Hunter Biden is one private citizen who committed a crime that is usually not even prosecuted. The ONLY reason it came to this is his last name. It is a private thing.
Trump's conviction was for election tampering in the 2016 national election. And the other trials are for trying to overturn the 2020 election by force when fraud failed, and for stealing and no doubt selling our national secrets.
And Jared Kushner got away with doing business, while in office!, to refinance his company's troubled office building in New York into a $1 billion 100 year lease, using Qatar money. But there is no accountability there! Otherwise Kushner Companies would be bankrupt!
Glad to see someone bring this up. But it's worse than that. Kushner was the White House point person for the Middle East. After the $1.3B check cleared, the crippling blockade against Qatar was magically lifted. Now that's somma corruption.
It's no accident drumpf refers to the "Biden crime family". If anyone doesn't understand the psychological concept of projection, the trump crime enterprise is it.
Lucifer will put the Tangarine Traitor in the hottest flames of Hades.......where all his idols......Adolf......Benito......Charles.........Jim Jones.....etc....are frying forever.
J.L. I agree that they should be "put away" but who is going to do it? Trump and Kump already have so many of our judges and 6 of our SC justices wrapped up. They love the power of being able to overturn anything that will actually help people. I heard in that tape made in secret that Justice Roberts wouldn't push his religious values because that's not what a justice does, but he, like the rest of the Republican party and most evangelical white christians and Catholics lies through his teeth to make himself look squeaky clean in all the corruption on the SC and the rest of what is going on in the lower courts is just fine, it's god's will, of course even if he does not say it out loud. Lying and cheating when one can get away with it are hallmarks of the Republican party these days, well, actually for decades. We didn't notice it before too much because there were other issues. We should have been paying attention back then!
Exactly. They are embracing mass sociopathy, the "Mr. Hyde", the "Dark Side of the Force" that has bedeviled humanity throughout recorded history. Seriously.
Even though it has not grown septic enough to extinguish all of our rights in this county, it is not for want of trying. It is already produced increased racism, war, a deadly climate trajectory, a worsened pandemic death toll, and many other forms of needless suffering, including "The Great Recession". The engine of that misfortune is untempered greed and hubris, and the cure is it's societal rejection.
Mary Ellen, I think that's part of the problem. I am not sure just how much Trump understands and believes. It is hard to tell whether he thinks what he is saying is true or is just mouthing what his handlers are passing on or even just making it up. He was never very bright, but now, he is definitely deficient in cognitive abilities. One thing for certain, except for his claims of what he plans to do if re-elected, most of whatever he says is a lie. He mixes them up well so his cult won't even question them, assuming that they are all true. They just don't hear what is real like that he doesn't care about them, just their votes. That was a truth stuck in and just as Trump hoped, his cult didn't hear it at all.
I don't think his words matter during his rally speeches; it's all in his delivery. He talks like he's chatting with friends as part of the art of the scam. If his words don't make any sense it doesn't matter because it's all in the tone.
So true, sounds like he is just blathering a script that has been his go to all his life. He is truly the least educated man (dumb) that we have seen in the public square in my adulthood. And we have seen some doozies. The professor who was quoted as saying that he was the dumbest student that he had ever seen was right on. He sure was able to match wits with those who became his cult.
D4N, I have decided that Trump is "Baby Donnie." I know that is potentially an insult to babies, but he has the reasoning of a 3-year-old but with none of the empathy or ability to learn. I refer to his cult as Trump and Kump or Trump's Kiddies Kindergarten Klub because they are all as whiney, tantrumy, and in need of a long nap as he is, but unlike actual first-time children, he and they are evil!
Less than projection, I think It is a calculated attempt to distract from the truly criminal nature of their actions and enterprise. It is no exaggeration to say that the entire leadership of the "GOP" has become a "racket", dedicated to the furtherance of their patrons' utterly obsessive "love" of money and unaccountable power. That's a formula for tyranny in any era. The crooks are saying "If you think we're bad, those who stand for rule of law are so much worse."
Matt, yes and there is no other crime family which has been in politics quite like the death star crime family. I think they even beat out the Bushes which took some doing. I shouldn't be, but I am still amazed at the blatant hypocrisy and projection by the Rs.
I prefer the slap stick pokes at Trump. I claim that The Donald secretly wears a sagging man bra and hires drag queens to apply orange makeup before he meets the public every day. Now I know there is nothing wrong with hiring drag queens but those sagging man bras are another matter. And God knows that blond mop on his head isn’t his own (which is why he wouldn’t go out in a drizzle in 2018 to pay respect to WWII soldiers who lost their lives defending the rights for this shit ass to even exist. This toupee needs to be glued on with dabs of gorilla glue.
"So long as supporters send him money, he claims, they will be able to defend the country against dark forces."
A message the Republican religious extremist base has heard from their religious leaders for decades - in their megachurches and their media. In shows of support as cash donations. When I moved from NYC to the midwest, I saw my first televangelicals. The faithful were told to kneel before their TVs and put their foreheads against the screen to receive blessings ... while how to send donations flashed on the screen. And as many of those leaders were arrested and convicted of crimes which are also sins they rant against (often of a sexual or financial nature) they urged their flocks to see them as sinners whom their supporters can redeem. For whom amongst us hasn't sinned, who wouldn't follow Christ's divine charity of dying for our sins. Trump, Sam Alito, and Mike Johnson didn't introduce this trash talk to American political discourse. I've heard it on CSpan - from the House and Senate floor. All three branches.
Steve Martin did a great turn in Leap of Faith (1992):
WOW!! This clip explains a lot. My former sister-in-law, an intelligent and caring person, is a “born again Christian” and deep in the MAGA cult. I’ve never understood how she could support a “man” like tRump until seeing this video. It’s brainwashing, pure and simple.
I suggest that you ask your ex-sister-in-law (if you speak to her) this: If Donald Trump saw you get hit by a car, do you think he’d rush over to help you, or even call 911?
I am not a church-goer nor do I believe in the divinity of Jesus but very much admire his counsel on compassion. That said, over the years I have attended many traditional Christian church services over the years for social and other reasons and while I am aware that my own experience proves nothing statistically, it seems to me that the dominant message of compassion that I heard in my youth has shifted toward a hard sell about the personal benefits of unwavering belief. That's just an impression, but the message seemed to have shifted away from love. More like a sales pitch.
J.L. it is too bad you attended the services that do not focus on love. There are many that do and encourage the congregation to live lives of love. Of course it is not possible 100% of the time but the effort and results are apparent. It's too bad the christians with the loudest mouths and the most coverage are not among them.
It's called "fundamentalism" but I am not sure what is fundamental about it, other than being taught that their ideology trumps everything else. I think that wisdom must surely be an eye to identify what is both empirically and experencially fundamental, and prioritizing from there. It's about not going for the fool's gold, and not trading away your "soul"; whether one is religious or not.
I know people who are clever and educated and who I previously experienced as reasonable and amiable enough who have become hostile and fanatical about Trump. I have no doubt that some of these sort would be willing to die to protect Trump, even though it is clear that Trump just uses people like they were toys. It's as if they are possessed by a mental virus, which I think is a fit analogy for cult dynamics.
Cathy, how sad for you, but alas, some people stop caring about the truth when they think someone will give them whatever they want for only money and total loyalty. If they stopped to think about it they could see it is a kind of robbery, but thinking might mean they would have to do something and they would rather not. When their life does not improve, they can then blame all those people the evangelist tells them are causing their pain rather than seeing that they are often causing their own pain by choosing an addiction that not only does harm to themselves but to a whole lot of other people too.
You have nailed them to the cross. And boy, do they have real sinners (include the Moms for Liberty cretins in FL). I blame Rove and W for making the churches arms of the Republican Party in 2004. It was deliberate and as evil as anything the churches have bought from the dark side. But for repubs, just do what it takes to “win.”
BTW, Steve Martin looks so much more real than chump. Great performance, chump just looks like a carnival barker. Thanks
Floridans are fighting back ! Jennifer Jenkins is the school board member who ousted Moms for (NOT) Liberty founder, Tina Descovich, from her seat.
Jennifer is one of my sheros !
A Florida Democrat who unseated a Moms for Liberty co-founder in a contentious school board race is now leading an organization aiming to combat the influence conservatives have wielded on local education policies.
Rove helped, but it goes back further than that. The GOP has been using the churches -- both the Catholic Church and the white evangelicals -- to build its coalition at least since Roe v. Wade (January 1973). They helped elect Reagan, from whose administration nearly all bad things have flowed ever since.
If you want to know when the seed was planted, I suggest the day in 1951 that God and Man at Yale, by William F. Buckley Jr., was published. His theme? Some small number of people are more important (I think Justice Sam agrees), and everyone else is less important. In lieu of the original sin (because the term has already been taken) I think we can call that the original conspiracy theory.
I just read Jacob Heilbrunn's AMERICA LAST: The Right's Century-Long Romance with Foreign Dictators, which gives Buckley his due but also puts him in context going back to Mencken and others. It syncs nicely with Rachel Maddow's PREQUEL and the ULTRA podcasts, though those focus more specifically on Nazis.
Weird, because Jesus, so far as I can tell, was dismissive of riches and political power, and was a champion of what Leona Helmsley called "the little people".
As religion is a part of American life, and many individual's value systems, it can be a valid component of the "public sentiment" that shapes our society; but in matters of law, so-called "blind" justice is meant not to put a thumb on the scale either way for those who do or don't proclaim religion. Liberty and Justice for All.
Well, anti-Catholicism has a l-o-n-g history in the U.S. so it didn't take much to get that tinder burning. And you can trace today's GOP back to the GOP of 1960, but you can also trace today's Democratic Party back to the Democratic Party of 1960, which was the party of the Jim Crow South. IOW, evolution happens.
You're absolutely more correct here Susanna. My dear departed father, an Eisenhower republican most usually, took hook, line, and sinker when the supposed 'Moral majority' with white evangelicals more or less began carrying water for the gop, they could no longer err in his eyes. It always made me deeply sad.
It *is* sad. Being a New Englander, I like to think that the malaise took longer to infect New England Republicans, maybe because New England hasn't encouraged people to wear their religion on their sleeves (like maybe we learned something from the Salem witch craze?). But it got here eventually.
A 1985 article in St-Louis Post Dispatch by Louis Lehrman laid it all out. Demostic, foreign, social, financial, and all in between. Didn’t get much traction then, but knocked my socks off when somebody posted it on Twitter years ago.
Yeah,, Ron & Nancy (ughh). Giving "Actors" a bad name. They had "the pulpit" and their handlers ($$$$) had us by the nuts. Things are not boding so well for that crew.., not so much at least. We've made some strides with this administration. Calmly. No shotgun blasts or bloviating rhetoric. And that's hard to do, but "great spirits always encounter violent opposition from mediocre minds'... (A. Einstein, if I got that correct).
While I saw reason to think that Reagan was authentically a right wing believer, I was never sure how much of what issued from his mouth was coached by by more cunning plutocrats. He seemed more like a fool that thought he was smart because he "made it" on TV. He was never a very good actor, but seemed to thrive as a salesman. The media ate out of his hand.
He was also a devoted Cold Warrior -- and even though the Cold War was mainstream at the time, his devotion scared a lot of people. Ads at the time (I was a young teenager but remember some of them) implied that he'd instigate a nuclear war. In the early '60s, plenty of schools still had nuclear-attack drills, where kids were taught to hide under their desks to protect themselves. (Good luck with that . . .)
Yes Donny-John is a bad circus barker selling whatever isn’t behind the curtain… and the great Steve Martin clip shows just how horrible he is when considering a real performer…like Ronald Reagan! He sold GE nuclear power plants and then became president ‘cause he was believable. Donny- isn’t, but reality TV isn’t either, nor is pro-wrestling, sorry you’all! Don’t buy it any more
As a kid circa 1950s, I found Ronald Reagan off-putting. Somehow didn't like his "vibe" (and never did.) It worked for most of the public though, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4631421.stm and until fairly lately I would encounter liberals who cited him as as the last decent Republican president.
Many or most of us perhaps, receive daily calls soliciting money for PACS like crippled children PAC, firefighters PAC, Breast Cancer PAC. During their spiel they read some BS about how they are non-partisan and give to candidates that support their cause.
While, I cannot prove it, they are very likely raising money for Convicted Felon Donald J Trump. At the end of the call, I ALWAYS say, "I don't give to PACs, I never have and I never will." And they almost always reply they will put you on their DNC list, which I assume means Democrat National Committee, not Do NOT Call.
And then within a few hours to a few days the same PACs call again.
This is the definition of insanity but we are the ones they are driving insane.
The Hateful, Angry, Resentful, Trump Propaganda machine will stop at nothing to grift a few bucks from us all.
Yes.., insanity. But where do they get all those 'phone numbers' that come up on Caller ID? Those numbers come out of no-where. Sometimes they seem like local calls from nearby town, or familiar area codes, to suck you into picking-up. Again.., my question, where do they get all of them from? To me, somebody is complicit in this aggravation and the 'phone companies' have to be profiting from our misery. How do we shut them off. The DNC list does not work. The only thing that works is: Hello..(split-second pause)..and, No Thank you (no pause) CLICK!!
