turned away, but rans away as fast as I could. I responded to a couple of letters from Arn but I don't think he ever saw them, they were scathing on his misleading assertions of "non bias" claimed coursework. Beware of anything free.
Once a conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation has become a domestic terrorist organization, openly threatening the overthrow of our government and Constitution. Isn’t any of this against the law? Is actively planning a Revolution complete with threatening the lives of opponents no longer illegal? Where the hell is the line between opposition and treason?
This, so so so much. I have Catholic friends who have left the church because their priests were telling them how to vote from the actual pulpit. How are churches still tax exempt?
Gary: Don't forget in 2013 the IRS targeted tax exempt groups with words such as
"Tea Party" in their names. That generated some serious blow back of accusations of the government/leftist victimization of conservative groups. I can't imagine how bad an "attack on Christianity" would play.
Part and parcel of the 2013 IRS action was fully embraced and utilized by the right for propaganda usage among evangelicals, exaggerating (?) that the IRS would come for them next; The effect ? Enlarging the right wing coalition, via fear stoking, projection, etc., etc. The aftermath we live within today makes all that clear.
To get a better sense of their mission and why they support Trump, you should read the New Section of this Substack called, Why Project 2025 Will Ruin YOUR Life. https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/
Read the parts about Christian Nationalism and New Apostolic Reformation
I am reading Project 2025, and I find this helps to understand more deeply where everything fits in. I also recommend Strongmen by Ruth Ben-Ghiat to understand the fascist progaganda and playbook were are facing better. However, we cannot take the churches on, unless we address SCOTUS. For that I recommend donating even $5 to AOC who has the guts to take on starting Impeachment investigation into the 2 worst of the 6 horrors, Thomas and Alito. She got the money Dick Durbin could have gotten if he had listened to my entreaties to do the same thing, instead of sending me a letter explaining the nothingness that he has been doing.
This Christian Nationalism concept that props up the "Christian family model" bizarrely has absolutely nothing to do with Christianity! Hypocrisy was Jesus' biggest pet peeve and if He hadn't resurrected He'd be rolling around in His grave about now. Evangelicals who go around quoting the Bible and profess to live by its word (parables were not meant to be taken literally) have bought into everything Anti-Christ.
Speaking about the Antichrist mentioned in the scriptures (St. John and St. Paul), described as the "deceiver" and the "lawless one," the term was loosely tossed around to make the comparison to Obama, a Black man when he was president. Yet, I have not heard the term once compared to Trump, an Orange man, when it's so entirely apt.
Everything seems upside down. Here we have Biden who has made gaffes for the last half century, a true Christian, who has worked tirelessly and achieved so much for Americans, who is asked to step down by members of his own party, while a real Deceiver is propped up by so many who are duly and blatantly deceived!
Regardless of the concern for Biden and the growing number who are calling for him to step down now, if it's between Biden and Trump in November, I am confident that every single democrat will fall in line and vote for Biden. Otherwise, I will cry for you America....
Think of who called Obama the anti-Christ. White Christian Nationalists, racist. death on "socialist" AHCT, plus Democrat! Jesus always warned about the self-righteous. Fits to a T.
Please leave religion out of this! Haven't you noticed? Religion is the problem. The constitution wisely tried to keep it out of government. It has failed, and we are paying the consequences. Jesus had pet peeves? Oh for Christ's sake!
Yes, and we can all speculate as to what his pet peeves were. But there is no way to reliably establish that or anything else about him. So it is irrelevant. We have to make up our own minds what is relevant, and religion doesn't make the grade. Religion is a stumbling block, a counter-force, with respect to democratic self government.
I got it. I simply object to using "good Christianity" to oppose "bad Christianity". That should be avoided. What is clear is that White Christian Nationalism, like any fascism, is thoroughly evil.
Excuse me James but nowhere was I pushing "good Christianity." As you noted, "White Christian Nationalism, like any fascism, is thoroughly evil" and I have a problem having it cloaked as religion, and it needs to be called out....
And it is clear that it does not really follow the spirit of Jesus Christ in its violence. My husband has studied the bible fairly thoroughly earlier in his life. He tells me it does not discuss abortion. So, putting women to death who have abortions is not really coming from the bible but what they are wrongly interpreting something in it to mean.
I don't agree. Christian Nationalism may be, but religion has existed with democratic self-government in the US since our founding. We just have to be careful to keep the two separate--and not try to impose our beliefs on others.
Separation -- my point exactly! Under no circumstances should religion, no matter what aspect seems 'good', be used as justification for politics. If something is arguably 'good', it does not need religion to make it so. Religion, on the other hand, focuses authority in a single source. Political authority resides solely with the people -- all the people -- not demi-gods or any other kind of god.
Yes, but. You seem to regard religion as not a good thing in general, where I--though not religious--regard it as a possible good thing for people who practice it in their private lives with respect for the views of others. Or am I reading you wrong?
Agree completely. That's why PACs 501(c)(4)s became so popular but right now so many c3s are violating the prohibition against political activity -- let's challenge them all.
I remember the All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena California being threatened. A rather conservative friend attended the liberal church while I just drove by it many Fridays to do things local to my work while waiting for the rush hour traffic to subside before going 45 miles the other way to home.
Seems they only wanted to challenge the tax status of liberal churches, but now, will go far beyond any previous protect of conservative churches that do far more extreme political drum beating (to me even when they suggest violent overthrow of our democracy and its’ evolved Constitution).
It does, and has applied for ages! We are here today because this atrocity has not been enforced. The IRS seems too afraid to be accused of being political if they enforce the law.
Frank, I completely agree, but playing devil's advocate here, doesn't the same happen with Black churches (mainly in the South)? Didn't Biden just speak at a church?
I believe that *any* church which takes a public political position should forfeit its nonprofit status. (I'm an atheist and say they all should anyway, but my daughter attends a Uni-Uni church with her kids and tells me that, if forced to pay taxes, the congregation would need to disband due to funding issues.)
That's a widely shared view among more aggressive atheists. If and when churches enter terminal decline, tax relief policies may undergo an "adjustment"... despite the separation of church and state in the constitution, this has little bearing that Christianity was a moral bulwark at many levels, not just a doctrinal story... though buttressing doctrine was widely seen as a first order of defence against the "owl of atheism", a dreaded condition which got going in the late 18th century but really took off in the 19th , England that is. (having an aside chat here :) )
I became an Independent 25 years earlier than one of the 3 founders of the Heritage Foundation, one whom I have the most respect for, Mickey Edwards (whose birthday is today, July 12, by the way). As I understand it he finally became an independent because of, and soon after the Jan 6 practice insurrection.
I don't remember when I started paying attention to what Mickey Edwards said, but throughout most of this century, his putting country over party reasoning helped me never regret stepping away from the party ancestors helped found (3 of whom served in 34th Congress in which the Opposition Coalition/Caucus was the majority, before the new name for the party was used on ballots).
It is just one of many appearances on Bill Moyers Journal
I wonder if Mickey Edwards would, as I suspect he might, be willing to file such a complaint against the current version of the Heritage Foundation he was a co-founder of.
Before Joe gets pitched, I wish that he would recognize Bill with the Presidential Metal of Freedom. It still galls me that Rush ruined that honor for the real deserving.
