Today saw widespread outrage that Senate Republicans sank the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) bill—a bill they had already agreed to by a strong margin—out of spite over the resurrection of a reconciliation package that would make drugs cheaper, plug tax loopholes for corporations and the extremely wealthy, and invest in switching the economy away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy.
Thank you, Heather, for this superb conclusion; it allows me to bypass my rant about the Republicans!
“Vox correspondent Ian Millhiser, who is a keen observer of American politics, commented tonight: ‘This was a good week for the United States of America and I may be coming down with a case of The Hope.’”
I would love to “come down with a case of The Hope,” too!
Please don't let anyone's Case of Hope infect you with complacency which manifests as rash self indulgence. Please don't let anything keep you from working as hard as you can to get out the vote for Democratic candidates. Otherwise Republicans will come back worse - an assault which the body politic may not be able to withstand.
I agree with you 1000% and more, lin. It has never been more important to push push push against the door of bigotry, self service, greed, and assault on democracy that Republicans have been opening wider since they put grease on the hinges when their tool walked down the golden escalator in 2016.
As always, Lin, I agree with you. “Trying to demonstrate a party’s power to kill popular legislation is an interesting approach to governance.” This was, in my opinion, the most important sentence in today’s letter. We need to use it again and again before the midterms to hammer home what Mitch McConnell and his party really stand for. Their entire platform is “Obstruction”.
"We need to use it again and again before the midterms to hammer home what Mitch McConnell and his party really stand for. Their entire platform is “Obstruction”."
ThankYou Betsy.
McConnell's Party of No has transformed itself into Trump et al's Party of Nihilism. Their motto is 'If I can't control it, then I will destroy it."
This is the operating principle of criminals from abusive partners to Putin in his war on Ukraine. It was the driving emotion of Jan 6, and is the emotion behind religious extremist credo. All share embracing and legitimizing irrationality and violence.
If any message can help Democrats, it’s making sure veterans and active duty personnel see that Republicans have demonstrated, by blocking help for veterans injured by burn pits, that the GOP has no interest in the longterm welfare of those who have served in the military. Trillions for war, nothing for warriors.
As clear as Heather explained the Republicans' tantrum, I still don't get it! Aren't there sick vets who are Republicans? Isn't it the Republican mantra to have semiconductors, amongst other manufactured items, Made in the USA? Aren't there gay Republicans? Aren't there Republicans who use birth control? Shouldn't there be a slew of angry Republican voters right about now? I have never seen anything else that better illustrates the axiom, "Cut off your nose to spite your face."
I'm late getting here, too, Sophia. I have the same questions. There is something beyond current comprehension about what makes Republican legislators tick. I am longing for someone in that pack to have the courage to out the dynamics. To blow the whistle on McConnell and his minions. NO. NOT the whistle. To blow the dang tuba. Decades ago, when my daughter was a child, I remember her clenching her fists and turning red in the face with rage about being bullied by someone. And in her fury, she spouted, "I'm sick up and fed of it!!" Yeah. That.
Ahh but everything you say assumes that people know and vote what is in their own or collective interest. You are assuming GOP voters are rational. That only applies to the GOP plutocrat paymasters and their politician puppets. The populists ... they are something else.
Right on Lin! I could not have said it better myself. Your allusion to the dynamic of Putin's Russia, abusive partners in general is spot on. It becomes an individuals normal and they are trapped in a cycle of humiliation, anger, lashing out and then being humiliated again. Self hate leads to murder and suicide. As to The Hope, the wheels of Justice grind slowly, but once they gain a certain momentum they grind surely for the truth.
" It [abuse] becomes an individuals normal and they are trapped in a cycle of humiliation, anger, lashing out and then being humiliated again."
Or, tragically, abuse becomes an individual's normal and they adopt their abuser's justifications for the situation or construct their own justifications for why things are they way they are. On a national level, it can take the form of voter suppression by convincing people "your vote doesn't count, you can't change anything, there is no difference between the parties etc etc"
I seem to remember Mitch McConnell saying something to the effect that his job was to see that no legislation got passed under the Obama Administration "...even if it was for the good of the country." I thought that was traitorous then and, boy honey, has it ratcheted up ever since.
Yes, Kathy, I agree. Hope gives me strength. This may be infectious. I don't know exactly why but I have been feeling better than I have since the Orange nightmare elevated himself onto the scene. I have suffered many disappointments as I am sure others have felt also from the Mueller affair, the 2 impeachments and other various trials that we have all endured during this nightmare but somehow this feels different. HOPE I am right and we have HCR spearheading our way daily through truth and knowledge. Brava!
I agree. Hope is actually inspiring and gives me energy to engage. Locally, I dont see the energy I saw in 2020 or even in 2018. I hope that's about to change.
Yes! If anything The Hope energizes me. It makes me feel that all the effort and work is making a change for good. I have one debt to tRump and that's his wake-up call to me to not be too comfortable or complacent about our democracy. He made obvious what had been insidious, and now I am vigilant. I have joined our local Democratic Committee and a women's group for progress. I have built up the strength and fortitude to call out publicly injustices, and The Hope only reinforces all of this. Dr. Richardson and this group have helped to educate me and motivate me. Thank you all!!!
I feel exactly the same and you are so right about the wake-up call. I am finding my own version of taking action, starting with sharing this newsletter every day!!
Seeing good things happening and the politics of revenge practiced by Rs will not stop us from continuing our donating to get out the vote causes and certain pols. This sort of thing just strengthens our resolve. Our vet cousin in South Dakota was already pointing out to the Senate jerks in her state about the vote on this bill. You don't say just before that you support vets and then do something as stupid as this. She posts every day about the Gnome as well. Meanwhile, thankfully, the primary in WA is Tuesday and those ads will disappear unless two of them are the top two vote getters.
I need lots of help to win the Treasurer of Clay County position. I sure can't do it by myself. I am already tired and I still have over 3 months to hit the trail!
Rowshan -- I was just about to post a very similar comment. -- This was indeed an encouraging Letter this evening. I too may be coming down with a case of The Hope.
Jeanne, I think you've just said a very large truth--tha hope is essential to our survival. Not just our survival in this time of national crisis,, but in our journey as human beings. My own hope started its downward spiral the day Donald Trump was elected, and year after year it has grown weaker. I don't even mean hope for something in particular but simply hopefulness as a state of mind or being. That's what I am so afraid we're I'm danger of losing, that we are going to come out of this (and we will, of course) only to find we have left a big part of ourselves behind, om the field of battle.
Me too, and I feel as Churchill did. “I am an optimist, it does not seem to be of much use to be anything else.” Of course, this often collides with “Hope is a tease, designed to keep us from accepting reality.” Today it will be the former…
I don't know how widespread it was, but if I recall correctly, it was in the '80s "I'm a realist, not an idealist" seemed a popular phrase. In fact, optimism (which I see as related) gives you the motive for a venture, and a realistic game plan provides the means, though the two are often presented as opposites. Reality is indifferent to us and will do us no favors, but we can (often) learn to dance with it sufficiently in order to get where we want to go; so long as we know reality will call the tune. We ultimately get nowhere or worse ignoring reality, and yet history is replete with exceptional accomplishments, so some approaches do work.
To me (cautious) optimism is a judgement that there is enough of a chance of a plan working to make the effort worthwhile (or if not a plan, conditions that present a sufficient chance of being conducive, such as the chances of rain on a parade). Perhaps that's what Churchill was getting at.
Cynicism seems like a rationalization for doing what one has always done, or nothing at all. Imagination combined with effort and empirical discipline, produces practical creativity; how Einstein came up with E=MC², and how the Constitution was crafted.
I love this. Hope requires creativity and a willingness to go out on a limb. I am wondering if the GOP has lost hope. They subsist on barricading and hoarding, afraid of change and creativity.
They have nothing to offer voters except fear, hatred and violence. It got them the White House in 2016, but that may be their last hurrah. ( with fists in the air)
I pray you are right. The fact that “fear, hatred and violence” worked for them spectacularly once was eye opening. However, then they gave nothing else (oh, yeah…3 SCOTUS conservatives) but nothing else to the majority of their constituents that is of substance or popular. Let’s hope the GOP obstructing positive legislation and fist pumping the overturning of Roe will keep the Dems in the majority this November. Yesterday was a very good day for the Dems… we need to safeguard voting. That should have been number ONE on the list. Damn Joe Manchin.
I only speculate, but it seems to me that demagogues seek to manipulate our evolutionarily older "reptile brain", that nature has given a "trump card" over reason and compassion to fight for our survival. That has created a kind of "security flaw" in our "mindware" that can be worked by predatory people. Nurses have described patients denying until pretty literally their last breath the existence of the COVID virus they were dying from, and that fixed idea was planted there primarily by politicians who saw it in their own selfish interests to do so.
The machine needs some elbow grease but that takes work…which they haven’t been wanting to do. It’s easier to lie and create chaos. Let’s hope the machine breaks!
I think it is complicated amongst the rank and file. I am aware that some people are more uncomfortable than others with ambiguity. I suspect a large portion of R. rank and file may have grown up in authoritarian households where questioning ostensible authority was punished.
I also think the profession of politics draws people with many motivations, not the least of which is money and power, and these are the natural allies of plutocrats. I think much of the actually crafting of the modern "GOP" mission is shaped in one way or another by large concentrations of wealth. The record of the so-called Reagan Revolution, which is Republicans continue to this day, is abysmal for most Americans, in ways too numerous to enumerate here. It has, on the other hand, visibly contributed to making the very, very rich a great deal richer and a great deal more influential in America in determining what happens to us all. It seems to be that, seen as a whole, that that was and is the underling mission all along, and the faithful are being had.
Thank you for responding. This is a thoughtful, message and I think you're absolutely right based partly on my own experience. Keeping what we've amassed, maintaining the status quo, I think is what you're saying. That fear of losing, a kind of insecurity, is what connects those who have a lot and those who have less. Having a lot can imprison you similarly to how having not much can imprison you. But not everyone in these circumstances is imprisoned—so the imprisonment is mental, psychological, a lack of faith, of trust, of one's own resilience, of one's own ability. Always having little but not the wherewithall to be content or change things, or always having a lot but not the wherewithall to see beyond your own borders. Seeing the bigger picture takes courage and selflessness, it takes heart, and love for this world, this planet, and every creature that lives. And it's necessary, because every creature is necessary. At some point, all the money in the world, and all the anger and hatred, will get you living barricaded behind walls with no one having your back. That's the big picture the GOP doesn't want to acknowledge even as it tries to herd us down that path. Live for today is a problematic slogan.
My daughter had a college roommate who lived in a war zone. The family slept fully dressed in case the needed to run. I suppose there are those who like to live on the edge of danger, but it seems like an experientially impoverished way to be forced to live; and that an environment that supports trust with abiding vigilance is far richer.
DR spoke of freedom from as well as freedom to. That surely requires watching out for one another. Democracy and rule of law is a tragic travesty without preponderant good faith. Two or more national parties at total war is a failed state.
Freedom requires a diverse array of responsible choices, and that can't scale without controversy and tension, with reasonable peaceable means of resolving or tolerating discord. Such as, who gets to drive across an intersection first? We need to agree on such things. A free society provides a foundational basis for trust.
“To believe all men honest is folly. To believe none is something worse.” - John Adams
I'll need to re-read this a few more times, JL, but by jove, I think you got it! Ignoring reality has worked for me a few times but I was not engaged in life-altering endeavors when I did so.
In these times, a minor comparison, but for me personal. As a creative person, I get an idea from looking at pieces of things. Then I put them together in a new way. Sometimes, those “pieces” have to be arranged and then re-arranged several times before the “right” placement is achieved. Reality might say to me (or anyone) these pieces do NOT fit together, throw them away and start over!” But by the simple act of rearranging “pieces”, a solution does almost always make itself known. I believe this to be true in cases both large and small. My eternal thanks for this engaging group of thinkers and actors.
Well that it, isn't it? Yes, there is joy, relief, and even the potential for insight in pure fantasy. Daydreams, nightdreams, and their ilk, fantasy in the arts, even fantasy in math (though those tend to come around to being useful). Why the hell not? Except when not appropriate. '
Lies are a kind of unreality, yet weaponized. Racisism, aggressive wars, and many kinds of injustice are enabled by lies. Lies gave the US, with perhaps the most advanced technical means of abating a pandemic, the worst comparative record for deaths. Naive or lazy misunderstandings also can kill. The higher the responsibility that is accepted by a professional, the greater the burden for integrity, or should be. Potential existential threats may rise when fantasy is presented as critical reality, and reality is labeled is "fantasy" as in Republican claims against Fauci, climate science, and truthful "fake news".
“Cynicism seems like a rationalization for doing what one has always done, or nothing at all. Imagination combined with effort and empirical discipline, produces practical creativity;…” Beautifully said! I too have hope!
“The door of a bigoted mind opens outwards so that the only result of the pressure of facts upon it is to close it more snugly.” Ogden Nash
When the dam begins to break, it does so because the truth and the facts and more and more people finally willing to speak up presses and presses hard against the door of bigotry and oppression and slams it shut. That is what optimism is. As Churchill defined. Fighting the good fight. We are standing up and not giving in to fascist governance by the Republicans and exposing Trump and his minions for the circus car they continue to be. We are pushing hard with the truth.
We on this forum have had the case of The Hope since the Biden/Harris election win.
For me in this moment, it’s Now We Know. All of Us This Time. As in any brawl, let’s kick some proverbial ass.
Christine, I'm there with you. I've posted the following before, but it seems appropriate to do so again. As Rebecca Solnit says....“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency. Hope should shove you out the door, because it will take everything you have to steer the future away from endless war, from the annihilation of the earth's treasures and the grinding down of the poor and marginal... To hope is to give yourself to the future - and that commitment to the future is what makes the present inhabitable.” Carry on, friends!
“To hope is to give yourself to the future - and that commitment to the future is what makes the present inhabitable.” What a life-affirming statement!
Frankly (and given my professional background) it is no surprise that I just might wish to kick more than a "proverbial" ass. I'd love to apply a boot to the behinds of some of these Qonspiracy theorists that have become a governing party in this country.
I was being polite. 😜 When one finds the correct and relevant “proverbial ass”, it’s easier to apply the boot. And I have on my boots from LLBean. Always hit the target.
