The ripples of the explosive testimony of the four police officers Tuesday before the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol continue to spread. Committee members are meeting this week to decide how they will proceed. Congress goes on recess during August, but committee chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) suggested the committee would, in fact, continue to meet during that break.
OPINION: 'Will Trump ever be held accountable? The Justice Department just increased the odds.'
Laurence H. Tribe, Carl M. Loeb University Professor emeritus and a professor of constitutional law emeritus at Harvard Law School wrote the Opinion, titled above, which was published yesterday in the Washington Post. As a lawyer Professor Tribe won 35 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.
The following are excerpts from his Opinion:
'Donald Trump managed to evade legal accountability throughout his presidency. That might be about to change — and the newest sign comes in a brief filed by the Justice Department. It doesn’t directly address the former president, yet has ominous implications for his ability to avoid responsibility for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.'
'The Justice filing came in a lawsuit in which Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and a number of Capitol Police officers have sued Trump and others for their roles in the insurrection. One of those named in the suit, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), claimed that he is immune from personal liability under a law known as the Westfall Act, which shields federal officials acting within the scope of their' employment.
'U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta asked for the Justice Department’s position, and, in a filing Tuesday, the department resoundingly rejected Brooks’s view. This is a correct — indeed, an unavoidable — interpretation of the law. It is a view that is directly relevant to Trump’s potential liability in the Swalwell lawsuit and other pending litigation, ...'
The department first invoked Brooks’s own “defense” that his appearance at Trump’s Jan. 6 rally before the insurrection was “campaign activity,” not part of his official position: He was trying to get Trump declared the winner of the 2020 election and to promote GOP wins in 2022 and 2024. That was, the department properly concluded, political activity, not remotely covered by any immunity.
Even if Brooks’s appearance was not deemed campaign-related, the department added, he still is not entitled to immunity because he was accused of violating federal law — by definition, not part of his job. “Instigat[ing] a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol … plainly could not be within the scope of federal employment,” the brief said.
'Where does that leave Trump, who is also a defendant in the lawsuit and has also asked that it be dismissed? Not in great legal shape, in my view.'
'Tellingly, the department’s brief said, “Inciting or conspiring to foment a violent attack on the United States Congress is not within the scope of employment of a Representative — or any federal employee,” a category manifestly including the president himself.'
The pandemic rages on as do some of the worst governors in our country's history. In truth, it would be better to leave that judgement to Heather. Quite a number of us vented our anger yesterday concerning the madness in the country, following Annette's lead.
The madness continues. Here are links to several stories in today's New York Times. They contain information about the coronavirus, including the Delta variant, which will not ease our anxiety but provide valuable information:
"Will Trump ever be held accountable?" I wonder about that a lot. I wonder if trump, jarvanka, trump's cronies who broke the law with him, and every other sycophant who lied for him and committed perjury--I wonder if they'll ever be brought to Justice and face their due. Will we ever be able to change the climate of endless corruption in government? Will be able to achieve the honest, happy, and healthy environment we all want? Not to be a downer, but...It's looking dim.
There needs to be a law written to update efforts and enforcement aimed at both money laundering and corruption. Most American don’t realize that any dark LLC can blindly purchase real estate in America. It’s an open door for money launderers and a pathway sustaining corruption.
trump and jarvanka have truly made a mockery of our security clearance system. trump's intelligence advisors told him not to grant Jarvanka security clearances. But trump overruled everyone and gave him highest level security clearances. and trump made them senior white house advisors.
I wish we had Ed Snowden as a forensic detective combing the digital financial records of government officials. Then, making public all those off-shore accounts and their transactions.
The tax returns are important but what voters really need to see is the # of property:real estate sales to blind/dark LLCs. Then dig deeper by Treasury Dept agents to identify and expose the buyers of so many properties and compare those inflated priced sales vs fair market value/appraised value at time of sale . That will tell us plenty.
Agree. But u don’t need Snowden. It is public record what and which Drumf properties sold to dark LLCs. Why are so many dark LLC’s such a large proportion of Drumf property sales:buyers?Because they are made by foreign Govts buying future influence.
The dark LLCs bring to mind journalist Matt Taibbi's description of Goldman Sachs as "a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money."
I don't care about political correctness, I love that phrase. It comes from the requirements that Richard Wagner placed upon his opera singers. He had increased the size of the orchestra so much that to be able to sing over them, it was thought that one needed to be rather large. It was even in the singers contracts that they were not allowed to lose weight once they were hired for the season. Hence the image of the over-sized Valkyrie.
Annette, I never thought he lost them. Given our tumult, Trump, and Jan. 6th peoples' expectations in February - May were not realistic. I think that we'll be able to assess in the fall and winter months.
Can campaign money be used to pay for either a sedition defense or violation of a Congress person's oath of office defense? Or, must the individual pay for their own defense with clean money?
Trump used campaign money to pay legal fees for non-campaign-related actions. But given that the Republicans have gutted the Federal Election Commission it's doubtful that he'll ever get in trouble for doing so.
Re COVID, I received this message last night from my PhD, biogenetic researcher sister-in-law:
Covid Delta virus
When infected with the new Covid Delta virus, there is no cough, no fever.
There is a lot of joint pain, headaches, neck and upper back pain, general weakness, loss of appetite and pneumonia, this is Cubid Delta!
And of course, it is more venomous and has a higher mortality rate and sometimes asymptomatic! Let's be more careful because of this
This strain does not live in the nasopharynx area !
Now it directly affects the lungs, meaning shorter periods of time.
Please avoid crowded places, keep a distance of 1.5 meters even in open places. Use double masks and wash hands frequently (after coughing or sneezing).
Please no hugs and kisses, it's very dangerous right now, suppose everyone is asymptomatic.
* WAVE * is much more deadly than the first
* 19 *. So we have to be very careful and take *all kinds of precautions.*
Do not keep this information to yourself.
Share it as much as you can, especially with your family and friends.
Delta has an R knot range as high as chicken pox now and right on the heels of measles, one of the most infectious airborne transmissible disease of all time. Like our Olympians, we have given Covid the opportunity to train and get stronger for 18 months, and it continues to get stronger. The unvaccinated and their leadership has put the recovery, school year, concerts, sports, togetherness in jeopardy.
Thank you. I am sharing this and all other updates with friends and family. I have cleared my calendar of all "events" which put me in contact with anyone...especially the very young and the very old and the very vulnerable.
After I shared my horrible experience with the unvaccinated ER nurse who was testing me for Covid, my doctor asked me to put it in writing (I did.) Since then, the entire hospital system has instituted a policy requiring all staff and related businesses to the system to be vaccinated or be fired. Since she literally bragged to me about it, could not keep her own mask in place during the test itself, told me that she never wore a mask in public, told me that she "probably" had had Covid at least twice (she was never tested) and that breakthroughs were common, that people were dying, not due to Covid, but due to reactions to the vaccine...I seriously doubt that this woman will ever again work in health care. Incidentally, I was treated for RSV (commonly affecting small children), which is showing up as PNEUMONIA in ER's, especially prevalent among seniors. Be careful out there, everyone.
Even the basics of this are covered in nursing school. If they’re not, they should be. I haven’t been a nurse for 40 years but keep up with all things medical. It was common sense as soon as we knew Covid was respiratory that we would need ventilators and special rooms and nurses. I was appalled to watch how poorly it all unfolded.
The messaging from day one was bad. They claimed it was like the flu. Big mistake. People think they have the flu all the time when it’s not even close. I was thrilled when my grandson’s doctor explained exactly what the flu was and said vomiting was gastrointestinal distress, not the flu. He went on a Disneyland trip for his senior year February 1, 2020. He had a high fever and was congested right after. We quarantined him to his room and upstairs area for 5 days. Food went up on trays, conversations were conducted on FaceTime. He lost his mother in 2018, he doesn’t need to lose his grandparents because of foolishness.
I made over 500 masks, most going to the zoo to protect their N95 while they worked with the animals.
I was a nurse from 1972 until 2015 and do understand science. She obviously either put her politics of her training or is deliberately ignorant. That nurse should never work in the medical field again. By her actions, she is unqualified to practice. I wonder if she was reported to her state board of nursing for license suspension or removal. I sincerely hope so.
I do too. Since I posted this, I have heard from two friends who were vaccinated but who now have Covid. This breakthrough business is nothing to fool around with. Be careful!
I could not believe health care providers wouldn't REQUIRE their staff to be vaccinated! They are dealing with the most vulnerable and in many cases, the most infected, for Pete's sake!
This is what those Tea Party libertarian idiots have brought us to.
Hell's bells, we all want individual freedom, but that comes with responsibility to our fellows. They seem to have missed that part in Civics class.
The doc did some digging (I couldn't remember her name and he put me on hold and CALLED the ER to find out who she was) and said she was not a "regular" but was a "floater" that the hospital had employed to help with the overload. Apparently, that provider had no rules and so she just skated into the ER. He called me back again after hours to talk me through their policies and to tell me that she was not only unprofessional and unethical, but was also putting lives at risk. He took my letter straight to the Board overseeing that hospital so I'm sure she's long gone by now. I hope.
I was struck last night by an interview with a doctor who said “This isn’t COVID19, it’s COVID21.” Instead of talking about the Delta variant, we need a marketing strategy to change the perception to COVID21 or COVID 2.0. The people we need to reach are practiced at ignoring 19, but maybe renaming it would get their attention regarding how significantly more dangerous it is now. And for those of us who followed the science and got vaccinated, it might lessen the frustration with having to wear masks again.
I've been disappointed that we aren't getting more help from Madison Avenue to fight the misinformation both with private companies and Government. We need help explaining the the costs both monetary and human, counter the freedom argument....the loss of ones health is the loss of ones wealth, let alone the loss of ones freedom, and or death of a family member. For those that have lost someone, or struggling with the costs of that care, there is and will never be a "back to normal". If someone has died, or is living now with permanent reduced lung capacity, if a family has been evicted, or a small business lost, well, there is no going "back to normal". There is a story to tell here and Madison Avenue is not doing their part for their business clients future and certainly not for the country. The marketing investment needs to be made by Madison Avenue.
How can local county Health Department's budgets compete with very professional marketers and convincing state sponsored misinformation campaigns targeting their populace?
We have lost the battle of information, when 50 to 40% wont get vaccinated and have become militant in their anti mask anti vaccine view.
Required reading is this Max Fisher article. Consultants and marketing professionals are being hired by shell companies of rival nations to package their misinformation for hire. This is so wrong.
If the Libertarians' have their way, which they have figured out, just flavor the candidates with demagoguery, they will destroy the institutions that support and sustain democracy: Public Education, Public Health, EPA, etc etc etc. They want total control. They may be working alone or together as obstructionist's, but over time, they don't realize or do not care the beast they have created can kill democracy.
Madison Avenue seems to be very profit oriented. It would be nice if one company could be civic-minded enough to donate some time to creating a marketing strategy for the government, or maybe for a nice tax deduction? Then those ideas could be utilized in news interviews, especially with the CDC. Maybe with some news previews hawking Covid 2.0 as a teaser. I just see the people who really need to listen as hearing the current news coverage as sounding like Charlie Brown’s teacher voices. “Wah, Wah, not this again.”
Agree. how can we expect Country Health Departments or even State Health Departments with limited budgets to counter very focused and very well funded disinformation packaged as truth on SM?
Everyone claims to be an expert or have an expert in their corner. And the effect has some conservative doctors and nurses doubting the mRNA vaccines and Emergency use vaccines. The uneducated are easy prey. The educated are being recruited as well.
DIs and misinformation is a real problem. State sponsored by our enemies and some really misguided individuals out to monetize their own manipulation and false hoods only for their own greed. How can local health departments and hospitals cope in such an environment?
Pandemics mark the end of their era's. They bring things into focus. For the Plaque of the 13th century, things changed big time. After 1918 things changed big time. This Pandemic marks the end of the Industrial Age, and reminds us we are now in the new age of information. National Security depends on accepting this fact.
The military might now needs to shift to combating both misinformation and disease infiltration of the information age, so that a country can't be swept up conspiracy and falsehoods allowing disease to tear down the market place, public education, & public health, that lead to the loss of democracy itself. There is more than one road to unfreedom.