Do everything that helps, but Abraham Lincoln was correct, absolutely correct, in saying that anything can be accomplished with public sentiment and nothing can be accomplished without it. Translation: the law is a useful tool if, and only if, it rests on a foundation of trust. It's not working against Trump the way we expect because he and his cronies have sown the seeds of mistrust.
Whatever else anyone does, we must all do one thing. We must all treat one another like human beings.
We have what I refer to as many wisdom practices. They are the structural components of our social system. They include all the great religions, democracy, science, journalism, capitalism, etc. They are wisdom practices because and while they are expressions of what I refer to as the wisdom principle, aka the Golden Rule, aka the idea that is in our heads on the day we are born, which is that we must treat one another the way we would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot.
When we do, it works. Then someone takes advantage of the situation, people get cynical, then things go from bad to worse, and then we have precisely two options. The wise option is to recognize that treating human beings like human beings is hard, but possible and necessary. The unwise option is to say, in essence, "The wisdom principle (or whatever you want to call it) doesn't work." The former will work if enough of us are doing it, and the latter is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Maybe taking all these organizations to court is necessary and helpful, but it is not sufficient.
To what I said above, I will add that this thing so many people are doing, criticizing one person for doing what we all do every day, which is make honest mistakes, when that one person has gotten himself into a position because he is capable of doing what none of the rest of us can do, which is successfully lead the most powerful nation on Earth in perhaps the most challenging time in American history, is appalling, absolutely appalling.
Here's something else that is absolutely true. The people who are doing that need to go to Wikipedia, and read the "phycological projection" article, and then take a look at themselves in the mirror. If they do that honestly, they will recognize they are harming all of us and themselves.
If Biden steps down, he steps down. If he stays on, he stays on. Either way, he has earned and deserves our unqualified support.
"Be angry, but do not let the sun go down on your anger." —Ephesians 4:26.
I feel much calmer now. Thanks for letting me spew.
James, it’s like discarding the most wonderful of cakes because of swirl marks on the icing. Hopefully, the content of his answers last night will convince the naysayers.
I have been wondering how religious organizations and not-for-profits like the NRA have not lost their exempt status. Guessing they funnel their donations through a sister organization. Is that common?
I feel like these organizations have been taboo. One good thing is that the Biden administration has funded the IRS better so it actually can go after people. I am still boggled at the personal fortunes of mega church leaders and others in the church.
On other criminal matters specifically, criminal 'retributions' by now in the Trump era we should all be familiar with the criminal act to conspire to commit "ANY offense" against the United Staes and/or its employees.
Per the Cornell's "LII"--- Legal Info Institute. See, 18 U.S. Code Section 371 which is actionable now.
Please note: there is a minor typo both times the word 'show' appears above; please correct to "shows," so anyone copying and pasting this part of the complaint is typo-free:
"This show the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken."
Thank you for this detailed info. I will take the time to do this today!!! I’m so freaking infuriated, I’ll do anything to stop these disgusting fascists.
Yours is one of a few action proposals. Too many comments are criticisms and I see no value in them as we know the imminent danger of Trump and his supporters.
Michael Just another example of Trump following the copy book of Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda hit man:
‘IF YOU TELL A BIG ENOUGH LIE LONG ENOUGH, A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE IT.’
The Washington Post, during Trump’s presidency, identified more than 30,000 Trump whoopers. By now this must be approaching stratospheric numbers.
One of my favorites: ‘Biden is the worst president in American history.’ WOW! This would win the GEORGE ORWELL 1984 SPEAKTALK AWARD.
A distinguished panel of political scientists and historians has, every few years, ranked American presidents. In their last official assessment, Biden was ranked above the median, while Trump was ranked the worst president in American history by a significant margin.
Another example of a Trumpian ‘black is white and white is black’ pronouncement.
Morning, Ally! So lately I have been taking note of how many gaffes, stumbles, and mumbling phrases the pundit class commit as they try to drive home their own points for how the rest of us should think, then vote. The art of verbal communication is not as easy as some may believe, don't you think?
It’s why I never volunteer to speak to a group although I learned early on that a little humor helps. Still, why volunteer for pressure. Unless that is your thing. It’s not mine.
I have done that. More than a few times. My Mama told me long, long ago that I have to learn things the hard way. She would be glad to know that I finally learned that lesson. Sort of…
The country had a relatively stable eight years under Barack Obama, not perfect but there was economic growth. However the aftermath of the Bush wars opened the doors of hell and the laws of unintended consequences dominated.
And it came to pass that as a new election neared in 2016, a creature walked to the stage to suspend reality and make enough voters believe that he would lead the nation to wealth and weapons for all.
Cajoled by this socially mangled, misanthrope who has perfected the fine art of the lie, bigotry and unfair tax relief for the wealthy, they naively followed this most foul leader off the cliff.
Wait. What am I doing here? Am I trying to present a logical reason why someone would not vote for Trump? That’s totally insane. That’s almost as insane as voting for Trump! Plus, having to go through all that socio-economic, psychological, and historical crapola is about as interesting as a Xarelto commercial. So, I’m going to reveal the cause of the disease that I am dubbing, “Trump Voterism” or simply, “TV”: a vicious parasite, mutated by toxins now allowed into our air, water and food by Trump’s relentless attempt to kill all of us by loosening our environmental regulations.
Not only does that explain the phenomenon, it also sets the stage for an entirely new series of blockbuster movies, all based around these parasitic mutants. Think The Purge meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Citizen Kane meets Tremors.
There, can we move on to examining why people do other stupid things, like falling off a cliff while taking a selfie?
And Now the Good News:
After reading an opinion piece by Julian Zelizer of CNN opining a replacement ticket with Kamala Harris as President and Governor Gretchan Whitmer as Vice President. It would be a ticket that can’t lose. Let the women run things for a change. Let’s do it.
To quote: “Harris and Whitmer also offer experience and stability in governing. Harris has served as attorney general of California, US senator, and vice president. Whitmer has been a successful and popular governor in a crucial swing state. Both are serious policy wonks. Few challenge their chops when it comes to being interested in the nuts and bolts of governance. The Harris-Whitmer ticket would symbolize order in contrast to Trumpian chaos, replicating some of the promise of Biden’s campaign of 2020, with an added dose of youth.
Both women are in their fifties, and Gen Xers (although some categorize Harris as a Baby Boomer). With Republicans making old age an issue, a Harris-Whitmer ticket turns that argument against Trump, who at 78 has shown struggles with syntax and memory. Instead, Democrats would have a president and vice president who are in their primes, generating some of the energy that Bill Clinton and his VP Al Gore brought in their 1992 campaign against President H.W. Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle.”
It’s long overdue for women to run things. Let’s get it done. There would in all likelihood, be a blue tidal wave and we would sweep both houses of Congress with super majorities.
Will we rise to the occasion to save our fragile democracy? Who the hell knows. But I hope we do.
Yes. We see how effective the Right wing, and the Christian Nationalists have been at this. Now they are allied. We need long term planning and a clear agenda.
The right wing and Christian nationalists are one and the same. They have been working in anonymity for years, waiting for their chance to take power. Because we live in an open society the beyond radical right has been able to work to undermine our democratic society by stealing rights that do NOT belong to them.
There is no way at this point in time that this country would elect one woman as Pres ( although Hilary DiD ) let alone two. It’s tilting at windmills. Biden has mastered the presidency from getting us out of a pandemic to legislation including global cohesiveness. Ageism is a terrible thing. Clinton has my vote. Ooh- i mean Biden. I also get a word mixed up!! I’m ridin with Biden!!
