At a press conference for Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in Los Angeles today, Noem’s security assaulted Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), dragged him into the hallway, forced him to the floor, and handcuffed him as he tried to ask the secretary a question.
Thugs. Jackboots. Dummy enforcers of escalating White House criminality.
And look at little man Mike “Howdy Doody” Johnson, who as House Speaker and spineless, cowardly sycophant to the criminal in the White House only grovels all the more – suggesting U.S. Senator from California Alex Padilla ought to be censured for what nitwit Barbie Doll and plastic surgery cutesy lips and clothes-and-cosmetics-horse Kristi Noem had her thugs and jackboots to do him – to all of us.
Kings apparently need their Bobbleheads and Barbie Dolls to stay on the throne. Bobblehead Johnson's suggestion that he might introduce a CENSURE motion against Padilla was beneath contempt, because he has no authority over the conduct of a Senator.
Another Barbie Doll from Fox News was on TV yesterday bobbing her own bobblehead up-and-down in sympathy while a scheming Noem gaslighted her viewers -- claiming Padilla "lunged" at her and why, of course, had she only known who he was, she would, of course, have been only too glad to have had a cozy little ❤️-to-❤️ with the respected Senator. Of course. Fox had the same videoclip taken by an astute Padilla aide as everybody else, yet not once did Ms. Bobblehead push back, saying 'I saw the same tape everybody else did, you know.'
The unregulated bullshit flowing out of these people's mouths could fertilize all of California's Central Valley, enriching our vegetables and fruits, which migrants pick to put on our tables. Yet last night, Gavin Newsom rose to the occasion made necessary by this awful moment, right after Judge Breyer gave him back control of his own National Guard. He condemned Trump's cluelessness, his dishonesty, derangements, the gaslighting and arrogance, the bullying and delusional stupidity behind it all. He listed example after example of their cruelty, their idiocy, their upside-down world in action. He was simply superb. Why can't every Democrat be willing to speak truth to power in that way, I found myself thinking. Why does he feel like the exception, rather than the rule?
"Bobblehead Johnson's suggestion that he might introduce a CENSURE motion against Padilla was beneath contempt, because he has no authority over the conduct of a Senator. Bobbleheads indeed. Souls sold cheap. Legal authority just gets in the way of the "Republican" antirepublican agenda.
I called Johnson's DC office & left a message. His answering machine refers to him as the honorable Michael Johnson. In my message I told of my outrage at what happened. And I ended with you are not honorable, not a Christian & if you think trump won't do this to you, you are sadly mistaken, grow a goddam spine, you work for the people not donald trump!
Will it do any good, fuck no! But I wanted someone to tell his machine. I gave my name & said that I am an American citizen. They've got my phone number as an incoming call so having that & having access to the DOGE stash of private data I have no doubt that at some point I could be rounded up. Mind you, I was angry & you could tell but I in NO WAY threatened him. But in Magamerica you don't need proof of anything to manufacture a lie.
Hey, maybe that's the manufacturing trump wants to expand in the US, lying through your pants!
Heather has often said that contacting our House Reps and Senators DOES a lot of good. And, when Senator Angus King (I-ME) was a guest on her podcast, he agreed and asked people to call, email, send USPS letters -- whatever works for each person.
I started listening to lots of rightwing media, especially Steve Bannon's podcast, to see where my friends and family were getting their (sometimes outlandish and non-democracy) ideas. Rightwing & Republicans love to push the lie that our reps and senators ignore us, but that really isn't the case. They listen carefully, especially when it might mean they'll be voted out of a job for their actions, inactions, and for being non-responsive to constituents.
I think part of the problem is that too few people, in general, contact legislators. But when people do, as more and more have done since Felon45&47 took office; well, their phones have been ringing off the hook at times, with email inboxes filling up. They are listening!
Don't buy rightwing lies & propaganda, including that contacting legislators does nothing. They're just telling more lies to get people to become apathetic, give up, and tune out.
When that happens, Republicans and authoritarians win. Don't let them win.
SOJPOD, I applaud you for being able to listen to the right wing and to Bannon's wing podcast. Truly, I’m afraid I would have to be institutionalized to give my time to those matters. Hooray for you to be able to know what’s going on, thank you.
"SOJPOD, I applaud you for being able to listen to the right wing and to Bannon's wing podcast. Truly, I’m afraid I would have to be institutionalized to give my time to those matters."
Thank you.
It's difficult some of the time because they (Bannon, his guests -- including many in the GOP House and Senate -- and guest hosts) spew lie after lie after lie *every single episode*, which pisses me off, but I learn what many right-wingers & MAGA hear, learn and repeat -- including in these comments (hello, Rick Sender), and in comments at WaPo, NYTs, C-CSPAN, from neighbors, and elsewhere.
His shows are super-repetitive, so I don't have to listen to everything, and some of the stuff is so absurd it makes me literally LOL (laugh out loud), until I remember how dangerous his lies & propaganda are.
I know that many in his audience buy his c**p "hook, line, and sinker," which makes me sad AND very angry because (mainly gullible) listeners & viewers are lied to *deliberately* (for financial gain and growing power for Bannon & his ilk, and Trump, Muck, etc.), with the goal of getting them to vote against themselves, protest against democracy(yep, Bannon talked about Jan 6 in his shows before that date), donate $$ to MAGA candidates, have them run for local and state office (did you notice the increase in MAGAs on school boards and city councils, etc., nationwide? Or the library book bans?) Yep, Bannon and the rest of the rightwing 'lies & propaganda' media empire has that much influence and power; and unfortunately, there's no real pushback on the left, or by some powerful, but politically unaffiliated, interested group.
I don't recommend people listen to rightwing media regularly UNLESS they have a very thick skin, a real good understanding of history and politics (*all politics*, not just Dems'), are financially literate, don't easily jump on bandwagons, and have a *real good* B.S. detector.
Shows like Bannon's are designed *by experts* in propaganda, advertising, sociology, psychology, politics, the big con, and the like, to deliberately lure people in by feeding insecurities, fears, biases, ignorance, low self-confidence, hatred, bitterness, arrogance, and rage -- and by sounding so darned nice and completely concerned about the welfare of their audience while fleecing them 100%.
Listening to this stuff has made me more sympathetic to MAGA regular people (not politicians or pundits) because I see how they've been deliberately targeted by a bunch of crooks, con-men and -women, and networks of very wealthy extremists who have absolutely no interest in helping their audience, or the rest of the country.
Their goal is to gain power, more $$, and to destroy all systems, policies, and agencies, etc., that don't advance these goals (and they just don't give a s**t about their audience and supporters).
Their plan, or blueprint (Project 2025 has evolved since its introduction into high political during Reagan's 1st term -- yeah, it's that old -- and goes back more than 50 years, with roots in groups that fought against FDR's New Deal legislation, and the Gilded Age robber barons & pols Trump worships.
Sorry my reply is so long, but it frustrates me how this very dangerous, very large, and very effective group can operate so openly with so little pushback by the media and the Democratic party, itself. Heather talks about this, so does Sen Sheldon Whitehouse and others, but so many people, on both sides, are clueless.
Question: I live in a blue state and my representatives agree with me—I call occasionally to thank them, but does it do any good to call reps from other states?? Will my phone call out of state matter??
YES it can & will make a difference. I don't want to be the one who didn't try to speak up in whatever way I can. 6/14 rally's in WA should make world news. Hope to see my picture!
"I call occasionally to thank them, but does it do any good to call reps from other states??"
I, too, live in a blue state (Oregon). In Heather's interview with Sen Angus King, he said they appreciate constituents' feedback, including thanks and other positive info. It helps them to know if their actions are helping (or not), etc.
Some legislators won't take calls from non-constituents, but some of their votes (at a federal level, at least) can affect the rest of us or may affect others in the region. I'd call and they might say won't take a message, but maybe some will. Also, people can contact the White House and other federal agencies; and state, county, and city/local offices.
And FWIW, "constituents" and "voters" aren't the same thing. A person can be a constituent even if they can't or don't vote. There's way more constituents than voters, and (most) all can participate.
oh, I would never stop writing or calling. It's in my nature it contact people in authority to let them know how I feel. sometimes more forcefully than others ; )
Hi Anna, that’s where I’m at, 79 year old retired Special Educator. They can arrest me and my cane. However, I need my oxygen concentrator at night or my emergency inhaler.
I call my representative at least once every 10 days. It falls on deaf ears in my very red and gerrymandered state. I will be there tomorrow.
Good bucket list to have. One of my top ten or so achievements in my 69 years is having been arrested for a non-violent protest. I impeded the entry to a manufacturer of cluster bombs. I'll be more than happy to get arrested again, except that with my dependence on medicines for my health, it could get dicey for me.
I'm in PA, and it is so disappointing that our Senators (Fetterman & McCormick) ignore us and do whatever the Regime wants. I call them regularly, and no response. But, like I tell them, "I'm retired and have all day," then I leave a message until the tape runs out.
return...thank you for doing what you did. Little Johnson needs to hear what you said often. I post of a lot of anti death star stuff, so i figure I am on a list. Some years ago, one of my ex-colleagues sent her son who was in the army some magazines that the army didn't like. Turned out they had a whole dossier on her from her years protesting in college. I was in the Peace Corps and anyone who applied was investigated by the F.B.I., mainly to ascertain if you were a commie or not.
Not really, what it took is being so pissed off all day every day, it's my outlet! But thank you for telling me I have moxie. I'm originally from the New York City area, out on Long Island & we used to hear that word a lot back then! Took me down memory lane!
I grew upon Carbondale Pa. Small coal mining town. Having moxie was a high compliment. When I was seven years old, my family and I moved to my mother’s home area, South Ozone Park. I spent third and fourth grade at PS155 before returning to Carbondale. Moxie can be planted and nurtured by many feelings and experiences but it does not diminish your having it. Jay
"Why is no one mentioning that this is the 'disobedient puppy' shooter?"
Yes, that's important to remember -- animal abusers are often also cruel to humans. To me, she's "Noem, the pet murderer" (and also killed a goat and several horses).
There's also "Hegseth the Drunk," which sounds kinda medieval; Roadkill Kennedy Jr."; Heil-Hitler-ing Musk; Bessent the Boob; and Pope-killer [JD] Vance (who's also the sad, left-behind product of the recent failed marriage between Musk and Felon45/47).
Oh yeah, and "Harlan Crow, the Hitler memorabilia collector and major briber of SCOTUS Justice Thomas" (I know, that doesn't really roll off the tongue, but it's true).
One of the experts on fighting authoritarians said these people must be ridiculed and mocked, so I try my best to do both.
Excellent list. Of course, it begs even more additions from those creative souls among us and then, repetitions everywhere. This latest Noem move is truly "beyond the pale"!! The puppy executioner and senator attacker needs to be brought up on charges. Sen. Padilla spoke the truth: If this is what she has done to a Senator, what won't they do to a person of color who is a cook or a laborer? The goons are marching but so are we......
Thanks! I'm sure others have names they can add to the list.
Here's a short list of some names & phrases from *other commenters* for FPOTUS, like The Orange Creep, DonOLD Drumpf, the 3-foot Combover, Mango Mussolini, His Orange Highness, Giant Orange T**d, All-Around Foreign Policy Ignoramus (from Jennifer Rubin before she left WaPo), Orange Fascist, Dumpfire Felon, and Man-baby.
I keep adding to the list bc there's always something I've never seen/heard before.
The puppy shooter incident is in most posts I read. If you want it mentioned more often, comment more often. However, puppy shooting was only the beginning of her depravity.
"Disobedient puppy executioner!!! And now....Goon director...tackling and shackling and silencing a US Senator! WE THE PEOPLE can no longer tolerate this goonie government!! No Kings and NO Goons in Government!!!!
I find it hard to believe that a country with a population of circa 360 million people has only a handful of adults who are patriots, speak truth to power and are not blithering cowards.
Veronica, I think there are many more but the media is such that they aren't heard. Just like during Biden's presidency, any accomplishments made were not reported in MMM or were stashed behind some little article on page5.
Heather, agreed. Newsom is a national figure and potential presidential candidate, so he gets covered. Our governor and Congressional people get covered here In Oregon, but usually not nationally. All of them post regularly what they are doing on Facebook even though they get tons of trolls and bots.
Today Tim Walz and Minnesotans will get publicity. The horror that all of them are undergoing on No Kings Day is at the feet of the Orange Monstrosity and his minions.
Virginia, I am not hitting the like button, because this is so awful. We were at the Saturday Market when my husband showed me the headline on his phone. At our fav bakery vender, one of the owners had just finished loading her tray of goodies and said locked and loaded. i let her know what happened. Not only do we have official jackboots around, but also the fake ones. I call that monster death star for a reason. My heart is with the people of Minnesota.
Now I’m going to spoil the fun by suggesting that this is all Joe Biden’s fault for not providing a path for continued democratic governance. Oh ya, baby. Falling into a stupor on the debate stage wrapped it up topped it off and I foresaw at that critical moment the future. I’m sorry no one else did.
I can predict things often but I just can’t predict the outcome of this direction we as a nation have taken. I give it a 50/50 chance. Authoritarians DON’T give up power easily. But clearly, if Biden hadn’t made some basic missteps, had he not insisted on being the first 200 year old president, had he paid early attention of the importance of optics on the border, then maybe. And let us not ever never ever forget how Biden threw Anita Hill under the bus to save his own political ass (which is what most politicians do) and let Clarance Thomas become Supreme Court justice (and Lookie what great promise that did for the nation). No, I’m sorry, I DON’T forgive nor forget poor judgements. Perhaps Trump is actually a gift. He opens the door to utter destruction and through destruction, comes rebirth. This is what we can only hope for at this juncture. Three and a half more years of utter carnage and chaos.
I know, I know. It is all Biden's and his enablers fault that we are where we are.
And it has nothing to do with all those American voters who voted for Trump because they liked what he said and they continue to support his actions? Those people were never going to vote for Biden or Harris in the first place, because, you know, libs. Trump and his Republican gang fulfills all their White grievance dreams of vengeance.
THEY are the ones who put us where we are today, our self absorbed, ignorant fellow citizens, in thrall to a wannabe dictator.
But don't discount the Russian interference in our elections that influenced those people as part of the equation. Perhaps they should have known better, but how could they with such lame and corrupt mainstream media assisting the disinformation?
I get it. I don't disagree. But true to my nature, when I screw up, I point the finger at myself rather than others. And we democrats have a tendency to eat our own as we did with Al Frankin, who could have made a good president if not for our woke community destroying his legacy. OKi Dokie?
Bill Katz, I think frequently about Al Franken and refuse to look at the senator from New York who is not fit to polish his shoes. Political ambition run amok in her case.
Biden is not to blame. I know that that is the general consensus but I disagree. People knew what they were getting with Trump but couldn't bring themselves to vote for a Black female for President. There was an ex Trump voter in a focus group early in 2024 who was asked if he would vote for Biden if it was shown that Biden was completely out of it. He said he would vote for Biden "even if he's dead".
Bill, please stop using up oxygen, and your energy, blaming Biden. What are YOU doing to make things better? (Also I'm agreeing with Gale Watts, Sara Goodnick, Stanley Varon, in these comments.)
Glad you asked. I wrote a book about the monster. I also have written several songs as a singer/songwriter. And I’ve been begging rally organizers to let me stir up the crowd with my well written compositions. And I’ve made contributions in money to various da dates. What have you done, may I ask?
How often do you actually perform your songs? I do applaud your efforts, but it always sounds like they turn you away. Me? I donate as much as I can afford. I have written hundreds of get-out-the-vote cards (also: not cheap). I call my representatives, although not as often as I should (I'm phobic about "cold calling.") I attend rallies when I can, but I have a job, and many/most events occur when I'm at work, which is frustrating. I can't afford to quit my job, although I'm 70. In other words, as with most who read HCR's writings, I'm doing as much as I am able. ...and now I have to go get ready for work. Have a productive day!
Bill, I can agree with you to a certain extent; however, I have to say that labeling tRump as a gift is hardly agreeable with me. The nation is still too far divided for him to be recognized as a gift - a **grift**, yes, but not a gift. If half the population was smarter than now demonstrated, and if the overwhelming affect of "The People"(and I do mean affect, not effect) was demonstrably against this grifter, then I would say that tRump is the gift that keeps on giving. We are not there yet. As for Biden, you make some very solid and necessary fair points. I was always somewhat leery of him, even though I did vote for him specifically to deny tRump the office; however, I was not surprised and frankly *was* sickened to my stomach when he embraced, what could arguably be the second most murderous authoritarian in the world - one Bibi Netanyahu. If he ever showed signs of mental illness, it was at that point. And ya... I most definitely agree with your assessment of him concerning the Anita Hill fiasco.
I can agree with you in that Biden failed to understand the problem the optics his age created. That was a huge mistake. I agree that letting Clarence Thomas on the Court has been a huge problem. But looking back at the political moment, it wasn't that simple. For Biden, it was a little politically risky to vote against a Black male candidate. Thomas made his case well when he claimed that what was happening was a partisan lynching.
I'm sorry Paul; however, I must disagree. We had a black lady who was an accomplished lawyer in her own right, testifying against a black man, also a lawyer and candidate for a judicial seat on the Supreme Court. It was never made clear to any of us what motive Anita Hill may have had to try and wreck Thomas' candidacy for that seat. My take on it is that she didn't have any motive. She had the truth and now (I know, hindsight is always 20-20) we know Thomas' hypocrisy and penchant to hide needed truths in the public interest. The "partisan lynching" of which he spoke was used as a guilt trip that Biden fell for hook, line, and sinker. It wasn't Biden's biggest failure, but it clearly makes the top five in my book.
I want to throw into this argument that President Biden, trying to assure that his Vice President succeeded him, ran because he knew how racist this nation is and did his best to make her succession happen. The three transatlantic crossings plus Covid were too much to quell the gush of lies vomited at him in the “debate.”
What is a handful, Virginia? Why are you not aware of the MILLIONS who did not vote for Trump? Why are you unaware of the MILLIIONS who march every day cities, towns and villages across America (plus some places beyond the United States borders) bearing signs AGAINST Trump and his Gestapo? If you do not have your sign ready for Saturday, June 14, I suggest you shop today for a large sign and get yourself and your sign to a protest. Then I suggest you quit listening to Fox network. Choose MSNBC on Monday nights - Rachel Maddow Show.
There is a forecast of a heavy lightning storm predicted for DC on Saturday, which is the only thing that would preempt the parade. While that would be a shame because of the legitimate reason for honoring the troops, I would actually be relieved to see that whatever Supreme Being we might pray to, really does care and is upset over how His/Her name is being profaned by this regime.
I did NOT WRITE “Handful.” At 91, I am a charter member of my Indivisible chapter, have a trophy for postcard writing in 2018 and 2024, and am still producing a minimum of 10
cards a day, all my arm and hand can manage some days. I am the great granddaughter of a Pole who was part of the 1848 uprising in Prussia (he escaped and joined the Union army), 3 uncles in WWII (I remember Pearl Harbor and, with my public school contemporaries, was part of the War Effort), my father was a plane spotter on the midnight to 4:00 am shift.
Ok, I won’t march today because I will be writing postcards to Florida Democrats. Think my waning energy is better used that way!
PS I made two large signs with my Indivisible chapter. I have marched: Vietnam, Kent State (rally against), Paris (1958), broken ankles kept me out of anti-Iraq war march in France. Last major march SEIU; last rally Dobbs with “A Day that will live in Infamy” sign I made for the occasion on the day!
Jamie Raskin gave a great assessment of the situation as HCR told us..."
"After today’s events, Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), a constitutional scholar, stood in front of the Capitol and reminded Americans: “We have no kings here, we have no queens here, we have no emperors, we have no dictators, we have no despots, and we have no serfs and no slaves and no subjects, and none of us is a subject to Donald Trump. None of us is a subject to Mike Johnson. We are all citizens, those of us who aspire and attain to public office are nothing but the servants of the people. And the minute that somebody in public office thinks that they're a king, they're a queen, they're an emperor, they're a dictator, that is time for the people to evict, eject, reject, impeach, try, convict, and start all over again, because the most important words of our Constitution are the three first words of the Constitution: ‘We the people.’”
As Mike Johnson opines so smugly, I’m not sure why he doesn’t realize it could just as easily be him thrown to the ground and handcuffed. Trump turns on everyone.
I read something about Senator Padilla that in his youth he was subject to some discrimination and suspicion of being a “bad kid” simply because of how he looked. He’s a tall brown man …so immediately threatening to Barbie Dolls, I guess. Shameful how he was treated and then lied about ! Where are the Republicans speaking out about this un-American behavior and treatment !
GOP are too afraid of Trump to do anything good for the country. Every time the old gas bag accuses someone of hating this country he’s projecting. Just as he claimed there were no homeless until just before he took office in 2016 he’s trying to claim all the immigrants arrived while Biden was president.
ICE Barbie must be really afraid of her own shadow and incompetence to have her thugs attack a sitting senator just trying to ask a question. No wonder she shot that poor puppy, he scared her.
Where are the Republicans, they are hiding under their beds! They have succeeded in making themselves so small that they are nearly invisible in the crisis!
You betcha! Susan Collins lives in a continuous state of “concerned.” I picture her in a kitchen trying to put seasonings in a particular dish and giving up. Bland.
Over the years, there has been many a great line posted here, but this:
"The unregulated bullshit flowing out of these people's mouths could fertilize all of California's Central Valley, enriching our vegetables and fruits, which migrants pick to put on our tables."
I don't think Gavin is the only one. I see Chris Miller, Jamie Raskin, Sheldon Whitehouse, Adam Schiff & others all the time being interviewed on MSNBC. The "mainstream media" may be lacking in airing these individuals but MSNBC is doing a fine job getting them out there. Newsome came through like a bright light because he got national coverage.
What frustrates me is that ALL elected Democrats are not speaking out LOUDLY about the daily travesties. It can't be that they don't have public speaking skills. Every damned one of them had to speak publicly, endlessly during their campaigns to be elected to the offices they now shrink from. The only explanation is that they are cowards.
