Today President Joe Biden pardoned more than 2000 former military personnel who had been convicted of engaging in consensual sex under a gay sex ban in the military that has since been repealed. People covered under the pardon can apply to have their military discharges corrected and to recover the pay and benefits the convictions cost them. “[M]aintaining the finest fighting force in the world…means making sure that every member of our military feels safe and respected,” Biden said in a statement.
"Donald Trump poses a direct threat to every fundamental American value. He doesn’t care about our country. He doesn’t care about you. He only cares about himself. And he’ll hurt anyone or anything in pursuit of power.”
Yes 🙌 and in stark contrast, President Joe Biden has to be one of the most reasonable, empathetic, intelligent and honest leaders we could ever want and worth every vote in this presidential election.
The Supreme Court only validated and codified sleeze bag influence peddling. It’s the American way. We had an opportunity to close it in Citizens United but with a 5 to 4 vote, allowing unlimited campaign funding by non persons, the seeds were sown for the eventual transformation of a government and people into mega wealth on one side and serfdom on the other. Aside of the massive corruption that is expected part of the methodology of doing business (really it’s always been this way but now it’s codified and it’s on steroids), today it’s difficult to find a single proprietor establishment to patronize. Not impossible but difficult. And since I am one myself, I often ask if the store I’m in is corporate owned or single proprietor.
This new Supreme Court codification of bribery is the last obstacle to authoritarian rule and this rule won't come from the left. Which is why I have always advocated for a robust political center. My prediction is that Tyranny awaits us so ladies, start ironing those red habits. You will comply or be placed in birthing chambers with hands and feet shackled to the gurney only to repeat same as dairy cows. After all, more milk will be needed. Those past prime will be utilized as housemaids. Salute to the Handmaid’s Tale.
It would be of more help to us “ladies” if you would move on from the doomsaying and involve yourself concretely in getting Democrats elected. There are so many opportunities to do that.
Joy, I spent 3 years agonizing writing a book about the worst monster in our history. Sorry if you don’t like my opinions. But this is a platform to express opinions. An I have expressed many about modifying our own sometimes dense political policies that have put us where we are, ie, the border for one. Now we have the governor from MA visiting Texas to begging them to stop sending migrants to MA. I’ve been stating this was a problem ad nausium for a long time. I have been railing on this lack of control under Biden for 3 years. In fact, I addressed the predominance of current political leadership to not follow from the previous one just as Trump proceeded to rip up NAFTA and end the agreement with Iran just so he could attach his name to them. Guess what. The ancient Egyptian leaders frequently had the noses chopped of previous leader’s statues believing that in doing so, it ended any influence they might have had. So what did Biden do? He ended the restrictions on migration that the previous leader invoked.
I am not a cheerleader for anyone. I express my opinions accordingly and if you don’t like them and they disturb you, don’t read them. Or continue castigating me as you wish. But don’t tell me to keep silent. Or the Handmaidens await you. (Said in jest., of course.)
Lastly, I’m from the very blue state of Connecticut. We will be voting for Biden. I also applied to be a vendor at the national convention in order to promote my book and sell civil rights oriented prints. And lastly, I tried finding an ear in the Biden administration to consider having him do a Fireside like Chat because Biden done project well. And it’s all about projecting not just doing. So I have done probably a whole lot more than most have. So pa-lease…
And perhaps I should boldly ask you, Joy, to pick up a copy of my book in case you question my integrity. It’s only $15 softcover, lol. Less than the price of a martini in a swanky nightclub. (OK, I can hear it coming. Go ahead.)
Hey Bill. It occurs to me that Joy may have simply been having a very reactionary moment, so just 'spilled'. You know who you are, as do we. Btw, that was a good suggestion you forwarded to the JB camp; at least I think so.
I agree about Joy. I purposely used “ladies” to instigate because that’s my middle name. As to Joe Biden, he simply doesn’t communicate well. He could still begin a weekly or bi-weekly chat. But he has no one giving this kind of outside the box raporrt.ill call one of my senators now for the bell of it . I’ve read some of the masters like Abraham Lincoln I would give anything to watch a video of o e of his speeches.
The barbarians have crashed the gateS. Even Winston would have trouble with optimism. Nah, he was the gold standard for optimism. Remember the British bulldog…
I've favored and intentionally sought out proprietorships in all things for decades. Corporate hegemony has only added to my determination. Bigger is 'not' better.
With respect to a quibbling response to your belief that all Trump cares about is himself, I'd like to agree with your assessment by expanding upon it. I think it's safe to add that TFG instinctually tries to save himself throughout his various manipulations. His career, both its successes and failures, always was, and continues to be, built upon lying approximately 100% of the time. To gain what he wants he evades the truth by substituting fictions for realities, then invents grievances to mine sympathy. This is his whole history. Too, this is the foundation upon which "alternative facts" was built.
The list of common traits you might see in someone who has antisocial personality disorder, says Dr. Coulter, include:
* Not understanding the difference between right and wrong.
* Not respecting the feelings and emotions of others.
* Constant lying or deception.
* Being callous.
* Difficulty recognizing emotion.
* Manipulation.
* Arrogance.
* Violating the rights of others through dishonest actions.
* Impulsiveness.
* Risk-taking.
* Difficulty appreciating the negative aspects of their behavior.
Some with sociopathy may not realize that what they’re doing is wrong while others may simply not care. And sometimes, Dr. Coulter says, it can be both.
“There’s just a total lack of empathy or recognizing that what they’ve done has hurt someone or it’s only benefited themselves,” he says. “And sometimes they might recognize what they’re doing is wrong, they just don’t care or they justify it to themselves.”
I think Trump has antisocial personality disorder and also malignant narcissistic personality disorder. Neither of them are conducive to good leadership, and they shout that disaster is at hand. I’m not a psychologist, psychiatrist or a counselor, but Trump’s personality is plainly abnormal.
Whatever the heck he is— abnormal sleazeball, scum of the earth, greedy psychopath, immoral creep, compulsive liar, mentally and morally defective, he is not the equal of Joe Biden, who has done wondrous things given the 💩💩💩💩 he has to overcome from brainless republicans. He sat in the Oval Office writing checks to repay Michael Cohen for hiding his sexcapades from voters. Why is that not enough to shut him and his nazi party down??🤮😖💩🎃🤡🤬
Yes. Thank you Kathy. Hasn't that been clear since 2015 or earlier?
What has changed since then is his obvious decline in the ability to speak. He was never terribly coherent. His specialty has always been dropping incendiary word bombs to entertain his rabid angry mob of frightened followers. But the recent incomprehensible word salad if uttered by anyone else would be loudly ridiculed. Anyone else who babbled so incoherently would be dismissed as demented.
That is my diagnosis - he is demented as well as all that you described. We don't need a professional degree to see consistent abnormal behavior as a danger to the nation and the Earth.
Bill, he does now have obvious cognitive problems and talk about word salad, much of which is now appearing in memes. I will be interested in what he does tonight. I can't imagine him being able to ad lib at this point.
What I am is a “grown up “who recognizes a pervert who never was constrained by any order surrounding him. An over grown dangerous bully with no character gains and no understanding of complete adult behavior. Short definition:creep! 😱👽
Narcissism is a complex behavior in some ways, but boils down to real or imagined grievances leaving the person with a profound certainty of worthlessness. And a compulsion to do "anything" to see an adoring reflection in another's eyes. Sadly they have no honest way of achieving it.
Jen Kudos for eventually realizing that you had been narcissist prone. I imagine Trump looking at a mirror and saying “Mirror mirror, on the wall, who is the biggest orange turd of them all?”
Thank you. It's been a bunch of work but some folks are natural prey to narcissists. I don't understand the MAGats except through Bob Altmeyers The authoritarians . Apparently Dr Bandy Lee worked with him, so there's that. But I don't think they're all with the same narcissist -prone situation I was in.
Psychologists guess that 5% of the population has narcissitic personality disorder. I don't think they're looking in the mirror for confirmation though, it only reflects themselves. They're looking for it in your eyes.
Well Russell, the turd is in the punch bowl. When one revolves within or in close proximity to those in the 1000 x $1,000,000.00 arena they can ride in endless circles (among billionaires) around the rest of us. This kind of influence ($-power) has been somewhat bridled here in "the new world" this past 350 years, but it's not new. Trouble is, today there is no more "new world" to sail off to. The Celts failed to 'sail away' in time and were wiped out by Julius and the Roman party, let's call them (R)ss-holes, around 55BC. Three-thousand (3,000) years later we are about to have the words "A Christian Nation" bludgeoned onto our forehead by (R)ss-hole #45 and the MAGAtts. We need to maintain the course we are on and sink that ship at the ballot box. It won't be easy. Next....?
When one revolves within or in close proximity to those in the 1000 x $1,000,000.00 arena they can ride in endless circles (among billionaires) around the rest of us. This kind of influence ($-power) has been somewhat bridled here in "the new world" this past 350 years, but it's not new. Trouble is, today there is no more "new world" to sail off to. The Celts failed to 'sail away' in time and were wiped out by Julius and the Roman party, let's call them (R)ss-holes, around 55BC. Three-thousand (3,000) years later we are about to have the words "A Christian Nation" bludgeoned onto our forehead by (R)ss-hole #45 and the MAGAtts. We need to maintain the course we are on and sink that ship at the ballot box. It won't be easy. Next....?
Somewhat consistent with that, I'm alert to the timing and rapid onset of these 'crazy' illustrations. Quite some time ago it was guessed that going for some insanity or incompetency defense, would not be beneath the cretin. Act II, Scene lll. Another thing bothering me is "What's going on behind the curtain" while we focus our attention on only one hand of the illusionist's pulling tfg's strings ? The other day, L. Leo was almost daring and gleeful that some of his opposition has seen and opposes Project 2025.... I think he said mockingly that "they can try to stop it, but won't" - paraphrasing of course. * It never leaves my mind that tfg is but a tool. 🤡
Might we not say instead that it's all about the performance? Of course, the narcissist-in-chief centers himself in every performance. Nothing he does credits any other live human beings. It's artists who riff off other artists in order to get closer to yet other human beings, to emotions others have, to complications others exemplify.
"About himself"? In a zany, madcap, insane, misanthropic series of hatreds, plus vaudeville thrown in, and the "bing-bing-boing-bong" soundtrack, yes. A constant serial of mediocrity, with just enough cringe factor to keep the white trash delighted with sensationalism coming back for more.
About the performance? By an astoundingly dangerous, incompetent, ignorant, and malignant narcissist? At his various carefully stage-managed "events" he may as well be a wind-up toy monkey, banging his drum and clanging his cymbals, except the monkey would be far less erratic.
No, J L Graham precisely hit the nail on the head above. It's all about the orange convicted felon, which means keeping his orange ass out of court, if not prison, and lining his own pockets as heavily and rapidly as possible. He cares not about the herd of glowering fascists and pseudo-Christian extremists (think Stephen Miller and Russell Vought, to cite two examples) licking their chops behind him and waiting for their chance to destroy our democracy with impunity. The orange convicted felon is not an ideologue -- he is a greedy, criminal psychopath who will stop at nothing, no legal, moral, or ethical constraint, no social cost or consequence, to protect, aggrandize, and enrich himself and himself alone.
Jenn For me Stephen Miller looks and acts like Hitler’s Himmler. And Trump is like Hitler, without Hitler’s natural charisma. MEIN KAMPF and Project 2025 are from the same cloth.
“Wind up monkey “ so perfectly put. Blathering authoritarian nonsense in a barely coherent sing song tone , that inthralls the stupid and cruel members of the audience..
I've heard reporters who have the misfortune of covering his events see the same fan klub of followers at every "rally". They get an emotional boost from his predictable (to them) ranting. Sort of like hearing a bad cover band of Queen sing We Are the Champions every couple days.
I had seen that You Tube vid before, but yeah, it does refresh the musical memory. Now I will have that squeezebox sound while watching the debate (although I don't know how long I'll be able to stand listening to the Lying Orange CONVICT.)
pts, you have nailed it! between your wind up monkey and Barbara Keating's "life accordion to Trump", I will forever see him that way! You both have made my day! Thanks!
Stop it. This doesn't make you look particularly smart (though I am sure you think it does). The Biden Campaign WANTS Adam Kinzinger and other Republicans who are going to come out for the president in the coming months to emphasize that they remain conservatives and members of the Republican Party but are putting country first, because there are a whole lot of other Republicans who have never thought of voting for a Democrat, and this kind of argument can help them decide that they should hold their noses and vote for Trump, or sit out the election, and instead vote "country first."
I hate being embarrassed by people who claim they're on the same side I am.
