All weekend, Trump supporters have flooded media channels with accusations that President Joe Biden has weaponized the Department of Justice to use as a political cudgel against former president Trump, whom they characterize as the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
It will be interesting to see when Jack Smith completes the investigation into the election/insurrection, how many Congressional & Senate members get (hopefully) removed from their positions.
Oh man - I think about that often. There are a bunch of Senators and Congress-critters who "aided and abetted". Right there in plain daylight. They need to be brought to justice for sure.
I'm even more interested in who's financing certain non-elected officials, speaking specifically about the "justices" of the Supreme Court and lower levels of the judiciary. Thanks to ProPublica and others, plenty of this information is out in the open. What are we going to do about it?
Remember there was the senator or congressman who wanted to make this happen....I can't remember his name...it was about the way they were funding groups that protected (hid) their identity.
Perhaps you are thinking of Sheldon Whitehouse? He has done a lot. we have also seen the layers peeled back about the Supreme Court, particularly Thomas. In my opinion, we need to look at the Catholic Church and its' support for this authoritarian party (GOP) that operates as a cult . (remember Hitler and Mussolini)
To your point: Leonard Leo, a staunch ultra-conservative Roman Catholic, helped to stack the Court. Leo, like his supplicants, is a member of The Federalist Society.
I would start with Leonard Leo and Harlan Crow. Leo, an ultra-conservative Catholic worked diligently to stack the Court. Crow seduced his black "servant", Thomas, with mounds of money and gifts. And let's not forget that Crow is a Hitler/Nazi aficionado.
Yeah, and "bought and paid for" probably isn't far off the mark, but he was free to enter (or not) into any deal and he seems to have benefited handsomely from his relationship with Crow. Not to mention that several of his white colleagues aren't exactly squeaky clean in the deal department . . .
trump’s believers are financing this by continuing to donate every time he opens his mouth. I wonder if he’s going to use true believers’ donations to pay off E Jean Carroll’s $5,000,000+!!
They are same people who give to TV evangelicals. My nephew and his lady just watched Repo Man and reminded me of that wonderful scene where the guy is eating dog food out of a can while his parents are glued to the TV and have given away all the money to some con. I just posted Heather's letter to my Facebook feed and I concluded with the observation that if people are still supporting death star after this, there is something deeply wrong with their moral compass.
The new documentary on Amazon Prime about the Dugger’s YOU WILL learn how all this corruption started with the evangelical movement. Watch the documentary I’m telling you ALL it’s very disturbing, and enlightening it’s called “ Shining Happy People “ it will blow your minds. Watch for the Blanket time sene 🤬
Read "A Fever in the Heartland". It explains a lot of how it can happen. Actually, they used the clergy to brainwash congregations. I see that happening now!
I just finished A Fever in the Heartland recently and followed it up with Poverty, By America. I found Fever to be both eye-opening and sickening. I grew up in Elkhart, so it's home ground. A lot of my mother's family lived in the Indy area and my father's in the Wabash area. And I agree that is happening now which makes it even more nauseating.
My son listens to right wing radio to hear first hand what they are saying. He tells me they are giving air time to callers who have been avid supporters of Trump and who no longer are. The many callers say they are tired of his negativity and are switching to DeSantis. Maybe this will be a bloody cockfight.
And the biggest fools on the planet. I agree with a comment I read somewhere, that the MSM should be reporting on the actions of Nazis in pre-war Germany, and liken the “true believers’” to the cult today. It is shocking but apropos
It is stunning. Their obliviousness to the danger of what they are advocating is their inability to think rationally along with their apparent ignorance of history.
Ignorance is a key word and they are proud of it in many cases. Even my very intelligent ex-classmate shouted at me that she didn't care what the facts were....Obama era. History for them is the sanitized version of how great this country was and is. If they are such great patriots, why don't they care about national security. It isn't something in spy novels and so-called patriotic displays. It is real people on the ground including our intelligence services and the military which are all potentially compromised and some may already have paid.
". . . and some may already have paid." I find it more than probable conincidence that TFG had classified documents in his possession (and about 48 are now missing) at a time when some of Putin's close associates started dying mysteriously last summer. Did Putin get classified info from Trump? The depth and breadth of TFG's treasonous conduct can't be imagined by some. It is historic, right up there with the Rosenbergs.
Accurate but, not shocking Jeri per the detailed LFAA comments last week on the German 1930's & Italy 1918 through 1930's. Fascism was born of WWI perceived grievances against 'Others'. Mussolini''s 1922 'March on Rome' (Marcia su Roma) & Hitler's 1923 'Beer Hall Putch'.
It does reveal how much many people want an authoritarian leader who gives permission to express their fears about "others" being the reason for their discontent. Alice Miller wrote about how raising children with an authoritarian style of parenting can result in adults who seek this kind of leadership,(For Your Own Good: The Hidden Cruelty in Child Rearing and the Roots of Violence.) Many MAGAs were raised in traditional families where children were not allowed to "sass back", ie. express themselves, so they often became docile and afraid of "upsetting" their caretakers or became like their petty tyrant adult caretakers. This sets them up to be perfect MAGAs.
Or Nazis in the US in pre-war America (Rachel Maddow's Ultra podcast). Or they could pick up the thread of Heather Cox Richardson's writing on pre-Civil War America, or post-Civil War America for that matter (How the South Won the Civil War).
MaryPat-Sercu: Right! Ruth Ben-Ghait wrote a beautiful, culturally immersed book about Italy in the 1920s through the World War. Professor Ben-Ghait's historical depth informs her analysis of the dangers arising from the American Right -- which, unfortunately, today means most of the GOP.
No, they never will for several reasons. Best to understand where they are coming from, how they got this way (economic reasons and replacement theory), and work to help respond to their grievances, do you think? Biden has been trying to do that.....look at all the jobs he has created and companies that have been started. The statistics are astounding. Manchin and Sinema have done their best to stymie his policies.
It fascinates me -the cult mentality. Early on I DID read ‘the other side’s’ premise, to keep a check on my own early supposition , only to within a year be convinced enough not to bother. I realized fairly quickly the pointed fingers, the clever blame game, and repetition of the fascist playbook.
But correct, rightfully so , there’s many angry ,deservedly- enough to believe promises of resolve albeit shallow promises consistently NOT forfilled 95% -(but to the rich)!
We have many miles to go to accomplish this, but I do count the efforts made ( and some now taken away) trying to do this . Thanks for this great point!
How true are they in their beliefs? This just posted by the Orlando Sentinel: Officials denounce Nazi demonstration outside Disney amid rising antisemitism in Florida.
‘PALM BEACH (The Borowitz Report)—Guests who dined at Mar-a-Lago after January, 2021, wondered why their menus featured missile sites of the United States and its allies, the diners have reported.’
‘Harland Dorrinson, who’d had lunch at Mar-a-Lago, said that he’d found the list of missile installations “confusing,” but added, “I just assumed they were specials.”
‘Carol Foyler, who’d visited the private club for dinner, was similarly baffled. “I thought maybe they were trying to turn the place into some kind of theme restaurant,” she said.’
‘The hard-to-read menus irritated another dinner guest, Tracy Klugian. “It was the last thing I needed, especially after climbing over all of those boxes to get to my table,” he said.’ (Satire, NewYorker)
Can they be removed just because they are indicted, tried, convicted and sentenced to jail? All of that is now unclear to me after learning that Trump can run and be elected, and if in prison pardon himself and get out. I guess they don't have the power to pardon themselves. I presume that means that Jim Jordan's number is up. Something he has been trying to delay and obfuscate.
It seems like nothing will remove the knuckleheads support for him, not even words they hear with their own ears or footage they view with their own eyes. The epitome of stupid.
If they did have an epiphany and lose the blinders, I don't think they would admit it and face the wrath of their nearest and dearest. They, however, have the secret ballot. Not much, but a start.
We are in a serious dilemma - those who are enemies of democracy actually hold political positions in the government that they want to destroy - Jim Jordan and the others. The case is very serious.
Oh, they've been doing that since Gingrich, if not before. "The government is mean, terrible, nasty, should be abolished, so hire me to run it!" They never seem to advise that approach to business, I notice.
"We are in for a long, turbulent ride in the defense secrets trial. If the first weekend of our journey together is any indication, we need to take some Dramamine and read People Magazine to chill out. Do not collapse all the possible pitfalls and setbacks of the future into the present moment. They may not occur (indeed, probably will not), but if they do, we have options to overcome them.
"But the most important lesson is this: The point of the trial is to punish Trump for his crimes. If we want to keep him out of the Oval Office, we must beat him at the polling booth. Nothing about the trial changes that fundamental truth. The good news is that we have beaten him before and stand a good chance of doing so again."
So in the end, or the beginning, the repubs can continúe their crimes and support of proven crimes and run for office and stay in office. The two party system is in great jeopardy. And we who at times believed our Democracy was strong join the rest of the world whose leaders are humans. I wonder what an AI candidate would look like. Depends on the programmer? Lord Acton, 1887: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” Cynical or true? Women unite!
I know that Trump can, but what about all of the MAGAts in the House that supported the insurrection directly. Can they be re-elected if they are in prison?
Lindsey Graham took one step forward on J-6 and 100 backwards the following week when he visited Trump in Florida. A weak and troubled congressman who never had a firm stance on anything that required allegiance to democracy.
Jeri, I believe that he lost his rudder when John McCain died. John McCain appealed to his better angels and, very probably, talked him out of his worst impulses.
I don't think he needs anything in Graham's case, although I wonder how many of those documents he retained were intended to be "kompromat" on his supposed allies.
Joyce Lindsey Graham is a bad weather vane. I remember when he was John McCain’s biggest buddy and Trump was potted shit. And then weather vane Graham turned 180 degrees. Graham is crackers.
What mechanism do you propose for this? that they won't be re-elected (fat chance in most cases), that they'll resign (not likely -- take a look at George Santos for example), or that they'll be impeached (also not likely)? Also, are you thinking in terms of the investigation alone, or of the indictments that may follow, or of the convictions that might hypothetically follow the indictments? If any congresscritters are shown to have actually participated in criminal activity (e.g., incitement or obstruction), they're in trouble. If all they did was talk -- not so much.
Let's hope this will include all members who aided and abetted the insurrection by remaining silent in its wake. Congress had a duty to protect democracy and the American people from the former president at the time of the second vote for impeachment. They chose otherwise and are subsequently collaborators. Mitch McConnell can remain silent all day long, but it does not absolve him.
I would guess none, at least in the House, even if a few members (Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, to name a couple) are eventually indicted for aiding/fomenting an insurrection.
It would be nice if decent human beings would repudiate them first. I think voting them out in 11/24 would be much quicker, especially because there are so many of them
It seems like such a crying shame that the Justice Department has been weaponized to go after public figures who have committed federal crimes. Shameful. Shameful. </sarcasm>
Robert Hubbell has a great, reassuring Substack this morning: "Don't freak out about Judge Cannon" (link below). I think the key here is for all of us (certainly for me!) not to freak out about ANY of this. tfg's allies are going to claim "witch hunt" and "targeted prosecution" and get hysterical and maybe get violent. We focus on Biden's and Democratic accomplishments and goals, we reiterate the differences in the situations and the seriousness of the charges against tfg, we quote Republicans like Barr about the seriousness of the offenses, and we work to defeat tfg, DeSaster, and all authoritarians at the polls and in every way.