My protest sign is tall and narrow; it reads:
NO KINGS in our USA. NO FELONS in our White House. NO OLIGARCHS in our Cabinet. NO COWARDS in our Congress. NO GRIFTERS in our SCOTUS. NO NAZIS in our Government.
Yes! Thank you, return to normalcy. As I write postcards to Florida Democratic voters to get them out to vote, I can listen to MSNBC (after awhile the same information gets to be like automatic writing). Yesterday I couldn’t write. The treatment of Senator Padilla, underlining as it does the racism of this “administration “ was riveting, even though I knew it well. How dare the puppy shooter not only set her goons on the senator, but also gos immediately on Fox News to lie about the situation that made it “appropriate.”
It's, Ds here in Oregon often speak out, but they do not get national notice. Yesterday we had a report of a man and his employee who does work for vineyards being nabbed by ICE. The man has been here 40 years. So in addition to tariffs, vineyards here in Oregon have something else to worry about. And yes, we have death star babbling about farm and hospitality workers. I saw a video yesterday of agents chasing a farm worker through a field.
Read more. Listen more. You will find Governor Pritzger of ILLINOIS has been speaking against ICE raids. Loudly. He is a champion of immigrants, women needing abortions, LGBTQ folks - all the people Trump and his Gestapo hate. There are many Democrats speaking loudly. Did you not READ Heather Cox Richardson today - just above the comment section? Does Jamie Raskin ring a bell with you? How about AOC.? How about Bernie Sanders? How about Jasmine Crockett? Have you heard Elizabeth Warren? Mr. Newsome is backing down from liberal positions and after hearing his news conference I do not think he is Presidential material. He is correct on this issue, but look closer!
All these people have been recently declaiming loudly, and I recognize each one has its place. I could well add others, such as Pete Buttigieg, speaking truth to 'bro' wastelands where lazy insecurity about masculinity clearly played an evil, destructive role in the 2024 elections that Trump played like a cheap violin.
As Rahm Immanuel once observed, you must never let a good crisis go to waste. I've never been a big fan of Newsom before, but in the past few days, he's shown he knows exactly what to do with one. A big chunk of that is simply being in the right place at the right time. We need many such 'crises' and many people taking advantage of them to break through our current stranglehold.
If Noem didn't know who he was even without him identifying himself, then she doesn't know her job. He's obviously a person of vital interest to her even if she doesn't intend to treat him respectfully (the outrageous Irony of saying he was behaving disgracefully!).
It’s time for FOX, who brought us this fascist pig 🐷, to FINALLY be shut down!! It’s time for REAL journalism to finally prevail, or we lose what is left of our Democracy! We must continue to call Congress, but willing to SPEAK OUT & VOTEVOTE —because the corporate media isn’t showing us that MANY Dems/Progressives are overwhelmingly being elected in local/state elections already!
Too late. As HCR pointed out, this is a coup. The only entity that could stop it is the legislature, but the majority refused even to comment on the junta’s illegal actions, has lied about whst took place, and is attempting to blame Senator Padilla for the incident, which was a clear abuse of power by federal las enforcement.
I'm reposting a comment by an Andrew Tanner - which I suspect is very relevant-
“As the American media class is desperate to keep a lid on the gravity of the situation, trying to play this off as some kind of personal beef between Trump and Gavin Newsom instead of the first overt moves towards civil war and dissolution of the union, it falls to independent observers to sound the alarm. Trump is now openly acting as Putin’s willing ally in the Kremlin’s last-ditch gambit to survive Putin’s debacle in Ukraine: a bid to destabilize the United States and drive it into civil war. “
But do the independent observers have enough audience to affect things? We can only hope.
Not only "acting as Putin's willing ally," Hugh (or, Andrew Tanner).
Worse, he's doing the Putin playbook on the need to fear "outsiders," "others" menacing "us": pure white people needing a strong, firm, imperial leader for protection.
Speaker Mike said that if we want to understand him, read the Bible, and here's me thinking he was full of crap. In hindsight, I admit I'm wrong. For the record the following passage is where he's described to a tee by Jesus:
"Woe to you, teacher of the law, you hypocrite! You are like a whitewashed tomb, which looks beautiful on the outside but on the inside is full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Matthew 23:27-28
In the musical Godspell- there is a song taken from part of that passage. The entire musical is still relevant . I saw it when it was a new work and never ever forgot it. There is also an addition of a newer song not in the original production. Beautiful City. It helps me to to listen to it in hard days such as this.
So on target! This perfectly describes the snake that he is. I am so glad that Newsom dripping in sarcasm called him out as being a good Christian man....
Absolutely anything can be proven using the Bible if you disregard its moral principle, but if you start with Matthew 22:40, and if you then put your hand on the Bible and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and if you then let your actions speak louder than your words, there is only thing you can prove using the Bible: treat others the way you would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot, and then everyone wins, or everyone loses.
We invented written documents roughly 120 generations ago, but we've been Homo sapiens for roughly 12,000 generations, and being human is still being human.
"Oh no—people of color are gaining political power! We can’t have that. Better start purging the voter rolls, closing polling places, and spreading lies about election fraud. Or hell, why not just cancel elections altogether? That way, we can cling to power forever and never have to pretend democracy mattered in the first place."
Actually none of us is pure anything as a species. Plenty of DNA evidence is now out that modern “humans” even have some Neanderthal genes, and those of other genetically anthropologically defined ancient geographic groups. Plus the old assumption that only H. sapiens among those ancient populations had culture and smarts which is why Hs succeded historically has been seriously challenged by new archaeological findings. So all of this white-black-red-brown racism stuff firming the basis of maga religion is made up like so much other maga BS.
“On behalf of the American people, I want to congratulate the Russian people on Russia Day.
The United States remains committed to supporting the Russian people as they continue to build on their aspirations for a brighter future. We also take this opportunity to reaffirm the United States’ desire for constructive engagement with the Russian Federation to bring about a durable peace between Russia and Ukraine. It is our hope that peace will foster more mutually beneficial relations between our countries.”
I agree with you whole heartedly. Unless something happens, and it happens fast, we are basically done in for! I wish the US Military, who have sworn tu protect US, THE USA, and our CONSTITUTION, would use some special fertiliser to grow some balls!! There was a woman who did speak up. I hope they have not disappeared her to El Salvador!!!
Hugh, my feeling is that trompy knows in his cold dead heart that he can't run for another term, but junior can, and Newsome is handsome and smart. Trompy knows he'd be a strong candidate (I have my doubts) and wants to knock him down now and as time goes on.
All this presupposes, of course, that there will be an election in 2028, which is frankly not a given, with democracy hanging in the balance until then.
Doug, you've no doubt hit the nail on the head. Donald is obsessed with appearances. All of his wives and side-pieces were models. Most of his cabinet are former Fox spokesmodels. "No fat soldiers" at his Fort Bragg show, etc.
Newsom has "the look" that impresses and intimidates Donald, so he's hoping to preempt a future challenge by making Newsom look weak as a governor.
But when it comes to a battle of the minds, Donald is unarmed.
Speaking of trophy wives, did anyone else notice how much Melania looked and acted like one of those A.I "companion dolls" when she "accompanied" him to the Kennedy Center production of "Les Mis?" I wrote "accompanied" in quotes because it looked more like he was dragging her behind him by the hand like a wooden wheeled toy, and when the cameras closed in on her expression, she was totally stone faced and completely devoid of any emotion at all. Not even anger. Scary, Stepford Wife stuff here.
Janet, I know I'm not alone in assuming that Melania's current occupation is just a rebranding of her original occupation: being paid to engage in activities she doesn't enjoy with men she loathes.
My own vision of the arrangement is that she's on a contractual, financial retainer to remain married to Donald for as long as she can tolerate the conditions, but she is not required to cohabitate with him. Special appearances are compensated with prearranged "bonuses," based on the number of hours she is required to escort him to the events, with overtime paid at one-and-one-half times the agreed-upon rate.
Her lawyers negotiated the condition that she is not required to smile during her public appearances as long as she doesn't say anything uncomplimentary about Donald.
Geeezzzusss Hugh, it's like Ray Charles cold see this coming. The "T"umblespeak in Para 18 just continues to retain the MAGA-stupor.
Next time you encounter one of em, ask them this: What is the difference between a duck? Ans: One leg is both the same. Same kinda answer you get when you ask one of those toads to tell you about some great thing TACKO has done.
Too late Rex ? Really ? It's been said herein that no one is coming to save us; Only we can. Do as you will, but I'm not sitting on my thumbs. Once I've acted, then maybe it's too late.
Raskin and many other brave patriots will not cower from thugs and a Dictator whom we have allowed by the vote, to occupy the White House along with hand chosen minions.
These destroyers of Democracy have been planning and brainwashing our citizenry for years. Governors have been elected....Senators and Representatives have been elected who are NOT for the freedoms for which our forefathers gave their lives and fortunes. They are a group of "yes" men and women. They are weak and subservient. and truly ignorant. But now, some have money and power they could have never imagined and it was so easy. They are "hooked".
Structures of our Democracy are being weakened, some destroyed....to make more room for control
They cannot control their thirst for more and yet....they have no idea, training, education or experience in caring for this nation nor its people nor the importance of supporting allies who have stood with us in the past. "Puppeteers" are controlling our Republican Party for personal power and gain. And as we have read today...they are also thugs!
Those leaders in the past with knowledge and experience and COURAGE are gone.
Is this what we want for our children, for the future of this nation?
Remember, "This is our country!" "OUR" includes immigrants, giving their strength and willingness to work in our fields, in processing plants, caring for our homes, our children, in humble jobs where most do not choose to work.
Look at your own family history!!! Americans have each and all come from other places and have worked together to "form a more perfect union!!!" The Indians arrived to the Americas before us. We mistreated them as well.
What is wrong with us??? How long can this country last with such "soul rotting" attitudes!!!!
Emily, I agree with all you are saying up until your last sentence. We all must trust that our country will last, and we are being called to this moment. There are way more of us than there are of those with "soul-rotting attitudes." We must not give up or give in!
It's about time we took it back from the MAGAts. I've been thinking about how to phrase "...preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. That is too many words for a sign.
900 plus pages of a coup. Court's of Appeal willing to put their license and reputations on the line for semantics of individual words instead of whole actions that rhe world is seeing. If you think it's "too late", you're avoiding the small itches on your spine telling you that you have to move -we can't Peloton our democracy.
I’ll be at the rally with my sugn in Saturday. Also, I’ve hand-written and mailed over 5,000 GOTV postcards in the last two years, at my own expense with well-organized groups. Not sitting on my hands, but I don’t expect it to do any good. Trump will fund-raise off the Padilla incident, and Congress, the only entity thst could stop this catastrophe, won’t.
Rex, watch Heather's video from today. If we just wring our hands together and say it's too late so we don't do anything, than it will be too late! Act!
I could not find the whole chat listed on Youtube but here is the short that explains what everyone can do and why it's important to do it now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K7nYu9LCOI
Its not clear these were any sort of law enforcement officers. The reports said "security men" or something like that. Ie, Noem's personal bodyguards. Who knows what their status is. Clearly, Padilla was not invited to her press conference. It was probably by invitation only. An information war event. In a federal office building. In an office she took over. And from which she laid claim to the right to exclude a United States Senator, and not merely that, one from the jurisdiction in question, and moreover, one who sits on the committee with oversight for her department. The ranking member in fact. Muscled out, pushed to the floor, and handcuffed by her bodyguards.
This will not go well. As Heather notes, it is part of a trend towards rising hostilities towards Democrat controlled states, local governments, and aggressive behavior towards their government officials. Increasingly Homeland Security has become a law unto itself under Noem. In this press conference, Noem declared that she has arrived to liberate southern California and to assume it's governance. And assaulting a United States Senator provided her with the opportunity to demonstrate her power and resolve. She is apparently that crazy. These are not playground theatrics. These people are deadly serious. Trump is. There bare intent on gaining all the power they can over the lives of others. And toward that end are determined to make America run critical.
Curiously, they seem to senve of being invulnerable and can do anything they want without fear of consequences. Perhaps that follows from Trump's record thus far
Yeh JennSH. Don't ask for their credentials. They have the guns and they'll just call for 'back-up'..., resist and you'll quickly be zip-tied, bundled off into a van, taken to a "temporary" holding facility. Knowing your "rights" is important. You can think about them as you board that contract aircraft in your new jump-suit headed for Tim-buc-tu. We're definitely going to need our own back-up to get out of this mess.
Rex, watching the video of the whole incident with Senator Padilla, those so called officers looked like very young uneducated men who like mike (bobble head) johnson are just pons to the orange face!
Rex, maybe google the Democrat "Return to Normalcy" get-to-gether in WA DC. You might see where we 'have a problem'. I think. It was kinda confusing though.
Trump is the GOP crash test dummy for how fast they can accelerate the coup, declare martial law, stop the midterm elections, and institute their ChristoFascist state.
What you posted lin, it's reality in a nut shell. I'v been posting similar
for weeks and I think what's happening in California it's just a dry run to see what's happens and perfect the coup to be ready before the next election. Texas and Missouri are taking their practice very seriously by announcing plans to deploy thousands of troops well ahead of time . We are being told , not in uncertain terms, if they just smell the possibility of loosing this coming election, we'll wont have one, they'll find a reason and if not they'll create an incident to declare the insurrection act or martial law. Keep posting lin.
What a paradox Sharon. We are talking about the 4th economy in the world and their leaders are being accused of being communist...and a lot of voters believe that ....go figure. Thanks for your comment
They've been floating "test balloons" over everything going back to OiD's first term. This is just pattern acceleration. Furthermore, in how many of these 'snatch and grabs' of people, been carried out by clearly badged law enforcement officers with credentials ? Also, they're masked ? Who's really behind the masks; Do we know ? I have a whole lot of questions. Have scoundrels been deputized ?
Help me out Russell, it was my dyslexia acting up at 3:30 am or was what the scumbag president told reporters and posted in HCR letter totally incomprehensible? Sometimes I have to read statements more than once to make sense of them but this time it's like a totally impossible to resolve riddle. Going back to bed.
They're suddenly facing the reality of trying to deport the people keeping things running in the farm, hospitality and construction industries. Wonder what will happen to the economy if they succeed in their mission.
And remember that Trump employs immigrant workers at Mar A Lago and probably at his other properties and probably does not know their immigration status. His policies could impact his own bottom line. Seem perhaps to be waking up to that fact. Also he is harming farmers in red states, who make up some of his base.
Carol S. Follow the money—I’d bet that management at 4547’s resorts have called him complaining that their workers haven’t shown up for work. “But I didn’t vote for that!”
For folks interested in the history of migrant labor look up the children’s author Lois Lenski. She focused on migrant families across the farming states. Also look into the Wobblies. Part of the labor movement. Mother Jones as well. James Agee and Gordon Parks did a book Inn Praise of Famous Men on white sharecroppers also both men and the book helpful in understanding how we got to this point.
His own bottom line is fatter than ever. All the bribery and grift is paying off bigly. As for the workers at his properties, who is going to touch them? If you're an immigrant who needs a job, the safest place in the world for you is working for the current US president. I do wonder about the pay scale, benefits, and working conditions...
Ever walked into an assisted living home or been around any home health aids?
Cuts to Medicaid and deporting illegals will make mom or dads care cost you about 50k a month to staff with American workers and get no federal aid to defer costs.
The entire New Deal and anything positive that helped all people, they hate. If everyone was plugging along happily able to find a great stable job with benefits, able to afford everything without being bankrupted because someone hits you with their car or you come down with polio……Welcome back, polio, we missed you…shout RFKiller Jr.
We needed Jobs programs for the young able bodied, SS so the elderly weren homeless eating out of garbage cans. We had to have Medicare because no insurers would cover the elderly or anyone with a preexisting co diction. We needed insurance for jobs where it was privately offered. We didn’t just decide to create meat inspectors. We needed it because people were getting poisoned.
This is a greedy, selfish regime who hates the poor and anyone who doesn’t agree with them. Which is combined, almost the entire country. They hate our country as it exists which is why they want to overthrow it. So far, it looks like they haven’t the slightest clue how to run it. To cover their incompetence and bat shit crazy ideas that don’t even remotely fit into REAL LIFE, they lie constantly. Even when we are watching video of it. They flood the zone with stories to outrage us and pay attention to how they “answer” questions. They just say words in sing singing contests and speak that strewn together make absolutely no sense.
Bravo, Marcus--but I have one point to nit-pik with you: you say it will cost $50K to house the old folks in a home? I say WILL THERE BE A HOME TO HOUSE THEM?
After her third stroke, my m.i.l. was on a feeding tube, and could not walk. She had no money. IF not for Medicaid, I shudder at what would have happened. I imagine I'd have had to quit work to give round the clock care to her in our home. And we needed my salary to pay for our kids college, and to replenish our OWN retirement savings as the 2008 economic downturn left my husband out of work for 2 years. We might have lost our house, too, but we hung on and prospered.
I am 100% convinced that it will take major family emergencies to make MAGA people wake up--and still, some will not.
College? Republicans think your kids should be working in the fields and processing plants, cleaning up after them at their ritzy resorts. No education for them.
The sad part is that anyone thinks it’s acceptable to use the migrant labor and pay them slave wages. If it costs so much more to use citizens because they need money to live how do we justify not paying enough money to people who want to become citizens? People who are desperate for money to survive are more likely to commit crimes.
The end of our food source. They raided a processing plant and that plant was down to 20% productivity. Even the brown people who are citizens won’t go to work for fear of being disappeared.
Cameron.., don't you see his tactics. He will turn this on it's head and convince these peaceful-people that his HSA ICE team is protecting them from their Cartel-Conspirators. Next thing you know they'll be voting for him, just like they did down in Texas. How many times must we fall for this? Bait and switch, basic as it gets. "T"umblespeak.., works every time.
Another TACO moment….hope he keeps repeating those back and forth so, at least, some of his voters finally realize how empty this guy is. Thanks for your reply.
The whole administration has gone nuts. Yesterday, Hegseth suggested to reporters that he had contingency plans for invading Canada and Greenland. This is a guy who doesn't have a contingency plan for staffing his own office. Kristi Noem told some outrageous lies about why Senator Padilla was bundled out of her press conference ('he made sudden movements consistent with the release of a million killer bees so the agents had no option but to do a George Floyd on him'). Alina Habba is already in so-ooo much trouble for doing the same thing to representative McIver. A judge has ordered Trump to return the National Guard to the governor of California so that they can be fed and to top it all off, his pals Vladimir and Bibi have gone apeshit on his peace negotiations. Is it any wonder he's discombobulated?
But the court changed the date to return control of the National Guard to the 17th - AFTER the NO KINGS day gatherings. What will the troops do when ordered to fire on people peacefully assembling? It's a total set up for civil war and I hope the LOYAL military is ready with a plan. LAPD is also way out of control so they'll be no help.
That's the 9th Circuit Appeals court with its two Trump nominees. They declined to explain their decision in spite of the lower court's emphatic objections to what the administration was doing.
Hi Russell, regarding contingency plans to invade, I think the Pentagos has plans for everything and “ Heggshell” has nothing to do with anything other than kissing the scumbag president ring everything he moves his hand.
As the good professor says frequently in her Politics Chat videos, Trump is cognitively declining. I saw this first hand in my late brother. Watch for his vocabulary to decrease even more than it has now, and it can happen terrifyingly rapidly.
Miselle, my wife always says the our grandson now 9 but since he was much younger, had a vocabulary more extensive than the scumbag president. Thanks for your comment 👍
I saw an article yesterday that it looks like he’s wearing a leg brace for his drop foot from the dementia. His base claims that bulge under his pant leg is just wrinkles. They will lie about anything.
Yes, I forgot about that. Do you need a catheter if you’re wearing a diaper? I wonder if they’ll give him a colostomy bag next so he doesn’t make such a stink in his diaper. I hear he puts off an awful odor.
He has installed sycophants, and we have miller so the plans will continue. 🤞if he goes away (😉) R leaders will suddenly find a spine and a soul; but I’m not sure based on what we’re seeing.
Ricardo, I don't read Heather's Letters until morning. I was fresh and alert, and still struggled to make sense of the quotation ... and I struggle to make sense of any other transcripts of his remarks.
However, the gibberish looked familiar to me. My 92-year-old mother is now in full-time care, as she struggles with dementia. Her care staff helps her call me when she's having a "good day." During those calls, she talks and talks. To her, there is no difference between something that happened today and something that happened 80 years ago, or something that happened in her imagination. Occasionally, her aphasia is worse, and her speech is unintelligible mush.
Donald's speech sounds exactly the same. Nonsense, with occasional aphasia.
Sorry Dale for what you and your family is going through. And if that wasn't enough, you have to witness the rapid mental decline of the scumbag president that it's very consequential since what's coming after him its worse, namely, J D Vance. Thanks for your reply 👍
Thank you, Ricardo. "Rapid" is a key word! Last Christmas, Mom was at home taking care of herself. Her memory was good and she managed all the activities of daily living. Occasionally, she couldn't remember a word she was searching for, not unlike all of us.
Six months later, she is in Stage 5 of the seven stages of dementia. At Stage 7, the patient is non-communicative and unable to do anything without help, in effect, a vegetable.
Scumbag seems to be taking a little longer to advance through the stages, but he will get there. When he's incapacitated, we have the scourge of JD Vance to look forward to.
That's a real problem Dale. At least with the scumbag bag president, we know it's a TACO and eventually he would reverse many of the disastrous policies for one reason or another. Vance is being controlled by Peter Thiel, a total fascist and super intelligent. Compare how, from the shadows, he is absolutely influencing the way the regime operate against not so intelligent Musk that got in serious financial problems compromising the future of his companies just by being a showman. Trump its the lesser disaster from whom we can survive and start anew. Thanks Dale.