I wish it could be so simple (e.g., "The Plague 2021").. The names of new viruses are determined by international health groups (like the World Health Organization) using scientific codes and nomenclature. The original virus arose and was discovered in 2019, hence the 19. The variants to THIS virus are classified as they are identified, Alpha (1st), ... Delta (4th)... Public Health organizations have been making it clear how dangerous "Delta" is. Unfortunately, t-Rump and anti-vaxxer "experts" (some are physicians who make a lot of money off their hysteria) lie. And, a variant by any other name will get the same Faux News treatment. Public health outreach and education is a sophisticated marketing science of its own - but until the government stops these propaganda machines, the odds are not good.
So it can be officially COVID19, Delta variant, but in news coverage be hawked as “like Covid 2.0” Or flood social media with unofficial references to COVID21 or Covid 2.0. The idea is to grab people’s attention and it’s not like the antivaxxers are sticking to the technical truth.
We have a vaccine for Covid. We do not yet have a vaccine for the Delta variant. But the Covid vaccine will give people significant protection from it. We should not change the name. We need to get more people vaccinated against Covid period. And use masking where appropriate.
Hi Melinda - I have been googling to confirm the Covid Delta Symptoms your sister-in-law cited, but can find no confirmation. Can you tell us her source? I have read that COVID Delta is extremely prolific in the nose and throat even among the vaccinated which is why it is spreading so quickly. Please understand, I am not doubting you - ever since trump came into office I look for verification of everything.
Cheryl and everyone, I'm not sure if that matters. Everyone's physiology is unique. I think early on, we have made this mistake calling it just Covid-19. We should call it commonly "viral Pneumonia". Leave the other terms to medical professionals.
Covid virus attacks the ACE-2 Receptor in our cells. Epithelial cells have lots of these ACE2 Receptors. Epithelial cells are what line our nose, mouth, throat, trachea, lungs, as well as our blood vessels, and heart lining and most linings of organ's like the kidneys. Delta is more virulent, unleashing 1200x more virus particles per infected cell than the wild type. So it may be that it infects more cells much faster, destroys cells faster on its way to your lungs. This will probably lead to a faster lung tissue destruction and more intense cytokine storm. Its also possible that the viral load exhaled into the air is of a much higher concentration to what a potential host breathes in. Bottom line is that spreading of the disease is much faster. Virulence means the disease it will be more severe. This is why younger people are now much more at risk than before. This is new and improved covid-19, 2.0, 3.0, or 5.0, but really its Covid-19 1200.0 ( 1200 more virus is shedding per infected cell). And as long as it keeps spreading, the potential for virulence to increase more is a scientific & Public Health certainty.
When you are short of breath, constantly tired, or hear "lung Crackles" when breathing, with a fever, its time to get to a doctor.
Here's a few animations showing and describing what any viral pneumonia looks like at the cellular level: ( this is isn't perfect or complete, but you can get the idea of the physiology of the immune response and the damage from viral infection in the lungs. Bacterial Pneumonia almost always follows viral pneumonia.
I caught it 1 month after being fully vaccinated. At that time, I always wore my mask as Indiana had not yet dropped that requirement. Couple that with the fact that I am a very healthy person who doesn't hang out in crowds tells me that this variant is highly contagious. I had bad headaches, the back of my neck ached, extremely tired and sinus pressure. No fever nor any issues with breathing or my lungs. And it only lasted about 5 days.
Terry, thank you for sharing this. If you are comfortable about letting us know whether testing was recommended once you felt symptom free, it could be useful to know. Salud!
No, I didn't have to retest when I felt symptom free. I spoke numerous times to my doctor's office and covid tracers though. They were good at guiding me.
Thanks, Terry. I am fully vaccinated. Reports and doctors talking about the need for more testing is the reason I raised the question with you. I have wondered if and why I would test for Covid even if I am unaware of whether I've been exposed and have no symptoms. Clearly, all I have to do is message my doctor with the question of under what circumstances should I get a test. The Delta variant has stirred questions and concerns. I appreciated your response.
What's interesting is that I messaged my doctor because I thought I had a sinus infection. It never crossed my mind that I might have covid. It is very concerning. I'm hoping I can't catch it again.
Terry, For my understanding, I am going to write what I think you just posted to me. 1. You messaged your doctor today because you are having respiratory discomfort. 2. Exchanges with you on the Forum regarding your past covid infection and Delta may have prompted you to contact your doctor as you think you may have a sinus infection. 3. Now you are concerned as Delta has different symptoms than covid 19. 4. You haven't yet heard from your doctor and you are worried.
Have I understood? Terry please contact me, so that we can communicate again soon.
CNN is also reporting CDC research that is showing that those vaccinated are just as infectious with the Delta variant as those not vaccinated and not as previously thought. It has been assumed until now that vaccination actually reduces your risk of infecting the other. CDC's policy on masks has abruptly changed to a warning to both vaccinated and non-vccinated to wear masks whereever appropriate. Vaccination is thus self-protection and not protection of the other.
"The CDC has issued COVID-19 testing recommendations urging fully vaccinated people to get tested three to five days after exposure to the virus even if they don't experience symptoms. Prior recommendations indicated fully vaccinated people only needed testing after exposure if they were symptomatic. Full Story: The New York Times (7/30)
DELTA INFO STILL BEING CLARIFIED. THERE IS SOME PROTECTION FROM DELTA WITH VACCINES. UNIVERAL MASKING IS RECOMMENDED, MAINTAINING DISTANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE, AVOID CROWDED PLACES. FULL VACCINATION BRINGS DOWN TRANSMISSION.
Ted, your comment above is not up-to-date. 'Critically, the study (CDC) found that vaccinated individuals carried as much virus in their noses as unvaccinated individuals, and that vaccinated people could spread the virus to each other.' (... 'Only a handful of people in the outbreak were hospitalized, but four of them were fully vaccinated.' The complete picture is evolving.
"When the facts change, so does my opinion" -W. Churchill I think this is how the CDC evolves in its guidance.
Individuals infected with Delta releases 1200x more virus per infected cell than previous or wild type strains. The virus is evolving quickly.
It has always been a fact that vaccinated people can still have an infection (although mild) AND spread virus to others.
It is a fact that less than 1% of hospitalized patients are break through infections, typically the oldest people or immune compromised and haven't been able to maintain high enough antibody titers (immune efficiency) to keep up with Delta.
None of the above should be used to scare people that they should not get vaccinated. ALL should get vaccinated asap.
Are we splitting hairs? I am saying/agreeing that Delta does release MORE virus particles, (1200x more particles per infected cell than the wild type) whether you are vaccinated or not.
Being vaccinated protects you from severe disease and hospitalization, and death, but not at 100%, so far it is 97-99% of people getting hospitalized with delta. People should understand, vaccines are not magically going to prevent 100% infection. The vaccinated have the antibody response that counter the disease, preventing Viral Pneumonia and the cytokine storm that causes severe disease (lung destruction) and death.
Vaccinations don't prevent you your cells from infection and replicating, thus every vaccinated person can also be a vector of spread. Breakthrough infections are a risk so a layered approach of being vaccinated, wearing a mask and follow the guidance is what I'm saying with you.
However, if we say that Vaccinations don't prevent infection, some misconstrue that meaning and think the vaccines don't work and they spread that misinformation without understanding the protection from hospitalizations and severe disease that vaccination provides. Breakthrough infections ( causing severe disease in a vaccinated person ) is not the same as a mild infection in a vaccinated person. Both can lead to spread, but both do not mean the vaccines don't work.
Ted, no one wrote that 'Vaccinations don't prevent infection' as you wrote. A couple of times, including in your reply to me above, you wrote ' Being vaccinated protects you from severe disease and hospitalization,...' Some subscribers were understandably concerned as incomplete info was just released about Delta. I simply tried to clarify that a few fully vaccinated people have been hospitalized and that data was still being collected and evaluated. I think we were both doing the best we could as the picture was evolving.
Valid. I did not word that very well did I? I'm scared too. I could pass it on to my mother in law. 2x cancer survivor, immunocompromised and has kidney issues from her chemo treatments.
Thank you, Melinda. I read that its effects on older people are even more serious than other age groups. Was there anything about that in the message you received?
subpoena’s can’t fix stupid, but it can shut Jim Jordan’s malignant sh*t funnel of a mouth. C-span’s gonna have a ratings spike steeper than Florida’s new Covid cases.
I hope I'm not jinxing us, but I feel encouraged about a lot of things right now. I've been predicting that Biden appears to be systematically working on priorities without a lot of commentary. Well, the first group of Afghani interpreters are due to land in the U.S. within hours. While there are only some of them, and some of the rest will be sent in the near future, and while the future is horrifying and uncertain for many, at least it's a glimmer of hope. Let's pray that they manage to pull this off, and figure out a way to bring those heroes who can't make their way to Kabul, to be rescued in place.
Eighteen Republicans have voted in favor of advancing the bipartisan infrastructure bill, and McConnell not only approved of its advancement but also said he'd vote for it. This, after iDJiT called the 9 Republicans who were planning to vote "weak losers" or something similar, and instead of worrying about displeasing the ex-emperor, the final number doubled. Now, we know that these people understood that voting against the wildly popular bill would be political suicide, but it's been a cliffhanger, and if it stays on track, it's good news. Of course, it's not a slam dunk, but it looks better than it did two days ago.
DOJ letting Mo Brooks know that he's on his own is good, but according to Lawrence Tribe tonight in talking to Ali Velshi, the wording telling Brooks that government employees inciting a mob to insurrection can't in any way be construed to be part of their job responsibilities can also carry over to Trump, and neither of them can claim executive privilege or any other protection. I'd be willing to design and construct orange jumpsuits for anyone who can be proved to be in cahoots with them.
Next is the work to bring voting rights legislation to fruition in the next week. With all the damage having been done in many states, especially in removing the elections boards and replacing them with partisans, who will have unfettered authority to overturn election results, this is crucial. Georgia has signaled that they are planning to remove the Fulton County elections board (they've been working on this for months). Since Fulton encompasses Atlanta, and has many minority voters, this just can't happen. Clearly, the plan is a fallback if Democrats brave all of the new voter suppression laws and turn out in numbers mirroring the 2020 election and the Senate runoffs. As we all know, this type of "voter integrity" law is the most dangerous of any that they've churned out thus far. DOJ is also showing willingness to be aggressive in this arena, so Merrick Garland, like Biden, apparently has been working and keeping his cards close to the vest.
If all of this turns out well, it will be life changing in many respects, and just might put iDJiT out of control, except for his bats**t crazy base.
I know that all of you have already heard everything I've written (and more that I intended to relate, but forgot😒), but I had to enter all of it because my husband's asleep and my cats don't care. Please don't burst my bubble by telling me that none of it is guaranteed, and it'll be torpedoed.
Nancy, I am very worried about these horrible Georgia state legislators pushing their nasty agenda. I do agree with you that Garland has plans to put a kibosh to their devious ways. I will just think positive and keep sending good vibes.
In spite if your husband’s slumber and your cats indifferences, you did a helluva good job!
Thanks, Marlene. Since Georgia isn't alone in this, I do believe that Biden will put a lot of pressure on passing the voting legislation. I will be verbally eviscerating Gov. Shotgun and his scurvy band later today, not that they'll care.
In regard to your last sentence in par. 3, I'd be willing to donate concrete blocks and heavy chains to attach to their legs, and then push them overboard in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Alabama.
Must admit, I plagiarized it from another contributor here - can't recall who, but it's certainly descriptive, and he'd never figure it out if he stumbled on it. Use TFG, too, also plagiarized.
I wish more people would think of C-SPAN (instead of (or in addition to) broadcast/cable media or even PBS) when there's an important hearing. I don't personally feel the need for a talking head or two interpreting what I've heard. I can read educated opinions later, or watch PBS Newshour, Washington Week, DW News, BBC, etc. While each pretty much repeats the basics, there often is added perspective that I value.
Just when we enjoyed a couple lunches in our favorite restaurant and were thinking we could visit our favorite bookstore....Powell's in Portland, a whole city block with two stories, the virus has shot up with lots of cases and people going to the hospital. So the servers in the restaurant (we did takeout) are back in masks, we will wear masks again while grocery shopping, and instead of browsing, order books online. The people who refuse to get vaccinated are the same people who howl about mask mandates, any closures, and not being able to do what they damn well please. I do think a few R pols have figured out that they are putting their own base in harm's way, but more are doubling down. Our governor just ordered masks for schools when they open (hopefully) in the fall.
One of our all time favorite places. We are lucky to have it here in Oregon. the pandemic was hard for Powell's, but they seem to have recovered somewhat.