"DeSaster"? I like it, and it ensures his preferred pronunciation of "De". You haven't included their current top favourite word - "Weaponisation", with a capital W.
I see some commenters from other sites call him, '' Death DeSatan'' i personally call him '' DeSatan'' He seems to behave like the new '' Adolf Hitler'' and his actions are similar to Hitler. He has a good start to converting Florida into an Authoritarian state.
My mind still trips over the report by HCR last week that over 350 bills have been passed and enacted into laws under this administration, yet we haven't heard beans about all but three or four.
I suspect that our government is, in fact, operating fairly well, despite the destructive drama being foisted on us. I think it's a ploy to make a huge sector of the population who are actually doing fairly well so anxious and fearful that they react to things that might happen, or are assumed, without evidence, to be happening.
Not my invention! That was the scathing Ana Navarro - but "DeSaster" suddenly started trending on Twitter after his mortifyingly buggy Twitter announcement.
Laughable choice of words on their part - the only things that have been weaponized are their own stupidity and inability to see the forest for the trees.
You're welcome, Rosalind - it was a huge relief to me, too! I think it was TCinLA who turned me on to Hubbell this weekend! (It's so hard to find comments in these long threads - the one drawback of Substack...)
Me, too. Hubbell's post today was a much needed balm for me. I dropped my subscription to his site last year when he took me to task when I insisted that Merrick Garland was indeed doing his job investigating tRump, and was doing it well, but this was just going to take time. I cited previous Garland cases as proof. Hubbell, a former student of esteemed Harvard Law Professor, Lawrence Tribe, who was publicly bashing Garland, disagreed with me. Now that it is clear that I was right (though neither Hubbell or Tribe will probably think they were wrong, and instead will believe that all their haranguing CAUSED Garland to FINALLY do his job. To which my conscience reprimands me with, " Be Nice, MP!"), I can again appreciate Hubbell's reasoned reassurances. (Don't tell Gary I have sinned!)
I kind of smile inwardly as people recommend Hubbell. His readership of 46,000 pays about 2400000 yearly. He’s a cute little ambulance chaser. A bit too overbearing if you question his tactics. Some need such patriarchal comforting. I have no use for the phony. And each time I criticize him I lose my privilege to comment on substack. Guess that makes me a troll unless there is something worse. I fully expect this will go dark for me for the third time also.
Sorry MaryPat but I was booted again. Loved your title. At the moment i am an Albatross. From my perspective (what’s his Name) brings in big bucks to substack as I am booted if I dare criticize. We have been tossed out unceremoniously by substack and this missive will be my last hurrah. This is number 4. I won’t be able to answer anymore after I hit post. My best to you and all. Pat
So "reassuring" to hear I am not alone in the shunning! I don't think he is so much phony as conceited. But, I am thinking, come renewal time, a new pair of walking shoes may give me more comfort instead. Thanks Pat!
Hubbell's quote from Fintan O'Toole is telling as well. Trump kept those documents, and lied about having them, because he recognized that they might have great value down the road -- either in trade for favors or for money. This is the way Trump has always operated, and it is why he poses a clear and present danger to our democracy.
Here's O'Toole's quote, from "The New York Review of Books":
"Secrets are a kind of currency. They can be hoarded, but if kept for too long they lose their value. Like all currencies, they must, sooner or later, be used in a transaction—sold to the highest bidder or bartered as a favor for which another favor will be returned. To see the full scale of Donald Trump’s betrayal of his country, it is necessary to start with this reality. He kept intelligence documents because, at some point, those secrets could be used in a transaction. What he was stockpiling were the materials of treason. He may not have known how and when he would cash in this currency, but there can be little doubt that he was determined to retain the ability to do just that."
Patricia, the Hubbell article I linked says the Florida administrative clerk maintains it was a random assignment out of 25 possible judges - which I know, is existentially scary right there, but the Hubbell article is worth reading to calm that kind of panic.
" . . . there was nothing nefarious about Cannon’s selection. The clerk’s office uses a computerized random selection process. It was the bad luck of the draw."
Barr is just another hack lawyer who has no remorse for being another hack lawyer! All law school graduates should feel totally insulted by having Barr around dropping his own manure into their “profession”! Again, disbar the fake!
It’s so annoying Trump still gets all the press. I know these indictments are huge but there is so much else going on in our government and in the world.
You mean we could focus on the Climate Disaster and how to deal with it? Focus on the fresh water crisis? Focus on food insecurity and homelessness? Focus on another world leader gone stark raving mad and is performing a genocide and his nation is not yet expelled from the UN?
THAT, Daryl, is Trumps greatest crime. He has distracted us from the issues of our time. He launched a culture war when we needed a laser-like focus on Earth altering issues - the future and potential survival of our grandchildren. "45" is competing for the title of worst, most destructive human ever born.
The junk news feed that streams on to my computer is filled with trumpist coyotes in full cry. Not 100%, though - some opposing voices intersperse the howls.
When Trump calls America a Banana Republic, that's not an accusation so much as a wish list. He almost succeeded in creating a Banana Republic during his time in office and he thinks he could be successful if he's given another chance. He is the perfect Banana Republican.
It sounds like an oxymoron that our government is simultaneously ‘weaponized’ and a ‘banana republic.’ And the folks complaining the loudest are the ones with most of the weapons. I’m more concerned about lunatics with guns than I am about the the Special Counsel and his team of prosecutors doing their job.
Mr. Trump’s palace was searched in accordance with the 4th amendment. Now he’s been indicted by a Grand Jury in accordance with the 5th amendment. Under the 6th amendment, he is entitled to a trial by an impartial jury of citizens in the jurisdiction where the alleged offenses occurred. He also is presumed innocent unless and until said jury finds him guilty beyond reasonable doubt. To say that none of that should ever apply to him is to say he is above the law and a monarch.
Excellent points. What I am beginning to realize, given recent revelations about Trump having and sharing Top Secret docs about a potential military action against Iran, Saudi Arabia's mortal enemy, is why the Saudis gave Jared Kushner $1 Billion in a deal - could this be the payoff for Top Secret info? How much of that did TFG get? How about the mysterious deaths by a number of those close to Putin late last summer? Did TFG give Putin docs that revealed their cooperating with American Intelligence? I think that the case is more serious than we suspect or know or are willing to admit.
I've been salivating over the idea of Trump, under oath, taking the stand in his own defense. But I've only just now thought about the nightmare this will be for the jurors, and how difficult it will be to pick them. I hope they televise the "voir dire," where they question and select the jurors, yet also find a way to keep their identities safe.
I hope we haven't come to a situation where we either have to keep our jurors secret just to save their lives from Republican believers. But the very need for secrecy undermines the legitimacy of the verdict. Damn.
Indeed we were a banana republic while he occupied the WH and the originalist clowns on the stench court are trying their best to continue debasing our experiment with democracy!
Are Republicans (88% of them) so stupid (yes, stupid) that they cannot see the reasons behind the support of Democrats for the way our institutions have worked? How can they not see their willingness to corrupt the truth to save Trump's face? The real danger to our democracy comes from the willingness of people to become stupid, like Lindsey Graham and the other licensed lawyers (who knew enough to pass a bar exam). I am a 40-year California lawyer, and listening to them smear the foundation of the profession they swore to be faithful to, sickens me. Is Bill Barr still a licensed (not disbarred) American lawyer? I am ashamed my profession is occupied by so many corrupt, still-licensed lawyers. But who writes about the weakness of character of members of the American bar?
Their commitment to TFG is puzzling, but then again, people believe what they want to believe. Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., co-chair of the Human Genome Project, someone who understands DNA completely, someone who knows that ALL living life on this planet share the same DNA - humans, frogs, insects, bananas, who must know that all life on earth is descended from LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor) who lived here about 3.5 billion years ago, is a fundamentalist Christian. People believe what they want to believe. John Stuart Mill made the point in 1869 in his essay, "The Subjection of Women." When beliefs are based on feelings, facts don't matter. So, what are these feelings among TFG's supporters? Racism. Misogyny. Xenophobia. Homophobia. Forget Jesus and Matthew 25: 34-46. These people love to hate. "The Anger Games, Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election, and Why?"
Many are working three jobs, bad food (the American Grocers Association first, climate change recently), drugs instead of good medical care (if they have any), no paid vacations, etc., etc., etc. Totally unsatisfying lives and DT blames the government. Public education and Republican propaganda are at least equally to blame. The pandemic was the last straw.
When do we get free medical school for qualified candidates? When do we overturn Citizens United? How can we help the current administration carry out its goals? Vote and find out what you can do besides contributions, however small, to the DCCC and the DSCC. Join your local Indivisible chapter online. Fund stamps for GOTV postcard writers. If everyone who reads HCR does some small act to help get the current crew re-elected, it’s a lot.
I also suggest we get on the mailing list of our members in congress and state government , and write them how you feel and ask “WHY” questions. If they got letters often maybe just maybe this would make a difference. I even find scripture to emphasize a point if I know their white conservative Christian. Mine include Ted Cruz😩
I think that those are important messages, but what we need to do is to get folks registered to vote and get them to the polls on election day or else get them to mail in their ballots. We simply must out-vote them.
Good for you! I tend to write encouragement to my senators and congressman. All three mostly vote as I would wish. When one didn’t lately I let him know.
You might want to take a look at the demographics of the Trump cult. A surprising percentage consists of white suburbanites fingering their weapons stash behind gated communities.
The 88% are simply avid viewers of the reality TV drama “Super Don”, starring that enigmatic swashbuckler DJT in his quixititotic battle to “own” the windmills, er Libs
Maybe "Anna" from "V" is real and has spread her "Bliss" across certain states or certain folks with particular DNA are vulnerable to her spell. (If you are into sci-fi TV)
There is no logic to any of this. I always look for "the reason". Maybe, we are just not as intelligent as we think we are. Maybe we evolved our technology faster than our little brains could handle the fire hoses of bullshit.
Bill, “ Maybe we evolved our technology faster than our little brains could handle the fire hoses of bullshit.”……oh, yes, in so many ways we humans are ‘out over our skis’….and thinking we can engineer/techno our way out of our problems. Hmmmm, seems to me that’s exactly how we got INTO so so many of them in the first place. Human hubris.
I dont know how de programming works but it is what is needed. Their belief system is such it is impossible to use facts, reason, logic & even what is before their very eyes. They have a rational for everything. Dealing with their mind set , it is understandable how Hitler came to power & why Russian people continue to support Putin.
Probably Marj, the best question asked today. A person who follows charismatic leadership developed by personalities which recognize they have power over those who follow them. Read Bernstein as she categorizes cults and their leadership types. LFAA members are a type of cult as are Hubble followers but of a different sort of leadership. Maga members yet another cult type. Charisma can influence our outlook and shape our thoughts and feelings and those will align with what leadership presents. I choose HCR.
I love your facts but I also know most of them. What concerns me is how this info can get to those who don't. At this time there is a real threat of violence in this country. What is the being done to tell the truth to those people. Articles are nice, but most of them don't read them. Billboards or posters are more suited for them. Not hitting head on is not going to get through to anyone...I know-my friends know but isn't there any PR genius who can get to those gun toting masses before its too late....