Yo Richard.., it's just the same kind of "T"umblespeak we've been getting all along. Like the little twerp in the WH briefing room insinuating that you and I want to keep criminals in our country and a let more in. Being talked down-to by some cross-sporting gold-digger who wouldn't now if she'd been bored or punched (an old hot-rodder term).
The farmers are their voters and I’m sure Trump employs plenty of the criminal immigrants he’s crying about but wouldn’t pay for citizens because he’s too cheap.
They don't seem to care at all about anything. Meanwhile, Trump has gone into one of his tailspins over farmers, so while Stephen Miller is screaming at ICE for not detaining and deporting everyone in sight, someone has reminded Trump that if they start abducting people from farms then crops won't be harvested, prices will rise, inflation will go up, unemployment will go up and then he's actually fucked himself - again.
Which people have literally been saying all along.
Companies love illegals. They can underpay them, treat them like garbage and they can’t go to the authorities because they have illegal status.
It was like talking to a wall. Um immigration is not as easy as “rounding up all the “brown and black skinned”” Apparently white South Africans and white pedophile brothers from England are fine here.
Americans typically won’t work for that kind of money doing that kind of labor. Owners don’t want to deal with the headache of Americans demanding higher wages and safer work environments because it takes money from their profits.
This is what happens when you vote on lies.you get fascism….that has FINALLY gotten to American citizens. We are only six months in and Americans are seeing THEIR rights trampled. It was fine when everyone thought it wasn’t going to happen to THEM. They didn’t care about their fellow citizens rights being infringed (such patriots!). But NOW that THEY are being effected, they’re crybaby ing for reprieve they should never have had to beg or PAY for. We are all being extorted for protection money and loyalty pledges to a bunch of racist, know nothings who have no clue how to govern anything.
I also think they are robbing states, industries and people of their value…..things they have accumulated. These are very jealous, envious greedy people who don’t seem to have build much. The states they run do not have as much wealth, health or successes in education as the “”failing” Blue States whose incomes and innovation generated they rely on.
Trump hired a team of legal bozos so he’s extorting law firms with the best and brightest who don’t work for the government to do the legal work for the likes of Bondi for the coal industry.
I think we are going to see a lot more of our government walking in and simply taking the value in this country for themselves.
We must replay Vance’s words over and over for clarity. He said they NEED to take by force institutions because their own ideas have been rejected time and again. They aren’t going after FAILED institutions to steal. They are going after and taking by coup our Crown Jewels in education, law, muscle, entertainment….LA is still the entertainment capital of the world, and media to trick people into believing this has something to Do with love of country, not simple greed.
The only thing they seem good at is Wizard of Oz like fakery. What do they actually created of value or generate? Fake money in crypto that is so useless it needs to be tied to the dollar in order for any REAL investor to bite. Vitamins they sell on podcasts that do about the same as for health as candy cigarettes do for causing cancer. Uselssshuge seller I MAGA circles. Snake oil v medicines like statins and chemo.
On what planet would Mike Johnson be considered to lead anything?
Their goal is to control things they couldn’t build themselves. Nobody was stopping liberty university to churn out the brain power of Harvard except the inept people running it whose whole reason fro wealth and power was spiritual Ponzi scheme where their word replaced the word of God. Where their private jets and pool boys were what Jesus really meant when he said to administer to the sick and feed the poor.
Starting with the top, most respected successful jewels of our nation, they want to trickle down to the masses a sense of greed, corruption and willful ignorance to be just like THEM and that way we won’t notice our decline and suddenly they’ll revenge their real gripe…..People Do look down on them. They do think they are idiots. They do think they have no class and are unserious. Why? Because they have shown us for decades and been met with rejection. Not all. I used to respect the hell out of a lot of GoP politicians. And they did to them what they are now doing to Harvar, CA, SCOTUS……made them adhere to a bunch of thuggish dioshits.
I say hit them where it hurts…..stop all unnecessary shopping. IGNORE them. And when you are forced to engage, hit them with facts, laugh at them when they give a word salad non answer. I wish word could go out to simply stay home tomorrow. Innocent people are most likely going to be hurt. We have other protests tools in 2025 than taking to the streets. We could use social media for good for once and coordinate an effort that will not get people shot and not instill martial law. That’s their goal. I fear so many people in the country are handing them their last human rights on a silver platter.
It seems to me (armchair lawyer) that by selecting some undocumented workers to stay and many to go, based on his declaration they are, after all, needed, he has undercut his own position.
Local ABC stations in Southern California broadcast film of ICE agents on Thursday at 6 AM raiding a strawberry field in Oxnard, CA.
ICE chased 3 strawberry field pickers down a row of unpicked strawberries. Video is widely available The United Farmworkers Foundation condemned Trump's "campaign of fear".
FYI folks, Ventura County does bout 2 billion, $2,000.000,000 of Ag business a year. That's a lot of strawberries & other food that bad childhood, worse teenage years, Santa Monica brat Steve Miller is not going to pick.
What an image. A whole team of ICE surround by National Guard and Marines to protect them running after 3 farm workers because we know they are violent criminals. If I were a cartoonist.
45 years ago we had a neighbor who had been a migrant strawberry picker before some creative job applications and very quick learning put her on a path to becoming a tech trainer and eventual executive secretary to the president of one of the mini-Bells (that eventually became Qwest, IIRC) after Judge Harold Greene broke up AT&T.
Amazing what some strawberry pickers can do if you just give them a chance. I didn't get a fraction as far, being a relatively privileged White 14 year old that started out picking tobacco in the same area as MLK, Jr., and Calvin Coolidge, Jr.
NPR just announced that ICE goon squads are being deployed to agricultural regions in California to do exactly what the Felon in Chief claimed they would not do. And I know that they are rounding up agricultural workers in western Kansas, which is becoming a majority Latinx-population region.
Anything to wrest control of California from the hands of the woke, radical Democrats. Just like when he would only release money for fires after he was convinced the people affected voted for him, he’s now going after the farmers who most like vote overwhelmingly for Republicans.
It remains to be seen whether Trump's garbled statement about farmers will be interpreted as an injunction by Miller, Noem and Homan. I think he also mentioned the hospitality industry which is also heavily dependent on migrant labour.
I agree with you, Russell. By all appearances, Donald isn't really in charge. His handlers push him in front of the cameras to speechify or sign unconstitutional executive orders, and they help him tap out bleats on social media. But mostly, they let him go out and cheat at golf while Miller and Vought continue to run the Executive Branch the way they want to.
Yup, Russell, I’ve been trying to figure out Trump’s “worker shortage” solution. Lemme see now….which part of the military could Trump use to replace the Farmers that we are losing? I mean Trumpie says that “those jobs being almost impossible to replace,” but the U.S. Army and the Marines could do that work, right? I mean, they got shovels and dig foxholes, right? AND, Hotel and Leisure….??? How about the Air Force and the Navy and the Coast Guard? I mean, they know what it’s like to be flying around and cruising around and then get back to bed at a Barracks and grab a bite at the Mess Hall.
Hmmmmm….what do we do with the Space Force? Space is ‘way too vast to….?? Maybe Trump should ask Mike Pence about the most strategic use of “his” branch of the U.S. military.
Wait! Wait! Did I just hear Horny Hegseth telling Trump that the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines can’t be used as Field Hands or Cow Milkers or Manure Pile Monitors Hay Makers or Bellboys or Busboys or Sheet Changers or Toilet Cleaners, etc.!! We need our Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines to help the FBI and ICE and the SS to push around Question Asking Senators and Question Asking Reporters, etc. Maybe the Coast Guard and the Space Force could replace those “impossible to replace” workers??? I dunno.
And it’s a pretty thin line of republican support. It could break if three to four cowards on the R side start to realize their political careers depend on being on the right side of history.
When Trump attended a performance of Les Mis yesterday he was asked whether he best identified with Jean Valjean or with Javert and he replied that that was a "tough question". He claims to love the musical and to have seen it several times but did he still not realise that Valjean is the good guy and Javert the bad guy?
Stephen Miller's wife, Katie, has a reputation of being as abrasive as he is. Bride of Dracula?
When he doesn't really understand the question. How could he sit through this performance and not understand what the story was about? Do you remember his answers to questions about the bible?
I can see how he wouldn’t understand the story. How much of it did he sleep through? Is he capable of following the songs and understanding their meanings? He has no real concept of history, no real education and refuses to even listen to his briefings.
I think since he appointed himself chair of the Center he probably felt obligated to put in an appearance just as a display of power. In his first term, he regularly refused to attend its annual honours ceremony. His appointmnet has been formally confirmed by the board of trustees after he had re-populated it with his allies. It now includes the attorney general Pam Bondi, lobbyist Brian Ballard and singer Lee Greenwood, adviser Dan Scavino, his current chief of staff Susie Wiles, Wiles's mother, Pamela Gross, who is a former adviser to Melania Trump and the wives of VP J.D. Vance and commerce secretary, Howard Lutnik.
You're right about Trump's disdain for history. At Fort Bragg the other day he justified his decision to have his military parade tomorrow by claiming that the US had won World War I after being attacked by the Japanese.
As what you say holds true, nothing IS as it WAS -- NOW our brains, relationships, foundations, work lives, sources of 'truth' are in an accelerated state of adaptation to a sane washed stream of events that our minds can barely fathom. OK I'm projecting based on the state of MY mind, but in the absence of moral guidance from a Wise President, We the People NEED to root and center and show up like never before. (As Palantir works its black magic with data about each of us).
I'm sure I don't know as much about the history as you, but I've been partial to comparing Stephen Miller to Reinhard Heydrich (whom Hitler described as the man with the iron heart per Wikipedia), for his early involvement in planning and I think the superior that assigned the evil tasks to Eichmann.
The Republican politicians' response to the Padilla fiasco: "While Democratic senators and representatives are outraged, they are having little success getting their Republican colleagues to join them." The takeaway? The crisis is real, tangible and present. The Republican politicians are complicit. My 90-year old brother and I are participating in the No Kings protest here in San Angelo, TX tomorrow, carrying signs.
San Angelo is in Tom Green County. Tom Green was a general in the Confederate army. My great-great uncle, William Depriest Sutherland, age 18, died at the Alamo on March 6, 1836. I have petitioned to have the name changed to Sutherland County.
I believe one of my uncles was assigned there while I was stationed at Randolph. Because of his field, we could never talk much about what he did and little on where he was stationed, other than the huge amount of time he spent TDY in SEA, so much that it took an act of Congress to get them pay for leave in excess of the 60 day limit most were allowed to accrue. They were considered too essential to be granted leave before they started losing it due to the limit.
Yeah, Speaker Mikey Mouse; dweeb extraordinaire. Well said, Phil. Though highly unlikely, if Trump's term is to be truncated through assassination or military coup, it could occur this week-end. The big problem, outside of the violence, is that Vance is worse.🫣
They are wasting no time. Implementation of their plan is accelerating at high speed.
I continue to hear from various courts. There seems to be zero recognition of that from the Administration. There appears to be zero effective resulting action from the courts.
Congress is hamstrung by parrots. A situation that remains constant.
We are at the beginning of a very long, arduous and fraught journey.
I describe this far too lightly because I’m at a loss.
I’m guessing they didn’t think he needed to be followed into a press conference by a member of the administration because surely he should have been safe in a pre-vetted room in a protected federal building.
Indeed, who could imagine a Senator needing protection everywhere within that building ?
It was rather disgusting to see FBI, Border Patrol, and other LEO, standing around watching while doing nothing we could see to stop it. I watched the whole 36+ minutes and they didn't seem to do anything during the 18 minutes or so after the incident at 8 or 9 minutes into the briefing
Just watched HCRs video “What happened to Senator Padilla today” on YouTube and checked what Noem said about the socialist and burdensome government of LA and California. Here is the link above— 7 minutes in on PBS.
If you think those tanks and soldiers are in DC for a parade, think again!
I especially liked seeing Kristi Noem being upset about officers being doxed (at 7:58 in), and MASKED protestors throwing things at police officers at 8:47 into the 36 minute briefing.
I know who seemed to start the doxing against Poll Workers and so many other government officials. Every single doxer, from either side needs to face the legal consequences and/or civil law suits. It is unacceptable from either side.
A mystery to me is the lack of a transcript I usually expect to see, at least in rough generated form. Without a transcript, it is harder for me to find out exactly what was said and when. I have to resort to finding what I need to play, at as slow a speed as required, to clarify exactly what was said despite my bad ears.
The lack of a transcript reminds me that Trump pulled the transcripts of his Arlington and West Point Speeches. To me they should be required official and accessible records, and I'd like to see neutral interviews of representative portions of the audiences to see if they were hand selected or filtered, for deceptive reasons.
Let’s not forget that Barbie shot her 14 month old dog. How sick. What kind of person does that? She disgusts me, but I’m betting that if she weighed 30-40 more pounds, Trump wouldn’t have given her a second look. Same with the other Barbies in his administration. He’s a pig.
How can you [we] soar with the EAGLES if you're [we're] walking around with "jive turkeys"...and now - again - the EAGLES are experiencing the attempt at trying to be led by the leader of the "jive turkeys" and his fellow despicable flock!
The videos of the January 6 riots show a whole lot of lunging by people eager to overthrow our democratically elected government. Noem is projecting again when she accuses Padilla of lunging at her. Make your sign now for your local No Kings rally on Saturday!
Not saying there are Jan 6 "convicted by due process, but pardoned," in ICE, but do find it a bit curious that such violators of the Constitution have at least started wearing masks (and I believe leaving out name patches), to make it harder to identify them.
I remember Mike Johnson wanting to reveal all the Jan 6 video and doing so until he realized so many more of the Jan 6 unmasked offenders were able to be identified.
Kristi Noem should be wearing a mask, too, every time she violates the Constitution.
Hi Jim, We need to identify ice individuals. They could be your neighbors…. De mask them, & publicize WHO THEY ARE in communities. They try to hide. No, they hide their identities.
on purpose. We need to get ahead of this gang of white nationalist thugs.
On another matter of political burlesque, did y'all see any of the 'Oversight' hearing of three Democratic Governors? Comer packed the dais with belligerent boobs featuring high-decibel hissey fits, often targeting Governor Walz.🤬
Perhaps, M.A.G.A. feels threatened by Governor Gipper. And these are the hacks who doth protest too much about Democratic politicians 'weaponizing government. A political performance art, the hearing was grotesque and brutal. 😳
As an erstwhile Republican and confused conservative, I am disgusted by this behavior by thugs and this mob-violence, on a verbal level, in a Committee hearing.🖕
We need to send ill-dootch-bag and his craven Congressional quislings packing if we are to avoid a civil war. I am ready; I will not last long, but I will fight. Yet Vance is even worse.⚖️
That would have been perfect. I am sure that the Governor was flummoxed.🙄
Who would not have been?😳
The I.C.E. people -- ¿infiltrated by pardoned mobsters from 06jan21? -- wear balaclavas, often do not wear uniforms; there seem to be no identifying patches when they do.🤬🖕😱
Sounds a lot like the Gestapo to me. 🤢
Good for Representative Lynch and Governor Walz for calling them out for what they are and how they act.💡✌🏼⚖️
I wondered the same thing. I believe he and Miller spent the last few years searching for the perfect “partners in crime”…They are all really “messed up” people…but this couldn’t happen without them.
I’ll go one step further: Hitch a ride, get a cab (not Uber!), crawl on your hands and knees if you have to but get to a rally in your town to demonstrate that We the People will not be subjected to this criminal administration. Be on the right side of history when your grandchildren ask you what you were doing when the coup was overthrown.
My husband and I are Californians. We met 55 years ago in Washington, DC after he got out of fighting in the Vietnam war. This day was really shitty with Sen. Padilla forcibly being removed from Noem’s lying press conference. I called his office and acknowledged what he tried to do and how appalling it was for us to see him manhandled by Noem’s goons. I don’t care if he was not arrested. He was accosted! Imagine if you were not white as many here are not and you are hauled off like that. These draconian actions are happening and people are rightfully scared. I am, for my fellow man/woman/children. What can you do about it? Call your Congressional reps are demand they come to LA and stand arm-in-arm to show solidarity. CALL them. WRITE to them. Do Not turn your head and say you can’t do anything because, yes, you can and you should. If nothing else, find the biggest event of your lifetime, NO KINGS DAY this Saturday, and peacefully protest. Make this your goal! In the meantime, in spite of this crappy day with Netanyahu now going after Iran, my husband and I celebrated our 49th anniversary. We pigged out on the Cheesecake Factory’s cheesecakes!
I don’t care if he was not arrested. He was accosted!
Accosted, assaulted and defamed. This is the party from which an official yelled "You lie" during Obama's state of the Union. MAGA is trying to make bullying cool again.
I left a message of support with Senator Padilla’s SF office as well. I wish I could find a word stronger than appalling. (Well, there is and it begins with f.)
Oh Marlene, the F word has been an adverb, adjective, noun, verb, conjugation, participle and any other part of grammar I may have forgotten for the last 10 years.
I worked with a guy who used that word as every single particle of speech; he LOVED it when I essentially read that to him at one point. There is a coffee mug out there that illustrates this, but I cannot find a link.
I didn’t think of calling but I was following the news right up until we got evacuation orders for a fire behind us. Then I had to coral cats and load my car. Thankfully they stopped it at 44 acres. It was windy.
During the time I have been an HCR subscriber, I have greatly enjoyed the off and on interactions via our collective comments with so many people, you definitely near the top of the list. Cheesecake away, my friend!
I will be in downtown L.A. on Saturday marching, agitating and making good trouble, doing my small part to demand that America be America again, and not the Amerika that Trump, Canine Killer Kristi and the rest of his goons want us to be.
Thank you for your wonderful words about the truly ghastly and game changing assault on Senator Padilla, and until next time,
Awwww…thank you, Daniel! Good for you that you’ll be in the heart of CA protesting! I will do the same in the Bay Area. May we all, throughout the country and the world, stand up straight against the fascist tyranny!!
When we call and write to our Members of Congress, we can relay HCR's insight that the emphasis belongs on Noem's statement about using the military to take over for the elected governor and mayor--which is a coup. Noem's statement prompted Sen. Padilla to respond, and then got overshadowed by the security guys' assault and handcuffing Sen. Padilla. The enactment of the Trump regime's planning since February to use ICE detentions to trigger civil unrest, thus engineering the excuse to bring in the military as the overruling force of the federal government, is a bigger issue than the conduct of the few individuals involved in the assault of Sen. Padilla--as serious as that is.
The Trump regime's coup move against California is the first domino of 50. So get your members of Congress, governor, and attorney general to stand up to the MAGA agenda manifested in their Big Bad Budget Bill for Billionaires (which increases the budget for the military and DHS/ICE at the expense of Social Security, healthcare, and much more) and not let your state's domino fall. Republican electeds particularly have to hear the voices of their constituents, and the Democrat electeds have to get louder, more creative, and persuasive.
Then talk it up among your friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, because chances are that many of them belong to the Did Not Vote Party, and getting them to vote for Democrats is where we move the needle to keep our democracy!
Marlene, thank you for reminding us of what we can do about it, and Happy Anniversary!
Over on the Bulwark's Substack last night I made the point that Noem's 'remarks' bear careful scrutiny: they are filled with erroneous assertions and claims and labels that will not stand up under scrutiny. She showed herself glib, ice cold, bristling in her rectitude , once again a chilling sycophant to her "dear leader" before whom she abjectly grovels, a cold soul if there ever was one.
Happy Anniversary and I totally agree. We must all take to the streets, call our representatives and senators and demand that they do something to stop this insanity. Unfortunately, our representative is the ass kisser Bill Huizenga so I already know he will push through the line to kiss the ring!
Meanwhile, Trump continues to fuck over Ukraine refusing to put sanctions on his best buddy Putin. Every hour of every day, he ignores his oath to "WE THE PEOPLE" as do all of his Fascist sadistic hateful underlings.
THERE IS NO MORE REPUBLICAN PARTY. THEY ARE ALL FASCIST NAZIS.
Thank you for reminder to call his office in support, Marlene! I’ve been so horrified and furious at the treatment of him, and by extension, my beloved home state, that I’ve been in angry sputtering tears all afternoon. Make no mistake, there is a strong undercurrent of racism in the Senator’s treatment here. Calling and offering my pride and support for him should have been my first reaction. Off to call! AND happy anniversary!
Thank you, Cary! Oh yes, undercurrent might be the word you are using but blatant is mine. It’s awful and like Padilla tearfully said, every one of us is subject to this kind of treatment.It’s fascism
To be fair, Bezos is still subsidizing The Washington Post which is still reporting news accurately. Let's include the right tech bros in your comment -- Peter Thiel who owns Palantir, David Sacks who's the Trump Administration's crypto and AI czar, Marc Andreessen who unforrunately is still a major investor in Substack, Brian Armstrong who's the CEO of Coinbase. Read San Francisco journalist Gil Duran's The Nerd Reich at thenerdreich.com for a more accurate and complete picture of the tech bro players involved. And, let's not forget their "philosopher" Curtis Yarvin.
The Post is NOT reporting news accurately or fairly. It virtually hides key articles about Trump at the bottom of pages. When it reports his words, it cleans them up -- it never cites his Social Disease rants. Not one word of Trump's disgusting speech at Ft Bragg could be found (even as the New York Times devoted a long article explaining the caddish behavior and the renaming of 9 Army bases). Headlines are written by apparent 11-year-olds so inept and unprofessional in what they do as to turn serious articles by serious journalists into mincemeat. Every day the paper moves toward some e-version of The National Enquirer. Serious journalists and editors have fled it like rats off a ship. Its comment system has been reduced to a Bezos-chosen AI-nanny bot system which benefits only Bezos, not its readers.
Those of us still subscribing to it, but holding our noses find it very difficult to continue supporting it at all, even with reduced subscription prices.
I just canceled my subscription to WaPo after reading the latest editorial. There are still people there I trust and respect but, it is getting very thin.
I noted yesterday a very right slanted article. Will mot read them again! Shame. They do have some great reporters. I am afraid they have their days counted.