Do you scroll websites on your phone? Do you sign on to protest movements? Do you donate money to candidates? Doing all of these things on your phone is how they get your phone number
And I would imagine the "Christian evangelistic pastors" are almost as good an actor as Steve Martin is! Otherwise - how would they fill these huge arenas?
I have thought of that one. "The Music Man" was a small-time crook and of course there was a happy ending; but the same "sky is falling" message is being used by the "GOP" for far more sinister motives.
Yes, and revivalism is nothing new. What they have now is the technology to bring their dreck directly into people's homes. In the 19th century there was an area in New York state called the burnt over district and in other places in the midwest. And men loved taking their ladies to these revivals for the same reason that people liked to attend public executions.
Mark Twain in Huckleberry Finn wrote about revival meetings. And also about carrying your guns to church in case you had a chance to shoot someone whose family had a feud with yours.
Yeah, Maggie "we" gotta keep donations coming, we'll build that Crystal Cathedral.. Have faith and praise The Lord.. In God We Tru$t, all other$ pay ca$h..., by all mean$... err ahh ..make that "pay by any means$.
That is the same dynamic at play with trump and his cult base. He told people the same thing basically. Vote for me because I know where the bodies are buried.
How funny that you should mention 'Leap of Faith,' lin. I just re-watched it the other night. The turning point of the movie, and maybe its point, is when a crippled boy recovers his mobility, presumably because of his faith in Jesus. That faith can work miracles is a stunning blow to the grifter/preacher Martin plays, and he ultimately leaves his band of con artists for a new start. I have not taken that leap personally, and I am certain no one in the convicted felon's tribe will. They believe fervently that everyone is a cynic on the take, projecting onto the world the truth about them.
It's painfully obvious to those of us who stay away from sugary powdered drinks.
Thanks "lin (with the dot)". I've certainly seen it just as you described.., with my own two eyes. The hypocrisy is six feet deep blanketed by a an ever-so shallow mindset, some well-intentioned, some evil. It all comes down to two words: Have Faith. Yeah.. Apply Literally! Talks cheap.
Lin, don't you find it interesting that the Trumpers and Trumpettes claim to LOVE the 10 Commandments while they watch their "leader" break every one of them, well except maybe "Thou Shalt not kill," but he has incited an insurrection where 5 people died and many many were injured. I think that counts. Hypocrisy is strong with Trump and Kump!
His loyal sycophants get or live in the expectation of getting well-paid. It is also a reflection of his “money above all things as long as it goes in My pocket” mentality.
Looking for a "Deep Throat" on Trumps mishandling of classified documents thing. Clearly there was a coverup and clearly national security was put at risk. The only remaining question was by how much?
JL, the threat remains. And Cannon is undermining both justice as well as national security to protect one person: the guy who put her in her post just before he left office.
Don’t overlook the high probability she is also disorganized, afraid to make a mistake, overwhelmed because of lack of (her own) action, inexperienced and possibly being coached by people to whom she feels indebted.
I certainly wonder why , but who is a better question, would call that out . Does anyone doubt she’s been improperly managing this whole Trump thing? Is she above reproach?
I will agree with “possibly disorganized” and “being coached.” Must protect the Chieftain. (See Timothy Snyder’s post today, linking revenge culture and the Alitos.)
It certainly appears to me with all the stop gaps undone that the powers involved , the richest backers don’t have this 2024 election wrapped up for a win throughly..they’ve bought it.
By how much does the popular vote have to win, the Blue Tsunami have to complete the message you’re done Trump? I don’t doubt they won’t accept it.
If convicted felon DJT is reelected, on day 1 of his dictatorship, if not before, he will send a list of all of our intelligence operatives to Putin. Rumor has it that he did this before, and he will most likely do it again.
Agreed--it IS a distraction. And it is a distraction produced by the MAGA Mafia "party."
Given their record of non-achievement, supporting an insurrection to overturn government, and their concerted efforts to reorganize Americans into citizens of a resurrected Confederate States of America, there probably has never been a political organization in this nation's history so desperately in need of a distraction. Otherwise, voters recognizing the insanity of the concocted antics of governance that American citizens have already been forced to live with might land the "party" operatives in prison rather than just being deposed from office.
"Economists estimate that the supply-side economics of the past 40 years had shifted $50 trillion dollars from the bottom 90% of Americans to the top 1%, hollowing out the middle class."
Pay no attention to the not so Invisible Hand that just lifted your wallet. Now that's what I call distraction.
Not so sure of your use of the word "citizens," Ed.
Likely, yes, those of us who may be white and male may be considered citizens. But, once the Project 2025 is up and running, there may also be additional steps to certify racial purity.
A record of financial contributions to MAGA campaigns may qualify (a few) others. Documented possession of MAGA regalia may also count. But the vast majority will likely go the way of the doodoo bird and the former American middle class working classes.
Women? Ask Alito (who will have to check with his wife, and Clarence's).
Certainly Lincoln was an early, effective advocate for inclusion. He fought for legal rights for black people, but seemed phobic of them. He still was ahead of American culture. Abolitionists and Women's suffragists were often allied in the 1800s. Often the same people.
I think I was in 7th grade when i asked my teacher why we used the male gender when we meant both. She just said that was the nature of our language. I don't think I was quite aware of it as bias, but it bothered me that it seemed illogical, it muddled rather than clarified the case. Nineteen fifties TV was full of or racial and sexual bias, but that seemed "normal", as I am sure slavery did to most kids growing up with it. That sense of "normalcy" that accompanies entrenched injustices is often the principle barrier to great truths and reform. That and the entrenched investments of the powerful.
"Normalcy" indeed "accompanies entrenched injustices" -- and, as you well, in your next sentence also say, "That and the entrenched investments of the powerful."
Orwell's "Politics and the English Language" noted how neutered, bland, desensitizing language always accounts for this blinding normalcy. Diane Ravitch went into fuller specifics in her 2003 book, "The Language Police."
There, she examined how the corporate textbook committees and the standardized testers all seek to rid texts and tests of any humanly or regionally specific diction. Under guise of seeking fairness, they anesthetize, homogenize, abstract all life into wonk. All need stick to the causal, the linear, the categorical.
Thus we have "justices" on the Clarence court who all perjured themselves as to fidelity to the Constitution, when in fact they serve only the mega rich -- the billionaires who have bribed the most flagrantly corrupt on that court. This is normal for our blinded. They have no language to catch themselves in their self-deceptions.
They can't even read the Constitution where it explicitly, deliberately, wisely separates church from state. Cannot read Article 14, section three. Cannot imagine any language correcting the damages from their fellow abstracted comfortable.
Thanks for continuing to ponder these things, J L.
Jen, if you find a way to join-other than being a decent American-please let me know. I’ll join with you!! I’m proudly Antifa-without the membership card or secret decoder ring.
I think that trying to be a decent anybody is the worthiest of goals, is it not? Or at least approaching it. Some go so much further than the call of duty.
The history of Antifa is from about 2017, right around the time of the Charlottesville protests, and up through the protests in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis PD. They have been corrupted by the anarchist movement, which came to life in the WTO demonstrations from 1999 and forward that were mostly against corporate capitalism. I can tell you that in the law enforcement community, there was no difference between the Occupy Movement, Antifa, and anarchy.
Some people got hassled here and there for being the Anatifa of right wing lore, when they were nothing of the kind, but mostly (it seemed to me) Antifa was for the most part, more talk than actual membership. Occupy seemed a vocal objection to the dominance of plutocracy, but it seemed to lack a clear focus and eventually sputtered out. My strongest memory of Occupy was a photo of someone holding a sign which read "Wall St. Got Bailed out. Main St. Got Sold Out.". My wife knows a particularly egregious example from the "Great Recession" in which a family with a blind dependent (my wife worked with the blind) in which the principle earner lost his job, and found another, albeit at lower pay. The bank agreed to adjust the terms of their loan, which they met, but secretly sold their house from under them anyway. No one in authority gave a damn. That's anecdotal, but consistently Obama did a good job of averting a 1930's style depression, but shied from holding banks accountable to any standard of decency, which was the problem underneath. Dick Durbin complained that even after their catastrophically irresponsible behavior, the banks still "owned" Congress.
And anyone who does not know of her, look up "Brooksley Born".
Yes, you are right.Hunter Biden was tried for a crime that is rarely prosecuted.He owned the gun for 11 days.My friend said she was curious as to whether Don Jr. owns a firearm?
Convicted Felon DJT signed an EO to allow elephant remains (carcasas) into the US in 2017 I believe it was. Of course, it was never an above the fold on page 1, in any of the major papers. CFDT did everything he could to neuter the endangered species act, one of the dozens of heinous things he did that gets virtually no press.
Apparently felon Donald Trump does, and that’s another felony, as felons aren’t allowed to possess firearms. He turned in two guns that he had in NY, but there’s another one in Florida. That’s a scary thought - he had a concealed carry license.
Same here. The only way I can like any comment now is if it is a reply to mine. Then I go into my activity history on the substack menu and I am still allowed to like their reply.
I'm a Luddite who hates cell phones, although I have one, reminiscent of a fancy Swiss Army knife that I used used constantly in my youth. Seems to me the phone is (admirably) like the Swiss Army knife (in my teens i bought the fanciest one) but a laptop is like a well equipped machine shop, and this one (bought used) has got cell broadband built in, plus WiFi access, so why "rough it"? At least when the laptop acts up, there are usually work arounds the phone does not know about.
Annabel. Hunter Biden went to trial, got convicted by a jury for illegal acts and the President has not intervened with the process
The judicial system works as designed
Of course, there’s a difference between Hunter and Trump. The same MAGATrumpers that wail about his conviction will be dancing over Hunter’s. The air is thick with irony and hypocrisy
Oh that the system that brought Hunter to trial could work as swiftly for Trump, but there’s the difference in a nut shell; in a Trump administration, Dear Leader will protect his Trumplicans and squash those that oppose him. Pardons for his criminal friends and oppression for the rest
Well, Annnabel. Not "everyone" will. That is clear. Sad, isn't it how things are so quickly twisted. The hate. The labeling. Will deciency and competency win out? I don't know. We hope so, don't we?
Just to make the correct point that this is quite misleading. The crime is prosecuted very often, it just rarely goes to trial. Most cases like this are settled pre-trial with guilty verdicts and relatively light sentences.
Stop lying. Hunter Biden was the subject of criminal probes on money laundering, FARA violations, and income evasion.
BIDEN's DOJ let the statue of limitations expire on the major charges. The only reason he had to face the music on the gun charge was the judge in Delaware laughed out of court a sweetheart deal that NO ONE would ever get including immunity on any charges going forward.
As for Trump, no one can still explain the charges in NY? It will be reversed on appeal.
Start with a conclusion, look for confirming evidence, and ignore refuting evidence. I used to be really good at that myself, but one day I said to myself, "This is really immature. I'm ten-years-old now. It's time to grow up."
Boy, James, that went to ad hominem in a hurry! A more nuanced response might win some to your POV, assuming collegiality and understanding are your goals.
And today, 538 announced that "The fundamentals of the election favor the Biden campaign." The statistical analysis now gives Biden a 53-47 lead over Trump.
There is no Republican Party. It is the Party of Trump. Hopefully, Convicted Felon Donald J Trump's dementia will shut him up because even if he loses, he will be in the news way more than Biden.
I am so sorry Jeri. My mother died from dementia 8 years ago and she never was a ranting lunatic. Although actually the first sign might have been raving over why they are the "Democratic" party instead of the "Democrat" party.
He also said some funny things. I once asked why he was watching a stupid tv show. He said I’m waiting for her breast to fall out of that blouse. Well, shut my mouth. He did have a sense of humor…
Your reminder that every single incumbent President since at least 1900 who has had no major primary challenge or third-party challenge has won reelection, except Hoover and tfg. Incumbent + united party + passable economy = win. Every time.
No room for complacency, but the doomsaying is kinda ignoring all of history here. Confidence, people!
Will, I agree that Biden should, and will, win. As I've stated before though, the Convicted Felon is running for one reason alone: to save himself from prison. His talk of saving America is pure BS. However, his campaign is doing a poor job of expanding his base by winning over independents and undecided voters. He told Haley voters he didn't need them. He is way behind iin setting up campaign offices in several swing states. This is not a winning strategy; it is inept.
So, I ask: What does he have up his sleeve? Is some state actor such as Putin planning to hack electonic voting systems to change the counts? Will some of the secretaries of state who are allied with him be able to in effect not abide by the popular vote? Are there plans in place to disrupt voting in key precincts (bomb threats, swatting, etc) to diminish turnout in districts he may lose? Is the intent to bring chaos to the state certification process, thus sending the determination to a House vote whereby each state has a single vote unbound by the actual election results? I'd love someone to run through the possible ways he could have election results overturned.
You have the traitorous con Mike Johnson as Speaker. And the rethugs desperately trying to hold on to their idiot majority. And Israel and China and Saudi Arabia and Russia all betting on drumpf return.