Journalists who attended tfg’s weekend rallies, and interviewed the attendees could not find anyone who had read the indictment. They “don’t need to read it” because they “know he did nothing wrong” and this is just a “witch hunt”. They are willfully ignorant because they choose to follow “dear leader.” This makes them dangerous, not only of physical violence, but of re-electing tfg.
Please read what I wrote about these people. Going door to door in Iowa in 2218 I learned about people with three jobs. Since I have learned about what has happened to those who once had a living wage; about what the pandemic did to ALL of US; what Medicare for profit has become. That’s just the beginning. Except for the top 10% this is not the America of our parents.
Yeah. They seem to be sucking all the money out of the medical system that is direly needed within the system. Instead, it's going to "shareholder value" and executive compensation.
While I can no longer go door to door, I did a lot of that for a while, and the guiding principle is that person-to-person contact is the most effective way to convince people and get them to act. Thank you for doing it even when I'm sure a lot of people who ignored you and others slammed the door in your face. I worry that the proliferation of guns has made it more dangerous.
Depending on where you live, it seems to me going door-to-door could be downright deadly these days. The level of fear and holing up in your house with your gun(s) and the impulse to shoot first at a stranger knocking on your door, or in your yard, or driveway is so alarming.
If you canvass with a reliable organization such as, say, the League of Conservation Voters or the local Democratic or Progressive Party, they have up-to-date information about voters, and you only knock on those doors. It's not about conversion as about increasing turnout. And it's safer not to go alone. Most people won't take a phone call these days.
Show film of the triumphs, the actions, the displays of great power, from the beginnings and the first crimes -- the March on Rome, the Matteotti murder, the Beer Hall Putsch -- through the Nuremberg Rallies, Mussolini's speeches from that balcony on Piazza Venezia, crowd hysteria boiling over... to the Second World War, the immeasurable, inconceivable crimes,. And downfall. That of the dictators and their sidekicks. That of their countries.
Berlin, Hamburg, Germany's proud cities, in ruins. The haggard survivors.
Show up the parallels, today's actors. In America. Elsewhere. Especially in Russia and Ukraine.
Show up the real issues. The survival of mankind and of the life forms we have inherited on the surface of our one and only planet.
Show it all, again and again.
Will those who see this still opt for death and destruction?
And, like denial, like all the perverse forms of self-destuction tugging at our sleeves, defeatism is a luxury we cannot afford.
Why are we here, studying the insights of an able historian, if it's to give way to hand wringing hopelessness?
The exercise calls for great skill and subtlety and for the positive, heroic side of the story. "Our boys" -- our forebears. Their allies. Their fight, their sacrifices, their hard-won victory!
That was not just for themselves and their own times.
THEY FOUGHT, SUFFERED, SURVIVED, DIED... FOR US. NOW. AND HEREAFTER.
Are we worthy of them? Are we worthy of all they did for us?
If we are not, let us strive every day to live up to our inheritance.
*
Let us take up thoughts like these and build on them.
So much of this material could not be more watchable. Even after all this time. Goebbels masterly propaganda displays. Great stuff for all those (like tfg and DeS) drawn to similar dreams of ultra-power, Exceptionalism, "We, the Master Race, born to own and to command... Them. Born to serve us or go under".
What followed... happened...
And "Our boys", our great Granddads suffered and came through.
Yes, madness and unreason do lend themselves to "rationalizing". But remain mad, mad, mad.
I keep being surprised -- and no, not just surprised, disgusted -- by the extent to which the worst madness, the worst that diseased minds can do, has been accepted in America -- and consequently, worldwide -- as "normal".
There is nothing normal about what we have been seeing in recent years. It's as though everything that has been going wrong with our culture over the past half-millennium and more has come to a head.
And I remember once again that expression of, I think it was Malcolm X, which I couldn't understand at the time of the JFK assassination...
Excellent points, Susan! There should be a concerted effort to bring light to the gravity of the situation for which tfg has been indicted. Lincoln Project commercials on Fox channels, perhaps?
To add to your point about the masses, convicted felons are denied the right to vote, potentially a convicted felon will be the gop candidate for POTUS in 2024!
Yep. And if Trump wants to vote for himself in Florida, according to my understanding of Florida law, he'll have to pay all of his assessed fines and court costs, first, just like any other common felon. (heh, heh)
I used to contribute to Maddog” billboards. Scaled down donations, but it will take another Rupert with a brain and a heart to counter the evil messaging, especially since social media is corrupted beyond words.
Susan, cult members are willing to die for their beliefs. Jonestown, Heaven's Gate, Waco, 911. The sense of belonging and being part of something greater than oneself is a very powerful drug, curated by natural selection. Don't think that facts will ever be pertinent to them.
It would be great to see Trump get all that he deserves. He needs to be more than a footnote though. Trump, the modern "GOP", and MAGA rate a whole chapter in future books under the heading of "Historical Disasters". It is history that we desperately need to learn from.
Agree 100%. Trump is getting all the press for three reason that I can see. One, people always look at train wrecks. They just do. I do too. And Trump is one train wreck after another. Two, we have serious loopholes in our Constitution and our national government. Loopholes that allow this madman to gain the political power he holds, and use it to blow his horn loudly and constantly. And three - we have a positively evil political party that has alot of power in our country, that is solidly behind said madman and enables all he does. I for one think history books and other historical material should chronicle all this in great detail - so as to maximize the odds it never happens again.
well said. trump, and Jan 6 , will be studied for a long time. that trump actually still is allowed to be the frontrunner for the repub nomination is a serious mistake that itself will have long-lasting consequences.
Yes and she is an exceptional resource, but can't do it alone. Democracy is DIY (with help where we can find it) or it;s just not democracy. That means we need to know the basics of what the heck is going on, and set the agenda for our "representatives" if we really want to responsibly take the wheel.
It's time we stop, hey what's that sound, everybody look what's going down.....
Lord have mercy! Those history books would undoubtedly be on the banned list in many red states! They should be published and a responsible media should promote them!
I think of the protocol that is applied to a plane crash, when they gather and inspect every fragment and use what they find to modify designs and procedures to reduce the chance of subsequent disasters. which is appropriate for any sort of failure that significantly harms people. Politics far too often allows those invested in the status quo to block "common sense" remedial actions (look at the madness of the US response to COVID, despite an epic death toll) but we the people are fools to ignore threatening realities.
"we have serious loopholes in our Constitution and our national government. Loopholes that allow this madman to gain the political power he holds..."
I believe wise and just laws are the bones of a just society, but the public brings life to them. I doubt that any broad principle of law can be so cleverly written that it cannot be corrupted into assaulting justice rather than upholding it. I see the power (not the concept) of pardon as a particularly regressive (to the era of kings) and unaccountably in ways that recent event prove to be patently corrupt (abuse of power). The Electoral College betrays one person, one vote. Even less controversial provisions of law can be weaponized to suit the agenda of charlatans without widespread vigilance and good faith on the part of the public.
As bone-weary as I am of this endless cacaphony of noisy outrage, like a large flock of crows, that keeps coming from the MAGAcolytes at every official notification from the DOJ, I have to remind myself that they are doing it first because they can, and second because its the best they've got. If they had something more effective, more valid, more pursuasive, they'd certainly be using it. Does this comfort me? not really, but it's a response that's other than pure frustration.
Yes! It’s like a deranged Greek chorus. Nothing ever comes of it (think Benghazi, Durham, HRC investigation) but it plays on continuous loop to an audience of Republicans desperate to believe it.
AKA "Big Lie" technique. Organized dishonesty is depressingly effective, so we never defeat it once and for all; but we could and should get smarter about detecting and resisting emerging symptoms before they spread and potentially turn septic. There is no shortage of examples of where that can lead.
We are at a crossroads moment in all of this Trump business. The indictment is as damning as it could possibly be. Photos of boxes stacked in the bathroom with a chandelier are both ridiculous and obscene. His disregard for security, relationships, lives of real patriots and process should appall anyone and everyone. If you really care about law & order, this should make an impact on you. I value loyalty, but there comes a time you just walk away from toxic that won't try rehab.
Trump is going to fight to the end and that's admirable when there's something to fight for. He has nothing....his ego is not worth anything. He's got no hand to play from, except for people who remain loyal and spew propaganda. That worked for Hitler until it didn't. All of Leni Riefenstahl's brilliant film work and Adolf's loyal stooges could not save him or his Reich. There were too many flaws in the machine that was a VERY successful operation for a number of years.
What happens in and around the courthouse in South Florida tomorrow is the crossroads. It's going to determine a lot about how this goes forward. This is a high level chess match...and I don't think Trump has the chops to win on his own. The only way he survives this, is with a lot of help...with a very big thumb on the scales of Justice....and a lot of people who can be fooled all of the time.
"His disregard for security, relationships, lives of real patriots and process should appall anyone and everyone. If you really care about law & order, this should make an impact on you." Exactly!!
I want to let tomorrow play out. But right after that, I feel this should be the VERY concise message to my Trump empowering friends and family via social media & whatever else is available. He is the toxic, dysfunctional head of a political "family" that's still trying to justify his behavior and be loyal, to what has become an honest to god monster. There's probably 20% who will go their graves believing he was set up. That the deep state did all of this and that it is the hoax and witch hunt he says it is. But in their heart of hearts more and more will fall away...and we need to do this with love, not hate...provide the info in a way they can accept and a space for them to retreat to. It's hard to give up on someone/something you love/loved. Most of them are still going to be conservatives...but we have to help them get away from fear mongering and intentional divisiveness.
I saw an interview yesterday with a lady at a political event in Iowa. The reporter mentioned that tfg admitted his guilt on tape. She said, "But that could have been altered!" There is no objective truth for these folks.
The very sad truth today is that it technically can be altered, or created from scratch. Personally I've edited words together on corporate videos...but that was for clarity or because someone misspoke and we needed to fix it. In these cases there needs to be a clear and clean chain of evidence. The other proposal I've seen is televising these hearings. It's far more important to our democracy than OJ Simpson. Make it all as open and transparent as possible. Trump will get the highest ratings of his lifetime.
Yes, I understand it could be done, of course. But it just shows the complete lack of trust these folks have in our government when it comes to dealings with Trump. I despair we will never get this back.
We fought a brutal Civil War and came back from that. It's never been perfect...but people who have been on the margins keep getting more rights...we may be in a bit of a stall, but I believe it will improve. To see 2 non-binary actors receive Tony awards last night was inspiring.
Would/could this trial be televised? Even if so, there are many concerns - the anonymity of jurors, things "not allowed by the Court" (which would have already been considered by the fact of their existence), etc. Could it actually happen? Would it make a difference to the MAGA crowd?
They are not allowed by Federal law...but it seems in this case an exception might be called for and allowed...??? It's an unusual case with an Ex-President.
I think that's important. Trump rose to power because a lot of people felt left out or left behind...or that Government is not a solution. They also listened to too much Rush and Tucker. There's an organization called Braver Angels that's trying to find common ground and bring people together. They have a national conference in Gettysburg after the 4th of July this year. I'm talking with them about documenting some of it. Check them out. They have local chapters.
I note that most of the Republican shouting points have a kernel of truth rattling around in the bottom of the hot air can. They're right, many of people have been "left behind" (it is a rapidly changing world, after all) and the Government is not a solution to a great many things (and there are also many things that only Government can do). It's the way they use those facts that's so abhorrent.