I’d vote for a turd sandwich over Trump!!! This isn’t about WHO the Democratic candidate is right now. It’s about democracy versus fascism. It is that serious, that deadly. I am voting FOR DEMOCRACY.
I mix up my husband and daughter and they aren't even the same gender. They're also used to being called by each other's name. The worst was when I have mistakenly called my husband by my ex's name about 2 times.
Biden is in serious cognitive decline. A retired professor of psychology friend of mine explained in more fully than anyone else has. I’m not suggesting that Trump isn’t along side of him he is but for a few different reasons. This is a mess.
Bill, didn’t you hear his foreign affairs answers last night? I have had relatives in cognitive decline—none of them could have done what he did in the press conference. Did he pause before he answered—yes, he did, knowing that every single word would be dissected six ways to Sunday for talking points for Hannity/Ingrams.
Yes. When we know a lot about what we are doing, which Trump never did, cognitive decline usually means some of the people around you are taking on different tasks, and you might need more of them, but the basic things you are still understanding and making complex decisions on.
Bill Katz, Please stop the arm chair diagnosis. Your retired professor friend should be ashamed of himself for claiming any special knowledge along this line. Most of us with a PhD in behavioral science know better than to offer such an opinion based on their TV watching and no independent expert evaluation of Biden’s cognitive functioning. It’s irresponsible.
Ok. I’m spanked. But considering all this muck, it would be better for all for him to get out of the way. He identified himself ealyly a a transitional president and this could mean 4 years.
Bill, aren't we all. However, I don't see any big changes happening in the next 4 months, and really that is all we need. He has back up. I also know that stress impacts cognition, and I am much more stressed these days because I am not eager to live on a planet where fascism rules. Democracy is so much nicer.
In this bigoted country where hating women is the default stance and where we just rolled back bodily autonomy for women, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell that a two woman presidential ticket is the solution to this impending fascist nightmare. As nice as it sounds, it’s not realistic.
I totally agree, Bill. "Trump Voterism" (TV). Hmmm... Isn't there a vaccine for injecting progressive nano-robots into unsuspecting Trump-drone voters? They'll be disappointed when their hero goes down in flames. Might as well make it painless.
omg is that a funny recollection Keith ! Yes.. indeed. Awkward twist though is that today, the 'more-equal-than-others pigs' own many state legislatures and SCOTUS.
In their styes with all their backing, they don't care what goes on around. We have got to roll back excessive, concentrated money as a prime determinant of political and social outcomes. Robert Reich had this take on that in current developments:
This projection is based on the fact that Trump is in a weaker position to overthrow the results of the election, since he isn’t in office. If Biden wins, he has no need to leave, and therefore, in perspective of the Heritage Foundation, Biden’s business-as-usual is treason. And this is supposed to be a “Think Tank”?
Psychological projection is what trump is all about. Most of all his lies are the exact opposite of the truth. So when he speaks he is always referring to himself by projection and telling the truth but its opposite. And he was POTHUS and could be again, which I am afraid is a horrible sad commentary on the American electorate.
I think it would be fascinating if at the next "debate" Biden would START with outlining what Trump does - lie, project, not answer questions. And every time that Trump does it, Biden can then raise a finger to flag it for people as Trump's doing it.
It is essential that Trump gets more blowback from his relentless lies. Even Republicans were poised to convict Nixon of "the coverup". We have been inured to Trumps carpet-bomb of fabrication style, but he can't be allowed to get away with it. Way too many people were inured to slavery and racism until focused objection made a "thing" of it. Far too many accepted second-class citizenship for women, etc. etc. "Normalized" evil gets to skate. Those who would be tyrants are trying to normalize evil even further,
I think of projection as at least partially naive; you assume others are lying because that's what you would do. Trump seems to have been raised to be a manipulator. I think he knows that he lies and is proud of it. Some of his remarks in the past implies to me he thinks deceiving, and certainly manipulating people, is clever. It is clear from all of the deceptive plotting that Trump knows very well he lost the last election, but he feels entitled to use any tactic, hook AND crook, to get what he wants.
The projection by the right is stunning. The whole thing, out of the blue, about Biden taking pills for the debate really made me wonder if that was also Trump projection.
We also expect the IRS to remove the Heritage Foundation’s non-profit status. "The Heritage Foundation holds a tax-exempt status per 501(c)(3) and therefore has engaged in numerous violations of such code."
Michael, laughable indeed except when used to describe the psychological process, projection occurs unconsciously. The user is unaware that s/he is projecting the idea outwards onto others which is the means by which the one employing it protects the self from unwanted or unacceptable thoughts. It seem far more likely that this form of "projection" is simply use of Putin's "political technology" by which misinformation is employed to confuse and divide political opponents [see HCR's LFAA from July, 7th]. Either way, the person using it had to have the thought in the first place.
The book, "Fear: Trump in the White House," was released Tuesday and details a White House is chaos. Woodward spoke to dozens of current and former officials for the book on background, meaning their names weren't used.
The book includes a conversation between Trump and a "friend who had acknowledged some bad behavior toward women." The friend was not named, but the president, who has been accused by more than a dozen women of inappropriate sexual behavior, offered some advice.
(...)
"You've got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women," Trump said, according to Woodward. "If you admit to anything and any culpability, then you're dead. That was a big mistake you made."
Trump said the key was showing no hesitancy in denying accusations and instead, be on the attack and push back.
"You didn't come out guns blazing and just challenge them. You showed weakness," Trump told the friend, according to Woodward. "You've got to be strong. You've got to be aggressive. You've got to push back hard. You've got to deny anything that's said about you. Never admit."
It is just another proof that lying is now fully the coin of the realm for Republicans/MAGAs/conservatives in general. Lying has seemed to help them and got Trump elected in 2016 despite losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million. If anyone is going to disrupt our election it will be Trump and Kump with the help of The Heritage Foundation, an entity all Americans should scorn as seditious.
Thanks for the good humor. We need more honesty and light-heartedness as we wander toward the month of August and some of us already looking forward to school!
- Pulled Quote -
"Today the Heritage Foundation preemptively accused the Biden administration of cheating in the 2024 election and warned that Biden might try to hold the White House “by force.” It said that Biden and his administration could “circumvent constitutional limits and disregard the will of the voters should they demand a new president.”
Almost laughable, almost. Google: ''Psychological projection''
Please file a complaint on them with the IRS for violating their tax status. Here is the link, how to do it, and 2 different suggestions on what to say.
IRS complaint
https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations
Seen on Mastodon. At this link you can download a PDF form to file a complaint to the IRS, requesting that they revoke the Heritage Foundation‘s non-profit status. Fill out the form and mail it to: eoclass@irs.gov
This is what is suggested on the sample form to fill in:
Based on the statements of Kevin Roberts, the Heritage Foundation’s president, on June 11 and July 2, the foundation’s mission is no longer solely “research and education,” but now includes preparing for a possibly bloody revolution.
Specifically, in an interview on “The War Room” on July 2, Roberts stated that the Heritage Foundation has developed a prominent series of policy plans (Project 2025) to overhaul the federal government under a Republican president, and that the country was “in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be”
Sure sounds like Roberts and the other authors of Project 2025 are planning to start a bloody war as part of the Heritage Foundation’s mission.