And then there's the billionaire class hoping for yet more tax cuts.
You, we all have a right to be concerned. They aren't shy about their intentions to disrupt the election like they tried in 2020, 2022, and 2000, when they actually succeeded and the Supreme Court handed the election to Bush.
We didn't have all the facts like we do now. All the usual suspects were involved then as well: Roger Stone, John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, even Amy Coney Barrett played a role in the outcome of that election.
I live in a deep red state that swallows all the MAGA junk that is on faux news. Sigh. And, Charlie Koch lives and works here in Wichita and has purchased the local Mayor election recently. These people do not think about the end result
No, Doug, you are not just paranoid. I would not be at all surprised if some of these things happen.. Will people be prevented from voting? There are too many possibilities. I wouldn't want to give some MAGA loser any ideas.
My take is if he loses in 2024, he will announce right away that he is running for 2028 thinking he can again escape prosecution (I wrote the word "persecution" first, by mistake!). I hope and pray this trick doesn't work a second time.
Ler him. I don't think it will matter at that point. And it really didn't work the first time, apart from Garlan's sluggishness and Cannon's favorable rulings. He still has charges outstanding that he must face sooner or later. Unless he flies off to a country with no extradition treaty.
I am Canadian...and feeling the paranoia!!! He has already said that if he doesn't win, the election was rigged...The rigging is already happening I am sure!!!
Thank-you Will. I am growing thoroughly tired of pundits and others doing the journalistic equivalent of doom scrolling in a vain attempt to sound smarter and more in touch than they actually are. No one can actually be in touch when over half the picture is ignored.
Your 'going with history' is not just a Pollyanna-ish nod to positivity, it is a nod to realism. I've said it before - if you want to sound smart, break negative, if you want to be smart, look at the bigger picture. This is something HCR does very well. I'm surprised it hasn't caught on more with her readers.
Steve, I don't see any likely way that the Felon can win, but for cheating or blowing the whole thing up. I have little doubt Biden will win the popular vote outright. But the Felon is desperate, and cornered animals are the most dangerous. Let's just keep our eyes open.
Your last sentence is a most important one. S--w the polls, and remember the crock of s--t that the NYT sold voters in 2016 along with complacency about HRC having the election in the bag. We can relax after the election is settled. We know what is at stake and we don't need to be distracted by corporate media infotainment or partisan antics. Get the most important job needed done.
I lost a brother to addiction. Seeing the Biden family wrap their arms around Hunter brings me to tears, and it makes me wish that we had done more for my brother.
And we lost a son. I think we all go through the second guessing. Addiction to opioids is insidious stealing our loved ones’ ability to speak truths, ask for help for the real issue rather than manipulating us for money, and destroying trust so thoroughly one doesn’t know what to believe or how to help.😞
For whatever it might be worth, my condolences to you and the others in today's comments who are sharing personal losses. A staggering number of people in this country have had a loved one whose life was marred by addiction. Many like to look down from their high perch and think of addicts past and present as a different and weaker species. Substance abuse is a disease, and shame is certainly not the antidote. Humanity is.
One of my cousins got so deep into drugs (of what type I have never been told) that the family had to cut off ties with him, as it had reached the stage where nothing he said could be trusted. Fortunately, he got out. My aunt and uncle didn't raise him differently than their other children who never had such an issue, neither did he grow up in a bad neighborhood etc. In fact, his sponsor attributed his solid family as likely the reason he was able to get out, but even that is not a guarantee.
"Addiction" is a mental health disease. Shame and guilt (as in 12 step programs) are deadly. The truth is, the substances do not so what the user thinks they do, and that is the real disease. They are a distraction from the pain, but they don't solve any of it. It takes strength, will and the knowledge that every dose, every drink, is a choice. And we have the power to make that choice.
In my experience, addiction is not so much "beaten" or "overcome", as recognized for what it is, a terrible malady that affects all spheres of life. Only an all-of-life encompassing strategy can be used to address it. Science (e.g. medicine) alone does not work, religion alone does not work, community alone does not work, psychology alone does not work, nor can a loving family be the sole grace an addict needs to recover.
12-Step programs provide a supportive community that shows recovering addicts the practical actions needed to recover, and examples of people who are living successful lives in recovery. Still, for most, AA meetings are not enough. This is where family, friends, health care professionals, and the clergy of the addicts religion of choice come in. Addiction is a heart breaking riddle to all except another addict. To those with an addict in their lives, keep the lines of communication open - but with firm boundaries (see Al Anon for these). For those struggling with their own addiction, recognizing you have a problem is the best and only first step.
Both sides of our kids family are littered with addiction and mental illness. My great grandmother hung herself in an insane asylum on a door hinge. Another great grandmother murdered her husband after the 12 kids were all grown with lye diluted in water. She was never indicted. And then there are the alcoholics and drug addicts.
I'm not sure you can ever get past the spiders and snakes in their heads other than to help them find counseling.
I'm sorry for your brother's addiction, but I'm sure you did everything you could as did the Biden's.
One thing we have in this country is a strong recovery framework (12-step programs) that is free, that works for many, and that's non-religious but spiritual. People define for themselves, a power greater than themselves. Alanon is for families of people who struggle with addiction and none of this is simple because addictions can sneakily morph and switch among various substances and behaviors but people who get help do a searching and fearless moral inventory of themselves to determine the exact nature of their wrongs. Maybe Hunter's publicity is revealing a person's capacity to change which is opportune leadership.
Brilliant. In rebutting the Rules Committee's intention to proceed with charging Attorney General Garland with Contempt of Congress, Rep. Raskin lays out what a B.S. case it is. If 7½ minutes is tool long a haul, in the twenty second long segment starting at 5:18, the Ranking Member of Oversight Committee lays out the real reason the Republicans want the audio recording of President Biden's interview with Special Counsel Hur: not nuance but fodder for attack adverts.
I listened to Trump's drumpf-speech in Nevada; that sick dude must have said two or three dozen times in less than an hour that President Biden has dementia, even resorting to a tasteless parody of someone suffering from advanced ageing, which President Biden is not.
My uncle, a warm and wonderful person who should by all rights have decades left, had to be moved in to a home with early onset dementia. Nature is cruel, and people with this affliction lose absolutely everything: self, family, safety, dignity.
Anyone using such a thing as an ageist punchline, or as their go-to slander of choice, can go straight to hell.
It’s all they have, and it’s demonstrably untrue. Even Kevin McCarthy privately called President Biden ‘sharp’. But the neo-Goebbels will make anything up.
I watched the Nevada speech to a bit past the shark attack and I just could not take any more. The attacks on the press were atrocious as well and could easily foment violence. The ads run along side it were incredible with the free Kid's Book on Trump something I'd have expected out of Saturday Night Live.
I headed for the hills and away from the shrills around the time of the 'shark' dilemma, too, Stephen. What may concern me more is that Trump was more focussed and lucid with the Libertarians at their convention. With adoring crowds or sycophants, instead, his attention-seeking knows no limits; ¿what does Trump's weak-minded people-pleasing mean when he meets thugs who give him a . . . . ?
"Person, woman, man, camera, TV." Convicted Felon DJT is so proud of being able to remember 5 words that are part of the dementia testing. I wonder if he could do it now.
Demonstrably yes, Trump and his salivating minions claim "he won the 2020 election." But aren't you a bit stretching credulity to suggest any actual thinking from him?
Hunter, Bro :-(( where did you get the idea that writing an autobiography detailing your criminal activity was a good idea, then quibbling about the terms of a nice plea deal and rejecting was also a good idea? The guy has a law degree from Yale, WTF?!
IMO the actor, Andrew Scott, does such a good job I couldn't bare to watch the whole series. And I love mysteries/ thrillers. But he really gave me the heebie jeebies.
Thank you, Heather, for today’s review. To me, Trump is so “yesterday”. He’s completely deranged and I truly think people are sick & tired of the garbage he spews. He wants us all to be as depressed as he and his ilk are. I refuse to join that camp of defeat. Biden has guided our nation in a way that we, of our generation, have never seen. Here is a man whose son messed up and got caught. The son cleaned his act up but faced charges. The dad acknowledges his kid had problems but professed his eternal love for him. What family do you know who hasn’t gone through the same thing? I so admire he and Jill. They represented us on D-Day, beautifully, while dealing with the angst they felt in their hearts. What is not to love about them and this administration? While R’s are trying to tear us apart by fear mongering, the Dems are hard at work organizing and contacting their constituents. We’re gonna win in November!
I'm glad they published this. Playing amateur psychologist, it's possible dumptys disdain for the military was due to his military school, to which he was sent because his father couldn't deal with the brat he created and the brat resented it.
Some think bad people are created by their parents, but I think trumps was genetic. And here we go with nature vs nurture again. I'm always trying to understand it... perhaps a fools game, ask Mary Trump.
“We’re producing more energy than ever before in this nation. We have the strongest economy in the world, and we are beating China for the first time in decades. More people went to work this morning in America than at any other time in our nation’s history. So I’ve got a message to Donald Trump and all his negativity and his whining: Stop sh*t talking America. This is the greatest country on earth, and it’s time that we all start acting like it.”
That’s my governor talking today to Jen Psaki. It’s about time more Democrats started talking like that! I’m sick of the defensive crouch that so many of them assume. Call the son of a b***h out for the liar that he is and start shouting the truth from the rooftops. I’m so proud of Governor Shapiro. Let’s hope his chutzpah is wildly contagious!
Although our economy is strong in conventional terms, we must listen to the pain of the people who feel left out because of the Republican blockade of efforts to give them a leg up. I listened to the June 7 edition of the Ezra Klein show featuring his wife, Annie Lowrey a brilliant economy journalist. Klein himself also reported on the economy. (I’m a Biden supporter and remember recent frustration with Klein’s opinion piece about Biden being too old. This podcast is very different.) My point is that if we are to win over these voters, we must hear their pain and overcome the MAGA disinformation that blames Democrats.
The episode is entitled, “The Economic Theory That Explains Why Americans Are So Mad.” Here is a gift link that should get you past the paywall:
The main points I remember are that young people and many who struggle or are disadvantaged face unaffordable costs for housing, food, childcare, eldercare, healthcare and higher education. Some of them cope by staying out of the job market to raise children or care for elders, not moving to new jobs because they can’t afford housing where that job’s located, paying outsized costs compared to income for housing, The entire podcast’s worth a listen. Annie Lowrey notes that if some of those factors were included, those affected would experience an inflation rate of 9%.
Their discussion covers some of the difficulties of governing for this administration. Among them are: 1) immigration is a hot button issue and President Biden is limiting immigration, yet this slows the economy and is inflationary because many industries rely on recent immigrants for farm labor, construction, etc., where Americans in a full-employment economy wouldn’t take those jobs; 2) Tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles that are already popular in Europe make it harder to move to a green economy, but this must be balanced by protecting essential American manufacturing so we are not vulnerable to China. 3) a long-term underinvestment in affordable housing that has built up to the current problem, when housing stimulus would be inflationary, 4) although the Biden Administration has tried to provide relief from student debt, it’s been limited by a Republican blockade.
Robert Reich has a parallel argument that people are stuck in place on their rung of the economic ladder. People love to hear about the American Dream, but it’s illusionary under our current inequality.
Again, the challenge is to get through to voters who may be tuned out or discouraged because they are struggling to get by.
I am the wife of a husband who has been sober for nearly 14 years. My 31 year old son is now in his second year of recovery after years of tittering on and off with sobriety. My elder son died almost 8 years ago from an accidental overdose at the age of 24. He was a college graduate, on a fast track to success in business, charming, funny, and surrounded by many friends and loved by aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was not an addict but that didn’t matter when he made a fateful choice early one Saturday morning. He died just days before the 2016 Republican National Convention. My life, on so many different levels, has not been the same since.
Addiction has touched my family in many ways but it has not defined who we are. We love and support one another; we laugh, we cry ( oh, how I cry), we learn, we read, we travel, we pray, we hope, we work, we sit quietly, and we actively go about our days. We are not so very different from other families with a similar story. We are not so very different from the Biden family.
To those who make judgments, I will close with the wise words of Atticus Finch: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."
Thank you deeply for your courage to share. May your family remain healthy.
Obviously the conviction and embarrassment of his son must be a personal ache for the President, yet I feel this is an opportunity for the campaign. Countless Americans know someone important to them who has made terrible choices as the result of a substance abuse problem. By continuing to embrace his son on a publicly emotional level while still insisting on the validity of consequences for his actions, Biden is proving again that he understands the struggles others prefer to bury, and remains a good role model for kids in this country.
You said a profound thing here I wish more people knew: it's a choice.
Alcohol isn't a social lubricant, it's a distraction from emotional distress. Same with most substances, perhaps with the exception of opiates for some, who suffer from constant physical pain.
If we educated out children on emotional distress, how to deal with it, that it's normal and transient, so much misery might be avoided.
My sincere respect to your family for how you deal with these tragedies.
