We must protest on Thursday because “Good Trouble Lives On”. The memory of Troy, AL native John Lewis will be honored to have you participate in this manner. Here are signs for you to print. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/protest-signage-free?r=3m1bs
Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly. About everything ❤️🩹🤍💙
Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to those in your own state, and those in a committee that fits your topic.
I wonder if The DOGElon, divorcee Co-King with Trumpty, had a secret motive to kill USAID? Granted that it was not liked by the right wing for numerous reasons; however it seemed that Musty played a leading role in demanding that this agency, above all others, must be defunded immediately and then destroyed completely. What possible motive could Musty and his Co-King Humpty have for this evil deed? I think Humpty just hates any aid to non-whites anywhere, anytime, so his motive seems simple. Musty on the other hand depends mightily on the kindness of China towards his businesses, and perhaps that is enough to cause suspicions of HIS motives: he has a glaring, incandescent conflict of interest with China. Given that he is both shrewd and ruthless, I just wonder if that was his chance to throw a huge public relations win to the providers of his manufacturing labor in China: the Chinese Communist Party and its leader, Emperor Xi (oh - it has an X in his name!). I still wonder why he thought he needed a detailed briefing on U.S. war plans. Like Heather said, momentous decisions are falling to lower-level functionaries, as in the disruption of weapons to Ukraine (that Trump disavowed authorizing). He also claimed to have put a stop to the briefing on war plans that Hegseth was apparently happy to set up. So why did Musty need a briefing on U.S. war plans? Because he is super rich, or because he is working both sides of the street?
There is a tremendous "sickness" in America, and not just in our body politic...I have noted that it is tremendously pronounced and quite obviously impactful amongst those people in our country who refer to themselves as "conservatives" and it appears to be heavily-concentrated within the MAGA-cult wing of the Republican Party.
I am still not certain if the problem with many of our democratic politicians, leaders and officials is that they are still just so stunned and in a state of disbelief as to what we've been witnessing under the "fake godlike leader" known as Trumpelthinskin, that they can't close their mouths, get their collective act(s) together, learn to play hardball and begin to take advantage of the weaknesses and generous openings shown and being given to us by those on the "dark side" of the political aisle, so that we can gain a supermajority in the U.S. House as well as decent majority and control within the Senate come the 2026 Midterms .
I love your nickname; it’s every bit as good as Rosie O’Donnell calling him the “Tangerine Mussolini”! With a bit of luck we will see him lose a large part of his base voters due to his failure to release almost any of the vast trove of evidence amassed by the DOJ, especially since 2019. And now it turns out that Pam Bondi ordered something around 1,000 FBI agents to work 24-hour shifts to screen some 100,000 documents (or videos) and “flag” any reference to Trump! And rather than release any such things about him from the investigative files on Epstein, Trumpty and Pam are only requesting that the Court approve a release of any “pertinent” information from the Grand Jury case. This may not happen and then Trumpty can blame the judge for the cover up; however what about all the non- Grand Jury evidence they’re sitting on? No, this feeble response to the fury in the MAGA base will only make them even madder, like a swarm of killer bees. It does seem as if the entire World of Qanon was fashioned on the real-world Epstein human trafficking operation. Why? Because MAGAts claim to despise pedophiles, bless their hearts! Trumplethinskin is about to be skewered on his own petard, one can only hope.
Thank You - but! It is a cute nickname--which I thought that I, in an inspirational moment had created--but a Google search later found that someone else was ahead of me on that creativeness bend!
Let's think ahead. (I'm going to keep bugging you guys about this until and if someone with virtuous influence convinces me to stop.)
Dr. Heather Cox Richardson for President! (I'm not kidding.) She knows how our government is supposed to work. She is smart. She is honest. She draws on the wisdom of past American leaders, and she is, more or less, an average citizen. Importantly, she speaks with authority.
Laws are being ignored. Courts are enabling lawlessness. Congress is being bypassed. Civil servants are fleeing. Unelected ideologues are running departments. Food is being burned. And truth is being buried.