I'll admit I don't read all of WaPo daily, partly because I've got a digital subscription but also because I don't have time. I do read the headlines I get on my phone and do the same for the NY Times. I'm aware that the news reporting functions separately from the editorial and op ed pages for both newspapers. I get most of my news from @heathercoxrichardson"s daily "Letters from an American," @GilDuran, who writes thenerdreich.com and theframelab.org, as well as select Substack content creators (@AaronParnas is great when you don't have time) + podcasts. I've known for years all publications have a bias -- e.g., The New York Times has never covered the Middle East situation w/out its bias (former NY Times Middle East bureau chief Chris Hedges does a great job w/ that if you can handle reading what he writes on a daily basis) -- and use my media literacy skills accordingly.
I just added some who aren't as visible publicly. Unfortunately, one of them is Marc Andreessen whose investment is responsible for the startup of this platform and is still a big investor in it. As I recall, @Heather Cox Richardson began writing these on Facebook and, as her large following developed quickly, Substack reached out to her while she was searching for tech to do what it can do in terms of volume.
My reply added some who were missing. Please take the time to check out San Francisco journalist and former CA Dem staffer #GilDurán's #TheNerdReich at thenerdreich.com. #HeatherCoxRichardson reads that daily and recently hosted him for a conversation via video on her platform for good reasons. Mainstream media hasn't done enough to get the word out. He's reporting a very important story! There's a link to that video on her Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Absurd indeed. What this country has come to is the place it has been heading since Reagan used the white supremacist beliefs of a majority of white Americans to convince 70% of the white working class to abandon their unions and vote for union busters.
Speaking of absurd, here in Baghdad By the Sea, Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader from Miami who Trump pardoned for his participation in the Jan. 6 attack, wants citizens to take deporting undocumented immigrants into their own hands. Literally, he has an app for that. Tarrio has announced he will be the “czar” of an independent organization that pays people cryptocurrency for reporting undocumented migrants.
That's so crazy, disorderly and unlawful -- which describes him so well. Then again, that's somewhat like some anti-abortion laws that encourage people to turn in anyone who aids someone to get an abortion and is so extreme that women having miscarriages are facing legal consequences for having done so.
Willing no, enthusiastically in favor of. Fascists gonna fascist. They don't give a damn about the US, they are Republicans. Its all power and corruption and overthrowing democracy for authoritarianism in support of an illiterate fraud.
These frogs have been marinating in the far right's slowly-boiling pot for 65 years, going back to Goldwater (an upstanding decent man in comparison to today's scum). Most of the Big Gargoyles today got their start as Little Gargoyles working for that Fount of all Evil, Richard Motherfucker Nixon. This fascist revolution has been brewing a long time. Back to 1868 when they first tore the mask off of being "Lincoln Republicans."
Contact your GOP senators; even if they choose to keep their cowardly mouths shut about Senator Padilla’s despicable treatment, they need to hear that we’re watching.
Here is the email that I sent to GOP senators Grassley and Ernst. Feel free to copy or adapt, if desired. (Note, I do mention Iowa, specifically, in paragraph 2).
Senator, I implore you to speak out loudly that you abhor the treatment of Senator Padilla after he attempted to ask a question of Kristi Noem at a public press conference on June 12.
Senator Padilla has the duty and obligation to query the federal government’s activities in his home state. Constituents in California have the right to expect their Senator to know everything about the military presence on their own streets. I can only hope that you, too, would ask questions if the president were to send the military—uninvited— to Iowa after a couple hundred people protested in a largely peaceful manner (yes, even if a few cars were to be illegally set on fire by un-named persons).
The manhandling of Senator Padilla is inexcusable. Please, let this be a democratic norm that you will not tolerate the president to cross. Condemn this and demand that such an outrage will never again be allowed.
“Why is the military tolerating this?” I ask myself this almost every day. How do they obey an illegal order, don’t they realize the next one could take aim at their family, friends, neighbors? The courts and the military must honor their oaths and when they fail to do so, they must be immediately, publicly, loudly, consistently reminded by WE THE PEOPLE.
I found the interview Senator Padilla gave to NBC News after the horrible incident with DHS Secretary Noem's goon squad. Link below. The key point for me is... he was escorted into the press conference by the people he was there with for a previously scheduled briefing ... a briefly that did not take place once the people he was with learned Noem was just down the hall having this press conference. He did not "barge into the room and lunge at her". He says he sat in the back and listened to her... and when she talked about "freeing the people of Los Angeles from the Democratic leadership of the governor and mayor" (I'm paraphrasing), he could listen no more, stood up, said he had a question and was immediately forcibly removed from the room.
The idea that a sitting US Senator in his own state the Homeland Security is "visiting" -- the same state erupting in angry demonstrations her very actions are causing -- two doors down from him, and NOT give his office a courtesy notification, and then claim she was there to "liberate" California from the "socialists" and "insurrectionists" and "rebellions" in the name of the People of Los Angeles and of California (whom she does not even represent) is the first outrage, with the others following.
Even had she been too drunk with pissiness and too memory-impaired to remember who the ranking member of the Committee that pays her salary was, somebody on her staff would know. The video makes clear: nobody from her protective posse said one word while he was identifying himself and being grabbed by her goons. The Queen of Spades watched in silence, relieved that she could once again return to the bullshit narrative that made him speak out in the first place.
Thanks for that link. He also did a general press briefing and sat down to talk with Tommy Vietor of Pod Save America.
Can we all just take a moment and appreciate what it must be like to experience such a harrowing event, then immediately to go 1) keep your meeting appointment with Noem, and 2) spend the rest of your day in press interviews? Dude. If it were me, I would be dying for a private spot to go for a run, have a strong drink, and crawl into bed.
Nobody - I MEAN NOBODY - no matter who they think they are, no matter what authority they think they have - should be allowed to assault an elected official. THEY should be arrested and charged appropriately. State and local law enforcement should step up and do so, should this happen again.
This is far beyond the pale of anything I have ever witnessed, and I lived through the tumultuous 60s, etc.
Hmm, it’s late, I cannot sleep, I am old but, just what the hell was Trump talking about in His statements about farmers and hospitality folks ? They love their workers who’ve been with them for decades but Trump is deporting them to protect said farmers? Someone help me understand Trump’s comments. He sounds deranged. He is unhinged.
I suspect some wealthy friend of Trump got in his ear to complain about the lowly workers being deported damaging business. Because those are the only people outside his administration he cares to hear from and it's always like the first time he's ever heard whatever they tell him.
I think it stems from a widely reported raid on an Omaha meat packer. The owner was baffled as his workers were all e-verified. He basically said “I voted for the leopards eating faces party but I never thought they would eat MY face”.
He sees good people on both sides. He acknowledges the importance of the people doing the work and the need to get all the brown people out by saying they are being replaced by bad people he is removing. Perfect sense if you can’t follow a thought to the end. And millions feel he is telling it right because they don’t think either.
The stupid schmuck makes no sense. Those dopes think the tariffs were such a great idea and it absolutely blew up their contemptible faces. Just wait until the migrant workers are so scared that no one will pick crops for fear of ICE goon squads raiding another strawberry field. The idiots are wrecking the economy by terrorizing, deporting and detaining people that are so vital to its functioning. The criminals that should be deported are Trump and his regime...
You are not alone in having a difficult time understanding what he was saying. The man is incapable of expressing a coherent statement yet alone making any sense to anyone who isn’t just another sycophantic idiot who wants to feel blessed by their mighty tyrannical leader whose strings are being pulled by the greatest puppeteer in this nation, Stephen Miller. Please don’t feel confused. He is indeed unhinged. Please join in with the No Kings Day movement in any way possible, as I will be doing. I am limited by some physical issues but I will be in an air conditioned car in a motorcade on Saturday while cheering on the parade in the 105 degree heat of Tucson, Arizona!🤗💙🇺🇸
Trump looks nutsy koo koo and needs to be evaluated for involutary civil commitment. A discussion of his mental state should be the predicate for every tactical policy decision he's been making.
The media should be asking: IS HE NUTS?
According to guys like Trump, my people, i.e. OSHA, were like the Gestapo. He was the poster boy for "employer sanctions" for hiring illegals to work on his job sites. Had to pay fines and make restitution. As a result, he uses temporary foreign workers on his properties to displace Americans.
For some, raids like these have been ongoing since the Clinton administration.
From my perspective, had they wanted to cut off illegal employment, they'd attack employers who hire "under the tabe," paying substandard wages, avoiding liability for workers' compensation, IRS and SS taxes, etc.
Ironically the center of the universe for employers breaking immigration laws are places like Home Depot parking lots.....
Wow. Busy day in the batshit crazy world of Cheetolini . . .
So much flagrant criminality in a single day, and yet another group of judges decides to slow-roll things and hold up a VERY clear (and correct) decision on the guard mobilization. A mobilization that was done with the classic Trumpian incompetence and TOTAL disdain for the troops.
They are not being paid, there are no plans for them to sleep, eat, or use bathrooms. They are sleeping on concrete floors, and unlike when California activated them to help the fire victims and the community was massively supportive, they are getting zero support since they are now mobilized as political puppets and potential storm troops for Pee Wee German's (Stephen Miller) wet dream. . . .
Puppy killer ICE Barbie needs to be held accountable not just for the lies she endlessly spews, but for overseeing a direct attack on a sitting senator. Sadly, the GQP scumwads in congress are such cowardly collaborators, that they can't seem to find the spine (or the brainpower) to speak out. . .
A truly dark day . . . Thank you once again for documenting it. Future historians will appreciate it.
Presumably, after the Breyer ruling yesterday Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass will at least do them the courtesy of feeding them before sending them away.
I tried to submit this to Attorney General Bonta, but there was no appropriate category in the Procrustean list of reasons for contacting him so I sent it to Senator Padilla‘s office:
“ I do not understand why the Attorney General of California cannot issue an arrest warrant for Kristi Noem and the federal agents who assaulted you today.
You presented no physical threat to her, and it is absolutely not credible that she did not know your identity as she continued talking and ignored the assault that was being perpetrated on you under her authority.
This administration continues to commit unlawful violent acts on innocent citizens.
Today they added your name to the list.
Unless they are opposed with force, they will continue to do this and thousands and potentially millions of people will suffer as a result of the forces of the rule of law and democracy fecklessly refusing to oppose them.”
The problem, of course, is that we have insurrectionists on the Supreme Court—actual insurrectionists on the highest court in the land. I live in San Antonio, Texas, and I’ll be going to the protest, despite the governor calling up the National Guard. He will not dissuade me from exercising my constitutional right to dissent.
We must not let this insurrectionist president deter us with threats and fear. Think of what our forefathers sacrificed to give us this nation. Now it’s our time to show up—peacefully, of course—but show up!
Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to your own reps, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing.
Everyone needs to reach out to publicize far and wide that We the People are not fooled by the outrageous lies being broadcast by Noem that Senator Alex Padilla attempted to threaten and assault her!!! The multiple videos out there from different angles in a roomful of reporters reveals her dishonesty and gaslighting!!! A public servant being handcuffed for trying to ask a question, what is happening in this country???! Imagine if one was not a senator... a farmer, field worker, waitress, nurse's aid, construction worker...
I agree. That’s why I started the news tab. I think we might have to shift some calling and writing to push news agencies to share the true reality more. We need to send photos and videos to them in order to push their acknowledgement of honest news that maybe they’re too intimidated (by the administration) to share
The fact Trump has control of the troops in Los Angeles over the weekend of the No Kings Day demonstrations is ominous. The biggest LA rally is planned for downtown, where the Bernie-AOC rally drew 36,000 for LA's biggest demonstration ever, right where all the shit's been going down for the past week. People are expecting more people than were there in April. That was nonviolent and this one will be too, but we can definitely expect some "provocateurs" from the Trumpscum to show up and try to light a match that leads to a not-so-nice LAPD police riot. Having been through all three LAPD riots going back to the first on in Century City 58 years ago, this really has the potential for trouble. I doubt there are 10 people who will be there with my experience of violent demonstrations "back in the day." We need to make certain that nonviolence rules the day. If we can pull off a huge demonstration, at that location, and show that TACO's call for a crackdown has resulted in no heads cracked, that will be a loud argument in court on the 17th. If you see any scumbags, or just 20 year old morons with a bug up their asses, call them out for the provocateurs they are and chase them away - they won't want anything to do with a crowd that has recognized them for what they are. Stick together with your friends and comrades, stay away from the police (unless you're line dancing in front of them like some people did Monday and Tuesday), keep solidarity and show the Trump cowards that you aren't. A coward. We can win this if we show the world we're the ones in charge of what happens.
Thugs. Jackboots. Dummy enforcers of escalating White House criminality.
And look at little man Mike “Howdy Doody” Johnson, who as House Speaker and spineless, cowardly sycophant to the criminal in the White House only grovels all the more – suggesting U.S. Senator from California Alex Padilla ought to be censured for what nitwit Barbie Doll and plastic surgery cutesy lips and clothes-and-cosmetics-horse Kristi Noem had her thugs and jackboots to do him – to all of us.
“No Kings Day” cannot arrive fast enough.
Kings apparently need their Bobbleheads and Barbie Dolls to stay on the throne. Bobblehead Johnson's suggestion that he might introduce a CENSURE motion against Padilla was beneath contempt, because he has no authority over the conduct of a Senator.
Another Barbie Doll from Fox News was on TV yesterday bobbing her own bobblehead up-and-down in sympathy while a scheming Noem gaslighted her viewers -- claiming Padilla "lunged" at her and why, of course, had she only known who he was, she would, of course, have been only too glad to have had a cozy little ❤️-to-❤️ with the respected Senator. Of course. Fox had the same videoclip taken by an astute Padilla aide as everybody else, yet not once did Ms. Bobblehead push back, saying 'I saw the same tape everybody else did, you know.'
The unregulated bullshit flowing out of these people's mouths could fertilize all of California's Central Valley, enriching our vegetables and fruits, which migrants pick to put on our tables. Yet last night, Gavin Newsom rose to the occasion made necessary by this awful moment, right after Judge Breyer gave him back control of his own National Guard. He condemned Trump's cluelessness, his dishonesty, derangements, the gaslighting and arrogance, the bullying and delusional stupidity behind it all. He listed example after example of their cruelty, their idiocy, their upside-down world in action. He was simply superb. Why can't every Democrat be willing to speak truth to power in that way, I found myself thinking. Why does he feel like the exception, rather than the rule?
"Bobblehead Johnson's suggestion that he might introduce a CENSURE motion against Padilla was beneath contempt, because he has no authority over the conduct of a Senator. Bobbleheads indeed. Souls sold cheap. Legal authority just gets in the way of the "Republican" antirepublican agenda.
I called Johnson's DC office & left a message. His answering machine refers to him as the honorable Michael Johnson. In my message I told of my outrage at what happened. And I ended with you are not honorable, not a Christian & if you think trump won't do this to you, you are sadly mistaken, grow a goddam spine, you work for the people not donald trump!
Will it do any good, fuck no! But I wanted someone to tell his machine. I gave my name & said that I am an American citizen. They've got my phone number as an incoming call so having that & having access to the DOGE stash of private data I have no doubt that at some point I could be rounded up. Mind you, I was angry & you could tell but I in NO WAY threatened him. But in Magamerica you don't need proof of anything to manufacture a lie.
Hey, maybe that's the manufacturing trump wants to expand in the US, lying through your pants!
"Will it do any good, fuck no!"
Heather has often said that contacting our House Reps and Senators DOES a lot of good. And, when Senator Angus King (I-ME) was a guest on her podcast, he agreed and asked people to call, email, send USPS letters -- whatever works for each person.
I started listening to lots of rightwing media, especially Steve Bannon's podcast, to see where my friends and family were getting their (sometimes outlandish and non-democracy) ideas. Rightwing & Republicans love to push the lie that our reps and senators ignore us, but that really isn't the case. They listen carefully, especially when it might mean they'll be voted out of a job for their actions, inactions, and for being non-responsive to constituents.
I think part of the problem is that too few people, in general, contact legislators. But when people do, as more and more have done since Felon45&47 took office; well, their phones have been ringing off the hook at times, with email inboxes filling up. They are listening!
Don't buy rightwing lies & propaganda, including that contacting legislators does nothing. They're just telling more lies to get people to become apathetic, give up, and tune out.
When that happens, Republicans and authoritarians win. Don't let them win.
p.s. I'm glad you contacted Johnson's office.
SOJPOD, I applaud you for being able to listen to the right wing and to Bannon's wing podcast. Truly, I’m afraid I would have to be institutionalized to give my time to those matters. Hooray for you to be able to know what’s going on, thank you.
"SOJPOD, I applaud you for being able to listen to the right wing and to Bannon's wing podcast. Truly, I’m afraid I would have to be institutionalized to give my time to those matters."
Thank you.
It's difficult some of the time because they (Bannon, his guests -- including many in the GOP House and Senate -- and guest hosts) spew lie after lie after lie *every single episode*, which pisses me off, but I learn what many right-wingers & MAGA hear, learn and repeat -- including in these comments (hello, Rick Sender), and in comments at WaPo, NYTs, C-CSPAN, from neighbors, and elsewhere.
His shows are super-repetitive, so I don't have to listen to everything, and some of the stuff is so absurd it makes me literally LOL (laugh out loud), until I remember how dangerous his lies & propaganda are.
I know that many in his audience buy his c**p "hook, line, and sinker," which makes me sad AND very angry because (mainly gullible) listeners & viewers are lied to *deliberately* (for financial gain and growing power for Bannon & his ilk, and Trump, Muck, etc.), with the goal of getting them to vote against themselves, protest against democracy(yep, Bannon talked about Jan 6 in his shows before that date), donate $$ to MAGA candidates, have them run for local and state office (did you notice the increase in MAGAs on school boards and city councils, etc., nationwide? Or the library book bans?) Yep, Bannon and the rest of the rightwing 'lies & propaganda' media empire has that much influence and power; and unfortunately, there's no real pushback on the left, or by some powerful, but politically unaffiliated, interested group.
I don't recommend people listen to rightwing media regularly UNLESS they have a very thick skin, a real good understanding of history and politics (*all politics*, not just Dems'), are financially literate, don't easily jump on bandwagons, and have a *real good* B.S. detector.
Shows like Bannon's are designed *by experts* in propaganda, advertising, sociology, psychology, politics, the big con, and the like, to deliberately lure people in by feeding insecurities, fears, biases, ignorance, low self-confidence, hatred, bitterness, arrogance, and rage -- and by sounding so darned nice and completely concerned about the welfare of their audience while fleecing them 100%.
Listening to this stuff has made me more sympathetic to MAGA regular people (not politicians or pundits) because I see how they've been deliberately targeted by a bunch of crooks, con-men and -women, and networks of very wealthy extremists who have absolutely no interest in helping their audience, or the rest of the country.
Their goal is to gain power, more $$, and to destroy all systems, policies, and agencies, etc., that don't advance these goals (and they just don't give a s**t about their audience and supporters).
Their plan, or blueprint (Project 2025 has evolved since its introduction into high political during Reagan's 1st term -- yeah, it's that old -- and goes back more than 50 years, with roots in groups that fought against FDR's New Deal legislation, and the Gilded Age robber barons & pols Trump worships.
Sorry my reply is so long, but it frustrates me how this very dangerous, very large, and very effective group can operate so openly with so little pushback by the media and the Democratic party, itself. Heather talks about this, so does Sen Sheldon Whitehouse and others, but so many people, on both sides, are clueless.
Question: I live in a blue state and my representatives agree with me—I call occasionally to thank them, but does it do any good to call reps from other states?? Will my phone call out of state matter??
YES it can & will make a difference. I don't want to be the one who didn't try to speak up in whatever way I can. 6/14 rally's in WA should make world news. Hope to see my picture!
Can't hurt to contact other State Reps.
"I call occasionally to thank them, but does it do any good to call reps from other states??"
I, too, live in a blue state (Oregon). In Heather's interview with Sen Angus King, he said they appreciate constituents' feedback, including thanks and other positive info. It helps them to know if their actions are helping (or not), etc.
Some legislators won't take calls from non-constituents, but some of their votes (at a federal level, at least) can affect the rest of us or may affect others in the region. I'd call and they might say won't take a message, but maybe some will. Also, people can contact the White House and other federal agencies; and state, county, and city/local offices.
And FWIW, "constituents" and "voters" aren't the same thing. A person can be a constituent even if they can't or don't vote. There's way more constituents than voters, and (most) all can participate.
oh, I would never stop writing or calling. It's in my nature it contact people in authority to let them know how I feel. sometimes more forcefully than others ; )
ON my bucket list is getting arrested for peaceful demonstration. Who wants to live in a shithole nation that used to be a good place?
Me too! I would love to see the headlines: 80 year old woman on oxygen arrested for carrying No Kings sign
Hi Anna, that’s where I’m at, 79 year old retired Special Educator. They can arrest me and my cane. However, I need my oxygen concentrator at night or my emergency inhaler.
I call my representative at least once every 10 days. It falls on deaf ears in my very red and gerrymandered state. I will be there tomorrow.
me too!! I’m 84 years old and heartsick about the future for my grandkids so come arrest me. I’m civil but I’m
strong and outspoken. Senator Schatz is our representative in the Senate. He speaks out!!!
Good bucket list to have. One of my top ten or so achievements in my 69 years is having been arrested for a non-violent protest. I impeded the entry to a manufacturer of cluster bombs. I'll be more than happy to get arrested again, except that with my dependence on medicines for my health, it could get dicey for me.
Oh, wouldn't that be loverly...! Go ahead, make me smile for the camera.
I'm doing the same thing today with Thune, but it just occurred to me to record the VM so that I have proof of message.
I'm in PA, and it is so disappointing that our Senators (Fetterman & McCormick) ignore us and do whatever the Regime wants. I call them regularly, and no response. But, like I tell them, "I'm retired and have all day," then I leave a message until the tape runs out.