When I visited a friend in Vancouver WA a few years ago, she took me there. Stunning collection especially the massive collection of 2nd-hand paperbacks.
Agree Michelle. the people who refuse to get vaccinated are the same people who howl about mask mandates.” Reminds me of the people who oppose abortion are the same people who won’t fund contraceptives.
They’re all wolves howling at the moon with no discernible objective.
The wolves are howling at something they don't understand, the big shiny light in the night sky which frightens them. So they try to make it go away. And what do you know, every night it does! But it always comes back. Correlation doesn't equal causation. This is what I feel goes on with the anti-vax / anti-mask crowd. They're making noise and drawing attention to themselves over issues they just don't get.
Same here in KC: we were able to go to our favorite restaurants but one of the most careful--got through the entire lockdown doing takeout and feeding essential workers for free without a single case--had to shut down temporarily because one of their employees, ALL of whom are vaccinated, got infected. So it is back to masks and outdoor dining and take-away. I never stopped wearing a mask, to be honest: I don't trust the yahoos of Missouri and Kansas.
On the local next door, a person made a plea for people to get vaccinated. I haven't read the whole thread, but my oh my, do we have a lot of experts on problems with this vaccine in our area.
I cut Next Door and blocked it. I know most of my neighbor are idiots. I don't have to have the fact shoved in my face in their own idiot words every day.
Our moderators are excellent and post a lot of things we need to know about like local emergencies and crime, lost and found animals, etc. Also we have a group who helped a local homeless camp until ODOT decided it needed to go. People ask for recommendations and occasionally help. I find that the benefits outweigh the downside which I usually ignore.
Kate Brown has done an excellent job, but was unpopular even before the pandemic. I know people who should know better who want to blame her for everything and one of them is now camping out on the capitol grounds because Kate can single handedly solve the homeless problem. I have even seen complaints show up about her on UO threads. I am sure she will be glad when her term is over.
That’s a good bet. Their damage is done. Unfortunately it’s going to be to damn late now for their unvaccinated constituents. Delta is and is going to continue raging.
I’ve said it before, I will never understand how killing off your base is a good strategy for getting elected. I mean how really stupid are they?! Oh, That Stupid!
Right out of No Nonsense Nancy’s mouth, Ted! Qevin is shaking in his boots and I am loving it. I got kicked off Twitter until Saturday because of some colorful language that I used regarding him snd others. So worth it!
I've got a friend from Jim Wright's page who goes to Facebook Gaol frequently because of her colorful language when calling people out for their Covid stupidity. She's a retired RAF pilot from Northern Ireland. Her language is colorful indeed.
Nobody does it better than a female Irish pilot! Does Facebook punish only the Left? I am not on FB, but have heard lots of trash from Trumpies that isn't censored.
She does everything so well. Someone needs to create a montage of her best moments - condescendingly clapping in TFG's ear, shaking her finger at him in a meeting, tearing up the SOTU address as he spoke, and other gems.
I did not wish anyone harm from covid. Last year I read as much as I could about 1918. Now I’m turning to reading about the plague of the dark ages. Suffering is humanities greatest teacher. What came after the Black Plague? The Renaissance!
Ted, you're clearly more highly evolved than I, and in the past I've considered the Renaissance and wonderful architecture as being the silver lining of the plague. However, while I don't really want to see any more victims of this pandemic, I've been so traumatized by the last five years (actually 10, including most of Obama's presidency), that I want revenge. So, it's IDJiT's and his enablers' fault. We do concur, though about Jordan. Also, I just realized that Nancy called McCarthy a moron, not Jordan. They both qualify.
Covid damages blood vessels, that includes the ones used to get an erection. It’s not a complete study yet but is being looked at closely. If only they spent as much time and money studying and curing women’s health issues.
But hey, if we can convince men of this maybe they’ll get the vaccine.
Alternatively, if they continue to refuse, the gene pool will be diminished by both. We'll just have to be careful to wear masks, etc. to avoid being infected by them.
The penny is beginning to drop here in Missouri, except for the eedjit attorney general, who wants to take over Roy Blunt's seat and has decided that suing St. Louis and Kansas City over our mask mandates is the way to gain popularity. The governor seems to have basically shut himself in the old manse and, other than suggesting that monetary incentives might be a way to go, won't lift a finger to help anyone--or harm anyone, either, since he is MIA (emergency medical help to Springfield is coming weeks late and not from the gov's office as far as I know). That is preferable to actively trying to encourage the death of non-white people by refusing to support masking and telling lies: as far as I can tell, that has been the Ghastly Obstructionist Party's rationale for lying about covid since the infection and death rates have been, until recently, super high in the populations of working poor who are drawn from non-white populations. Now that it is hitting their own whitey pals they're getting a little nervous. I am waiting to hear the Repugnicans howl because the U of Missouri system just imposed mandatory indoor mask wearing for all four campuses until at least mid-September. We are hearing from local medical experts that the infection surge is likely to peak around October.
As to the other thing, I am more and more reminded of the warning about cornering rabid dogs--or, in the midwest, rabid raccoons. The desperation of the Ghastly Overtly-fascist Party is growing. The revolting specimens who tried to invade the governor's office in Michigan have been indicted on domestic terrorism charges and so that is going to be a fun autumn entertainment event. I am hoping that the courts are lumbering toward indicting Gaetz for sex trafficking; I am hoping the Dems field a reasonable opponent to Greene in GA (she ran unopposed because of the death threats raining down on her opponents in the primary but I don't think the Dems tried to field a candidate in that district--GA folks help me out here?). I agree: the Blue wave needs to be a Blue tsunami. And that means getting the vote out despite restrictions, suing the sh*t out of legislative gerrymandering, and the like. And it is going to get ugly because the rabid dogs are scared sh*tless about what could happen. So I am not super optimistic, because most people don't have the stomach for what might be coming down the line.
Linda, we don't have a choice. Much sorrow, worry, frustration, alarm, reflection, learning, determination, care and with the solid leadership of Biden and team; the experience and brilliance of Stacy Abrams and Fair Fight, Indivisible, The League of Women Voters and army of grassroots organizations; a large squadron seniors at the ramparts from Biden, Pelosi, Fauci, Clyburn, Sanders and Warren to Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), and many more -- we have the stomach, the will and Blue from sea to shining sea.
Good morning, Fab. I have found out more about courage and a strong stomach from working with kids in schools for so many years. When their backs are against the wall, they find a way to howl back at any beast confronting them. I’ve marveled a few times at the pure innocence of it because they are so fierce about loyalty and connected to their spirits still without any guilt or worry about a price they might have to pay.
The strength of the stomach is all about the courage of the spirit.
Why aren't Dems more insulted by language like "Republican Senators and Congressmen will either vote to turn America into a godless, amoral, dictatorial, oppressed, and socialist nation on the decline..." He left of pedophiles.
Yes. That’s it. We have laws to help guide us in our behavior towards one another and protect us from those who believe anything goes. But in times like now, when we are pushing the culture to grow and embrace even greater pluralism, fairness and equality all in keeping with the guidelines of our Constitution, there are always going to be reactions that confuse progressive growth, with dissolution, because growth represents change. For our democracy to function, it must always reflect the will of the majority of the people, operating within a fair and legal framework. Criminals often actively use the law as a means to protect themselves from the norms of law enforcement; this is why we are transfixed by the testimony of the Capitol Police Officers who were attacked on January 6. Most of us still can’t believe anyone would be so brazen to attack the Capitol, while our sworn elected representatives we’re doing their duty to certify electoral votes of the presidential election. So now, as we start shake off the excesses of an obstructionist minority party that has destroyed itself out of its willingness to say, and do anything —legal or not—-to remain powerful enough to hold back the growth and development of our democracy, we are witnessing the reckoning of the rule of law with those of them like Brooks, trump and others. This is what has to happen…and it’s happening. At the very same time, dedicated representatives of government at all levels of our society, continue to do their jobs and uphold the rule of law in keeping with our Constitution that they swore to uphold and protect. It’s amazing, truly. This is how it goes in a good and healthy democracy. Feel good about that everyone and take heart. There is a lot of important work ahead that will make our country and the world that much more just, fair and free; keep your spirits up… it’s not easy, it’s hard to do… but we’re getting there.
The spate of state level voter-suppression laws across the country seem to qualify for scrutiny under the RICO act since these are disingenuous laws coordinated by national forces that participated in the fraud and insurrection that was Jan 6th.
The Republican anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers in Congress put me in mind of toddlers, who stamp their feet, hold their breath, and say "You can't make me do it." Toddlers have an excuse for that behavior; these folks don't.
IDK how we got here, to this “Culture of Ignorance” as described by Isaac Asimov, but I am daily put in despair by the assaults of insanity at every turn. Whether it is the Big Lie believers of the ignorant cult followers of the POSer President, or the total denial of scientific facts by the ignorant elected officials (elected by equally ignorant voters) I am appalled daily by insanity that has taken over my nation.
A lot of it comes from the disdain for education in the rural South, which I have seen all my life from family members in Mississippi. But, even those who have managed to get college degrees (which I suspect by their very limited knowledge of any real facts) are pushing these insane ideas that are taken as truth by the ignorant cultists. This manifested in the mob attack on our government on January 6th and continues with Repugnant Party Big Lie supporters within our government today, who are still trying to destroy our nation.
Members of our government deny scientific facts of disease control & prevention in the face of a resurging pandemic by refusing to wear masks, the simplest effect means of preventing the spread of this airborne pathogen. This encourages the ignorant cultists to do the same on airliners and other closed spaces, endangering all around them – total insane chaos.
Then, when we got a quick vaccine that has been proven effective in preventing drawn out respiratory failure and death the ignorant cultists fight against that following the direction of elected officials (many of whom have actually been vaccinated). Not only in Washington but those of us in these Backward States like Florida have to contend with ignorant cult leaders like Gov. Ron DeathSantis who are countermanding the new Mask Mandates against the Delta Variant of COVID-19 that is filling our ICUs again with dying unvaccinated patients.
There is No Logic, No Rhyme Nor Reason for any of this except INSANITY.
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” - Isaac Asimov
Years ago, I had an interesting conversation with a Scottish teacher. She explained to me that the popular kids in Scottish schools were the smart ones, whereas here, it’s the jocks and cheerleaders. We do it to ourselves, and it starts early.
Yes, we had 2 foreign exchange students in 2015-2016 from Germany and Norway. All of the sports and dances were new to them. They were amazed by how superficial all the classes were. It was like a vacation for them. My senior decided to go through commencement so we sat through the parading of the band, the athletes and award after award all for non-academic stuff. We heard about lots of scholarships for sports. And 5 minutes to give 1 academic award. So disappointing.
When my daughter graduated in 1996 as valedictorian the awards were more equally given. In 20 years we have prized the fluff way more than those that will advance us in a meaningful way. Good sportsmanship is a thing of the past, these people just become bullies.
Don't get me started on athletics and cheerleading and the like. I spent many years in education in a small school near Salem (OR). When we began to call extra curricular activities co-curricular, I knew we were in really trouble. We were lucky to have many excellent teachers, some of whom coached. But the absolute worst were the head football coach, essentially hired by the booster club, and sometimes the boys basketball coach. Not only were they awful teachers, they were also awful human beings.
Good morning Michele! It was that way in my High School as well. (Glendale, suburb of LA). The football coach was nicknamed Neanderthal because he looked big and mean and had no neck. His attempts at teaching anything were pathetic. But they bought him a nice new car as an incentive to lead our football team to mediocrity.
Hmmm. Do they all look alike. We had one who could have been called Neanderthal because he looked like an ape, walked like an ape, acted like the alpha ape. I did chuckle when on another thread, I found an ex-student who absolutely excoriated him by name when I mentioned the football coach problem without a name....had that dope in mind. Had another one tell us in a faculty meeting that we all should just get the hell out of his way. Then there are the private school athletic empires.
My kids spent a sabbatical year in Italian schools. They had the normal classes like gym and art, but school sports quite literally do not exist. The middle school kids were done at 1:00, with plenty of time to pursue extra curricular activities.
I think we place such a value on team sports here because it trains our children for things we value - sportsmanship, team work etc. Different things are valued in Italian culture. Just as an example, there, exams were oral, in front of the entire class. They are training their kids for different cultural necessities. I couldn’t say which is better, but I was extremely impressed with the schools in Italy.
I value sportsmanship and teamwork also and I confess that, as I am Hoosier born, I do love basketball. However, I know too much about the total lying, discrimination of various kinds, and lack of character evidenced by some of the coaches.