This is no longer a debate over policy or partisanship. It is a question of whether the United States remains a republic of laws or has become a nation ruled by one man.
An authoritarian government is bad for freedom, bad for justice, and bad for everyone not in power. It runs counter to everything America claims to stand for, truth, justice, and the American Way.
The Supreme Court's ruling on the Department of Education is not just another case. It is the moment the mask slips. The moment democracy stops pretending. The moment we realize no one is coming to save us but ourselves. https://essayx.substack.com/p/the-president-who-breaks-the-law
I don't know why Trump wouldn't be irritated with Colby if he's the one who stopped military aid to Ukraine. If for no other reason than it made Trump look bad in press coverage. Also, the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is still the law and it should mean something. The Supreme Court has to construe it to mean something, even if the Court said cuts in the Dept. of Ed are OK. Highest on my radar right now is the danger if Trump tries to fire Powell. Which wouldn't bring down longer-term interest rates in my opinion.
Trump's exchange with a reporter on 9 July is instructive on what really happened with the suspension of military aid to Ukraine in early July.
Reporter: "Sir, yesterday you said that you were not sure who ordered the munitions halted to Ukraine. Have you since been able to figure that out?"
Trump: "Well, I haven't thought about it, because we're looking at Ukraine right now and munitions, but I have, no I have not gone into it."
Reporter: "What does it say that such a big decision could be made inside your government without you knowing?"
Trump: "I would know if a decision was made, I will know. I'll be the first to know. In fact, most likely I'd give the order, but I haven't done that yet."
He didn't know, wasn't going to let on how furious he was and then made it clear that he, and only he, would be taking such decisions - a warning both to Pete Hegseth (himself guilty of doing this twice wthout consulting Trump or others) and Eldridge Colby.
Not a comment and off topic - I’m sorry to intrude on this discussion. I have a sincere question and would like your input if possible. I have grandchildren in pre-school and kindergarten. I’m worrying about what kind of education they will receive and what parents can do now to make sure their children learn the actual history of the US instead of whatever the revised MAGA Christo-fascist version will be. Can you recommend some comprehensive American history books to buy that would help a parent expand what a child is taught at school? I read somewhere that as things progress downward, true history books will disappear from circulation. I already have the books you have written 😊but just wondered what books you would consider to be reliable/mostly accurate sources of information for coming generations. Thank you. I’m so grateful to you for what you are doing.
I have been writing down the titles, authors and a few summaries of hundreds of interesting-sounding books (mostly nonfiction historical reference materials) and programs for a couple of years now, inspired by the Professor. It is only in handwritten form, but I could type it up and somehow convey it. Of course, I have only purchased a fraction of books on the list, and haven’t fully read every book I did obtain. Actually anyone can do this; I read the Washington Post daily and find lots of book references there. Also, PBS has excellent historical documentaries and docudramas, such as tonight “Washington’s Spies” (George W., a dramatic treatment based on historical research at least somewhat). David Rubenstein’s program on PBS, where he interviews historians and scholars on key topics of America’s past, are always interesting to me.
Recorded Frontline’s “Trump’s Power & the Rule of Law” last night, watched it this morning and found that the last 30 minutes was simply showing a static picture of Amna Nawaz (one of the anchors on the PBS news Hour) in front of a big Logo of PBS with the words “Targeting Public Media”.
The program was of course laying out all the illegal things krasnov’s administration has been doing and defining how the results of those acts resulted in his taking over the federal government for his own personnel purposes.
It seems that someone was able to take over the PBS broadcast of that program and block out the last 30 minutes of the episode with a declaration of targeting PBS while at the same time performing an actual targeting act.
…seems the police state is beginning to enter and control everyone’s everyday lives.
Since I recorded the OTA (Over The Air) broadcast of PBS Ch 50 in LA, the bocking could have been done by a MAGA with some control of the broadcast at the station.