Consider that Eagles have difficulty flying with just one wing.
“White trash” has taken on a new meaning. Mansions, money, and manipulation are joining the poor trailer trash as MAGAts. A coalition of the ignorant, stupid, hypocritical and greedy. Just what Jesus looked for in disciples.
Actually, Jeri, the "Mansions, money, and manipulation" isn't new.
It's from William Faulkner's family, the Snopeses, as he presented them beginning in 1940's "The Hamlet," and continuing the trilogy with "The Town" next and "The Mansion" in 1959.
Well...considering the last year of his speeches and behaviors....I think we have to include in our diagnosis of his malignant personality....a healthy dose of dementia or frequent episodes of TIAs.
Our democracy is teetering on the brink. I am in Texas visiting family right now. One of the problems is that many here are ignorant of facts because their "information" sources are Fox, OAN and Newsmax, principally. They haven't a clue what Project 2025 is, for example.
The tireless owner of Minocqua Brewing in Wisconsin has been fighting the far-right good ole’ boys. He has now put up, with the help of beer/democracy-loving donors ,two billboards near heavily trafficked routes. Locals can also purchase yard signs and of course, Biden beer ! 🪧🍺
One of my tuba buddies (we play duets together 3 times a month, and our time is play for an hour, have a beer, and solve the world's problems until one of us has to go home because its dinner time) traveled to Wisconsin last month to visit his wife's family, most of whom are fpotus fans. He found Minocqua brewing beer and brought home a 4 pack of "Dark Brandon" which was a delightful coffee stout. It included a decal that peeled off the can of the "dark brandon" image of Joe with the aviator sunglasses.
I didn’t know that about the DB stout. Very cool ! We’re IPA drinkers so I ordered some and my husband wears a Minocqua t. Gotta 💙 democracy and beer !
He may be an opportunist, but MAGA has managed to establish a grip on the Republican Party like no other, he is backed by a concerted movement of die-hard right wing and religious nationalists. He has managed to poll into being a win to close win in the coming election, to this point.
What is Biden's motivational? Pure? Its a joke when people to know the inner beliefs of other people. What is your motivational? Pure? This is too stupid believe.
I judge people on what I they do, not their internal motivations what are unknowable to any rational human being.
Trump made America better and Biden made it worse. End of story.
When you use the police state to prosecute your political rivals, spy on political campaigns, and lie about the Hunter Biden laptop et cetera, there is a price to be paid.
And really, James, if you don’t understand that the FBI, CIA, and DOJ are independent from the presidency then I really don’t know what to say. This basic lack of understanding of our government is what is partly fueling this extremist MAGA movement. People don’t read and have removed truthful history from our schools. All your complaints are MAGA talking points that have been circulated since Trump started this circus. I would recommend you expand your horizons and at least consider taking a different point of view.
And really, James, I don’t look at polls. They are often wrong because they have agendas. I wouldn’t let a poll determine who I voted for in the first place because I actually do some research into people I vote for and don’t allow fancy ads or other people’s talking points to influence my decisions. If you follow people over time you know what they are about. Unfortunately most voters jump on the bandwagon wagon two months before an election. If you don’t know what’s going on in the world well before that there is no hope for you. Oh, I get that people get overwhelmed with too much info but if you think for a minute that who gets elected won’t affect you, you are living in Lala land.
Destroyed what it is to be a girl? Really? These differences in people have existed since the beginning of time but I get that you are digging to have something against Biden.
Afghanistan wa always going to be a problem no matter who took on the responsibility. Note that Trump freed somewhere around 5000 Taliban fighters before the election. Part of this failure is on Trump. Russia and Israel have created their own problems. I don’t see how Putin invading Ukraine is Biden’s fault and how Hamas attacking Israel is Biden’s fault. I DO NOT agree with US policy to give billions to Netanyahu and I think he should be out and tried for crimes against humanity.
Right. BUT, reading down through these comments I don't get why so many are going on and on and on about how effen bad Trump is.....isn't that a forgone conclusion after: How many years of the Trump Show??
Folks, don't we all know his many "flaws" (& frauds)...ad nauseum.
On a more positive side:
I would love it if Biden would just sat quietly and channel George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to ask for guidance.
They loved this country as he does; he will get the right answers.
It is, but it sounds like sour grapes. The “direct threat” statement needed support from Adam’s findings from the Congressional investigation for support.
By a 6–3 vote, the Supreme Court today blessed the practice of taking “gratuities” as a gift for past behavior by an official, distinguishing them from “bribes,” which require proof that there was an illegal deal in place.
Another decision that favors the rich, big business, and weakens the rights of ordinary citizens. Yes, they are following a consistent theme. How can we get rid of them? We can’t.
Gary Mendel, thank you for your post. Your word, “kickbacks” kind of illuminated this whole issue for me (though I have to decide how embarrassed I am that it didn’t occur to me 😀). The idea that Justice Kavanaugh honestly believes there’s no difference between a Thank-You card and $13,000 in Snyder’s case or, by implication, between a card and over $4,000,000 in gifts to Justice Thomas, is preposterous. Kavanaugh’s decision is, itself, corrupt and is a transparent attempt to justify Thomas’s corruption.
Alan, but can't you see? It wasn't a bribe. It was a gift. A gift of neatly-sracked bills, carefully wrapped in a brown paper bag. Why, it's even eco-friendly, as both cash and bag can be recycled into other objects.
Kavanaugh mysteriously had his home & all of his debts paid off when he was seated on the SC. It reeks as much as his job interview where he screamed at a female Senator, Amy K who was questioning him. when he finally screamed at her, "I like beer & his mannerism with females questioning was disrespectful & patronizing. Where else would that job interview result in a job???? The FBI never interviewed multiple women who had experiences similar to Blasey-Ford. The government under the felon rammed these Heritage Foundation choices through, with Coney-Barrett never sitting on a bench for any previous trial. They are collectively the worst of the SC ever.
Even in the past of the Roberts ¢ourt has defined bribery so narrowly that it's pretty much not a bribe if no one issues an itemized invoice and receipt. It all but carte blanche for corrupt payoffs.
Beyond optics. If the Dems can get the political clout, which would include getting rid of the filibuster, the SC member might want to got to up 3, term limits.
JL, so when 45 gives the business leaders tax cuts after they contribute to his campaign and he’s elected, they’re “gratuities” and are okay now? Or is that only for officials?
It gets messy, and that is due in large part to our massively unjust campaign finance system. If we can't entirely get rid of the influence of wealth on our ostensibly democratic electoral and legislative outcomes, we can at least attempt to minimize it. Right now the impact of de facto bribery is immense.
"But the main culprit, the cancer on the body politic, is money: Money, money, money. When I ran 6 years ago, in 1998, I raised $8.5 million. That $8.5 million is $30,000 a week, every week, for 6 years. If you miss Christmas week, you miss New Years week, you are $100,000 in the hole and don't you think we don't know it and we start to work harder at raising money. As a result, the Senate doesn't work on Mondays and Fridays. We have longer holidays. The policy committee is adjourned and we go over to the campaign building because you can't call for money in the office. So we go over to the building and call for money and obviously we only can give attention to that. We don't have time for each other. We don't have time for constituents, except for the givers. Somebody ought to tell the truth about that." -Fritz Hollings
A member of Congress said: "I am elected as a new member of the House of Representatives. I spend the first year trying to figure out how to do my job. Learn the ropes, build relationships, beg for committee work. I spend the second year trying to raise money to stay in the job. It's amazing that anything gets done at all."
Ive often wondered about the sense of two-year terms for members of the House, and gulf between that and 6 year terms for the Senate. How about 4 years across the board, or even 5? The sheer amount of electoral events in the US may be one reason the electorate is so often a minority turnout.
Four is a good number, I think. And then we should rebuild the Senate to reflect the population of the nation. The idea that states with less than a million people would have the same number of senators as states with several million has led to the rule of a minority of political extremists. The structure of the Senate is a relic of the past - a compromise for those who worried about the lowly masses governing as a majority. It was created so rich landowners could override the will of the people. The Senate is a ruling class - not a tool of democracy.
Sorry for the rant, Frank. I am just really pissed off about this. We are here today with a corrupt Supreme Court because of a Senate that acts like royalty.
“Campaign finance”. Yeah, I don’t get why no one is calling out Trumps blatant use of campaign donations for “ personal” uses. Is this not illegal? His trials are personal and he has used up to 1/2 billion to pay his “personal “ legal bills from campaign donations . I’m sure there has to something I’m missing because I’m aware of other candidates getting nailed for using these funds for personal use.
I think I’m going to need to wear $5000 worth of Biden T-Shirts today to cleanse my mental palate of the invitations to corruption the Thomas Court has enshrined into law.
This decision is disgraceful. I still want to know who paid off Kavanaugh’s credit card debt. We cannot have a functioning government if people at all levels are able to accept gifts or kickbacks, and we don’t have enough members in the house and senate to enact necessary legislation. Justice Brown-Jackson clearly sees the folly of this decision in her dissent.
Jackson stated it clearly in her dissent: INTEGRITY. The decision smacks of SCOTUS dumbing down America to cover for their long standing acceptance of gifts/grifts. Our justice system is announcing their own corruption.
Bribery is a big deal, and a mortal enemy of justice. The two high Crimes and Misdemeanors for which all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment and Conviction that the Constitution bothered to spell out, are Bribery and Treason.
Here’s shocker, Supreme Law of the Land Court decides that a bribe is only a bribe if the money changes hands “before” the corrupt deed is implemented; If the money is paid afterwards, its just a friendly gift from an appreciative beneficiary of the corrupt deed
Brought to you with love and appreciation by the Corrupt Gang of Six
So, Kavanaugh knew the language of the specific law being argued, (presumably) and chose to lie outright through the misrepresentation of the facts of it, and it's not front page, above the fold news? Whooda thunkit?
We have lost main stream media which used to be a voice for honesty. Now it’s all about the clicks and the big bucks. At least we have Heather and other excellent honest voices but they need to be heard together and all at once to overcome the lies. Maybe tonight??🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
When profit is the only thing, everything else suffers. I think that's what the Bible was trying to say. In any case, would seem to be self evident. Investigative reporting took a back seat after "deregulation".
In short they took the trouble to reverse lower courts' and i supposed appeal court's rulings, voted strictly across ideological lines, and more or in the interest of Clarence and Alito, which sounds a bit like conflict of interest on their part. Shades of Citizens United ...
"Two Republican voters from Pennsylvania told MSNBC tonight that they are voting for Biden. When asked whether they think there is “a silent Biden voter out there,” one said, “I do. I know there is…. We don’t want to talk about it, but we’re all going to vote for Joe Biden.”''
In my town, which is largely Democratic, there are a few Trump signs and virtually none for Biden. Biden supporters do not harass others, Trump supporters do. Also, Democrats here tend to respect their neighbors, and try to keep their political and other views less "in-your-face" than the MAGAs do. Basically, Democrats are classier, less showy, and actually love and respect democracy :) Somehow, we have become "The Silent Majority".
I live in a red,MAGA county in Fl. There are many Trump flags/signs in my peninsula community of nearly 800 people.We are the ONLY Biden/Harris sign(placed along with our right side up flag😉) I’ve been wearing my “showy” B/H t-shirt since Feb with ONLY positive comments/discussions. Please, LFAA peeps, join me. It is lonely…
I agree! I don’t mind yard signage but take offense at signs people put out that say ‘f-ck Biden’ from the MAGA folks trying to usher in the banning of ‘immoral books.’ And I’d rather not have my driveway full of trash, ‘surprises’ in my mailbox, or worse vandalism by having Biden signs there. My vehicle does display ‘Diversity is Strength’ stickers and I will campaign or support President Biden in public places, though. It’s no wonder that with all DJT’s grooming of his cult for ‘voter fraud’ and violence, they won’t believe in this silent majority for Biden.
That is good to know. However, it is deeply shocking that the MAGA mob and their enablers in mass and social media have been successful in creating a deeply UnAmerican atmosphere of political silencing. This orchestrated alt right Christo fascist oligarch backed political media offensive is also having a chilling effect upon voters in European elections, especially now in the UK.
And surely here in France… a startling danger to the European alliance. Voting for a new government this 30th and 7/7 if necessary…
Help ! please insist that your French friends vote and vote for the united left (amazing feat!!for this stance against extreme right) Vote for the « Nouveau Front Populaire » 🙏 pro people….
Of course. French Enlightenment political progress is coming under the same attack.