The Heritage Foundation clearly and overtly supports presidential candidate Donald Trump. This shows the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken.
See NYTimes reporting of this incident on July 3rd: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/03/us/politics/heritage-foundation-2025-policy-america.html
You'll need more information about The Heritage Foundation to be able to fill out IRS complaint form 13909. This information is from Jessica Craven, Chop Wood Carry Water:
The Heritage Foundation's street address is 214 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., city is Washington, state is D.C. Zip code is 20002
Their tax ID/EIN was tricky to submit - you cannot have a hyphen so it's 237327730
You can name both John P. Bakiel (VP of Finance) and Kevin Roberts (President).
Jessica suggested saying something like:
The Heritage Foundation clearly and overtly supports presidential candidate Donald Trump. This shows the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken.
I just completed my complaint and found that it is easy to submit electronically.
She also says, “No need to email. You'll get a download of your submittal for your records.” I could not get it to do that and had to email. If you can figure out how to do it, please do.
Thanks, but why stop there? How about the Southern Baptist Convention and even individual MegaMaga churches like Osteen's church in Dallas and many others so called religious organizations that bring in speakers with the sole purpose of bashing Biden and Harris.
We give them millions in tax breaks to trash our democracy and denigrate our leaders.
First understand what Alito is, and perhaps Clarence Thomas as Christians by reading https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/
Then, go after them. We should all be concentrating on SCOTUS to take back our country, because otherwise they will just block any action and support the right wing. Clearly Alito's goals are those of the New Apostolic Reformation.
Has anybody seen “Bad Faith” on Amazon Prime?? It’s exactly who these crazy people are. They need to be stripped of their tax-exempt status and exposed for their lunacy. ASAP.
Also see God+Country, Rob Reiner’s documentary. It’s even more chilling if possible.
Gobsmacking movie. My formerly-Republican (couldn’t stomach the Orange Clown a second time) and very devout Christian friends were completely speechless after watching “God + Country” with my husband and me. Wish the majority of this country would view this and start thinking for themselves.
I always prefer to self criticize and this is what we should do more of to understand how great the backlash is. The right has gone way right and the left has gone way left. The center is a great place to strengthen not either extreme. But try teaching that to old dogs.
Bill, try teaching that to the young dogs on the left who want nothing but purity. Our garden person, who has a wonderful heart, but was for Bernie, thinks Biden sucks..her word. And mentioned oil and gas companies and timber. Never mind that he has a very diverse cabinet including a native American woman and a gay man, that he has chosen many diverse judges including many women, and has a black lesbian as a press secretary. Our garden person is also a lesbian, so I wish she would see the progress. One of our friends also never forgave me because his rep in the state house didn't do all that he said he would do and I pointed out that people find things are different once they are in the legislature and may have to compromise. This I guess was a mortal sin. This is also the guy who tried to tell me that Auschwitz was touristy and sneered at me. After that I told my husband that we would no longer socialize with them before basketball games in Eugene.
Re your lesbian gardener, is there some way you can communicate to her the threats, under a Trump administration and Project 2025, that will remove all of the rights and protections that the Biden administration and pre-Trump administrations will remove from her and all other non-binary Americans?
Many have already been removed in a few states, and it's likely that the current majority of the Supreme Court will act to reverse those protections and rights if Trump is reelected.
She finally happened upon Project 25. I don't know where she gets her news, but I am sure it's not main stream media. She does have access to my Facebook feed where I post Heather's letter everyday. Sometimes being an outlier all of one's life makes one cynical and I think that's part of it. We have a group here in the Salem area, that if you belong to a certain group, people should support you for some office even if you are not electable. I cite Jamie McCloud Skinner who cannot win here in Marion County, so we have a R in the Congressional 5th district. Fortunately, Jamie lost in the primary this time. We do have a married lesbian governor. These people want some kind of purist, that talks their ideals, even if in reality they cannot be achieved or only achieved in increments. I bet Bernie would have lots of compromising to do if he had been elected president. I told her that I am pragmatic when it comes to politics and yes, held my nose and voted for that dip Kurt Schrader. At this point, I would vote for a dead body if it had a D next to it.
We live in unsettled times.
And Bernie backed Biden and still does (I think)!
This attitude is what I call corporate or establishment dems syndrome and not really paying attention to what is actually happening in terms of where the money comes from and who supports whom.
Hum… That’s personalizing things. I’m watching how things play out after so many nations did open borders and look where it’s gotten. Need I identify them: US, UK, Germany, Italy France, Hungry. Well thr Moors were once driven out of Spain. Nobody like uncontrolled open borders and the natural outcome is a rather nasty political shift to the right. And I’m not willing to agree with millions rushing over hot sands to the promised land. And if anyone is, then get ready to salute the new Furur.
It doesn't help that there is much myth making and downright lies around the subject of immigration that stirs up emotions such as fear, anger and bigotry. In fact, it could be argued that much of the problem with immgration stems from people who have been brainwashed to fear and hate it.
Who has open borders?
I think immigration is certainly part of it, but also progress for minorities of various types including women, abortion, drugs, homelessness.
So true, Bill.
We're lucky, if one wants to call it that. Cultures can clash, causing civil unrest, and to say that there is a difference between Muslim culture and Western culture would be an understatement. I think that this helps to explain how Orban got power in Hungary.
The middle is the current Democratic party. I see nothing extreme in the policies they have passed or that Biden is proposing or in their rhetoric. Nothing remotely like what is happening with the GOP. The party itself is the extreme right.
I like this, and I agree. Recently friends who are conservative (but not Trumpers) said that they wished Biden would drop out so there could be a more moderate Democratic candidate. I said that he is a moderate Democratic candidate!
And thank you for pointing that out to your friends!
I must not read the new thoroughly as I haven't seen extremists on the left or mockery or???????????? please list there extremists actions.
A lot of what I am talking about is local although at one point Bernie types were threatening a D in Nevada if memory serves, including where she worked. I have a long list of blockees on Facebook and many of them are nasty people on the left. What bothers me is that they were full of hubris and not voting or voting for Jill not green Stein and look what we got and immediately hard won progress started to go south. To me it is fine to have ideals to work for and we should, but politics in our system is the art of the possible. We warned people constantly in 2016 about the Supreme Court and as i have already reported, got the middle finger. Now we have all the terrible decisions to contend with including that fact the death star can do treasonous and criminal things and they gave him immunity. And they will decide which acts are official.
Also; be aware of bad actors claiming to be democrats.
I think that there is always a continuum that includes extremes on both sides -- the serious problem comes when the centers of either side are weak. The center left exists, as evidenced by policy successes such as those noted in today's letter. The center right barely exists, if at all with the extreme right threatening/bullying anyone not clicking their boots together simultaneously.
Your bothsiderism is nauseating and despicable.
It would see that way, Diane, but I have been having text exchanges with a high school buddy (Class of '58) and he is not only not well educated though highly opinionated, he is also a misanthrope. He's bitter. He's a racist. He's a Trumpster through and through.
My wife is way left but I don't know too many other people or politicians that are "way left."
Do you have some people in mind?
Thank you for sharing it with your friends. So important to do that!
Another effective documentary is 'Bad Faith'.
Yes, I did and everyone needs to watch it Linda. Right?
The scenes from inside the churches where men of faith(?) are yelling the most hateful slurs at Biden and Harris and every other Democrat they can, are very disturbing. Seeing these scenes in Bad Faith is much of the reason I wrote my comment above.