I've been to one Braver Angels thing that was nice but uncontroversial, since no "Reds" (they refer to the sides as "Reds" and "Blues) turned up. I tried to go to another one, but it had to be cancelled, again for the same reason. I haven't tried to pursue them very consistently, other tasks and trials distract me so much, and I wonder if their online events get more traction. I imagine that Reds may feel safer attending online, since they (rightly) fear that they may get yelled at and they (again rightly) suspect that they will be in a minority at such events.
Thanks for the recommendation, though, and I heartily applaud their mission. I'll try harder in the future.
The best reality spinners have a kernel of truth in their arguments.
Thanks for the intell on Braver Angels
I'm interested in documenting a debate they intend to do in Gettysburg about Confederate Monuments. They say they have 50/50 participation.
If we're going to get out of this divided spiral of rhetoric we all have to look for some common ground and agree to disagree on some things...and actually compromise on things to move forward....and stop power grabbing...if 70% of the people believe & want a pathway forward, that should be the path.
I start by saying to my trumped friends and relatives, with great (but innocent-ish) surprise: "Who Knew!! All this time Trump was [insert crime-of-the-day] He fooled us all!"
This document farce is just so over the top. Some of my Trump supporting family are also military or first responders. This gets to be a dilemma for them. I'm curious to see how our conversations go after Tuesday.
A more rare late letter tonight. Hope all is ok. My dream indictments remain against those who tried to overthrow our gov. Jack Smith may just pull that off. And if he does I hope he will go down in legend, history and tale that cements our bond to the rule of law and democracy. The time is ripe for new legends.
I detest Barr and his ilk who stood around and did nothing while Trump played with our democracy. Dereliction of duty to uphold the Constitution with no consequences. But I will acknowledge Barr summed up Trump’s legal peril as ‘he’s toast’ did made me laugh. Who you gonna call?
Also his famous vulgarity played on tape by the Jan 6 Committee - “that’s bullshit” - as if that now absolves him of all responsibility. Although Janes Comey’s misguided disclosures were arguably more damaging, I still believe he is a more honorable man than the glib weasel Barr, who has never acknowledged his own complicity in Trump’s slithering away from the Mueller findings. Talk about Weaponization of the DOJ!
There is a photo of one of the rooms where the documents were stored that I find interesting. The photo shows a line of boxes from floor to ceiling. Other than document boxes, there is something else in the photo. A copier.
Yes, we can. Were those documents the only originals? If Trump wanted to keep the only originals, but sell the copies, he was also trying to ensure that our enemies had information that we produced, but no longer have.
I completely agree. It's the unknown that concerns me the most. If he had the gall to keep the physical files, who knows who may have received copies. I can only imagine the contempt and fear other Countries have for what he did with their classified information as well. It's truly a nightmare.
"Still, the indictment came not from Smith, but from a federal grand jury of ordinary American citizens in Florida who reviewed evidence and determined that there was probable cause to believe that Trump committed crimes and should be tried for them. Trump’s defenders are trying to blur this reality by saying it was Biden who charged Trump, when it was really the members of a grand jury." thank you for reminding us, Dr. Richardson. This is a crucial fact to remember. I have great concerns about tomorrow. I hope there is no violence. But, if I lived in Miami, I'd completely avoid the vicinity of Court where the plea's will be entered.
Even on my best day I could not come up with a scintilla of sympathy for what happens to the GOP because of the involvement of members of Congress in both the January 6 insurrection and their support of T**** in calling the documents investigation an improper use of the DOJ. If the GOP suffers complete destruction, we will be better off. Whatever replaces it cannot possibly be as evil.
Except. James. Under DeSantis/Trump and followers they are attempting to hurdle us into a fascist dictatorships a la Trump's favorite politician Adolph Hitler.
After watching Jim Jordan and Lindsey Graham shilling for tRUMP on the Sunday Shows, I’m convinced the arm flailing, the screeching over interviewers, the references to “ her emails” is akin to drinking the poisoned juice.They are complicit and KNOW that they are on Jack Smith’s roster of conspirators. Desperate traitors drowning in the Kool Aid ... struggling to come up for air. I
I saw Jordan and Ramaswarmy (?) on yesterday’s State of the Union. They all but breathed fire, and Ramaswarmy was as bad or worse than Jordan, if you can believe it. Jordan bloviated, yelled and spit without a breath. Why bother having these people on—you can’t actually interview them.
You would think every school of journalism would require a class on how to prevent another Holocaust. How NOT to feed a societal delusional psychosis of hate should be the focus
It is unfortunate that the hosts don't ask if they have read the indictment, how they know he's innocent, if their "whataboutisms" mean they think TFG is also guilty.
It will be interesting to see when Jack Smith completes the investigation into the election/insurrection, how many Congressional & Senate members get (hopefully) removed from their positions.
Oh man - I think about that often. There are a bunch of Senators and Congress-critters who "aided and abetted". Right there in plain daylight. They need to be brought to justice for sure.
My guess is those critters want it stopped!
And who is financing Trump and some elected officials.
I'm even more interested in who's financing certain non-elected officials, speaking specifically about the "justices" of the Supreme Court and lower levels of the judiciary. Thanks to ProPublica and others, plenty of this information is out in the open. What are we going to do about it?
We need to peel back layer upon layer. determinedly and without giving up.
"We"?
Those of us who want to stand actively against those who would destroy this democracy.
But how, exactly? By voting? Gee, if that worked, we'd never have had Trump in the WH to begin with. What exactly does "stand actively" entail?
Remember there was the senator or congressman who wanted to make this happen....I can't remember his name...it was about the way they were funding groups that protected (hid) their identity.
Perhaps you are thinking of Sheldon Whitehouse? He has done a lot. we have also seen the layers peeled back about the Supreme Court, particularly Thomas. In my opinion, we need to look at the Catholic Church and its' support for this authoritarian party (GOP) that operates as a cult . (remember Hitler and Mussolini)
To your point: Leonard Leo, a staunch ultra-conservative Roman Catholic, helped to stack the Court. Leo, like his supplicants, is a member of The Federalist Society.
I would start with Leonard Leo and Harlan Crow. Leo, an ultra-conservative Catholic worked diligently to stack the Court. Crow seduced his black "servant", Thomas, with mounds of money and gifts. And let's not forget that Crow is a Hitler/Nazi aficionado.
That's a good place to start, but especially if you're white (as I am), I'd be careful about tossing phrases like "black slave" around.
Thank you. I will edit the post. In a certain context, Thomas is subservient. I changed the word to "servant"
Yeah, and "bought and paid for" probably isn't far off the mark, but he was free to enter (or not) into any deal and he seems to have benefited handsomely from his relationship with Crow. Not to mention that several of his white colleagues aren't exactly squeaky clean in the deal department . . .
Unfortunately, it's not up to us.
Unfortunately. it Is up to us!
Don't you mean "fortunately"?
Dream on! Help kill Citizens United.
The "Tea Party" did a number on us in Indiana!
trump’s believers are financing this by continuing to donate every time he opens his mouth. I wonder if he’s going to use true believers’ donations to pay off E Jean Carroll’s $5,000,000+!!
hope he bankrupts them. many of his followers live off social security and retirement funds ( if any)
They are same people who give to TV evangelicals. My nephew and his lady just watched Repo Man and reminded me of that wonderful scene where the guy is eating dog food out of a can while his parents are glued to the TV and have given away all the money to some con. I just posted Heather's letter to my Facebook feed and I concluded with the observation that if people are still supporting death star after this, there is something deeply wrong with their moral compass.
Watch
The new documentary on Amazon Prime about the Dugger’s YOU WILL learn how all this corruption started with the evangelical movement. Watch the documentary I’m telling you ALL it’s very disturbing, and enlightening it’s called “ Shining Happy People “ it will blow your minds. Watch for the Blanket time sene 🤬
Blanket Time: unbelievable.
Read "A Fever in the Heartland". It explains a lot of how it can happen. Actually, they used the clergy to brainwash congregations. I see that happening now!
Remove the tax exemptions of ALL churches venturing into the political lane!
I just finished A Fever in the Heartland recently and followed it up with Poverty, By America. I found Fever to be both eye-opening and sickening. I grew up in Elkhart, so it's home ground. A lot of my mother's family lived in the Indy area and my father's in the Wabash area. And I agree that is happening now which makes it even more nauseating.
They are good "Republicans" and proud of it as they go to the food panty to get food for their bellies!
One of the few things that makes his existence tolerable. The more misery his supporters suffer the better.
My son listens to right wing radio to hear first hand what they are saying. He tells me they are giving air time to callers who have been avid supporters of Trump and who no longer are. The many callers say they are tired of his negativity and are switching to DeSantis. Maybe this will be a bloody cockfight.
You don't really think he'll use his own money (the stuff with MBS's fingerprints all over it), do you? Fleecing the rubes is his core competency.
E. Jean posts over at Prof Prof Vance's Civil Discourse but, not about the facts of her cases, plural.
Bryan Sean McKown -- "E. Jean posts over at Prof Prof Vance's Civil Discourse"
https://joycevance.substack.com/about
Thank You. Just subscribed. Vance is terrific (see her on MSNBC).
I hope she gets paid at all.
trump has raised millions of dollars from his base members. They are "True Believers."
And the biggest fools on the planet. I agree with a comment I read somewhere, that the MSM should be reporting on the actions of Nazis in pre-war Germany, and liken the “true believers’” to the cult today. It is shocking but apropos
It is stunning. Their obliviousness to the danger of what they are advocating is their inability to think rationally along with their apparent ignorance of history.
Willful ignorance makes me crazy.
Ignorance is a key word and they are proud of it in many cases. Even my very intelligent ex-classmate shouted at me that she didn't care what the facts were....Obama era. History for them is the sanitized version of how great this country was and is. If they are such great patriots, why don't they care about national security. It isn't something in spy novels and so-called patriotic displays. It is real people on the ground including our intelligence services and the military which are all potentially compromised and some may already have paid.
". . . and some may already have paid." I find it more than probable conincidence that TFG had classified documents in his possession (and about 48 are now missing) at a time when some of Putin's close associates started dying mysteriously last summer. Did Putin get classified info from Trump? The depth and breadth of TFG's treasonous conduct can't be imagined by some. It is historic, right up there with the Rosenbergs.
You hit the nail on the head!
Accurate but, not shocking Jeri per the detailed LFAA comments last week on the German 1930's & Italy 1918 through 1930's. Fascism was born of WWI perceived grievances against 'Others'. Mussolini''s 1922 'March on Rome' (Marcia su Roma) & Hitler's 1923 'Beer Hall Putch'.
It does reveal how much many people want an authoritarian leader who gives permission to express their fears about "others" being the reason for their discontent. Alice Miller wrote about how raising children with an authoritarian style of parenting can result in adults who seek this kind of leadership,(For Your Own Good: The Hidden Cruelty in Child Rearing and the Roots of Violence.) Many MAGAs were raised in traditional families where children were not allowed to "sass back", ie. express themselves, so they often became docile and afraid of "upsetting" their caretakers or became like their petty tyrant adult caretakers. This sets them up to be perfect MAGAs.
Hadn't thought about Alice Miller's work for years, so thank you for the reminder.