The Scottish crime writer Val McDermid, wore in a Guardian article yesterday, defending her desire to vote SNP in order to further Scottish Independence, quoted a pertinent French saying in response to any potential political setback: Reculer pour mieux sauter (take a few steps back in order to make a better jump!) Still better to vote now and vote for the NFP. Paradoxically, an old style Conservative move. French politics, being like all RealPolitick on the ground, historically particular to place and complex.
France is still France. When the unthinkable happened and Le Pen (father) got into the second, decisive, round of the elections, I took part in the manif of entre les deux tours. The whole of Paris was on the street. On the packed Métro, it sounded like a party - everybody laughing and talking at the tops of their voices. Three generations of families, babies in prams, handwritten placards. "Vote Right with your Left hand." "Mieux vaut être baisé par Chirac que violé par Le Pen."
Isn’t the reaction on the far right in France based on immigration issues? I believe so. I am not against immigration but I am against massive movements of peoples in uncontrolled ways. Most nations have this reaction now and in ancient times. Why don’t we ever learn?
Absorbing enormous numbers of people from entirely different cultures is a huge challenge for any society. In a perfect world, it would be controllable. And try we must. But that takes unified political will to assign the resources. AKA funding border security. Like the bill the Senate passed that the House trashed because it would look like a victory for Biden (MAGA actually SAID that).
But that's just the beginning. Even if we managed the border and it became iron clad "secure", we haven't addressed what it costs to absorb the new population. If you take the broad view, it would be money well invested as our population is aging out and we are becoming desperately short of young workers.
We should get our act together real soon. The impacts of the Climate Catastrophe and the accompanying political chaos will send many hundreds of millions of people streaming north to the US and Europe.
When you have nothing to feed your kids and the gangs are killing your neighbors by the dozens, wouldn't you risk everything to find a new place of safety and a bite to eat?
They are coming. And we can't stop them all. What is our plan?
Why don't we ever learn? Maybe, as a species, we're just not that smart. Or maybe the answer is a callous one. We just don't care about our fellow travelers.
We invaded, they invaded. Travelers have been forever, first out of Africa. The earth is not countries of lock boxes. We cannot make it so. Figure it out humans…
When the first huge waves of refugees from Africa reached France, every effort was made to place them - often in country towns they were welcomed, greeted with smiles and hugs, given every assistance. I've kept a newspaper picture of the mayor clasping the hand of an African father of a family just arrived - smiles of simple joy and solidarity all round. A retired friend of mine in Paris worked as a volunteer with a refugee housing aid association. But it didn't stop, or slow down, and it became unmanageable, the more so that they had the fixed idea that England would welcome them so they congregated in places like Calais where they might (they think) sneak on to a boat, or train, or lorry. They didn't want to be in France at all, but England, which they thought would take care of them. And then there's Sicily - campfuls of the ones who survived the leaky boat, and hundreds buried in cemeteries that had to be created for the ones who didn't. Don't.
Just looking at land mass, it's obvious that North America, Russia and China would have the capacity to absorb many more desperate humans than Europe. But how naive of me. That would suggest thinking as a species. Not going to happen.
Truly ironic because all three are aging out and need younger workers.
Perhaps the bigger question is who is pushing all this mass migration and why? Certainly many of these illegals would not have the where with all to leave on their own. Nor the finances and resources, who is behind this agenda and for what gain? It is difficult for these illegals to leave and go to foreign place with no guarantee of success, just as it is difficult and hugely expensive for so many countries to deal with these kinds of numbers.
I firmly believe this is true! And folks should understand two things: the ballot is secret. No one needs to know who you vote for. And, just because your family always voted Republican it doesn’t mean you are required to vote Republican. Vote for the people who you believe will do the best job.
Good for President Biden to right the wrongs against gay soldiers. Retrospect indicates that concerns over group cohesion were spurious. ⚖️ I sure hope he wins in November election and kicks ass tomorrow night. 🗽 As to my erstwhile Party, now a source of personal embarrassment, Trump's Party stinks worst at the head but remains fetid far on down to the bottom. 🤢
There are, of course, many decent conservatives out there. Very disappointed that they did not stand up to the obvious corruption, demagogy, and heedlessness of Trump.
In Senators Murkowski, Flake, Burr, and Romney as well as Representatives Buck, Turner, Cheney, and Kinzinger, I can count those who did on both hands, though there are others.
Of course the Clarence court is going to rule for corruption.
So let’s get one thing straight. Our dehumanized live for abstractions. For the loot most especially. Our grubbiest must elevate beyond anything, everything personal – all novels, films, plays, memoirs, songs, other arts.
Arts remind us how vulnerable actual humans are. Our corrupt cannot bear such reminders, as money – it’s always about money – always flaunts me-God promises, safety in clichés, slogans, all formulaically dead language.
But, again, duh – this is the Clarence court. Note what they already ruled against American women. Note, too. what an earlier, also then vulgar Clarence court did for their sugar daddy billionaires in Citizens United.
"federal anti-corruption law that prohibits state and local officials from taking gifts worth more than $5,000 from someone the official had helped to land lucrative government business."
I'd be troubled if were it more than $50. Depending on the circumstances, maybe even that. What wrong with demanding public servants are obliged to refuse gifts period from unrelated persons with which an entity?? If you can't bear going giftless, stay out of public service. I'm looking at YOU Clarence.
And after all, why should they? Better to err on the side of integrity. There are always chums to go for a beer with who are not involved in one's business.
Ditto that!!! I was a 30 year federal employee and we couldn’t even benefit from our frequent flier miles because it was associated with travel for work. (I believe that has changed since.)
This decision is appalling and unethical. But then again we are talking about the unethical Supreme Court.
Are bonuses gifts? Every January, my partner and I gave out bonuses to our 125+ consultants and staff. Was it a bribe?
Our target market was the life insurance industry and the busiest time of year was December and January. December was also a time when most of the movement of personnel happened in the life insurance industry. So we paid bonuses on January 31st only if the employee was still working with us as of February 1st.
For the first five years we were in business our turnover rate was zero so we were never very concerned about employees leaving in January anyway, but I suppose it was kinda sorta a bribe.
We didn't and I don't think it is, but Alito, Thomas, Roberts and the other lesser MAGAs on SCOTUS may construe bonuses as such with their warped sense of right and wrong and their bizarre interpretations of the US Constitution.
As you may be aware, the life insurance industry is notorious for not paying most of their employees well including IT. However, most companies had a fairly robust benefits package.
We realized there were two types of life insurance companies, one that had competent IT management and programming staff and the ones that we worked for. We mostly hired consultants from the competent companies by offering them much better pay and comparable benefits. We rarely moved people from where they were living and employed a remote/onsite hybrid model starting in 1991. Most of our consultants had spouses with good paying jobs and family where they lived and didn't want to move. And our clients didn't want to pay $4k - 6k in travel expenses every month so we offered a remote/onsite option.
A few clients wanted to see the consultants were working and so a small number of our employees traveled, but for the most part we were onsite 1 week a month. And when you have several people working for one client there was usually someone from our company onsite to attend meetings, etc.
There are all sorts of payments, but a bribe is a bribe whatever it is called, and what makes it a bribe is payment for some form of malfeasance. I would not think a typical bonus (that's just a bonus) would fall into such territory..
At the corporation my father worked for some upper executives were fired for accepting substantial gifts from vendors to the corporation. Not charged with any wrongdoing except company policy that prohibited acceptance of such gifts. Seem fair to me.
I was gonna say $5, but even that smudges the line between integrity and corruption.
At bottom, why should it not be the rule, as it is with the office of President of the US, that any gift to a public official, even if it has his/her name scratched on it or bears his/her likeness, automatically belongs to the people on whose behalf that official works? And that non-durable gifts simply be refused? Remember how Justice Kagan handled the matter of one of her staff bringing bagels and cream cheese for everyone to the office one day: The Justice insisted on paying for her share. A trivial dollar amount to be sure, but the principle exemplified.
Posturing as if one were beyond rules lets oneself posture also as free-floating superman. Presuming to put all others in one package is one way of abstracting them all -- as if all women ought to be rehearsing some set of scripts monitored by police states.
The nice thing about these conceits is that they release the faux-supermen from contingency, from mortality, from all the complications we're heir to. They can take seriously their abstractions, as if vulnerability needn't apply to them. As if law needn't apply to them. As if law were for suckers.
And these Clarence court acolytes of corruption already have lifetime appointments. Already so far beyond the rest of humanity. Thus excused from the counsel of humanities. Aloof. Living dead. Totally corrupted and willing from the bench to rule for companion, body-snatched replicant similar corrupt.
If you want to see this "gift" system in action, look no further than police "corruption". It was horrendous in the 1950's in larger cities on the east coast, and in many other places. When I took my oath of office, I swore to do a number of things the public requires in its police.
Beyond that code were policies, one of which forbade the taking of ANY ITEM of personal or professional gain, and another which specifically forbade accepting free meals or food items. In 35 years of employment, I never saw or heard of any violation of this. When we won a "high ticket" item in the various raffles that conferences often had, we had to document what was won, and that the raffle was "fair and unbiased".
Exactly. Like security clearance, certain jobs involve a mandatory code of conduct. The more sensitive the role and entrusted powers, the more keenly enforced that code needs to be.
“Because power corrupts, society’s demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.”
"By a 6–3 vote, the Supreme Court today blessed the practice of taking “gratuities” as a gift for past behavior by an official, distinguishing them from “bribes,” which require proof that there was an illegal deal in place." Equally significant, neither Alito nor Thomas, recused and participated in the case.
I think a good counter President Biden could use if Trump decides to say his immigration policy is letting criminals into the US could be: "You know that's not true - but you want to allow a criminal into the Oval Office" :)
"This decision that officials can accept “gifts” so long as they are not “bribes” might have something to do with the fact that Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have accepted significant gifts from donors—Thomas’s count is upward of $4 million—and it doesn’t relieve the sense that this Supreme Court, with its three right-wing Trump-appointed justices, is untrustworthy." We should all watch for post retirement gifts to Thomas and Alito. They could make $4 million seem small. It could be a long wait, though, because Joe Biden will be re-elected.
He (criminally convicted lobbyist Jack Abranoff) also describes wooing congressional staffers — particularly chiefs of staff — with the lure of future employment. “After a number of meetings with them, possibly including meals or rounds of golf, I would say a few magic words: ‘When you are done working for the Congressman, you should come work for me at my firm.’
“With that, assuming the staffer had any interest in leaving Capitol Hill for K Street — and almost 90 percent of them do, I would own him and, consequently, that entire office. No rules had been broken, at least not yet. No one even knew what was happening, but suddenly, every move that staffer made, he made with his future at my firm in mind.”
"Georgia governor Brian Kemp told Kaitlan Collins he did not vote for Trump in his state’s Republican primary, although he said he would “support the ticket” in November so that Georgia would remain in Republican hands. "
Someone should ask this Republican which he thinks is more important: the party or the republic?
Maybe that will be one of CNN's questions tonight. Of course convicted felon Donald Trump won't answer a single question that is asked, but rather ramble on about toilets that you have to flush 10-15 times and windmills that only cause cancer around his golf course in Scotland.
Is it just me or is anyone else sick and tired of CFDT being a whiny little bitch?
There is a rather strong waft of hope throughout your summary of events today, it seems Heather. Thank you for shining a light on these significant strands of optimism as history unfolds in these terribly unsettled times. Blessings to you from downstream in Scarborough.
I am torn about listening to or watching the "debate" tonight. Biden's speeches have been top notch, so I have faith that he will have a good strategy.
Also, CFDT's short term memory is MIA so the Biden strategy should/will try to put him on the defensive. It would be great to see CFDT get flustered and upset like he did with Nancy Pelosi.
Plus, they need to fact check CFDT in real time to catch him lying over and over.
I will be watching the same thing tonight as I do for every SOTU address: the conductor. I have rehearsals on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and usually post a photo of "what I'm watching tonight".
While today's summary was as well written as usual, there is almost too much news to report. The Supreme Court decision to make it okay for public officials to accept financial "gifts" (really just bribes) for past "services rendered" is crazy! In her descent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson summed it up perfectly when she said, "Officials who use their public positions for private gain threaten the integrity of our most important institutions." This is common sense! The Supreme Court is rotten and needs to be reformed. This latest decision reeks of impropriety. It seems that American society is truly being transformed into the distopian hell envisioned in the classic movie Back to the Future II, after Biff used the "Gray's Sports Almanac" to place illegal bets and use his ill-gotten wealth for political gain, only to have it all go sour. We need to make sure Trump stays out of office and allow for the replacement of some of the sitting justices, or better yet, enact a series of comprehensive reforms at the Supreme Court.
Justice Sotomayor said in her dissent regarding bump stocks, "If it walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and walks like a duck, it's a duck." The same could be said of gratuities not being bribes.