"I would love to “come down with a case of The Hope,” too!" I would too Rowshan. I do not like the place I am in. Decades ago I began my migration from center right to progressive. It was gradual, and as it developed, I became increasingly disgusted and impatient with our system of government in this country. Also I think I became a less happy camper - what a shame. Blinders were off, and my eyes were getting used to the light so to speak, and I didn't like what I saw. I think many of us have a similar story. Today, or yesterday, I feel like I am as low as low can get. The planet is burning, and the Republican party is trying their best (pretty successfully too) to have it continue to do so; so what if human civilization is forever altered if not destroyed. The Republican Party is outwardly trying to subvert democracy in my country, a minority party trying to seize power from the majority, cement it that way forever, and turn it into the something along the lines of the Republic of Gilead. And that is something I never thought I'd see. We now live in a full blown oligarchy; whose billionaire class doesn't want to pay their taxes yet wants all the benefits, is completely in bed with the Republican Party, and are so powerful that it isn't clear anything can be done. BUT - could it be we are starting to see the beginnings of the crumbling of the forces of evil? Is logic beginning to win out. Compassion, critical thinking turning the tide? If so, let us not let up. Keep the strangle hold until there is no life left in it. And play dirty if that is what it takes.
Thanks, James. I'm always interested in stories like yours where a person DOES in fact change! What, if Imay ask, were the influences or forces that helped you change? Why or when did you begin to be more logical and compassionate or learn critical thinking? At some precise point or gradually? Why did you change?
Mary - how did I change? Why? Thank you for asking. I think it was inevitable. I am largely a southern person although I've been around. My family, like so many other southern families, is quite racist - my dad (deceased), my mom (in assisted living), and my three siblings all who live in the deep south. I was NEVER comfortable with the racism I saw every day while growing up. I cannot explain that; my friends didn't seem to have any problem with it. And I was destined to be an engineer - math and science were my skill sets in high school. The engineering profession has a whole lot of rational thinkers and problem solvers; they are thick as thieves. And this mindset I think is more likely to result in progressive thinking. Most (not all) have well developed BS meters. Then came the "aha" moment. In my late 20's I dusted off years of old "Scientific American" magazines one day, that I had paid no attention to up til that point, and started reading articles about deep space, evolution, sub-atomic particle physics, etc, and I tell you - it all started falling into place. Later, after moving to WA state and picking up mountain climbing, my progressive attitudes were just re-enforced - something about the grandeur of high mountain glaciated wilderness can affect a person's soul, can put a person in his/her place. Not sure if this adequately explains to many, but it does to me. I wish I could spread it but few seem to want to listen.
Thanks, James, for responding. It seems you were different from the beginning than your parents and siblings in that you were not comfortable with racism. I wonder how many Prof. Richardson fans could say the same thing , we were different from our siblings even as youngsters.
Ageuk.org says, "We inherit cognitive function [thinking skills] from our parents, in the same way that physical characteristics are passed down. Scientists have discovered that, unlike eye colour, cognitive function is not influenced by a few genes but by many. Individually, each gene has a small influence but together they account for more than half (or 50%) of the differences in cognitive function between us." Given this, it's easy to understand why siblings can be so different. Of course there is also the influence of opportunity and education as we grow, both significant, as you experienced and mention in your explanation.
Even though I'm generally familiar with the demographics of Trumpers, it's still hard to wrap my brain around the characteristics or reasons so many people have been deluded by him. But I've also realized many followers aren't deluded; they are just going along with Trump for their own advantage but they know the truth.
Thanks again. You've confirmed that open-mindedness and education are two key characteristics of the more liberal mindset.
Forgot to mention Mary - that the most important "aha" moment for me when boning up on all things science years ago was climate change. That literally set my hair on fire. Because I knew it to be true - the evidence even decades ago was irrefutable. And now - well we are on our way aren't we. To me, nothing else matters nearly as much - I am left wondering what to tell my kids - where to move, how to prepare. It's our planet for gods sake. And look who the deniers are. Hyper-religious Christians, self-serving industrialists, heads of so many corporations, other 1%'ers who see their fortunes put at risk, and of course the Republicans who represent them all. And look who don't care or don't know to care - poorly educated and/or willingly ignorant people with their collective heads in the sand, some being gaslighted to not trust the scientific world. WTF? I was one of those years ago. No more.
As an aside, I am especially proud today to be represented by Senator Amy Klobuchar who authored bills on reducing the price of insulin, Medicare negotiation of drug prices, the PACT bill, and several others. She has never reduced her efforts to pass these and many others bills, and I know she will not stop working on PACT until it is enacted into law. She has is a shining example of how to work long, hard, and across the aisle. She reminds me of the Harry Truman quote, "It's amazing what you can accomplish if you don't care who takes credit for it." I have two specific symptoms of The Hope tonight: First, that other younger women in Congress take careful note of her skill and how she exercises it. And second, that another Hope that "Cousin Amy" has proposed is realized--repeal of Citizens United through a comprehensive Election Finance Reform Bill.
I love what you said, Kem. I think Amy Klobuchar should run for president. We need a strong and seasoned candidate who is under 65. She is 62. AND she reflects our values. Win-win.
Amy on the presidential campaign was either not well-advised or very nervous. She often missed the chance to be direct, instead repeating too often her slogans and lists of accomplishments. Buttigieg would certainly be a great counterpoint to her in that regard, and both are for people. That said, I want her to remain in the Senate.
Ally, I have a question for you unrelated to this thread. If I recall correctly, you are retired LE? I wonder what some makes LE folks (and military) so susceptible to Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, etc.
I cannot claim a great deal of any study/statistics/hard information, just 35 years of observation. That said, many people are drawn to the profession of arms with a stated goal of service to community. Some are drawn to the perception of being the “authority” (many of these are, in my limited experience, either weeded out in the application/hire process or fail to make a probationary period due to “unsuitability”.)
Some are drawn to the concept of keeping order, and I believe that those people tend to be of a more conservative mindset. I think that those people who are conservative, committed to keeping order, and who are comfortable in those roles may find that the groups you’ve mentioned meet a (perceived) need for more order and control offer them a place to “belong.”
Yes…persistence is the virtue that ultimately brings unification from which hope can flow. We hope fascistic behavior will be replaced with fairness, we hope those who had given up on the idea of democracy will throw off their fear and embrace a calm realization that “until everyone wins, nobody wins” as my friend Bruce would say. We’re here on this sparkling, astonishing and truly beautiful planet for such a short time. How truly lucky we are. Be kind to someone who is feeling down or isolated, help a neighbor, smile, watch your grandchildren for a day or a week or a month….feel their innocent joy and happiness. We’re not here to play a zero sum game …we’re here to live and love one another. Love creates hope like water does a rose. Love without boundaries… Mother Theresa knew this so did Abe Lincoln. We can do this, too.
- have ideas about politics but think what is happening with the Jan 6 committee is just funny
- plan to vote when they can and Montana just passed a bill allowing ballots to be sent out to kids who are not 18 yet but will be 18 when voting starts (not these kids)
- one kid is more conservative than the other (peer pressure)
- never argue with me
- had lots of questions about LGBTQ and use of different personal pronouns
- will clean their rooms if friends are coming over but otherwise no
- have their own cars and it is a status symbol to one kid and just a method of transportation to the other. They live in the country so have to travel
- do not value history
- do not read unless it is on a screen
- one is an honors student; the other is not
- one articulates that he values kindness; the other says he has learned lots from Mom and dad
And it was our equally excellent junior Senator, Tina Smith who, along with several other Democrats including John Hickenlooper of Colorado, who worked tirelessly to get Manchin’s attention on the long term economic benefits of the climate provisions that they cobbled together. Manchin got the attention he craves, we get inflation reduction efforts and climate provisions that just may stave off complete disaster for our small blue world. Klobuchar and Smith are among the best! Thanks for calling this out.
Also a Minnesotan who loves our senators, I sometimes struggle with the idea of “promoting” too many fine senators and congresspeople and removing their communication skills and drive from right where they are! Another person. Who comes to mind is Elizabeth Warren. And just took at those committee members on the January 6 commission! OMG! Too excellent for words! And they’re willing to stay in the House and face a new election every two years? I weep for joy 🥹
One reason I finally registered as a Democrat in January 2017 (after decades of voting Democratic) is that, although the Democratic *Party* (i.e., the organizational structure) had problems, ALL the really outstanding officeholders at both the federal and state level were Democrats. That mattered a lot. After five and a half years of being involved with the local Dems (and being a delegate to the MA state Dem convention several times), I know a good deal more about the party's problems but I'm still impressed as hell with the caliber of Democratic officeholders, including my two U.S. senators, Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, and my state senator (Julian Cyr) and state rep (Dylan Fernandes). Fwiw, Joe Biden was my 5th or 6th choice in the primary field, but I think he was the right nominee for the time and I doubt any of the other contenders could have done as good a job in incredibly difficult circumstances.
Yes, I had Biden farther down, as well, but I knew he had a better chance to win (white man) and a more moderate appeal (which was also important for the win).
Agreed. Great Senators are too important to be constantly wishing them to become POTUS. We need them where they are! ❤️ And sadly name recognition matters in an election, as Susan Collins and a number of others have proven.
I agree. When Dem Senators run for POTUS, I shudder. We NEED their skills, their voices and their votes in the Senate. And by and large, they are SO much more skilled and intelligent than their R counterparts whose only reason for being seems to be to grift of taxpayers and vote against anything and everything that would help their own constituents. When THEY run for POTUS, I laugh.
As for Collins, her fit of petulance more than proves her duplicity. Now she has made it crystal clear to the LGBTQ+ community that she is a big nothing burger. I hope they shun her forever.
Ellen, her duplicity has been flagrant for so long, but so many live in a bubble of information that they are fed, and the “Denial” is so strong. So disappointed in the Mainers I know who ever voted for her, but especially so in 2020, after her support for that lying rapist sitting in a SCOTUS seat!
I have mixed feelings about this. Klobuchar operates more comfortably with persuasion that compulsion, and while I think Congress needs to get back to that stance, I am not sure she is the right woman for these times when there is so much polarization.
I LOVE that Truman quote! Explains exactly why those who prize getting nothing done as a political statement are bereft of any decency — not to mention shame!
I am in Turkey right now, handling some personal stuff (I was born and raised here). I get to have lots of lunches and dinners with friends who all seem to be concerned with President Biden's age. They are not sure if he can handle the pressures of governance as an old man and may run the country down! As a proud naturalized citizen of USA for 26 years I give some civic lessons, proudly might I add. Turkey is run by a parliamentary system that has been thwarted into a fake American presidential system by a religious dictator posing as a democratic man! Don't get me started there! It's all about sound bites and the bad press poor President Biden is getting. Seriously, he is the best president we had in a very long time, and the press in the United states and around the world is slamming him down! He can't win for nothing, nobody is looking at his heart, how hard he tries and how the effing republicans keep finding ways cancel out all these wonderful legislations that could help so many. We need to sell these programs to the public better and get the press on our side and how can that be done? I am in Istanbul contemplating how to sell President Biden's thoughts and actions to the Turks and some foreigners living here. Slowly and calmly I've been getting through as I break bread with them and it's really hard to break that Anti-American sentiment. Why can't we have more press on our side that is honest and lays the facts instead of some editorialized version of the truth?
Shenny. Your work on President Biden's behalf is terrific. I am sending you Heather's Letter from the other day where she highlights most of the President's accomplishments so far. Hopefully, it will give you more ammunition as you continue to "break bread." Her comments about Biden start about a third of the way down. Thank you!
Thank you. I have it pasted on my phone’s notes for quick references. Thank you for pointing it out. I almost cried when I read it, I am 7 hours ahead of the east coast and I have to wait well into the morning to get my copy of the letter. I was screaming yes, yes, yes yes yes in our apartment. I can’t remember too many details anymore, I am almost 65, materials like that are fabulous to arm myself with. Much love to all of you, nice to be in the sea of sanity.
As someone who has lived in both countries your voice is invaluable….and being able to converse while “breaking bread” is such a positive action! Thank you for spreading the word and for the faith you have had in your adopted country.
“I wrote yesterday, the Inflation Reduction Act is a big deal. If it passes, it will only be the latest “big deal” in a long line of successes for Joe Biden. A reader sent a link to a website titled, What Biden Has Done? The site is no longer being updated, but it provides a wealth of information. I urge you to spend ten minutes reviewing Biden’s accomplishments. I have highlighted a few:
Passed the largest infrastructure bill in a generation.
Passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.
Ended the war in Afghanistan.
Passed the first gun safety legislation in a generation.
Banned ghost guns.
Invested $3 billion in mental health and substance abuse prevention
Rejoined the Paris Climate Accords.
Rejoined the World Health Organization.
Appointed 42 federal district court judges—the most in 40 years (during first year).”
Thanks for this Vivian. I copied it and will carry it with me at all times. I'm so sick of Biden Bashing. I wish I had it the other night when I walked out on 2 old friends when they started Biden Bashing and laughing at me as if I'm some stupid idiot. Another 2 crossed off my friend list.
Maybe we could print his accomplishments on business cards or leaflets to hand out and use for personal reference. I find it so emotionally challenging to be calm and clear when dealing with a**hole comments, regardless the many tools in my toolbox.
Shenny, I’ve been to Istanbul and loved it. Thank you for giving the Turks American civics lessons! When you’re done there, could you do the same here? 😚 as a senior citizen myownself, let’s quit with the doddering president bit. With his fellow dems, He’s getting stuff done already.
Sennur / Shenny -- thank you for what you wrote. You can add to your education of your friends that President Joe Biden has been governing since 1972 -- 50 years this year! In 1972 he was elected to the Senate. He is steadier and steadier as he goes on, seems to have a very clear vision of what needs to be done, making a few big mistakes along the way but recognizing them at some point. And nothing seems to rattle him, least of all the ridiculous Press. (What's with them!! Print and TV.) The Press has lost their vision. They've lost the likes of Woodward and Bernstein. With only a handful of exceptions. But President Biden is who we have and need at this moment in time. At least, in my opinion.
After reading all you proud people from Minnesota, I just want to say I’m a proud Delawarean. I’ve voted for Joe Biden since his first senate run in 1972. I’m so old I was at the University of Delaware with him in the 60’s. I didn’t want him to run for president in 2020, but came to realize he was probably the only Democratic candidate who could beat tfg and return our government to some semblance of normalcy. I think he’s doing a remarkable job and it infuriates me that he’s getting so little credit. He’s a good man - is that the problem?