When I taught in Concordia U. and UQAM in Montréal, I was extremely relieved to have a qurter of my students coming for a year from European universities. It helped the other Canadian students move along a little more sharply.
Could it be to do with the ever prevailing sense of community in Scotland rather than the constant search for personal advantage at the expense of the other?
Numerous article on the internet point out the overriding issue concerning mask wearing or inoculations.
In some circles, to do either is to cave into the liberal, socialist, nanny state. That simply can’t be done nor can anyone figure out how to reach those people.
While I agree with you and Asimov on the danger of the "cult of ignorance," I think that in the United States (and, according to David Goodhart in his book "Head, Hand, Heart," in Europe as well) we "lettered" folks have helped to fuel it. Educational, governmental, and societal systems have and do worship intellectualism while they belittle hands on work. Even Biden's plan to expand education only mentions "certification" in a trade as an afterthought. You make me feel stupid, you grow stupid.
Like Ernestine the Operator (Lily Tomlin) said, “I Am a High School Graduate!” From my exposure to lettered folks, I probably have the equivalent of a Bachelor degree, and with my knack for writing, I have proofed & edited quite a few of their writings for them. What I can’t understand is how some of these ignorant as rocks politicians who say some of the most outrageously STUPID things have Bachelor, Master & even Ph.D degrees.
Oh my! It's 11:07 pm CDT. I've had one too many martinis to write an intelligible comment, however, my first response with regard to the Republican Waste-oids and their very desperate attempts is: HA HA HA!!!
Thank you, Heather, I will actually sleep tonight.
Sign me up. I'll bring gin. In my world, "OG" stood for "original guy" which also is a direct definition of "old school" (or, also in my world, "dinosaur")
And I'll make sure we have olives, onions, twists. We're talking real martinis - gin or vodka - not some bizarre fru-fru drink called a martini, right?
I think the pickled onion makes it a Gibson. My parents drank them and I loved the onion juice by the finger-tip while I read novels on hot summer days about age 12.
Bless Chip Roy ... he must have fallen off the back of a pick-up truck ...
Back in January, he voted to accept the election results, citing the illogical flaw of rejecting the presidential results at the top of the ballot, while at the same time endorsing the vote for House members further down the ticket.
Now he's gone all stupid in wanting to close the House of Representative when his own constituents in Texas live and work and have their being in a fully open state with no Covid restrictions. In fact, Gov. Abbott and his ilk made mask mandates illegal for state agencies, including all the public universities that are about to welcome back thousands of young people to dorms and classrooms.
Delta variant? What Delta variant?
I'll be calling Chip's office in the morning, since he's my House member ....
I cannot imagine how the professors feel, there, and in Wisconsin, which has likewise prohibited mask and vaccine mandates. I’m already uncomfortable with my husband returning to the classroom in a few weeks here in Ohio.
My university's Chief Medical Officer issued a fact-filled statement about the rise of cases in our county. Almost every paragraph reinforced the necessity to wear masks, even though such a simple action cannot be mandated.
My closest colleagues and I agree that we will be wearing masks. Since I teach in a music department and musicians need their lungs, as one student reminded me last spring, I anticipate that many of my students will also be wearing masks.
"To evade the lawsuit, Brooks gave an affidavit in which he and his lawyers insisted that this language was solely a campaign speech, urging voters to support Republican lawmakers in 2022 and 2024."
Congressman, we may have born at night, but it wasn't LAST night.
I'm probably getting more pleasure out of watching these guys (and gals) squirm than I should, but hey, as the Byrds sang, "It's been a long time comin'............."
“She wrote: "Fox persuasively argues, that given Mr. Carlson's reputation, any reasonable viewer 'arrive[s] with an appropriate amount of skepticism' about the statement he makes."
Vyskocil, an appointee of President Trump's, added, "Whether the Court frames Mr. Carlson's statements as 'exaggeration,' 'non-literal commentary,' or simply bloviating for his audience, the conclusion remains the same — the statements are not actionable."
In other words, the statement was so outrageous that no reasonable person would believe it.
The trouble is, we presently have a dearth of "reasonable persons" in this nation and a plethora of wigged out bat-shit crazy cultists who believe every LIE that these talking heads spew out of their face anus.
I wish everyone, including Heather, would get clear on one thing: voter suppression is a distraction.
It's VOTE NULLIFICATION that's the true threat to our democratic republic. Georgia is leading the way with their authoritarian law that allows the Republication legislature to replace members of elections boards who will be able to change the outcome of elections if they are not happy. If that law had been in place in on January 5, the Senate would be in the hands of the Republicans as the Republican-controlled elections boards would ensure that enough votes were "found" for Perdue and Loeffler to hold on to their positions.
I'm sure they're aware but "here's the deal" -- the only thing we hear/read about is voter suppression. While attempts to suppress votes are evil they can be overcome. Yes it will take a lot of effort but it's not an insurmountable barrier. Vote nullification cannot be overcome unless a miracle happens and Democrats start winning state legislative seats. If we don't start making THAT our focus, the forces of authoritarianism, with the assistance of the Heritage Action Fund, will continue to get stronger.
Why fine them if they don't wear masks? Just refuse to let them into the chamber, or eject them if they take their masks off. Isn't that part of the sergeant-at-arms' duty?
While I agree with your idea, I think the difficulty is in the enforcement. Barring them from entry to the chamber allows the possibility of a physical confrontation, with potential for a sergeant-at-arms grappling with a member of congress. Not a good look, as they say.
On the other hand, it makes (especially the House) leadership look weak if they're allowed to go in maskless and then conduct their antic demonstrations.
I wish the reality based members who manage to retain common sense, i.e. not the maskless fools, would call them out relentlessly and forcefully, not allowing the business of the chamber go forward until the covidiots complied with the PUBLIC HEALTH SAFETY rules that are in effect to, you know, protect the public health! I think that would go a long way to shame the brainless, show unity in the face of aggressive stupidity, and demonstrate the strength of the consensus for health safety.
It is my hope that the more the rethuglicans try to distract from the truth, the more the truth will come out. And, the more the likes of Gym Jordan and Moron McCarthy try to avoid testifying, the deeper they dig the whole party into the ground. Then, there's Mo Brooks, admitting he "knew something was up" so wore the vest/slept in his office, etc. You know he wasn't the only one. There have been several people on Twitter reposting a Steve Bannon podcast from 1/5 stating that all hell is going to break loose. (Sorry, don't know how to post the tweet here, but if you search Steve Bannon on Twitter, it comes up.) So many people knew what was coming. So few did anything. 😞
Harry Truman was right back in 1948, and has been ever since: "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies."
I hope the half of the House Republicans who are unvaccinated catch this and Make America Great Again with their permanent departures. I am so goddamned sick and tired of these @@#$%#@#@!!! MORONS. Nancy Pelosi was right when she said of Qevin McQarthy, "he's such a moron."
OPINION: 'Will Trump ever be held accountable? The Justice Department just increased the odds.'
Laurence H. Tribe, Carl M. Loeb University Professor emeritus and a professor of constitutional law emeritus at Harvard Law School wrote the Opinion, titled above, which was published yesterday in the Washington Post. As a lawyer Professor Tribe won 35 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.
The following are excerpts from his Opinion:
'Donald Trump managed to evade legal accountability throughout his presidency. That might be about to change — and the newest sign comes in a brief filed by the Justice Department. It doesn’t directly address the former president, yet has ominous implications for his ability to avoid responsibility for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.'
'The Justice filing came in a lawsuit in which Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and a number of Capitol Police officers have sued Trump and others for their roles in the insurrection. One of those named in the suit, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), claimed that he is immune from personal liability under a law known as the Westfall Act, which shields federal officials acting within the scope of their' employment.
'U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta asked for the Justice Department’s position, and, in a filing Tuesday, the department resoundingly rejected Brooks’s view. This is a correct — indeed, an unavoidable — interpretation of the law. It is a view that is directly relevant to Trump’s potential liability in the Swalwell lawsuit and other pending litigation, ...'
The department first invoked Brooks’s own “defense” that his appearance at Trump’s Jan. 6 rally before the insurrection was “campaign activity,” not part of his official position: He was trying to get Trump declared the winner of the 2020 election and to promote GOP wins in 2022 and 2024. That was, the department properly concluded, political activity, not remotely covered by any immunity.
Even if Brooks’s appearance was not deemed campaign-related, the department added, he still is not entitled to immunity because he was accused of violating federal law — by definition, not part of his job. “Instigat[ing] a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol … plainly could not be within the scope of federal employment,” the brief said.
'Where does that leave Trump, who is also a defendant in the lawsuit and has also asked that it be dismissed? Not in great legal shape, in my view.'
'Tellingly, the department’s brief said, “Inciting or conspiring to foment a violent attack on the United States Congress is not within the scope of employment of a Representative — or any federal employee,” a category manifestly including the president himself.'
Here is a link to the full Opinion:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/29/will-trump-ever-be-held-accountable-
justice-department-just-increased-odds/
The pandemic rages on as do some of the worst governors in our country's history. In truth, it would be better to leave that judgement to Heather. Quite a number of us vented our anger yesterday concerning the madness in the country, following Annette's lead.
The madness continues. Here are links to several stories in today's New York Times. They contain information about the coronavirus, including the Delta variant, which will not ease our anxiety but provide valuable information:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/07/29/world/covid-delta-variant-vaccine/
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/07/29/us/delta-variant-risk-map.html
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/07/29/world/europe/europe-us-vaccination.html
Court days a comin’ for the Orange Ayatollah of Neckjellyoh
Neckjellyoh?
You know, the blobby "no neck" look.
So well put; thank you, TC.
Like McTurtleneck?
TY
Yeppers
Proper link for Laurence Tribe's OPINION:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/29/will-trump-ever-be-held-accountable-justice-department-just-increased-odds/
Love Tribe! His explanation of whether not TFG will/ can be held responsible is a definitive “YES”! Thanks, Fern.
TFG???
The Former Guy, e.g. Trump
Thanks. Saw Tribe on MSNBC tonite.
Right, Fern.
"Will Trump ever be held accountable?" I wonder about that a lot. I wonder if trump, jarvanka, trump's cronies who broke the law with him, and every other sycophant who lied for him and committed perjury--I wonder if they'll ever be brought to Justice and face their due. Will we ever be able to change the climate of endless corruption in government? Will be able to achieve the honest, happy, and healthy environment we all want? Not to be a downer, but...It's looking dim.
Righteous questions, Heydon.
Did any of you catch this one? Seems Kushner’s security clearance “force through” will add to his portfolio, serving Israel and the gulf states. The grift continues. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/jared-kushner-leave-politics-launch-investment-firm-sources-2021-07-28/
That clearance needs to be rescinded. And security clearance needs to be reinstated for those who TFG cancelled.
There needs to be a law written to update efforts and enforcement aimed at both money laundering and corruption. Most American don’t realize that any dark LLC can blindly purchase real estate in America. It’s an open door for money launderers and a pathway sustaining corruption.
trump and jarvanka have truly made a mockery of our security clearance system. trump's intelligence advisors told him not to grant Jarvanka security clearances. But trump overruled everyone and gave him highest level security clearances. and trump made them senior white house advisors.
I wish we had Ed Snowden as a forensic detective combing the digital financial records of government officials. Then, making public all those off-shore accounts and their transactions.
The tax returns are important but what voters really need to see is the # of property:real estate sales to blind/dark LLCs. Then dig deeper by Treasury Dept agents to identify and expose the buyers of so many properties and compare those inflated priced sales vs fair market value/appraised value at time of sale . That will tell us plenty.
Yes, that sounds like a good approach. The octopus of greed and corruption has arms and modes of theft stretching far and wide.
Agree. But u don’t need Snowden. It is public record what and which Drumf properties sold to dark LLCs. Why are so many dark LLC’s such a large proportion of Drumf property sales:buyers?Because they are made by foreign Govts buying future influence.
The dark LLCs bring to mind journalist Matt Taibbi's description of Goldman Sachs as "a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money."
The fox guarding the chicken coop?
Yep, trump and his toadie-henchmen are the fox, and we're the chicken coop.
Hmmmm. So are the Kushners going to conveniently relocate to Israel before the poo flies?
Perhaps we’ll see they and Mr. Barrack having dinner in the UAE.
Very likely.
Hahahaha
WOW!!!
Yet we've got high hopes! Not over till the fat lady sings.