Trump Disqualification hearing is next week - full text preview of oral arguments follow link
......I will just leave you with one parting thought in relation to Lincoln’s last public address, just 3 days before he was assassinated as well as a quote in dissent from McMahon v Newyork Stay decision granting cert that all but (temporarily) eliminates protections for faithful public servants from arbitrary and capricious dismissal and ask you to consider both quotes and how they relate and further reflection on the purpose of 14sec3 as to Donald Trump and co-conspirators who occupy Federal offices, and encourage you to review Emil Bove’s testimony before congress regarding his nomination to the federal bench, and Pamala Bondi’s dismissal of ethics oversite.
"The people of these United States are the rightful masters of both Congress and courts, not to over-throw the Constitution, but to over-throw the men who pervert that Constitution" – Abraham Lincoln
“When the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it. Two lower courts rose to the occasion, preliminarily enjoining the mass firings while the litigation remains ongoing. Rather than maintain the status quo, however, this Court now intervenes, lifting the injunction and permitting the Government to proceed with dismantling the Department. That decision is indefensible. It hands the Executive the power to repeal statutes by firing all those necessary to carry them out. The majority is either willfully blind to the implications of its ruling or naive, but either way the threat to our Constitution’s separation of powers is grave. Unable to join in this misuse of our emergency docket, I respectfully dissent.” Justices Sotomayor/Jackson/Kagan
But we should take heart that the constitution has spoken so clearly, history so timely and so eloquently, and that this all can be fixed, starting with one sweep of the pen to open the door to what 14sec3 anticipated, and provided an unshakable remedy for.
HCR, great discussion with David Pakman today. I believe you are correct that older white women, and to a lesser extent older white men, are the strength of the movement to maintain and restore peace and democracy to our wonderful country.
We must protest on Thursday because “Good Trouble Lives On”. The memory of Troy, AL native John Lewis will be honored to have you participate in this manner. Here are signs for you to print. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/protest-signage-free?r=3m1bs
Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly. About everything ❤️🩹🤍💙
Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to those in your own state, and those in a committee that fits your topic.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit?usp=drivesdk
Thank you so much for sharing!
You’re welcome! Thanks for being aware and active right now!
I think that the gutting and dismemberment of USAID will go down in history as America's dumbest mistake.
I wonder if The DOGElon, divorcee Co-King with Trumpty, had a secret motive to kill USAID? Granted that it was not liked by the right wing for numerous reasons; however it seemed that Musty played a leading role in demanding that this agency, above all others, must be defunded immediately and then destroyed completely. What possible motive could Musty and his Co-King Humpty have for this evil deed? I think Humpty just hates any aid to non-whites anywhere, anytime, so his motive seems simple. Musty on the other hand depends mightily on the kindness of China towards his businesses, and perhaps that is enough to cause suspicions of HIS motives: he has a glaring, incandescent conflict of interest with China. Given that he is both shrewd and ruthless, I just wonder if that was his chance to throw a huge public relations win to the providers of his manufacturing labor in China: the Chinese Communist Party and its leader, Emperor Xi (oh - it has an X in his name!). I still wonder why he thought he needed a detailed briefing on U.S. war plans. Like Heather said, momentous decisions are falling to lower-level functionaries, as in the disruption of weapons to Ukraine (that Trump disavowed authorizing). He also claimed to have put a stop to the briefing on war plans that Hegseth was apparently happy to set up. So why did Musty need a briefing on U.S. war plans? Because he is super rich, or because he is working both sides of the street?
There is a tremendous "sickness" in America, and not just in our body politic...I have noted that it is tremendously pronounced and quite obviously impactful amongst those people in our country who refer to themselves as "conservatives" and it appears to be heavily-concentrated within the MAGA-cult wing of the Republican Party.
I am still not certain if the problem with many of our democratic politicians, leaders and officials is that they are still just so stunned and in a state of disbelief as to what we've been witnessing under the "fake godlike leader" known as Trumpelthinskin, that they can't close their mouths, get their collective act(s) together, learn to play hardball and begin to take advantage of the weaknesses and generous openings shown and being given to us by those on the "dark side" of the political aisle, so that we can gain a supermajority in the U.S. House as well as decent majority and control within the Senate come the 2026 Midterms .