Bless you Margaret, the events you describe could have so easily have been mine, it’s a miracle that I survived. I fortunately quit before the arrival of fentanyl, had I not, it no doubt would have found me. The amount of fentanyl equivalent to 8 grains of salt will kill, using illegal drugs is the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with more than one bullet in the gun. I worry about our youngsters who are bound to experiment as they experience growth, we all have been on that path one way or another, sadly that experiment can be fatal. As a survivor I feel for all of the families that have experienced unimaginable loss, my view is that our time here is short, and that we will be reunited in the end. 🙏
The trial of Hunter Biden for a crime that is normally only prosecuted when the gun is used in another crime shows us all too well what we can expect from a Trump DOJ: prosecute his enemies (and their families) for petty stuff while whispering that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Yes, we need to act as though the accomplishments of the Biden administration (and those legislators who helped) are something to be proud of. What helps me is to share snippets of the Substack column “What did Joe Biden do today?” It never fails to amaze me what the team accomplishes behind the scenes.
Trump would also toss his political opponents and any of his other critics into prison simply for for criticizing him. That is something that has been rarely done here, but you can bet Trump would emulate his mentor Putin with this. The only question is whether he would go so far as to order their murders, like Putin did with Alexei Navalny.
One of the benefits of the current American success story is that my MAGA acquaintances don't have much to argue about on that front any more. A benefit of Trump's guilty verdict is that they are beginning to reassess the truth of the stories to which they've been choosing to listen. I hope a coming benefit of Hunter's guilty verdict is that they'll have to reassess the bs "deep state" myth, too. Now I hear about the FBI report about crime statistics improving, and more benefits should come from that. I get the sense that the tide is turning, and like TCinLA says in an earlier comment, this means we need to redouble our efforts, not rest. Not yet.
"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, one by one.". ― Charles MacKay, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds
I used to advise my junior office not to Pig wrestle; a quote attributed to George Bernard Shaw. “ Arguing with a fool is like wrestling a pig. All you do is get dirty & the pig enjoys it.”
I’ve often thought about that when challenging a MAGA person who supports trump. They’ve drunk the Kool-Aid and they’ll believe and tripe that comes out of his mouth.
My frustration with the Dems today is that they’re too nice. It’s time to take the gloves off & beat the MAGA at their own game. Maybe some pig wrestling is the remedy knowing the truth will win the match & then the pig stays in the barn with its mouth shut.
Come out swinging Joe in 6/27. Don’t give that bastard the chance to breathe.
"My frustration with the Dems today is that they’re too nice. It’s time to take the gloves off & beat the MAGA at their own game."
You are correct but things are changing; from the discussion by the Rules Committee on whether to hold Attorney General Garland in Contempt of Congress.
I can not accept your welcome, Jeff, though I am grateful for it. Representative Raskin amazes me with his steady manner and penetrating insights. Were I in his place, I would have been censured by now. 😉
He would be a fine candidate. With the magazine, 'The Economist' soberly assigning a relatively strong likelihood to a Trump victory, we may end up hoping there is a presidency to run for in 2028.
"I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." - Matthew 10:16.
That was good advice in the 1st century, and it still is today. Wisdom is the only effective way of addressing the "unconstrained ignorance" issue. Fighting fire with fire worked for Red Adair, but democracy and freedom is not an oil rig.
For the record, I'm not saying we should let them walk all over us. Mohammed Ali is one of my heroes.
The time has come that everyone interested in doing their duty as a citizen of the pro-democracy variety needs to stop giving energy to the notion that the economy isn't good because people don't "feel" good. People don't "feel" good because most people are ignorant of current events and believe whatever they are told. When in conversation, we need to be the person telling them to feel more positive. We need to stop placating many peoples' desire to wallow in their own attitude problem, and start striking a blow for basic facts. The strength of our economy isn't measured by whether people "feel" rich because they can get great bargains; the strength of the economy is measured according to whether most citizens are gainfully employed and compensated enough to attain comfort and save a little bit in addition. We are succeeding on every metric. Yes, we have some serious reforms to make in order to ensure the affordability of a middle class life and remove financial stress from the vulnerable. Yet we are in a position to make these reforms if the electorate chooses because *we are already healthy economically.*
The parallel with crime is an apt one, one that I am gratified to see the Professor draw. Crime is not up or down based on how safe you feel based on what you saw on the news. Crime is up or down based on how many crimes are committed. Full stop. In this case as well, America is a remarkably lucky place to be.
There is no redemption for the Republican Party. This letter by HCR is essential reading. And these remarks by Jamie Raskin today, June 11, should be playing on main stream media around the clock:
There is never no redemption. Anyone and everyone just has to follow Bob Marley's advice in Redemption Song (1980), which is, "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery; None but ourselves can free our minds."
OK. Let one exception prove the rule. But what the Republican Party has done since FDR can never be forgotten nor forgiven, nor are they likely in any meaningful number going to beg forgiveness. It will be a cold day in hell.
It's good to be skeptical. In this case, it's a very good thing to be very skeptical. But don't cross the line into cynicism, because that's when they win, because that's when you're on their side.
Don't give me that both-sides nonsense. There is no comparison, no reason for skepticism or cynicism. They have declared what they want and what they will do, unless we stop them.
Your message is getting through, Dr Cox Richardson. The Democrats debating Republicans in from of the Rules Committee basically destroyed the argument for hold Attorney General Garland in contempt of Congress.
Representative Raskin's opening statement; Rep. Raskin (D-MD) is the ranking member of the Oversight Committee. https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5120522/user-clip-rep-raskin-describes-theatre-absurd Rep. Raskin zeroes in on the real reason for the WHINOes demanding the audio recording of the interview by Special Counsel Hur of President Biden in the segment from 5:18 to 5:38 of the 7½ minute clip.
Hunter Biden’s is a sad story. The early tragic loss of his mother messed him up entirely. Addiction appears to run his life and must be a heavy burden on his family. One thing that amuses me in this sorry affair is that he was convicted for something the Republicans believe is not a crime.
President Biden’s demeanour throughout has been very dignified and presidential, as well as loving. That matters.
Hunter Biden is one private citizen who committed a crime that is usually not even prosecuted. The ONLY reason it came to this is his last name. It is a private thing.
Trump's conviction was for election tampering in the 2016 national election. And the other trials are for trying to overturn the 2020 election by force when fraud failed, and for stealing and no doubt selling our national secrets.
I hope everyone can see the difference.
And Jared Kushner got away with doing business, while in office!, to refinance his company's troubled office building in New York into a $1 billion 100 year lease, using Qatar money. But there is no accountability there! Otherwise Kushner Companies would be bankrupt!
Glad to see someone bring this up. But it's worse than that. Kushner was the White House point person for the Middle East. After the $1.3B check cleared, the crippling blockade against Qatar was magically lifted. Now that's somma corruption.
Thanks for bringing that to light. I wasn't aware of the other side of it!
Quod pro what???
It's no accident drumpf refers to the "Biden crime family". If anyone doesn't understand the psychological concept of projection, the trump crime enterprise is it.
All he ever does is project ALL OF HIS CRIMES onto everyone else. Good grief they all need to go away!
Joanne, I say this to the TV every day. As for death star, I have several places i wish to send him.
I'm not sure the devil will have him. Too much competition.
Lucifer will put the Tangarine Traitor in the hottest flames of Hades.......where all his idols......Adolf......Benito......Charles.........Jim Jones.....etc....are frying forever.
All of those proven to have committed pre-meditatated crimes should be put away for a while.
J.L. I agree that they should be "put away" but who is going to do it? Trump and Kump already have so many of our judges and 6 of our SC justices wrapped up. They love the power of being able to overturn anything that will actually help people. I heard in that tape made in secret that Justice Roberts wouldn't push his religious values because that's not what a justice does, but he, like the rest of the Republican party and most evangelical white christians and Catholics lies through his teeth to make himself look squeaky clean in all the corruption on the SC and the rest of what is going on in the lower courts is just fine, it's god's will, of course even if he does not say it out loud. Lying and cheating when one can get away with it are hallmarks of the Republican party these days, well, actually for decades. We didn't notice it before too much because there were other issues. We should have been paying attention back then!
Truth teller, the other issues fall away as the squeeze tightens. Then the Handmaid’s Tale is a reality, or worse.
Yes, Jen. If death star says anything negative about others, you can be sure he is doing it. One of my other names for him, is mafia don.
And the fact that he is aware of the illegality of his actions when he accuses others of them.
Exactly. They are embracing mass sociopathy, the "Mr. Hyde", the "Dark Side of the Force" that has bedeviled humanity throughout recorded history. Seriously.
Even though it has not grown septic enough to extinguish all of our rights in this county, it is not for want of trying. It is already produced increased racism, war, a deadly climate trajectory, a worsened pandemic death toll, and many other forms of needless suffering, including "The Great Recession". The engine of that misfortune is untempered greed and hubris, and the cure is it's societal rejection.
Mary Ellen, I think that's part of the problem. I am not sure just how much Trump understands and believes. It is hard to tell whether he thinks what he is saying is true or is just mouthing what his handlers are passing on or even just making it up. He was never very bright, but now, he is definitely deficient in cognitive abilities. One thing for certain, except for his claims of what he plans to do if re-elected, most of whatever he says is a lie. He mixes them up well so his cult won't even question them, assuming that they are all true. They just don't hear what is real like that he doesn't care about them, just their votes. That was a truth stuck in and just as Trump hoped, his cult didn't hear it at all.
I don't think his words matter during his rally speeches; it's all in his delivery. He talks like he's chatting with friends as part of the art of the scam. If his words don't make any sense it doesn't matter because it's all in the tone.
So true, sounds like he is just blathering a script that has been his go to all his life. He is truly the least educated man (dumb) that we have seen in the public square in my adulthood. And we have seen some doozies. The professor who was quoted as saying that he was the dumbest student that he had ever seen was right on. He sure was able to match wits with those who became his cult.
I call him " OiD" - the Orange il Duce.
D4N, I have decided that Trump is "Baby Donnie." I know that is potentially an insult to babies, but he has the reasoning of a 3-year-old but with none of the empathy or ability to learn. I refer to his cult as Trump and Kump or Trump's Kiddies Kindergarten Klub because they are all as whiney, tantrumy, and in need of a long nap as he is, but unlike actual first-time children, he and they are evil!
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/05/donald-trump-2016-mob-organized-crime-213910/
Less than projection, I think It is a calculated attempt to distract from the truly criminal nature of their actions and enterprise. It is no exaggeration to say that the entire leadership of the "GOP" has become a "racket", dedicated to the furtherance of their patrons' utterly obsessive "love" of money and unaccountable power. That's a formula for tyranny in any era. The crooks are saying "If you think we're bad, those who stand for rule of law are so much worse."
Formula for tyranny, that’s the goal
You forgot to mention the $2 billion they pumped into his startup investment company after the convicted felon was voted out of office.
Daniel, are you referring to one point something billion gifted to tfg's son in law, Jared Kushner by Qatar ? It's referenced above by Miss T Blue.
Matt, yes and there is no other crime family which has been in politics quite like the death star crime family. I think they even beat out the Bushes which took some doing. I shouldn't be, but I am still amazed at the blatant hypocrisy and projection by the Rs.
There’s a reason that Trump is his father-in-law, two crime families connected by marriage.
I prefer the slap stick pokes at Trump. I claim that The Donald secretly wears a sagging man bra and hires drag queens to apply orange makeup before he meets the public every day. Now I know there is nothing wrong with hiring drag queens but those sagging man bras are another matter. And God knows that blond mop on his head isn’t his own (which is why he wouldn’t go out in a drizzle in 2018 to pay respect to WWII soldiers who lost their lives defending the rights for this shit ass to even exist. This toupee needs to be glued on with dabs of gorilla glue.
I sure as hell can see the difference. Trump and his lying, loyal sycophants cannot, or will not.
"So long as supporters send him money, he claims, they will be able to defend the country against dark forces."
A message the Republican religious extremist base has heard from their religious leaders for decades - in their megachurches and their media. In shows of support as cash donations. When I moved from NYC to the midwest, I saw my first televangelicals. The faithful were told to kneel before their TVs and put their foreheads against the screen to receive blessings ... while how to send donations flashed on the screen. And as many of those leaders were arrested and convicted of crimes which are also sins they rant against (often of a sexual or financial nature) they urged their flocks to see them as sinners whom their supporters can redeem. For whom amongst us hasn't sinned, who wouldn't follow Christ's divine charity of dying for our sins. Trump, Sam Alito, and Mike Johnson didn't introduce this trash talk to American political discourse. I've heard it on CSpan - from the House and Senate floor. All three branches.
Steve Martin did a great turn in Leap of Faith (1992):
"You need a real Sinner."
https://youtu.be/NgEOTc2qgVg?si=0HXCnxPV8oZJhsA6
WOW!! This clip explains a lot. My former sister-in-law, an intelligent and caring person, is a “born again Christian” and deep in the MAGA cult. I’ve never understood how she could support a “man” like tRump until seeing this video. It’s brainwashing, pure and simple.
We no longer speak to each other.
I’m so sorry.
Cathy, I'm sorry you've lost your sister to a cult. That hurts.