Not a problem at all for the 80+ million of us that voted for him, Betsy. You were spot on in your realization about him being the only candidate who could... And if the media would do their job, they would see it, too.
“Trying to demonstrate a party’s power to kill popular legislation is an interesting approach to governance.”
Indeed it is, and it’s another talking point for the Democrats. If only their/our outrage can be externalized in ads. Acting like spiteful children certainly is a poor way to present themselves.
Why don’t we write some ads WE would like to see and send them to the DNC? I’m not kidding. A clip from Jon Stewart’s outrage and fluent critique of what has just been done to Veterans by the Repugnants, for a start…..?
Acting like spiteful (and often malicious) children has become Republican core MO, and weirdly there seems to be some sort of broad appeal to it so long as they keep getting away with it. In reality (with few recent exceptions) their behavior is shameful, even criminal, and for a number of decades, their record has been dismal. Still waiting for the Reagan era promise of the "high tide" that allegedly "lifts all boats"? You'll be waiting till the ice caps melt, and that won't be pretty.
I would almost say, the GQP can keep getting away with their "spite as policy" just so long as the base feels that they are "owning the libs"--I believe that weird sentiment is the basis of that "broad appeal".
We shouldn't confuse the GOP with spiteful children. They are clearly responding to their "own" base while using tRunp's base for their numbers in votes. The GOP responds only to their bosses and those are the 1 percenters, big corporations, who want to kill the climate change, healthcare, education, immigration, and women's rights protecting bills reducing all of us into submission. I believe priority should be given to protecting the vote. Unless we pass such a bill soon we are in peril of loosing democracy. That's why the GOP/Corporations are fighting women, black and brown communities, and immigrants. We are becoming a force at the polls. Keep all eyes on the ball.
"Rats fleeing a sinking ship" seems an all too apt metaphor for what seems to be happening. Sooner or later we'll get to the bottom of this and it will all be laid out there in all its ugliness. I can't wait. It is a sweet thing to see Republicans squirm for a change--and they're outraged, OUTRAGED I TELLS YA that Democrats pulled a fast one on them. I had to laugh. WTF have they been doing to Democrats since, like, oh, FOREVER?!? Chickens coming home to roost...the metaphors are coming fast and furious! And I'm off to bed...dreaming and hoping for the future.
Bruce I can witness those chickens coming home to roost because of the accumulating chickens++t. The crowd seeking to testify before the House 1/6 Committee makes the crowd turmoil at Heathrow Airport look delightful by comparison.
Exactly. What does McTurtle think, hardball politics belong to him and no one else is allowed to exercise power when they have it? One thing that isn’t new: Republicans hurting the American people to assert their power.
😆 I reflexively use lots of metaphors when I'm talking to people and I've had some tangled up doozies when I get enthusiastic. I figure I at least bring humor into the conversation as everyone laughs at what I'm attempting to get across.
I know. I'll be nervous until things are signed, sealed and delivered. We have to keep an eye on Sinema and on the Democrat centrists in the House who could throw a spanner/wrench in the works. This is Washington, and in these times anything can happen. I'm hopeful right now, though.
It's not the crime, it's the cover-up. And compared to Watergate, from which the saying sprang, the cover-up involving text messages around Jan. 6 makes Nixon and his taping system seem like jaywalking.
Secret Service agents are one thing, but the top officials in DHS? And their excuse is an agency-wide replacement of mobile phones? When everyone in the federal government knows the law requires preservation of all records? Were they all convinced that Trump would remain in office, despite polls indicating otherwise?
None of this is a coincidence, obviously, or even merely the ineptness that pervaded the Trump Administration. They appear to have destroyed evidence they knew would be critical to investigations of the coup.
Are there enough lawyers in DC to defend yet another likely wave of criminal suspects?
Well, not jaywalking. They too, in their own creepy way, wanted to undo democracy. Technology was at a different stage back then. From all the crime series I have watched, Black List in particular, I am pretty sure the techies in government can track down ANYTHING. Let’s go after these traitors and send them to prison.
To attach on to Michael Bales' question...Are there enough lawyers AND I include prisons in DC for all these traitors to America? We must create a social justice system with specific social fabric reparations that our fascist-motivated government employees, who were willing to destroy our democracy for power and greed, be forced to work in and on. If I were cruel, they should all be in shackles. Enter them into programs to build Habitats for Humanity in America for ALL our People and include immigrants and refugees. Have them clean up all the ghettos in America with their foreign-laundered monies and clean up after disasters. Rehabilitate all the dying malls in America and turn them into apartment complexes with social areas for residents, of all colors and religions. And the Orange Flambé's golf resorts could be turned into parks, and he could ride the lawn mowers and pick up poo in the the doggie park areas. They could only watch educational documentaries of our history and of the J6 Hearings and DOJ Hearings and things that are good or love stories to make them learn to cry. And they should be forced to participate in the postcards to voters programs. And postcards to get rid of your AK machine guns to all their brethren. Have them clean up after massacres and come up with solutions to stop the massacres. They could take down confederate statues and build mosques and temples and work on nature trails and roads (holding signs to "Stop"). I am just getting started. We could employ a LOT of people to oversee their work which should be paid by the prisoner's assets and book sales. No interviews allowed of any of them except on their good social justice work. This would be like a renaissance for dark-souled humans to earn their place back into society, never to hold civil servant jobs again except for laboring for the good of our democracy. And they shall be banned from all cult propaganda programs including fox and Qanon. In fact, ban them from any social media and cell phones since they defiled the use of their phones and media against Truth and Justice. Give them landlines and old dial up phones to speak with their loved ones-- I am not heartless. Earn their rights back by good, hard work. For those who refuse to work in the social fabric rehab programs, send them to Guantanamo. Strip them of their citizenship and let them fish for their meat and provide them with containers, some bags of soil and seeds to grow veggies. I was thinking about that Wall...but I am too tired now. ...I am actually rather serious about a lot of this. Sitting in a cell is not how we should use their time. Make them pay back our society as part of their penances. Things of this sort might curtail others thinking about wanting to go rogue on our democracy. They are called "consequences" and consequences work.
I love your "social fabric rehab" approach to incarceration. The punishment would perfectly fit the crime. ( Nice touch, getting them to watch love stories " to teach them how to cry" !!!)
It seems that this is EXACTLY what happened to the German soldiers of the Third Reich after the war. A huge number were placed in POW camps throughout Europe, and assisted (with hard labor) the reconstruction of the countries they had destroyed. Their leaders were tried, and those who did not kill themselves first, were executed.
Very true, Joseph! We are, hopefully, more civilized. Our current traitors against America are extremely lucky we no longer hang or execute. Their orange flambé leader just stated that he would put people in concentration camps and execute if he wins the emperorship. He has no clue how close he is to being parted with his golden potty in exchange for a little porcelain one in an 8x10.
However, I would like us to have enough love and compassion to bring them into, or back into, some form of humanity by learning how to give of themselves to others with whom they feel superior. To see what that actually feels like to serve, with humility. It is about the process.
And, Joseph, I don't really think having the former guy pick up doggy poo is hard labor, do you? Someone had to clean his mob's feces and urine off the walls and floors of our Capitol. I think it is a fair and equitable consequence for the leader of the filthy mob of "special people." I am sure it is something of which he and his comrades can learn to "Be Best."
I don't personally buy into the "more civilized" trope.
There are, and have always been, and will always be good reasons to execute people.
In a just and functional society, it should be relatively rare.
But societies are neither just, nor terribly functional. Given free rein, governmental powers will be used to execute people for being black, for being a "witch," for being pregnant out-of-wedlock, or for being left-handed. Consequently, much of our legal effort goes into avoiding conviction and especially, execution.
That does not mean it should never be exacted.
Trump is clearly a pathological narcissist, and from everything I've read, or heard from friends in the mental health professions, this is an uncorrectable condition. He is also a criminal narcissist: he has situated himself in positions where committing crimes is more desirable for him than not. There is zero reason to believe that he could be rehabilitated. If allowed to go free, he will do more harm.
His crime would be, in any other society, or any other time in this society, capital.
The only sane, just, and prudent choices are life in prison without parole or pardon, or execution.
I really like this idea, Pensa. It is a delightful companion to your rant yesterday!
I recall from my long ago corrections academy days that the root word of "penitentiary" is "penance" and not "punish". This did, however, send me to the dictionary to be sure that I was using the right word. The two definitions certainly seem to fit with some "modernization" of meanings/institutions:
"penance: noun
1.
voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong.
"he had done public penance for those hasty words"
2.
a Christian sacrament in which a member of the Church confesses sins to a priest and is given absolution."
I would love to see this come into play in a modern sense, where both accountability and reparations are part of the recovery process.
Thanks- my companion rant! Clever, Ally. And knowing you have worked in the penal system, I love your etymological additions to these words-- they will need to be very accurate.
It was eye-opening to remember the "Christian" penance and confessions. However, I would never trust them and they should not be given absolution until they have served their social justice time and towed the line. But public confessions of their crimes is a very appealing and healing thought for me, maybe for others?
Perhaps the gallows they were going to hang Mike Pence on could be turned into a public confessional booth on the Capital steps, on the day of their adjudications? If they do not confess- ship them out to Gitmo until they turn around.
Wendy-- I am getting seriouser and seriouser about the orange flambé and how to "tame" him with humility. He hates dogs and animals. He and his propaganda machines shoveled so much poo at us for years that I think they could all qualify to doo some of their penance time as poo catchers. He of course will Be Best. I am sure he could sell his brandname of poo colored hats and ties....and brown shirts for all his besties!
Thanks for expounding upon your seriously funny and clever forms of punishment for the evil ones. You're on a roll. Also, in my early career I was a social worker specializing in treatment of adolescents. Your humor resonates with me, as does the strength of your passion for justice.
The elephant in the room is corruption. Jumbo corruption. And while corruption is an equal opportunity corrupter, it's gone septic with the current "GOP.
The crime was unprecedented, it’s why the cover-up. Wonder how many times such has worked. Bet there are a lot of smirking Bushes (and their devotees) around some where…
Michael As a member of the Nixon White House Enemies List during Watergate, I differ with your ‘it’s not the crime, it’s the cover up.’ This statement was true regarding the stupid attempt to tap DNC offices. The Nixon cover up was shattered by Judge Sirica, the Erwin Senate Committee, and finally, Congress and the Supreme Court.
By contrast, with Trump and his Mafiosos, the BIG LIE, the 1/6 Capitol Building insurrection, and the insidious conspiracy are the CRIME. I agree that, in the subsequent cover up, the Secret Service ‘code of silence’ is of remarkable concern. Can a security service of the United States refuse to provide its internal data regarding one of most extraordinary constitutional breeches in America history?
The Church Committee in the early 1970s removed the secrecy veil from many of CIA’s untoward actions. We need the same to shatter the Secret Service’s ‘code of silence.’ (Newspaper accounts suggest that many Secret Service personnel were pro-Trump.)
I may have not been clear but I was referring to the Secret Service and DHS. Now maybe they committed crimes integral to the coup attempt, but we don't know that yet. It's reasonable to suspect that they were involved in a cover-up of unprecedented scope intended to destroy critical evidence.
The spiteful about face on the PACT bill is incredible. This action is THE message that should be repeated early, long, and often. It is simple, and telling.
And the hopeful and intriguing paragraph in HCR's letter is this:
"At the end of the day, it is still possible that the bill will pass, but it will not come up until Schumer reschedules it, meaning the Republicans are simply going to have to endure the hits they are taking for this fit of pique until he decides to give them some cover." :-)
Yes, voting NO for key legislation that is nonpartisan and critical is like a toddler who objects to everything just to show power. It’s a bad habit. And almost predictable.
Ian, not so simple when the Repugs have screwed everyone on the voting process. Just think about it, they want to upend elections even if the majority voted for Dems. It is insidious. I am afraid for America like never before (I’m a sixties activist…) but I want to get a case of The Hope.
Once again , I repeat.....the pulpit can be a dangerous a place for the minds and hearts of our citizenry. It can also be used to call us towards our better beings as humans.
Leaving the mob mindset ..... sharing truth ..... can take real courage. In a small community, it may cost you your job, friendships, isolation.....and worse.
I suspect that by the time Trump and his principal enablers are all safely behind bars awaiting the rest of their miserable lives, we will have discovered that what they have done is larger and worse than most of us ever imagined.
In our gratitude for Apocalypse avoided, I hope we Americans will clean up our acts in historically progressive ways, as there may yet be time to save our species from impending extinction. The World is still watching us.
I can't think of a better way for the Party of No to shoot themselves in the foot than to torpedo a bill to support veterans regarding toxic exposure. It's purely expedient; a knee-jerk reaction to being outplayed on other political points using whatever they could pick up in front of them. There's dread on the mall; senators and representatives are beginning to do the gut check on their chances of riding that MAGA wave versus abandoning a sinking ship with the rest of the non-MAGA conservative/moderate/independent sectors of the electorate. Even with a short public memory, we're close enough to the midterms now that electorate will recall recent votes that evoked emotions of betrayal of principle when their representatives act out of spite or political posturing rather than based on what their voters are telling them. They're just opening up a hornets nest on the very issues that they are supposed to own. It's now becoming the democrats mid-term election to lose with so many issues that are popular with a broad section of the electorate either rejected by the Party of No, or passing with increasing numbers of moderate republican defections from the party leadership.
It's hard to understand what is happening with the two Democratic senator hold-outs other than to wonder if their voters are making themselves heard as well. Perhaps their donors are talking. I can't think of any more powerful influences that would move Manchin and Sinema out of the spoiler role they have played with the Dems. I am no daring to hope that we may see a broad turning of the tide; popular opinion(that means the mainstream press) moving in favor of the party in power, a breakdown of solidarity amongst the republicans and the unraveling of the MAGA grip on conservatives. I can't imagine it will be a smooth ride into the mid-terms, more like a major cat fight, but all that matters are the final tallies when the voting is over.
Manchin is a rich conservative from way back. Sinema sold herself after getting elected as a progressive. Neither is going to change for us. We need to elect more Senators to get a working majority for the legislation we need, filibuster be damned.
"It's hard to understand what is happening with the two Democratic senator hold-outs other than to wonder if their voters are making themselves heard as well. Perhaps their donors are talking.."