Agree...but true justice moves so slowly especially within this political climate.
Those Supreme Court Justices who have been SELECTED and APPOINTED were chosen for their lack of character. They were chosen to be used as puppets. They are willing to be sold for a few coins.....(Not all justices, but even one is too many...)
"The Supreme Court, once a highly respected group of justices , is allowing itself to be bought...one by one!"
Sadly, the Republican Party needs to just go....it no longer is capable to lead as a healthy government institution for the preservation of all that is dear to freedom and decency and love and respect for ALL citizens of this great nation.
Sad to include the "church" is being used by persons who must not really know the writings or earthly life of Christ. Some just want the label "Christian" as a bumper sticker or as a label on their shirt....but are unkind to people even fellow-believers and have no compassion for those in need or no love for those whom they see as "different".
Christ's specialty is loving the outcast...just read about Him. As followers, we are supposed to live a life of love as we have been loved. His love...received...compels those who believe to live likewise. I am NOT seeing a lot of that from "the church".
Some of the justices need to review Jesus' teachings as well.
Emily, the Christian religion is pretty weird, when you have haters using the Bible to discriminate against the very people that your Jesus is said to protect. Why is it that when I tell someone that I am perfectly happy in my faith tradition and wish them well, they say "I will pray that you will find salvation in Jesus"? Cannot you let someone have their own way?
Jesus never pushed Himself on anyone. He was the one who was crucified because the leaders of the Jewish faith were afraid of losing power. (I have friends who are Jewish...so am NOT against Jewish people....or their faith....just sharing facts.)
I grew up in a loving , faithful Christian family. I did not become a believer through osmosis. I was in my 20's before I accepted Christ into my heart . This happened after I was invited by friends on my college campus to listen to testimonies from a group of young people who came to sing and share and pray with students who chose to come and to listen. Friends on campus kept asking me to come so on their last day of sharing, I came. That was the time when I received Christ in my heart. I have had my seasons of rebellion and repentance. I have had my seasons of study and prayer and shallow times as well. This continues because I am NOT a robot. In my experience, Christ has let me go into my chosen misadventures, into many and various struggles in life. The reality of His presence in my life has been the receiving of this unconditional love and encouragement....He never lets me go. This is my personal relationship. He never judges me but His love corrects me. He refuses to leave me, Ally.
Jesus never pushes Himself in! I would also reply to your comment that there seem to be some weird persons who claim to be Christians...NOT MY CALL.
I think before I follow. I too am concerned about the misuse of faith to control people. I have also been in a cult so I am speaking from experience here.
We need to be honest in our hearts and souls regarding who we are and what we believe.
It was usually the religious people seeking power who have always attempted to use people to gain power and control. Nothing has changed in that regard.
I have to add that the New York state Primaries were yesterday and Congressman Jamaal Bowman was defeated in the most expensive House primary in history by a challenger funded by AIPAC. This is what Citizen's United has done to our election process. AIPAC spent an unprecedented $14.5 million against Jamaal Bowman, an all-time record for outside spending in a House election!
Politico recently confirmed that AIPAC’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, is the largest source of GOP donations in Democratic primaries. And the majority of its donors are corporate, right-wing millionaires and billionaires who support Donald Trump.
Ten years ago, I had never heard of AIPAC. Then a friend sat me down and filled me in. AIPAC is AMAZING. And unlike the NRA and AARP very few Americans have heard of it.
You’re right: 14 million dollars from one special interest group for a HOUSE election!! Thanks a bunch Republicans (via the SCOTUS). This is NOT democracy!!
Yes me too. Really dismaying to see so much money spent to unseat him. Seems like the corporate power and financing that he spoke out against were really gunning for him in particular.
I also hope Jamaal Bowman continues to stay active in New York or even national politics. We need more like him and others in the Squad(also being primaried by AIPAC and other corporate financing) that are speaking out and fighting for 'a more perfect union' and the nation's potential democratic ideals.
That $13,000 "gratuity" broke an established law properly legislated and well-founded. Kavanaugh even dared to equate it to a teacher receiving a gift from a parent at the end of a school year. No one can tell us that a Starbucks gift card is the same. We are losing the glue that makes us America. Integrity is an extremely important issue. While Democrat, Robert Menendez, has been charged with ethical and legal issues, so many more Republicans have lost their way in terms of ethical standards led by the misleadership of Donald Trump.
The mistakenly released draft opinion that states that after-the-fact "gratuities" are not bribes made my head spin. Have they never seen The Godfather or even Law & Order or read a newspaper? This semantic juggling will permit rampant corruption -- delaying a bribe until after the fact is still a bribe. In fact it may be more effective. If I offer a kid a cookie as long as he promises to clean up his room, once the cookie is gone so is the incentive. If I offer two cookies for him as soon as his room is cleaned up - presto clean room. And interesting how it helps Thomas frame the millions he's taken in "gratuities" and "hospitality".
A secret House vote to keep Bannon out of jail? SCOTUS allowing "gratuities" when government officials steer lucrative contracts to their cronies? Defunding the justice systerm? Sheesh! Are we living in a banana republic? I can't believe that even a Trumplican could look the other way from this claptrap.
Once again, the traitor Republicans in the House prove that President Truman was right back in 1948, when he observed that "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies."
I am voting for Joe Biden and every freedom-loving Democrat possible.
Our nation needs another "healthy" political party. The Republican Party has sadly allowed itself to become "road-kill"....it's there but offers nothing of value anymore.
It's main candidate is for "self" only...just ask his wives how that goes.
TC, as late as 2015 there were still remnants of the Republican Party -- John McCain and Mitch Romney ran to be President of the people regardless of Party.
That party is "pushing up daisies" now. It is the Party of Trump whose pillars are HATE, ANGER, RESENTMENT, RETRIBUTION and MISINFORMATION.
Serendipity has allowed me to have two amazing neighbors that I consider to have been great politicians - Tom Harkin and Tom Osborne. I don't know of anyone that could question the integrity, humility or dedication of either of them. Of course, Tom Harkin was a Democrat but both of these men were what I wish every politician could be.
I do remember him saying that to a private group and someone recorded and released it. I'm sure it cost him lots of votes.
Convicted Felon Donald Trump says much worse every day and he totally gets away with it. The press reports it like it's perfectly reasonable. I understand that that's what journalism is about, but how can someone say "I have to flush my toilet 10-15 times" and not be questioned about it or "windmills cause cancer."
Don't get me wrong, Romney's about 80% there, but unlike the Never Trump Republicans, he just can't intellectually tear himself away from his background far enough to act on what are obviously real beliefs that led him to oppose Trump and then to step away from being Senator.
"Donald Trump poses a direct threat to every fundamental American value. He doesn’t care about our country. He doesn’t care about you. He only cares about himself. And he’ll hurt anyone or anything in pursuit of power.”
That's clear.
Yes 🙌 and in stark contrast, President Joe Biden has to be one of the most reasonable, empathetic, intelligent and honest leaders we could ever want and worth every vote in this presidential election.
The Supreme Court only validated and codified sleeze bag influence peddling. It’s the American way. We had an opportunity to close it in Citizens United but with a 5 to 4 vote, allowing unlimited campaign funding by non persons, the seeds were sown for the eventual transformation of a government and people into mega wealth on one side and serfdom on the other. Aside of the massive corruption that is expected part of the methodology of doing business (really it’s always been this way but now it’s codified and it’s on steroids), today it’s difficult to find a single proprietor establishment to patronize. Not impossible but difficult. And since I am one myself, I often ask if the store I’m in is corporate owned or single proprietor.
This new Supreme Court codification of bribery is the last obstacle to authoritarian rule and this rule won't come from the left. Which is why I have always advocated for a robust political center. My prediction is that Tyranny awaits us so ladies, start ironing those red habits. You will comply or be placed in birthing chambers with hands and feet shackled to the gurney only to repeat same as dairy cows. After all, more milk will be needed. Those past prime will be utilized as housemaids. Salute to the Handmaid’s Tale.
It would be of more help to us “ladies” if you would move on from the doomsaying and involve yourself concretely in getting Democrats elected. There are so many opportunities to do that.
Joy, I spent 3 years agonizing writing a book about the worst monster in our history. Sorry if you don’t like my opinions. But this is a platform to express opinions. An I have expressed many about modifying our own sometimes dense political policies that have put us where we are, ie, the border for one. Now we have the governor from MA visiting Texas to begging them to stop sending migrants to MA. I’ve been stating this was a problem ad nausium for a long time. I have been railing on this lack of control under Biden for 3 years. In fact, I addressed the predominance of current political leadership to not follow from the previous one just as Trump proceeded to rip up NAFTA and end the agreement with Iran just so he could attach his name to them. Guess what. The ancient Egyptian leaders frequently had the noses chopped of previous leader’s statues believing that in doing so, it ended any influence they might have had. So what did Biden do? He ended the restrictions on migration that the previous leader invoked.
I am not a cheerleader for anyone. I express my opinions accordingly and if you don’t like them and they disturb you, don’t read them. Or continue castigating me as you wish. But don’t tell me to keep silent. Or the Handmaidens await you. (Said in jest., of course.)
Lastly, I’m from the very blue state of Connecticut. We will be voting for Biden. I also applied to be a vendor at the national convention in order to promote my book and sell civil rights oriented prints. And lastly, I tried finding an ear in the Biden administration to consider having him do a Fireside like Chat because Biden done project well. And it’s all about projecting not just doing. So I have done probably a whole lot more than most have. So pa-lease…
And perhaps I should boldly ask you, Joy, to pick up a copy of my book in case you question my integrity. It’s only $15 softcover, lol. Less than the price of a martini in a swanky nightclub. (OK, I can hear it coming. Go ahead.)
This is what the public library is for. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARIES! (and librarians!)
Hey Bill. It occurs to me that Joy may have simply been having a very reactionary moment, so just 'spilled'. You know who you are, as do we. Btw, that was a good suggestion you forwarded to the JB camp; at least I think so.
I agree about Joy. I purposely used “ladies” to instigate because that’s my middle name. As to Joe Biden, he simply doesn’t communicate well. He could still begin a weekly or bi-weekly chat. But he has no one giving this kind of outside the box raporrt.ill call one of my senators now for the bell of it . I’ve read some of the masters like Abraham Lincoln I would give anything to watch a video of o e of his speeches.
The barbarians have crashed the gateS. Even Winston would have trouble with optimism. Nah, he was the gold standard for optimism. Remember the British bulldog…
Yes! Please do...
As he said, of what use is it to be anything else, or something like that…
Sorry that I’m such an optimistic type.
I've favored and intentionally sought out proprietorships in all things for decades. Corporate hegemony has only added to my determination. Bigger is 'not' better.
Absolutely!
Honest? Are you kidding?
Empathetic? He hates 50% of America that voted against him.
Intelligent? Even Barrack Obama thought he was a dufus.
C'mon james! Good grief.
Delusional much?
You're a TROLL...and a misinformed troll
With respect to a quibbling response to your belief that all Trump cares about is himself, I'd like to agree with your assessment by expanding upon it. I think it's safe to add that TFG instinctually tries to save himself throughout his various manipulations. His career, both its successes and failures, always was, and continues to be, built upon lying approximately 100% of the time. To gain what he wants he evades the truth by substituting fictions for realities, then invents grievances to mine sympathy. This is his whole history. Too, this is the foundation upon which "alternative facts" was built.
Does the following remind you of anyone?
"Sociopathy", explained by Andrew Coulter, MD and Psychiatrist at the Cleveland Clinic, as reported on its website: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/sociopath-personality-disorder :
The list of common traits you might see in someone who has antisocial personality disorder, says Dr. Coulter, include:
* Not understanding the difference between right and wrong.
* Not respecting the feelings and emotions of others.
* Constant lying or deception.
* Being callous.
* Difficulty recognizing emotion.
* Manipulation.
* Arrogance.
* Violating the rights of others through dishonest actions.
* Impulsiveness.
* Risk-taking.
* Difficulty appreciating the negative aspects of their behavior.
Some with sociopathy may not realize that what they’re doing is wrong while others may simply not care. And sometimes, Dr. Coulter says, it can be both.
“There’s just a total lack of empathy or recognizing that what they’ve done has hurt someone or it’s only benefited themselves,” he says. “And sometimes they might recognize what they’re doing is wrong, they just don’t care or they justify it to themselves.”
I think Trump has antisocial personality disorder and also malignant narcissistic personality disorder. Neither of them are conducive to good leadership, and they shout that disaster is at hand. I’m not a psychologist, psychiatrist or a counselor, but Trump’s personality is plainly abnormal.