I love your nickname; it’s every bit as good as Rosie O’Donnell calling him the “Tangerine Mussolini”! With a bit of luck we will see him lose a large part of his base voters due to his failure to release almost any of the vast trove of evidence amassed by the DOJ, especially since 2019. And now it turns out that Pam Bondi ordered something around 1,000 FBI agents to work 24-hour shifts to screen some 100,000 documents (or videos) and “flag” any reference to Trump! And rather than release any such things about him from the investigative files on Epstein, Trumpty and Pam are only requesting that the Court approve a release of any “pertinent” information from the Grand Jury case. This may not happen and then Trumpty can blame the judge for the cover up; however what about all the non- Grand Jury evidence they’re sitting on? No, this feeble response to the fury in the MAGA base will only make them even madder, like a swarm of killer bees. It does seem as if the entire World of Qanon was fashioned on the real-world Epstein human trafficking operation. Why? Because MAGAts claim to despise pedophiles, bless their hearts! Trumplethinskin is about to be skewered on his own petard, one can only hope.
Thank You - but! It is a cute nickname--which I thought that I, in an inspirational moment had created--but a Google search later found that someone else was ahead of me on that creativeness bend!
https://trumpelthinskin.com/
I will protest in Catskill. The work you doing is amazing.
Let's think ahead. (I'm going to keep bugging you guys about this until and if someone with virtuous influence convinces me to stop.)
Dr. Heather Cox Richardson for President! (I'm not kidding.) She knows how our government is supposed to work. She is smart. She is honest. She draws on the wisdom of past American leaders, and she is, more or less, an average citizen. Importantly, she speaks with authority.
We'll help her, right?
Great idea!
''The Illusion of Democracy Is Fading''
Laws are being ignored. Courts are enabling lawlessness. Congress is being bypassed. Civil servants are fleeing. Unelected ideologues are running departments. Food is being burned. And truth is being buried.
This is no longer a debate over policy or partisanship. It is a question of whether the United States remains a republic of laws or has become a nation ruled by one man.
An authoritarian government is bad for freedom, bad for justice, and bad for everyone not in power. It runs counter to everything America claims to stand for, truth, justice, and the American Way.
The Supreme Court's ruling on the Department of Education is not just another case. It is the moment the mask slips. The moment democracy stops pretending. The moment we realize no one is coming to save us but ourselves. https://essayx.substack.com/p/the-president-who-breaks-the-law
I don't know why Trump wouldn't be irritated with Colby if he's the one who stopped military aid to Ukraine. If for no other reason than it made Trump look bad in press coverage. Also, the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is still the law and it should mean something. The Supreme Court has to construe it to mean something, even if the Court said cuts in the Dept. of Ed are OK. Highest on my radar right now is the danger if Trump tries to fire Powell. Which wouldn't bring down longer-term interest rates in my opinion.
Trump's exchange with a reporter on 9 July is instructive on what really happened with the suspension of military aid to Ukraine in early July.
Reporter: "Sir, yesterday you said that you were not sure who ordered the munitions halted to Ukraine. Have you since been able to figure that out?"
Trump: "Well, I haven't thought about it, because we're looking at Ukraine right now and munitions, but I have, no I have not gone into it."
Reporter: "What does it say that such a big decision could be made inside your government without you knowing?"
Trump: "I would know if a decision was made, I will know. I'll be the first to know. In fact, most likely I'd give the order, but I haven't done that yet."
He didn't know, wasn't going to let on how furious he was and then made it clear that he, and only he, would be taking such decisions - a warning both to Pete Hegseth (himself guilty of doing this twice wthout consulting Trump or others) and Eldridge Colby.
SCOTUS supporting defiance of the law... This isn't the USA I know and love.