I suggest that you ask your ex-sister-in-law (if you speak to her) this: If Donald Trump saw you get hit by a car, do you think he’d rush over to help you, or even call 911?
Or set upon by bandits and left for dead?
I am not a church-goer nor do I believe in the divinity of Jesus but very much admire his counsel on compassion. That said, over the years I have attended many traditional Christian church services over the years for social and other reasons and while I am aware that my own experience proves nothing statistically, it seems to me that the dominant message of compassion that I heard in my youth has shifted toward a hard sell about the personal benefits of unwavering belief. That's just an impression, but the message seemed to have shifted away from love. More like a sales pitch.
J.L. it is too bad you attended the services that do not focus on love. There are many that do and encourage the congregation to live lives of love. Of course it is not possible 100% of the time but the effort and results are apparent. It's too bad the christians with the loudest mouths and the most coverage are not among them.
@ Cathy. Try "trump hates dogs" or "Do you support stealing from kids with cancer?"
"I don't care about you. I just want your vote. I don't care," -DJT
Many have lost family and friends to this. My closest friend started sending me Alex jones nonsense on LinkedIn of all things.
And was thrilled with the Russian immigrant who set up her network in her new house. I miss the old Mari. She's also found fundamentalism.
They seem to go hand in hand, the "nonsense" and fundamentalism....but then I repeat myself.
It's called "fundamentalism" but I am not sure what is fundamental about it, other than being taught that their ideology trumps everything else. I think that wisdom must surely be an eye to identify what is both empirically and experencially fundamental, and prioritizing from there. It's about not going for the fool's gold, and not trading away your "soul"; whether one is religious or not.
I know people who are clever and educated and who I previously experienced as reasonable and amiable enough who have become hostile and fanatical about Trump. I have no doubt that some of these sort would be willing to die to protect Trump, even though it is clear that Trump just uses people like they were toys. It's as if they are possessed by a mental virus, which I think is a fit analogy for cult dynamics.
Cathy, how sad for you, but alas, some people stop caring about the truth when they think someone will give them whatever they want for only money and total loyalty. If they stopped to think about it they could see it is a kind of robbery, but thinking might mean they would have to do something and they would rather not. When their life does not improve, they can then blame all those people the evangelist tells them are causing their pain rather than seeing that they are often causing their own pain by choosing an addiction that not only does harm to themselves but to a whole lot of other people too.
You read my mind
You have nailed them to the cross. And boy, do they have real sinners (include the Moms for Liberty cretins in FL). I blame Rove and W for making the churches arms of the Republican Party in 2004. It was deliberate and as evil as anything the churches have bought from the dark side. But for repubs, just do what it takes to “win.”
BTW, Steve Martin looks so much more real than chump. Great performance, chump just looks like a carnival barker. Thanks
Floridans are fighting back ! Jennifer Jenkins is the school board member who ousted Moms for (NOT) Liberty founder, Tina Descovich, from her seat.
Jennifer is one of my sheros !
A Florida Democrat who unseated a Moms for Liberty co-founder in a contentious school board race is now leading an organization aiming to combat the influence conservatives have wielded on local education policies.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/16/florida-education-pac-launch-00158244
Thank you for this.
Awesome !
Rove helped, but it goes back further than that. The GOP has been using the churches -- both the Catholic Church and the white evangelicals -- to build its coalition at least since Roe v. Wade (January 1973). They helped elect Reagan, from whose administration nearly all bad things have flowed ever since.
If you want to know when the seed was planted, I suggest the day in 1951 that God and Man at Yale, by William F. Buckley Jr., was published. His theme? Some small number of people are more important (I think Justice Sam agrees), and everyone else is less important. In lieu of the original sin (because the term has already been taken) I think we can call that the original conspiracy theory.
I just read Jacob Heilbrunn's AMERICA LAST: The Right's Century-Long Romance with Foreign Dictators, which gives Buckley his due but also puts him in context going back to Mencken and others. It syncs nicely with Rachel Maddow's PREQUEL and the ULTRA podcasts, though those focus more specifically on Nazis.
Weird, because Jesus, so far as I can tell, was dismissive of riches and political power, and was a champion of what Leona Helmsley called "the little people".
As religion is a part of American life, and many individual's value systems, it can be a valid component of the "public sentiment" that shapes our society; but in matters of law, so-called "blind" justice is meant not to put a thumb on the scale either way for those who do or don't proclaim religion. Liberty and Justice for All.
Buckley was picky about that small number of people. He would be appalled by chump’s cult.
It's ironic to remember the Republicans were the ones that tried to gin up fears that Kennedy would take orders from Rome.
Well, anti-Catholicism has a l-o-n-g history in the U.S. so it didn't take much to get that tinder burning. And you can trace today's GOP back to the GOP of 1960, but you can also trace today's Democratic Party back to the Democratic Party of 1960, which was the party of the Jim Crow South. IOW, evolution happens.
I remember, lots of wailing from them.
You're absolutely more correct here Susanna. My dear departed father, an Eisenhower republican most usually, took hook, line, and sinker when the supposed 'Moral majority' with white evangelicals more or less began carrying water for the gop, they could no longer err in his eyes. It always made me deeply sad.
It *is* sad. Being a New Englander, I like to think that the malaise took longer to infect New England Republicans, maybe because New England hasn't encouraged people to wear their religion on their sleeves (like maybe we learned something from the Salem witch craze?). But it got here eventually.
A 1985 article in St-Louis Post Dispatch by Louis Lehrman laid it all out. Demostic, foreign, social, financial, and all in between. Didn’t get much traction then, but knocked my socks off when somebody posted it on Twitter years ago.
A really sleazy carnival barker & looking sleazier every single day.
And crazier.
How can anybody find a trace of a positive quality in him.
Who said they did??
It was Reagan before that. And probably Goldwater although I don't have any real knowledge of him other than he was a racist.
Yeah,, Ron & Nancy (ughh). Giving "Actors" a bad name. They had "the pulpit" and their handlers ($$$$) had us by the nuts. Things are not boding so well for that crew.., not so much at least. We've made some strides with this administration. Calmly. No shotgun blasts or bloviating rhetoric. And that's hard to do, but "great spirits always encounter violent opposition from mediocre minds'... (A. Einstein, if I got that correct).
While I saw reason to think that Reagan was authentically a right wing believer, I was never sure how much of what issued from his mouth was coached by by more cunning plutocrats. He seemed more like a fool that thought he was smart because he "made it" on TV. He was never a very good actor, but seemed to thrive as a salesman. The media ate out of his hand.
Goldwater may well have been racist, although, while I thought he had some terrible ideas, he gave me a far greater impression of personal integrity than Reagan. Certainly Reagan was more than a usual racist; https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/31/ronald-reagan-racist-recordings-nixon
It was Goldwater also.
He was also a devoted Cold Warrior -- and even though the Cold War was mainstream at the time, his devotion scared a lot of people. Ads at the time (I was a young teenager but remember some of them) implied that he'd instigate a nuclear war. In the early '60s, plenty of schools still had nuclear-attack drills, where kids were taught to hide under their desks to protect themselves. (Good luck with that . . .)
I argued with a friend about Goldwater, but came to have some respect for him.
repubs, just do what it takes to “win” absolute power.
Absolutely
Yes Donny-John is a bad circus barker selling whatever isn’t behind the curtain… and the great Steve Martin clip shows just how horrible he is when considering a real performer…like Ronald Reagan! He sold GE nuclear power plants and then became president ‘cause he was believable. Donny- isn’t, but reality TV isn’t either, nor is pro-wrestling, sorry you’all! Don’t buy it any more
It’s time!
As a kid circa 1950s, I found Ronald Reagan off-putting. Somehow didn't like his "vibe" (and never did.) It worked for most of the public though, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4631421.stm and until fairly lately I would encounter liberals who cited him as as the last decent Republican president.
No,no,no,no,no.
No X infinity. Nothing more disgusting than “reality tv.” Human behavior at its most ridiculous. Wouldn’t watch if it were all that was on the tube.
Many or most of us perhaps, receive daily calls soliciting money for PACS like crippled children PAC, firefighters PAC, Breast Cancer PAC. During their spiel they read some BS about how they are non-partisan and give to candidates that support their cause.
While, I cannot prove it, they are very likely raising money for Convicted Felon Donald J Trump. At the end of the call, I ALWAYS say, "I don't give to PACs, I never have and I never will." And they almost always reply they will put you on their DNC list, which I assume means Democrat National Committee, not Do NOT Call.
And then within a few hours to a few days the same PACs call again.
This is the definition of insanity but we are the ones they are driving insane.
The Hateful, Angry, Resentful, Trump Propaganda machine will stop at nothing to grift a few bucks from us all.
Yes.., insanity. But where do they get all those 'phone numbers' that come up on Caller ID? Those numbers come out of no-where. Sometimes they seem like local calls from nearby town, or familiar area codes, to suck you into picking-up. Again.., my question, where do they get all of them from? To me, somebody is complicit in this aggravation and the 'phone companies' have to be profiting from our misery. How do we shut them off. The DNC list does not work. The only thing that works is: Hello..(split-second pause)..and, No Thank you (no pause) CLICK!!
MadRussian, once we received a call from our own number.
Yes! I have received calls from my own number and emails from my own address.
Do you scroll websites on your phone? Do you sign on to protest movements? Do you donate money to candidates? Doing all of these things on your phone is how they get your phone number
I made a mistake by giving to the ACLU about 6 months ago. Obviously they sell their list.
I am oh so lucky. My phone screens spam calls!!!
My wife's does as well, but I get a lot of local calls that I need to answer so I don't want those to go the voicemail.
Oh, my goodness, lin. What a great clip. He had me believing...almost!
And I would imagine the "Christian evangelistic pastors" are almost as good an actor as Steve Martin is! Otherwise - how would they fill these huge arenas?
I say almost because he is absolutely terrific!
“We’ve got trouble in River City!” Robert Preston and Steve Martin - two wonders in depicting the great grifters.
I have thought of that one. "The Music Man" was a small-time crook and of course there was a happy ending; but the same "sky is falling" message is being used by the "GOP" for far more sinister motives.
Love that the revival took place in a tent!!!
Yes, and revivalism is nothing new. What they have now is the technology to bring their dreck directly into people's homes. In the 19th century there was an area in New York state called the burnt over district and in other places in the midwest. And men loved taking their ladies to these revivals for the same reason that people liked to attend public executions.
Mark Twain in Huckleberry Finn wrote about revival meetings. And also about carrying your guns to church in case you had a chance to shoot someone whose family had a feud with yours.
Yeah, Maggie "we" gotta keep donations coming, we'll build that Crystal Cathedral.. Have faith and praise The Lord.. In God We Tru$t, all other$ pay ca$h..., by all mean$... err ahh ..make that "pay by any means$.
That is the same dynamic at play with trump and his cult base. He told people the same thing basically. Vote for me because I know where the bodies are buried.
Barry Goldwater got this right.
Kind of sounds like Rasputin.
Same mo
Wow... "that golden elevator to gods own penthouse in the sky".
And then there The Advocate, where the murderer's scenes are shot in dumptys gaudy tawdry NY not-really -30,000 square foot apartment.
How funny that you should mention 'Leap of Faith,' lin. I just re-watched it the other night. The turning point of the movie, and maybe its point, is when a crippled boy recovers his mobility, presumably because of his faith in Jesus. That faith can work miracles is a stunning blow to the grifter/preacher Martin plays, and he ultimately leaves his band of con artists for a new start. I have not taken that leap personally, and I am certain no one in the convicted felon's tribe will. They believe fervently that everyone is a cynic on the take, projecting onto the world the truth about them.
It's painfully obvious to those of us who stay away from sugary powdered drinks.
Right on point. Thank you
I never watched any TV evangelicals and now I am gagging....head against the screen.
Thanks "lin (with the dot)". I've certainly seen it just as you described.., with my own two eyes. The hypocrisy is six feet deep blanketed by a an ever-so shallow mindset, some well-intentioned, some evil. It all comes down to two words: Have Faith. Yeah.. Apply Literally! Talks cheap.
Mad Russian, I found where the "dot" lives on my laptop (not on my phone yet, however). It is with the emojis in a department called "symbols".
Great clip! Thank you. 👍
Lin, don't you find it interesting that the Trumpers and Trumpettes claim to LOVE the 10 Commandments while they watch their "leader" break every one of them, well except maybe "Thou Shalt not kill," but he has incited an insurrection where 5 people died and many many were injured. I think that counts. Hypocrisy is strong with Trump and Kump!
His loyal sycophants get or live in the expectation of getting well-paid. It is also a reflection of his “money above all things as long as it goes in My pocket” mentality.
Will not
Looking for a "Deep Throat" on Trumps mishandling of classified documents thing. Clearly there was a coverup and clearly national security was put at risk. The only remaining question was by how much?
JL, the threat remains. And Cannon is undermining both justice as well as national security to protect one person: the guy who put her in her post just before he left office.
Don’t overlook the high probability she is also disorganized, afraid to make a mistake, overwhelmed because of lack of (her own) action, inexperienced and possibly being coached by people to whom she feels indebted.