Yes I have and God & Country is also very revealing!
Alito and Thomas are both Catholics. I am too, and couldn’t disagree more with them. They are blissfully unaware their Protestant evangelical allies will eventually turn on them as well.
AND "RELIGIOUS" UNIVERSITIES
Liberty, Oral Roberts, Grand Canyon, Hillsdale - indoctrination schools - all of them
" Ivan Raiklin, Trump’s self-declared “Secretary of Retribution” has compiled a “Deep State target list” of 350 people he wants to see arrested and punished for “treason” if Trump is reelected. The list includes Democratic and Republican elected officials, journalists he considers to be Trump’s enemies, U.S. Capitol Police officers, and witnesses against Trump in his impeachment trials and the hearings concerning the events of January 6, 2021."
IMHO if he "named names" then threatened to harm them, he may be criminally and civilly liable and should have to appear at a grand jury ASAP.
https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/22-407
Exactly!!! This is DOMESTIC TERRORISM. He needs to be arrested NOW.
Yes. They are "the scum". We.. gentle people.., have been too pre-occupied with other seemingly more-important things, instead of "stirring the pot".. ("SLC")! And, as a result, "the Scum" have risen to the top. Yes.., it's boiling over on us. Heritage Foundation be damned. We have afforded that oxymoron title, and we are paying the price. I hope we can regroup. Libtard behavior is what fueled the fire under that pot. And, you might ask, just what IS libtard behavior..? You think about that. You define it. Or, have we just lost our way like little lambs?
However, with the right-wing members of SCOTUS backing him in their Christian Nationalist and New Apostolic Reformation missions, https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/p/project-2025-new-start-here
we need to go after SCOTUS first, or at the same time. Back AOC in leading impeachment. I have sent her money, and an email using a dummy address since I am not in her district encouraging her in her work. It is the work that Dick Durbin my elected senator is supposed to be doing. When I repeatedly asked him to he responded with a letter on what he is doing, which is basically nothing. He has drafted rules, but they sit drafted not passed. I told him I was sure he could drag an impeachment investigation out for 4 months. Instead, someone not even on the judiciary committee takes the reins. She deserves our support. It should also scare SCOTUS because they don't know whether or not she will be successful. Here's to bold moves to try to save our democracy from the Court the staged a Coup.
Nearly 50 years ago, Nixon resigned to avoid being impeached & convicted for doing the same thing. How times have changed.
They are ubiquitous, vicious, and power-hungry greedy bastards.
And don't forget, "Purveyors of Toxic Masculinity." And Narcissistic, Antisocial, unbalanced, and seriously deranged.
The very worst of our citizenry, pretending to be the best. And propaganda spews the lies non-stop
Boycott...Ban....Cut all ties to Chritofascist brainwashing concentratin camps!!!!
Nowhere in the Bible does permit holding Gods word in one hand and a fully loaded AR-15 assault gun in the other.
Unfortunately I was taken with Hillsdale and their "free" coursework. I was not interested in obtaining any degree (have those already) or continuing ed. but wanted to continue learning. With the brag that they took no gvt. money & were strictly private, I did some checking & found out they accepted $ from trump. Then started getting letters about courses that sounded very biased & then coursework on Russian topics. It's then I not only turned away, but rans away as fast as I could. I responded to a couple of letters from Arn but I don't think he ever saw them, they were scathing on his misleading assertions of "non bias" claimed coursework. Beware of anything free.
Once a conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation has become a domestic terrorist organization, openly threatening the overthrow of our government and Constitution. Isn’t any of this against the law? Is actively planning a Revolution complete with threatening the lives of opponents no longer illegal? Where the hell is the line between opposition and treason?
American Taliban sound familiar?
Southern Poverty Law Center -- ARE YOU LISTENING?
My husband and I discussed this very thing this morning! Threatening in broad daylight...come on AOC, sue them!!
Tax the hell out of the church!
This, so so so much. I have Catholic friends who have left the church because their priests were telling them how to vote from the actual pulpit. How are churches still tax exempt?
good question!
Gary: Don't forget in 2013 the IRS targeted tax exempt groups with words such as
"Tea Party" in their names. That generated some serious blow back of accusations of the government/leftist victimization of conservative groups. I can't imagine how bad an "attack on Christianity" would play.
Part and parcel of the 2013 IRS action was fully embraced and utilized by the right for propaganda usage among evangelicals, exaggerating (?) that the IRS would come for them next; The effect ? Enlarging the right wing coalition, via fear stoking, projection, etc., etc. The aftermath we live within today makes all that clear.
Ooo yes. Let’s give the Southern Baptist Convention something else to think about…
I want to discontinue tax exemptions for religious organizations and buildings.
Hurray for the IRS for catching tax cheats.
No more exemptions
I wonder how that might apply to the many Evangelical churches which have openly supported Trump these past several years.
To get a better sense of their mission and why they support Trump, you should read the New Section of this Substack called, Why Project 2025 Will Ruin YOUR Life. https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/
Read the parts about Christian Nationalism and New Apostolic Reformation
I am reading Project 2025, and I find this helps to understand more deeply where everything fits in. I also recommend Strongmen by Ruth Ben-Ghiat to understand the fascist progaganda and playbook were are facing better. However, we cannot take the churches on, unless we address SCOTUS. For that I recommend donating even $5 to AOC who has the guts to take on starting Impeachment investigation into the 2 worst of the 6 horrors, Thomas and Alito. She got the money Dick Durbin could have gotten if he had listened to my entreaties to do the same thing, instead of sending me a letter explaining the nothingness that he has been doing.
This Christian Nationalism concept that props up the "Christian family model" bizarrely has absolutely nothing to do with Christianity! Hypocrisy was Jesus' biggest pet peeve and if He hadn't resurrected He'd be rolling around in His grave about now. Evangelicals who go around quoting the Bible and profess to live by its word (parables were not meant to be taken literally) have bought into everything Anti-Christ.
Speaking about the Antichrist mentioned in the scriptures (St. John and St. Paul), described as the "deceiver" and the "lawless one," the term was loosely tossed around to make the comparison to Obama, a Black man when he was president. Yet, I have not heard the term once compared to Trump, an Orange man, when it's so entirely apt.
Everything seems upside down. Here we have Biden who has made gaffes for the last half century, a true Christian, who has worked tirelessly and achieved so much for Americans, who is asked to step down by members of his own party, while a real Deceiver is propped up by so many who are duly and blatantly deceived!
Regardless of the concern for Biden and the growing number who are calling for him to step down now, if it's between Biden and Trump in November, I am confident that every single democrat will fall in line and vote for Biden. Otherwise, I will cry for you America....
As far as AOC, more power to her!
At this stage of the Fascist incursion: They will sow doubt and Chaos! Be prepared
October 2024 thru February 2025 could be very 'Interesting'.... Isn't the saying, "May-You-Live-In-Interesting-Times", an old Chinese Curse?
Think of who called Obama the anti-Christ. White Christian Nationalists, racist. death on "socialist" AHCT, plus Democrat! Jesus always warned about the self-righteous. Fits to a T.
My point exactly...thank you! After my initial post meant to highlight this hypocrisy I was accused of preaching religion!