Whatever the heck he is— abnormal sleazeball, scum of the earth, greedy psychopath, immoral creep, compulsive liar, mentally and morally defective, he is not the equal of Joe Biden, who has done wondrous things given the 💩💩💩💩 he has to overcome from brainless republicans. He sat in the Oval Office writing checks to repay Michael Cohen for hiding his sexcapades from voters. Why is that not enough to shut him and his nazi party down??🤮😖💩🎃🤡🤬
Yes. Thank you Kathy. Hasn't that been clear since 2015 or earlier?
What has changed since then is his obvious decline in the ability to speak. He was never terribly coherent. His specialty has always been dropping incendiary word bombs to entertain his rabid angry mob of frightened followers. But the recent incomprehensible word salad if uttered by anyone else would be loudly ridiculed. Anyone else who babbled so incoherently would be dismissed as demented.
That is my diagnosis - he is demented as well as all that you described. We don't need a professional degree to see consistent abnormal behavior as a danger to the nation and the Earth.
Bill, he does now have obvious cognitive problems and talk about word salad, much of which is now appearing in memes. I will be interested in what he does tonight. I can't imagine him being able to ad lib at this point.
Kathy, I am a psychiatrist, and you are correct. Plus now he is suffering from progressive dementia.
https://thinkbigpicture.substack.com/p/john-gartner-trump-cognitive-decline
What I am is a “grown up “who recognizes a pervert who never was constrained by any order surrounding him. An over grown dangerous bully with no character gains and no understanding of complete adult behavior. Short definition:creep! 😱👽
"lying approximately 100% of the time"
I'm going to borrow that turn of phrase if I may.
Narcissism is a complex behavior in some ways, but boils down to real or imagined grievances leaving the person with a profound certainty of worthlessness. And a compulsion to do "anything" to see an adoring reflection in another's eyes. Sadly they have no honest way of achieving it.
I married two of them. What's the matter with me?
Glad you’re on the other side of all that Jen.
Jen Kudos for eventually realizing that you had been narcissist prone. I imagine Trump looking at a mirror and saying “Mirror mirror, on the wall, who is the biggest orange turd of them all?”
Thank you. It's been a bunch of work but some folks are natural prey to narcissists. I don't understand the MAGats except through Bob Altmeyers The authoritarians . Apparently Dr Bandy Lee worked with him, so there's that. But I don't think they're all with the same narcissist -prone situation I was in.
Psychologists guess that 5% of the population has narcissitic personality disorder. I don't think they're looking in the mirror for confirmation though, it only reflects themselves. They're looking for it in your eyes.
Keith, you did it again! Great zinger!
Anne My wife Georgia keeps asking “will you be more circumspect, if you ever grow up?”
😀
Well Russell, the turd is in the punch bowl. When one revolves within or in close proximity to those in the 1000 x $1,000,000.00 arena they can ride in endless circles (among billionaires) around the rest of us. This kind of influence ($-power) has been somewhat bridled here in "the new world" this past 350 years, but it's not new. Trouble is, today there is no more "new world" to sail off to. The Celts failed to 'sail away' in time and were wiped out by Julius and the Roman party, let's call them (R)ss-holes, around 55BC. Three-thousand (3,000) years later we are about to have the words "A Christian Nation" bludgeoned onto our forehead by (R)ss-hole #45 and the MAGAtts. We need to maintain the course we are on and sink that ship at the ballot box. It won't be easy. Next....?
When one revolves within or in close proximity to those in the 1000 x $1,000,000.00 arena they can ride in endless circles (among billionaires) around the rest of us. This kind of influence ($-power) has been somewhat bridled here in "the new world" this past 350 years, but it's not new. Trouble is, today there is no more "new world" to sail off to. The Celts failed to 'sail away' in time and were wiped out by Julius and the Roman party, let's call them (R)ss-holes, around 55BC. Three-thousand (3,000) years later we are about to have the words "A Christian Nation" bludgeoned onto our forehead by (R)ss-hole #45 and the MAGAtts. We need to maintain the course we are on and sink that ship at the ballot box. It won't be easy. Next....?
Somewhat consistent with that, I'm alert to the timing and rapid onset of these 'crazy' illustrations. Quite some time ago it was guessed that going for some insanity or incompetency defense, would not be beneath the cretin. Act II, Scene lll. Another thing bothering me is "What's going on behind the curtain" while we focus our attention on only one hand of the illusionist's pulling tfg's strings ? The other day, L. Leo was almost daring and gleeful that some of his opposition has seen and opposes Project 2025.... I think he said mockingly that "they can try to stop it, but won't" - paraphrasing of course. * It never leaves my mind that tfg is but a tool. 🤡
Yup, TFG in a word, sociopath. Don't forget to add narcissist.
Doesn't this describe Joe Biden to a tee?
I think you meant to say to a "T", James, and no it .doesn't.
I'm not sure, J L, about the "about himself" bit.
Might we not say instead that it's all about the performance? Of course, the narcissist-in-chief centers himself in every performance. Nothing he does credits any other live human beings. It's artists who riff off other artists in order to get closer to yet other human beings, to emotions others have, to complications others exemplify.
"About himself"? In a zany, madcap, insane, misanthropic series of hatreds, plus vaudeville thrown in, and the "bing-bing-boing-bong" soundtrack, yes. A constant serial of mediocrity, with just enough cringe factor to keep the white trash delighted with sensationalism coming back for more.
About the performance? By an astoundingly dangerous, incompetent, ignorant, and malignant narcissist? At his various carefully stage-managed "events" he may as well be a wind-up toy monkey, banging his drum and clanging his cymbals, except the monkey would be far less erratic.
No, J L Graham precisely hit the nail on the head above. It's all about the orange convicted felon, which means keeping his orange ass out of court, if not prison, and lining his own pockets as heavily and rapidly as possible. He cares not about the herd of glowering fascists and pseudo-Christian extremists (think Stephen Miller and Russell Vought, to cite two examples) licking their chops behind him and waiting for their chance to destroy our democracy with impunity. The orange convicted felon is not an ideologue -- he is a greedy, criminal psychopath who will stop at nothing, no legal, moral, or ethical constraint, no social cost or consequence, to protect, aggrandize, and enrich himself and himself alone.
Stephen Miller is a greedy criminal sociopath.
and that's being charitable!
He is the reincarnation of Joseph Goebbels.
They even resemble each other. I posted their pics on twit. Eerie
Jeri, I was just thinking about that. Miller would have made an excellent Nazi....just the right look.
Jenn For me Stephen Miller looks and acts like Hitler’s Himmler. And Trump is like Hitler, without Hitler’s natural charisma. MEIN KAMPF and Project 2025 are from the same cloth.
More than most would believe. The part about the big lie and why it works just stunned me.
“Wind up monkey “ so perfectly put. Blathering authoritarian nonsense in a barely coherent sing song tone , that inthralls the stupid and cruel members of the audience..
I've heard reporters who have the misfortune of covering his events see the same fan klub of followers at every "rally". They get an emotional boost from his predictable (to them) ranting. Sort of like hearing a bad cover band of Queen sing We Are the Champions every couple days.
I'm wondering if the sing-song whine is somehow mesmerizing to those in the audience...because, personally, I cannot stand listening to him.
T L. it is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Our mute button is very tired.
Damn, I will never see him as anything but a wind-up monkey again
Jeri, have you seen this? Life Accordion To Trump: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S65jqrHQi_c
Now I have this soundtrack every time I see him make these moves!
Had not, thank you. I really hate having his mug on tv non-stop. But mocking is always aporopriate
Oh my heavens. Perfect - loud, tuneless, penetrating. Yep, perfect in every way.
I had seen that You Tube vid before, but yeah, it does refresh the musical memory. Now I will have that squeezebox sound while watching the debate (although I don't know how long I'll be able to stand listening to the Lying Orange CONVICT.)
Barbara thank you for this!
Barbara BINGO! Life Accordion to Trump. Also Trumpeting for His Life. Farting for His Fans.
Needed that.
pts, you have nailed it! between your wind up monkey and Barbara Keating's "life accordion to Trump", I will forever see him that way! You both have made my day! Thanks!
Stop it. This doesn't make you look particularly smart (though I am sure you think it does). The Biden Campaign WANTS Adam Kinzinger and other Republicans who are going to come out for the president in the coming months to emphasize that they remain conservatives and members of the Republican Party but are putting country first, because there are a whole lot of other Republicans who have never thought of voting for a Democrat, and this kind of argument can help them decide that they should hold their noses and vote for Trump, or sit out the election, and instead vote "country first."
I hate being embarrassed by people who claim they're on the same side I am.
Consider that Eagles have difficulty flying with just one wing.
..."hold their noses and vote for Trump" Am I reading that right?
Yes, surrendering to their tribalism. Not liking it but not feeling able to do other. So this gives them an alternative to consider.
“White trash” has taken on a new meaning. Mansions, money, and manipulation are joining the poor trailer trash as MAGAts. A coalition of the ignorant, stupid, hypocritical and greedy. Just what Jesus looked for in disciples.
Did you purposely intend to omit HATEFUL?
Naw, she was just going for the alliteration.
All you have to do is read some of Jeri's comments to know that she knows that hatred is the glue that binds them together.
No secret is it. Just hate the same people and you’re glued forever…
Actually, Jeri, the "Mansions, money, and manipulation" isn't new.
It's from William Faulkner's family, the Snopeses, as he presented them beginning in 1940's "The Hamlet," and continuing the trilogy with "The Town" next and "The Mansion" in 1959.
Well, I missed that. The Sound and The Fury was the only book I ever started and didn’t finish. No more Faulkner for me. But thank you
It's the performance level of a fairground barker.
Well...considering the last year of his speeches and behaviors....I think we have to include in our diagnosis of his malignant personality....a healthy dose of dementia or frequent episodes of TIAs.
I believe, he only cares about himself as his supporters will see when he reliably turns on them.
Nauseated, embarrassed, incredulous, and scared sh…s
You just defined that very statement "about himself."
Our democracy is teetering on the brink. I am in Texas visiting family right now. One of the problems is that many here are ignorant of facts because their "information" sources are Fox, OAN and Newsmax, principally. They haven't a clue what Project 2025 is, for example.
I can attest to that in North Texas
Can you get up and change the channel? 😉
Can you put that on a sign and hold it on the side of Route 66 please?
The tireless owner of Minocqua Brewing in Wisconsin has been fighting the far-right good ole’ boys. He has now put up, with the help of beer/democracy-loving donors ,two billboards near heavily trafficked routes. Locals can also purchase yard signs and of course, Biden beer ! 🪧🍺
https://www.minocquabrewingcompany.com/blogs/news/heres-the-actual-pic-of-our-nope-nevertrump-billboard-in-milwaukee
One of my tuba buddies (we play duets together 3 times a month, and our time is play for an hour, have a beer, and solve the world's problems until one of us has to go home because its dinner time) traveled to Wisconsin last month to visit his wife's family, most of whom are fpotus fans. He found Minocqua brewing beer and brought home a 4 pack of "Dark Brandon" which was a delightful coffee stout. It included a decal that peeled off the can of the "dark brandon" image of Joe with the aviator sunglasses.
I didn’t know that about the DB stout. Very cool ! We’re IPA drinkers so I ordered some and my husband wears a Minocqua t. Gotta 💙 democracy and beer !
Indeed. My buddy tends towards stouts; I like ales, red ales, and the occasional hazy IPA.
Love it!
really nice. thanks for sharing.
He may be an opportunist, but MAGA has managed to establish a grip on the Republican Party like no other, he is backed by a concerted movement of die-hard right wing and religious nationalists. He has managed to poll into being a win to close win in the coming election, to this point.
Frank, before it was known as MAGA, it was known as KKK - white Protestantism now, white Protestantism forever.
Proof?
What is Biden's motivational? Pure? Its a joke when people to know the inner beliefs of other people. What is your motivational? Pure? This is too stupid believe.
I judge people on what I they do, not their internal motivations what are unknowable to any rational human being.
Trump made America better and Biden made it worse. End of story.
What in the hell are you talking about? You don't list one example. Let me help you out.
- Biden's border policy is killing American cities with the strain on social services and crime
- Biden inflation has driven up core costs, housing, groceries, and energy by over 30%
- Biden foreign policy has been catastrophic - Afghanistan, Russia, Israel
- Biden has destroyed what it is to be a girl. boys can compete and shower with girls
- Biden has turned the force of the FBI, CIA, and DOJ on its own citizens
New Poll shows in the swing states voters believe Trump is better for Democracy than Biden
38%-29%.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-vs-biden-democracy-poll
When you use the police state to prosecute your political rivals, spy on political campaigns, and lie about the Hunter Biden laptop et cetera, there is a price to be paid.