GOD: the original authority figure. Believe in that, you can believe in anything.
I was never spanked. My mother was my primary caregiver and we talked. I never spanked my two daughters. We talked.
I never thought about that! Making of the perfect child!
Or Nazis in the US in pre-war America (Rachel Maddow's Ultra podcast). Or they could pick up the thread of Heather Cox Richardson's writing on pre-Civil War America, or post-Civil War America for that matter (How the South Won the Civil War).
https://youtu.be/ruhsQYLzvWs
Ruth Ben-Ghait last night with Ali Veschi. Stunning synopsis of just that.
MaryPat-Sercu: Right! Ruth Ben-Ghait wrote a beautiful, culturally immersed book about Italy in the 1920s through the World War. Professor Ben-Ghait's historical depth informs her analysis of the dangers arising from the American Right -- which, unfortunately, today means most of the GOP.
Yes. So impressive. Which title should I start with? Thanks.
A worthwhile read: "They Thought They Were Free" by Milton Mayer, 1966. Profiles of 10 ordinary citizens in pre-War Germany.
It is hopeful that money will be used to pay the lawyers, victims, and damages. A fool and their money are soon parted..who said that ?
I wonder how long it will take some to climb out ofthe rabbit hole, some never will.
No, they never will for several reasons. Best to understand where they are coming from, how they got this way (economic reasons and replacement theory), and work to help respond to their grievances, do you think? Biden has been trying to do that.....look at all the jobs he has created and companies that have been started. The statistics are astounding. Manchin and Sinema have done their best to stymie his policies.
It fascinates me -the cult mentality. Early on I DID read ‘the other side’s’ premise, to keep a check on my own early supposition , only to within a year be convinced enough not to bother. I realized fairly quickly the pointed fingers, the clever blame game, and repetition of the fascist playbook.
But correct, rightfully so , there’s many angry ,deservedly- enough to believe promises of resolve albeit shallow promises consistently NOT forfilled 95% -(but to the rich)!
We have many miles to go to accomplish this, but I do count the efforts made ( and some now taken away) trying to do this . Thanks for this great point!
Cultish
Exactly: Fundamentalism, which makes up the reliable, voting core of the Radical-Right (which, unfortunately, now means the GOP).
How true are they in their beliefs? This just posted by the Orlando Sentinel: Officials denounce Nazi demonstration outside Disney amid rising antisemitism in Florida.
These are DeSantis' and TFG's thugs.
‘Mar-a-Lago Dinner Guests Wondered Why Menus Contained Missile Sites’
‘PALM BEACH (The Borowitz Report)—Guests who dined at Mar-a-Lago after January, 2021, wondered why their menus featured missile sites of the United States and its allies, the diners have reported.’
‘Harland Dorrinson, who’d had lunch at Mar-a-Lago, said that he’d found the list of missile installations “confusing,” but added, “I just assumed they were specials.”
‘Carol Foyler, who’d visited the private club for dinner, was similarly baffled. “I thought maybe they were trying to turn the place into some kind of theme restaurant,” she said.’
‘The hard-to-read menus irritated another dinner guest, Tracy Klugian. “It was the last thing I needed, especially after climbing over all of those boxes to get to my table,” he said.’ (Satire, NewYorker)
Trump likely wishes he thought of that!
Apparently Putin’s brain trust is working on strategies to get Trump re-elected. Am sure plenty of dark money is involved.
Can they be removed just because they are indicted, tried, convicted and sentenced to jail? All of that is now unclear to me after learning that Trump can run and be elected, and if in prison pardon himself and get out. I guess they don't have the power to pardon themselves. I presume that means that Jim Jordan's number is up. Something he has been trying to delay and obfuscate.
Here’s my “pipe” bombshell wish
Jack Smith recovered the erased Secret Service text messages from January 5-6
Glad you remembered that, was just wishing that yesterday. It would shock, not only us, but the world.
It seems like nothing will remove the knuckleheads support for him, not even words they hear with their own ears or footage they view with their own eyes. The epitome of stupid.
I’m gonna go with “ignorant” rather than “stupid”; “pig ignorant” as my Mom used to say. Uninformed by choice, gullible by inclination and training.
"Nothing you could say can tear me away from my guy
Nothing you could do, 'cause I'm stuck like glue to my guy
I'm sticking to my guy like a stamp to a letter
Like birds of a feather, we stick together
I'm tellin' you from the start, I can't be torn apart from my guy"
Morning, Ally!
Morning, Lynell!! So well quoted here.
True Believers have conviction which even a “conviction” cannot bend
There are none as ignorant as those who willfully remain so.
Yes. Thanks Ally. And sadly some of the best people have become "ignorant."
Sadly, there ain't no dumbass vaccine.
They wouldn't take it if such a vaccine became available. 😉
Lol. The Big Retort “Your news source is biased so their facts don’t matter”
If they did have an epiphany and lose the blinders, I don't think they would admit it and face the wrath of their nearest and dearest. They, however, have the secret ballot. Not much, but a start.
We are in a serious dilemma - those who are enemies of democracy actually hold political positions in the government that they want to destroy - Jim Jordan and the others. The case is very serious.
Oh, they've been doing that since Gingrich, if not before. "The government is mean, terrible, nasty, should be abolished, so hire me to run it!" They never seem to advise that approach to business, I notice.
Robert Hubbell's Today's Edition clearly addresses that confusion.
The short answer is yes, 45 can do all those things and still win the presidency.
Read his substack to get the entirety of what we are up against.
The bottom line is it is up to the voters to decide who will be in the White House in 2025, not the legal proceedings.
https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/dont-freak-out-about-judge-cannon
Hubbell's concluding lines are quite succinct:
"We are in for a long, turbulent ride in the defense secrets trial. If the first weekend of our journey together is any indication, we need to take some Dramamine and read People Magazine to chill out. Do not collapse all the possible pitfalls and setbacks of the future into the present moment. They may not occur (indeed, probably will not), but if they do, we have options to overcome them.
"But the most important lesson is this: The point of the trial is to punish Trump for his crimes. If we want to keep him out of the Oval Office, we must beat him at the polling booth. Nothing about the trial changes that fundamental truth. The good news is that we have beaten him before and stand a good chance of doing so again."
So in the end, or the beginning, the repubs can continúe their crimes and support of proven crimes and run for office and stay in office. The two party system is in great jeopardy. And we who at times believed our Democracy was strong join the rest of the world whose leaders are humans. I wonder what an AI candidate would look like. Depends on the programmer? Lord Acton, 1887: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” Cynical or true? Women unite!
https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely.html
Qualifications for Senate: https://www.senate.gov/senators/qualifications_termsofservice.htm
Qualifications for House: https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S2-C2-1/ALDE_00013371/
House and Senate expulsion rules (Though I'd like to hear from Prof. Richardson more on this one):
https://history.answers.com/american-government/How_can_a_senator_be_removed_from_office
Morning, Irenie!
I know that Trump can, but what about all of the MAGAts in the House that supported the insurrection directly. Can they be re-elected if they are in prison?
Great question, Linda. I would want to hear from Prof. Richardson or someone of her qualifications to answer that one.
Yes!
That this is even possible ...?
Lindsey Graham took one step forward on J-6 and 100 backwards the following week when he visited Trump in Florida. A weak and troubled congressman who never had a firm stance on anything that required allegiance to democracy.
He is the worst of the toadies, he knows better.
Jeri, I believe that he lost his rudder when John McCain died. John McCain appealed to his better angels and, very probably, talked him out of his worst impulses.
What does tfg have on Graham?
I don't think he needs anything in Graham's case, although I wonder how many of those documents he retained were intended to be "kompromat" on his supposed allies.
What he has on Graham is toxic to the Repugs - the Democrats don't care.
Joyce Lindsey Graham is a bad weather vane. I remember when he was John McCain’s biggest buddy and Trump was potted shit. And then weather vane Graham turned 180 degrees. Graham is crackers.
“Graham is crackers.” Hahahahaha….perfect!
Your words to g-d's ears, Margaret.
What mechanism do you propose for this? that they won't be re-elected (fat chance in most cases), that they'll resign (not likely -- take a look at George Santos for example), or that they'll be impeached (also not likely)? Also, are you thinking in terms of the investigation alone, or of the indictments that may follow, or of the convictions that might hypothetically follow the indictments? If any congresscritters are shown to have actually participated in criminal activity (e.g., incitement or obstruction), they're in trouble. If all they did was talk -- not so much.
Let's hope this will include all members who aided and abetted the insurrection by remaining silent in its wake. Congress had a duty to protect democracy and the American people from the former president at the time of the second vote for impeachment. They chose otherwise and are subsequently collaborators. Mitch McConnell can remain silent all day long, but it does not absolve him.
I would guess none, at least in the House, even if a few members (Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, to name a couple) are eventually indicted for aiding/fomenting an insurrection.
Oh, please let Gym Jordan be top of that list!
It would be nice if decent human beings would repudiate them first. I think voting them out in 11/24 would be much quicker, especially because there are so many of them
sadly it is most probable none will pay for their complicity.
It seems like such a crying shame that the Justice Department has been weaponized to go after public figures who have committed federal crimes. Shameful. Shameful. </sarcasm>
That would be great!
Robert Hubbell has a great, reassuring Substack this morning: "Don't freak out about Judge Cannon" (link below). I think the key here is for all of us (certainly for me!) not to freak out about ANY of this. tfg's allies are going to claim "witch hunt" and "targeted prosecution" and get hysterical and maybe get violent. We focus on Biden's and Democratic accomplishments and goals, we reiterate the differences in the situations and the seriousness of the charges against tfg, we quote Republicans like Barr about the seriousness of the offenses, and we work to defeat tfg, DeSaster, and all authoritarians at the polls and in every way.
tthttps://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/dont-freak-out-about-judge-cannon?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
"DeSaster"? I like it, and it ensures his preferred pronunciation of "De". You haven't included their current top favourite word - "Weaponisation", with a capital W.
I see some commenters from other sites call him, '' Death DeSatan'' i personally call him '' DeSatan'' He seems to behave like the new '' Adolf Hitler'' and his actions are similar to Hitler. He has a good start to converting Florida into an Authoritarian state.
Complete with cement boots and horse's heads. It looks like a case of "get out while you can".
I fully agree with that!!
I think of him as DesPutin.
My spouse gets annoyed with me when I call Florida's governor DeSatan. I'll try DeSaster instead. ;)
I have liked the DeSatan for some time and while I don't believe in a Satan in a biblical sense he does seem to look and sound like a Satan.
Mum Mitch McConnell.
Keeping his powder dry?
Don't think so; mmm was on Twitter tweeting, "Congress must ... [ wait for it ] pass the Farm Bill swiftly".
That's Mitch all over.
Great one Alexandra. And Anne-Louise, isnt that the truth. Is there a plan from any of the candidates that actually might make our lives more livable?
My mind still trips over the report by HCR last week that over 350 bills have been passed and enacted into laws under this administration, yet we haven't heard beans about all but three or four.
I suspect that our government is, in fact, operating fairly well, despite the destructive drama being foisted on us. I think it's a ploy to make a huge sector of the population who are actually doing fairly well so anxious and fearful that they react to things that might happen, or are assumed, without evidence, to be happening.