Please leave religion out of this! Haven't you noticed? Religion is the problem. The constitution wisely tried to keep it out of government. It has failed, and we are paying the consequences. Jesus had pet peeves? Oh for Christ's sake!
He was human--he must have had pet peeves!
Yes, and we can all speculate as to what his pet peeves were. But there is no way to reliably establish that or anything else about him. So it is irrelevant. We have to make up our own minds what is relevant, and religion doesn't make the grade. Religion is a stumbling block, a counter-force, with respect to democratic self government.
I think you are missing the point I was making--calling out the hypocrisy of religious zealots....
I got it. I simply object to using "good Christianity" to oppose "bad Christianity". That should be avoided. What is clear is that White Christian Nationalism, like any fascism, is thoroughly evil.
Excuse me James but nowhere was I pushing "good Christianity." As you noted, "White Christian Nationalism, like any fascism, is thoroughly evil" and I have a problem having it cloaked as religion, and it needs to be called out....
And it is clear that it does not really follow the spirit of Jesus Christ in its violence. My husband has studied the bible fairly thoroughly earlier in his life. He tells me it does not discuss abortion. So, putting women to death who have abortions is not really coming from the bible but what they are wrongly interpreting something in it to mean.
I don't agree. Christian Nationalism may be, but religion has existed with democratic self-government in the US since our founding. We just have to be careful to keep the two separate--and not try to impose our beliefs on others.
Separation -- my point exactly! Under no circumstances should religion, no matter what aspect seems 'good', be used as justification for politics. If something is arguably 'good', it does not need religion to make it so. Religion, on the other hand, focuses authority in a single source. Political authority resides solely with the people -- all the people -- not demi-gods or any other kind of god.
Yes, but. You seem to regard religion as not a good thing in general, where I--though not religious--regard it as a possible good thing for people who practice it in their private lives with respect for the views of others. Or am I reading you wrong?
Mentioning religion does not mean putting religion in the constitution, it only refers to behavior that is voluntary, not regimented.
Is DJT the Anti-Christ? He does have the Luck-Of-The-Devil...
Hear, hear, Sophia! Spoken like a true believer, bless you!
Linda, you are amazing. Thank you for this. I shall distribute this information to others.
Thank you, Linda, for this information.
Agree completely. That's why PACs 501(c)(4)s became so popular but right now so many c3s are violating the prohibition against political activity -- let's challenge them all.
Laurie, great idea1
I remember the All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena California being threatened. A rather conservative friend attended the liberal church while I just drove by it many Fridays to do things local to my work while waiting for the rush hour traffic to subside before going 45 miles the other way to home.
See https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-sep-24-me-allsaints24-story.html
Seems they only wanted to challenge the tax status of liberal churches, but now, will go far beyond any previous protect of conservative churches that do far more extreme political drum beating (to me even when they suggest violent overthrow of our democracy and its’ evolved Constitution).
It does, and has applied for ages! We are here today because this atrocity has not been enforced. The IRS seems too afraid to be accused of being political if they enforce the law.
Frank, I completely agree, but playing devil's advocate here, doesn't the same happen with Black churches (mainly in the South)? Didn't Biden just speak at a church?
I believe that *any* church which takes a public political position should forfeit its nonprofit status. (I'm an atheist and say they all should anyway, but my daughter attends a Uni-Uni church with her kids and tells me that, if forced to pay taxes, the congregation would need to disband due to funding issues.)
IMO all churches should be taxed
That's a widely shared view among more aggressive atheists. If and when churches enter terminal decline, tax relief policies may undergo an "adjustment"... despite the separation of church and state in the constitution, this has little bearing that Christianity was a moral bulwark at many levels, not just a doctrinal story... though buttressing doctrine was widely seen as a first order of defence against the "owl of atheism", a dreaded condition which got going in the late 18th century but really took off in the 19th , England that is. (having an aside chat here :) )
Frank, Trump just spoke at a black church, but not to its congregation.
saw one of those some weeks ago, unless that's what you're referring to.
Frank, yes, it was a few weeks ago —black church filled with white people.
Yes, I'm sure Black churches do, and they did i'm sure during the civil rights struggles.
Only if he is kept out of office.
I became an Independent 25 years earlier than one of the 3 founders of the Heritage Foundation, one whom I have the most respect for, Mickey Edwards (whose birthday is today, July 12, by the way). As I understand it he finally became an independent because of, and soon after the Jan 6 practice insurrection.
I don't remember when I started paying attention to what Mickey Edwards said, but throughout most of this century, his putting country over party reasoning helped me never regret stepping away from the party ancestors helped found (3 of whom served in 34th Congress in which the Opposition Coalition/Caucus was the majority, before the new name for the party was used on ballots).
A sample of his persuasive thinking (from March 7, 2008), is at https://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/03072008/transcript2.html
It is just one of many appearances on Bill Moyers Journal
I wonder if Mickey Edwards would, as I suspect he might, be willing to file such a complaint against the current version of the Heritage Foundation he was a co-founder of.
Bill Moyers had his pulse on the players way back there. I sure miss Bill’s voice these days. Thank you.
Me too. Bill Moyers voice and gentle intelligence.
Before Joe gets pitched, I wish that he would recognize Bill with the Presidential Metal of Freedom. It still galls me that Rush ruined that honor for the real deserving.
I miss him, too.
Well worth read and reflection. Thanks!!
Do everything that helps, but Abraham Lincoln was correct, absolutely correct, in saying that anything can be accomplished with public sentiment and nothing can be accomplished without it. Translation: the law is a useful tool if, and only if, it rests on a foundation of trust. It's not working against Trump the way we expect because he and his cronies have sown the seeds of mistrust.
Whatever else anyone does, we must all do one thing. We must all treat one another like human beings.
We have what I refer to as many wisdom practices. They are the structural components of our social system. They include all the great religions, democracy, science, journalism, capitalism, etc. They are wisdom practices because and while they are expressions of what I refer to as the wisdom principle, aka the Golden Rule, aka the idea that is in our heads on the day we are born, which is that we must treat one another the way we would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot.
When we do, it works. Then someone takes advantage of the situation, people get cynical, then things go from bad to worse, and then we have precisely two options. The wise option is to recognize that treating human beings like human beings is hard, but possible and necessary. The unwise option is to say, in essence, "The wisdom principle (or whatever you want to call it) doesn't work." The former will work if enough of us are doing it, and the latter is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Maybe taking all these organizations to court is necessary and helpful, but it is not sufficient.
To what I said above, I will add that this thing so many people are doing, criticizing one person for doing what we all do every day, which is make honest mistakes, when that one person has gotten himself into a position because he is capable of doing what none of the rest of us can do, which is successfully lead the most powerful nation on Earth in perhaps the most challenging time in American history, is appalling, absolutely appalling.
Here's something else that is absolutely true. The people who are doing that need to go to Wikipedia, and read the "phycological projection" article, and then take a look at themselves in the mirror. If they do that honestly, they will recognize they are harming all of us and themselves.
If Biden steps down, he steps down. If he stays on, he stays on. Either way, he has earned and deserves our unqualified support.
"Be angry, but do not let the sun go down on your anger." —Ephesians 4:26.
I feel much calmer now. Thanks for letting me spew.
James, it’s like discarding the most wonderful of cakes because of swirl marks on the icing. Hopefully, the content of his answers last night will convince the naysayers.
I have been wondering how religious organizations and not-for-profits like the NRA have not lost their exempt status. Guessing they funnel their donations through a sister organization. Is that common?