I think undermining justice comes ways before those things, she has been consistent, and efficient in her actions for the perp.
I certainly wonder why , but who is a better question, would call that out . Does anyone doubt she’s been improperly managing this whole Trump thing? Is she above reproach?
Been waiting for some brave soul to call her out.
There was never much praise for her competence.
I will agree with “possibly disorganized” and “being coached.” Must protect the Chieftain. (See Timothy Snyder’s post today, linking revenge culture and the Alitos.)
It certainly appears to me with all the stop gaps undone that the powers involved , the richest backers don’t have this 2024 election wrapped up for a win throughly..they’ve bought it.
By how much does the popular vote have to win, the Blue Tsunami have to complete the message you’re done Trump? I don’t doubt they won’t accept it.
" the guy who put her in her post just before he left office."
For all too obvious reasons.
If convicted felon DJT is reelected, on day 1 of his dictatorship, if not before, he will send a list of all of our intelligence operatives to Putin. Rumor has it that he did this before, and he will most likely do it again.
Despicable. But then I repeat myself!
In any case, Quisling comes to mind.
Aileen Cannon wants to make sure we never find out
Agreed--it IS a distraction. And it is a distraction produced by the MAGA Mafia "party."
Given their record of non-achievement, supporting an insurrection to overturn government, and their concerted efforts to reorganize Americans into citizens of a resurrected Confederate States of America, there probably has never been a political organization in this nation's history so desperately in need of a distraction. Otherwise, voters recognizing the insanity of the concocted antics of governance that American citizens have already been forced to live with might land the "party" operatives in prison rather than just being deposed from office.
"Economists estimate that the supply-side economics of the past 40 years had shifted $50 trillion dollars from the bottom 90% of Americans to the top 1%, hollowing out the middle class."
Pay no attention to the not so Invisible Hand that just lifted your wallet. Now that's what I call distraction.
Not so sure of your use of the word "citizens," Ed.
Likely, yes, those of us who may be white and male may be considered citizens. But, once the Project 2025 is up and running, there may also be additional steps to certify racial purity.
A record of financial contributions to MAGA campaigns may qualify (a few) others. Documented possession of MAGA regalia may also count. But the vast majority will likely go the way of the doodoo bird and the former American middle class working classes.
Women? Ask Alito (who will have to check with his wife, and Clarence's).
Those of white and male and paying subscribers to this site are probably already marked for roundup to the concentration camps.
The Declaration says all men are created equal.
I think they mean it literally. Welcome the originalists.
Lincoln remembered that, Jen, in his address at Gettysburg.
Except he still held it as aspirational. As if it included women, browns, blacks, yellows, reds, and all the funny variations among them, in-between.
"The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it far beyond our poor powers to add or detract."
Certainly Lincoln was an early, effective advocate for inclusion. He fought for legal rights for black people, but seemed phobic of them. He still was ahead of American culture. Abolitionists and Women's suffragists were often allied in the 1800s. Often the same people.
I think I was in 7th grade when i asked my teacher why we used the male gender when we meant both. She just said that was the nature of our language. I don't think I was quite aware of it as bias, but it bothered me that it seemed illogical, it muddled rather than clarified the case. Nineteen fifties TV was full of or racial and sexual bias, but that seemed "normal", as I am sure slavery did to most kids growing up with it. That sense of "normalcy" that accompanies entrenched injustices is often the principle barrier to great truths and reform. That and the entrenched investments of the powerful.
Exactly so, J L.
"Normalcy" indeed "accompanies entrenched injustices" -- and, as you well, in your next sentence also say, "That and the entrenched investments of the powerful."
Orwell's "Politics and the English Language" noted how neutered, bland, desensitizing language always accounts for this blinding normalcy. Diane Ravitch went into fuller specifics in her 2003 book, "The Language Police."
There, she examined how the corporate textbook committees and the standardized testers all seek to rid texts and tests of any humanly or regionally specific diction. Under guise of seeking fairness, they anesthetize, homogenize, abstract all life into wonk. All need stick to the causal, the linear, the categorical.
Thus we have "justices" on the Clarence court who all perjured themselves as to fidelity to the Constitution, when in fact they serve only the mega rich -- the billionaires who have bribed the most flagrantly corrupt on that court. This is normal for our blinded. They have no language to catch themselves in their self-deceptions.
They can't even read the Constitution where it explicitly, deliberately, wisely separates church from state. Cannot read Article 14, section three. Cannot imagine any language correcting the damages from their fellow abstracted comfortable.
Thanks for continuing to ponder these things, J L.
maybe we need an Anti-mafia movement
They keep complaining about Antifa, and I've been trying to find it to join for years. I'm afraid it's fiction. Like all their other crap.
Jen, if you find a way to join-other than being a decent American-please let me know. I’ll join with you!! I’m proudly Antifa-without the membership card or secret decoder ring.
I think that trying to be a decent anybody is the worthiest of goals, is it not? Or at least approaching it. Some go so much further than the call of duty.
The history of Antifa is from about 2017, right around the time of the Charlottesville protests, and up through the protests in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis PD. They have been corrupted by the anarchist movement, which came to life in the WTO demonstrations from 1999 and forward that were mostly against corporate capitalism. I can tell you that in the law enforcement community, there was no difference between the Occupy Movement, Antifa, and anarchy.
A couple links:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/what-is-antifa-a-look-at-the-movement-trump-is-blaming-for-violence-at-protests
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_movement
Some people got hassled here and there for being the Anatifa of right wing lore, when they were nothing of the kind, but mostly (it seemed to me) Antifa was for the most part, more talk than actual membership. Occupy seemed a vocal objection to the dominance of plutocracy, but it seemed to lack a clear focus and eventually sputtered out. My strongest memory of Occupy was a photo of someone holding a sign which read "Wall St. Got Bailed out. Main St. Got Sold Out.". My wife knows a particularly egregious example from the "Great Recession" in which a family with a blind dependent (my wife worked with the blind) in which the principle earner lost his job, and found another, albeit at lower pay. The bank agreed to adjust the terms of their loan, which they met, but secretly sold their house from under them anyway. No one in authority gave a damn. That's anecdotal, but consistently Obama did a good job of averting a 1930's style depression, but shied from holding banks accountable to any standard of decency, which was the problem underneath. Dick Durbin complained that even after their catastrophically irresponsible behavior, the banks still "owned" Congress.
And anyone who does not know of her, look up "Brooksley Born".
JL, we had a strong Antifa connection in the Willamette Valley, but they got infiltrated with anarchists and drifted away.
Giuliani is not available…
Ha!!! Great snark, Jeri!
Truth I think. Weird that chump doesn’t want him as his “Roy Cohn.” ha
Roy Cohn's only virtue is as an effective emetic.
Sad!
Seems he had been a competent man somewhere along the way.
Anti-Mafia, anti-corruption, anti-bullying, anti-authoritarian. It is all about opposing seeking to gain by causing harm to others.
Maybe a new law should be created called the Hunter Law. From now on all gun owners must pass a drug test.
Absolutely no booze. How many firearm incidents have been aggravated by alcohol.
Yes, you are right.Hunter Biden was tried for a crime that is rarely prosecuted.He owned the gun for 11 days.My friend said she was curious as to whether Don Jr. owns a firearm?
Of course. He shoots lions and elephants and poses with them.
Convicted Felon DJT signed an EO to allow elephant remains (carcasas) into the US in 2017 I believe it was. Of course, it was never an above the fold on page 1, in any of the major papers. CFDT did everything he could to neuter the endangered species act, one of the dozens of heinous things he did that gets virtually no press.
I remember, was that ever undone…
Good question. I never saw anything about it being reversed. How many people have a house where you could display and elephant head?
Hope it gets on the radar somewhere. BTW, a CPA that I used several years ago, had all kinds of “trophies” in his office. Unf**kingbelievable
It would be the one's that do that would want to do so. I'm so powerful I can kill an elephant with a gun.
😠
Eric, too.
Puke
Apparently felon Donald Trump does, and that’s another felony, as felons aren’t allowed to possess firearms. He turned in two guns that he had in NY, but there’s another one in Florida. That’s a scary thought - he had a concealed carry license.
Like button is not functioning. Is it just my phone or are others on Substack having the same problem?
I just liked some comments all the way from Italy. Little red hearts, one after the other....
It's on and off, temporary "glitches" in the system if you come back later it'll work again.
I've had it, but not lately. The technological sophistication of Substack seems to me adequate, but a little sketchy.
I've been having the same problem for a few weeks
.....but only on my computer. On phone it works fine.
I do nothing on my phone other than make and answer calls and take a picture now and then, so I am of little help. My "likes" are made on a computer.
I'm on a computer also, cannot like, seems there is no one to help with this problem.
Same here. The only way I can like any comment now is if it is a reply to mine. Then I go into my activity history on the substack menu and I am still allowed to like their reply.
I'm a Luddite who hates cell phones, although I have one, reminiscent of a fancy Swiss Army knife that I used used constantly in my youth. Seems to me the phone is (admirably) like the Swiss Army knife (in my teens i bought the fanciest one) but a laptop is like a well equipped machine shop, and this one (bought used) has got cell broadband built in, plus WiFi access, so why "rough it"? At least when the laptop acts up, there are usually work arounds the phone does not know about.
I have been having it for weeks. Sent numerous requests for help and nothing. Very frustrating.
Do you have AT&T? It's had some big problems lately. Our internet has been spotty for more than a week.
Works for me
My partner's isn't either. Mine is.
Annabel. Hunter Biden went to trial, got convicted by a jury for illegal acts and the President has not intervened with the process
The judicial system works as designed
Of course, there’s a difference between Hunter and Trump. The same MAGATrumpers that wail about his conviction will be dancing over Hunter’s. The air is thick with irony and hypocrisy
Oh that the system that brought Hunter to trial could work as swiftly for Trump, but there’s the difference in a nut shell; in a Trump administration, Dear Leader will protect his Trumplicans and squash those that oppose him. Pardons for his criminal friends and oppression for the rest
The difference is clear
Now do Don Jr.
Well, Annnabel. Not "everyone" will. That is clear. Sad, isn't it how things are so quickly twisted. The hate. The labeling. Will deciency and competency win out? I don't know. We hope so, don't we?
Don't worry. They can't (see the difference). Presumably Josh Shapiro's comments were not reported on Fox (I won't say "news").
"...a crime that is usually not even prosecuted."
Just to make the correct point that this is quite misleading. The crime is prosecuted very often, it just rarely goes to trial. Most cases like this are settled pre-trial with guilty verdicts and relatively light sentences.
I agree with you Annabel!!!👍👍👍!!!
What in the hell are you talking about?
Trump wasn't convicted of a tampering with an election? No one knows what he was convicted.
If you believe that Hunter was convicted of a crime never prosecuted, even liberals agree the NY charges against TRump were a joke.
1) A DA who campaigned to prosecute TRump
2) A Judge who contributed to Biden's campaign
3) Judges daughter works for Biden and the DNC fund raising
4) Lead Prosecutor Coleango worked for Biden DOJ
5) Trialed in a city that 90-10 for Biden
Stop lying. Hunter Biden was the subject of criminal probes on money laundering, FARA violations, and income evasion.
BIDEN's DOJ let the statue of limitations expire on the major charges. The only reason he had to face the music on the gun charge was the judge in Delaware laughed out of court a sweetheart deal that NO ONE would ever get including immunity on any charges going forward.
As for Trump, no one can still explain the charges in NY? It will be reversed on appeal.
Nice try.
Start with a conclusion, look for confirming evidence, and ignore refuting evidence. I used to be really good at that myself, but one day I said to myself, "This is really immature. I'm ten-years-old now. It's time to grow up."
Nice try.
Stop lying.
Boy, James, that went to ad hominem in a hurry! A more nuanced response might win some to your POV, assuming collegiality and understanding are your goals.
Fox will never tell
And today, 538 announced that "The fundamentals of the election favor the Biden campaign." The statistical analysis now gives Biden a 53-47 lead over Trump.
The meaning of this is, double your efforts!
And we thought 2020 was the existential election. 2024 is the granddaddy of existential elections.
And 2028 and 2032 and 2036 will be important, till we finally knock the stuffings out of the traitors.
I agree TC. Kamala in 2028.
There is no Republican Party. It is the Party of Trump. Hopefully, Convicted Felon Donald J Trump's dementia will shut him up because even if he loses, he will be in the news way more than Biden.
My husband had Alz for fifteen years and was never as incoherent as chump.
I am so sorry Jeri. My mother died from dementia 8 years ago and she never was a ranting lunatic. Although actually the first sign might have been raving over why they are the "Democratic" party instead of the "Democrat" party.
He also said some funny things. I once asked why he was watching a stupid tv show. He said I’m waiting for her breast to fall out of that blouse. Well, shut my mouth. He did have a sense of humor…
Whitmer 2028
Way past my time as matter
Your reminder that every single incumbent President since at least 1900 who has had no major primary challenge or third-party challenge has won reelection, except Hoover and tfg. Incumbent + united party + passable economy = win. Every time.