I watch Biden and Buttigieg news clips on facebook every week. AMAZING WONDERFUL THINGS HAPPENING ALL OVER AND FOR AMERICA!!!
Not my invention! That was the scathing Ana Navarro - but "DeSaster" suddenly started trending on Twitter after his mortifyingly buggy Twitter announcement.
You're right, Anne- Louise. Capital W or ALL-CAPS.
Laughable choice of words on their part - the only things that have been weaponized are their own stupidity and inability to see the forest for the trees.
Thanks, Alexandra, for posting Robert Hubbell's link. It is a balm to me - a juristically challenged worrier.
You're welcome, Rosalind - it was a huge relief to me, too! I think it was TCinLA who turned me on to Hubbell this weekend! (It's so hard to find comments in these long threads - the one drawback of Substack...)
Me, too. Hubbell's post today was a much needed balm for me. I dropped my subscription to his site last year when he took me to task when I insisted that Merrick Garland was indeed doing his job investigating tRump, and was doing it well, but this was just going to take time. I cited previous Garland cases as proof. Hubbell, a former student of esteemed Harvard Law Professor, Lawrence Tribe, who was publicly bashing Garland, disagreed with me. Now that it is clear that I was right (though neither Hubbell or Tribe will probably think they were wrong, and instead will believe that all their haranguing CAUSED Garland to FINALLY do his job. To which my conscience reprimands me with, " Be Nice, MP!"), I can again appreciate Hubbell's reasoned reassurances. (Don't tell Gary I have sinned!)
I kind of smile inwardly as people recommend Hubbell. His readership of 46,000 pays about 2400000 yearly. He’s a cute little ambulance chaser. A bit too overbearing if you question his tactics. Some need such patriarchal comforting. I have no use for the phony. And each time I criticize him I lose my privilege to comment on substack. Guess that makes me a troll unless there is something worse. I fully expect this will go dark for me for the third time also.
Maybe we should do a dual substack site "Pat & MaryPat - Take That!"
Sorry MaryPat but I was booted again. Loved your title. At the moment i am an Albatross. From my perspective (what’s his Name) brings in big bucks to substack as I am booted if I dare criticize. We have been tossed out unceremoniously by substack and this missive will be my last hurrah. This is number 4. I won’t be able to answer anymore after I hit post. My best to you and all. Pat
And to you, Pat!
So "reassuring" to hear I am not alone in the shunning! I don't think he is so much phony as conceited. But, I am thinking, come renewal time, a new pair of walking shoes may give me more comfort instead. Thanks Pat!
GOP = Grift, Outrage, Projection
Hubbell's quote from Fintan O'Toole is telling as well. Trump kept those documents, and lied about having them, because he recognized that they might have great value down the road -- either in trade for favors or for money. This is the way Trump has always operated, and it is why he poses a clear and present danger to our democracy.
Here's O'Toole's quote, from "The New York Review of Books":
"Secrets are a kind of currency. They can be hoarded, but if kept for too long they lose their value. Like all currencies, they must, sooner or later, be used in a transaction—sold to the highest bidder or bartered as a favor for which another favor will be returned. To see the full scale of Donald Trump’s betrayal of his country, it is necessary to start with this reality. He kept intelligence documents because, at some point, those secrets could be used in a transaction. What he was stockpiling were the materials of treason. He may not have known how and when he would cash in this currency, but there can be little doubt that he was determined to retain the ability to do just that."
Do we know -or can we- who appointed her t the case...and perhaps who their alternatives were?
Patricia, the Hubbell article I linked says the Florida administrative clerk maintains it was a random assignment out of 25 possible judges - which I know, is existentially scary right there, but the Hubbell article is worth reading to calm that kind of panic.
Thanks Alexandra, reading Joyce’s letter this morning I got this too. I was curious how that goes. The ALL of us TOGETHER statement …right on! ❤️
In her most recent piece, Joyce Vance said:
" . . . there was nothing nefarious about Cannon’s selection. The clerk’s office uses a computerized random selection process. It was the bad luck of the draw."
Barr is just another hack lawyer who has no remorse for being another hack lawyer! All law school graduates should feel totally insulted by having Barr around dropping his own manure into their “profession”! Again, disbar the fake!
That's an interesting -- and calming! -- discussion. Thanks for bringing it up.
Thank You.
It’s so annoying Trump still gets all the press. I know these indictments are huge but there is so much else going on in our government and in the world.
You mean we could focus on the Climate Disaster and how to deal with it? Focus on the fresh water crisis? Focus on food insecurity and homelessness? Focus on another world leader gone stark raving mad and is performing a genocide and his nation is not yet expelled from the UN?
THAT, Daryl, is Trumps greatest crime. He has distracted us from the issues of our time. He launched a culture war when we needed a laser-like focus on Earth altering issues - the future and potential survival of our grandchildren. "45" is competing for the title of worst, most destructive human ever born.
He has created his own reality show with all of us willing or unwilling participants.
He, and his rubber stamp repub party. Let’s never forget that!
The junk news feed that streams on to my computer is filled with trumpist coyotes in full cry. Not 100%, though - some opposing voices intersperse the howls.
Chump is a happy man underneath. On all screens everywhere. Wish I could hear about without ever having to see or hear him again. Ever
I think part of the punishment should be no more speeches or access to communication outside the walls of prison...
Seeing anarchy in real time is worth the air time, I think.
When Trump calls America a Banana Republic, that's not an accusation so much as a wish list. He almost succeeded in creating a Banana Republic during his time in office and he thinks he could be successful if he's given another chance. He is the perfect Banana Republican.
It sounds like an oxymoron that our government is simultaneously ‘weaponized’ and a ‘banana republic.’ And the folks complaining the loudest are the ones with most of the weapons. I’m more concerned about lunatics with guns than I am about the the Special Counsel and his team of prosecutors doing their job.
Mr. Trump’s palace was searched in accordance with the 4th amendment. Now he’s been indicted by a Grand Jury in accordance with the 5th amendment. Under the 6th amendment, he is entitled to a trial by an impartial jury of citizens in the jurisdiction where the alleged offenses occurred. He also is presumed innocent unless and until said jury finds him guilty beyond reasonable doubt. To say that none of that should ever apply to him is to say he is above the law and a monarch.
Excellent points. What I am beginning to realize, given recent revelations about Trump having and sharing Top Secret docs about a potential military action against Iran, Saudi Arabia's mortal enemy, is why the Saudis gave Jared Kushner $1 Billion in a deal - could this be the payoff for Top Secret info? How much of that did TFG get? How about the mysterious deaths by a number of those close to Putin late last summer? Did TFG give Putin docs that revealed their cooperating with American Intelligence? I think that the case is more serious than we suspect or know or are willing to admit.
Those are my questions as well.
I agree Bluchek Mark, Richard & Back Row.
$2 Billion.
Before Giving Billions to Jared Kushner, Saudi Investment Fund Had Big Doubts https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/10/us/jared-kushner-saudi-investment-fund.html
True True True
One worries about “impartial jury” in Florida. Stay away from my family there…
I've been salivating over the idea of Trump, under oath, taking the stand in his own defense. But I've only just now thought about the nightmare this will be for the jurors, and how difficult it will be to pick them. I hope they televise the "voir dire," where they question and select the jurors, yet also find a way to keep their identities safe.
I hope we haven't come to a situation where we either have to keep our jurors secret just to save their lives from Republican believers. But the very need for secrecy undermines the legitimacy of the verdict. Damn.
Jeri: to your point .....
"There’s One Big Obstacle to Convicting Trump: South Florida
The DOJ's decision to prosecute Trump in South Florida could be fatal to actually getting a conviction."
Read in The Daily Beast: https://apple.news/Aw77boDwFREeUmDcCjgE1hg
I am hopeful - I have friends in that district who are not happy about Roe v. Wade,or about rapists who accuse their victim of lying, or ...
Indeed we were a banana republic while he occupied the WH and the originalist clowns on the stench court are trying their best to continue debasing our experiment with democracy!
Are Republicans (88% of them) so stupid (yes, stupid) that they cannot see the reasons behind the support of Democrats for the way our institutions have worked? How can they not see their willingness to corrupt the truth to save Trump's face? The real danger to our democracy comes from the willingness of people to become stupid, like Lindsey Graham and the other licensed lawyers (who knew enough to pass a bar exam). I am a 40-year California lawyer, and listening to them smear the foundation of the profession they swore to be faithful to, sickens me. Is Bill Barr still a licensed (not disbarred) American lawyer? I am ashamed my profession is occupied by so many corrupt, still-licensed lawyers. But who writes about the weakness of character of members of the American bar?
Their commitment to TFG is puzzling, but then again, people believe what they want to believe. Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., co-chair of the Human Genome Project, someone who understands DNA completely, someone who knows that ALL living life on this planet share the same DNA - humans, frogs, insects, bananas, who must know that all life on earth is descended from LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor) who lived here about 3.5 billion years ago, is a fundamentalist Christian. People believe what they want to believe. John Stuart Mill made the point in 1869 in his essay, "The Subjection of Women." When beliefs are based on feelings, facts don't matter. So, what are these feelings among TFG's supporters? Racism. Misogyny. Xenophobia. Homophobia. Forget Jesus and Matthew 25: 34-46. These people love to hate. "The Anger Games, Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election, and Why?"
Not puzzling, hate and grievance rule the fools, some I know well.
Sadly, I think that we all know some of them well. Some are family members.
Didn't Collins say he would vote for tfg again too?
You're kidding!!! OMG!!
Many are working three jobs, bad food (the American Grocers Association first, climate change recently), drugs instead of good medical care (if they have any), no paid vacations, etc., etc., etc. Totally unsatisfying lives and DT blames the government. Public education and Republican propaganda are at least equally to blame. The pandemic was the last straw.
When do we get free medical school for qualified candidates? When do we overturn Citizens United? How can we help the current administration carry out its goals? Vote and find out what you can do besides contributions, however small, to the DCCC and the DSCC. Join your local Indivisible chapter online. Fund stamps for GOTV postcard writers. If everyone who reads HCR does some small act to help get the current crew re-elected, it’s a lot.
I also suggest we get on the mailing list of our members in congress and state government , and write them how you feel and ask “WHY” questions. If they got letters often maybe just maybe this would make a difference. I even find scripture to emphasize a point if I know their white conservative Christian. Mine include Ted Cruz😩
I think that those are important messages, but what we need to do is to get folks registered to vote and get them to the polls on election day or else get them to mail in their ballots. We simply must out-vote them.
Good for you! I tend to write encouragement to my senators and congressman. All three mostly vote as I would wish. When one didn’t lately I let him know.
You might want to take a look at the demographics of the Trump cult. A surprising percentage consists of white suburbanites fingering their weapons stash behind gated communities.
Ouch! Don’t know any of those guys. Scary.
Detailed breakdown from 2020 election: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/06/30/behind-bidens-2020-victory/
The 88% are simply avid viewers of the reality TV drama “Super Don”, starring that enigmatic swashbuckler DJT in his quixititotic battle to “own” the windmills, er Libs
They are in rapture and probably adored JR
Maybe "Anna" from "V" is real and has spread her "Bliss" across certain states or certain folks with particular DNA are vulnerable to her spell. (If you are into sci-fi TV)
There is no logic to any of this. I always look for "the reason". Maybe, we are just not as intelligent as we think we are. Maybe we evolved our technology faster than our little brains could handle the fire hoses of bullshit.