And really, James, if you don’t understand that the FBI, CIA, and DOJ are independent from the presidency then I really don’t know what to say. This basic lack of understanding of our government is what is partly fueling this extremist MAGA movement. People don’t read and have removed truthful history from our schools. All your complaints are MAGA talking points that have been circulated since Trump started this circus. I would recommend you expand your horizons and at least consider taking a different point of view.
And really, James, I don’t look at polls. They are often wrong because they have agendas. I wouldn’t let a poll determine who I voted for in the first place because I actually do some research into people I vote for and don’t allow fancy ads or other people’s talking points to influence my decisions. If you follow people over time you know what they are about. Unfortunately most voters jump on the bandwagon wagon two months before an election. If you don’t know what’s going on in the world well before that there is no hope for you. Oh, I get that people get overwhelmed with too much info but if you think for a minute that who gets elected won’t affect you, you are living in Lala land.
Destroyed what it is to be a girl? Really? These differences in people have existed since the beginning of time but I get that you are digging to have something against Biden.
Please ignore this "James A"
Afghanistan wa always going to be a problem no matter who took on the responsibility. Note that Trump freed somewhere around 5000 Taliban fighters before the election. Part of this failure is on Trump. Russia and Israel have created their own problems. I don’t see how Putin invading Ukraine is Biden’s fault and how Hamas attacking Israel is Biden’s fault. I DO NOT agree with US policy to give billions to Netanyahu and I think he should be out and tried for crimes against humanity.
Please ignore this "James A"
Biden didn’t cause inflation, supply chain issues and corporate greed has. With record breaking profits how can we still be seeing high prices?
Please ignore this "James A"
The article just said immigration has dropped by 40% due to Biden’s actions. Did you not read that?
Please ignore this "James A"
Right. BUT, reading down through these comments I don't get why so many are going on and on and on about how effen bad Trump is.....isn't that a forgone conclusion after: How many years of the Trump Show??
Folks, don't we all know his many "flaws" (& frauds)...ad nauseum.
On a more positive side:
I would love it if Biden would just sat quietly and channel George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to ask for guidance.
They loved this country as he does; he will get the right answers.
It is, but it sounds like sour grapes. The “direct threat” statement needed support from Adam’s findings from the Congressional investigation for support.
Yes, so true.
By a 6–3 vote, the Supreme Court today blessed the practice of taking “gratuities” as a gift for past behavior by an official, distinguishing them from “bribes,” which require proof that there was an illegal deal in place.
They called it "The Bribe Now, Pay Later" plan.
So... kickbacks are legal, while bribes are not. That's some impressive legal pretzel logic!
A despotic Supreme Court gives a green light to corrupt behaviour..
Because several of the SCOTUS Justices--Alito and Thomas at the very least, Kavanaugh very likely as well--have taken kickbacks repeatedly themselves.
And Thomas advertised, "Kickbacks Welcome Here".
Someone hold my phone while I go vomit!
Another decision that favors the rich, big business, and weakens the rights of ordinary citizens. Yes, they are following a consistent theme. How can we get rid of them? We can’t.
We have to, or at least bell the predators.
Yes, their own…
❤️
Gary Mendel, thank you for your post. Your word, “kickbacks” kind of illuminated this whole issue for me (though I have to decide how embarrassed I am that it didn’t occur to me 😀). The idea that Justice Kavanaugh honestly believes there’s no difference between a Thank-You card and $13,000 in Snyder’s case or, by implication, between a card and over $4,000,000 in gifts to Justice Thomas, is preposterous. Kavanaugh’s decision is, itself, corrupt and is a transparent attempt to justify Thomas’s corruption.
Alan, but can't you see? It wasn't a bribe. It was a gift. A gift of neatly-sracked bills, carefully wrapped in a brown paper bag. Why, it's even eco-friendly, as both cash and bag can be recycled into other objects.
Corrupt modern Republicans want us to believe that a thing is whatever they choose to call it.
"Stop the Steal"?
"ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse"?
"Citizens United"?
Naw.
These "justices" are so unqualified.
Worse, they are contemptuous of actual justice.
There are reasons to believe Kavanaugh himself is pretty low on the ethical ladder; thus his appointment.
He wasn't chosen by accident.
Kavanaugh mysteriously had his home & all of his debts paid off when he was seated on the SC. It reeks as much as his job interview where he screamed at a female Senator, Amy K who was questioning him. when he finally screamed at her, "I like beer & his mannerism with females questioning was disrespectful & patronizing. Where else would that job interview result in a job???? The FBI never interviewed multiple women who had experiences similar to Blasey-Ford. The government under the felon rammed these Heritage Foundation choices through, with Coney-Barrett never sitting on a bench for any previous trial. They are collectively the worst of the SC ever.
Even in the past of the Roberts ¢ourt has defined bribery so narrowly that it's pretty much not a bribe if no one issues an itemized invoice and receipt. It all but carte blanche for corrupt payoffs.
❤️
Yeah. Just… Wow. The Extreme Court is SO corrupt, they aren’t even ashamed to hide it anymore…
Beyond optics. If the Dems can get the political clout, which would include getting rid of the filibuster, the SC member might want to got to up 3, term limits.
They figure they don't have to. They are gods.
The ones chosen by Heaven to rule the plebs, right? ;)
And interesting to hear that Brett Kavanaugh is severely impaired in the basic fundamental logic and reasoning departments.....
How does an idiot get to be a supreme justice?
How about lying (a/k/a perjury) in a financial disclosure form?
Who put the perv in "perjury"? (Well, sometimes it's there).
Perhaps they are not really idiots. Maybe they are just crooks. Elitist mobsters.
In actually, the GOP has become a RICO.
He likes beer and he supports the patriarchy. And he's a religious zealot which moves him to the top of the Leonard Leo list.
Matt Damon nailed it on SNL. Classic!
Christopher. He likes beer
paired with sexual abuse.
Ask the Federalist Society and the politicians running the government.
And the $$$$$ running politicians.
Don Drumpf. Or W. Or HW.
Take your pick.
When they're not elected by a majority the minority feels free to steal
When you are a Republican, God lets you do that.
Omg perfect
Abject corruption would seem to explain it.
By crying…as I recall.
By knowing and pandering to TFFG.
JL, so when 45 gives the business leaders tax cuts after they contribute to his campaign and he’s elected, they’re “gratuities” and are okay now? Or is that only for officials?
It gets messy, and that is due in large part to our massively unjust campaign finance system. If we can't entirely get rid of the influence of wealth on our ostensibly democratic electoral and legislative outcomes, we can at least attempt to minimize it. Right now the impact of de facto bribery is immense.
"But the main culprit, the cancer on the body politic, is money: Money, money, money. When I ran 6 years ago, in 1998, I raised $8.5 million. That $8.5 million is $30,000 a week, every week, for 6 years. If you miss Christmas week, you miss New Years week, you are $100,000 in the hole and don't you think we don't know it and we start to work harder at raising money. As a result, the Senate doesn't work on Mondays and Fridays. We have longer holidays. The policy committee is adjourned and we go over to the campaign building because you can't call for money in the office. So we go over to the building and call for money and obviously we only can give attention to that. We don't have time for each other. We don't have time for constituents, except for the givers. Somebody ought to tell the truth about that." -Fritz Hollings
A member of Congress said: "I am elected as a new member of the House of Representatives. I spend the first year trying to figure out how to do my job. Learn the ropes, build relationships, beg for committee work. I spend the second year trying to raise money to stay in the job. It's amazing that anything gets done at all."
Ive often wondered about the sense of two-year terms for members of the House, and gulf between that and 6 year terms for the Senate. How about 4 years across the board, or even 5? The sheer amount of electoral events in the US may be one reason the electorate is so often a minority turnout.
Four is a good number, I think. And then we should rebuild the Senate to reflect the population of the nation. The idea that states with less than a million people would have the same number of senators as states with several million has led to the rule of a minority of political extremists. The structure of the Senate is a relic of the past - a compromise for those who worried about the lowly masses governing as a majority. It was created so rich landowners could override the will of the people. The Senate is a ruling class - not a tool of democracy.
Sorry for the rant, Frank. I am just really pissed off about this. We are here today with a corrupt Supreme Court because of a Senate that acts like royalty.
No worries, makes total sense. No way the Republicans will go for Senate reform
That has erked me for years, down right undemocratic that Wyoming get the same number of senators as California and....................
Well, thank you, JL. At last, written plain and clear.
“Campaign finance”. Yeah, I don’t get why no one is calling out Trumps blatant use of campaign donations for “ personal” uses. Is this not illegal? His trials are personal and he has used up to 1/2 billion to pay his “personal “ legal bills from campaign donations . I’m sure there has to something I’m missing because I’m aware of other candidates getting nailed for using these funds for personal use.
Misappropriation of funds? AKA "theft"?
1998 was six years ago? Wow! I am soo co fused now!!
It was a quote from Fred Hollings, from 2004.
I think I’m going to need to wear $5000 worth of Biden T-Shirts today to cleanse my mental palate of the invitations to corruption the Thomas Court has enshrined into law.
BeantownStrong.org
DemsMakeLifeBetter.org
At $30 a pop, I’ll have to wear 166 Biden-shirts to insulate myself from all this bull hucky.
I had to read it again to catch that....my old brain.
It is evaporating!🤣
It was long so I did not introduce it, but yes, an old statement.
Oops, Fritz Hollings.
This decision is disgraceful. I still want to know who paid off Kavanaugh’s credit card debt. We cannot have a functioning government if people at all levels are able to accept gifts or kickbacks, and we don’t have enough members in the house and senate to enact necessary legislation. Justice Brown-Jackson clearly sees the folly of this decision in her dissent.
Jackson stated it clearly in her dissent: INTEGRITY. The decision smacks of SCOTUS dumbing down America to cover for their long standing acceptance of gifts/grifts. Our justice system is announcing their own corruption.
Bribery is a big deal, and a mortal enemy of justice. The two high Crimes and Misdemeanors for which all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment and Conviction that the Constitution bothered to spell out, are Bribery and Treason.
JL Grahm
Here’s shocker, Supreme Law of the Land Court decides that a bribe is only a bribe if the money changes hands “before” the corrupt deed is implemented; If the money is paid afterwards, its just a friendly gift from an appreciative beneficiary of the corrupt deed
Brought to you with love and appreciation by the Corrupt Gang of Six
Vote as if your society depends upon it
Because it does.
So, Kavanaugh knew the language of the specific law being argued, (presumably) and chose to lie outright through the misrepresentation of the facts of it, and it's not front page, above the fold news? Whooda thunkit?
We have lost main stream media which used to be a voice for honesty. Now it’s all about the clicks and the big bucks. At least we have Heather and other excellent honest voices but they need to be heard together and all at once to overcome the lies. Maybe tonight??🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Idk. MSNBC has been howling about this decision and I think they're msm. The NYT not so much
Bought and paid for.
When profit is the only thing, everything else suffers. I think that's what the Bible was trying to say. In any case, would seem to be self evident. Investigative reporting took a back seat after "deregulation".
In short they took the trouble to reverse lower courts' and i supposed appeal court's rulings, voted strictly across ideological lines, and more or in the interest of Clarence and Alito, which sounds a bit like conflict of interest on their part. Shades of Citizens United ...
And still, no one has investigated who paid his debts. Sadly, we will eventually find out years from now who did and what cases it impacted.
Just what I was thinking, Rickey!
Provided civilization makes it though all this. There is a big test ahead of us.
No surprise here. They are protecting their own asses.
I suspect the conversation that fpotus had with the oil companies might have been one of the motivating factors in this discussion.
"When the President does it, that means that it is not illegal."- Nixon
- Pulled Quote -
"Two Republican voters from Pennsylvania told MSNBC tonight that they are voting for Biden. When asked whether they think there is “a silent Biden voter out there,” one said, “I do. I know there is…. We don’t want to talk about it, but we’re all going to vote for Joe Biden.”''
Victory in November - Vote Blue!
In my town, which is largely Democratic, there are a few Trump signs and virtually none for Biden. Biden supporters do not harass others, Trump supporters do. Also, Democrats here tend to respect their neighbors, and try to keep their political and other views less "in-your-face" than the MAGAs do. Basically, Democrats are classier, less showy, and actually love and respect democracy :) Somehow, we have become "The Silent Majority".