I'm in CA, so mine are very responsive. But I decided Thune leads the Senate, so I will call him
Good idea, will do the same from now on.
return...thank you for doing what you did. Little Johnson needs to hear what you said often. I post of a lot of anti death star stuff, so i figure I am on a list. Some years ago, one of my ex-colleagues sent her son who was in the army some magazines that the army didn't like. Turned out they had a whole dossier on her from her years protesting in college. I was in the Peace Corps and anyone who applied was investigated by the F.B.I., mainly to ascertain if you were a commie or not.
What you did took moxie.
Not really, what it took is being so pissed off all day every day, it's my outlet! But thank you for telling me I have moxie. I'm originally from the New York City area, out on Long Island & we used to hear that word a lot back then! Took me down memory lane!
I grew upon Carbondale Pa. Small coal mining town. Having moxie was a high compliment. When I was seven years old, my family and I moved to my mother’s home area, South Ozone Park. I spent third and fourth grade at PS155 before returning to Carbondale. Moxie can be planted and nurtured by many feelings and experiences but it does not diminish your having it. Jay
There's too many of us. And, the others who won't do as Republicans want, they'll just slither away.
Why is no one mentioning that this is the “disobedient puppy” shooter? She is obviously not mentally well, so unfit for the job of HHS Secretary.
"Why is no one mentioning that this is the 'disobedient puppy' shooter?"
Yes, that's important to remember -- animal abusers are often also cruel to humans. To me, she's "Noem, the pet murderer" (and also killed a goat and several horses).
There's also "Hegseth the Drunk," which sounds kinda medieval; Roadkill Kennedy Jr."; Heil-Hitler-ing Musk; Bessent the Boob; and Pope-killer [JD] Vance (who's also the sad, left-behind product of the recent failed marriage between Musk and Felon45/47).
Oh yeah, and "Harlan Crow, the Hitler memorabilia collector and major briber of SCOTUS Justice Thomas" (I know, that doesn't really roll off the tongue, but it's true).
One of the experts on fighting authoritarians said these people must be ridiculed and mocked, so I try my best to do both.
Noem should have been brought up on charges of animal abuse by her own bragging admission.
Add to that rampant disregard, disrespect and physical abuse of a US Senator! The ignorance and hostility is astounding!!
Try "His Bombasticating Malevolency" (BM for short).
LOL. I'll add that to the list!
Excellent list. Of course, it begs even more additions from those creative souls among us and then, repetitions everywhere. This latest Noem move is truly "beyond the pale"!! The puppy executioner and senator attacker needs to be brought up on charges. Sen. Padilla spoke the truth: If this is what she has done to a Senator, what won't they do to a person of color who is a cook or a laborer? The goons are marching but so are we......
Hey, sojpod! The list is great! It’s to be repeated, epithet after epithet. The Greeks knew, we can learn!
Thanks! I'm sure others have names they can add to the list.
Here's a short list of some names & phrases from *other commenters* for FPOTUS, like The Orange Creep, DonOLD Drumpf, the 3-foot Combover, Mango Mussolini, His Orange Highness, Giant Orange T**d, All-Around Foreign Policy Ignoramus (from Jennifer Rubin before she left WaPo), Orange Fascist, Dumpfire Felon, and Man-baby.
I keep adding to the list bc there's always something I've never seen/heard before.
The puppy shooter incident is in most posts I read. If you want it mentioned more often, comment more often. However, puppy shooting was only the beginning of her depravity.
Virginia, the people in South Dakota have not forgotten this at all nor have many of the rest of us. The Gnome is an abomination.
"Disobedient puppy executioner!!! And now....Goon director...tackling and shackling and silencing a US Senator! WE THE PEOPLE can no longer tolerate this goonie government!! No Kings and NO Goons in Government!!!!
Virginia, perhaps because we can't forget? I hope so, anyway.
She thinks she is a goddess. Surprise she didn't shoot @ the kids when they misbehaved.
I find it hard to believe that a country with a population of circa 360 million people has only a handful of adults who are patriots, speak truth to power and are not blithering cowards.
Veronica, I think there are many more but the media is such that they aren't heard. Just like during Biden's presidency, any accomplishments made were not reported in MMM or were stashed behind some little article on page5.
Heather, agreed. Newsom is a national figure and potential presidential candidate, so he gets covered. Our governor and Congressional people get covered here In Oregon, but usually not nationally. All of them post regularly what they are doing on Facebook even though they get tons of trolls and bots.
Today Tim Walz and Minnesotans will get publicity. The horror that all of them are undergoing on No Kings Day is at the feet of the Orange Monstrosity and his minions.
Virginia, I am not hitting the like button, because this is so awful. We were at the Saturday Market when my husband showed me the headline on his phone. At our fav bakery vender, one of the owners had just finished loading her tray of goodies and said locked and loaded. i let her know what happened. Not only do we have official jackboots around, but also the fake ones. I call that monster death star for a reason. My heart is with the people of Minnesota.
There are a lot more. Let's see how many turn out tomorrow.
Now I’m going to spoil the fun by suggesting that this is all Joe Biden’s fault for not providing a path for continued democratic governance. Oh ya, baby. Falling into a stupor on the debate stage wrapped it up topped it off and I foresaw at that critical moment the future. I’m sorry no one else did.
I can predict things often but I just can’t predict the outcome of this direction we as a nation have taken. I give it a 50/50 chance. Authoritarians DON’T give up power easily. But clearly, if Biden hadn’t made some basic missteps, had he not insisted on being the first 200 year old president, had he paid early attention of the importance of optics on the border, then maybe. And let us not ever never ever forget how Biden threw Anita Hill under the bus to save his own political ass (which is what most politicians do) and let Clarance Thomas become Supreme Court justice (and Lookie what great promise that did for the nation). No, I’m sorry, I DON’T forgive nor forget poor judgements. Perhaps Trump is actually a gift. He opens the door to utter destruction and through destruction, comes rebirth. This is what we can only hope for at this juncture. Three and a half more years of utter carnage and chaos.
I know, I know. It is all Biden's and his enablers fault that we are where we are.
And it has nothing to do with all those American voters who voted for Trump because they liked what he said and they continue to support his actions? Those people were never going to vote for Biden or Harris in the first place, because, you know, libs. Trump and his Republican gang fulfills all their White grievance dreams of vengeance.
THEY are the ones who put us where we are today, our self absorbed, ignorant fellow citizens, in thrall to a wannabe dictator.
But don't discount the Russian interference in our elections that influenced those people as part of the equation. Perhaps they should have known better, but how could they with such lame and corrupt mainstream media assisting the disinformation?
I get it. I don't disagree. But true to my nature, when I screw up, I point the finger at myself rather than others. And we democrats have a tendency to eat our own as we did with Al Frankin, who could have made a good president if not for our woke community destroying his legacy. OKi Dokie?
Bill Katz, I think frequently about Al Franken and refuse to look at the senator from New York who is not fit to polish his shoes. Political ambition run amok in her case.
Gale, spot on. But save your breath on that fellow.
Because I make too much sense.
And, the admission that Elon rigged the election! Did I miss something?
Biden is not to blame. I know that that is the general consensus but I disagree. People knew what they were getting with Trump but couldn't bring themselves to vote for a Black female for President. There was an ex Trump voter in a focus group early in 2024 who was asked if he would vote for Biden if it was shown that Biden was completely out of it. He said he would vote for Biden "even if he's dead".
I know you live to stir the pot, but that’s about as welcome right now as rattlesnake at a square dance.
I like that line too. I will use it in the future thanks.
I wasn't aware that rattlesnakes could square dance 😂.
Love that: rattlesnake at a square dance! :-) Very apt.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Bill, please stop using up oxygen, and your energy, blaming Biden. What are YOU doing to make things better? (Also I'm agreeing with Gale Watts, Sara Goodnick, Stanley Varon, in these comments.)
Glad you asked. I wrote a book about the monster. I also have written several songs as a singer/songwriter. And I’ve been begging rally organizers to let me stir up the crowd with my well written compositions. And I’ve made contributions in money to various da dates. What have you done, may I ask?
How often do you actually perform your songs? I do applaud your efforts, but it always sounds like they turn you away. Me? I donate as much as I can afford. I have written hundreds of get-out-the-vote cards (also: not cheap). I call my representatives, although not as often as I should (I'm phobic about "cold calling.") I attend rallies when I can, but I have a job, and many/most events occur when I'm at work, which is frustrating. I can't afford to quit my job, although I'm 70. In other words, as with most who read HCR's writings, I'm doing as much as I am able. ...and now I have to go get ready for work. Have a productive day!
Good to hear- see you at the protest tomorrow, Bill. One small thing I can do.
Will you two use your energy marching instead of fighting
online, please?
Bill, I can agree with you to a certain extent; however, I have to say that labeling tRump as a gift is hardly agreeable with me. The nation is still too far divided for him to be recognized as a gift - a **grift**, yes, but not a gift. If half the population was smarter than now demonstrated, and if the overwhelming affect of "The People"(and I do mean affect, not effect) was demonstrably against this grifter, then I would say that tRump is the gift that keeps on giving. We are not there yet. As for Biden, you make some very solid and necessary fair points. I was always somewhat leery of him, even though I did vote for him specifically to deny tRump the office; however, I was not surprised and frankly *was* sickened to my stomach when he embraced, what could arguably be the second most murderous authoritarian in the world - one Bibi Netanyahu. If he ever showed signs of mental illness, it was at that point. And ya... I most definitely agree with your assessment of him concerning the Anita Hill fiasco.
Ok, Trump is no gift. He is the original anti Christ.
I can agree with you in that Biden failed to understand the problem the optics his age created. That was a huge mistake. I agree that letting Clarence Thomas on the Court has been a huge problem. But looking back at the political moment, it wasn't that simple. For Biden, it was a little politically risky to vote against a Black male candidate. Thomas made his case well when he claimed that what was happening was a partisan lynching.
I'm sorry Paul; however, I must disagree. We had a black lady who was an accomplished lawyer in her own right, testifying against a black man, also a lawyer and candidate for a judicial seat on the Supreme Court. It was never made clear to any of us what motive Anita Hill may have had to try and wreck Thomas' candidacy for that seat. My take on it is that she didn't have any motive. She had the truth and now (I know, hindsight is always 20-20) we know Thomas' hypocrisy and penchant to hide needed truths in the public interest. The "partisan lynching" of which he spoke was used as a guilt trip that Biden fell for hook, line, and sinker. It wasn't Biden's biggest failure, but it clearly makes the top five in my book.
I want to throw into this argument that President Biden, trying to assure that his Vice President succeeded him, ran because he knew how racist this nation is and did his best to make her succession happen. The three transatlantic crossings plus Covid were too much to quell the gush of lies vomited at him in the “debate.”
I looked up fifth columnist. If the shoe fits, wear it.. I'm looking for a better shoe.
Mr. twaddle.
What is a handful, Virginia? Why are you not aware of the MILLIONS who did not vote for Trump? Why are you unaware of the MILLIIONS who march every day cities, towns and villages across America (plus some places beyond the United States borders) bearing signs AGAINST Trump and his Gestapo? If you do not have your sign ready for Saturday, June 14, I suggest you shop today for a large sign and get yourself and your sign to a protest. Then I suggest you quit listening to Fox network. Choose MSNBC on Monday nights - Rachel Maddow Show.
There is a forecast of a heavy lightning storm predicted for DC on Saturday, which is the only thing that would preempt the parade. While that would be a shame because of the legitimate reason for honoring the troops, I would actually be relieved to see that whatever Supreme Being we might pray to, really does care and is upset over how His/Her name is being profaned by this regime.
I did NOT WRITE “Handful.” At 91, I am a charter member of my Indivisible chapter, have a trophy for postcard writing in 2018 and 2024, and am still producing a minimum of 10
cards a day, all my arm and hand can manage some days. I am the great granddaughter of a Pole who was part of the 1848 uprising in Prussia (he escaped and joined the Union army), 3 uncles in WWII (I remember Pearl Harbor and, with my public school contemporaries, was part of the War Effort), my father was a plane spotter on the midnight to 4:00 am shift.
Ok, I won’t march today because I will be writing postcards to Florida Democrats. Think my waning energy is better used that way!
PS I made two large signs with my Indivisible chapter. I have marched: Vietnam, Kent State (rally against), Paris (1958), broken ankles kept me out of anti-Iraq war march in France. Last major march SEIU; last rally Dobbs with “A Day that will live in Infamy” sign I made for the occasion on the day!
right?
Jamie Raskin gave a great assessment of the situation as HCR told us..."
"After today’s events, Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), a constitutional scholar, stood in front of the Capitol and reminded Americans: “We have no kings here, we have no queens here, we have no emperors, we have no dictators, we have no despots, and we have no serfs and no slaves and no subjects, and none of us is a subject to Donald Trump. None of us is a subject to Mike Johnson. We are all citizens, those of us who aspire and attain to public office are nothing but the servants of the people. And the minute that somebody in public office thinks that they're a king, they're a queen, they're an emperor, they're a dictator, that is time for the people to evict, eject, reject, impeach, try, convict, and start all over again, because the most important words of our Constitution are the three first words of the Constitution: ‘We the people.’”
So glad you posted this speech. Jamie Raskin has never been afraid to speak out and is always eloquent and passionate.
As Mike Johnson opines so smugly, I’m not sure why he doesn’t realize it could just as easily be him thrown to the ground and handcuffed. Trump turns on everyone.
I read something about Senator Padilla that in his youth he was subject to some discrimination and suspicion of being a “bad kid” simply because of how he looked. He’s a tall brown man …so immediately threatening to Barbie Dolls, I guess. Shameful how he was treated and then lied about ! Where are the Republicans speaking out about this un-American behavior and treatment !
Gone to graveyards everyone…when will they ever learn🎶
So many of the songs from my youth are so terribly relevant again today.
He was set up.
Yes, TY Jen. We are all being set up.Both sides. One to be used. The other abused.
Indeed—perhaps the musicians can save us all from the coming graveyards…
Traditionally it was the foremost way to protest safely , Bob Marley, Guthrie. Classic, wonderful, endured throughout decades.
A favored song, a sing along…makes the trip a lot more enjoyable .🫶
GOP are too afraid of Trump to do anything good for the country. Every time the old gas bag accuses someone of hating this country he’s projecting. Just as he claimed there were no homeless until just before he took office in 2016 he’s trying to claim all the immigrants arrived while Biden was president.
ICE Barbie must be really afraid of her own shadow and incompetence to have her thugs attack a sitting senator just trying to ask a question. No wonder she shot that poor puppy, he scared her.
Yes! Time to think about the “character” of Noem. And the rest of the felon’s “family.”
Where are the Republicans, they are hiding under their beds! They have succeeded in making themselves so small that they are nearly invisible in the crisis!
Maybe they were too busy playing picnic with the royal turd?
I am sure Susan Collins in “concerned”🤷♀️😳
You betcha! Susan Collins lives in a continuous state of “concerned.” I picture her in a kitchen trying to put seasonings in a particular dish and giving up. Bland.
Over the years, there has been many a great line posted here, but this:
"The unregulated bullshit flowing out of these people's mouths could fertilize all of California's Central Valley, enriching our vegetables and fruits, which migrants pick to put on our tables."
SIMPLY BRILLIANT!!!
I don't think Gavin is the only one. I see Chris Miller, Jamie Raskin, Sheldon Whitehouse, Adam Schiff & others all the time being interviewed on MSNBC. The "mainstream media" may be lacking in airing these individuals but MSNBC is doing a fine job getting them out there. Newsome came through like a bright light because he got national coverage.
What frustrates me is that ALL elected Democrats are not speaking out LOUDLY about the daily travesties. It can't be that they don't have public speaking skills. Every damned one of them had to speak publicly, endlessly during their campaigns to be elected to the offices they now shrink from. The only explanation is that they are cowards.
My protest sign is tall and narrow; it reads:
NO KINGS in our USA. NO FELONS in our White House. NO OLIGARCHS in our Cabinet. NO COWARDS in our Congress. NO GRIFTERS in our SCOTUS. NO NAZIS in our Government.
I think that summarizes my sentiments.
Yes! Thank you, return to normalcy. As I write postcards to Florida Democratic voters to get them out to vote, I can listen to MSNBC (after awhile the same information gets to be like automatic writing). Yesterday I couldn’t write. The treatment of Senator Padilla, underlining as it does the racism of this “administration “ was riveting, even though I knew it well. How dare the puppy shooter not only set her goons on the senator, but also gos immediately on Fox News to lie about the situation that made it “appropriate.”
A goonie government has no need for conscience or protocol.
It's, Ds here in Oregon often speak out, but they do not get national notice. Yesterday we had a report of a man and his employee who does work for vineyards being nabbed by ICE. The man has been here 40 years. So in addition to tariffs, vineyards here in Oregon have something else to worry about. And yes, we have death star babbling about farm and hospitality workers. I saw a video yesterday of agents chasing a farm worker through a field.
Read more. Listen more. You will find Governor Pritzger of ILLINOIS has been speaking against ICE raids. Loudly. He is a champion of immigrants, women needing abortions, LGBTQ folks - all the people Trump and his Gestapo hate. There are many Democrats speaking loudly. Did you not READ Heather Cox Richardson today - just above the comment section? Does Jamie Raskin ring a bell with you? How about AOC.? How about Bernie Sanders? How about Jasmine Crockett? Have you heard Elizabeth Warren? Mr. Newsome is backing down from liberal positions and after hearing his news conference I do not think he is Presidential material. He is correct on this issue, but look closer!
All these people have been recently declaiming loudly, and I recognize each one has its place. I could well add others, such as Pete Buttigieg, speaking truth to 'bro' wastelands where lazy insecurity about masculinity clearly played an evil, destructive role in the 2024 elections that Trump played like a cheap violin.
As Rahm Immanuel once observed, you must never let a good crisis go to waste. I've never been a big fan of Newsom before, but in the past few days, he's shown he knows exactly what to do with one. A big chunk of that is simply being in the right place at the right time. We need many such 'crises' and many people taking advantage of them to break through our current stranglehold.
and....Senator Chris Murphy, Senator Whitehouse.....
If Noem didn't know who he was even without him identifying himself, then she doesn't know her job. He's obviously a person of vital interest to her even if she doesn't intend to treat him respectfully (the outrageous Irony of saying he was behaving disgracefully!).
My tooth hurts.
It’s time for FOX, who brought us this fascist pig 🐷, to FINALLY be shut down!! It’s time for REAL journalism to finally prevail, or we lose what is left of our Democracy! We must continue to call Congress, but willing to SPEAK OUT & VOTEVOTE —because the corporate media isn’t showing us that MANY Dems/Progressives are overwhelmingly being elected in local/state elections already!
ONWARD ‼️
I think they are all Chattie Kathy's. There's a string somewhere.....
Yeah.. whewww! "T"umblespeak.
My senators are Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer. That's why.
Too late. As HCR pointed out, this is a coup. The only entity that could stop it is the legislature, but the majority refused even to comment on the junta’s illegal actions, has lied about whst took place, and is attempting to blame Senator Padilla for the incident, which was a clear abuse of power by federal las enforcement.
I'm reposting a comment by an Andrew Tanner - which I suspect is very relevant-
“As the American media class is desperate to keep a lid on the gravity of the situation, trying to play this off as some kind of personal beef between Trump and Gavin Newsom instead of the first overt moves towards civil war and dissolution of the union, it falls to independent observers to sound the alarm. Trump is now openly acting as Putin’s willing ally in the Kremlin’s last-ditch gambit to survive Putin’s debacle in Ukraine: a bid to destabilize the United States and drive it into civil war. “
But do the independent observers have enough audience to affect things? We can only hope.
Not only "acting as Putin's willing ally," Hugh (or, Andrew Tanner).
Worse, he's doing the Putin playbook on the need to fear "outsiders," "others" menacing "us": pure white people needing a strong, firm, imperial leader for protection.
Speaker Mike said that if we want to understand him, read the Bible, and here's me thinking he was full of crap. In hindsight, I admit I'm wrong. For the record the following passage is where he's described to a tee by Jesus:
"Woe to you, teacher of the law, you hypocrite! You are like a whitewashed tomb, which looks beautiful on the outside but on the inside is full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Matthew 23:27-28
WOW!
If you want to go further into the scripture from the “Holy” Bible, read the entire chapter Matthew 23…
We the People must prevail against the hypocrisy of this regime.
Read Bandy X. Lee today.
Who can lead us out of this danger peacefully?
Stand up and Speak up where you are…while you still can.
In the musical Godspell- there is a song taken from part of that passage. The entire musical is still relevant . I saw it when it was a new work and never ever forgot it. There is also an addition of a newer song not in the original production. Beautiful City. It helps me to to listen to it in hard days such as this.
Thank you for that. I only saw the movie version, and that was many decades ago, but I loved it. Now I need to watch it again.
So on target! This perfectly describes the snake that he is. I am so glad that Newsom dripping in sarcasm called him out as being a good Christian man....
Thank You, James! Amen!
most anything can be proven using the Bible. very interesting.
Absolutely anything can be proven using the Bible if you disregard its moral principle, but if you start with Matthew 22:40, and if you then put your hand on the Bible and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and if you then let your actions speak louder than your words, there is only thing you can prove using the Bible: treat others the way you would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot, and then everyone wins, or everyone loses.
Quite amazing when a person finds such 'preaching' to be so clearly speaking to todays situations.
We invented written documents roughly 120 generations ago, but we've been Homo sapiens for roughly 12,000 generations, and being human is still being human.
Spor on!!!!
"Oh no—people of color are gaining political power! We can’t have that. Better start purging the voter rolls, closing polling places, and spreading lies about election fraud. Or hell, why not just cancel elections altogether? That way, we can cling to power forever and never have to pretend democracy mattered in the first place."
The problem is Phil, if those "pure white people" did a genealogy test, they'd find out they're not so "white" after all.