Bill, “ Maybe we evolved our technology faster than our little brains could handle the fire hoses of bullshit.”……oh, yes, in so many ways we humans are ‘out over our skis’….and thinking we can engineer/techno our way out of our problems. Hmmmm, seems to me that’s exactly how we got INTO so so many of them in the first place. Human hubris.
Not a bad assessment at all.
Check out the 65 Project.
https://www.influencewatch.org/organization/65-project/
Thanks MLMinET
I dont know how de programming works but it is what is needed. Their belief system is such it is impossible to use facts, reason, logic & even what is before their very eyes. They have a rational for everything. Dealing with their mind set , it is understandable how Hitler came to power & why Russian people continue to support Putin.
What is the definition of a cult member?
Probably Marj, the best question asked today. A person who follows charismatic leadership developed by personalities which recognize they have power over those who follow them. Read Bernstein as she categorizes cults and their leadership types. LFAA members are a type of cult as are Hubble followers but of a different sort of leadership. Maga members yet another cult type. Charisma can influence our outlook and shape our thoughts and feelings and those will align with what leadership presents. I choose HCR.
I believe the consigliere is a time honored profession.
By whom?
Well the mafia of course! "I'd like you to do me a little favor. I'll make you an offer you can't refuse!"
You're right.
I love your facts but I also know most of them. What concerns me is how this info can get to those who don't. At this time there is a real threat of violence in this country. What is the being done to tell the truth to those people. Articles are nice, but most of them don't read them. Billboards or posters are more suited for them. Not hitting head on is not going to get through to anyone...I know-my friends know but isn't there any PR genius who can get to those gun toting masses before its too late....
Journalists who attended tfg’s weekend rallies, and interviewed the attendees could not find anyone who had read the indictment. They “don’t need to read it” because they “know he did nothing wrong” and this is just a “witch hunt”. They are willfully ignorant because they choose to follow “dear leader.” This makes them dangerous, not only of physical violence, but of re-electing tfg.
Willfully ignorant, exactly.
Please read what I wrote about these people. Going door to door in Iowa in 2218 I learned about people with three jobs. Since I have learned about what has happened to those who once had a living wage; about what the pandemic did to ALL of US; what Medicare for profit has become. That’s just the beginning. Except for the top 10% this is not the America of our parents.
Yeah. They seem to be sucking all the money out of the medical system that is direly needed within the system. Instead, it's going to "shareholder value" and executive compensation.
While I can no longer go door to door, I did a lot of that for a while, and the guiding principle is that person-to-person contact is the most effective way to convince people and get them to act. Thank you for doing it even when I'm sure a lot of people who ignored you and others slammed the door in your face. I worry that the proliferation of guns has made it more dangerous.
Depending on where you live, it seems to me going door-to-door could be downright deadly these days. The level of fear and holing up in your house with your gun(s) and the impulse to shoot first at a stranger knocking on your door, or in your yard, or driveway is so alarming.
If you canvass with a reliable organization such as, say, the League of Conservation Voters or the local Democratic or Progressive Party, they have up-to-date information about voters, and you only knock on those doors. It's not about conversion as about increasing turnout. And it's safer not to go alone. Most people won't take a phone call these days.
Best Twitter comment: "Witch found. Hunt over."
Show film of the triumphs, the actions, the displays of great power, from the beginnings and the first crimes -- the March on Rome, the Matteotti murder, the Beer Hall Putsch -- through the Nuremberg Rallies, Mussolini's speeches from that balcony on Piazza Venezia, crowd hysteria boiling over... to the Second World War, the immeasurable, inconceivable crimes,. And downfall. That of the dictators and their sidekicks. That of their countries.
Berlin, Hamburg, Germany's proud cities, in ruins. The haggard survivors.
Show up the parallels, today's actors. In America. Elsewhere. Especially in Russia and Ukraine.
Show up the real issues. The survival of mankind and of the life forms we have inherited on the surface of our one and only planet.
Show it all, again and again.
Will those who see this still opt for death and destruction?
Anything counter to their narrative is just going to be "propaganda and lies."
I understand you.
But that's defeatism.
And, like denial, like all the perverse forms of self-destuction tugging at our sleeves, defeatism is a luxury we cannot afford.
Why are we here, studying the insights of an able historian, if it's to give way to hand wringing hopelessness?
The exercise calls for great skill and subtlety and for the positive, heroic side of the story. "Our boys" -- our forebears. Their allies. Their fight, their sacrifices, their hard-won victory!
That was not just for themselves and their own times.
THEY FOUGHT, SUFFERED, SURVIVED, DIED... FOR US. NOW. AND HEREAFTER.
Are we worthy of them? Are we worthy of all they did for us?
If we are not, let us strive every day to live up to our inheritance.
*
Let us take up thoughts like these and build on them.
Must be you that I quoted just now. The MSM should do its job and counter the cult blather. We don’t have Ike anymore.
No Jeri, but we do have a fine teacher who's showing us how the past -- the worst of it, the best -- is still present. Here. Now.
Now to draw the lessons by acting on them.
How will you make them watch?
So much of this material could not be more watchable. Even after all this time. Goebbels masterly propaganda displays. Great stuff for all those (like tfg and DeS) drawn to similar dreams of ultra-power, Exceptionalism, "We, the Master Race, born to own and to command... Them. Born to serve us or go under".
What followed... happened...
And "Our boys", our great Granddads suffered and came through.
For US.
FOR ALL OF US.
No need even to draw the lessons from it all.
Maybe, maybe Ike's unheeded warning. That of a national hero. A Republican President...
At some level, truth will seep through.
They have managed to rationalize what we all saw on J6 into their belief system.
Rationalize, rationalize?
Yes, madness and unreason do lend themselves to "rationalizing". But remain mad, mad, mad.
I keep being surprised -- and no, not just surprised, disgusted -- by the extent to which the worst madness, the worst that diseased minds can do, has been accepted in America -- and consequently, worldwide -- as "normal".
There is nothing normal about what we have been seeing in recent years. It's as though everything that has been going wrong with our culture over the past half-millennium and more has come to a head.
And I remember once again that expression of, I think it was Malcolm X, which I couldn't understand at the time of the JFK assassination...
"All our chickens have come in to roost."
With a vengeance.
Do it MSM, that’s what you exist for.
Didn't I already see that in a Republican campaign ad?
Excellent points, Susan! There should be a concerted effort to bring light to the gravity of the situation for which tfg has been indicted. Lincoln Project commercials on Fox channels, perhaps?
I'll chip in!
Turns out The Lincoln Project is releasing such an ad, and it WILL be broadcast to some Fox viewers.
https://lincolnproject.us/new-lincoln-project-ad-gops-refusal-to-condemn-trump-is-traitorous/
I fear that any billboard advertising truths to our target audience of dutiful MAGA sheep would be shot full of holes or torched.
I keep wondering what could THE most potent 3 word slogan be that would turn MAGA heads and hearts? ('Lock him up' won't cut it. )
To add to your point about the masses, convicted felons are denied the right to vote, potentially a convicted felon will be the gop candidate for POTUS in 2024!
Yep. And if Trump wants to vote for himself in Florida, according to my understanding of Florida law, he'll have to pay all of his assessed fines and court costs, first, just like any other common felon. (heh, heh)
I had not made that connection! Crazy times!
You’re assuming they don’t know. Some may not. But what do we do about those who CHOOSE not to know?
I used to contribute to Maddog” billboards. Scaled down donations, but it will take another Rupert with a brain and a heart to counter the evil messaging, especially since social media is corrupted beyond words.
I fear we ain't seen nothing yet. Wait until the gullible believe all the bogus ad and propaganda that come from the newly popular AI platforms!
Susan, cult members are willing to die for their beliefs. Jonestown, Heaven's Gate, Waco, 911. The sense of belonging and being part of something greater than oneself is a very powerful drug, curated by natural selection. Don't think that facts will ever be pertinent to them.
I agree with the threat of violence. I think some can hardly wait for the call to arms .
Susan, I agree. We need PR specialists writing very smart responses to the Repug's and MAGA rhetoric - as posted on billboards. ASAP.
Looking forward to the day when Trump is no more than a footnote of history. Always appreciate your thoughtful analysis of the events as they unfold.
It would be great to see Trump get all that he deserves. He needs to be more than a footnote though. Trump, the modern "GOP", and MAGA rate a whole chapter in future books under the heading of "Historical Disasters". It is history that we desperately need to learn from.
Agree 100%. Trump is getting all the press for three reason that I can see. One, people always look at train wrecks. They just do. I do too. And Trump is one train wreck after another. Two, we have serious loopholes in our Constitution and our national government. Loopholes that allow this madman to gain the political power he holds, and use it to blow his horn loudly and constantly. And three - we have a positively evil political party that has alot of power in our country, that is solidly behind said madman and enables all he does. I for one think history books and other historical material should chronicle all this in great detail - so as to maximize the odds it never happens again.
well said. trump, and Jan 6 , will be studied for a long time. that trump actually still is allowed to be the frontrunner for the repub nomination is a serious mistake that itself will have long-lasting consequences.
If he should win (the cheating and voter suppression are legion), it will be revenge on a scale unlike anything the world has ever seen.
Except in FL where DeSantis is doing his damndest to make sure memory laws prohibit the reading of such historical material!
Classic moves of dictators.
HCR is doing just this now thankfully.
Yes and she is an exceptional resource, but can't do it alone. Democracy is DIY (with help where we can find it) or it;s just not democracy. That means we need to know the basics of what the heck is going on, and set the agenda for our "representatives" if we really want to responsibly take the wheel.
It's time we stop, hey what's that sound, everybody look what's going down.....
I believe Dr. Richardson is the person to author some of those books.
Lord have mercy! Those history books would undoubtedly be on the banned list in many red states! They should be published and a responsible media should promote them!
Jay, your assessment is spot on.
I think of the protocol that is applied to a plane crash, when they gather and inspect every fragment and use what they find to modify designs and procedures to reduce the chance of subsequent disasters. which is appropriate for any sort of failure that significantly harms people. Politics far too often allows those invested in the status quo to block "common sense" remedial actions (look at the madness of the US response to COVID, despite an epic death toll) but we the people are fools to ignore threatening realities.
Vigilance: "look up" and look out.
"we have serious loopholes in our Constitution and our national government. Loopholes that allow this madman to gain the political power he holds..."
I believe wise and just laws are the bones of a just society, but the public brings life to them. I doubt that any broad principle of law can be so cleverly written that it cannot be corrupted into assaulting justice rather than upholding it. I see the power (not the concept) of pardon as a particularly regressive (to the era of kings) and unaccountably in ways that recent event prove to be patently corrupt (abuse of power). The Electoral College betrays one person, one vote. Even less controversial provisions of law can be weaponized to suit the agenda of charlatans without widespread vigilance and good faith on the part of the public.
🗣️I’ll second that! 🙋♀️
As bone-weary as I am of this endless cacaphony of noisy outrage, like a large flock of crows, that keeps coming from the MAGAcolytes at every official notification from the DOJ, I have to remind myself that they are doing it first because they can, and second because its the best they've got. If they had something more effective, more valid, more pursuasive, they'd certainly be using it. Does this comfort me? not really, but it's a response that's other than pure frustration.