I feel like these organizations have been taboo. One good thing is that the Biden administration has funded the IRS better so it actually can go after people. I am still boggled at the personal fortunes of mega church leaders and others in the church.
https://www.therichest.com/richest-pastors-in-america/
https://ministrywatch.com/100-highly-paid-ministry-executives-2024/
I mean who gets tax exempt status with 300 mil?
Yes.Thank-you for this.
NRA needs it plug pulled too.
They should be first in line.
Thank you very much 'Good Links Linda"!
On other criminal matters specifically, criminal 'retributions' by now in the Trump era we should all be familiar with the criminal act to conspire to commit "ANY offense" against the United Staes and/or its employees.
Per the Cornell's "LII"--- Legal Info Institute. See, 18 U.S. Code Section 371 which is actionable now.
Thank you, Linda!
Please note: there is a minor typo both times the word 'show' appears above; please correct to "shows," so anyone copying and pasting this part of the complaint is typo-free:
"This show the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken."
Thanks for beating me to the punch, Diana.
Thank you!
Thank you for this detailed info. I will take the time to do this today!!! I’m so freaking infuriated, I’ll do anything to stop these disgusting fascists.
Thanks Linda. I saw this suggestion elsewhere yesterday but didn't have the info to put into the complaint
What a fine public service you have accomplished here! Have a great day!
Yours is one of a few action proposals. Too many comments are criticisms and I see no value in them as we know the imminent danger of Trump and his supporters.
Keep up the cancellations of NYTimes subscriptions!!! Do not stop this.
MeidasTouch....2.5 million....David Pakman...2 million....Ring of Fire....1 million subscribers!!!
Cancel cancel cancel all right wing media outlets!!!
Excellent, good job, & thanks.
Michael Just another example of Trump following the copy book of Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda hit man:
‘IF YOU TELL A BIG ENOUGH LIE LONG ENOUGH, A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE IT.’
The Washington Post, during Trump’s presidency, identified more than 30,000 Trump whoopers. By now this must be approaching stratospheric numbers.
One of my favorites: ‘Biden is the worst president in American history.’ WOW! This would win the GEORGE ORWELL 1984 SPEAKTALK AWARD.
A distinguished panel of political scientists and historians has, every few years, ranked American presidents. In their last official assessment, Biden was ranked above the median, while Trump was ranked the worst president in American history by a significant margin.
Another example of a Trumpian ‘black is white and white is black’ pronouncement.
Exactly so, Keith. This has Nazi fingerprints all over it.
Morning, Ally! So lately I have been taking note of how many gaffes, stumbles, and mumbling phrases the pundit class commit as they try to drive home their own points for how the rest of us should think, then vote. The art of verbal communication is not as easy as some may believe, don't you think?
Morning, Lynell!
Yes, it seems that gaffes, stumbles, and mumbling is particularly invasive in the human species.
It’s why I never volunteer to speak to a group although I learned early on that a little humor helps. Still, why volunteer for pressure. Unless that is your thing. It’s not mine.
LOL, so true, JD. It must be why fools rush in where angels fear to tread?
I have done that. More than a few times. My Mama told me long, long ago that I have to learn things the hard way. She would be glad to know that I finally learned that lesson. Sort of…
lol
And Stalin.
They have been all over chump from the git go
JD, you are my friend from Texas, yes?
Thanks for asking, I was wondering too!
Yes, have gone nowhere
❣️
I was wondering about Fern McBride. I have missed her comments for a while now, hope all is well
Ashe dropped out intentionally a few months ago. I see her infrequently on a couple other Substack sites.
Thanks
Falling into the Wrong Arms — First the Bad News
(From, “Donald’s Vanity Tantrums”)
The country had a relatively stable eight years under Barack Obama, not perfect but there was economic growth. However the aftermath of the Bush wars opened the doors of hell and the laws of unintended consequences dominated.
And it came to pass that as a new election neared in 2016, a creature walked to the stage to suspend reality and make enough voters believe that he would lead the nation to wealth and weapons for all.
Cajoled by this socially mangled, misanthrope who has perfected the fine art of the lie, bigotry and unfair tax relief for the wealthy, they naively followed this most foul leader off the cliff.
Wait. What am I doing here? Am I trying to present a logical reason why someone would not vote for Trump? That’s totally insane. That’s almost as insane as voting for Trump! Plus, having to go through all that socio-economic, psychological, and historical crapola is about as interesting as a Xarelto commercial. So, I’m going to reveal the cause of the disease that I am dubbing, “Trump Voterism” or simply, “TV”: a vicious parasite, mutated by toxins now allowed into our air, water and food by Trump’s relentless attempt to kill all of us by loosening our environmental regulations.
Not only does that explain the phenomenon, it also sets the stage for an entirely new series of blockbuster movies, all based around these parasitic mutants. Think The Purge meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Citizen Kane meets Tremors.
There, can we move on to examining why people do other stupid things, like falling off a cliff while taking a selfie?
And Now the Good News:
After reading an opinion piece by Julian Zelizer of CNN opining a replacement ticket with Kamala Harris as President and Governor Gretchan Whitmer as Vice President. It would be a ticket that can’t lose. Let the women run things for a change. Let’s do it.
To quote: “Harris and Whitmer also offer experience and stability in governing. Harris has served as attorney general of California, US senator, and vice president. Whitmer has been a successful and popular governor in a crucial swing state. Both are serious policy wonks. Few challenge their chops when it comes to being interested in the nuts and bolts of governance. The Harris-Whitmer ticket would symbolize order in contrast to Trumpian chaos, replicating some of the promise of Biden’s campaign of 2020, with an added dose of youth.
Both women are in their fifties, and Gen Xers (although some categorize Harris as a Baby Boomer). With Republicans making old age an issue, a Harris-Whitmer ticket turns that argument against Trump, who at 78 has shown struggles with syntax and memory. Instead, Democrats would have a president and vice president who are in their primes, generating some of the energy that Bill Clinton and his VP Al Gore brought in their 1992 campaign against President H.W. Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle.”
It’s long overdue for women to run things. Let’s get it done. There would in all likelihood, be a blue tidal wave and we would sweep both houses of Congress with super majorities.
Will we rise to the occasion to save our fragile democracy? Who the hell knows. But I hope we do.
We failed to do the long term planning to preserve government of, for, and by the people, and we need to change that.
Yes. We see how effective the Right wing, and the Christian Nationalists have been at this. Now they are allied. We need long term planning and a clear agenda.
The right wing and Christian nationalists are one and the same. They have been working in anonymity for years, waiting for their chance to take power. Because we live in an open society the beyond radical right has been able to work to undermine our democratic society by stealing rights that do NOT belong to them.
There is no way at this point in time that this country would elect one woman as Pres ( although Hilary DiD ) let alone two. It’s tilting at windmills. Biden has mastered the presidency from getting us out of a pandemic to legislation including global cohesiveness. Ageism is a terrible thing. Clinton has my vote. Ooh- i mean Biden. I also get a word mixed up!! I’m ridin with Biden!!
I’d vote for a turd sandwich over Trump!!! This isn’t about WHO the Democratic candidate is right now. It’s about democracy versus fascism. It is that serious, that deadly. I am voting FOR DEMOCRACY.
I mix up my husband and daughter and they aren't even the same gender. They're also used to being called by each other's name. The worst was when I have mistakenly called my husband by my ex's name about 2 times.