Actually none of us is pure anything as a species. Plenty of DNA evidence is now out that modern “humans” even have some Neanderthal genes, and those of other genetically anthropologically defined ancient geographic groups. Plus the old assumption that only H. sapiens among those ancient populations had culture and smarts which is why Hs succeded historically has been seriously challenged by new archaeological findings. So all of this white-black-red-brown racism stuff firming the basis of maga religion is made up like so much other maga BS.
Oh Yeah! Hitler made quite an effort to get rid of any records of his family ties- along with generations of others family records. Mine included.
Russia National Day
PRESS STATEMENT
MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE
“On behalf of the American people, I want to congratulate the Russian people on Russia Day.
The United States remains committed to supporting the Russian people as they continue to build on their aspirations for a brighter future. We also take this opportunity to reaffirm the United States’ desire for constructive engagement with the Russian Federation to bring about a durable peace between Russia and Ukraine. It is our hope that peace will foster more mutually beneficial relations between our countries.”
https://www.state.gov/releases/2025/06/russia-national-day/
Little Marco turns out to be just another traitor to America.
HE DOESN’T SPEAK FOR ME.
This is unbelievable!!! I guess not unbelievable!!! But I am shocked!!! The curtain has been pulled back!!!
Vomit!
I agree with you whole heartedly. Unless something happens, and it happens fast, we are basically done in for! I wish the US Military, who have sworn tu protect US, THE USA, and our CONSTITUTION, would use some special fertiliser to grow some balls!! There was a woman who did speak up. I hope they have not disappeared her to El Salvador!!!
I saw that woman and feared the same thing!!! Cannot believe and I’m watching as a Canadian safely at home in Montreal!!!
Please annex Michigan. Thank You.
No to mention, the idea that we will have another election to turn these guys out. I fear the point has been missed - they fear not another election.
Hugh, my feeling is that trompy knows in his cold dead heart that he can't run for another term, but junior can, and Newsome is handsome and smart. Trompy knows he'd be a strong candidate (I have my doubts) and wants to knock him down now and as time goes on.
All this presupposes, of course, that there will be an election in 2028, which is frankly not a given, with democracy hanging in the balance until then.
Doug, you've no doubt hit the nail on the head. Donald is obsessed with appearances. All of his wives and side-pieces were models. Most of his cabinet are former Fox spokesmodels. "No fat soldiers" at his Fort Bragg show, etc.
Newsom has "the look" that impresses and intimidates Donald, so he's hoping to preempt a future challenge by making Newsom look weak as a governor.
But when it comes to a battle of the minds, Donald is unarmed.
Speaking of trophy wives, did anyone else notice how much Melania looked and acted like one of those A.I "companion dolls" when she "accompanied" him to the Kennedy Center production of "Les Mis?" I wrote "accompanied" in quotes because it looked more like he was dragging her behind him by the hand like a wooden wheeled toy, and when the cameras closed in on her expression, she was totally stone faced and completely devoid of any emotion at all. Not even anger. Scary, Stepford Wife stuff here.
Janet, I know I'm not alone in assuming that Melania's current occupation is just a rebranding of her original occupation: being paid to engage in activities she doesn't enjoy with men she loathes.
My own vision of the arrangement is that she's on a contractual, financial retainer to remain married to Donald for as long as she can tolerate the conditions, but she is not required to cohabitate with him. Special appearances are compensated with prearranged "bonuses," based on the number of hours she is required to escort him to the events, with overtime paid at one-and-one-half times the agreed-upon rate.
Her lawyers negotiated the condition that she is not required to smile during her public appearances as long as she doesn't say anything uncomplimentary about Donald.
I agree. My biggest concern right now is that we won't even have a legitimate midterm election in '26. I hope to God I'm wrong about that.
Geeezzzusss Hugh, it's like Ray Charles cold see this coming. The "T"umblespeak in Para 18 just continues to retain the MAGA-stupor.
Next time you encounter one of em, ask them this: What is the difference between a duck? Ans: One leg is both the same. Same kinda answer you get when you ask one of those toads to tell you about some great thing TACKO has done.
Too late Rex ? Really ? It's been said herein that no one is coming to save us; Only we can. Do as you will, but I'm not sitting on my thumbs. Once I've acted, then maybe it's too late.
The most important words of our Constitution are the three first words of the Constitution: ‘We the people.’
Im so grateful for Rep. Raskin. He's a hero of Democracy!!
Nancy,
Raskin and many other brave patriots will not cower from thugs and a Dictator whom we have allowed by the vote, to occupy the White House along with hand chosen minions.
These destroyers of Democracy have been planning and brainwashing our citizenry for years. Governors have been elected....Senators and Representatives have been elected who are NOT for the freedoms for which our forefathers gave their lives and fortunes. They are a group of "yes" men and women. They are weak and subservient. and truly ignorant. But now, some have money and power they could have never imagined and it was so easy. They are "hooked".
Structures of our Democracy are being weakened, some destroyed....to make more room for control
They cannot control their thirst for more and yet....they have no idea, training, education or experience in caring for this nation nor its people nor the importance of supporting allies who have stood with us in the past. "Puppeteers" are controlling our Republican Party for personal power and gain. And as we have read today...they are also thugs!
Those leaders in the past with knowledge and experience and COURAGE are gone.
Is this what we want for our children, for the future of this nation?
Remember, "This is our country!" "OUR" includes immigrants, giving their strength and willingness to work in our fields, in processing plants, caring for our homes, our children, in humble jobs where most do not choose to work.
Look at your own family history!!! Americans have each and all come from other places and have worked together to "form a more perfect union!!!" The Indians arrived to the Americas before us. We mistreated them as well.
What is wrong with us??? How long can this country last with such "soul rotting" attitudes!!!!
Emily, I agree with all you are saying up until your last sentence. We all must trust that our country will last, and we are being called to this moment. There are way more of us than there are of those with "soul-rotting attitudes." We must not give up or give in!
Dictator -- NO, a wanton be 'dictator'!
Yes he has been an exceptional and consistent voice for democracy and the rule of law. Thankfully, he is not alone.
That's my sign for tomorrow!
It's about time we took it back from the MAGAts. I've been thinking about how to phrase "...preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. That is too many words for a sign.
"We the People"
900 plus pages of a coup. Court's of Appeal willing to put their license and reputations on the line for semantics of individual words instead of whole actions that rhe world is seeing. If you think it's "too late", you're avoiding the small itches on your spine telling you that you have to move -we can't Peloton our democracy.
Yeah, D4N! That is the spirit!
Dan, I'm standing up, speaking out and resisting. I'm fighting for Democracy!
I’ll be at the rally with my sugn in Saturday. Also, I’ve hand-written and mailed over 5,000 GOTV postcards in the last two years, at my own expense with well-organized groups. Not sitting on my hands, but I don’t expect it to do any good. Trump will fund-raise off the Padilla incident, and Congress, the only entity thst could stop this catastrophe, won’t.
Keep your wits about you Rex; Stay safe as possible.
https://www.meditationsinanemergency.com/the-heart-of-the-matter/?ref=meditations-in-an-emergency-newsletter
Not too late — yes, this is a coup, but we are NOT too late to stop it. Please do not give up.
Oh my; Thanks for that link Emily; Right on time.
Rex, watch Heather's video from today. If we just wring our hands together and say it's too late so we don't do anything, than it will be too late! Act!
Interestingly, it did not post to Facebook.
It’s on YouTube. 💞
I could not find the whole chat listed on Youtube but here is the short that explains what everyone can do and why it's important to do it now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K7nYu9LCOI
Here is the link to the entire chat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c0OBfuiFbI
Its not clear these were any sort of law enforcement officers. The reports said "security men" or something like that. Ie, Noem's personal bodyguards. Who knows what their status is. Clearly, Padilla was not invited to her press conference. It was probably by invitation only. An information war event. In a federal office building. In an office she took over. And from which she laid claim to the right to exclude a United States Senator, and not merely that, one from the jurisdiction in question, and moreover, one who sits on the committee with oversight for her department. The ranking member in fact. Muscled out, pushed to the floor, and handcuffed by her bodyguards.
This will not go well. As Heather notes, it is part of a trend towards rising hostilities towards Democrat controlled states, local governments, and aggressive behavior towards their government officials. Increasingly Homeland Security has become a law unto itself under Noem. In this press conference, Noem declared that she has arrived to liberate southern California and to assume it's governance. And assaulting a United States Senator provided her with the opportunity to demonstrate her power and resolve. She is apparently that crazy. These are not playground theatrics. These people are deadly serious. Trump is. There bare intent on gaining all the power they can over the lives of others. And toward that end are determined to make America run critical.
Curiously, they seem to senve of being invulnerable and can do anything they want without fear of consequences. Perhaps that follows from Trump's record thus far
Thee idea that someone who killed her own puppy with a rifle heads an agency that's supposed to keep us from harm is beyond comprehension....
What law enforcement officers constitute Noem’s security detail?
Yeh JennSH. Don't ask for their credentials. They have the guns and they'll just call for 'back-up'..., resist and you'll quickly be zip-tied, bundled off into a van, taken to a "temporary" holding facility. Knowing your "rights" is important. You can think about them as you board that contract aircraft in your new jump-suit headed for Tim-buc-tu. We're definitely going to need our own back-up to get out of this mess.
Former inmates or other scoundrels deputized without training or credentials ? I have lots of questions.
Accessories before, during, and after the fact.
Perhaps my 'henna tattoo' idea needs reworking to I.D. scoundrels for 3 weeks or so till it wears off. (? )
Rex, watching the video of the whole incident with Senator Padilla, those so called officers looked like very young uneducated men who like mike (bobble head) johnson are just pons to the orange face!
Correction: The only entity that can stop it is the People.
True. Roughly half of them caused the catastrophe, and it will take quite a lot more than half to stop it.
Rex, maybe google the Democrat "Return to Normalcy" get-to-gether in WA DC. You might see where we 'have a problem'. I think. It was kinda confusing though.
Mike Johnson is Trump's bitch. Trump's overweening authority over House Republicans is the only thing that's keeping him in place.
Trump is the GOP crash test dummy for how fast they can accelerate the coup, declare martial law, stop the midterm elections, and institute their ChristoFascist state.
What you posted lin, it's reality in a nut shell. I'v been posting similar
for weeks and I think what's happening in California it's just a dry run to see what's happens and perfect the coup to be ready before the next election. Texas and Missouri are taking their practice very seriously by announcing plans to deploy thousands of troops well ahead of time . We are being told , not in uncertain terms, if they just smell the possibility of loosing this coming election, we'll wont have one, they'll find a reason and if not they'll create an incident to declare the insurrection act or martial law. Keep posting lin.
Oddly they need to take money from California to pay those troops because they create no revenue in their own states.
What a paradox Sharon. We are talking about the 4th economy in the world and their leaders are being accused of being communist...and a lot of voters believe that ....go figure. Thanks for your comment
They have no clue what communism and Marxism are, just like critical race theory and other words they are triggered words.
"Follow the money"
The Plutocratic State of America.
https://www.thelongmemo.com/p/people-think-trump-wants-martial?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
At least then there would a fucking plan, instead of - this!
They've been floating "test balloons" over everything going back to OiD's first term. This is just pattern acceleration. Furthermore, in how many of these 'snatch and grabs' of people, been carried out by clearly badged law enforcement officers with credentials ? Also, they're masked ? Who's really behind the masks; Do we know ? I have a whole lot of questions. Have scoundrels been deputized ?
Same devious patterns over and over.
Help me out Russell, it was my dyslexia acting up at 3:30 am or was what the scumbag president told reporters and posted in HCR letter totally incomprehensible? Sometimes I have to read statements more than once to make sense of them but this time it's like a totally impossible to resolve riddle. Going back to bed.
They're suddenly facing the reality of trying to deport the people keeping things running in the farm, hospitality and construction industries. Wonder what will happen to the economy if they succeed in their mission.
And remember that Trump employs immigrant workers at Mar A Lago and probably at his other properties and probably does not know their immigration status. His policies could impact his own bottom line. Seem perhaps to be waking up to that fact. Also he is harming farmers in red states, who make up some of his base.
Carol S. Follow the money—I’d bet that management at 4547’s resorts have called him complaining that their workers haven’t shown up for work. “But I didn’t vote for that!”
For folks interested in the history of migrant labor look up the children’s author Lois Lenski. She focused on migrant families across the farming states. Also look into the Wobblies. Part of the labor movement. Mother Jones as well. James Agee and Gordon Parks did a book Inn Praise of Famous Men on white sharecroppers also both men and the book helpful in understanding how we got to this point.
Walker Evans, Mary, did the photos in "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men."
I wish someone would do real investigative reporting and find out who does that hiring for him and how many fake papers they create.
His own bottom line is fatter than ever. All the bribery and grift is paying off bigly. As for the workers at his properties, who is going to touch them? If you're an immigrant who needs a job, the safest place in the world for you is working for the current US president. I do wonder about the pay scale, benefits, and working conditions...
Wonder what forms visitors to his property have to sign so they don't expose the hired help's status?
Ever walked into an assisted living home or been around any home health aids?
Cuts to Medicaid and deporting illegals will make mom or dads care cost you about 50k a month to staff with American workers and get no federal aid to defer costs.
The entire New Deal and anything positive that helped all people, they hate. If everyone was plugging along happily able to find a great stable job with benefits, able to afford everything without being bankrupted because someone hits you with their car or you come down with polio……Welcome back, polio, we missed you…shout RFKiller Jr.
We needed Jobs programs for the young able bodied, SS so the elderly weren homeless eating out of garbage cans. We had to have Medicare because no insurers would cover the elderly or anyone with a preexisting co diction. We needed insurance for jobs where it was privately offered. We didn’t just decide to create meat inspectors. We needed it because people were getting poisoned.
This is a greedy, selfish regime who hates the poor and anyone who doesn’t agree with them. Which is combined, almost the entire country. They hate our country as it exists which is why they want to overthrow it. So far, it looks like they haven’t the slightest clue how to run it. To cover their incompetence and bat shit crazy ideas that don’t even remotely fit into REAL LIFE, they lie constantly. Even when we are watching video of it. They flood the zone with stories to outrage us and pay attention to how they “answer” questions. They just say words in sing singing contests and speak that strewn together make absolutely no sense.
Bravo, Marcus--but I have one point to nit-pik with you: you say it will cost $50K to house the old folks in a home? I say WILL THERE BE A HOME TO HOUSE THEM?
After her third stroke, my m.i.l. was on a feeding tube, and could not walk. She had no money. IF not for Medicaid, I shudder at what would have happened. I imagine I'd have had to quit work to give round the clock care to her in our home. And we needed my salary to pay for our kids college, and to replenish our OWN retirement savings as the 2008 economic downturn left my husband out of work for 2 years. We might have lost our house, too, but we hung on and prospered.
I am 100% convinced that it will take major family emergencies to make MAGA people wake up--and still, some will not.
College? Republicans think your kids should be working in the fields and processing plants, cleaning up after them at their ritzy resorts. No education for them.
The sad part is that anyone thinks it’s acceptable to use the migrant labor and pay them slave wages. If it costs so much more to use citizens because they need money to live how do we justify not paying enough money to people who want to become citizens? People who are desperate for money to survive are more likely to commit crimes.
They will be hoeing their own fields and making their own beds…
"They" won't be hoeing anything. Like Mao they'll be comfortable while we do the hoeing at reeducation camps.
The end of our food source. They raided a processing plant and that plant was down to 20% productivity. Even the brown people who are citizens won’t go to work for fear of being disappeared.
Cameron.., don't you see his tactics. He will turn this on it's head and convince these peaceful-people that his HSA ICE team is protecting them from their Cartel-Conspirators. Next thing you know they'll be voting for him, just like they did down in Texas. How many times must we fall for this? Bait and switch, basic as it gets. "T"umblespeak.., works every time.
Another TACO moment….hope he keeps repeating those back and forth so, at least, some of his voters finally realize how empty this guy is. Thanks for your reply.
The whole administration has gone nuts. Yesterday, Hegseth suggested to reporters that he had contingency plans for invading Canada and Greenland. This is a guy who doesn't have a contingency plan for staffing his own office. Kristi Noem told some outrageous lies about why Senator Padilla was bundled out of her press conference ('he made sudden movements consistent with the release of a million killer bees so the agents had no option but to do a George Floyd on him'). Alina Habba is already in so-ooo much trouble for doing the same thing to representative McIver. A judge has ordered Trump to return the National Guard to the governor of California so that they can be fed and to top it all off, his pals Vladimir and Bibi have gone apeshit on his peace negotiations. Is it any wonder he's discombobulated?
But the court changed the date to return control of the National Guard to the 17th - AFTER the NO KINGS day gatherings. What will the troops do when ordered to fire on people peacefully assembling? It's a total set up for civil war and I hope the LOYAL military is ready with a plan. LAPD is also way out of control so they'll be no help.
That's the 9th Circuit Appeals court with its two Trump nominees. They declined to explain their decision in spite of the lower court's emphatic objections to what the administration was doing.
Hi Russell, regarding contingency plans to invade, I think the Pentagos has plans for everything and “ Heggshell” has nothing to do with anything other than kissing the scumbag president ring everything he moves his hand.
Thanks for your comment 😀
Oratory is not his specialty.
😂 use of the word “oratory” in referring to tfg makes you comment especially funny.
I'm sure Trump would snigger like a teenager at the word "oratory" and think it refers to something sexual.
Thanks for that brief moment of levity, ff☺️
My reactions exactly the same, Ricardo. Blabbering incoherent doublespeak??
I let the dogs out and went back to bed…..yet up again.
Just Read some Good news for California, thankfully. And hopefully other states.
So it was YOU, Bonnie, who let the dogs out! ; )
Too funny, Marsie. I did think that same thing when writing it. Woof Woof
😄 thanks Bonnie!!!
As the good professor says frequently in her Politics Chat videos, Trump is cognitively declining. I saw this first hand in my late brother. Watch for his vocabulary to decrease even more than it has now, and it can happen terrifyingly rapidly.
Miselle, my wife always says the our grandson now 9 but since he was much younger, had a vocabulary more extensive than the scumbag president. Thanks for your comment 👍
I saw an article yesterday that it looks like he’s wearing a leg brace for his drop foot from the dementia. His base claims that bulge under his pant leg is just wrinkles. They will lie about anything.
I also saw that, and I saw speculation it is a catheter. I suspect the catheter.
Yes, I forgot about that. Do you need a catheter if you’re wearing a diaper? I wonder if they’ll give him a colostomy bag next so he doesn’t make such a stink in his diaper. I hear he puts off an awful odor.
He has installed sycophants, and we have miller so the plans will continue. 🤞if he goes away (😉) R leaders will suddenly find a spine and a soul; but I’m not sure based on what we’re seeing.
Ricardo, I don't read Heather's Letters until morning. I was fresh and alert, and still struggled to make sense of the quotation ... and I struggle to make sense of any other transcripts of his remarks.
However, the gibberish looked familiar to me. My 92-year-old mother is now in full-time care, as she struggles with dementia. Her care staff helps her call me when she's having a "good day." During those calls, she talks and talks. To her, there is no difference between something that happened today and something that happened 80 years ago, or something that happened in her imagination. Occasionally, her aphasia is worse, and her speech is unintelligible mush.
Donald's speech sounds exactly the same. Nonsense, with occasional aphasia.
Sorry Dale for what you and your family is going through. And if that wasn't enough, you have to witness the rapid mental decline of the scumbag president that it's very consequential since what's coming after him its worse, namely, J D Vance. Thanks for your reply 👍
Thank you, Ricardo. "Rapid" is a key word! Last Christmas, Mom was at home taking care of herself. Her memory was good and she managed all the activities of daily living. Occasionally, she couldn't remember a word she was searching for, not unlike all of us.
Six months later, she is in Stage 5 of the seven stages of dementia. At Stage 7, the patient is non-communicative and unable to do anything without help, in effect, a vegetable.
Scumbag seems to be taking a little longer to advance through the stages, but he will get there. When he's incapacitated, we have the scourge of JD Vance to look forward to.
That's a real problem Dale. At least with the scumbag bag president, we know it's a TACO and eventually he would reverse many of the disastrous policies for one reason or another. Vance is being controlled by Peter Thiel, a total fascist and super intelligent. Compare how, from the shadows, he is absolutely influencing the way the regime operate against not so intelligent Musk that got in serious financial problems compromising the future of his companies just by being a showman. Trump its the lesser disaster from whom we can survive and start anew. Thanks Dale.
Yo Richard.., it's just the same kind of "T"umblespeak we've been getting all along. Like the little twerp in the WH briefing room insinuating that you and I want to keep criminals in our country and a let more in. Being talked down-to by some cross-sporting gold-digger who wouldn't now if she'd been bored or punched (an old hot-rodder term).
I don't know if you are Russian but since we are in the same boat, I can bet you are mad….thanks for your comment 👍
It’s not your dyslexia Ricardo. It was drumpfs typical rambling word salad.
Feeling relieved now Elizabeth 😁
Thanks!!!
It was like stream of unconsciousness.
I don't know about that Eleanor but what I know is that I was knocked out unconscious .
😄
I'm with you Ricardo. I asked myself where he was going with this. The answer is nowhere. Just another 🌮 moment I guess.
😄
The farmers are their voters and I’m sure Trump employs plenty of the criminal immigrants he’s crying about but wouldn’t pay for citizens because he’s too cheap.
Trump has many little bitches --- JD being the first. Many little sniveling bitches are needed to keep the lies spinning like tops.
They don't seem to care at all about anything. Meanwhile, Trump has gone into one of his tailspins over farmers, so while Stephen Miller is screaming at ICE for not detaining and deporting everyone in sight, someone has reminded Trump that if they start abducting people from farms then crops won't be harvested, prices will rise, inflation will go up, unemployment will go up and then he's actually fucked himself - again.
Which people have literally been saying all along.
Companies love illegals. They can underpay them, treat them like garbage and they can’t go to the authorities because they have illegal status.