I live in a red,MAGA county in Fl. There are many Trump flags/signs in my peninsula community of nearly 800 people.We are the ONLY Biden/Harris sign(placed along with our right side up flag😉) I’ve been wearing my “showy” B/H t-shirt since Feb with ONLY positive comments/discussions. Please, LFAA peeps, join me. It is lonely…
🪧🇺🇸
👕🛒
I agree! I don’t mind yard signage but take offense at signs people put out that say ‘f-ck Biden’ from the MAGA folks trying to usher in the banning of ‘immoral books.’ And I’d rather not have my driveway full of trash, ‘surprises’ in my mailbox, or worse vandalism by having Biden signs there. My vehicle does display ‘Diversity is Strength’ stickers and I will campaign or support President Biden in public places, though. It’s no wonder that with all DJT’s grooming of his cult for ‘voter fraud’ and violence, they won’t believe in this silent majority for Biden.
We are indeed. The noisy bastards around me think that intimidation is a political position.
With Maxine Waters as our shining example of class and restraint!
That is good to know. However, it is deeply shocking that the MAGA mob and their enablers in mass and social media have been successful in creating a deeply UnAmerican atmosphere of political silencing. This orchestrated alt right Christo fascist oligarch backed political media offensive is also having a chilling effect upon voters in European elections, especially now in the UK.
And surely here in France… a startling danger to the European alliance. Voting for a new government this 30th and 7/7 if necessary…
Help ! please insist that your French friends vote and vote for the united left (amazing feat!!for this stance against extreme right) Vote for the « Nouveau Front Populaire » 🙏 pro people….
Of course. French Enlightenment political progress is coming under the same attack.
The Scottish crime writer Val McDermid, wore in a Guardian article yesterday, defending her desire to vote SNP in order to further Scottish Independence, quoted a pertinent French saying in response to any potential political setback: Reculer pour mieux sauter (take a few steps back in order to make a better jump!) Still better to vote now and vote for the NFP. Paradoxically, an old style Conservative move. French politics, being like all RealPolitick on the ground, historically particular to place and complex.
France is still France. When the unthinkable happened and Le Pen (father) got into the second, decisive, round of the elections, I took part in the manif of entre les deux tours. The whole of Paris was on the street. On the packed Métro, it sounded like a party - everybody laughing and talking at the tops of their voices. Three generations of families, babies in prams, handwritten placards. "Vote Right with your Left hand." "Mieux vaut être baisé par Chirac que violé par Le Pen."
Isn’t the reaction on the far right in France based on immigration issues? I believe so. I am not against immigration but I am against massive movements of peoples in uncontrolled ways. Most nations have this reaction now and in ancient times. Why don’t we ever learn?
Maybe the center is the better.
Yes. Indeed.
Absorbing enormous numbers of people from entirely different cultures is a huge challenge for any society. In a perfect world, it would be controllable. And try we must. But that takes unified political will to assign the resources. AKA funding border security. Like the bill the Senate passed that the House trashed because it would look like a victory for Biden (MAGA actually SAID that).
But that's just the beginning. Even if we managed the border and it became iron clad "secure", we haven't addressed what it costs to absorb the new population. If you take the broad view, it would be money well invested as our population is aging out and we are becoming desperately short of young workers.
We should get our act together real soon. The impacts of the Climate Catastrophe and the accompanying political chaos will send many hundreds of millions of people streaming north to the US and Europe.
When you have nothing to feed your kids and the gangs are killing your neighbors by the dozens, wouldn't you risk everything to find a new place of safety and a bite to eat?
They are coming. And we can't stop them all. What is our plan?
Why don't we ever learn? Maybe, as a species, we're just not that smart. Or maybe the answer is a callous one. We just don't care about our fellow travelers.
We invaded, they invaded. Travelers have been forever, first out of Africa. The earth is not countries of lock boxes. We cannot make it so. Figure it out humans…
Yes. And now there are simply too many of us.
When the first huge waves of refugees from Africa reached France, every effort was made to place them - often in country towns they were welcomed, greeted with smiles and hugs, given every assistance. I've kept a newspaper picture of the mayor clasping the hand of an African father of a family just arrived - smiles of simple joy and solidarity all round. A retired friend of mine in Paris worked as a volunteer with a refugee housing aid association. But it didn't stop, or slow down, and it became unmanageable, the more so that they had the fixed idea that England would welcome them so they congregated in places like Calais where they might (they think) sneak on to a boat, or train, or lorry. They didn't want to be in France at all, but England, which they thought would take care of them. And then there's Sicily - campfuls of the ones who survived the leaky boat, and hundreds buried in cemeteries that had to be created for the ones who didn't. Don't.
Just looking at land mass, it's obvious that North America, Russia and China would have the capacity to absorb many more desperate humans than Europe. But how naive of me. That would suggest thinking as a species. Not going to happen.
Truly ironic because all three are aging out and need younger workers.
Ever since Macron won the first time, Mr Vengeful Disgruntlement Mélenchon has worked tirelessly to destabilise him.
Bannon traveled far and wide after he left the WH, maybe somebody should trace his steps. It was reported to some degree.
Yes. Farage is more visible, and yet tends to pass for a negligible idiot by creating for himself a political profile. They should both be monitored.
Perhaps the bigger question is who is pushing all this mass migration and why? Certainly many of these illegals would not have the where with all to leave on their own. Nor the finances and resources, who is behind this agenda and for what gain? It is difficult for these illegals to leave and go to foreign place with no guarantee of success, just as it is difficult and hugely expensive for so many countries to deal with these kinds of numbers.
Yes... where is the 'jump up and down' emoji ?
🤷
🐾 🐾
My phone has feet, but my laptop only has paws....
😊
I firmly believe this is true! And folks should understand two things: the ballot is secret. No one needs to know who you vote for. And, just because your family always voted Republican it doesn’t mean you are required to vote Republican. Vote for the people who you believe will do the best job.
I am not sure that even a massive victory can hold. Every republican loss at every level will be challenged in court. Every one.
The money will pay for legal intimidation at every level
Wish that were true in Texas
Good for President Biden to right the wrongs against gay soldiers. Retrospect indicates that concerns over group cohesion were spurious. ⚖️ I sure hope he wins in November election and kicks ass tomorrow night. 🗽 As to my erstwhile Party, now a source of personal embarrassment, Trump's Party stinks worst at the head but remains fetid far on down to the bottom. 🤢
Some other nations had no such restrictions long before, and seemed OK with it. And yeah, it was a bold move.
There are, of course, many decent conservatives out there. Very disappointed that they did not stand up to the obvious corruption, demagogy, and heedlessness of Trump.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5086100/user-clip-hooray-rep-buck
In Senators Murkowski, Flake, Burr, and Romney as well as Representatives Buck, Turner, Cheney, and Kinzinger, I can count those who did on both hands, though there are others.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4747007/senator-flake-raises-concerns-president-kavanaugh-hearing
Duh.
Of course the Clarence court is going to rule for corruption.
So let’s get one thing straight. Our dehumanized live for abstractions. For the loot most especially. Our grubbiest must elevate beyond anything, everything personal – all novels, films, plays, memoirs, songs, other arts.
Arts remind us how vulnerable actual humans are. Our corrupt cannot bear such reminders, as money – it’s always about money – always flaunts me-God promises, safety in clichés, slogans, all formulaically dead language.
But, again, duh – this is the Clarence court. Note what they already ruled against American women. Note, too. what an earlier, also then vulgar Clarence court did for their sugar daddy billionaires in Citizens United.
"federal anti-corruption law that prohibits state and local officials from taking gifts worth more than $5,000 from someone the official had helped to land lucrative government business."
I'd be troubled if were it more than $50. Depending on the circumstances, maybe even that. What wrong with demanding public servants are obliged to refuse gifts period from unrelated persons with which an entity?? If you can't bear going giftless, stay out of public service. I'm looking at YOU Clarence.
Times have sure changed. When I worked for a defense contractor we weren't even allowed to let people pay for our lunches.
And after all, why should they? Better to err on the side of integrity. There are always chums to go for a beer with who are not involved in one's business.
Ditto that!!! I was a 30 year federal employee and we couldn’t even benefit from our frequent flier miles because it was associated with travel for work. (I believe that has changed since.)
This decision is appalling and unethical. But then again we are talking about the unethical Supreme Court.
Mostly unethical Court anyway, due to being packed with unethical moles for the 1%.
Are bonuses gifts? Every January, my partner and I gave out bonuses to our 125+ consultants and staff. Was it a bribe?
Our target market was the life insurance industry and the busiest time of year was December and January. December was also a time when most of the movement of personnel happened in the life insurance industry. So we paid bonuses on January 31st only if the employee was still working with us as of February 1st.
For the first five years we were in business our turnover rate was zero so we were never very concerned about employees leaving in January anyway, but I suppose it was kinda sorta a bribe.
Maybe?
How is an incentive to remain with employer any sort of bribe?
We didn't and I don't think it is, but Alito, Thomas, Roberts and the other lesser MAGAs on SCOTUS may construe bonuses as such with their warped sense of right and wrong and their bizarre interpretations of the US Constitution.
As you may be aware, the life insurance industry is notorious for not paying most of their employees well including IT. However, most companies had a fairly robust benefits package.
We realized there were two types of life insurance companies, one that had competent IT management and programming staff and the ones that we worked for. We mostly hired consultants from the competent companies by offering them much better pay and comparable benefits. We rarely moved people from where they were living and employed a remote/onsite hybrid model starting in 1991. Most of our consultants had spouses with good paying jobs and family where they lived and didn't want to move. And our clients didn't want to pay $4k - 6k in travel expenses every month so we offered a remote/onsite option.
A few clients wanted to see the consultants were working and so a small number of our employees traveled, but for the most part we were onsite 1 week a month. And when you have several people working for one client there was usually someone from our company onsite to attend meetings, etc.
In this Court of Bizzaro, where Logic and Steely Dan collide, there is no way to predict a decision until you know who is paying for it
They turn the English language on its ear in order to “justify” incomprehensible conclusions
Its as if “will the decision benefit average citizens? No? Lets roll with that. As long as Mr Leo concurs”
There are all sorts of payments, but a bribe is a bribe whatever it is called, and what makes it a bribe is payment for some form of malfeasance. I would not think a typical bonus (that's just a bonus) would fall into such territory..
At the corporation my father worked for some upper executives were fired for accepting substantial gifts from vendors to the corporation. Not charged with any wrongdoing except company policy that prohibited acceptance of such gifts. Seem fair to me.
I was gonna say $5, but even that smudges the line between integrity and corruption.
At bottom, why should it not be the rule, as it is with the office of President of the US, that any gift to a public official, even if it has his/her name scratched on it or bears his/her likeness, automatically belongs to the people on whose behalf that official works? And that non-durable gifts simply be refused? Remember how Justice Kagan handled the matter of one of her staff bringing bagels and cream cheese for everyone to the office one day: The Justice insisted on paying for her share. A trivial dollar amount to be sure, but the principle exemplified.
No Rules for the Rich. What the Framers meant all along.
Yes, J L.
Posturing as if one were beyond rules lets oneself posture also as free-floating superman. Presuming to put all others in one package is one way of abstracting them all -- as if all women ought to be rehearsing some set of scripts monitored by police states.
The nice thing about these conceits is that they release the faux-supermen from contingency, from mortality, from all the complications we're heir to. They can take seriously their abstractions, as if vulnerability needn't apply to them. As if law needn't apply to them. As if law were for suckers.
And these Clarence court acolytes of corruption already have lifetime appointments. Already so far beyond the rest of humanity. Thus excused from the counsel of humanities. Aloof. Living dead. Totally corrupted and willing from the bench to rule for companion, body-snatched replicant similar corrupt.
Trying to insure impartiality, the Constitution + political perfidy has created little kings.
But little did they know what "rich" was going to mean, not far down the track.
Does this mean that Spiro Agnew would have been excused from his conduct that caused his resignation and prosecution?
If you want to see this "gift" system in action, look no further than police "corruption". It was horrendous in the 1950's in larger cities on the east coast, and in many other places. When I took my oath of office, I swore to do a number of things the public requires in its police.
Beyond that code were policies, one of which forbade the taking of ANY ITEM of personal or professional gain, and another which specifically forbade accepting free meals or food items. In 35 years of employment, I never saw or heard of any violation of this. When we won a "high ticket" item in the various raffles that conferences often had, we had to document what was won, and that the raffle was "fair and unbiased".
Exactly. Like security clearance, certain jobs involve a mandatory code of conduct. The more sensitive the role and entrusted powers, the more keenly enforced that code needs to be.
“Because power corrupts, society’s demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.”
– John Adams
"By a 6–3 vote, the Supreme Court today blessed the practice of taking “gratuities” as a gift for past behavior by an official, distinguishing them from “bribes,” which require proof that there was an illegal deal in place." Equally significant, neither Alito nor Thomas, recused and participated in the case.