I don't care about political correctness, I love that phrase. It comes from the requirements that Richard Wagner placed upon his opera singers. He had increased the size of the orchestra so much that to be able to sing over them, it was thought that one needed to be rather large. It was even in the singers contracts that they were not allowed to lose weight once they were hired for the season. Hence the image of the over-sized Valkyrie.
Good question. My answer: Not likely.
Maybe, just maybe, AG Garland is finding his cojones: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-attorney-general-garland-tells-texas-rescind-order-limiting-immigrant-travel-2021-07-29/
Annette, I never thought he lost them. Given our tumult, Trump, and Jan. 6th peoples' expectations in February - May were not realistic. I think that we'll be able to assess in the fall and winter months.
Can campaign money be used to pay for either a sedition defense or violation of a Congress person's oath of office defense? Or, must the individual pay for their own defense with clean money?
Trump used campaign money to pay legal fees for non-campaign-related actions. But given that the Republicans have gutted the Federal Election Commission it's doubtful that he'll ever get in trouble for doing so.
Good question. I'm not going to make a guess.
Re COVID, I received this message last night from my PhD, biogenetic researcher sister-in-law:
Covid Delta virus
When infected with the new Covid Delta virus, there is no cough, no fever.
There is a lot of joint pain, headaches, neck and upper back pain, general weakness, loss of appetite and pneumonia, this is Cubid Delta!
And of course, it is more venomous and has a higher mortality rate and sometimes asymptomatic! Let's be more careful because of this
This strain does not live in the nasopharynx area !
Now it directly affects the lungs, meaning shorter periods of time.
Please avoid crowded places, keep a distance of 1.5 meters even in open places. Use double masks and wash hands frequently (after coughing or sneezing).
Please no hugs and kisses, it's very dangerous right now, suppose everyone is asymptomatic.
* WAVE * is much more deadly than the first
* 19 *. So we have to be very careful and take *all kinds of precautions.*
Do not keep this information to yourself.
Share it as much as you can, especially with your family and friends.
Delta has an R knot range as high as chicken pox now and right on the heels of measles, one of the most infectious airborne transmissible disease of all time. Like our Olympians, we have given Covid the opportunity to train and get stronger for 18 months, and it continues to get stronger. The unvaccinated and their leadership has put the recovery, school year, concerts, sports, togetherness in jeopardy.
Thank you. I am sharing this and all other updates with friends and family. I have cleared my calendar of all "events" which put me in contact with anyone...especially the very young and the very old and the very vulnerable.
Thank you, Ted. I have emailed Melinda's post and will add yours.
After I shared my horrible experience with the unvaccinated ER nurse who was testing me for Covid, my doctor asked me to put it in writing (I did.) Since then, the entire hospital system has instituted a policy requiring all staff and related businesses to the system to be vaccinated or be fired. Since she literally bragged to me about it, could not keep her own mask in place during the test itself, told me that she never wore a mask in public, told me that she "probably" had had Covid at least twice (she was never tested) and that breakthroughs were common, that people were dying, not due to Covid, but due to reactions to the vaccine...I seriously doubt that this woman will ever again work in health care. Incidentally, I was treated for RSV (commonly affecting small children), which is showing up as PNEUMONIA in ER's, especially prevalent among seniors. Be careful out there, everyone.
Even the basics of this are covered in nursing school. If they’re not, they should be. I haven’t been a nurse for 40 years but keep up with all things medical. It was common sense as soon as we knew Covid was respiratory that we would need ventilators and special rooms and nurses. I was appalled to watch how poorly it all unfolded.
The messaging from day one was bad. They claimed it was like the flu. Big mistake. People think they have the flu all the time when it’s not even close. I was thrilled when my grandson’s doctor explained exactly what the flu was and said vomiting was gastrointestinal distress, not the flu. He went on a Disneyland trip for his senior year February 1, 2020. He had a high fever and was congested right after. We quarantined him to his room and upstairs area for 5 days. Food went up on trays, conversations were conducted on FaceTime. He lost his mother in 2018, he doesn’t need to lose his grandparents because of foolishness.
I made over 500 masks, most going to the zoo to protect their N95 while they worked with the animals.
It’s not hard to take simple precautions.
Thank you for your reporting, Ellen, and being of service to other patients as well as the staff of the health facility. Great work!
Thank You for reporting this Ellen! Patient advocacy, safety and health care system reform on a grand scale from your extra effort!
I was a nurse from 1972 until 2015 and do understand science. She obviously either put her politics of her training or is deliberately ignorant. That nurse should never work in the medical field again. By her actions, she is unqualified to practice. I wonder if she was reported to her state board of nursing for license suspension or removal. I sincerely hope so.
I do too. Since I posted this, I have heard from two friends who were vaccinated but who now have Covid. This breakthrough business is nothing to fool around with. Be careful!
ELLEN Massey (TX) - It’s official! You are a survivor…
Thank you for reporting.
I could not believe health care providers wouldn't REQUIRE their staff to be vaccinated! They are dealing with the most vulnerable and in many cases, the most infected, for Pete's sake!
This is what those Tea Party libertarian idiots have brought us to.
Hell's bells, we all want individual freedom, but that comes with responsibility to our fellows. They seem to have missed that part in Civics class.
The doc did some digging (I couldn't remember her name and he put me on hold and CALLED the ER to find out who she was) and said she was not a "regular" but was a "floater" that the hospital had employed to help with the overload. Apparently, that provider had no rules and so she just skated into the ER. He called me back again after hours to talk me through their policies and to tell me that she was not only unprofessional and unethical, but was also putting lives at risk. He took my letter straight to the Board overseeing that hospital so I'm sure she's long gone by now. I hope.
Thank you!!
I was struck last night by an interview with a doctor who said “This isn’t COVID19, it’s COVID21.” Instead of talking about the Delta variant, we need a marketing strategy to change the perception to COVID21 or COVID 2.0. The people we need to reach are practiced at ignoring 19, but maybe renaming it would get their attention regarding how significantly more dangerous it is now. And for those of us who followed the science and got vaccinated, it might lessen the frustration with having to wear masks again.
I've been disappointed that we aren't getting more help from Madison Avenue to fight the misinformation both with private companies and Government. We need help explaining the the costs both monetary and human, counter the freedom argument....the loss of ones health is the loss of ones wealth, let alone the loss of ones freedom, and or death of a family member. For those that have lost someone, or struggling with the costs of that care, there is and will never be a "back to normal". If someone has died, or is living now with permanent reduced lung capacity, if a family has been evicted, or a small business lost, well, there is no going "back to normal". There is a story to tell here and Madison Avenue is not doing their part for their business clients future and certainly not for the country. The marketing investment needs to be made by Madison Avenue.
https://www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.nytimes.com/2021/07/25/world/europe/disinformation-social-media.amp.html
Ted, I feel "Madison Avenue" is solely for hire, and not much in the way of ESG
How can local county Health Department's budgets compete with very professional marketers and convincing state sponsored misinformation campaigns targeting their populace?
We have lost the battle of information, when 50 to 40% wont get vaccinated and have become militant in their anti mask anti vaccine view.
Required reading is this Max Fisher article. Consultants and marketing professionals are being hired by shell companies of rival nations to package their misinformation for hire. This is so wrong.
https://www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.nytimes.com/2021/07/25/world/europe/disinformation-social-media.amp.html
This is disgusting.
Spread the word. Support a mask mandate. Consider supporting a vaccine mandate.
So wrong. And so wrong how publuc health funding has been gutted in the past 40 years.
If the Libertarians' have their way, which they have figured out, just flavor the candidates with demagoguery, they will destroy the institutions that support and sustain democracy: Public Education, Public Health, EPA, etc etc etc. They want total control. They may be working alone or together as obstructionist's, but over time, they don't realize or do not care the beast they have created can kill democracy.
Madison Avenue seems to be very profit oriented. It would be nice if one company could be civic-minded enough to donate some time to creating a marketing strategy for the government, or maybe for a nice tax deduction? Then those ideas could be utilized in news interviews, especially with the CDC. Maybe with some news previews hawking Covid 2.0 as a teaser. I just see the people who really need to listen as hearing the current news coverage as sounding like Charlie Brown’s teacher voices. “Wah, Wah, not this again.”
Agree. how can we expect Country Health Departments or even State Health Departments with limited budgets to counter very focused and very well funded disinformation packaged as truth on SM?
Everyone claims to be an expert or have an expert in their corner. And the effect has some conservative doctors and nurses doubting the mRNA vaccines and Emergency use vaccines. The uneducated are easy prey. The educated are being recruited as well.
DIs and misinformation is a real problem. State sponsored by our enemies and some really misguided individuals out to monetize their own manipulation and false hoods only for their own greed. How can local health departments and hospitals cope in such an environment?
Pandemics mark the end of their era's. They bring things into focus. For the Plaque of the 13th century, things changed big time. After 1918 things changed big time. This Pandemic marks the end of the Industrial Age, and reminds us we are now in the new age of information. National Security depends on accepting this fact.
The military might now needs to shift to combating both misinformation and disease infiltration of the information age, so that a country can't be swept up conspiracy and falsehoods allowing disease to tear down the market place, public education, & public health, that lead to the loss of democracy itself. There is more than one road to unfreedom.
I wish it could be so simple (e.g., "The Plague 2021").. The names of new viruses are determined by international health groups (like the World Health Organization) using scientific codes and nomenclature. The original virus arose and was discovered in 2019, hence the 19. The variants to THIS virus are classified as they are identified, Alpha (1st), ... Delta (4th)... Public Health organizations have been making it clear how dangerous "Delta" is. Unfortunately, t-Rump and anti-vaxxer "experts" (some are physicians who make a lot of money off their hysteria) lie. And, a variant by any other name will get the same Faux News treatment. Public health outreach and education is a sophisticated marketing science of its own - but until the government stops these propaganda machines, the odds are not good.
So it can be officially COVID19, Delta variant, but in news coverage be hawked as “like Covid 2.0” Or flood social media with unofficial references to COVID21 or Covid 2.0. The idea is to grab people’s attention and it’s not like the antivaxxers are sticking to the technical truth.
We have a vaccine for Covid. We do not yet have a vaccine for the Delta variant. But the Covid vaccine will give people significant protection from it. We should not change the name. We need to get more people vaccinated against Covid period. And use masking where appropriate.
Sorry, I don't agree "DELTA IS MORE DEADLY" should be the message. These people's attention isn't even grabbed in ICU when they are dying of it.
Hi Melinda - I have been googling to confirm the Covid Delta Symptoms your sister-in-law cited, but can find no confirmation. Can you tell us her source? I have read that COVID Delta is extremely prolific in the nose and throat even among the vaccinated which is why it is spreading so quickly. Please understand, I am not doubting you - ever since trump came into office I look for verification of everything.
Cheryl and everyone, I'm not sure if that matters. Everyone's physiology is unique. I think early on, we have made this mistake calling it just Covid-19. We should call it commonly "viral Pneumonia". Leave the other terms to medical professionals.
Covid virus attacks the ACE-2 Receptor in our cells. Epithelial cells have lots of these ACE2 Receptors. Epithelial cells are what line our nose, mouth, throat, trachea, lungs, as well as our blood vessels, and heart lining and most linings of organ's like the kidneys. Delta is more virulent, unleashing 1200x more virus particles per infected cell than the wild type. So it may be that it infects more cells much faster, destroys cells faster on its way to your lungs. This will probably lead to a faster lung tissue destruction and more intense cytokine storm. Its also possible that the viral load exhaled into the air is of a much higher concentration to what a potential host breathes in. Bottom line is that spreading of the disease is much faster. Virulence means the disease it will be more severe. This is why younger people are now much more at risk than before. This is new and improved covid-19, 2.0, 3.0, or 5.0, but really its Covid-19 1200.0 ( 1200 more virus is shedding per infected cell). And as long as it keeps spreading, the potential for virulence to increase more is a scientific & Public Health certainty.
When you are short of breath, constantly tired, or hear "lung Crackles" when breathing, with a fever, its time to get to a doctor.