"But the main culprit, the cancer on the body politic, is money: Money, money, money. When I ran 6 years ago, in 1998, I raised $8.5 million. That $8.5 million is $30,000 a week, every week, for 6 years. If you miss Christmas week, you miss New Years week, you are $100,000 in the hole and don't you think we don't know it and we start to work harder at raising money. As a result, the Senate doesn't work on Mondays and Fridays. We have longer holidays. The policy committee is adjourned and we go over to the campaign building because you can't call for money in the office. So we go over to the building and call for money and obviously we only can give attention to that. We don't have time for each other. We don't have time for constituents, except for the givers. Somebody ought to tell the truth about that." - Former Sen. Fritz Hollings
Ronald Reagan's economic mentor, Milton Friedman said (and wrote a famous thesis about):
"The only corporate social responsibility a company has is to maximize its profits."
So if a corporation is a person, that person is a sociopath. You see it reflected in the past CEO of CBS' remarks on the candidacy of Trump:
You see in puerile "GOP" government shutdowns. Tradition has it that "the love of money" which, I take to be an exclusionary obsession with it, "is the root of all evil". That's Reaganomics; what we are up against, and must firmly renounce.
I would be so relieved of this horrible burden of distrust and fear of Thuglicans if we can actually get some real demonstration the insurrectionist enablers in the WH will wear orange!
I 've been telling people these things take time...and once they get to critical mass all hell breaks loose. "A case of the hope." I love it. With a mid term so close many Republicans are crazy to oppose popular measures. Those negative campaign commercials aren't going to be pretty. The guy who came out against gay marriage...and then happily goes to his son's wedding...he looses on both sides. That's just plain stupid. Even Dick Cheney understood that one.
How would you feel if you're the son and new son in law? Great way to start a new marriage in your family. The disconnect from political action to your personal reality is crazy...but then, many have done it...Lot's of elected folks have been gay and kept it secret. I'm just glad we're getting past that...and then there's Judge Thomas who wants to roll back every acquired freedom except inter-racial marriage. I mean the man finally speaks up after what 15 years on the bench and he's the worst kind of bigot.
Mike, I agree. The hypocrisy of Clarence Thomas cannot be understated. "Take away all marriage rights" except the one I have....interracial marriage. "Oh....and in case you didn't know it....I did assault Anita Hill" This "judge" makes me 🤮
We have some real lulu's on this bench...we can thank Mitch for pulling it off. We NEED a very strong showing in the mid terms. Let's end the intramural dem in-fighting stuff and focus on winning elections. It's the only way to get any kind of really progressive agenda passed in the next 2 years.
I think that he is as petty as tfg when it comes to this very thing. He has lots of built up "wrongs" to "right" and I am afraid he is only just getting started.
The Pro-Rape Party came through again, didn’t they? They didn’t screw Democratic veterans. They messed with their base too. To me, that was haphazard and boy, I imagine the tides will turn! McTurtleneck sure rules with an iron fist but 24 Repubs did vote against him. That’s significant.
I love the fact that the guys from the old regime are scrambling about what to do for their inquiries from the J6 committee. Like the scum rats they are, they huddle together. I just hope the traps are set. Thank you, Heather for holding steady and giving us your apron strings to hold onto. Gave a peaceful night.
It will be interesting to see if the chicken hawks on the Dem side squeal because their Rethuglican buddies are being mean to them--because they actually did something that could potentially benefit normal people in the USA. I have to say I'm not feeling "the Hope": I will need to see a whole lot more initiative and activity, as well as SUCCESS, on the part of the Dems before I allow myself to see this tiny spark as a real glimmer. My hope is that the Ghastly Ones keep on vilifying veterans--especially those desperate for healthcare--because that is such a good look for them. Even playing the homophobia and misogyny cards in the hopes that military types will go along with those attitudes won't help them as much if they turn their backs on sick vets.
My one bright place is watching the growing ridicule of Li'l Joshy Hawley as he made the absurd decision to start flogging his new "book," the hilariously mistitled "Manhood" (which yes: leads to all kind of bodice-ripper romance novel memes happening), because of all the amusing uses to which the video of him scampering like a fwightened wabbit are being employed. When John Danforth--Hawley was his own little boy toy after all, groomed by him to be the perfect spineless wonder--stated in public that he regrets having "supported" (read: created) him, you know that poor little Joshy is gonna have to do something drastic to reposition his, um, "manhood" so that people don't just laugh at it/him.
"I have to say I'm not feeling "the Hope": I will need to see a whole lot more initiative and activity, as well as SUCCESS, on the part of the Dems before I allow myself to see this tiny spark as a real glimmer. "
Understood, I do the same and probably more frequently.
I thought you might be interested to know I've relocated/retired to Cuenca, Ecuador, high in the Sierra. I have been planning this for several years and I noted a couple years ago when I joined Letters from and American that you were in Mexico.
I'm enjoying a more tranquil (and cooler) life compared to living in South Carolina. I feel like I'm practically in another world which lends itself to forming a healthier perspective on life in general. I decided that the best choice for my final chapters in my life was to live in an environment where there is far less friction and animosity. Generally, the people of Ecuador are more focused on personal experiences than on material gain. Friends, family and community are of utmost importance and generally people find happiness in simple pleasures. Somewhat surprising given our history is how welcoming most Ecuadorians are to gringos. You probably find this true in Mexico, as well.
Yes, there are lots of good, well-intentioned people in the states, but over the last 25 years or so, the bad has outweighed the good to the point now most days bring a new affront to common decency. It still boggles my mind how cruel and heartless so many people have become. I don't even recognize the country I was born and raised in. I see so many families and friendships that have been divided and destroyed which has to take a toll on one's state of mind. I think you can relate to what I'm saying.
Then too, stuff happens, and life doesn't always have a prosperous ending. The difficulty of making ends meet in a country where basic living costs have skyrocketed far beyond one's income has been stressful. For the most part, those worries are now behind me, and I feel like I have a new lease on life.
In summary, I think it is easier to focus on the positive when you live a world away. I thought you better than anyone might understand what I'm relating. ¡Esté bien y cuídese, Daria! (Don't you love how your name is spoken in Spanish?)
Chips, Your description of life in Ecuador is letter perfect for my life in Mérida. Moving here was one of the healthiest decisions my husband and I ever made. And like you, not having to worry about making ends meet has taken an immense amount of pressure away. There truly is something to be said about living in a low key culture where people appreciate each other for who they are not what they have.
Avoiding the comment section of LFAA most days has added to my sense of well being. I am glad you have found a tranquil, genial place to land...as the saying goes, Life IS Good!
Right with you Linda! Republicans have been the party of "no" and blatant obstructionists for 30 or more years, and Democrats never come up with an effective antidote. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that this or that will make a great campaign commercial - probably thousands of times in the last 6 years alone.
From the beginning, I said Trump's flagrant disregard of rules and laws were gifts that could keep giving for the Democratic Party. The utter hypocrisy and duplicity that has defined the Republican Party for decades is astounding!
I don't want to dampen anyone's hope but for goodness' sake we have been here countless times with McConnell, et al. and they somehow wiggle out from their outrageous offenses to live and fight another day. Democrats lack that killer instinct. Republicans are wounded, time to go in for the kill.
Decades of going down a slippery slope and now we are trying to crawl out of the hole Republicans put us in. And by us, I mean "We the People." I would give anything to know what the Founding Fathers think about the state of the union and the diminishment of the Constitution by a sinister anti-America party.
As somebody commented this morning, it will be a long, long time before we finally recognize all the damage that the Republican Party has done. Their attack on democracy and their crimes against the American People have distracted us from dealing with profound problems, like saving the human race from the devastating effects of climate change. We are at the point now where whatever is done will be too little, too late I'm afraid.
For the record Christine, I've always admired your indefatigable tenacity and positive nature. You are the player that every team needs to win the championship.
Thank you ChipsPOV. 💜 As many times as I have been scoffed at by the peril of pessimism, I can always sniff and toss my head and lead another cheer or battle cry and then go straight in the fray with people like you on the squad. It is the fight worth fighting for.
Up to today, the Republicans seemed to be paying no price for their obstructionist extremism. If anything they seemed to enjoy the same immunity TFG had claimed when he said he could shoot someone and not lose support. Like Mr. Millhiser, I too dare to hope for a reckoning.
I keep trying not to think that he is THAT deplorable...but.. and who the heck called 911—if she died alone, in the nick of time for her children and rumpus?
Thank you, Heather, for this superb conclusion; it allows me to bypass my rant about the Republicans!
“Vox correspondent Ian Millhiser, who is a keen observer of American politics, commented tonight: ‘This was a good week for the United States of America and I may be coming down with a case of The Hope.’”
I would love to “come down with a case of The Hope,” too!
Please don't let anyone's Case of Hope infect you with complacency which manifests as rash self indulgence. Please don't let anything keep you from working as hard as you can to get out the vote for Democratic candidates. Otherwise Republicans will come back worse - an assault which the body politic may not be able to withstand.
I agree with you 1000% and more, lin. It has never been more important to push push push against the door of bigotry, self service, greed, and assault on democracy that Republicans have been opening wider since they put grease on the hinges when their tool walked down the golden escalator in 2016.
🗽
Christine, spot on my Shero !!
🥂💜🗽
As always, Lin, I agree with you. “Trying to demonstrate a party’s power to kill popular legislation is an interesting approach to governance.” This was, in my opinion, the most important sentence in today’s letter. We need to use it again and again before the midterms to hammer home what Mitch McConnell and his party really stand for. Their entire platform is “Obstruction”.
"We need to use it again and again before the midterms to hammer home what Mitch McConnell and his party really stand for. Their entire platform is “Obstruction”."
ThankYou Betsy.
McConnell's Party of No has transformed itself into Trump et al's Party of Nihilism. Their motto is 'If I can't control it, then I will destroy it."
This is the operating principle of criminals from abusive partners to Putin in his war on Ukraine. It was the driving emotion of Jan 6, and is the emotion behind religious extremist credo. All share embracing and legitimizing irrationality and violence.
"Obstruction" is a tactic. So is their culture war.
The strategy is to get and hold on to political power.
Power for what? you may ask. And I would reply...
FOLLOW THE MONEY!
If any message can help Democrats, it’s making sure veterans and active duty personnel see that Republicans have demonstrated, by blocking help for veterans injured by burn pits, that the GOP has no interest in the longterm welfare of those who have served in the military. Trillions for war, nothing for warriors.
Pro-life until the child is born.
Pro-police until the cops attempt to stop a coup.
Pro-veterans until soldiers' health fails.
Pro-America until Russia holds out a cheque.
Pro-rights as long as the people protected are exactly like them.
Pro-Freedom of Religion as long as it's Christianity.
Pro-peace as long as they can carry military grade weapons.
Pro-environment unless it interferes with corporate donations.
Pro-fact, but only if they control how a fact is defined.
Pro-family if the family is straight, white, and votes red.
Pro-kindness except when it's about brown people needing asylum.
Pro-law, unless it's inconvenient.
How many did I miss?
Actually, they’re pro-police until they attempt to stop a coup, which is what I guess you meant.
As clear as Heather explained the Republicans' tantrum, I still don't get it! Aren't there sick vets who are Republicans? Isn't it the Republican mantra to have semiconductors, amongst other manufactured items, Made in the USA? Aren't there gay Republicans? Aren't there Republicans who use birth control? Shouldn't there be a slew of angry Republican voters right about now? I have never seen anything else that better illustrates the axiom, "Cut off your nose to spite your face."
I'm late getting here, too, Sophia. I have the same questions. There is something beyond current comprehension about what makes Republican legislators tick. I am longing for someone in that pack to have the courage to out the dynamics. To blow the whistle on McConnell and his minions. NO. NOT the whistle. To blow the dang tuba. Decades ago, when my daughter was a child, I remember her clenching her fists and turning red in the face with rage about being bullied by someone. And in her fury, she spouted, "I'm sick up and fed of it!!" Yeah. That.
It is there in plain sight. Opportunism and ideology.
Rhetoric unmoored from reality - spinning bad impulses into worse facts on the ground. Insecurity - wanting absolutes in a changing world.
Ahh but everything you say assumes that people know and vote what is in their own or collective interest. You are assuming GOP voters are rational. That only applies to the GOP plutocrat paymasters and their politician puppets. The populists ... they are something else.
The idea that Republicans vote for what is not in their self-interest leaves me apoplectic...like I said, I don't get it....
Right on Lin! I could not have said it better myself. Your allusion to the dynamic of Putin's Russia, abusive partners in general is spot on. It becomes an individuals normal and they are trapped in a cycle of humiliation, anger, lashing out and then being humiliated again. Self hate leads to murder and suicide. As to The Hope, the wheels of Justice grind slowly, but once they gain a certain momentum they grind surely for the truth.
" It [abuse] becomes an individuals normal and they are trapped in a cycle of humiliation, anger, lashing out and then being humiliated again."
Or, tragically, abuse becomes an individual's normal and they adopt their abuser's justifications for the situation or construct their own justifications for why things are they way they are. On a national level, it can take the form of voter suppression by convincing people "your vote doesn't count, you can't change anything, there is no difference between the parties etc etc"
Well said!
I think "obstruction" is too abstract to get the average voter riled up. Tell voters what the Republicans don't want them to have.
"Republicans voted against healthcare for veterans!
Republicans voted against making chips in America so you don't have to wait forever to buy a car!
Republicans voted against..."
Etc.
I seem to remember Mitch McConnell saying something to the effect that his job was to see that no legislation got passed under the Obama Administration "...even if it was for the good of the country." I thought that was traitorous then and, boy honey, has it ratcheted up ever since.
Actually, Lin, it Case of Hope has thrown fuel on my fire !
Yes, Kathy, I agree. Hope gives me strength. This may be infectious. I don't know exactly why but I have been feeling better than I have since the Orange nightmare elevated himself onto the scene. I have suffered many disappointments as I am sure others have felt also from the Mueller affair, the 2 impeachments and other various trials that we have all endured during this nightmare but somehow this feels different. HOPE I am right and we have HCR spearheading our way daily through truth and knowledge. Brava!
I agree. Hope is actually inspiring and gives me energy to engage. Locally, I dont see the energy I saw in 2020 or even in 2018. I hope that's about to change.