Yes! It’s like a deranged Greek chorus. Nothing ever comes of it (think Benghazi, Durham, HRC investigation) but it plays on continuous loop to an audience of Republicans desperate to believe it.
And media focusing on the train wreck(s) over and over for clicks and readers.
ain't that the truth...
AKA "Big Lie" technique. Organized dishonesty is depressingly effective, so we never defeat it once and for all; but we could and should get smarter about detecting and resisting emerging symptoms before they spread and potentially turn septic. There is no shortage of examples of where that can lead.
indeed, generally more effective to prevent sepsis than treat it once it has spread beyond the source...
We are at a crossroads moment in all of this Trump business. The indictment is as damning as it could possibly be. Photos of boxes stacked in the bathroom with a chandelier are both ridiculous and obscene. His disregard for security, relationships, lives of real patriots and process should appall anyone and everyone. If you really care about law & order, this should make an impact on you. I value loyalty, but there comes a time you just walk away from toxic that won't try rehab.
Trump is going to fight to the end and that's admirable when there's something to fight for. He has nothing....his ego is not worth anything. He's got no hand to play from, except for people who remain loyal and spew propaganda. That worked for Hitler until it didn't. All of Leni Riefenstahl's brilliant film work and Adolf's loyal stooges could not save him or his Reich. There were too many flaws in the machine that was a VERY successful operation for a number of years.
What happens in and around the courthouse in South Florida tomorrow is the crossroads. It's going to determine a lot about how this goes forward. This is a high level chess match...and I don't think Trump has the chops to win on his own. The only way he survives this, is with a lot of help...with a very big thumb on the scales of Justice....and a lot of people who can be fooled all of the time.
"His disregard for security, relationships, lives of real patriots and process should appall anyone and everyone. If you really care about law & order, this should make an impact on you." Exactly!!
I want to let tomorrow play out. But right after that, I feel this should be the VERY concise message to my Trump empowering friends and family via social media & whatever else is available. He is the toxic, dysfunctional head of a political "family" that's still trying to justify his behavior and be loyal, to what has become an honest to god monster. There's probably 20% who will go their graves believing he was set up. That the deep state did all of this and that it is the hoax and witch hunt he says it is. But in their heart of hearts more and more will fall away...and we need to do this with love, not hate...provide the info in a way they can accept and a space for them to retreat to. It's hard to give up on someone/something you love/loved. Most of them are still going to be conservatives...but we have to help them get away from fear mongering and intentional divisiveness.
I saw an interview yesterday with a lady at a political event in Iowa. The reporter mentioned that tfg admitted his guilt on tape. She said, "But that could have been altered!" There is no objective truth for these folks.
The very sad truth today is that it technically can be altered, or created from scratch. Personally I've edited words together on corporate videos...but that was for clarity or because someone misspoke and we needed to fix it. In these cases there needs to be a clear and clean chain of evidence. The other proposal I've seen is televising these hearings. It's far more important to our democracy than OJ Simpson. Make it all as open and transparent as possible. Trump will get the highest ratings of his lifetime.
Yes, I understand it could be done, of course. But it just shows the complete lack of trust these folks have in our government when it comes to dealings with Trump. I despair we will never get this back.
We fought a brutal Civil War and came back from that. It's never been perfect...but people who have been on the margins keep getting more rights...we may be in a bit of a stall, but I believe it will improve. To see 2 non-binary actors receive Tony awards last night was inspiring.
Would/could this trial be televised? Even if so, there are many concerns - the anonymity of jurors, things "not allowed by the Court" (which would have already been considered by the fact of their existence), etc. Could it actually happen? Would it make a difference to the MAGA crowd?
They are not allowed by Federal law...but it seems in this case an exception might be called for and allowed...??? It's an unusual case with an Ex-President.
Yah. If we don't find a way to heal and love each other, we'll just have one Trump after another...
I think that's important. Trump rose to power because a lot of people felt left out or left behind...or that Government is not a solution. They also listened to too much Rush and Tucker. There's an organization called Braver Angels that's trying to find common ground and bring people together. They have a national conference in Gettysburg after the 4th of July this year. I'm talking with them about documenting some of it. Check them out. They have local chapters.
I note that most of the Republican shouting points have a kernel of truth rattling around in the bottom of the hot air can. They're right, many of people have been "left behind" (it is a rapidly changing world, after all) and the Government is not a solution to a great many things (and there are also many things that only Government can do). It's the way they use those facts that's so abhorrent.
I've been to one Braver Angels thing that was nice but uncontroversial, since no "Reds" (they refer to the sides as "Reds" and "Blues) turned up. I tried to go to another one, but it had to be cancelled, again for the same reason. I haven't tried to pursue them very consistently, other tasks and trials distract me so much, and I wonder if their online events get more traction. I imagine that Reds may feel safer attending online, since they (rightly) fear that they may get yelled at and they (again rightly) suspect that they will be in a minority at such events.
Thanks for the recommendation, though, and I heartily applaud their mission. I'll try harder in the future.
The best reality spinners have a kernel of truth in their arguments.
Thanks for the intell on Braver Angels
I'm interested in documenting a debate they intend to do in Gettysburg about Confederate Monuments. They say they have 50/50 participation.
If we're going to get out of this divided spiral of rhetoric we all have to look for some common ground and agree to disagree on some things...and actually compromise on things to move forward....and stop power grabbing...if 70% of the people believe & want a pathway forward, that should be the path.
I start by saying to my trumped friends and relatives, with great (but innocent-ish) surprise: "Who Knew!! All this time Trump was [insert crime-of-the-day] He fooled us all!"
This document farce is just so over the top. Some of my Trump supporting family are also military or first responders. This gets to be a dilemma for them. I'm curious to see how our conversations go after Tuesday.
Sure hope it's an awakening.
Yup.
https://www.msnbc.com/ali-velshi/watch/-if-trump-gets-back-into-power-he-ll-never-leave-says-authoritarian-expert-ruth-ben-ghiat-181703749553
Thanks for the link. I'm glad to see Raskin so involved. This trial needs to be televised for all to witness.
Thank you!
A more rare late letter tonight. Hope all is ok. My dream indictments remain against those who tried to overthrow our gov. Jack Smith may just pull that off. And if he does I hope he will go down in legend, history and tale that cements our bond to the rule of law and democracy. The time is ripe for new legends.
I do hope Mr. Smith is Trump's "Elliot Ness!"
Let the Al Caponing commence!
I detest Barr and his ilk who stood around and did nothing while Trump played with our democracy. Dereliction of duty to uphold the Constitution with no consequences. But I will acknowledge Barr summed up Trump’s legal peril as ‘he’s toast’ did made me laugh. Who you gonna call?
Barr more than ‘did nothing.’ He was a willing enabler and sycophant of the Gilded Turd™️.
Also his famous vulgarity played on tape by the Jan 6 Committee - “that’s bullshit” - as if that now absolves him of all responsibility. Although Janes Comey’s misguided disclosures were arguably more damaging, I still believe he is a more honorable man than the glib weasel Barr, who has never acknowledged his own complicity in Trump’s slithering away from the Mueller findings. Talk about Weaponization of the DOJ!
Every accusation is a confession.
Exactly!
Jessica Mohan
Who you gonna call? The toast busters I guess. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.
🤣
Maybe "45" will meet up with Saul Goodman at his current home?
Thank you Heather.
There is a photo of one of the rooms where the documents were stored that I find interesting. The photo shows a line of boxes from floor to ceiling. Other than document boxes, there is something else in the photo. A copier.
Can we gather a reason for that ?
Be safe. Be well.
I missed the copier. Thank you. No surprise. Important observation.
Yes, we can. Were those documents the only originals? If Trump wanted to keep the only originals, but sell the copies, he was also trying to ensure that our enemies had information that we produced, but no longer have.
Morning Linda. I think Jack Smith will present a very clear reason for that.
Be safe as well, fair friend.
🗽
Good morning Christine !
Oh I do believe he will. Given that is a high volume copier, as opposed to a personal copier, it should prove to be an interesting facet in this mix.
My concern has always been not what he took, but what he has copied and bartered in nefarious ways.
What a traitor. I loathe him and his minions in Congress and State Houses across our country.
Justice will prevail.
Salud, Linda.
🗽💜
I completely agree. It's the unknown that concerns me the most. If he had the gall to keep the physical files, who knows who may have received copies. I can only imagine the contempt and fear other Countries have for what he did with their classified information as well. It's truly a nightmare.
"Still, the indictment came not from Smith, but from a federal grand jury of ordinary American citizens in Florida who reviewed evidence and determined that there was probable cause to believe that Trump committed crimes and should be tried for them. Trump’s defenders are trying to blur this reality by saying it was Biden who charged Trump, when it was really the members of a grand jury." thank you for reminding us, Dr. Richardson. This is a crucial fact to remember. I have great concerns about tomorrow. I hope there is no violence. But, if I lived in Miami, I'd completely avoid the vicinity of Court where the plea's will be entered.
Even on my best day I could not come up with a scintilla of sympathy for what happens to the GOP because of the involvement of members of Congress in both the January 6 insurrection and their support of T**** in calling the documents investigation an improper use of the DOJ. If the GOP suffers complete destruction, we will be better off. Whatever replaces it cannot possibly be as evil.
Except. James. Under DeSantis/Trump and followers they are attempting to hurdle us into a fascist dictatorships a la Trump's favorite politician Adolph Hitler.
He is the same, chump justtrod the path and showed the way
Agreed. Though I think the replacement will be less organized and, without blond hair, won't attract as much of a following.
https://www.msnbc.com/ali-velshi/watch/-if-trump-gets-back-into-power-he-ll-never-leave-says-authoritarian-expert-ruth-ben-ghiat-181703749553
Thanks, Mary Pat. I wasn't able to watch Ali yesterday... Ben-Ghiat's remarks are chilling.
That's it: Chilling.
After watching Jim Jordan and Lindsey Graham shilling for tRUMP on the Sunday Shows, I’m convinced the arm flailing, the screeching over interviewers, the references to “ her emails” is akin to drinking the poisoned juice.They are complicit and KNOW that they are on Jack Smith’s roster of conspirators. Desperate traitors drowning in the Kool Aid ... struggling to come up for air. I
Disgusting are the shows that elevate such lies to the airwaves. Media has lost their way, taking us all into the abyss of a living hell
I saw Jordan and Ramaswarmy (?) on yesterday’s State of the Union. They all but breathed fire, and Ramaswarmy was as bad or worse than Jordan, if you can believe it. Jordan bloviated, yelled and spit without a breath. Why bother having these people on—you can’t actually interview them.
You would think every school of journalism would require a class on how to prevent another Holocaust. How NOT to feed a societal delusional psychosis of hate should be the focus
Great thought
Cuz “da base” creates ratings numbers
Jordan is complicit… he’s a flame 🔥 thrower to save this ass.,
It is unfortunate that the hosts don't ask if they have read the indictment, how they know he's innocent, if their "whataboutisms" mean they think TFG is also guilty.
I hope Jack Smith has a strong security detail. His televised strolling down the avenue to work the other day felt very scarey to me.
Good old Bill "Never Met The Guy" Barr.
🤣🤣. Best sarcasm is subtlest.