Here's a few animations showing and describing what any viral pneumonia looks like at the cellular level: ( this is isn't perfect or complete, but you can get the idea of the physiology of the immune response and the damage from viral infection in the lungs. Bacterial Pneumonia almost always follows viral pneumonia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhtO5kzY5js
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hTsve9jjsQ
Basics of the Immune response and cytokines and how they work to mitigate the immune response lecture:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFNxXfwlP3A
https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/war-has-changed-against-covid-19-cdc-says-7-things-to-know.html?origin=BHRE&utm_source=BHRE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=7976I9190745J1X
I caught it 1 month after being fully vaccinated. At that time, I always wore my mask as Indiana had not yet dropped that requirement. Couple that with the fact that I am a very healthy person who doesn't hang out in crowds tells me that this variant is highly contagious. I had bad headaches, the back of my neck ached, extremely tired and sinus pressure. No fever nor any issues with breathing or my lungs. And it only lasted about 5 days.
Terry, thank you for sharing this. If you are comfortable about letting us know whether testing was recommended once you felt symptom free, it could be useful to know. Salud!
No, I didn't have to retest when I felt symptom free. I spoke numerous times to my doctor's office and covid tracers though. They were good at guiding me.
Thanks, Terry. I am fully vaccinated. Reports and doctors talking about the need for more testing is the reason I raised the question with you. I have wondered if and why I would test for Covid even if I am unaware of whether I've been exposed and have no symptoms. Clearly, all I have to do is message my doctor with the question of under what circumstances should I get a test. The Delta variant has stirred questions and concerns. I appreciated your response.
What's interesting is that I messaged my doctor because I thought I had a sinus infection. It never crossed my mind that I might have covid. It is very concerning. I'm hoping I can't catch it again.
Terry, For my understanding, I am going to write what I think you just posted to me. 1. You messaged your doctor today because you are having respiratory discomfort. 2. Exchanges with you on the Forum regarding your past covid infection and Delta may have prompted you to contact your doctor as you think you may have a sinus infection. 3. Now you are concerned as Delta has different symptoms than covid 19. 4. You haven't yet heard from your doctor and you are worried.
Have I understood? Terry please contact me, so that we can communicate again soon.
So glad you recovered and it only ladted 5 days. The COVID vaccine may have lessened the DELTA ferocity then.
Indiana obviously has its facts together! Good!
Im glad you're feeling better.
Dead Right, double intended, Dead Right.
Thank you for accurate information from a medical professional.
CNN is also reporting CDC research that is showing that those vaccinated are just as infectious with the Delta variant as those not vaccinated and not as previously thought. It has been assumed until now that vaccination actually reduces your risk of infecting the other. CDC's policy on masks has abruptly changed to a warning to both vaccinated and non-vccinated to wear masks whereever appropriate. Vaccination is thus self-protection and not protection of the other.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/29/politics/cdc-masks-covid-19-infections/index.html
"The CDC has issued COVID-19 testing recommendations urging fully vaccinated people to get tested three to five days after exposure to the virus even if they don't experience symptoms. Prior recommendations indicated fully vaccinated people only needed testing after exposure if they were symptomatic. Full Story: The New York Times (7/30)
Good reporting! Thank you.
DELTA INFO STILL BEING CLARIFIED. THERE IS SOME PROTECTION FROM DELTA WITH VACCINES. UNIVERAL MASKING IS RECOMMENDED, MAINTAINING DISTANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE, AVOID CROWDED PLACES. FULL VACCINATION BRINGS DOWN TRANSMISSION.
BE CAUTIOUS AND DON'T PANIC.
The vaccines prevent hospitalizations, severe disease, and death.
( just adding these here. No-one that is vaccinated should be scared. They should mask up, avoid indoor crowds, and stay concerned. Vigilant.)
Ted, your comment above is not up-to-date. 'Critically, the study (CDC) found that vaccinated individuals carried as much virus in their noses as unvaccinated individuals, and that vaccinated people could spread the virus to each other.' (... 'Only a handful of people in the outbreak were hospitalized, but four of them were fully vaccinated.' The complete picture is evolving.
"When the facts change, so does my opinion" -W. Churchill I think this is how the CDC evolves in its guidance.
Individuals infected with Delta releases 1200x more virus per infected cell than previous or wild type strains. The virus is evolving quickly.
It has always been a fact that vaccinated people can still have an infection (although mild) AND spread virus to others.
It is a fact that less than 1% of hospitalized patients are break through infections, typically the oldest people or immune compromised and haven't been able to maintain high enough antibody titers (immune efficiency) to keep up with Delta.
None of the above should be used to scare people that they should not get vaccinated. ALL should get vaccinated asap.
Who's the scarecrow?
Are we splitting hairs? I am saying/agreeing that Delta does release MORE virus particles, (1200x more particles per infected cell than the wild type) whether you are vaccinated or not.
Being vaccinated protects you from severe disease and hospitalization, and death, but not at 100%, so far it is 97-99% of people getting hospitalized with delta. People should understand, vaccines are not magically going to prevent 100% infection. The vaccinated have the antibody response that counter the disease, preventing Viral Pneumonia and the cytokine storm that causes severe disease (lung destruction) and death.
Vaccinations don't prevent you your cells from infection and replicating, thus every vaccinated person can also be a vector of spread. Breakthrough infections are a risk so a layered approach of being vaccinated, wearing a mask and follow the guidance is what I'm saying with you.
However, if we say that Vaccinations don't prevent infection, some misconstrue that meaning and think the vaccines don't work and they spread that misinformation without understanding the protection from hospitalizations and severe disease that vaccination provides. Breakthrough infections ( causing severe disease in a vaccinated person ) is not the same as a mild infection in a vaccinated person. Both can lead to spread, but both do not mean the vaccines don't work.
Does that clarify or cloud?
Ted, no one wrote that 'Vaccinations don't prevent infection' as you wrote. A couple of times, including in your reply to me above, you wrote ' Being vaccinated protects you from severe disease and hospitalization,...' Some subscribers were understandably concerned as incomplete info was just released about Delta. I simply tried to clarify that a few fully vaccinated people have been hospitalized and that data was still being collected and evaluated. I think we were both doing the best we could as the picture was evolving.
We are scared, though, that we could pass it to our unvaccinated grandchildren.
Valid. I did not word that very well did I? I'm scared too. I could pass it on to my mother in law. 2x cancer survivor, immunocompromised and has kidney issues from her chemo treatments.
Not up-to-date. Data is evolving.
Please quit yelling
Do you have a pair of ear plugs?
Did you ever notice how people who are hard of hearing tend to shout?
Thank you. Shared.
Spot on.
Thank you. I sent this as an email to my friends and family list.
Thanks for posting
Thank You. Shared it.
Thank you, Melinda. I read that its effects on older people are even more serious than other age groups. Was there anything about that in the message you received?
Thank you so much for this, Melinda. I have shared with everyone I could think of, including on FB.
Venomous?
Virulent?
Thank you for this information.
McCarthy is a moron. And they say you can’t fix stupid. But Covid-19 can and is working hard on fixing stupid.
subpoena’s can’t fix stupid, but it can shut Jim Jordan’s malignant sh*t funnel of a mouth. C-span’s gonna have a ratings spike steeper than Florida’s new Covid cases.
I hope I'm not jinxing us, but I feel encouraged about a lot of things right now. I've been predicting that Biden appears to be systematically working on priorities without a lot of commentary. Well, the first group of Afghani interpreters are due to land in the U.S. within hours. While there are only some of them, and some of the rest will be sent in the near future, and while the future is horrifying and uncertain for many, at least it's a glimmer of hope. Let's pray that they manage to pull this off, and figure out a way to bring those heroes who can't make their way to Kabul, to be rescued in place.
Eighteen Republicans have voted in favor of advancing the bipartisan infrastructure bill, and McConnell not only approved of its advancement but also said he'd vote for it. This, after iDJiT called the 9 Republicans who were planning to vote "weak losers" or something similar, and instead of worrying about displeasing the ex-emperor, the final number doubled. Now, we know that these people understood that voting against the wildly popular bill would be political suicide, but it's been a cliffhanger, and if it stays on track, it's good news. Of course, it's not a slam dunk, but it looks better than it did two days ago.
DOJ letting Mo Brooks know that he's on his own is good, but according to Lawrence Tribe tonight in talking to Ali Velshi, the wording telling Brooks that government employees inciting a mob to insurrection can't in any way be construed to be part of their job responsibilities can also carry over to Trump, and neither of them can claim executive privilege or any other protection. I'd be willing to design and construct orange jumpsuits for anyone who can be proved to be in cahoots with them.
Next is the work to bring voting rights legislation to fruition in the next week. With all the damage having been done in many states, especially in removing the elections boards and replacing them with partisans, who will have unfettered authority to overturn election results, this is crucial. Georgia has signaled that they are planning to remove the Fulton County elections board (they've been working on this for months). Since Fulton encompasses Atlanta, and has many minority voters, this just can't happen. Clearly, the plan is a fallback if Democrats brave all of the new voter suppression laws and turn out in numbers mirroring the 2020 election and the Senate runoffs. As we all know, this type of "voter integrity" law is the most dangerous of any that they've churned out thus far. DOJ is also showing willingness to be aggressive in this arena, so Merrick Garland, like Biden, apparently has been working and keeping his cards close to the vest.
If all of this turns out well, it will be life changing in many respects, and just might put iDJiT out of control, except for his bats**t crazy base.
I know that all of you have already heard everything I've written (and more that I intended to relate, but forgot😒), but I had to enter all of it because my husband's asleep and my cats don't care. Please don't burst my bubble by telling me that none of it is guaranteed, and it'll be torpedoed.
Everything you said is exactly how it's going to happen Nancy. Holding my breath...
Thanks. I needed that!
Ditto here!
Nancy, I am very worried about these horrible Georgia state legislators pushing their nasty agenda. I do agree with you that Garland has plans to put a kibosh to their devious ways. I will just think positive and keep sending good vibes.
In spite if your husband’s slumber and your cats indifferences, you did a helluva good job!
Thanks, Marlene. Since Georgia isn't alone in this, I do believe that Biden will put a lot of pressure on passing the voting legislation. I will be verbally eviscerating Gov. Shotgun and his scurvy band later today, not that they'll care.
Nancy, I actually have not heard everything you have written, so thank you. Where have you learned about the Afghani interpreters ?
Morning Lynell.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/30/afghan-interpreters-evacuations/
Thank you, Christine and Nancy. It is all over my "internet" this morning.
It was on our local news, and I think it was also on line.
Thank You Nancy for compiling these facts so we can have hopes!
MaryPat, Did you see Melinda's comment re Delta variant recently posted. Please read it!
Copie and posted Fern! Thanks!
Nancy! Girl, I’m drinking a morning toast to you! No torpedoes. My class is half full also. We the People!
*glass (or coffee cup)
Thank you, Christine - fingers crossed.
Nancy- I’ve been stewing In cynicism the past 5 years, but after reading this letter I feel a spark of hope that sanity is returning.
I hope we're right.
In regard to your last sentence in par. 3, I'd be willing to donate concrete blocks and heavy chains to attach to their legs, and then push them overboard in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Alabama.
My kind of guy! The Gulf is already polluted there, so they can get an up-close look at their handiwork.
I love iDJiT. I’ve used TFG, but I will add this to my dictionary. Thank you for your thought. And especially thank you for word on the interpreters.
Must admit, I plagiarized it from another contributor here - can't recall who, but it's certainly descriptive, and he'd never figure it out if he stumbled on it. Use TFG, too, also plagiarized.
TFG?
The former guy
I was thinking along the lines of “that effing goon”
C-Span is like the spike protein. Making antibodies against stupid.
I wish more people would think of C-SPAN (instead of (or in addition to) broadcast/cable media or even PBS) when there's an important hearing. I don't personally feel the need for a talking head or two interpreting what I've heard. I can read educated opinions later, or watch PBS Newshour, Washington Week, DW News, BBC, etc. While each pretty much repeats the basics, there often is added perspective that I value.
I left off France 24 & NHK News (Japan). I don't watch most of these on a daily basis but when and if I can, and I think I'm the more informed for it.
My money is all in on the virus winning this round! Republicans really are evil on top of dangerously stupid.
Just when we enjoyed a couple lunches in our favorite restaurant and were thinking we could visit our favorite bookstore....Powell's in Portland, a whole city block with two stories, the virus has shot up with lots of cases and people going to the hospital. So the servers in the restaurant (we did takeout) are back in masks, we will wear masks again while grocery shopping, and instead of browsing, order books online. The people who refuse to get vaccinated are the same people who howl about mask mandates, any closures, and not being able to do what they damn well please. I do think a few R pols have figured out that they are putting their own base in harm's way, but more are doubling down. Our governor just ordered masks for schools when they open (hopefully) in the fall.
Powell’s books is a Temple of Learning!