🙏
Yes! If anything The Hope energizes me. It makes me feel that all the effort and work is making a change for good. I have one debt to tRump and that's his wake-up call to me to not be too comfortable or complacent about our democracy. He made obvious what had been insidious, and now I am vigilant. I have joined our local Democratic Committee and a women's group for progress. I have built up the strength and fortitude to call out publicly injustices, and The Hope only reinforces all of this. Dr. Richardson and this group have helped to educate me and motivate me. Thank you all!!!
I feel exactly the same and you are so right about the wake-up call. I am finding my own version of taking action, starting with sharing this newsletter every day!!
Yay, Suzanne! Go, Girl!
Seeing good things happening and the politics of revenge practiced by Rs will not stop us from continuing our donating to get out the vote causes and certain pols. This sort of thing just strengthens our resolve. Our vet cousin in South Dakota was already pointing out to the Senate jerks in her state about the vote on this bill. You don't say just before that you support vets and then do something as stupid as this. She posts every day about the Gnome as well. Meanwhile, thankfully, the primary in WA is Tuesday and those ads will disappear unless two of them are the top two vote getters.
Absolutely! Maintain momentum!
Nope, not going to kick back! I will continue to work as hard as I can to get out the vote for Democratic candidates. It's still critically important.
I need lots of help to win the Treasurer of Clay County position. I sure can't do it by myself. I am already tired and I still have over 3 months to hit the trail!
The specter of another four years of t and co is enough to keep the fires lit. Action. Action. Action.
Getting a Case of Hope spurs me on to work harder for the democracy I want to keep.
Rowshan -- I was just about to post a very similar comment. -- This was indeed an encouraging Letter this evening. I too may be coming down with a case of The Hope.
Let’s do this, Steve!
I'm with the both of you. A case of The Hope is essential to our survival.
Jeanne, I think you've just said a very large truth--tha hope is essential to our survival. Not just our survival in this time of national crisis,, but in our journey as human beings. My own hope started its downward spiral the day Donald Trump was elected, and year after year it has grown weaker. I don't even mean hope for something in particular but simply hopefulness as a state of mind or being. That's what I am so afraid we're I'm danger of losing, that we are going to come out of this (and we will, of course) only to find we have left a big part of ourselves behind, om the field of battle.
Perhaps the next “pandemic”?
A pandemic of hope. That has a nice ring to it!
That should please Fauci.
He could handle a case of The Hope himself at this point in time.
?
No doubt!
Me too, and I feel as Churchill did. “I am an optimist, it does not seem to be of much use to be anything else.” Of course, this often collides with “Hope is a tease, designed to keep us from accepting reality.” Today it will be the former…
I don't know how widespread it was, but if I recall correctly, it was in the '80s "I'm a realist, not an idealist" seemed a popular phrase. In fact, optimism (which I see as related) gives you the motive for a venture, and a realistic game plan provides the means, though the two are often presented as opposites. Reality is indifferent to us and will do us no favors, but we can (often) learn to dance with it sufficiently in order to get where we want to go; so long as we know reality will call the tune. We ultimately get nowhere or worse ignoring reality, and yet history is replete with exceptional accomplishments, so some approaches do work.
To me (cautious) optimism is a judgement that there is enough of a chance of a plan working to make the effort worthwhile (or if not a plan, conditions that present a sufficient chance of being conducive, such as the chances of rain on a parade). Perhaps that's what Churchill was getting at.
Cynicism seems like a rationalization for doing what one has always done, or nothing at all. Imagination combined with effort and empirical discipline, produces practical creativity; how Einstein came up with E=MC², and how the Constitution was crafted.
I love this. Hope requires creativity and a willingness to go out on a limb. I am wondering if the GOP has lost hope. They subsist on barricading and hoarding, afraid of change and creativity.
They have nothing to offer voters except fear, hatred and violence. It got them the White House in 2016, but that may be their last hurrah. ( with fists in the air)
I pray you are right. The fact that “fear, hatred and violence” worked for them spectacularly once was eye opening. However, then they gave nothing else (oh, yeah…3 SCOTUS conservatives) but nothing else to the majority of their constituents that is of substance or popular. Let’s hope the GOP obstructing positive legislation and fist pumping the overturning of Roe will keep the Dems in the majority this November. Yesterday was a very good day for the Dems… we need to safeguard voting. That should have been number ONE on the list. Damn Joe Manchin.
I only speculate, but it seems to me that demagogues seek to manipulate our evolutionarily older "reptile brain", that nature has given a "trump card" over reason and compassion to fight for our survival. That has created a kind of "security flaw" in our "mindware" that can be worked by predatory people. Nurses have described patients denying until pretty literally their last breath the existence of the COVID virus they were dying from, and that fixed idea was planted there primarily by politicians who saw it in their own selfish interests to do so.
Nope. They hope their lies will continue to run the machine of authoritarianism. Sounds like that machine is sputtering.
The machine needs some elbow grease but that takes work…which they haven’t been wanting to do. It’s easier to lie and create chaos. Let’s hope the machine breaks!
One day the machine got busted, the darned thing wouldn't go...
The limb they DID go out on appears to have a serious case of rot!!
I think it is complicated amongst the rank and file. I am aware that some people are more uncomfortable than others with ambiguity. I suspect a large portion of R. rank and file may have grown up in authoritarian households where questioning ostensible authority was punished.
I also think the profession of politics draws people with many motivations, not the least of which is money and power, and these are the natural allies of plutocrats. I think much of the actually crafting of the modern "GOP" mission is shaped in one way or another by large concentrations of wealth. The record of the so-called Reagan Revolution, which is Republicans continue to this day, is abysmal for most Americans, in ways too numerous to enumerate here. It has, on the other hand, visibly contributed to making the very, very rich a great deal richer and a great deal more influential in America in determining what happens to us all. It seems to be that, seen as a whole, that that was and is the underling mission all along, and the faithful are being had.
Thank you for responding. This is a thoughtful, message and I think you're absolutely right based partly on my own experience. Keeping what we've amassed, maintaining the status quo, I think is what you're saying. That fear of losing, a kind of insecurity, is what connects those who have a lot and those who have less. Having a lot can imprison you similarly to how having not much can imprison you. But not everyone in these circumstances is imprisoned—so the imprisonment is mental, psychological, a lack of faith, of trust, of one's own resilience, of one's own ability. Always having little but not the wherewithall to be content or change things, or always having a lot but not the wherewithall to see beyond your own borders. Seeing the bigger picture takes courage and selflessness, it takes heart, and love for this world, this planet, and every creature that lives. And it's necessary, because every creature is necessary. At some point, all the money in the world, and all the anger and hatred, will get you living barricaded behind walls with no one having your back. That's the big picture the GOP doesn't want to acknowledge even as it tries to herd us down that path. Live for today is a problematic slogan.
My daughter had a college roommate who lived in a war zone. The family slept fully dressed in case the needed to run. I suppose there are those who like to live on the edge of danger, but it seems like an experientially impoverished way to be forced to live; and that an environment that supports trust with abiding vigilance is far richer.
DR spoke of freedom from as well as freedom to. That surely requires watching out for one another. Democracy and rule of law is a tragic travesty without preponderant good faith. Two or more national parties at total war is a failed state.
Freedom requires a diverse array of responsible choices, and that can't scale without controversy and tension, with reasonable peaceable means of resolving or tolerating discord. Such as, who gets to drive across an intersection first? We need to agree on such things. A free society provides a foundational basis for trust.
“To believe all men honest is folly. To believe none is something worse.” - John Adams
Yes, they (Rs) are desperate.
Withering and shrinking
I'll need to re-read this a few more times, JL, but by jove, I think you got it! Ignoring reality has worked for me a few times but I was not engaged in life-altering endeavors when I did so.
In these times, a minor comparison, but for me personal. As a creative person, I get an idea from looking at pieces of things. Then I put them together in a new way. Sometimes, those “pieces” have to be arranged and then re-arranged several times before the “right” placement is achieved. Reality might say to me (or anyone) these pieces do NOT fit together, throw them away and start over!” But by the simple act of rearranging “pieces”, a solution does almost always make itself known. I believe this to be true in cases both large and small. My eternal thanks for this engaging group of thinkers and actors.
Love your creative way of looking at things, Patricia.
Einstein described his process as "combinatory play".
Well that it, isn't it? Yes, there is joy, relief, and even the potential for insight in pure fantasy. Daydreams, nightdreams, and their ilk, fantasy in the arts, even fantasy in math (though those tend to come around to being useful). Why the hell not? Except when not appropriate. '
Lies are a kind of unreality, yet weaponized. Racisism, aggressive wars, and many kinds of injustice are enabled by lies. Lies gave the US, with perhaps the most advanced technical means of abating a pandemic, the worst comparative record for deaths. Naive or lazy misunderstandings also can kill. The higher the responsibility that is accepted by a professional, the greater the burden for integrity, or should be. Potential existential threats may rise when fantasy is presented as critical reality, and reality is labeled is "fantasy" as in Republican claims against Fauci, climate science, and truthful "fake news".
“Cynicism seems like a rationalization for doing what one has always done, or nothing at all. Imagination combined with effort and empirical discipline, produces practical creativity;…” Beautifully said! I too have hope!
Hmm; just when I was thinking that we may finally see the end of the "alternate reality" we have been fed for the past 40+ years.
❤️ 40+ and we were slow to feel the water heating up…
Time for republican frog's to feel the boil finally!
Feel the boil or jump out of the pot.
I think we are seeing a lot of froggy looking people willing to testify now!
Sounds like it's time to showcase "Frog's Legs" on the menu!! So sorry....could not stop myself !!
Good morning Rowshan.
“The door of a bigoted mind opens outwards so that the only result of the pressure of facts upon it is to close it more snugly.” Ogden Nash
When the dam begins to break, it does so because the truth and the facts and more and more people finally willing to speak up presses and presses hard against the door of bigotry and oppression and slams it shut. That is what optimism is. As Churchill defined. Fighting the good fight. We are standing up and not giving in to fascist governance by the Republicans and exposing Trump and his minions for the circus car they continue to be. We are pushing hard with the truth.
We on this forum have had the case of The Hope since the Biden/Harris election win.
For me in this moment, it’s Now We Know. All of Us This Time. As in any brawl, let’s kick some proverbial ass.
🗽
Christine, I'm there with you. I've posted the following before, but it seems appropriate to do so again. As Rebecca Solnit says....“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency. Hope should shove you out the door, because it will take everything you have to steer the future away from endless war, from the annihilation of the earth's treasures and the grinding down of the poor and marginal... To hope is to give yourself to the future - and that commitment to the future is what makes the present inhabitable.” Carry on, friends!
“To hope is to give yourself to the future - and that commitment to the future is what makes the present inhabitable.” What a life-affirming statement!
Thanks, Pam. Excellent quote. I'll copy and use this.
Perfect!.
Love this quote, Pam! Thank you!
Me, too, Rowshan. Thank you, Pam!
Frankly (and given my professional background) it is no surprise that I just might wish to kick more than a "proverbial" ass. I'd love to apply a boot to the behinds of some of these Qonspiracy theorists that have become a governing party in this country.
I was being polite. 😜 When one finds the correct and relevant “proverbial ass”, it’s easier to apply the boot. And I have on my boots from LLBean. Always hit the target.
🥂, Sister Ally. 🗽
Right on, Christine❣️
Nice, Christine, nice!
Today's Letter is proof positive that Rowshan's poetry is working...May we never "recover" from the case of "The Hope"!
You’re too kind, Lynell! Thank you!
It could be very contagious. Even across party lines.
Just say "no" to thugs.
One would HOPE! ;-)
Indeed, it could, Anne-Louise!
I was about to post this too: “This was a good week for the United States of America and I may be coming down with a case of The Hope.”
Ohhh it sounds so good to these ears.
"I would love to “come down with a case of The Hope,” too!" I would too Rowshan. I do not like the place I am in. Decades ago I began my migration from center right to progressive. It was gradual, and as it developed, I became increasingly disgusted and impatient with our system of government in this country. Also I think I became a less happy camper - what a shame. Blinders were off, and my eyes were getting used to the light so to speak, and I didn't like what I saw. I think many of us have a similar story. Today, or yesterday, I feel like I am as low as low can get. The planet is burning, and the Republican party is trying their best (pretty successfully too) to have it continue to do so; so what if human civilization is forever altered if not destroyed. The Republican Party is outwardly trying to subvert democracy in my country, a minority party trying to seize power from the majority, cement it that way forever, and turn it into the something along the lines of the Republic of Gilead. And that is something I never thought I'd see. We now live in a full blown oligarchy; whose billionaire class doesn't want to pay their taxes yet wants all the benefits, is completely in bed with the Republican Party, and are so powerful that it isn't clear anything can be done. BUT - could it be we are starting to see the beginnings of the crumbling of the forces of evil? Is logic beginning to win out. Compassion, critical thinking turning the tide? If so, let us not let up. Keep the strangle hold until there is no life left in it. And play dirty if that is what it takes.
James, we need to keep believing that we can change things! It needn’t be this way! Vote!
Thanks, James. I'm always interested in stories like yours where a person DOES in fact change! What, if Imay ask, were the influences or forces that helped you change? Why or when did you begin to be more logical and compassionate or learn critical thinking? At some precise point or gradually? Why did you change?
Mary - how did I change? Why? Thank you for asking. I think it was inevitable. I am largely a southern person although I've been around. My family, like so many other southern families, is quite racist - my dad (deceased), my mom (in assisted living), and my three siblings all who live in the deep south. I was NEVER comfortable with the racism I saw every day while growing up. I cannot explain that; my friends didn't seem to have any problem with it. And I was destined to be an engineer - math and science were my skill sets in high school. The engineering profession has a whole lot of rational thinkers and problem solvers; they are thick as thieves. And this mindset I think is more likely to result in progressive thinking. Most (not all) have well developed BS meters. Then came the "aha" moment. In my late 20's I dusted off years of old "Scientific American" magazines one day, that I had paid no attention to up til that point, and started reading articles about deep space, evolution, sub-atomic particle physics, etc, and I tell you - it all started falling into place. Later, after moving to WA state and picking up mountain climbing, my progressive attitudes were just re-enforced - something about the grandeur of high mountain glaciated wilderness can affect a person's soul, can put a person in his/her place. Not sure if this adequately explains to many, but it does to me. I wish I could spread it but few seem to want to listen.
Thanks, James, for responding. It seems you were different from the beginning than your parents and siblings in that you were not comfortable with racism. I wonder how many Prof. Richardson fans could say the same thing , we were different from our siblings even as youngsters.