It was like talking to a wall. Um immigration is not as easy as “rounding up all the “brown and black skinned”” Apparently white South Africans and white pedophile brothers from England are fine here.
Americans typically won’t work for that kind of money doing that kind of labor. Owners don’t want to deal with the headache of Americans demanding higher wages and safer work environments because it takes money from their profits.
This is what happens when you vote on lies.you get fascism….that has FINALLY gotten to American citizens. We are only six months in and Americans are seeing THEIR rights trampled. It was fine when everyone thought it wasn’t going to happen to THEM. They didn’t care about their fellow citizens rights being infringed (such patriots!). But NOW that THEY are being effected, they’re crybaby ing for reprieve they should never have had to beg or PAY for. We are all being extorted for protection money and loyalty pledges to a bunch of racist, know nothings who have no clue how to govern anything.
I'm with you, brother.
I also think they are robbing states, industries and people of their value…..things they have accumulated. These are very jealous, envious greedy people who don’t seem to have build much. The states they run do not have as much wealth, health or successes in education as the “”failing” Blue States whose incomes and innovation generated they rely on.
Trump hired a team of legal bozos so he’s extorting law firms with the best and brightest who don’t work for the government to do the legal work for the likes of Bondi for the coal industry.
I think we are going to see a lot more of our government walking in and simply taking the value in this country for themselves.
We must replay Vance’s words over and over for clarity. He said they NEED to take by force institutions because their own ideas have been rejected time and again. They aren’t going after FAILED institutions to steal. They are going after and taking by coup our Crown Jewels in education, law, muscle, entertainment….LA is still the entertainment capital of the world, and media to trick people into believing this has something to Do with love of country, not simple greed.
The only thing they seem good at is Wizard of Oz like fakery. What do they actually created of value or generate? Fake money in crypto that is so useless it needs to be tied to the dollar in order for any REAL investor to bite. Vitamins they sell on podcasts that do about the same as for health as candy cigarettes do for causing cancer. Uselssshuge seller I MAGA circles. Snake oil v medicines like statins and chemo.
On what planet would Mike Johnson be considered to lead anything?
Their goal is to control things they couldn’t build themselves. Nobody was stopping liberty university to churn out the brain power of Harvard except the inept people running it whose whole reason fro wealth and power was spiritual Ponzi scheme where their word replaced the word of God. Where their private jets and pool boys were what Jesus really meant when he said to administer to the sick and feed the poor.
Starting with the top, most respected successful jewels of our nation, they want to trickle down to the masses a sense of greed, corruption and willful ignorance to be just like THEM and that way we won’t notice our decline and suddenly they’ll revenge their real gripe…..People Do look down on them. They do think they are idiots. They do think they have no class and are unserious. Why? Because they have shown us for decades and been met with rejection. Not all. I used to respect the hell out of a lot of GoP politicians. And they did to them what they are now doing to Harvar, CA, SCOTUS……made them adhere to a bunch of thuggish dioshits.
I say hit them where it hurts…..stop all unnecessary shopping. IGNORE them. And when you are forced to engage, hit them with facts, laugh at them when they give a word salad non answer. I wish word could go out to simply stay home tomorrow. Innocent people are most likely going to be hurt. We have other protests tools in 2025 than taking to the streets. We could use social media for good for once and coordinate an effort that will not get people shot and not instill martial law. That’s their goal. I fear so many people in the country are handing them their last human rights on a silver platter.
Marcus, it has NOT gotten through to the MAGAts. They are doubling and tripling down on the fascist activities.
It seems to me (armchair lawyer) that by selecting some undocumented workers to stay and many to go, based on his declaration they are, after all, needed, he has undercut his own position.
Local ABC stations in Southern California broadcast film of ICE agents on Thursday at 6 AM raiding a strawberry field in Oxnard, CA.
ICE chased 3 strawberry field pickers down a row of unpicked strawberries. Video is widely available The United Farmworkers Foundation condemned Trump's "campaign of fear".
FYI folks, Ventura County does bout 2 billion, $2,000.000,000 of Ag business a year. That's a lot of strawberries & other food that bad childhood, worse teenage years, Santa Monica brat Steve Miller is not going to pick.
What an image. A whole team of ICE surround by National Guard and Marines to protect them running after 3 farm workers because we know they are violent criminals. If I were a cartoonist.
Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski!
45 years ago we had a neighbor who had been a migrant strawberry picker before some creative job applications and very quick learning put her on a path to becoming a tech trainer and eventual executive secretary to the president of one of the mini-Bells (that eventually became Qwest, IIRC) after Judge Harold Greene broke up AT&T.
Amazing what some strawberry pickers can do if you just give them a chance. I didn't get a fraction as far, being a relatively privileged White 14 year old that started out picking tobacco in the same area as MLK, Jr., and Calvin Coolidge, Jr.
See https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:bk1293109
He probably didn't realise he had a position.
NPR just announced that ICE goon squads are being deployed to agricultural regions in California to do exactly what the Felon in Chief claimed they would not do. And I know that they are rounding up agricultural workers in western Kansas, which is becoming a majority Latinx-population region.
Anything to wrest control of California from the hands of the woke, radical Democrats. Just like when he would only release money for fires after he was convinced the people affected voted for him, he’s now going after the farmers who most like vote overwhelmingly for Republicans.
It remains to be seen whether Trump's garbled statement about farmers will be interpreted as an injunction by Miller, Noem and Homan. I think he also mentioned the hospitality industry which is also heavily dependent on migrant labour.
I agree with you, Russell. By all appearances, Donald isn't really in charge. His handlers push him in front of the cameras to speechify or sign unconstitutional executive orders, and they help him tap out bleats on social media. But mostly, they let him go out and cheat at golf while Miller and Vought continue to run the Executive Branch the way they want to.
Yup, Russell, I’ve been trying to figure out Trump’s “worker shortage” solution. Lemme see now….which part of the military could Trump use to replace the Farmers that we are losing? I mean Trumpie says that “those jobs being almost impossible to replace,” but the U.S. Army and the Marines could do that work, right? I mean, they got shovels and dig foxholes, right? AND, Hotel and Leisure….??? How about the Air Force and the Navy and the Coast Guard? I mean, they know what it’s like to be flying around and cruising around and then get back to bed at a Barracks and grab a bite at the Mess Hall.
Hmmmmm….what do we do with the Space Force? Space is ‘way too vast to….?? Maybe Trump should ask Mike Pence about the most strategic use of “his” branch of the U.S. military.
Wait! Wait! Did I just hear Horny Hegseth telling Trump that the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines can’t be used as Field Hands or Cow Milkers or Manure Pile Monitors Hay Makers or Bellboys or Busboys or Sheet Changers or Toilet Cleaners, etc.!! We need our Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines to help the FBI and ICE and the SS to push around Question Asking Senators and Question Asking Reporters, etc. Maybe the Coast Guard and the Space Force could replace those “impossible to replace” workers??? I dunno.
Russell John Netto,,
This is chaos served with a large amount of ignorance.
FOX, Murdocks Russian Propaganda network is Trump's brain trust and go to employment agency for all his influencers.
And it’s a pretty thin line of republican support. It could break if three to four cowards on the R side start to realize their political careers depend on being on the right side of history.
I agree, but so far most of the opposition has come from the deficit hawks.
He hides his money and assets so what else is he hiding and how much does Trump have on him?
Sorry Sharon, who are we are talking about here? I've lost the thread.
It seems like I have too. I can’t find it.
Stephen Miller = Adolf Eichmann.
ICE = Gestapo
Kristi Noem = Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS.
Trump's BDAY military extravaganza = the Nazi film costume drama Kolberg (google it.)
lin...from Lynn... Miller always brings to mind Edvard Munch's. " The Scream " painting.
The Nazi Death Head.
At a recent protest, a woman had painted The Scream 😱 on a sign with EVERYDAY written on it. Brilliantly sums up life under this administration.
Oh..so eloquently phrased...Spot On! 👏👏👏
When Trump attended a performance of Les Mis yesterday he was asked whether he best identified with Jean Valjean or with Javert and he replied that that was a "tough question". He claims to love the musical and to have seen it several times but did he still not realise that Valjean is the good guy and Javert the bad guy?
Stephen Miller's wife, Katie, has a reputation of being as abrasive as he is. Bride of Dracula?
That’s his basic evasive response to everything.
When he doesn't really understand the question. How could he sit through this performance and not understand what the story was about? Do you remember his answers to questions about the bible?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERUngQUCsyE
I can see how he wouldn’t understand the story. How much of it did he sleep through? Is he capable of following the songs and understanding their meanings? He has no real concept of history, no real education and refuses to even listen to his briefings.
Notice no cameras were faced toward he or Melania- they were way back from the front of their box seats. Bet he needed to be pinched awake!
I think since he appointed himself chair of the Center he probably felt obligated to put in an appearance just as a display of power. In his first term, he regularly refused to attend its annual honours ceremony. His appointmnet has been formally confirmed by the board of trustees after he had re-populated it with his allies. It now includes the attorney general Pam Bondi, lobbyist Brian Ballard and singer Lee Greenwood, adviser Dan Scavino, his current chief of staff Susie Wiles, Wiles's mother, Pamela Gross, who is a former adviser to Melania Trump and the wives of VP J.D. Vance and commerce secretary, Howard Lutnik.
You're right about Trump's disdain for history. At Fort Bragg the other day he justified his decision to have his military parade tomorrow by claiming that the US had won World War I after being attacked by the Japanese.
May the good Lord strike him dead, one of these days.
Only the one in power is the good guy, the tough guy.
Macho macho man, I want to be a macho man.
Lin,
As what you say holds true, nothing IS as it WAS -- NOW our brains, relationships, foundations, work lives, sources of 'truth' are in an accelerated state of adaptation to a sane washed stream of events that our minds can barely fathom. OK I'm projecting based on the state of MY mind, but in the absence of moral guidance from a Wise President, We the People NEED to root and center and show up like never before. (As Palantir works its black magic with data about each of us).
I'm sure I don't know as much about the history as you, but I've been partial to comparing Stephen Miller to Reinhard Heydrich (whom Hitler described as the man with the iron heart per Wikipedia), for his early involvement in planning and I think the superior that assigned the evil tasks to Eichmann.
My tooth hurts. It needs to be extracted. It crowded my other teeth.
Here's a big firm hug to you Bill, now get your ass to the dentist and receive a big firm hug of relief.
I believe Bill's statement might be an allegory.
Oh…
Goons.
The Republican politicians' response to the Padilla fiasco: "While Democratic senators and representatives are outraged, they are having little success getting their Republican colleagues to join them." The takeaway? The crisis is real, tangible and present. The Republican politicians are complicit. My 90-year old brother and I are participating in the No Kings protest here in San Angelo, TX tomorrow, carrying signs.
God bless you, Richard -- and please think of me far off in the mountains of Kyushu, Japan.
Kyushu? Omoshiroi desu.
Might need a bullet proof vest in addition to a sign.
San Angelo is in Tom Green County. Tom Green was a general in the Confederate army. My great-great uncle, William Depriest Sutherland, age 18, died at the Alamo on March 6, 1836. I have petitioned to have the name changed to Sutherland County.
I believe one of my uncles was assigned there while I was stationed at Randolph. Because of his field, we could never talk much about what he did and little on where he was stationed, other than the huge amount of time he spent TDY in SEA, so much that it took an act of Congress to get them pay for leave in excess of the 60 day limit most were allowed to accrue. They were considered too essential to be granted leave before they started losing it due to the limit.
Yeah, Speaker Mikey Mouse; dweeb extraordinaire. Well said, Phil. Though highly unlikely, if Trump's term is to be truncated through assassination or military coup, it could occur this week-end. The big problem, outside of the violence, is that Vance is worse.🫣
They are wasting no time. Implementation of their plan is accelerating at high speed.
I continue to hear from various courts. There seems to be zero recognition of that from the Administration. There appears to be zero effective resulting action from the courts.
Congress is hamstrung by parrots. A situation that remains constant.
We are at the beginning of a very long, arduous and fraught journey.
I describe this far too lightly because I’m at a loss.
Nor can No Kings.
Where was the Senator’s protection? Why didn’t they fight Noem’s pigs?
I’m guessing they didn’t think he needed to be followed into a press conference by a member of the administration because surely he should have been safe in a pre-vetted room in a protected federal building.
Indeed, who could imagine a Senator needing protection everywhere within that building ?
It was rather disgusting to see FBI, Border Patrol, and other LEO, standing around watching while doing nothing we could see to stop it. I watched the whole 36+ minutes and they didn't seem to do anything during the 18 minutes or so after the incident at 8 or 9 minutes into the briefing
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMw_BoQ6W3g&t=46s
If they had been there, fought back, someone would have been shot!
https://search.app/P13PT9u2ypZXS6R48
Just watched HCRs video “What happened to Senator Padilla today” on YouTube and checked what Noem said about the socialist and burdensome government of LA and California. Here is the link above— 7 minutes in on PBS.
If you think those tanks and soldiers are in DC for a parade, think again!
Congress switchboard
202-224-3121
Noem is such a liar.
I especially liked seeing Kristi Noem being upset about officers being doxed (at 7:58 in), and MASKED protestors throwing things at police officers at 8:47 into the 36 minute briefing.
I know who seemed to start the doxing against Poll Workers and so many other government officials. Every single doxer, from either side needs to face the legal consequences and/or civil law suits. It is unacceptable from either side.
A mystery to me is the lack of a transcript I usually expect to see, at least in rough generated form. Without a transcript, it is harder for me to find out exactly what was said and when. I have to resort to finding what I need to play, at as slow a speed as required, to clarify exactly what was said despite my bad ears.
The lack of a transcript reminds me that Trump pulled the transcripts of his Arlington and West Point Speeches. To me they should be required official and accessible records, and I'd like to see neutral interviews of representative portions of the audiences to see if they were hand selected or filtered, for deceptive reasons.
“Howdy doodyJohnson” says it all. A puppet.
Howdy Doody indeed! And President Finious T. Bluster to boot! Somebody call Buffalo Bob…
Let’s not forget that Barbie shot her 14 month old dog. How sick. What kind of person does that? She disgusts me, but I’m betting that if she weighed 30-40 more pounds, Trump wouldn’t have given her a second look. Same with the other Barbies in his administration. He’s a pig.
How can you [we] soar with the EAGLES if you're [we're] walking around with "jive turkeys"...and now - again - the EAGLES are experiencing the attempt at trying to be led by the leader of the "jive turkeys" and his fellow despicable flock!
If this isn't frustrating sadness - well...
Phil. Like most of us I hear and am also very angry, frustrated with all this 💩
The videos of the January 6 riots show a whole lot of lunging by people eager to overthrow our democratically elected government. Noem is projecting again when she accuses Padilla of lunging at her. Make your sign now for your local No Kings rally on Saturday!
Mrs. Betty Bowers:
“Kristi Noem has that rare ability to shoot her dog in the face and it *still* not be the worst thing she ever did in her sorry, lying life.”
She has been banned by tribal reservations in her home state from ever coming in.
At least some people have brains and moral courage.
Kristi Noem reminds me of Cruela de Ville.
Andy Borowitz:
"Kristi Noem is Stephen Miller
With hair extensions and tons of filler"
Assistant captain of the varsity psychopath team.
Mine says simply "Restore sanity & decency." I considered "Defund Gestap-ICE" but I'm trying to remain positive. It ain't easy.
Not saying there are Jan 6 "convicted by due process, but pardoned," in ICE, but do find it a bit curious that such violators of the Constitution have at least started wearing masks (and I believe leaving out name patches), to make it harder to identify them.
I remember Mike Johnson wanting to reveal all the Jan 6 video and doing so until he realized so many more of the Jan 6 unmasked offenders were able to be identified.
Kristi Noem should be wearing a mask, too, every time she violates the Constitution.
Hi Jim, We need to identify ice individuals. They could be your neighbors…. De mask them, & publicize WHO THEY ARE in communities. They try to hide. No, they hide their identities.
on purpose. We need to get ahead of this gang of white nationalist thugs.
I love that idea!!! Put a mask over that cold, heartless plastic face!!!
And Trump should wear an ICE mask every time he violates the Constitution, too.
Someone posted this gem:
We're not subjects - We're not objects either
Make your sign say: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY DON. HOPE YOU HAVE MANY MORE — IN PRISON. “
No. Not my tax payer dollars to feed the SON in Jail. Best to say goodbye forever on a sign over his cadaver.
Oh I will happily contribute tax dollars to see him in a cell for awhile first.
On another matter of political burlesque, did y'all see any of the 'Oversight' hearing of three Democratic Governors? Comer packed the dais with belligerent boobs featuring high-decibel hissey fits, often targeting Governor Walz.🤬
Perhaps, M.A.G.A. feels threatened by Governor Gipper. And these are the hacks who doth protest too much about Democratic politicians 'weaponizing government. A political performance art, the hearing was grotesque and brutal. 😳
https://www.c-span.org/clip/house-committee/user-clip-mace-v-walz/5165472 🤢
As an erstwhile Republican and confused conservative, I am disgusted by this behavior by thugs and this mob-violence, on a verbal level, in a Committee hearing.🖕
https://www.c-span.org/clip/house-committee/user-clip-rep-stephen-lynch-ranking-member-opening-statement-sanctuary-city-hearing/5165463 😱
We need to send ill-dootch-bag and his craven Congressional quislings packing if we are to avoid a civil war. I am ready; I will not last long, but I will fight. Yet Vance is even worse.⚖️
Nancy Mace is one of the most unhappy people I’ve ever watched.
That clip left me feeling sick. Someone ought to teach her a lesson or 2. I would have answered-I know women, and you, Nancy, are no woman.
That would have been perfect. I am sure that the Governor was flummoxed.🙄
Who would not have been?😳
The I.C.E. people -- ¿infiltrated by pardoned mobsters from 06jan21? -- wear balaclavas, often do not wear uniforms; there seem to be no identifying patches when they do.🤬🖕😱
Sounds a lot like the Gestapo to me. 🤢
Good for Representative Lynch and Governor Walz for calling them out for what they are and how they act.💡✌🏼⚖️
She’s mentally ill but the rich protect their own instead of getting them help.
Never forget January 6.
Another day that should live in Infamy
HELL YEAH. 🤢
HELL NO.
Another brilliant observation Linda. Brava !
True, Noem is one amongst the most despicable people. How bent can a person be to make a career of being a facile, non-stop, bold faced liar.
Where does the “Republican” party manage to find so many cretins?
I wondered the same thing. I believe he and Miller spent the last few years searching for the perfect “partners in crime”…They are all really “messed up” people…but this couldn’t happen without them.
"Send ICE back to Russia!"
I’ll go one step further: Hitch a ride, get a cab (not Uber!), crawl on your hands and knees if you have to but get to a rally in your town to demonstrate that We the People will not be subjected to this criminal administration. Be on the right side of history when your grandchildren ask you what you were doing when the coup was overthrown.
She would've killed him if he was a puppy.
Peacefully protest.
My husband and I are Californians. We met 55 years ago in Washington, DC after he got out of fighting in the Vietnam war. This day was really shitty with Sen. Padilla forcibly being removed from Noem’s lying press conference. I called his office and acknowledged what he tried to do and how appalling it was for us to see him manhandled by Noem’s goons. I don’t care if he was not arrested. He was accosted! Imagine if you were not white as many here are not and you are hauled off like that. These draconian actions are happening and people are rightfully scared. I am, for my fellow man/woman/children. What can you do about it? Call your Congressional reps are demand they come to LA and stand arm-in-arm to show solidarity. CALL them. WRITE to them. Do Not turn your head and say you can’t do anything because, yes, you can and you should. If nothing else, find the biggest event of your lifetime, NO KINGS DAY this Saturday, and peacefully protest. Make this your goal! In the meantime, in spite of this crappy day with Netanyahu now going after Iran, my husband and I celebrated our 49th anniversary. We pigged out on the Cheesecake Factory’s cheesecakes!
I don’t care if he was not arrested. He was accosted!
Accosted, assaulted and defamed. This is the party from which an official yelled "You lie" during Obama's state of the Union. MAGA is trying to make bullying cool again.
And they continue to lie brazenly like it doesn't matter. They're all 'stone cold liars'.
And unfortunately all those lies are repeated day in and day out on Fox. So much brainwashing.
For those without brains.
Soon to be stone cold......
Steady on , Chris!
He should sue Kristi Noem and her goons with assault!
He was set up. They knew he'd be there, they surely knew who the hell he was.
It looked far to planned.
I left a message of support with Senator Padilla’s SF office as well. I wish I could find a word stronger than appalling. (Well, there is and it begins with f.)
Oh YES…that word is often flying off of my tongue! But thank you for calling his office. He needs to hear from us.
Oh Marlene, the F word has been an adverb, adjective, noun, verb, conjugation, participle and any other part of grammar I may have forgotten for the last 10 years.
hahahahaha…pretty soon, we are going to have to diagram sentences like the good ole days, Margaret!
I worked with a guy who used that word as every single particle of speech; he LOVED it when I essentially read that to him at one point. There is a coffee mug out there that illustrates this, but I cannot find a link.
unfuknblvbl is what it is Margaret
I didn’t think of calling but I was following the news right up until we got evacuation orders for a fire behind us. Then I had to coral cats and load my car. Thankfully they stopped it at 44 acres. It was windy.
Happy Anniversary, Marlene!
During the time I have been an HCR subscriber, I have greatly enjoyed the off and on interactions via our collective comments with so many people, you definitely near the top of the list. Cheesecake away, my friend!
I will be in downtown L.A. on Saturday marching, agitating and making good trouble, doing my small part to demand that America be America again, and not the Amerika that Trump, Canine Killer Kristi and the rest of his goons want us to be.
Thank you for your wonderful words about the truly ghastly and game changing assault on Senator Padilla, and until next time,
Peace,
D
Daniel, I agree….love this community
Awwww…thank you, Daniel! Good for you that you’ll be in the heart of CA protesting! I will do the same in the Bay Area. May we all, throughout the country and the world, stand up straight against the fascist tyranny!!