No room for complacency, but the doomsaying is kinda ignoring all of history here. Confidence, people!
Will, I agree that Biden should, and will, win. As I've stated before though, the Convicted Felon is running for one reason alone: to save himself from prison. His talk of saving America is pure BS. However, his campaign is doing a poor job of expanding his base by winning over independents and undecided voters. He told Haley voters he didn't need them. He is way behind iin setting up campaign offices in several swing states. This is not a winning strategy; it is inept.
So, I ask: What does he have up his sleeve? Is some state actor such as Putin planning to hack electonic voting systems to change the counts? Will some of the secretaries of state who are allied with him be able to in effect not abide by the popular vote? Are there plans in place to disrupt voting in key precincts (bomb threats, swatting, etc) to diminish turnout in districts he may lose? Is the intent to bring chaos to the state certification process, thus sending the determination to a House vote whereby each state has a single vote unbound by the actual election results? I'd love someone to run through the possible ways he could have election results overturned.
Or am I just paranoid?
You have the traitorous con Mike Johnson as Speaker. And the rethugs desperately trying to hold on to their idiot majority. And Israel and China and Saudi Arabia and Russia all betting on drumpf return.
And then there's the billionaire class hoping for yet more tax cuts.
You are not paranoid.
After 2016 you’re aware & experienced - and as they used to say - even paranoids have real enemies.
You, we all have a right to be concerned. They aren't shy about their intentions to disrupt the election like they tried in 2020, 2022, and 2000, when they actually succeeded and the Supreme Court handed the election to Bush.
2000 should have taught us plenty
We didn't have all the facts like we do now. All the usual suspects were involved then as well: Roger Stone, John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, even Amy Coney Barrett played a role in the outcome of that election.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/17/politics/bush-v-gore-barrett-kavanaugh-roberts-supreme-court/index.html
I was beyond depressed and events confirmed my fears that we would be tested like never before.
They will do what it takes, a fair election is not an option for them.
The attorney general in Kansas was a part of Bannon’s build the wall scam. And the guy got elected.
What's the matter with Kansas?
I live in a deep red state that swallows all the MAGA junk that is on faux news. Sigh. And, Charlie Koch lives and works here in Wichita and has purchased the local Mayor election recently. These people do not think about the end result
No, Doug, you are not just paranoid. I would not be at all surprised if some of these things happen.. Will people be prevented from voting? There are too many possibilities. I wouldn't want to give some MAGA loser any ideas.
My take is if he loses in 2024, he will announce right away that he is running for 2028 thinking he can again escape prosecution (I wrote the word "persecution" first, by mistake!). I hope and pray this trick doesn't work a second time.
Or he will again scream that the election was rigged. 🤨
That goes without saying !
Ler him. I don't think it will matter at that point. And it really didn't work the first time, apart from Garlan's sluggishness and Cannon's favorable rulings. He still has charges outstanding that he must face sooner or later. Unless he flies off to a country with no extradition treaty.
You aren’t paranoid. Up his sleeve is getting his supporters to believe they have the duty to enforce his will on everyone else through violence.
I am Canadian...and feeling the paranoia!!! He has already said that if he doesn't win, the election was rigged...The rigging is already happening I am sure!!!
Yes -- it's all projection with that guy, Rhonda.
Thank-you Will. I am growing thoroughly tired of pundits and others doing the journalistic equivalent of doom scrolling in a vain attempt to sound smarter and more in touch than they actually are. No one can actually be in touch when over half the picture is ignored.
Your 'going with history' is not just a Pollyanna-ish nod to positivity, it is a nod to realism. I've said it before - if you want to sound smart, break negative, if you want to be smart, look at the bigger picture. This is something HCR does very well. I'm surprised it hasn't caught on more with her readers.
Steve. One word. Astute
Steve, I don't see any likely way that the Felon can win, but for cheating or blowing the whole thing up. I have little doubt Biden will win the popular vote outright. But the Felon is desperate, and cornered animals are the most dangerous. Let's just keep our eyes open.
We have never had the money, propaganda, and power behind the effort. They are united and “never back down.” Nor should we
Thx for this reminder!
Your last sentence is a most important one. S--w the polls, and remember the crock of s--t that the NYT sold voters in 2016 along with complacency about HRC having the election in the bag. We can relax after the election is settled. We know what is at stake and we don't need to be distracted by corporate media infotainment or partisan antics. Get the most important job needed done.
keep playing like we are 10 points behind.
Yes! The secret of success!
I agree! Brian Tyler Cohen keeps saying to continue to work as though Trump was up by 20%.
Like in 2016, if the polls say Biden is statically going to win, we're screwed.
Everyone needs to vote to keep CFDT from being reelected.
Quadruple!
🩵💙🩵💙
Double, triple, need a homer
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💪🏻
Wrong again TC in la la land
I lost a brother to addiction. Seeing the Biden family wrap their arms around Hunter brings me to tears, and it makes me wish that we had done more for my brother.
And we lost a son. I think we all go through the second guessing. Addiction to opioids is insidious stealing our loved ones’ ability to speak truths, ask for help for the real issue rather than manipulating us for money, and destroying trust so thoroughly one doesn’t know what to believe or how to help.😞
For whatever it might be worth, my condolences to you and the others in today's comments who are sharing personal losses. A staggering number of people in this country have had a loved one whose life was marred by addiction. Many like to look down from their high perch and think of addicts past and present as a different and weaker species. Substance abuse is a disease, and shame is certainly not the antidote. Humanity is.
One of my cousins got so deep into drugs (of what type I have never been told) that the family had to cut off ties with him, as it had reached the stage where nothing he said could be trusted. Fortunately, he got out. My aunt and uncle didn't raise him differently than their other children who never had such an issue, neither did he grow up in a bad neighborhood etc. In fact, his sponsor attributed his solid family as likely the reason he was able to get out, but even that is not a guarantee.
You just never know.
"Addiction" is a mental health disease. Shame and guilt (as in 12 step programs) are deadly. The truth is, the substances do not so what the user thinks they do, and that is the real disease. They are a distraction from the pain, but they don't solve any of it. It takes strength, will and the knowledge that every dose, every drink, is a choice. And we have the power to make that choice.
As one who knows.
Give yourself grace. Addiction is deeply complicated and very hard.
In my experience, addiction is not so much "beaten" or "overcome", as recognized for what it is, a terrible malady that affects all spheres of life. Only an all-of-life encompassing strategy can be used to address it. Science (e.g. medicine) alone does not work, religion alone does not work, community alone does not work, psychology alone does not work, nor can a loving family be the sole grace an addict needs to recover.
12-Step programs provide a supportive community that shows recovering addicts the practical actions needed to recover, and examples of people who are living successful lives in recovery. Still, for most, AA meetings are not enough. This is where family, friends, health care professionals, and the clergy of the addicts religion of choice come in. Addiction is a heart breaking riddle to all except another addict. To those with an addict in their lives, keep the lines of communication open - but with firm boundaries (see Al Anon for these). For those struggling with their own addiction, recognizing you have a problem is the best and only first step.
Both sides of our kids family are littered with addiction and mental illness. My great grandmother hung herself in an insane asylum on a door hinge. Another great grandmother murdered her husband after the 12 kids were all grown with lye diluted in water. She was never indicted. And then there are the alcoholics and drug addicts.
I'm not sure you can ever get past the spiders and snakes in their heads other than to help them find counseling.
I'm sorry for your brother's addiction, but I'm sure you did everything you could as did the Biden's.
One thing we have in this country is a strong recovery framework (12-step programs) that is free, that works for many, and that's non-religious but spiritual. People define for themselves, a power greater than themselves. Alanon is for families of people who struggle with addiction and none of this is simple because addictions can sneakily morph and switch among various substances and behaviors but people who get help do a searching and fearless moral inventory of themselves to determine the exact nature of their wrongs. Maybe Hunter's publicity is revealing a person's capacity to change which is opportune leadership.
If anybody talks about Biden’s “dementia”, I say ‘Biden has dementia ? Trump still thinks he won the 2020 election!’ ;D
Brilliant. In rebutting the Rules Committee's intention to proceed with charging Attorney General Garland with Contempt of Congress, Rep. Raskin lays out what a B.S. case it is. If 7½ minutes is tool long a haul, in the twenty second long segment starting at 5:18, the Ranking Member of Oversight Committee lays out the real reason the Republicans want the audio recording of President Biden's interview with Special Counsel Hur: not nuance but fodder for attack adverts.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5120522/user-clip-rep-raskin-describes-theatre-absurd
I listened to Trump's drumpf-speech in Nevada; that sick dude must have said two or three dozen times in less than an hour that President Biden has dementia, even resorting to a tasteless parody of someone suffering from advanced ageing, which President Biden is not.
My uncle, a warm and wonderful person who should by all rights have decades left, had to be moved in to a home with early onset dementia. Nature is cruel, and people with this affliction lose absolutely everything: self, family, safety, dignity.
Anyone using such a thing as an ageist punchline, or as their go-to slander of choice, can go straight to hell.
I'm so sorry, Will. Dementia is a freaking thief.
I saw the same with a relative. Prayer on the way via FedEx.
It’s all they have, and it’s demonstrably untrue. Even Kevin McCarthy privately called President Biden ‘sharp’. But the neo-Goebbels will make anything up.
Sophie, you are correct -- really bad.
Yet tfg’s actual performance in NV makes that very case—for himself.
I watched the Nevada speech to a bit past the shark attack and I just could not take any more. The attacks on the press were atrocious as well and could easily foment violence. The ads run along side it were incredible with the free Kid's Book on Trump something I'd have expected out of Saturday Night Live.
I headed for the hills and away from the shrills around the time of the 'shark' dilemma, too, Stephen. What may concern me more is that Trump was more focussed and lucid with the Libertarians at their convention. With adoring crowds or sycophants, instead, his attention-seeking knows no limits; ¿what does Trump's weak-minded people-pleasing mean when he meets thugs who give him a . . . . ?
"Person, woman, man, camera, TV." Convicted Felon DJT is so proud of being able to remember 5 words that are part of the dementia testing. I wonder if he could do it now.
The really funny thing is that all of us still remember those five words! I guess we would pass too.
Yet, in Las Vegas, Trump bragged he 'aced' two cognitive tests.
Battey McSharkie
". . . thinks," JaneDough56?
Demonstrably yes, Trump and his salivating minions claim "he won the 2020 election." But aren't you a bit stretching credulity to suggest any actual thinking from him?
"But aren't you a bit stretching credulity to suggest any actual thinking from him?" Love it.
not to mention he claims to be a billionaire
The MAGA hypocrisy is astonishing. Biden Crime Family? What joke!
Projection: It’s what cons and grifters do.
The Stefanik crime family
The Comer crime family.
The Gym Jordan crime family.
The Stephen Miller crime family.
The Roger Stone crime family.
Always room for further investigation!
And these (all except Roger Stone) are minor players who will be forgotten once the U.S. presidential election yields another term for Joe Biden.
MAGAs fail to mention that Hunter is facing the potential of far more jail time then the Orange Clown!
Hunter, Bro :-(( where did you get the idea that writing an autobiography detailing your criminal activity was a good idea, then quibbling about the terms of a nice plea deal and rejecting was also a good idea? The guy has a law degree from Yale, WTF?!
I suspect he thought the publisher's advance would help with his financial problems. As for the Yale law degree, "Justice" Thomas has one, too.
Take Publisher's advance, don't mention gun purchase.
Anyone watching “Ripley” on Netflix? Every one of these horrible liars attached to Trump is a “Ripley”.
IMO the actor, Andrew Scott, does such a good job I couldn't bare to watch the whole series. And I love mysteries/ thrillers. But he really gave me the heebie jeebies.
Yes. Agreed. I just finished episode 3. Super creepy. And a lot more episodes to go!
Isn't this a take off of the Matt Damon movie The Amazing Mr Ripley?
Yes
Thank you, Heather, for today’s review. To me, Trump is so “yesterday”. He’s completely deranged and I truly think people are sick & tired of the garbage he spews. He wants us all to be as depressed as he and his ilk are. I refuse to join that camp of defeat. Biden has guided our nation in a way that we, of our generation, have never seen. Here is a man whose son messed up and got caught. The son cleaned his act up but faced charges. The dad acknowledges his kid had problems but professed his eternal love for him. What family do you know who hasn’t gone through the same thing? I so admire he and Jill. They represented us on D-Day, beautifully, while dealing with the angst they felt in their hearts. What is not to love about them and this administration? While R’s are trying to tear us apart by fear mongering, the Dems are hard at work organizing and contacting their constituents. We’re gonna win in November!
Word IS starting to spread! Check out this recent opinion piece in Military Times!
https://www.military.com/daily-news/opinions/2024/06/11/donald-trump-doesnt-respect-or-care-help-veterans-he-just-wants-our-votes.html
- Our troops are not stupid.
I LOVE this!! Thanks for posting it!
Will share. Thanks!
Gary thank you for posting this
I'm glad they published this. Playing amateur psychologist, it's possible dumptys disdain for the military was due to his military school, to which he was sent because his father couldn't deal with the brat he created and the brat resented it.