Maybe they don't know what "recuse" means? They never do it.
I think a good counter President Biden could use if Trump decides to say his immigration policy is letting criminals into the US could be: "You know that's not true - but you want to allow a criminal into the Oval Office" :)
Brilliant, Steve!
"This decision that officials can accept “gifts” so long as they are not “bribes” might have something to do with the fact that Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have accepted significant gifts from donors—Thomas’s count is upward of $4 million—and it doesn’t relieve the sense that this Supreme Court, with its three right-wing Trump-appointed justices, is untrustworthy." We should all watch for post retirement gifts to Thomas and Alito. They could make $4 million seem small. It could be a long wait, though, because Joe Biden will be re-elected.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/28/jack-abramoff-new-book-corruption-in-washington_n_1064602.html>
He (criminally convicted lobbyist Jack Abranoff) also describes wooing congressional staffers — particularly chiefs of staff — with the lure of future employment. “After a number of meetings with them, possibly including meals or rounds of golf, I would say a few magic words: ‘When you are done working for the Congressman, you should come work for me at my firm.’
“With that, assuming the staffer had any interest in leaving Capitol Hill for K Street — and almost 90 percent of them do, I would own him and, consequently, that entire office. No rules had been broken, at least not yet. No one even knew what was happening, but suddenly, every move that staffer made, he made with his future at my firm in mind.”
JL. Abramoff’s own book was amazingly candid and spilled a lot of garbage about his pal’s “no new taxes”pledge of allegiance for GOP loyality
https://www.atr.org/about-the-pledge/
What I don’t understand that the 5,000 dollar limit is entirely reasonable ( which I think is still way too high).
That's the setup isn't it -- when they retire they won't be indicted for bribery.
And what about Leonard Leo. How did he end up with 2 properties in Northeast Harbor, ME each worth north of $1 million?
"Georgia governor Brian Kemp told Kaitlan Collins he did not vote for Trump in his state’s Republican primary, although he said he would “support the ticket” in November so that Georgia would remain in Republican hands. "
Someone should ask this Republican which he thinks is more important: the party or the republic?
The same question should be asked of ALL GOP elected officials.
Maybe that will be one of CNN's questions tonight. Of course convicted felon Donald Trump won't answer a single question that is asked, but rather ramble on about toilets that you have to flush 10-15 times and windmills that only cause cancer around his golf course in Scotland.
Is it just me or is anyone else sick and tired of CFDT being a whiny little bitch?
Ask him which he as a Georgian thinks is more important.
There is a rather strong waft of hope throughout your summary of events today, it seems Heather. Thank you for shining a light on these significant strands of optimism as history unfolds in these terribly unsettled times. Blessings to you from downstream in Scarborough.
I am torn about listening to or watching the "debate" tonight. Biden's speeches have been top notch, so I have faith that he will have a good strategy.
Also, CFDT's short term memory is MIA so the Biden strategy should/will try to put him on the defensive. It would be great to see CFDT get flustered and upset like he did with Nancy Pelosi.
Plus, they need to fact check CFDT in real time to catch him lying over and over.
I will be watching the same thing tonight as I do for every SOTU address: the conductor. I have rehearsals on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and usually post a photo of "what I'm watching tonight".
Our little group practices on Thursday afternoon's because two of us don't have enough stamina to practice in the evenings even with a nap.
You're a better person than me Gunga Din. 😎
I thought so too, but then wondered if I was imagining it, so I'm glad to know I'm not the only one here that felt a bit of cautious optimism.
Cross fingers, don't say anything.
While today's summary was as well written as usual, there is almost too much news to report. The Supreme Court decision to make it okay for public officials to accept financial "gifts" (really just bribes) for past "services rendered" is crazy! In her descent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson summed it up perfectly when she said, "Officials who use their public positions for private gain threaten the integrity of our most important institutions." This is common sense! The Supreme Court is rotten and needs to be reformed. This latest decision reeks of impropriety. It seems that American society is truly being transformed into the distopian hell envisioned in the classic movie Back to the Future II, after Biff used the "Gray's Sports Almanac" to place illegal bets and use his ill-gotten wealth for political gain, only to have it all go sour. We need to make sure Trump stays out of office and allow for the replacement of some of the sitting justices, or better yet, enact a series of comprehensive reforms at the Supreme Court.
Justice Sotomayor said in her dissent regarding bump stocks, "If it walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and walks like a duck, it's a duck." The same could be said of gratuities not being bribes.
Exactly!
Mark. Name checking Biff. So on point. Picturing a Trump wig on Biff’s in the hot tub scene with Marty’s mom as Melania
Perfect! You could develop a whole library of memes.
I want a meme where Joe Biden as George McFly cold cocks Trump/Biff as he tries to rape future Marty Mom
It’s as if they are pardoning themselves for past and future transgressions. Probably some in the present as well!
But again, the degradation of faith in our system of government is the Point.
That is the same impression that I got - especially regarding Justices Alito and Thomas.
Mark Kennedy,
Agree...but true justice moves so slowly especially within this political climate.
Those Supreme Court Justices who have been SELECTED and APPOINTED were chosen for their lack of character. They were chosen to be used as puppets. They are willing to be sold for a few coins.....(Not all justices, but even one is too many...)
"The Supreme Court, once a highly respected group of justices , is allowing itself to be bought...one by one!"
Sadly, the Republican Party needs to just go....it no longer is capable to lead as a healthy government institution for the preservation of all that is dear to freedom and decency and love and respect for ALL citizens of this great nation.
Sad to include the "church" is being used by persons who must not really know the writings or earthly life of Christ. Some just want the label "Christian" as a bumper sticker or as a label on their shirt....but are unkind to people even fellow-believers and have no compassion for those in need or no love for those whom they see as "different".
Christ's specialty is loving the outcast...just read about Him. As followers, we are supposed to live a life of love as we have been loved. His love...received...compels those who believe to live likewise. I am NOT seeing a lot of that from "the church".
Some of the justices need to review Jesus' teachings as well.
Emily, the Christian religion is pretty weird, when you have haters using the Bible to discriminate against the very people that your Jesus is said to protect. Why is it that when I tell someone that I am perfectly happy in my faith tradition and wish them well, they say "I will pray that you will find salvation in Jesus"? Cannot you let someone have their own way?
Ally House (Oregon),
Jesus never pushed Himself on anyone. He was the one who was crucified because the leaders of the Jewish faith were afraid of losing power. (I have friends who are Jewish...so am NOT against Jewish people....or their faith....just sharing facts.)
I grew up in a loving , faithful Christian family. I did not become a believer through osmosis. I was in my 20's before I accepted Christ into my heart . This happened after I was invited by friends on my college campus to listen to testimonies from a group of young people who came to sing and share and pray with students who chose to come and to listen. Friends on campus kept asking me to come so on their last day of sharing, I came. That was the time when I received Christ in my heart. I have had my seasons of rebellion and repentance. I have had my seasons of study and prayer and shallow times as well. This continues because I am NOT a robot. In my experience, Christ has let me go into my chosen misadventures, into many and various struggles in life. The reality of His presence in my life has been the receiving of this unconditional love and encouragement....He never lets me go. This is my personal relationship. He never judges me but His love corrects me. He refuses to leave me, Ally.
Jesus never pushes Himself in! I would also reply to your comment that there seem to be some weird persons who claim to be Christians...NOT MY CALL.
I think before I follow. I too am concerned about the misuse of faith to control people. I have also been in a cult so I am speaking from experience here.
We need to be honest in our hearts and souls regarding who we are and what we believe.
It was usually the religious people seeking power who have always attempted to use people to gain power and control. Nothing has changed in that regard.
OK. Your flavor is different than the one I've been bludgeoned with. Just because they aren't your flavor does not absolve anyone.
Thank you Heather!
I have to add that the New York state Primaries were yesterday and Congressman Jamaal Bowman was defeated in the most expensive House primary in history by a challenger funded by AIPAC. This is what Citizen's United has done to our election process. AIPAC spent an unprecedented $14.5 million against Jamaal Bowman, an all-time record for outside spending in a House election!
Politico recently confirmed that AIPAC’s super PAC, United Democracy Project, is the largest source of GOP donations in Democratic primaries. And the majority of its donors are corporate, right-wing millionaires and billionaires who support Donald Trump.
Ten years ago, I had never heard of AIPAC. Then a friend sat me down and filled me in. AIPAC is AMAZING. And unlike the NRA and AARP very few Americans have heard of it.
You’re right: 14 million dollars from one special interest group for a HOUSE election!! Thanks a bunch Republicans (via the SCOTUS). This is NOT democracy!!
More info about this race: https://jacobin.com/2024/04/maga-bowman-democrats-latimer-congress .
It is worse than you think.
And if what my wife told me is true, they've succeeded. @$$h0les.
Thanks for this article, Derek.
Thanks for the link. I guess money trumps the many as Bowman characterized it. Altimeter Amy be the new Manchin or Sinema.
horhai ,
I was crushed to hear that Jamaal Bowman lost!!! He is a great guy and I hope will stay involved in New York politics.
Yes me too. Really dismaying to see so much money spent to unseat him. Seems like the corporate power and financing that he spoke out against were really gunning for him in particular.
I also hope Jamaal Bowman continues to stay active in New York or even national politics. We need more like him and others in the Squad(also being primaried by AIPAC and other corporate financing) that are speaking out and fighting for 'a more perfect union' and the nation's potential democratic ideals.
That $13,000 "gratuity" broke an established law properly legislated and well-founded. Kavanaugh even dared to equate it to a teacher receiving a gift from a parent at the end of a school year. No one can tell us that a Starbucks gift card is the same. We are losing the glue that makes us America. Integrity is an extremely important issue. While Democrat, Robert Menendez, has been charged with ethical and legal issues, so many more Republicans have lost their way in terms of ethical standards led by the misleadership of Donald Trump.
Did you know Alicia Menendez on MSNBC is his daughter? Fun fact.
The mistakenly released draft opinion that states that after-the-fact "gratuities" are not bribes made my head spin. Have they never seen The Godfather or even Law & Order or read a newspaper? This semantic juggling will permit rampant corruption -- delaying a bribe until after the fact is still a bribe. In fact it may be more effective. If I offer a kid a cookie as long as he promises to clean up his room, once the cookie is gone so is the incentive. If I offer two cookies for him as soon as his room is cleaned up - presto clean room. And interesting how it helps Thomas frame the millions he's taken in "gratuities" and "hospitality".
A secret House vote to keep Bannon out of jail? SCOTUS allowing "gratuities" when government officials steer lucrative contracts to their cronies? Defunding the justice systerm? Sheesh! Are we living in a banana republic? I can't believe that even a Trumplican could look the other way from this claptrap.
There is a whole house that looks the other way! And those that may be fence sitters are too spineless to do a damn thing! May they all rot in hell.
Oh, they do. It is an "appropriate" response to a "weaponized" prosecution. Gag.
Once again, the traitor Republicans in the House prove that President Truman was right back in 1948, when he observed that "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies."
TCinLA,
I am voting for Joe Biden and every freedom-loving Democrat possible.
Our nation needs another "healthy" political party. The Republican Party has sadly allowed itself to become "road-kill"....it's there but offers nothing of value anymore.
It's main candidate is for "self" only...just ask his wives how that goes.
TC, as late as 2015 there were still remnants of the Republican Party -- John McCain and Mitch Romney ran to be President of the people regardless of Party.
That party is "pushing up daisies" now. It is the Party of Trump whose pillars are HATE, ANGER, RESENTMENT, RETRIBUTION and MISINFORMATION.
Serendipity has allowed me to have two amazing neighbors that I consider to have been great politicians - Tom Harkin and Tom Osborne. I don't know of anyone that could question the integrity, humility or dedication of either of them. Of course, Tom Harkin was a Democrat but both of these men were what I wish every politician could be.
Romney didn't think the "47%" (the "takes") were fellow citizens he should be concerned for.
He only looks good by comparison.
I do remember him saying that to a private group and someone recorded and released it. I'm sure it cost him lots of votes.
Convicted Felon Donald Trump says much worse every day and he totally gets away with it. The press reports it like it's perfectly reasonable. I understand that that's what journalism is about, but how can someone say "I have to flush my toilet 10-15 times" and not be questioned about it or "windmills cause cancer."
Don't get me wrong, Romney's about 80% there, but unlike the Never Trump Republicans, he just can't intellectually tear himself away from his background far enough to act on what are obviously real beliefs that led him to oppose Trump and then to step away from being Senator.