Biden is in serious cognitive decline. A retired professor of psychology friend of mine explained in more fully than anyone else has. I’m not suggesting that Trump isn’t along side of him he is but for a few different reasons. This is a mess.
Bill, didn’t you hear his foreign affairs answers last night? I have had relatives in cognitive decline—none of them could have done what he did in the press conference. Did he pause before he answered—yes, he did, knowing that every single word would be dissected six ways to Sunday for talking points for Hannity/Ingrams.
Yes. When we know a lot about what we are doing, which Trump never did, cognitive decline usually means some of the people around you are taking on different tasks, and you might need more of them, but the basic things you are still understanding and making complex decisions on.
Bill Katz, Please stop the arm chair diagnosis. Your retired professor friend should be ashamed of himself for claiming any special knowledge along this line. Most of us with a PhD in behavioral science know better than to offer such an opinion based on their TV watching and no independent expert evaluation of Biden’s cognitive functioning. It’s irresponsible.
Brava Bonnie.
Ok. I’m spanked. But considering all this muck, it would be better for all for him to get out of the way. He identified himself ealyly a a transitional president and this could mean 4 years.
I disagree Bill. I'm ridin' with Biden.
Me too.
Bill, aren't we all. However, I don't see any big changes happening in the next 4 months, and really that is all we need. He has back up. I also know that stress impacts cognition, and I am much more stressed these days because I am not eager to live on a planet where fascism rules. Democracy is so much nicer.
In this bigoted country where hating women is the default stance and where we just rolled back bodily autonomy for women, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell that a two woman presidential ticket is the solution to this impending fascist nightmare. As nice as it sounds, it’s not realistic.
I would say we are so behind that I don't see a one woman in the presidential role on the ticket winning.
I totally agree, Bill. "Trump Voterism" (TV). Hmmm... Isn't there a vaccine for injecting progressive nano-robots into unsuspecting Trump-drone voters? They'll be disappointed when their hero goes down in flames. Might as well make it painless.
"... lead the nation to wealth and weapons for all". A MAGA wet dream right there. As long as it's an originalist's version of "all" anyway.
Or "1984". It's just manipulation.
Of course it is. Whatever they accuse their opponents of is what they do
JL I prefer George Orwell’s ANIMAL FARM in which the ‘more-equal-than-others pigs ultimately were turned into bacon.
omg is that a funny recollection Keith ! Yes.. indeed. Awkward twist though is that today, the 'more-equal-than-others pigs' own many state legislatures and SCOTUS.
In their styes with all their backing, they don't care what goes on around. We have got to roll back excessive, concentrated money as a prime determinant of political and social outcomes. Robert Reich had this take on that in current developments:
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/who-exactly-is-trying-to-push-biden
This projection is based on the fact that Trump is in a weaker position to overthrow the results of the election, since he isn’t in office. If Biden wins, he has no need to leave, and therefore, in perspective of the Heritage Foundation, Biden’s business-as-usual is treason. And this is supposed to be a “Think Tank”?
I am amused by all the obfuscatory names for right wing mischief.
"Heritage'? Of what? Feudal entitlement?
Absolutely 💯
Also Americans for Prosperity, like it’s the new Christianity.
Psychological projection is what trump is all about. Most of all his lies are the exact opposite of the truth. So when he speaks he is always referring to himself by projection and telling the truth but its opposite. And he was POTHUS and could be again, which I am afraid is a horrible sad commentary on the American electorate.
I think it would be fascinating if at the next "debate" Biden would START with outlining what Trump does - lie, project, not answer questions. And every time that Trump does it, Biden can then raise a finger to flag it for people as Trump's doing it.
It is essential that Trump gets more blowback from his relentless lies. Even Republicans were poised to convict Nixon of "the coverup". We have been inured to Trumps carpet-bomb of fabrication style, but he can't be allowed to get away with it. Way too many people were inured to slavery and racism until focused objection made a "thing" of it. Far too many accepted second-class citizenship for women, etc. etc. "Normalized" evil gets to skate. Those who would be tyrants are trying to normalize evil even further,
As a rule, just add the word "not" to any assertion in Geopease and it starts to make sense again.
I often wonder if he knows he is projecting?
I think of projection as at least partially naive; you assume others are lying because that's what you would do. Trump seems to have been raised to be a manipulator. I think he knows that he lies and is proud of it. Some of his remarks in the past implies to me he thinks deceiving, and certainly manipulating people, is clever. It is clear from all of the deceptive plotting that Trump knows very well he lost the last election, but he feels entitled to use any tactic, hook AND crook, to get what he wants.
The projection by the right is stunning. The whole thing, out of the blue, about Biden taking pills for the debate really made me wonder if that was also Trump projection.
If MTG was sincere, one might suspect her of psychosis, but she is just fishing for the greater fool.
Almost laughable... if it wasn't so terrifying.
Projection? Egg-zactly! When someone points a finger at the enemy to cast blame, 3 fingers are pointing back.
We also expect the IRS to remove the Heritage Foundation’s non-profit status. "The Heritage Foundation holds a tax-exempt status per 501(c)(3) and therefore has engaged in numerous violations of such code."
Project 2025 Reported to IRS Over 'Violations'
Michael, laughable indeed except when used to describe the psychological process, projection occurs unconsciously. The user is unaware that s/he is projecting the idea outwards onto others which is the means by which the one employing it protects the self from unwanted or unacceptable thoughts. It seem far more likely that this form of "projection" is simply use of Putin's "political technology" by which misinformation is employed to confuse and divide political opponents [see HCR's LFAA from July, 7th]. Either way, the person using it had to have the thought in the first place.
DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Oppressor. Bullies have used this tactic for a long long time. And they do it with intent.
It classic, and it's provably Trump's MO;
The book, "Fear: Trump in the White House," was released Tuesday and details a White House is chaos. Woodward spoke to dozens of current and former officials for the book on background, meaning their names weren't used.
The book includes a conversation between Trump and a "friend who had acknowledged some bad behavior toward women." The friend was not named, but the president, who has been accused by more than a dozen women of inappropriate sexual behavior, offered some advice.
(...)
"You've got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women," Trump said, according to Woodward. "If you admit to anything and any culpability, then you're dead. That was a big mistake you made."
Trump said the key was showing no hesitancy in denying accusations and instead, be on the attack and push back.
"You didn't come out guns blazing and just challenge them. You showed weakness," Trump told the friend, according to Woodward. "You've got to be strong. You've got to be aggressive. You've got to push back hard. You've got to deny anything that's said about you. Never admit."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/09/11/donald-trump-bob-woodward-book-fear-deny-accusations-women/1269617002/
It is just another proof that lying is now fully the coin of the realm for Republicans/MAGAs/conservatives in general. Lying has seemed to help them and got Trump elected in 2016 despite losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million. If anyone is going to disrupt our election it will be Trump and Kump with the help of The Heritage Foundation, an entity all Americans should scorn as seditious.
Yes...almost laughable & surely projection.
This is typical of fanatical and fascism thinking - accuse others of the same despicable behavior that you have committed.
Thanks for the good humor. We need more honesty and light-heartedness as we wander toward the month of August and some of us already looking forward to school!
How would these idiots know if Biden is "cheating"? The smears just keep on comin.' I've never seen a run-up to an election so vicious.