Ageuk.org says, "We inherit cognitive function [thinking skills] from our parents, in the same way that physical characteristics are passed down. Scientists have discovered that, unlike eye colour, cognitive function is not influenced by a few genes but by many. Individually, each gene has a small influence but together they account for more than half (or 50%) of the differences in cognitive function between us." Given this, it's easy to understand why siblings can be so different. Of course there is also the influence of opportunity and education as we grow, both significant, as you experienced and mention in your explanation.
Even though I'm generally familiar with the demographics of Trumpers, it's still hard to wrap my brain around the characteristics or reasons so many people have been deluded by him. But I've also realized many followers aren't deluded; they are just going along with Trump for their own advantage but they know the truth.
Thanks again. You've confirmed that open-mindedness and education are two key characteristics of the more liberal mindset.
Forgot to mention Mary - that the most important "aha" moment for me when boning up on all things science years ago was climate change. That literally set my hair on fire. Because I knew it to be true - the evidence even decades ago was irrefutable. And now - well we are on our way aren't we. To me, nothing else matters nearly as much - I am left wondering what to tell my kids - where to move, how to prepare. It's our planet for gods sake. And look who the deniers are. Hyper-religious Christians, self-serving industrialists, heads of so many corporations, other 1%'ers who see their fortunes put at risk, and of course the Republicans who represent them all. And look who don't care or don't know to care - poorly educated and/or willingly ignorant people with their collective heads in the sand, some being gaslighted to not trust the scientific world. WTF? I was one of those years ago. No more.
Well said. Life is indeed a journey.
“I would love to come down with a case of The Hope”
I hear it’s spreading and there’s no vaccine
"The Hope"....such a fine condition to have. Think I'll try to catch it.
👍👍🏽👍🏼👍🏿
Meet the Moment.
Hope Votes!
I don't need to write my own comment because this is exactly what I would say!!!
How wonderful!
I still ranted. McConnell is the worst.
I hear you!!! 😉
Finally…hopeful
As an aside, I am especially proud today to be represented by Senator Amy Klobuchar who authored bills on reducing the price of insulin, Medicare negotiation of drug prices, the PACT bill, and several others. She has never reduced her efforts to pass these and many others bills, and I know she will not stop working on PACT until it is enacted into law. She has is a shining example of how to work long, hard, and across the aisle. She reminds me of the Harry Truman quote, "It's amazing what you can accomplish if you don't care who takes credit for it." I have two specific symptoms of The Hope tonight: First, that other younger women in Congress take careful note of her skill and how she exercises it. And second, that another Hope that "Cousin Amy" has proposed is realized--repeal of Citizens United through a comprehensive Election Finance Reform Bill.
I love what you said, Kem. I think Amy Klobuchar should run for president. We need a strong and seasoned candidate who is under 65. She is 62. AND she reflects our values. Win-win.
Klobuchar-Buttigieg
Ticket to the Future.
Yassssss, Michele. I’m with Buttigieg ticketed with anybody. Even Liz Cheney. He is such a Light. And can out reply anybody…. Even Faux News.
🗽
Fox News: but what about what about what about…
Buttigieg: Hold my beer while I ever so politely kick your ass.
Many of us here in Indiana love "Mayor Pete" -- smart, articulate, ground-breaking (gay gov. official and adoptive parent of twins), courageous, military experience. I hope he has good security. But his protection drives a bright blue electric car. He wants to make the entire federal fleet electric. https://cleantechnica.com/2021/10/23/u-s-transportation-secretary-pete-buttigiegs-security-details-drives-a-ford-mustang-mach-e/
Secretary Pete remains my pick, too, Christine!
Amy on the presidential campaign was either not well-advised or very nervous. She often missed the chance to be direct, instead repeating too often her slogans and lists of accomplishments. Buttigieg would certainly be a great counterpoint to her in that regard, and both are for people. That said, I want her to remain in the Senate.
I actually voted for her in the 2020 primary, but she didn’t win …
I too voted for Amy in the 2020 primary.
So did I. She spoke @ the Cheshire County (NH) Democrats Annual fundraiser Dinner ; I was very impressed.
Me, too.
Same.
Ally, I have a question for you unrelated to this thread. If I recall correctly, you are retired LE? I wonder what some makes LE folks (and military) so susceptible to Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, etc.
I cannot claim a great deal of any study/statistics/hard information, just 35 years of observation. That said, many people are drawn to the profession of arms with a stated goal of service to community. Some are drawn to the perception of being the “authority” (many of these are, in my limited experience, either weeded out in the application/hire process or fail to make a probationary period due to “unsuitability”.)
Some are drawn to the concept of keeping order, and I believe that those people tend to be of a more conservative mindset. I think that those people who are conservative, committed to keeping order, and who are comfortable in those roles may find that the groups you’ve mentioned meet a (perceived) need for more order and control offer them a place to “belong.”
You are quite correct. For the ignorant (such as myself 🤪) — is LE law enforcement?????
I think she is needed in the Senate.
Yes…persistence is the virtue that ultimately brings unification from which hope can flow. We hope fascistic behavior will be replaced with fairness, we hope those who had given up on the idea of democracy will throw off their fear and embrace a calm realization that “until everyone wins, nobody wins” as my friend Bruce would say. We’re here on this sparkling, astonishing and truly beautiful planet for such a short time. How truly lucky we are. Be kind to someone who is feeling down or isolated, help a neighbor, smile, watch your grandchildren for a day or a week or a month….feel their innocent joy and happiness. We’re not here to play a zero sum game …we’re here to live and love one another. Love creates hope like water does a rose. Love without boundaries… Mother Theresa knew this so did Abe Lincoln. We can do this, too.
I am watching my twin 16 yr old grandsons for a week while Mom and Dad are on vacation. Eye opening.
What are you observing?
- Very dependent on peer approval
- Can make their own meals
- have ideas about politics but think what is happening with the Jan 6 committee is just funny
- plan to vote when they can and Montana just passed a bill allowing ballots to be sent out to kids who are not 18 yet but will be 18 when voting starts (not these kids)
- one kid is more conservative than the other (peer pressure)
- never argue with me
- had lots of questions about LGBTQ and use of different personal pronouns
- will clean their rooms if friends are coming over but otherwise no
- have their own cars and it is a status symbol to one kid and just a method of transportation to the other. They live in the country so have to travel
- do not value history
- do not read unless it is on a screen
- one is an honors student; the other is not
- one articulates that he values kindness; the other says he has learned lots from Mom and dad
(they are not identical)
It takes a while for the history bug to bite. One good teacher brings it all to life and perspective -like HCR- and they're off!
Spot on, Kathy. And insightful into our current youngins!
Sibling are never identical! 😉
Interesting.
Amen, brother!
And it was our equally excellent junior Senator, Tina Smith who, along with several other Democrats including John Hickenlooper of Colorado, who worked tirelessly to get Manchin’s attention on the long term economic benefits of the climate provisions that they cobbled together. Manchin got the attention he craves, we get inflation reduction efforts and climate provisions that just may stave off complete disaster for our small blue world. Klobuchar and Smith are among the best! Thanks for calling this out.
Also a Minnesotan who loves our senators, I sometimes struggle with the idea of “promoting” too many fine senators and congresspeople and removing their communication skills and drive from right where they are! Another person. Who comes to mind is Elizabeth Warren. And just took at those committee members on the January 6 commission! OMG! Too excellent for words! And they’re willing to stay in the House and face a new election every two years? I weep for joy 🥹
One reason I finally registered as a Democrat in January 2017 (after decades of voting Democratic) is that, although the Democratic *Party* (i.e., the organizational structure) had problems, ALL the really outstanding officeholders at both the federal and state level were Democrats. That mattered a lot. After five and a half years of being involved with the local Dems (and being a delegate to the MA state Dem convention several times), I know a good deal more about the party's problems but I'm still impressed as hell with the caliber of Democratic officeholders, including my two U.S. senators, Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, and my state senator (Julian Cyr) and state rep (Dylan Fernandes). Fwiw, Joe Biden was my 5th or 6th choice in the primary field, but I think he was the right nominee for the time and I doubt any of the other contenders could have done as good a job in incredibly difficult circumstances.
Yes, I had Biden farther down, as well, but I knew he had a better chance to win (white man) and a more moderate appeal (which was also important for the win).
Agreed. Great Senators are too important to be constantly wishing them to become POTUS. We need them where they are! ❤️ And sadly name recognition matters in an election, as Susan Collins and a number of others have proven.
I agree. When Dem Senators run for POTUS, I shudder. We NEED their skills, their voices and their votes in the Senate. And by and large, they are SO much more skilled and intelligent than their R counterparts whose only reason for being seems to be to grift of taxpayers and vote against anything and everything that would help their own constituents. When THEY run for POTUS, I laugh.
As for Collins, her fit of petulance more than proves her duplicity. Now she has made it crystal clear to the LGBTQ+ community that she is a big nothing burger. I hope they shun her forever.
Ellen, her duplicity has been flagrant for so long, but so many live in a bubble of information that they are fed, and the “Denial” is so strong. So disappointed in the Mainers I know who ever voted for her, but especially so in 2020, after her support for that lying rapist sitting in a SCOTUS seat!
I am for keeping Amy in the Senate.
Agree KEM. I have supported Senator Klobuchar strongly. I hope she is next Senate Majority Leader.
I have mixed feelings about this. Klobuchar operates more comfortably with persuasion that compulsion, and while I think Congress needs to get back to that stance, I am not sure she is the right woman for these times when there is so much polarization.
She would be AWESOME in that role.
Love the HST quote, a keeper to be repeated. Republicans have never heard it…
Thanks for the reminder of the Harry Truman quote, KEM, particularly in the context of Sen. Klobuchar and who she is.
I LOVE that Truman quote! Explains exactly why those who prize getting nothing done as a political statement are bereft of any decency — not to mention shame!
I am in Turkey right now, handling some personal stuff (I was born and raised here). I get to have lots of lunches and dinners with friends who all seem to be concerned with President Biden's age. They are not sure if he can handle the pressures of governance as an old man and may run the country down! As a proud naturalized citizen of USA for 26 years I give some civic lessons, proudly might I add. Turkey is run by a parliamentary system that has been thwarted into a fake American presidential system by a religious dictator posing as a democratic man! Don't get me started there! It's all about sound bites and the bad press poor President Biden is getting. Seriously, he is the best president we had in a very long time, and the press in the United states and around the world is slamming him down! He can't win for nothing, nobody is looking at his heart, how hard he tries and how the effing republicans keep finding ways cancel out all these wonderful legislations that could help so many. We need to sell these programs to the public better and get the press on our side and how can that be done? I am in Istanbul contemplating how to sell President Biden's thoughts and actions to the Turks and some foreigners living here. Slowly and calmly I've been getting through as I break bread with them and it's really hard to break that Anti-American sentiment. Why can't we have more press on our side that is honest and lays the facts instead of some editorialized version of the truth?
Shenny. Your work on President Biden's behalf is terrific. I am sending you Heather's Letter from the other day where she highlights most of the President's accomplishments so far. Hopefully, it will give you more ammunition as you continue to "break bread." Her comments about Biden start about a third of the way down. Thank you!
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/july-23-2022
Thank you. I have it pasted on my phone’s notes for quick references. Thank you for pointing it out. I almost cried when I read it, I am 7 hours ahead of the east coast and I have to wait well into the morning to get my copy of the letter. I was screaming yes, yes, yes yes yes in our apartment. I can’t remember too many details anymore, I am almost 65, materials like that are fabulous to arm myself with. Much love to all of you, nice to be in the sea of sanity.
You are a hero for me. May the sea of sanity ripple to infinity
You are a shero, Sennur!
Yes, Lynell! Many thanks, Shenny!
As someone who has lived in both countries your voice is invaluable….and being able to converse while “breaking bread” is such a positive action! Thank you for spreading the word and for the faith you have had in your adopted country.
Thank you!
In todays copy of Hubbles newsletter he provides a website that highlights Bidens work. Here are the links and a sample.
https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/just-how-good-is-it/comments
https://whatbidenhasdone.wordpress.com/2022/01/20/year-one-what-biden-has-done-mega-thread/
“I wrote yesterday, the Inflation Reduction Act is a big deal. If it passes, it will only be the latest “big deal” in a long line of successes for Joe Biden. A reader sent a link to a website titled, What Biden Has Done? The site is no longer being updated, but it provides a wealth of information. I urge you to spend ten minutes reviewing Biden’s accomplishments. I have highlighted a few:
Passed the largest infrastructure bill in a generation.
Passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.
Ended the war in Afghanistan.
Passed the first gun safety legislation in a generation.
Banned ghost guns.
Invested $3 billion in mental health and substance abuse prevention
Rejoined the Paris Climate Accords.
Rejoined the World Health Organization.
Appointed 42 federal district court judges—the most in 40 years (during first year).”
Many thanks, Vivian! Putting on my phone for quick ref!
Thanks for this Vivian. I copied it and will carry it with me at all times. I'm so sick of Biden Bashing. I wish I had it the other night when I walked out on 2 old friends when they started Biden Bashing and laughing at me as if I'm some stupid idiot. Another 2 crossed off my friend list.
Maybe we could print his accomplishments on business cards or leaflets to hand out and use for personal reference. I find it so emotionally challenging to be calm and clear when dealing with a**hole comments, regardless the many tools in my toolbox.
Thanks for your reminder of that letter.
Shenny, I’ve been to Istanbul and loved it. Thank you for giving the Turks American civics lessons! When you’re done there, could you do the same here? 😚 as a senior citizen myownself, let’s quit with the doddering president bit. With his fellow dems, He’s getting stuff done already.
Glory be to you. Even some Dems are hard to fathom. Time to coalesce or die divided. How many times have we been warned…
Sennur / Shenny -- thank you for what you wrote. You can add to your education of your friends that President Joe Biden has been governing since 1972 -- 50 years this year! In 1972 he was elected to the Senate. He is steadier and steadier as he goes on, seems to have a very clear vision of what needs to be done, making a few big mistakes along the way but recognizing them at some point. And nothing seems to rattle him, least of all the ridiculous Press. (What's with them!! Print and TV.) The Press has lost their vision. They've lost the likes of Woodward and Bernstein. With only a handful of exceptions. But President Biden is who we have and need at this moment in time. At least, in my opinion.