One of our all time favorite places. We are lucky to have it here in Oregon. the pandemic was hard for Powell's, but they seem to have recovered somewhat.
When I visited a friend in Vancouver WA a few years ago, she took me there. Stunning collection especially the massive collection of 2nd-hand paperbacks.
Agree Michelle. the people who refuse to get vaccinated are the same people who howl about mask mandates.” Reminds me of the people who oppose abortion are the same people who won’t fund contraceptives.
They’re all wolves howling at the moon with no discernible objective.
The wolves are howling at something they don't understand, the big shiny light in the night sky which frightens them. So they try to make it go away. And what do you know, every night it does! But it always comes back. Correlation doesn't equal causation. This is what I feel goes on with the anti-vax / anti-mask crowd. They're making noise and drawing attention to themselves over issues they just don't get.
Same here in KC: we were able to go to our favorite restaurants but one of the most careful--got through the entire lockdown doing takeout and feeding essential workers for free without a single case--had to shut down temporarily because one of their employees, ALL of whom are vaccinated, got infected. So it is back to masks and outdoor dining and take-away. I never stopped wearing a mask, to be honest: I don't trust the yahoos of Missouri and Kansas.
Plenty of yahoos here in Salem, Oregon, Marion County, and the state as a whole.
Powell's! I've only been in Portland once, but I made sure to visit Powell's.
I love love love that a bookstore is the thing that people make sure to visit when they go to Portland. All is not lost!!!
Leonides Chocolat was the second thing on my list :)
The Lan Su Chinese Garden is the second on my list!
Powell's is the shizzit.
I hope this is a positive comment. I am not up on all slang.
We call it the shiznit in my circle. But yeah, means it's the shi_ , i.e. the good stuff.
Love Powell's
On the local next door, a person made a plea for people to get vaccinated. I haven't read the whole thread, but my oh my, do we have a lot of experts on problems with this vaccine in our area.
I cut Next Door and blocked it. I know most of my neighbor are idiots. I don't have to have the fact shoved in my face in their own idiot words every day.
Our moderators are excellent and post a lot of things we need to know about like local emergencies and crime, lost and found animals, etc. Also we have a group who helped a local homeless camp until ODOT decided it needed to go. People ask for recommendations and occasionally help. I find that the benefits outweigh the downside which I usually ignore.
Boy, do I understand. Powell's is a haven.
The Republiqans in my circle are just spinning with their "horrible governor" tripe.
Kate Brown has done an excellent job, but was unpopular even before the pandemic. I know people who should know better who want to blame her for everything and one of them is now camping out on the capitol grounds because Kate can single handedly solve the homeless problem. I have even seen complaints show up about her on UO threads. I am sure she will be glad when her term is over.
That’s a good bet. Their damage is done. Unfortunately it’s going to be to damn late now for their unvaccinated constituents. Delta is and is going to continue raging.
I’ve said it before, I will never understand how killing off your base is a good strategy for getting elected. I mean how really stupid are they?! Oh, That Stupid!
It depends on ignoring the votes cast when declaring election results.
The method to their madness.
Right out of No Nonsense Nancy’s mouth, Ted! Qevin is shaking in his boots and I am loving it. I got kicked off Twitter until Saturday because of some colorful language that I used regarding him snd others. So worth it!
Marlene, I plan on following you come Saturday. Do I just search your name?
Yes but it’s under Marlene L Bigley, Lynell. I get into “good trouble” sometimes. 😁
I've got a friend from Jim Wright's page who goes to Facebook Gaol frequently because of her colorful language when calling people out for their Covid stupidity. She's a retired RAF pilot from Northern Ireland. Her language is colorful indeed.
Nobody does it better than a female Irish pilot! Does Facebook punish only the Left? I am not on FB, but have heard lots of trash from Trumpies that isn't censored.
No, to hear my Republiqan friends, they are the only ones ever censored.
Lynell, Twitter lied…I won’t be back on until Monday!!😡
I can wait, Marlene. But you, not so much.
Nancy Pelosi added "Cretin" to Mccarthy's credentials.
She does everything so well. Someone needs to create a montage of her best moments - condescendingly clapping in TFG's ear, shaking her finger at him in a meeting, tearing up the SOTU address as he spoke, and other gems.
Exactly what Nancy Pelosi said about him (being a moron)! Thinning the herd would be fine with me, if innocent people weren't in danger.
I did not wish anyone harm from covid. Last year I read as much as I could about 1918. Now I’m turning to reading about the plague of the dark ages. Suffering is humanities greatest teacher. What came after the Black Plague? The Renaissance!
Ted, you're clearly more highly evolved than I, and in the past I've considered the Renaissance and wonderful architecture as being the silver lining of the plague. However, while I don't really want to see any more victims of this pandemic, I've been so traumatized by the last five years (actually 10, including most of Obama's presidency), that I want revenge. So, it's IDJiT's and his enablers' fault. We do concur, though about Jordan. Also, I just realized that Nancy called McCarthy a moron, not Jordan. They both qualify.
And what's all this about COVID and erectile dysfunction?
Covid damages blood vessels, that includes the ones used to get an erection. It’s not a complete study yet but is being looked at closely. If only they spent as much time and money studying and curing women’s health issues.
But hey, if we can convince men of this maybe they’ll get the vaccine.
If that's what it takes to get them vaccinated, so be it. And yes on women's health issues and their right to decide IMHO of course
Alternatively, if they continue to refuse, the gene pool will be diminished by both. We'll just have to be careful to wear masks, etc. to avoid being infected by them.
They gotta find it first!
If only...
Ha!
You can’t fix stupid because stupid is a choice.
Moron Epidemic = Midemic.
The penny is beginning to drop here in Missouri, except for the eedjit attorney general, who wants to take over Roy Blunt's seat and has decided that suing St. Louis and Kansas City over our mask mandates is the way to gain popularity. The governor seems to have basically shut himself in the old manse and, other than suggesting that monetary incentives might be a way to go, won't lift a finger to help anyone--or harm anyone, either, since he is MIA (emergency medical help to Springfield is coming weeks late and not from the gov's office as far as I know). That is preferable to actively trying to encourage the death of non-white people by refusing to support masking and telling lies: as far as I can tell, that has been the Ghastly Obstructionist Party's rationale for lying about covid since the infection and death rates have been, until recently, super high in the populations of working poor who are drawn from non-white populations. Now that it is hitting their own whitey pals they're getting a little nervous. I am waiting to hear the Repugnicans howl because the U of Missouri system just imposed mandatory indoor mask wearing for all four campuses until at least mid-September. We are hearing from local medical experts that the infection surge is likely to peak around October.
As to the other thing, I am more and more reminded of the warning about cornering rabid dogs--or, in the midwest, rabid raccoons. The desperation of the Ghastly Overtly-fascist Party is growing. The revolting specimens who tried to invade the governor's office in Michigan have been indicted on domestic terrorism charges and so that is going to be a fun autumn entertainment event. I am hoping that the courts are lumbering toward indicting Gaetz for sex trafficking; I am hoping the Dems field a reasonable opponent to Greene in GA (she ran unopposed because of the death threats raining down on her opponents in the primary but I don't think the Dems tried to field a candidate in that district--GA folks help me out here?). I agree: the Blue wave needs to be a Blue tsunami. And that means getting the vote out despite restrictions, suing the sh*t out of legislative gerrymandering, and the like. And it is going to get ugly because the rabid dogs are scared sh*tless about what could happen. So I am not super optimistic, because most people don't have the stomach for what might be coming down the line.
Linda, we don't have a choice. Much sorrow, worry, frustration, alarm, reflection, learning, determination, care and with the solid leadership of Biden and team; the experience and brilliance of Stacy Abrams and Fair Fight, Indivisible, The League of Women Voters and army of grassroots organizations; a large squadron seniors at the ramparts from Biden, Pelosi, Fauci, Clyburn, Sanders and Warren to Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), and many more -- we have the stomach, the will and Blue from sea to shining sea.
Good morning, Fab. I have found out more about courage and a strong stomach from working with kids in schools for so many years. When their backs are against the wall, they find a way to howl back at any beast confronting them. I’ve marveled a few times at the pure innocence of it because they are so fierce about loyalty and connected to their spirits still without any guilt or worry about a price they might have to pay.
The strength of the stomach is all about the courage of the spirit.
And when the stakes are this high…..? No guts, no glory. And so on.
I’ll show them patriot. Hmmmph.
MTG has Marcus Flowers running against her, according to my FB ads....
Yes and he’s not going to turn tail and run. He knows what all her moves are. I’m rooting for him.
Is he ex-military? I have a vague memory of seeing a video he made a while back.
Yes, he’s an army veteran.
Ghastly Obstructionist Party--love it.
Why aren't Dems more insulted by language like "Republican Senators and Congressmen will either vote to turn America into a godless, amoral, dictatorial, oppressed, and socialist nation on the decline..." He left of pedophiles.
I am so tired of the Sadistic Populism that Republicans prostitute as leadership.
Rabid dogs, Republicans, Radidblicans!
Yes. That’s it. We have laws to help guide us in our behavior towards one another and protect us from those who believe anything goes. But in times like now, when we are pushing the culture to grow and embrace even greater pluralism, fairness and equality all in keeping with the guidelines of our Constitution, there are always going to be reactions that confuse progressive growth, with dissolution, because growth represents change. For our democracy to function, it must always reflect the will of the majority of the people, operating within a fair and legal framework. Criminals often actively use the law as a means to protect themselves from the norms of law enforcement; this is why we are transfixed by the testimony of the Capitol Police Officers who were attacked on January 6. Most of us still can’t believe anyone would be so brazen to attack the Capitol, while our sworn elected representatives we’re doing their duty to certify electoral votes of the presidential election. So now, as we start shake off the excesses of an obstructionist minority party that has destroyed itself out of its willingness to say, and do anything —legal or not—-to remain powerful enough to hold back the growth and development of our democracy, we are witnessing the reckoning of the rule of law with those of them like Brooks, trump and others. This is what has to happen…and it’s happening. At the very same time, dedicated representatives of government at all levels of our society, continue to do their jobs and uphold the rule of law in keeping with our Constitution that they swore to uphold and protect. It’s amazing, truly. This is how it goes in a good and healthy democracy. Feel good about that everyone and take heart. There is a lot of important work ahead that will make our country and the world that much more just, fair and free; keep your spirits up… it’s not easy, it’s hard to do… but we’re getting there.
Morning Keith. I feel like saluting you or something! Your glass sounds full.
I find your optimism refreshing, and much needed. Thank you.
It is so easy to despair. Thank you for this much needed uplifting post.
Hear! Hear!
The spate of state level voter-suppression laws across the country seem to qualify for scrutiny under the RICO act since these are disingenuous laws coordinated by national forces that participated in the fraud and insurrection that was Jan 6th.
Atty Gen Garland working on it.
YES!
The Republican anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers in Congress put me in mind of toddlers, who stamp their feet, hold their breath, and say "You can't make me do it." Toddlers have an excuse for that behavior; these folks don't.
Who are Republican's listening too? Who or what are their constituents listening to and then telling them their views? This is insanity.
https://www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.nytimes.com/2021/07/25/world/europe/disinformation-social-media.amp.html
Best. Line. Evah! "... shove the octopus of his different caucus interests into the string bag he’s holding ..."
Agreed. That image is brilliant.
INSANITY!
THE INMATES ARE RUNNING THE ASYLUM.
IDK how we got here, to this “Culture of Ignorance” as described by Isaac Asimov, but I am daily put in despair by the assaults of insanity at every turn. Whether it is the Big Lie believers of the ignorant cult followers of the POSer President, or the total denial of scientific facts by the ignorant elected officials (elected by equally ignorant voters) I am appalled daily by insanity that has taken over my nation.
A lot of it comes from the disdain for education in the rural South, which I have seen all my life from family members in Mississippi. But, even those who have managed to get college degrees (which I suspect by their very limited knowledge of any real facts) are pushing these insane ideas that are taken as truth by the ignorant cultists. This manifested in the mob attack on our government on January 6th and continues with Repugnant Party Big Lie supporters within our government today, who are still trying to destroy our nation.
Members of our government deny scientific facts of disease control & prevention in the face of a resurging pandemic by refusing to wear masks, the simplest effect means of preventing the spread of this airborne pathogen. This encourages the ignorant cultists to do the same on airliners and other closed spaces, endangering all around them – total insane chaos.