Not a comment and off topic - I’m sorry to intrude on this discussion. I have a sincere question and would like your input if possible. I have grandchildren in pre-school and kindergarten. I’m worrying about what kind of education they will receive and what parents can do now to make sure their children learn the actual history of the US instead of whatever the revised MAGA Christo-fascist version will be. Can you recommend some comprehensive American history books to buy that would help a parent expand what a child is taught at school? I read somewhere that as things progress downward, true history books will disappear from circulation. I already have the books you have written 😊but just wondered what books you would consider to be reliable/mostly accurate sources of information for coming generations. Thank you. I’m so grateful to you for what you are doing.
Dorothy
I have been writing down the titles, authors and a few summaries of hundreds of interesting-sounding books (mostly nonfiction historical reference materials) and programs for a couple of years now, inspired by the Professor. It is only in handwritten form, but I could type it up and somehow convey it. Of course, I have only purchased a fraction of books on the list, and haven’t fully read every book I did obtain. Actually anyone can do this; I read the Washington Post daily and find lots of book references there. Also, PBS has excellent historical documentaries and docudramas, such as tonight “Washington’s Spies” (George W., a dramatic treatment based on historical research at least somewhat). David Rubenstein’s program on PBS, where he interviews historians and scholars on key topics of America’s past, are always interesting to me.
Thank you! I did not see this response until today.
Recorded Frontline’s “Trump’s Power & the Rule of Law” last night, watched it this morning and found that the last 30 minutes was simply showing a static picture of Amna Nawaz (one of the anchors on the PBS news Hour) in front of a big Logo of PBS with the words “Targeting Public Media”.
The program was of course laying out all the illegal things krasnov’s administration has been doing and defining how the results of those acts resulted in his taking over the federal government for his own personnel purposes.
It seems that someone was able to take over the PBS broadcast of that program and block out the last 30 minutes of the episode with a declaration of targeting PBS while at the same time performing an actual targeting act.
…seems the police state is beginning to enter and control everyone’s everyday lives.
Since I recorded the OTA (Over The Air) broadcast of PBS Ch 50 in LA, the bocking could have been done by a MAGA with some control of the broadcast at the station.
"Deliberate cruelty is not forgivable!"
--Tennessee Williams
I'm sure that Bondi's response to the video will be something like this: "It's are real reel!" Yeah, right.
Trump Disqualification hearing is next week - full text preview of oral arguments follow link
......I will just leave you with one parting thought in relation to Lincoln’s last public address, just 3 days before he was assassinated as well as a quote in dissent from McMahon v Newyork Stay decision granting cert that all but (temporarily) eliminates protections for faithful public servants from arbitrary and capricious dismissal and ask you to consider both quotes and how they relate and further reflection on the purpose of 14sec3 as to Donald Trump and co-conspirators who occupy Federal offices, and encourage you to review Emil Bove’s testimony before congress regarding his nomination to the federal bench, and Pamala Bondi’s dismissal of ethics oversite.
"The people of these United States are the rightful masters of both Congress and courts, not to over-throw the Constitution, but to over-throw the men who pervert that Constitution" – Abraham Lincoln
“When the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it. Two lower courts rose to the occasion, preliminarily enjoining the mass firings while the litigation remains ongoing. Rather than maintain the status quo, however, this Court now intervenes, lifting the injunction and permitting the Government to proceed with dismantling the Department. That decision is indefensible. It hands the Executive the power to repeal statutes by firing all those necessary to carry them out. The majority is either willfully blind to the implications of its ruling or naive, but either way the threat to our Constitution’s separation of powers is grave. Unable to join in this misuse of our emergency docket, I respectfully dissent.” Justices Sotomayor/Jackson/Kagan
But we should take heart that the constitution has spoken so clearly, history so timely and so eloquently, and that this all can be fixed, starting with one sweep of the pen to open the door to what 14sec3 anticipated, and provided an unshakable remedy for.
https://randoliberal.substack.com/p/updates-on-trump-disqualification
The Enemy Within
HCR, great discussion with David Pakman today. I believe you are correct that older white women, and to a lesser extent older white men, are the strength of the movement to maintain and restore peace and democracy to our wonderful country.