After reading all you proud people from Minnesota, I just want to say I’m a proud Delawarean. I’ve voted for Joe Biden since his first senate run in 1972. I’m so old I was at the University of Delaware with him in the 60’s. I didn’t want him to run for president in 2020, but came to realize he was probably the only Democratic candidate who could beat tfg and return our government to some semblance of normalcy. I think he’s doing a remarkable job and it infuriates me that he’s getting so little credit. He’s a good man - is that the problem?
Not a problem at all for the 80+ million of us that voted for him, Betsy. You were spot on in your realization about him being the only candidate who could... And if the media would do their job, they would see it, too.
No. Is a solution. Just a problem if one is a Republican.
Examine who is paying the writers? Character counts, truth counts...love for democracy counts and it is costly.
Sometimes it requires standing alone :sometimes it requires taking hits even from family and friends.....
“Trying to demonstrate a party’s power to kill popular legislation is an interesting approach to governance.”
Indeed it is, and it’s another talking point for the Democrats. If only their/our outrage can be externalized in ads. Acting like spiteful children certainly is a poor way to present themselves.
Why don’t we write some ads WE would like to see and send them to the DNC? I’m not kidding. A clip from Jon Stewart’s outrage and fluent critique of what has just been done to Veterans by the Repugnants, for a start…..?
And while you're at it, write some front page headlines for the NY Times, WAPO, etc.!
Do you know how to send things to the DNC, Elisabeth?
Morning Lynell…Here is address…
Democratic National Committee
430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C., U.S.
Not sure how much mail DeJoy blocks from getting there. 😜
Thank you, Christine! LOL on DeJoy. I best not write "Electrify the USPS" on my envelope to them...morning!
🤣
The DNC's zip code is 20003.
Good question, I'd like to know that too.
The ex-R’s (Lincoln Project) know how to do it and who their target audience is. Use them.
Agree, Becky.
Acting like spiteful (and often malicious) children has become Republican core MO, and weirdly there seems to be some sort of broad appeal to it so long as they keep getting away with it. In reality (with few recent exceptions) their behavior is shameful, even criminal, and for a number of decades, their record has been dismal. Still waiting for the Reagan era promise of the "high tide" that allegedly "lifts all boats"? You'll be waiting till the ice caps melt, and that won't be pretty.
I would almost say, the GQP can keep getting away with their "spite as policy" just so long as the base feels that they are "owning the libs"--I believe that weird sentiment is the basis of that "broad appeal".
Exactamente. And as long as “libs” keep up with one step forward and then two or numerous steps back, that broad appeal is easy to maintain.
Keep it simple and quit acting simple. Liberal means favorable to progress and opposed to bigotry.
🗽
We shouldn't confuse the GOP with spiteful children. They are clearly responding to their "own" base while using tRunp's base for their numbers in votes. The GOP responds only to their bosses and those are the 1 percenters, big corporations, who want to kill the climate change, healthcare, education, immigration, and women's rights protecting bills reducing all of us into submission. I believe priority should be given to protecting the vote. Unless we pass such a bill soon we are in peril of loosing democracy. That's why the GOP/Corporations are fighting women, black and brown communities, and immigrants. We are becoming a force at the polls. Keep all eyes on the ball.
All the more reason we must succeed in the midterms. It may be our last shot.
I'm easily distracted, Elena. Thanks for refocusing me.
Most definitely, Mim!
"Rats fleeing a sinking ship" seems an all too apt metaphor for what seems to be happening. Sooner or later we'll get to the bottom of this and it will all be laid out there in all its ugliness. I can't wait. It is a sweet thing to see Republicans squirm for a change--and they're outraged, OUTRAGED I TELLS YA that Democrats pulled a fast one on them. I had to laugh. WTF have they been doing to Democrats since, like, oh, FOREVER?!? Chickens coming home to roost...the metaphors are coming fast and furious! And I'm off to bed...dreaming and hoping for the future.
Bruce I can witness those chickens coming home to roost because of the accumulating chickens++t. The crowd seeking to testify before the House 1/6 Committee makes the crowd turmoil at Heathrow Airport look delightful by comparison.
Morning, Keith! Great visual.
😂
Exactly. What does McTurtle think, hardball politics belong to him and no one else is allowed to exercise power when they have it? One thing that isn’t new: Republicans hurting the American people to assert their power.
Have to say, don’t count your chickens … wait for the ink to dry
😆 I reflexively use lots of metaphors when I'm talking to people and I've had some tangled up doozies when I get enthusiastic. I figure I at least bring humor into the conversation as everyone laughs at what I'm attempting to get across.
Yogi Berra was the master of screwing up metaphors!
I know. I'll be nervous until things are signed, sealed and delivered. We have to keep an eye on Sinema and on the Democrat centrists in the House who could throw a spanner/wrench in the works. This is Washington, and in these times anything can happen. I'm hopeful right now, though.
Well THERE’S a mixed metaphor!
We’re hoping with you, Bruce. Sweet dreams….
It's not the crime, it's the cover-up. And compared to Watergate, from which the saying sprang, the cover-up involving text messages around Jan. 6 makes Nixon and his taping system seem like jaywalking.
Secret Service agents are one thing, but the top officials in DHS? And their excuse is an agency-wide replacement of mobile phones? When everyone in the federal government knows the law requires preservation of all records? Were they all convinced that Trump would remain in office, despite polls indicating otherwise?
None of this is a coincidence, obviously, or even merely the ineptness that pervaded the Trump Administration. They appear to have destroyed evidence they knew would be critical to investigations of the coup.
Are there enough lawyers in DC to defend yet another likely wave of criminal suspects?
Well, not jaywalking. They too, in their own creepy way, wanted to undo democracy. Technology was at a different stage back then. From all the crime series I have watched, Black List in particular, I am pretty sure the techies in government can track down ANYTHING. Let’s go after these traitors and send them to prison.
To attach on to Michael Bales' question...Are there enough lawyers AND I include prisons in DC for all these traitors to America? We must create a social justice system with specific social fabric reparations that our fascist-motivated government employees, who were willing to destroy our democracy for power and greed, be forced to work in and on. If I were cruel, they should all be in shackles. Enter them into programs to build Habitats for Humanity in America for ALL our People and include immigrants and refugees. Have them clean up all the ghettos in America with their foreign-laundered monies and clean up after disasters. Rehabilitate all the dying malls in America and turn them into apartment complexes with social areas for residents, of all colors and religions. And the Orange Flambé's golf resorts could be turned into parks, and he could ride the lawn mowers and pick up poo in the the doggie park areas. They could only watch educational documentaries of our history and of the J6 Hearings and DOJ Hearings and things that are good or love stories to make them learn to cry. And they should be forced to participate in the postcards to voters programs. And postcards to get rid of your AK machine guns to all their brethren. Have them clean up after massacres and come up with solutions to stop the massacres. They could take down confederate statues and build mosques and temples and work on nature trails and roads (holding signs to "Stop"). I am just getting started. We could employ a LOT of people to oversee their work which should be paid by the prisoner's assets and book sales. No interviews allowed of any of them except on their good social justice work. This would be like a renaissance for dark-souled humans to earn their place back into society, never to hold civil servant jobs again except for laboring for the good of our democracy. And they shall be banned from all cult propaganda programs including fox and Qanon. In fact, ban them from any social media and cell phones since they defiled the use of their phones and media against Truth and Justice. Give them landlines and old dial up phones to speak with their loved ones-- I am not heartless. Earn their rights back by good, hard work. For those who refuse to work in the social fabric rehab programs, send them to Guantanamo. Strip them of their citizenship and let them fish for their meat and provide them with containers, some bags of soil and seeds to grow veggies. I was thinking about that Wall...but I am too tired now. ...I am actually rather serious about a lot of this. Sitting in a cell is not how we should use their time. Make them pay back our society as part of their penances. Things of this sort might curtail others thinking about wanting to go rogue on our democracy. They are called "consequences" and consequences work.
I love your "social fabric rehab" approach to incarceration. The punishment would perfectly fit the crime. ( Nice touch, getting them to watch love stories " to teach them how to cry" !!!)
The “Hallmark Hour”. Love it. 😭😂
Agree agree agree, Pensa. Straight from the Peace Room instead of War Room. Sounds like a teacher in a classroom or a mom in the thick of it.
🗽
Guilty of being a former Montessori teacher and a therapist for adolescents. Rethugs need teachable moments immediately.
Proud of you, Pensa. I’ve never felt a moment of guilt being blessed from birth with the art of teaching. It’s in the DNA.
🗽
It seems that this is EXACTLY what happened to the German soldiers of the Third Reich after the war. A huge number were placed in POW camps throughout Europe, and assisted (with hard labor) the reconstruction of the countries they had destroyed. Their leaders were tried, and those who did not kill themselves first, were executed.
Very true, Joseph! We are, hopefully, more civilized. Our current traitors against America are extremely lucky we no longer hang or execute. Their orange flambé leader just stated that he would put people in concentration camps and execute if he wins the emperorship. He has no clue how close he is to being parted with his golden potty in exchange for a little porcelain one in an 8x10.
However, I would like us to have enough love and compassion to bring them into, or back into, some form of humanity by learning how to give of themselves to others with whom they feel superior. To see what that actually feels like to serve, with humility. It is about the process.
And, Joseph, I don't really think having the former guy pick up doggy poo is hard labor, do you? Someone had to clean his mob's feces and urine off the walls and floors of our Capitol. I think it is a fair and equitable consequence for the leader of the filthy mob of "special people." I am sure it is something of which he and his comrades can learn to "Be Best."
I don't personally buy into the "more civilized" trope.
There are, and have always been, and will always be good reasons to execute people.
In a just and functional society, it should be relatively rare.
But societies are neither just, nor terribly functional. Given free rein, governmental powers will be used to execute people for being black, for being a "witch," for being pregnant out-of-wedlock, or for being left-handed. Consequently, much of our legal effort goes into avoiding conviction and especially, execution.
That does not mean it should never be exacted.
Trump is clearly a pathological narcissist, and from everything I've read, or heard from friends in the mental health professions, this is an uncorrectable condition. He is also a criminal narcissist: he has situated himself in positions where committing crimes is more desirable for him than not. There is zero reason to believe that he could be rehabilitated. If allowed to go free, he will do more harm.
His crime would be, in any other society, or any other time in this society, capital.
The only sane, just, and prudent choices are life in prison without parole or pardon, or execution.
Pensa, without attribution (just indicating "a commenter elsewhere"), I shared on Facebook your excellent and hopefully doable suggestions. Thank you.
I really like this idea, Pensa. It is a delightful companion to your rant yesterday!
I recall from my long ago corrections academy days that the root word of "penitentiary" is "penance" and not "punish". This did, however, send me to the dictionary to be sure that I was using the right word. The two definitions certainly seem to fit with some "modernization" of meanings/institutions:
"penance: noun
1.
voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong.
"he had done public penance for those hasty words"
2.
a Christian sacrament in which a member of the Church confesses sins to a priest and is given absolution."
I would love to see this come into play in a modern sense, where both accountability and reparations are part of the recovery process.
Thanks- my companion rant! Clever, Ally. And knowing you have worked in the penal system, I love your etymological additions to these words-- they will need to be very accurate.
It was eye-opening to remember the "Christian" penance and confessions. However, I would never trust them and they should not be given absolution until they have served their social justice time and towed the line. But public confessions of their crimes is a very appealing and healing thought for me, maybe for others?
Perhaps the gallows they were going to hang Mike Pence on could be turned into a public confessional booth on the Capital steps, on the day of their adjudications? If they do not confess- ship them out to Gitmo until they turn around.
Excellent ideas Pensa.
Doing penance and earning back their rights through work that helps the country makes so much more sense.
I love this idea!
I tried hearting this post, Pensa. I agree.
Even though you were serious, your humor wasn't lost. Love this concept of payback.
Wendy-- I am getting seriouser and seriouser about the orange flambé and how to "tame" him with humility. He hates dogs and animals. He and his propaganda machines shoveled so much poo at us for years that I think they could all qualify to doo some of their penance time as poo catchers. He of course will Be Best. I am sure he could sell his brandname of poo colored hats and ties....and brown shirts for all his besties!
Thanks for expounding upon your seriously funny and clever forms of punishment for the evil ones. You're on a roll. Also, in my early career I was a social worker specializing in treatment of adolescents. Your humor resonates with me, as does the strength of your passion for justice.
❤️ John Mitchell redo
The elephant in the room is corruption. Jumbo corruption. And while corruption is an equal opportunity corrupter, it's gone septic with the current "GOP.
They wanted a totalitarian regime and were willing for trump to create it.
The crime was unprecedented, it’s why the cover-up. Wonder how many times such has worked. Bet there are a lot of smirking Bushes (and their devotees) around some where…
Michael As a member of the Nixon White House Enemies List during Watergate, I differ with your ‘it’s not the crime, it’s the cover up.’ This statement was true regarding the stupid attempt to tap DNC offices. The Nixon cover up was shattered by Judge Sirica, the Erwin Senate Committee, and finally, Congress and the Supreme Court.
By contrast, with Trump and his Mafiosos, the BIG LIE, the 1/6 Capitol Building insurrection, and the insidious conspiracy are the CRIME. I agree that, in the subsequent cover up, the Secret Service ‘code of silence’ is of remarkable concern. Can a security service of the United States refuse to provide its internal data regarding one of most extraordinary constitutional breeches in America history?
The Church Committee in the early 1970s removed the secrecy veil from many of CIA’s untoward actions. We need the same to shatter the Secret Service’s ‘code of silence.’ (Newspaper accounts suggest that many Secret Service personnel were pro-Trump.)
I may have not been clear but I was referring to the Secret Service and DHS. Now maybe they committed crimes integral to the coup attempt, but we don't know that yet. It's reasonable to suspect that they were involved in a cover-up of unprecedented scope intended to destroy critical evidence.
Fascinating speculative Twitter thread that seems plausible: https://twitter.com/muellershewrote/status/1553016914183540736?s=21&t=BtNfOb_ByH_6l1ecsxGzqw
They were so entitled they didn’t think they’d need burner phones!
Tempted to order and paste large orange stickers across the Trump Pence 2020 lawn signs in our rural Wisconsin: First Term at Levanworth 2022-2052.
The spiteful about face on the PACT bill is incredible. This action is THE message that should be repeated early, long, and often. It is simple, and telling.