Some think bad people are created by their parents, but I think trumps was genetic. And here we go with nature vs nurture again. I'm always trying to understand it... perhaps a fools game, ask Mary Trump.
Why can't it be both heredity & environment? Neither one excludes the other.
Affluenza or poverty can each make inherent problems worse.
Thanks for sharing ❣️
Thanks, Gary. Good to see.
Yes and amen, Marlene.
Amen to that!
“We’re producing more energy than ever before in this nation. We have the strongest economy in the world, and we are beating China for the first time in decades. More people went to work this morning in America than at any other time in our nation’s history. So I’ve got a message to Donald Trump and all his negativity and his whining: Stop sh*t talking America. This is the greatest country on earth, and it’s time that we all start acting like it.”
That’s my governor talking today to Jen Psaki. It’s about time more Democrats started talking like that! I’m sick of the defensive crouch that so many of them assume. Call the son of a b***h out for the liar that he is and start shouting the truth from the rooftops. I’m so proud of Governor Shapiro. Let’s hope his chutzpah is wildly contagious!
Totally agree with you Andrea. HCR pulled NO punches today. I'm going to cut your governor's quote and send it to our local paper.
Biden and his entire cabinet and team of advisers have accomplished so much and get so little credit.
It's time to give Convicted Felon DJT the credit he is due for everything he mucked up.
Although our economy is strong in conventional terms, we must listen to the pain of the people who feel left out because of the Republican blockade of efforts to give them a leg up. I listened to the June 7 edition of the Ezra Klein show featuring his wife, Annie Lowrey a brilliant economy journalist. Klein himself also reported on the economy. (I’m a Biden supporter and remember recent frustration with Klein’s opinion piece about Biden being too old. This podcast is very different.) My point is that if we are to win over these voters, we must hear their pain and overcome the MAGA disinformation that blames Democrats.
The episode is entitled, “The Economic Theory That Explains Why Americans Are So Mad.” Here is a gift link that should get you past the paywall:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/07/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-annie-lowrey.html?unlocked_article_code=1.zE0.OhXf.RsEa5cfFoPBI&smid=url-share
The main points I remember are that young people and many who struggle or are disadvantaged face unaffordable costs for housing, food, childcare, eldercare, healthcare and higher education. Some of them cope by staying out of the job market to raise children or care for elders, not moving to new jobs because they can’t afford housing where that job’s located, paying outsized costs compared to income for housing, The entire podcast’s worth a listen. Annie Lowrey notes that if some of those factors were included, those affected would experience an inflation rate of 9%.
Their discussion covers some of the difficulties of governing for this administration. Among them are: 1) immigration is a hot button issue and President Biden is limiting immigration, yet this slows the economy and is inflationary because many industries rely on recent immigrants for farm labor, construction, etc., where Americans in a full-employment economy wouldn’t take those jobs; 2) Tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles that are already popular in Europe make it harder to move to a green economy, but this must be balanced by protecting essential American manufacturing so we are not vulnerable to China. 3) a long-term underinvestment in affordable housing that has built up to the current problem, when housing stimulus would be inflationary, 4) although the Biden Administration has tried to provide relief from student debt, it’s been limited by a Republican blockade.
Robert Reich has a parallel argument that people are stuck in place on their rung of the economic ladder. People love to hear about the American Dream, but it’s illusionary under our current inequality.
Again, the challenge is to get through to voters who may be tuned out or discouraged because they are struggling to get by.
I am the wife of a husband who has been sober for nearly 14 years. My 31 year old son is now in his second year of recovery after years of tittering on and off with sobriety. My elder son died almost 8 years ago from an accidental overdose at the age of 24. He was a college graduate, on a fast track to success in business, charming, funny, and surrounded by many friends and loved by aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was not an addict but that didn’t matter when he made a fateful choice early one Saturday morning. He died just days before the 2016 Republican National Convention. My life, on so many different levels, has not been the same since.
Addiction has touched my family in many ways but it has not defined who we are. We love and support one another; we laugh, we cry ( oh, how I cry), we learn, we read, we travel, we pray, we hope, we work, we sit quietly, and we actively go about our days. We are not so very different from other families with a similar story. We are not so very different from the Biden family.
To those who make judgments, I will close with the wise words of Atticus Finch: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."
Thank you deeply for your courage to share. May your family remain healthy.
Obviously the conviction and embarrassment of his son must be a personal ache for the President, yet I feel this is an opportunity for the campaign. Countless Americans know someone important to them who has made terrible choices as the result of a substance abuse problem. By continuing to embrace his son on a publicly emotional level while still insisting on the validity of consequences for his actions, Biden is proving again that he understands the struggles others prefer to bury, and remains a good role model for kids in this country.
How heart-breaking! And how courageous that you actively go about your days.
Thank you.
You said a profound thing here I wish more people knew: it's a choice.
Alcohol isn't a social lubricant, it's a distraction from emotional distress. Same with most substances, perhaps with the exception of opiates for some, who suffer from constant physical pain.
If we educated out children on emotional distress, how to deal with it, that it's normal and transient, so much misery might be avoided.
My sincere respect to your family for how you deal with these tragedies.
Thank you.
Bless you Margaret, the events you describe could have so easily have been mine, it’s a miracle that I survived. I fortunately quit before the arrival of fentanyl, had I not, it no doubt would have found me. The amount of fentanyl equivalent to 8 grains of salt will kill, using illegal drugs is the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with more than one bullet in the gun. I worry about our youngsters who are bound to experiment as they experience growth, we all have been on that path one way or another, sadly that experiment can be fatal. As a survivor I feel for all of the families that have experienced unimaginable loss, my view is that our time here is short, and that we will be reunited in the end. 🙏
Thank you, for your honesty and bravery.
The trial of Hunter Biden for a crime that is normally only prosecuted when the gun is used in another crime shows us all too well what we can expect from a Trump DOJ: prosecute his enemies (and their families) for petty stuff while whispering that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Yes, we need to act as though the accomplishments of the Biden administration (and those legislators who helped) are something to be proud of. What helps me is to share snippets of the Substack column “What did Joe Biden do today?” It never fails to amaze me what the team accomplishes behind the scenes.
https://whatdidbidendotoday.substack.com/p/what-did-joe-biden-do-today-aff?utm_medium=reader2
Trump would also toss his political opponents and any of his other critics into prison simply for for criticizing him. That is something that has been rarely done here, but you can bet Trump would emulate his mentor Putin with this. The only question is whether he would go so far as to order their murders, like Putin did with Alexei Navalny.
On that note, don’t you wonder what happened to Jeffrey Epstein?
Oh, I don't wonder.
What did Biden do today would be even more astounding if a parallel What did tRump do today ran with it.
Paula, True!
One of the benefits of the current American success story is that my MAGA acquaintances don't have much to argue about on that front any more. A benefit of Trump's guilty verdict is that they are beginning to reassess the truth of the stories to which they've been choosing to listen. I hope a coming benefit of Hunter's guilty verdict is that they'll have to reassess the bs "deep state" myth, too. Now I hear about the FBI report about crime statistics improving, and more benefits should come from that. I get the sense that the tide is turning, and like TCinLA says in an earlier comment, this means we need to redouble our efforts, not rest. Not yet.
"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, one by one.". ― Charles MacKay, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds
I agree and I disagree. You don't go to a 12-step program by yourself, but everyone in the meeting had to take Step One one by one.
I used to advise my junior office not to Pig wrestle; a quote attributed to George Bernard Shaw. “ Arguing with a fool is like wrestling a pig. All you do is get dirty & the pig enjoys it.”
I’ve often thought about that when challenging a MAGA person who supports trump. They’ve drunk the Kool-Aid and they’ll believe and tripe that comes out of his mouth.
My frustration with the Dems today is that they’re too nice. It’s time to take the gloves off & beat the MAGA at their own game. Maybe some pig wrestling is the remedy knowing the truth will win the match & then the pig stays in the barn with its mouth shut.
Come out swinging Joe in 6/27. Don’t give that bastard the chance to breathe.
The Democrats’ attack ads are anything but nice (and that’s a good thing).
"My frustration with the Dems today is that they’re too nice. It’s time to take the gloves off & beat the MAGA at their own game."
You are correct but things are changing; from the discussion by the Rules Committee on whether to hold Attorney General Garland in Contempt of Congress.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5120522/user-clip-rep-raskin-describes-theatre-absurd (see 5:18 through 5:38; 7½ minute vid.)
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5120553/user-clip-representative-mcgovern-flips-gop-script
That testimony from Rep. Jamie Raskin is one the best gifts I have received in a long, long time, Ned. Thank you.
I can not accept your welcome, Jeff, though I am grateful for it. Representative Raskin amazes me with his steady manner and penetrating insights. Were I in his place, I would have been censured by now. 😉
Raskin is my favorite politician. I hope he run for POTUS in 28.
He would be a fine candidate. With the magazine, 'The Economist' soberly assigning a relatively strong likelihood to a Trump victory, we may end up hoping there is a presidency to run for in 2028.
https://nedmcdletters.blogspot.com/2024/06/letter-184e-economist-article-of-12jun24.html
"I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." - Matthew 10:16.
That was good advice in the 1st century, and it still is today. Wisdom is the only effective way of addressing the "unconstrained ignorance" issue. Fighting fire with fire worked for Red Adair, but democracy and freedom is not an oil rig.
For the record, I'm not saying we should let them walk all over us. Mohammed Ali is one of my heroes.
That thought by Saint Matthew has crossed my mind a few times recently. Thank you for posting your thinking, James.
The only thing I would add to your comment Thomas is the word insipid ahead of bastard in your last sentence. 🙏
The time has come that everyone interested in doing their duty as a citizen of the pro-democracy variety needs to stop giving energy to the notion that the economy isn't good because people don't "feel" good. People don't "feel" good because most people are ignorant of current events and believe whatever they are told. When in conversation, we need to be the person telling them to feel more positive. We need to stop placating many peoples' desire to wallow in their own attitude problem, and start striking a blow for basic facts. The strength of our economy isn't measured by whether people "feel" rich because they can get great bargains; the strength of the economy is measured according to whether most citizens are gainfully employed and compensated enough to attain comfort and save a little bit in addition. We are succeeding on every metric. Yes, we have some serious reforms to make in order to ensure the affordability of a middle class life and remove financial stress from the vulnerable. Yet we are in a position to make these reforms if the electorate chooses because *we are already healthy economically.*
The parallel with crime is an apt one, one that I am gratified to see the Professor draw. Crime is not up or down based on how safe you feel based on what you saw on the news. Crime is up or down based on how many crimes are committed. Full stop. In this case as well, America is a remarkably lucky place to be.
Feelings aren't facts. Prioritize facts.
The difference between Biden & the other guy is the distance between the earth and the furthest part of the universe! Go President Biden!
There is no redemption for the Republican Party. This letter by HCR is essential reading. And these remarks by Jamie Raskin today, June 11, should be playing on main stream media around the clock:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f3vTzGQYLc
Great link; thank you, James.
There is never no redemption. Anyone and everyone just has to follow Bob Marley's advice in Redemption Song (1980), which is, "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery; None but ourselves can free our minds."
OK. Let one exception prove the rule. But what the Republican Party has done since FDR can never be forgotten nor forgiven, nor are they likely in any meaningful number going to beg forgiveness. It will be a cold day in hell.
It's good to be skeptical. In this case, it's a very good thing to be very skeptical. But don't cross the line into cynicism, because that's when they win, because that's when you're on their side.
Don't give me that both-sides nonsense. There is no comparison, no reason for skepticism or cynicism. They have declared what they want and what they will do, unless we stop them.
I have an opinion and you disagree. You have an opinion and I disagree. I guess we'll leave it at that.
Your message is getting through, Dr Cox Richardson. The Democrats debating Republicans in from of the Rules Committee basically destroyed the argument for hold Attorney General Garland in contempt of Congress.
Representative Raskin's opening statement; Rep. Raskin (D-MD) is the ranking member of the Oversight Committee. https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5120522/user-clip-rep-raskin-describes-theatre-absurd Rep. Raskin zeroes in on the real reason for the WHINOes demanding the audio recording of the interview by Special Counsel Hur of President Biden in the segment from 5:18 to 5:38 of the 7½ minute clip.
In this one minute clip, Rep. McGovern (D-MA) flips the script on Rep. Jordan about weaponizing the government. https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5120553/user-clip-representative-mcgovern-flips-gop-script
I'm surprised more people don't know Jamie Raskin. He's a bright star in the Democratic firmament.
Have you read his book? He’s an awesome human!
No, I'll look for it. His father, Marcus, was awesome as well, but a little too left for some.
Especially the way he has grown through cancer and the suicide of his son. Human grief; super-human resilience.
Not to mention his own recent bout with cancer.
Hunter Biden’s is a sad story. The early tragic loss of his mother messed him up entirely. Addiction appears to run his life and must be a heavy burden on his family. One thing that amuses me in this sorry affair is that he was convicted for something the Republicans believe is not a crime.
President Biden’s demeanour throughout has been very dignified and presidential, as well as loving. That matters.