When we call and write to our Members of Congress, we can relay HCR's insight that the emphasis belongs on Noem's statement about using the military to take over for the elected governor and mayor--which is a coup. Noem's statement prompted Sen. Padilla to respond, and then got overshadowed by the security guys' assault and handcuffing Sen. Padilla. The enactment of the Trump regime's planning since February to use ICE detentions to trigger civil unrest, thus engineering the excuse to bring in the military as the overruling force of the federal government, is a bigger issue than the conduct of the few individuals involved in the assault of Sen. Padilla--as serious as that is.
The Trump regime's coup move against California is the first domino of 50. So get your members of Congress, governor, and attorney general to stand up to the MAGA agenda manifested in their Big Bad Budget Bill for Billionaires (which increases the budget for the military and DHS/ICE at the expense of Social Security, healthcare, and much more) and not let your state's domino fall. Republican electeds particularly have to hear the voices of their constituents, and the Democrat electeds have to get louder, more creative, and persuasive.
Then talk it up among your friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, because chances are that many of them belong to the Did Not Vote Party, and getting them to vote for Democrats is where we move the needle to keep our democracy!
Marlene, thank you for reminding us of what we can do about it, and Happy Anniversary!
Over on the Bulwark's Substack last night I made the point that Noem's 'remarks' bear careful scrutiny: they are filled with erroneous assertions and claims and labels that will not stand up under scrutiny. She showed herself glib, ice cold, bristling in her rectitude , once again a chilling sycophant to her "dear leader" before whom she abjectly grovels, a cold soul if there ever was one.
Hendrik, she is the ICE Queen.
Thank you so much, Ellie!! I appreciate you in so many ways. 💕
Happy Anniversary!
Thank you, George!
Happy Anniversary and I totally agree. We must all take to the streets, call our representatives and senators and demand that they do something to stop this insanity. Unfortunately, our representative is the ass kisser Bill Huizenga so I already know he will push through the line to kiss the ring!
Call his ass anyway and relay your disgust with him doing nothing but kissing the ring!
Trust me. I do!
Oh and thank you, Collette!!
Every political leader in my department red state has his (or her) head up Trump’s butt in total fealty.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to fuck over Ukraine refusing to put sanctions on his best buddy Putin. Every hour of every day, he ignores his oath to "WE THE PEOPLE" as do all of his Fascist sadistic hateful underlings.
THERE IS NO MORE REPUBLICAN PARTY. THEY ARE ALL FASCIST NAZIS.
No only refusing to sanction Putin but diverting equipment designated for Ukraine to Israel.
Thank you for reminder to call his office in support, Marlene! I’ve been so horrified and furious at the treatment of him, and by extension, my beloved home state, that I’ve been in angry sputtering tears all afternoon. Make no mistake, there is a strong undercurrent of racism in the Senator’s treatment here. Calling and offering my pride and support for him should have been my first reaction. Off to call! AND happy anniversary!
Thank you, Cary! Oh yes, undercurrent might be the word you are using but blatant is mine. It’s awful and like Padilla tearfully said, every one of us is subject to this kind of treatment.It’s fascism
Happy Anniversary! May you have many more!
Thank you, Gloria!
Happiest anniversary ever Marlene: No matter what !
Thank you D4N!!
Happy anniversary!
Thanks, Margaret!
Happy Anniversary!! I love their Godiva chocolate cheesecake! 😊🥰😍
Thanks JR! Every one of their desserts we salivate over! Going to have the walk the dog an extra mile tomorrow. :)
Well thanks for putting that image in my head. 😉
The other day the talk was all about TACOs.
Now this.
My diet is shot all to Hell. 😮
Congrats on your anniversary!
HA! Mine is definitely shot now! Thanks, Bob!
These are not the times for dieting.
These are the times for stress eating!
Happy Anniversary, Marlene!
Thank you so much, my wonderful friend!
Happy anniversary Marlene and husband ❤️🤍💙! Wishing you both many, many, many more ☮️💟!!
Thank you, LInda!! Peace to us all!
Happy Anniversary to you both!
Thank you, Lynn!
Happy Anniversary! And many more.
Is this what this country has come to?
Why is the military tolerating this?
Why are Republicans silently tolerating this? Rubio? Graham? Romney? Family-values church-going Republicans?
Are they willing to let the US rot to the likes of Trump, Miller, Bannon, Vance, Noem, Hegseth, Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg?
Supreme Court: Are your stomachs turned yet?
This is absurd.
To be fair, Bezos is still subsidizing The Washington Post which is still reporting news accurately. Let's include the right tech bros in your comment -- Peter Thiel who owns Palantir, David Sacks who's the Trump Administration's crypto and AI czar, Marc Andreessen who unforrunately is still a major investor in Substack, Brian Armstrong who's the CEO of Coinbase. Read San Francisco journalist Gil Duran's The Nerd Reich at thenerdreich.com for a more accurate and complete picture of the tech bro players involved. And, let's not forget their "philosopher" Curtis Yarvin.
The Post is NOT reporting news accurately or fairly. It virtually hides key articles about Trump at the bottom of pages. When it reports his words, it cleans them up -- it never cites his Social Disease rants. Not one word of Trump's disgusting speech at Ft Bragg could be found (even as the New York Times devoted a long article explaining the caddish behavior and the renaming of 9 Army bases). Headlines are written by apparent 11-year-olds so inept and unprofessional in what they do as to turn serious articles by serious journalists into mincemeat. Every day the paper moves toward some e-version of The National Enquirer. Serious journalists and editors have fled it like rats off a ship. Its comment system has been reduced to a Bezos-chosen AI-nanny bot system which benefits only Bezos, not its readers.
Those of us still subscribing to it, but holding our noses find it very difficult to continue supporting it at all, even with reduced subscription prices.
I just canceled my subscription to WaPo after reading the latest editorial. There are still people there I trust and respect but, it is getting very thin.
I noted yesterday a very right slanted article. Will mot read them again! Shame. They do have some great reporters. I am afraid they have their days counted.
I'll admit I don't read all of WaPo daily, partly because I've got a digital subscription but also because I don't have time. I do read the headlines I get on my phone and do the same for the NY Times. I'm aware that the news reporting functions separately from the editorial and op ed pages for both newspapers. I get most of my news from @heathercoxrichardson"s daily "Letters from an American," @GilDuran, who writes thenerdreich.com and theframelab.org, as well as select Substack content creators (@AaronParnas is great when you don't have time) + podcasts. I've known for years all publications have a bias -- e.g., The New York Times has never covered the Middle East situation w/out its bias (former NY Times Middle East bureau chief Chris Hedges does a great job w/ that if you can handle reading what he writes on a daily basis) -- and use my media literacy skills accordingly.
I did include the right tech bros in my comment. Bezos is responsible.
I just added some who aren't as visible publicly. Unfortunately, one of them is Marc Andreessen whose investment is responsible for the startup of this platform and is still a big investor in it. As I recall, @Heather Cox Richardson began writing these on Facebook and, as her large following developed quickly, Substack reached out to her while she was searching for tech to do what it can do in terms of volume.
My reply added some who were missing. Please take the time to check out San Francisco journalist and former CA Dem staffer #GilDurán's #TheNerdReich at thenerdreich.com. #HeatherCoxRichardson reads that daily and recently hosted him for a conversation via video on her platform for good reasons. Mainstream media hasn't done enough to get the word out. He's reporting a very important story! There's a link to that video on her Facebook page and YouTube channel.
And Leonard Leo.
Yes, thank you -- and the Federalist Society, alongside The Heritage Foundation.
Absurd indeed. What this country has come to is the place it has been heading since Reagan used the white supremacist beliefs of a majority of white Americans to convince 70% of the white working class to abandon their unions and vote for union busters.
Speaking of absurd, here in Baghdad By the Sea, Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader from Miami who Trump pardoned for his participation in the Jan. 6 attack, wants citizens to take deporting undocumented immigrants into their own hands. Literally, he has an app for that. Tarrio has announced he will be the “czar” of an independent organization that pays people cryptocurrency for reporting undocumented migrants.
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article308487610.html#storylink=cpy
Sickening. That’s such a Nazi trick Tarrio is using and extra douchey with the crypto.
My very first thought, horal! Sickening !
That's so crazy, disorderly and unlawful -- which describes him so well. Then again, that's somewhat like some anti-abortion laws that encourage people to turn in anyone who aids someone to get an abortion and is so extreme that women having miscarriages are facing legal consequences for having done so.
Had to leave my phone to go vomit.
Why are they wearing those hideous masks? How can they get away with hiding their identities?
Willing no, enthusiastically in favor of. Fascists gonna fascist. They don't give a damn about the US, they are Republicans. Its all power and corruption and overthrowing democracy for authoritarianism in support of an illiterate fraud.
They are Nazis. There is no more Republican party in America.
These frogs have been marinating in the far right's slowly-boiling pot for 65 years, going back to Goldwater (an upstanding decent man in comparison to today's scum). Most of the Big Gargoyles today got their start as Little Gargoyles working for that Fount of all Evil, Richard Motherfucker Nixon. This fascist revolution has been brewing a long time. Back to 1868 when they first tore the mask off of being "Lincoln Republicans."
It was Roger Ailes who took the idea of a Republican TV network to Nixon … and Fox “News” was born.
Contact your GOP senators; even if they choose to keep their cowardly mouths shut about Senator Padilla’s despicable treatment, they need to hear that we’re watching.
Here is the email that I sent to GOP senators Grassley and Ernst. Feel free to copy or adapt, if desired. (Note, I do mention Iowa, specifically, in paragraph 2).
Senator, I implore you to speak out loudly that you abhor the treatment of Senator Padilla after he attempted to ask a question of Kristi Noem at a public press conference on June 12.
Senator Padilla has the duty and obligation to query the federal government’s activities in his home state. Constituents in California have the right to expect their Senator to know everything about the military presence on their own streets. I can only hope that you, too, would ask questions if the president were to send the military—uninvited— to Iowa after a couple hundred people protested in a largely peaceful manner (yes, even if a few cars were to be illegally set on fire by un-named persons).
The manhandling of Senator Padilla is inexcusable. Please, let this be a democratic norm that you will not tolerate the president to cross. Condemn this and demand that such an outrage will never again be allowed.
“Why is the military tolerating this?” I ask myself this almost every day. How do they obey an illegal order, don’t they realize the next one could take aim at their family, friends, neighbors? The courts and the military must honor their oaths and when they fail to do so, they must be immediately, publicly, loudly, consistently reminded by WE THE PEOPLE.
What is the matter with them??
It really is absurd!!! Shockingly hard to believe!!!
I found the interview Senator Padilla gave to NBC News after the horrible incident with DHS Secretary Noem's goon squad. Link below. The key point for me is... he was escorted into the press conference by the people he was there with for a previously scheduled briefing ... a briefly that did not take place once the people he was with learned Noem was just down the hall having this press conference. He did not "barge into the room and lunge at her". He says he sat in the back and listened to her... and when she talked about "freeing the people of Los Angeles from the Democratic leadership of the governor and mayor" (I'm paraphrasing), he could listen no more, stood up, said he had a question and was immediately forcibly removed from the room.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M4zy7qvs1E
The idea that a sitting US Senator in his own state the Homeland Security is "visiting" -- the same state erupting in angry demonstrations her very actions are causing -- two doors down from him, and NOT give his office a courtesy notification, and then claim she was there to "liberate" California from the "socialists" and "insurrectionists" and "rebellions" in the name of the People of Los Angeles and of California (whom she does not even represent) is the first outrage, with the others following.
Even had she been too drunk with pissiness and too memory-impaired to remember who the ranking member of the Committee that pays her salary was, somebody on her staff would know. The video makes clear: nobody from her protective posse said one word while he was identifying himself and being grabbed by her goons. The Queen of Spades watched in silence, relieved that she could once again return to the bullshit narrative that made him speak out in the first place.
I agree with you 100 percent. Courtesy is a foreign word to Trump and his people. All they know to do is their master’s bidding. 🤮
Zero decency.
They expected him, knew he would be there, and planned this little display.
Their masters are GEO and CoreCivic, among others.
https://coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/03/immigrant-owner-of-ice-detention-center-doubles-his-money-with-trump/68123/
Noem even got her phone out and filmed the entire appalling display of gestapo tactics being used on Senator Padilla.
She wanted that for her upcoming employee reivew.
Please share a link to this reporting. Thanks
OMG!!! The “Queen of Spades”!!! I LOVE it!!!
The video evidence, as in the McIver case. is very clear. The issue is whether there will be any repurcussions at all for this abysmal administration.
Thanks for that link. He also did a general press briefing and sat down to talk with Tommy Vietor of Pod Save America.
Can we all just take a moment and appreciate what it must be like to experience such a harrowing event, then immediately to go 1) keep your meeting appointment with Noem, and 2) spend the rest of your day in press interviews? Dude. If it were me, I would be dying for a private spot to go for a run, have a strong drink, and crawl into bed.
Way to fight and serve, Senator. Good on ya.
And have a good, private cry…I felt like he was holding back tears…
He was amazingly composed.
And the goon squad there strangely appeared to have this all planned out.
^^^^^THIS^^^^^
Nobody - I MEAN NOBODY - no matter who they think they are, no matter what authority they think they have - should be allowed to assault an elected official. THEY should be arrested and charged appropriately. State and local law enforcement should step up and do so, should this happen again.
This is far beyond the pale of anything I have ever witnessed, and I lived through the tumultuous 60s, etc.
Absolutely. The double standard between THE REAL INSURRECTIONISTS OF January 6, 2021 and the fake ones in LA now is indecent, illegal and immoral
Hmm, it’s late, I cannot sleep, I am old but, just what the hell was Trump talking about in His statements about farmers and hospitality folks ? They love their workers who’ve been with them for decades but Trump is deporting them to protect said farmers? Someone help me understand Trump’s comments. He sounds deranged. He is unhinged.
You nailed him, deranged and unhinged
Sorry, there is no way to understand this moron. He babbles while the P2025 folks feed him their agenda.
I suspect some wealthy friend of Trump got in his ear to complain about the lowly workers being deported damaging business. Because those are the only people outside his administration he cares to hear from and it's always like the first time he's ever heard whatever they tell him.
I think it stems from a widely reported raid on an Omaha meat packer. The owner was baffled as his workers were all e-verified. He basically said “I voted for the leopards eating faces party but I never thought they would eat MY face”.
He sees good people on both sides. He acknowledges the importance of the people doing the work and the need to get all the brown people out by saying they are being replaced by bad people he is removing. Perfect sense if you can’t follow a thought to the end. And millions feel he is telling it right because they don’t think either.
He's removing the bad people who replaced the good people he removed. . .
There. Don't you feel better now it's been explained?
When I listen to trump's "explanation" - my teeth start to itch. . .
I'm squinting... standing on my head..... and yes... I do.......I do feel better!
I knew you would. Net time you hear trump starting to talk - put your elbow in your ear. . .
The stupid schmuck makes no sense. Those dopes think the tariffs were such a great idea and it absolutely blew up their contemptible faces. Just wait until the migrant workers are so scared that no one will pick crops for fear of ICE goon squads raiding another strawberry field. The idiots are wrecking the economy by terrorizing, deporting and detaining people that are so vital to its functioning. The criminals that should be deported are Trump and his regime...
The extermely rich want open immigration to undermine union scale wages.
Meanwhile the Kochs and Federalist Society are suing Trump over tariffs. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/08/new-civil-liberties-alliance-lawsuit-trump-tariffs-china/82996118007/
Know thy enemy.
I see Trump acting as though wanted to be the top “cherry picker” if he weren’t a white American citizen upon his birth. What a hypocrite!
You are not alone in having a difficult time understanding what he was saying. The man is incapable of expressing a coherent statement yet alone making any sense to anyone who isn’t just another sycophantic idiot who wants to feel blessed by their mighty tyrannical leader whose strings are being pulled by the greatest puppeteer in this nation, Stephen Miller. Please don’t feel confused. He is indeed unhinged. Please join in with the No Kings Day movement in any way possible, as I will be doing. I am limited by some physical issues but I will be in an air conditioned car in a motorcade on Saturday while cheering on the parade in the 105 degree heat of Tucson, Arizona!🤗💙🇺🇸
Trump looks nutsy koo koo and needs to be evaluated for involutary civil commitment. A discussion of his mental state should be the predicate for every tactical policy decision he's been making.
The media should be asking: IS HE NUTS?
According to guys like Trump, my people, i.e. OSHA, were like the Gestapo. He was the poster boy for "employer sanctions" for hiring illegals to work on his job sites. Had to pay fines and make restitution. As a result, he uses temporary foreign workers on his properties to displace Americans.
For some, raids like these have been ongoing since the Clinton administration.
From my perspective, had they wanted to cut off illegal employment, they'd attack employers who hire "under the tabe," paying substandard wages, avoiding liability for workers' compensation, IRS and SS taxes, etc.
Ironically the center of the universe for employers breaking immigration laws are places like Home Depot parking lots.....
As HCR has termed it "word salad."
Word freeway pile-up.
He is deranged and dangerous.
Wow. Busy day in the batshit crazy world of Cheetolini . . .
So much flagrant criminality in a single day, and yet another group of judges decides to slow-roll things and hold up a VERY clear (and correct) decision on the guard mobilization. A mobilization that was done with the classic Trumpian incompetence and TOTAL disdain for the troops.
They are not being paid, there are no plans for them to sleep, eat, or use bathrooms. They are sleeping on concrete floors, and unlike when California activated them to help the fire victims and the community was massively supportive, they are getting zero support since they are now mobilized as political puppets and potential storm troops for Pee Wee German's (Stephen Miller) wet dream. . . .
Puppy killer ICE Barbie needs to be held accountable not just for the lies she endlessly spews, but for overseeing a direct attack on a sitting senator. Sadly, the GQP scumwads in congress are such cowardly collaborators, that they can't seem to find the spine (or the brainpower) to speak out. . .
A truly dark day . . . Thank you once again for documenting it. Future historians will appreciate it.
Presumably, after the Breyer ruling yesterday Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass will at least do them the courtesy of feeding them before sending them away.
They had Sen. Padilla on his KNEES! They loved it. There must be consequences for this kind of behavior. We can’t let it be normalized.
They had him face down on the floor.
And he was so amazingly graceful about it.
I tried to submit this to Attorney General Bonta, but there was no appropriate category in the Procrustean list of reasons for contacting him so I sent it to Senator Padilla‘s office:
“ I do not understand why the Attorney General of California cannot issue an arrest warrant for Kristi Noem and the federal agents who assaulted you today.
You presented no physical threat to her, and it is absolutely not credible that she did not know your identity as she continued talking and ignored the assault that was being perpetrated on you under her authority.
This administration continues to commit unlawful violent acts on innocent citizens.
Today they added your name to the list.
Unless they are opposed with force, they will continue to do this and thousands and potentially millions of people will suffer as a result of the forces of the rule of law and democracy fecklessly refusing to oppose them.”
Obviously he has employed for years many (only?) undocumented immigrants at his hotels
That was my thought exactly. People who work in his hotels and grounds people at his golf courses. What a puke.
No, hang on a minute. If you read his comment, he says that the baddies are replacing the goodies.
So the staff at trump hotels are now rapists and murderers?
Boy, that sure is a USP!
The problem, of course, is that we have insurrectionists on the Supreme Court—actual insurrectionists on the highest court in the land. I live in San Antonio, Texas, and I’ll be going to the protest, despite the governor calling up the National Guard. He will not dissuade me from exercising my constitutional right to dissent.
We must not let this insurrectionist president deter us with threats and fear. Think of what our forefathers sacrificed to give us this nation. Now it’s our time to show up—peacefully, of course—but show up!
Thank you for showing up!
As the senator said….miserable propagandists.
Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly.
Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to your own reps, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit?usp=drivesdk
Everyone needs to reach out to publicize far and wide that We the People are not fooled by the outrageous lies being broadcast by Noem that Senator Alex Padilla attempted to threaten and assault her!!! The multiple videos out there from different angles in a roomful of reporters reveals her dishonesty and gaslighting!!! A public servant being handcuffed for trying to ask a question, what is happening in this country???! Imagine if one was not a senator... a farmer, field worker, waitress, nurse's aid, construction worker...
I agree. That’s why I started the news tab. I think we might have to shift some calling and writing to push news agencies to share the true reality more. We need to send photos and videos to them in order to push their acknowledgement of honest news that maybe they’re too intimidated (by the administration) to share
What’s “the news tab”? Excuse my ignorance. I just can’t follow everything anymore.
My head just exploded from reading that incoherent word salad about farm workers. Good grief, who is running the country (rhetorical question)?
Vladimir Putin & Stephen Miller are running this country. Hollywood couldn't make this up.
The fact Trump has control of the troops in Los Angeles over the weekend of the No Kings Day demonstrations is ominous. The biggest LA rally is planned for downtown, where the Bernie-AOC rally drew 36,000 for LA's biggest demonstration ever, right where all the shit's been going down for the past week. People are expecting more people than were there in April. That was nonviolent and this one will be too, but we can definitely expect some "provocateurs" from the Trumpscum to show up and try to light a match that leads to a not-so-nice LAPD police riot. Having been through all three LAPD riots going back to the first on in Century City 58 years ago, this really has the potential for trouble. I doubt there are 10 people who will be there with my experience of violent demonstrations "back in the day." We need to make certain that nonviolence rules the day. If we can pull off a huge demonstration, at that location, and show that TACO's call for a crackdown has resulted in no heads cracked, that will be a loud argument in court on the 17th. If you see any scumbags, or just 20 year old morons with a bug up their asses, call them out for the provocateurs they are and chase them away - they won't want anything to do with a crowd that has recognized them for what they are. Stick together with your friends and comrades, stay away from the police (unless you're line dancing in front of them like some people did Monday and Tuesday), keep solidarity and show the Trump cowards that you aren't. A coward. We can win this if we show the world we're the ones in charge of what happens.