Malignant narcissists don't care who they hurt so long as they get what they want.
She who laughs last laughs best, and for the opera fans among us, "it ain't over till the big lady sings."
And I devoutly hope that her "warmup" off stage will result in a performance that will bring down the.... well.... senate, among other things.
Bam! Love it, Ally. Encore, encore!
..."bring down the.... well.... senate"
Haha, Ally!
And the hopeful and intriguing paragraph in HCR's letter is this:
"At the end of the day, it is still possible that the bill will pass, but it will not come up until Schumer reschedules it, meaning the Republicans are simply going to have to endure the hits they are taking for this fit of pique until he decides to give them some cover." :-)
Yes! If there were a "laugh" button, I would have hit it for that remark for sure!
Yes, I had to suppress a laugh also…”endure the hits” indeed
Republicans will continue to screw over the country until those who keep voting for them stop doing so. It really is that simple.
Yes, voting NO for key legislation that is nonpartisan and critical is like a toddler who objects to everything just to show power. It’s a bad habit. And almost predictable.
You just described tfg’s strategy
Ian, not so simple when the Repugs have screwed everyone on the voting process. Just think about it, they want to upend elections even if the majority voted for Dems. It is insidious. I am afraid for America like never before (I’m a sixties activist…) but I want to get a case of The Hope.
Once again , I repeat.....the pulpit can be a dangerous a place for the minds and hearts of our citizenry. It can also be used to call us towards our better beings as humans.
Leaving the mob mindset ..... sharing truth ..... can take real courage. In a small community, it may cost you your job, friendships, isolation.....and worse.
Well said. It's quite breathtaking to it all in action.
The problem with America is Americans.
It is, but Rupert will never tell the truth. His diatribes will just be replaced with his latest wet dream…
I suspect that by the time Trump and his principal enablers are all safely behind bars awaiting the rest of their miserable lives, we will have discovered that what they have done is larger and worse than most of us ever imagined.
In our gratitude for Apocalypse avoided, I hope we Americans will clean up our acts in historically progressive ways, as there may yet be time to save our species from impending extinction. The World is still watching us.
I can't think of a better way for the Party of No to shoot themselves in the foot than to torpedo a bill to support veterans regarding toxic exposure. It's purely expedient; a knee-jerk reaction to being outplayed on other political points using whatever they could pick up in front of them. There's dread on the mall; senators and representatives are beginning to do the gut check on their chances of riding that MAGA wave versus abandoning a sinking ship with the rest of the non-MAGA conservative/moderate/independent sectors of the electorate. Even with a short public memory, we're close enough to the midterms now that electorate will recall recent votes that evoked emotions of betrayal of principle when their representatives act out of spite or political posturing rather than based on what their voters are telling them. They're just opening up a hornets nest on the very issues that they are supposed to own. It's now becoming the democrats mid-term election to lose with so many issues that are popular with a broad section of the electorate either rejected by the Party of No, or passing with increasing numbers of moderate republican defections from the party leadership.
It's hard to understand what is happening with the two Democratic senator hold-outs other than to wonder if their voters are making themselves heard as well. Perhaps their donors are talking. I can't think of any more powerful influences that would move Manchin and Sinema out of the spoiler role they have played with the Dems. I am no daring to hope that we may see a broad turning of the tide; popular opinion(that means the mainstream press) moving in favor of the party in power, a breakdown of solidarity amongst the republicans and the unraveling of the MAGA grip on conservatives. I can't imagine it will be a smooth ride into the mid-terms, more like a major cat fight, but all that matters are the final tallies when the voting is over.
Manchin is a rich conservative from way back. Sinema sold herself after getting elected as a progressive. Neither is going to change for us. We need to elect more Senators to get a working majority for the legislation we need, filibuster be damned.
I have made the irrelevance of Manchin in Nov my hill to die on. Others have too.
It would make my day to see that supercilious 'senator' and his yacht sailing out of Chesapeake bay for the last time.
❤️
"It's hard to understand what is happening with the two Democratic senator hold-outs other than to wonder if their voters are making themselves heard as well. Perhaps their donors are talking.."
"But the main culprit, the cancer on the body politic, is money: Money, money, money. When I ran 6 years ago, in 1998, I raised $8.5 million. That $8.5 million is $30,000 a week, every week, for 6 years. If you miss Christmas week, you miss New Years week, you are $100,000 in the hole and don't you think we don't know it and we start to work harder at raising money. As a result, the Senate doesn't work on Mondays and Fridays. We have longer holidays. The policy committee is adjourned and we go over to the campaign building because you can't call for money in the office. So we go over to the building and call for money and obviously we only can give attention to that. We don't have time for each other. We don't have time for constituents, except for the givers. Somebody ought to tell the truth about that." - Former Sen. Fritz Hollings
Ronald Reagan's economic mentor, Milton Friedman said (and wrote a famous thesis about):
"The only corporate social responsibility a company has is to maximize its profits."
So if a corporation is a person, that person is a sociopath. You see it reflected in the past CEO of CBS' remarks on the candidacy of Trump:
“It May Not Be Good for America, but It’s Damn Good for CBS” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/leslie-moonves-donald-trump-may-871464/
You see in puerile "GOP" government shutdowns. Tradition has it that "the love of money" which, I take to be an exclusionary obsession with it, "is the root of all evil". That's Reaganomics; what we are up against, and must firmly renounce.
Republican unity breaking in favor of country over party is definitely a good sign! It only takes a few examples to other Republicans.
I would be so relieved of this horrible burden of distrust and fear of Thuglicans if we can actually get some real demonstration the insurrectionist enablers in the WH will wear orange!
Ah, revenge of the red dress Handmaid's Tale! Orange dresses or tunics for traitors to America.
I 've been telling people these things take time...and once they get to critical mass all hell breaks loose. "A case of the hope." I love it. With a mid term so close many Republicans are crazy to oppose popular measures. Those negative campaign commercials aren't going to be pretty. The guy who came out against gay marriage...and then happily goes to his son's wedding...he looses on both sides. That's just plain stupid. Even Dick Cheney understood that one.
Yeah, that one was a head scratcher. Do they think we’re too dumb to notice the screaming hypocrisy?
How would you feel if you're the son and new son in law? Great way to start a new marriage in your family. The disconnect from political action to your personal reality is crazy...but then, many have done it...Lot's of elected folks have been gay and kept it secret. I'm just glad we're getting past that...and then there's Judge Thomas who wants to roll back every acquired freedom except inter-racial marriage. I mean the man finally speaks up after what 15 years on the bench and he's the worst kind of bigot.
Mike, I agree. The hypocrisy of Clarence Thomas cannot be understated. "Take away all marriage rights" except the one I have....interracial marriage. "Oh....and in case you didn't know it....I did assault Anita Hill" This "judge" makes me 🤮
We have some real lulu's on this bench...we can thank Mitch for pulling it off. We NEED a very strong showing in the mid terms. Let's end the intramural dem in-fighting stuff and focus on winning elections. It's the only way to get any kind of really progressive agenda passed in the next 2 years.
And pressure MSM to get off their asses and do more than report poll numbers.
And remember Justice Jackson is in an interracial marriage also. Feels to me like Thomas sat on his indignation for years and then vomited it all up.
I think that he is as petty as tfg when it comes to this very thing. He has lots of built up "wrongs" to "right" and I am afraid he is only just getting started.
"he's the worst kind of bigot"
That's what got him picked.
No, because they know we are not “dumb” but they are stupid. That’s a choice.
It depends on whether you are applying the "Rules of Republicans" rule book, or the other one.
Did any of these anti-democracy bizarros lose their brains, or did they have any to begin with?
The Pro-Rape Party came through again, didn’t they? They didn’t screw Democratic veterans. They messed with their base too. To me, that was haphazard and boy, I imagine the tides will turn! McTurtleneck sure rules with an iron fist but 24 Repubs did vote against him. That’s significant.
I love the fact that the guys from the old regime are scrambling about what to do for their inquiries from the J6 committee. Like the scum rats they are, they huddle together. I just hope the traps are set. Thank you, Heather for holding steady and giving us your apron strings to hold onto. Gave a peaceful night.
Don’t lose sight of the machinations of the state actors chomping at the bit. They plan to win, come hell or high water. Both a possibility…
I detest Pompeo. Can’t wait to see him go down.
To me, Pompeo represents someone well schooled, but still not educated.
Me too. I call him “Pompous”. West Point must be so proud. Sigh…
It will be interesting to see if the chicken hawks on the Dem side squeal because their Rethuglican buddies are being mean to them--because they actually did something that could potentially benefit normal people in the USA. I have to say I'm not feeling "the Hope": I will need to see a whole lot more initiative and activity, as well as SUCCESS, on the part of the Dems before I allow myself to see this tiny spark as a real glimmer. My hope is that the Ghastly Ones keep on vilifying veterans--especially those desperate for healthcare--because that is such a good look for them. Even playing the homophobia and misogyny cards in the hopes that military types will go along with those attitudes won't help them as much if they turn their backs on sick vets.
My one bright place is watching the growing ridicule of Li'l Joshy Hawley as he made the absurd decision to start flogging his new "book," the hilariously mistitled "Manhood" (which yes: leads to all kind of bodice-ripper romance novel memes happening), because of all the amusing uses to which the video of him scampering like a fwightened wabbit are being employed. When John Danforth--Hawley was his own little boy toy after all, groomed by him to be the perfect spineless wonder--stated in public that he regrets having "supported" (read: created) him, you know that poor little Joshy is gonna have to do something drastic to reposition his, um, "manhood" so that people don't just laugh at it/him.
Well said, Linda.
"I have to say I'm not feeling "the Hope": I will need to see a whole lot more initiative and activity, as well as SUCCESS, on the part of the Dems before I allow myself to see this tiny spark as a real glimmer. "
Daria! Fab one. I’ve been waiting for a Daria zinger on ice. Love! 💜🗽
Daria, I'm so glad to read a comment from you. I think it's been a while, and I hope all is well with you - or at least as well as can be expected.
Chips, hello! Thank you, all is well! It has been a while; I decided I needed to step away from the comment section to preserve my sanity.
Understood, I do the same and probably more frequently.
I thought you might be interested to know I've relocated/retired to Cuenca, Ecuador, high in the Sierra. I have been planning this for several years and I noted a couple years ago when I joined Letters from and American that you were in Mexico.
I'm enjoying a more tranquil (and cooler) life compared to living in South Carolina. I feel like I'm practically in another world which lends itself to forming a healthier perspective on life in general. I decided that the best choice for my final chapters in my life was to live in an environment where there is far less friction and animosity. Generally, the people of Ecuador are more focused on personal experiences than on material gain. Friends, family and community are of utmost importance and generally people find happiness in simple pleasures. Somewhat surprising given our history is how welcoming most Ecuadorians are to gringos. You probably find this true in Mexico, as well.
Yes, there are lots of good, well-intentioned people in the states, but over the last 25 years or so, the bad has outweighed the good to the point now most days bring a new affront to common decency. It still boggles my mind how cruel and heartless so many people have become. I don't even recognize the country I was born and raised in. I see so many families and friendships that have been divided and destroyed which has to take a toll on one's state of mind. I think you can relate to what I'm saying.
Then too, stuff happens, and life doesn't always have a prosperous ending. The difficulty of making ends meet in a country where basic living costs have skyrocketed far beyond one's income has been stressful. For the most part, those worries are now behind me, and I feel like I have a new lease on life.
In summary, I think it is easier to focus on the positive when you live a world away. I thought you better than anyone might understand what I'm relating. ¡Esté bien y cuídese, Daria! (Don't you love how your name is spoken in Spanish?)
Chips, Your description of life in Ecuador is letter perfect for my life in Mérida. Moving here was one of the healthiest decisions my husband and I ever made. And like you, not having to worry about making ends meet has taken an immense amount of pressure away. There truly is something to be said about living in a low key culture where people appreciate each other for who they are not what they have.
Avoiding the comment section of LFAA most days has added to my sense of well being. I am glad you have found a tranquil, genial place to land...as the saying goes, Life IS Good!
¡Cuídate tú también, Chips!
Right with you Linda! Republicans have been the party of "no" and blatant obstructionists for 30 or more years, and Democrats never come up with an effective antidote. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that this or that will make a great campaign commercial - probably thousands of times in the last 6 years alone.
From the beginning, I said Trump's flagrant disregard of rules and laws were gifts that could keep giving for the Democratic Party. The utter hypocrisy and duplicity that has defined the Republican Party for decades is astounding!
I don't want to dampen anyone's hope but for goodness' sake we have been here countless times with McConnell, et al. and they somehow wiggle out from their outrageous offenses to live and fight another day. Democrats lack that killer instinct. Republicans are wounded, time to go in for the kill.
We have better arguments now than just “ outside of norms and traditions”, or laws with little to no consequences if broken.
You got that right Gail!
Decades of going down a slippery slope and now we are trying to crawl out of the hole Republicans put us in. And by us, I mean "We the People." I would give anything to know what the Founding Fathers think about the state of the union and the diminishment of the Constitution by a sinister anti-America party.
As somebody commented this morning, it will be a long, long time before we finally recognize all the damage that the Republican Party has done. Their attack on democracy and their crimes against the American People have distracted us from dealing with profound problems, like saving the human race from the devastating effects of climate change. We are at the point now where whatever is done will be too little, too late I'm afraid.
Or just enough in time, my friend. To give us the space to survey the rot and then let Light guide our hands to make the repairs. I know we can do it.
🗽
And we are right there with it in Florida also.
Unita, Sister!
🗽
For the record Christine, I've always admired your indefatigable tenacity and positive nature. You are the player that every team needs to win the championship.
Thank you ChipsPOV. 💜 As many times as I have been scoffed at by the peril of pessimism, I can always sniff and toss my head and lead another cheer or battle cry and then go straight in the fray with people like you on the squad. It is the fight worth fighting for.
🗽
Up to today, the Republicans seemed to be paying no price for their obstructionist extremism. If anything they seemed to enjoy the same immunity TFG had claimed when he said he could shoot someone and not lose support. Like Mr. Millhiser, I too dare to hope for a reckoning.
That is when the “deplorables” decided that he was invincible. I will always harbor the notion that Ivana was the one he had taken out.
I keep trying not to think that he is THAT deplorable...but.. and who the heck called 911—if she died alone, in the nick of time for her children and rumpus?