Then, when we got a quick vaccine that has been proven effective in preventing drawn out respiratory failure and death the ignorant cultists fight against that following the direction of elected officials (many of whom have actually been vaccinated). Not only in Washington but those of us in these Backward States like Florida have to contend with ignorant cult leaders like Gov. Ron DeathSantis who are countermanding the new Mask Mandates against the Delta Variant of COVID-19 that is filling our ICUs again with dying unvaccinated patients.
There is No Logic, No Rhyme Nor Reason for any of this except INSANITY.
For those unfamiliar with the Cult of Ignorance
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” - Isaac Asimov
"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."
- H. L. Mencken (supposedly), reacting to the Scopes Monkey Trial, 1925.
Can I get an AMEN!
100%.
Years ago, I had an interesting conversation with a Scottish teacher. She explained to me that the popular kids in Scottish schools were the smart ones, whereas here, it’s the jocks and cheerleaders. We do it to ourselves, and it starts early.
Yes, we had 2 foreign exchange students in 2015-2016 from Germany and Norway. All of the sports and dances were new to them. They were amazed by how superficial all the classes were. It was like a vacation for them. My senior decided to go through commencement so we sat through the parading of the band, the athletes and award after award all for non-academic stuff. We heard about lots of scholarships for sports. And 5 minutes to give 1 academic award. So disappointing.
When my daughter graduated in 1996 as valedictorian the awards were more equally given. In 20 years we have prized the fluff way more than those that will advance us in a meaningful way. Good sportsmanship is a thing of the past, these people just become bullies.
Don't get me started on athletics and cheerleading and the like. I spent many years in education in a small school near Salem (OR). When we began to call extra curricular activities co-curricular, I knew we were in really trouble. We were lucky to have many excellent teachers, some of whom coached. But the absolute worst were the head football coach, essentially hired by the booster club, and sometimes the boys basketball coach. Not only were they awful teachers, they were also awful human beings.
Good morning Michele! It was that way in my High School as well. (Glendale, suburb of LA). The football coach was nicknamed Neanderthal because he looked big and mean and had no neck. His attempts at teaching anything were pathetic. But they bought him a nice new car as an incentive to lead our football team to mediocrity.
Hmmm. Do they all look alike. We had one who could have been called Neanderthal because he looked like an ape, walked like an ape, acted like the alpha ape. I did chuckle when on another thread, I found an ex-student who absolutely excoriated him by name when I mentioned the football coach problem without a name....had that dope in mind. Had another one tell us in a faculty meeting that we all should just get the hell out of his way. Then there are the private school athletic empires.
My kids spent a sabbatical year in Italian schools. They had the normal classes like gym and art, but school sports quite literally do not exist. The middle school kids were done at 1:00, with plenty of time to pursue extra curricular activities.
I think we place such a value on team sports here because it trains our children for things we value - sportsmanship, team work etc. Different things are valued in Italian culture. Just as an example, there, exams were oral, in front of the entire class. They are training their kids for different cultural necessities. I couldn’t say which is better, but I was extremely impressed with the schools in Italy.
I value sportsmanship and teamwork also and I confess that, as I am Hoosier born, I do love basketball. However, I know too much about the total lying, discrimination of various kinds, and lack of character evidenced by some of the coaches.
When I taught in Concordia U. and UQAM in Montréal, I was extremely relieved to have a qurter of my students coming for a year from European universities. It helped the other Canadian students move along a little more sharply.
The 60s, space race and JFK inspired my generation to excel.
Could it be to do with the ever prevailing sense of community in Scotland rather than the constant search for personal advantage at the expense of the other?
Having the English to blame for all your woes tends to help!
“Willful Ignorance” is an incurable cancer in America. The only hope for treatment is accountability.
There really is no logic. I see that in my Republiqan friends who have bought into every insanity the Party brings to them.
Numerous article on the internet point out the overriding issue concerning mask wearing or inoculations.
In some circles, to do either is to cave into the liberal, socialist, nanny state. That simply can’t be done nor can anyone figure out how to reach those people.
Herd immunity isn’t going to happen anytime soon.
While I agree with you and Asimov on the danger of the "cult of ignorance," I think that in the United States (and, according to David Goodhart in his book "Head, Hand, Heart," in Europe as well) we "lettered" folks have helped to fuel it. Educational, governmental, and societal systems have and do worship intellectualism while they belittle hands on work. Even Biden's plan to expand education only mentions "certification" in a trade as an afterthought. You make me feel stupid, you grow stupid.
Like Ernestine the Operator (Lily Tomlin) said, “I Am a High School Graduate!” From my exposure to lettered folks, I probably have the equivalent of a Bachelor degree, and with my knack for writing, I have proofed & edited quite a few of their writings for them. What I can’t understand is how some of these ignorant as rocks politicians who say some of the most outrageously STUPID things have Bachelor, Master & even Ph.D degrees.
Book learnin' ain't everything, as it were.
Oh my! It's 11:07 pm CDT. I've had one too many martinis to write an intelligible comment, however, my first response with regard to the Republican Waste-oids and their very desperate attempts is: HA HA HA!!!
Thank you, Heather, I will actually sleep tonight.
Morning, Daria!! It's 4:30 am EDT. As my farmer uncle used to say, "Y'all gonna get up today? Day's almost half gone!"
Hiya, Lynell! Yes indeedy there's a reason I'm not a farmer!
Daria, I salute you! Martinis and bookbinding: we must have been separated at birth.
How fun it would be to have a martini (or two) with you and Daria. I’m going to hold onto that thought today to cheer myself up.
Put a couple leaves in the table, Mary B! I see at least 20 OG’s having a martini together!
(To clarify guest list… OG is a slang term for “someone who's incredibly exceptional, authentic, or "old-school."
Comes from the rap music culture that meant “original gangsta”. )
Sign me up. I'll bring gin. In my world, "OG" stood for "original guy" which also is a direct definition of "old school" (or, also in my world, "dinosaur")
And I'll make sure we have olives, onions, twists. We're talking real martinis - gin or vodka - not some bizarre fru-fru drink called a martini, right?
ABSOLUTELY
I think the pickled onion makes it a Gibson. My parents drank them and I loved the onion juice by the finger-tip while I read novels on hot summer days about age 12.
Amen! Amen!
I would be delighted to be included!
I’ll toast you tonight, Lynell. You always cheer me up with your positive energy and warm greetings
Much appreciated, MaryB. Don't have any fixins for martinis, but will raise a glass of iced tea to us all tonight!
Oh my heavens, Lynell, that goes without saying!!
Yippee!! I believe we have ourselves a coalition😉
Mary, I dare say there are a ton of us who would have a rollicking good time together!
Linda, I believe you are correct, at least we found each other!!
Daria. Salud!
Salud!
Bless Chip Roy ... he must have fallen off the back of a pick-up truck ...
Back in January, he voted to accept the election results, citing the illogical flaw of rejecting the presidential results at the top of the ballot, while at the same time endorsing the vote for House members further down the ticket.
Now he's gone all stupid in wanting to close the House of Representative when his own constituents in Texas live and work and have their being in a fully open state with no Covid restrictions. In fact, Gov. Abbott and his ilk made mask mandates illegal for state agencies, including all the public universities that are about to welcome back thousands of young people to dorms and classrooms.
Delta variant? What Delta variant?
I'll be calling Chip's office in the morning, since he's my House member ....
Just stay in inside down there and let the Goatropers be the ones who make America great again with their permanent departures.
I cannot imagine how the professors feel, there, and in Wisconsin, which has likewise prohibited mask and vaccine mandates. I’m already uncomfortable with my husband returning to the classroom in a few weeks here in Ohio.
My university's Chief Medical Officer issued a fact-filled statement about the rise of cases in our county. Almost every paragraph reinforced the necessity to wear masks, even though such a simple action cannot be mandated.
My closest colleagues and I agree that we will be wearing masks. Since I teach in a music department and musicians need their lungs, as one student reminded me last spring, I anticipate that many of my students will also be wearing masks.
Hey, cig. Your comment conjured up a snark to the anti-maskers: If You Don't Need your Lungs, You Won't Need a Mask!"
Cig and Lynell….more snarkies.
How about, “if you just adore a deathly sick incentive, burn your mask, not your bra.”
Idjits.
"To evade the lawsuit, Brooks gave an affidavit in which he and his lawyers insisted that this language was solely a campaign speech, urging voters to support Republican lawmakers in 2022 and 2024."
Congressman, we may have born at night, but it wasn't LAST night.
I'm probably getting more pleasure out of watching these guys (and gals) squirm than I should, but hey, as the Byrds sang, "It's been a long time comin'............."
Ooops. I mean Crosby, Stills and Nash, not the Byrds.
Crosby says the song was written the night Bobby Kennedy was killed
I had David's voice in my ear, hence the screw up! Loved both groups, loved Crosby, curmudgeon that his is!
He’s using the Tucker Carlson defense.
“She wrote: "Fox persuasively argues, that given Mr. Carlson's reputation, any reasonable viewer 'arrive[s] with an appropriate amount of skepticism' about the statement he makes."
Vyskocil, an appointee of President Trump's, added, "Whether the Court frames Mr. Carlson's statements as 'exaggeration,' 'non-literal commentary,' or simply bloviating for his audience, the conclusion remains the same — the statements are not actionable."
In other words, the statement was so outrageous that no reasonable person would believe it.
The trouble is, we presently have a dearth of "reasonable persons" in this nation and a plethora of wigged out bat-shit crazy cultists who believe every LIE that these talking heads spew out of their face anus.
That would be the Fanus...
Wouldnt it be an advantsge if lawmakers actually knew the law
I wish everyone, including Heather, would get clear on one thing: voter suppression is a distraction.
It's VOTE NULLIFICATION that's the true threat to our democratic republic. Georgia is leading the way with their authoritarian law that allows the Republication legislature to replace members of elections boards who will be able to change the outcome of elections if they are not happy. If that law had been in place in on January 5, the Senate would be in the hands of the Republicans as the Republican-controlled elections boards would ensure that enough votes were "found" for Perdue and Loeffler to hold on to their positions.
Oh. I believe that HCR and this community are totally clear on that. As well as Atty Gen Merrick Garland.
I'm sure they're aware but "here's the deal" -- the only thing we hear/read about is voter suppression. While attempts to suppress votes are evil they can be overcome. Yes it will take a lot of effort but it's not an insurmountable barrier. Vote nullification cannot be overcome unless a miracle happens and Democrats start winning state legislative seats. If we don't start making THAT our focus, the forces of authoritarianism, with the assistance of the Heritage Action Fund, will continue to get stronger.
I totally agree with you; this is definitely my biggest fear.
Why fine them if they don't wear masks? Just refuse to let them into the chamber, or eject them if they take their masks off. Isn't that part of the sergeant-at-arms' duty?
While I agree with your idea, I think the difficulty is in the enforcement. Barring them from entry to the chamber allows the possibility of a physical confrontation, with potential for a sergeant-at-arms grappling with a member of congress. Not a good look, as they say.
On the other hand, it makes (especially the House) leadership look weak if they're allowed to go in maskless and then conduct their antic demonstrations.
I wish the reality based members who manage to retain common sense, i.e. not the maskless fools, would call them out relentlessly and forcefully, not allowing the business of the chamber go forward until the covidiots complied with the PUBLIC HEALTH SAFETY rules that are in effect to, you know, protect the public health! I think that would go a long way to shame the brainless, show unity in the face of aggressive stupidity, and demonstrate the strength of the consensus for health safety.
Public Health Law is Enforceable.
It is my hope that the more the rethuglicans try to distract from the truth, the more the truth will come out. And, the more the likes of Gym Jordan and Moron McCarthy try to avoid testifying, the deeper they dig the whole party into the ground. Then, there's Mo Brooks, admitting he "knew something was up" so wore the vest/slept in his office, etc. You know he wasn't the only one. There have been several people on Twitter reposting a Steve Bannon podcast from 1/5 stating that all hell is going to break loose. (Sorry, don't know how to post the tweet here, but if you search Steve Bannon on Twitter, it comes up.) So many people knew what was coming. So few did anything. 😞
Harry Truman was right back in 1948, and has been ever since: "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies."
I hope the half of the House Republicans who are unvaccinated catch this and Make America Great Again with their permanent departures. I am so goddamned sick and tired of these @@#$%#@#@!!! MORONS. Nancy Pelosi was right when she said of Qevin McQarthy, "he's such a moron."
And a cretin.
Some truths hold up under the test of time. Thanks, Harry.