In 1981, Reagan Republicans took power with the plan of cutting the government back to the form it took in the 1920s. But Americans like a basic social safety net and protection for consumers and workers, so to win votes for tax cuts and deregulation, Republican leaders warned that white Christian men who just wanted to work hard for their own success were under attack by a government in thrall to minorities, women, lazy organized workers, and secularists who were destroying traditional values and turning the country over to socialism.
Heather Cox Richardson PhD gets a Letters from an American Nobel for the power of her vital summation, her useful detail and her accuracy and for her succinctness tonight. This is a midnight masterpiece.
Reacting to the arrest, Representative Louie Gohmert (R-TX) told Newsmax , “If you’re a Republican, you can’t even lie to Congress or lie to an FBI agent or they’re coming after you.”
Proving once again he is the Dumbest Fcking Goat Roper To Ever Live.
Heather, how do you keep up with all this news?! You’re such a treasure chest of information and in-depth knowledge!
Tonight, I loved your lines about Navarro:
“Navarro was livid at being arrested and handcuffed and put in a cell, saying that if they had just called him and said they needed him down at court, he’d have shown up.”
The icing on the cake was: “He appeared to miss the point that the subpoena he ignored is basically a call that says, ‘Hey, we need you down at the court….’”
The importance of tonight’s content cannot be over emphasized. We are dealing with a sad, sick, emotionally disturbed political party gone nuts. Quite literally, the GOP paranoia has gone mad. David Stockman and GHWB’s slam of Gov. Dukakis come to mind. It’s impossible to find an honest leader atop the GOP. America cannot be a one party three ring circus. I love no party. But the party system matters. Constitutional democracies deal with party politics. Tonight we have one party and one Tucker Fox Fix sham party staffed and funded in Moscow. What next?
Navarro's temper tantrum speak volumes about him: take part in an attempted coup, defy subpoenas, and then act as if the FBI should have chauffeured him to jail and stopped along the way for a latte and massage. Be still my heart! They dared handcuff him and shackle his legs? As in standard protocol? And in public? Oh you poor entitled well-off white dude.
On a related note, I read somewhere today that three federal grand juries are now empaneled to handle the massive Justice Department investigation. And Navarro knows there's a boulder rolling downhill toward him — much bigger charges than contempt of Congress.
If Pence's staff were warning his Secret Service agents about potential violence, they certainly had already talked to Pence about it. He had resisted and resisted tfg's pressure to torpedo the electoral college delegate count, standing on constitutional ground as the reason he could not (would he if he could?) do anything but certify the votes. So, Pence must have thought out a contingeny plan should there be a direct threat. When Congress's doors were being battered down, he was quick to make it all the way to the parking lot, where he refused to be transported from the building. Somehow I don't think his refusal was simply quick thinking; he had already figured out that leaving the building might mean he couldn't get back any time soon and his absence would mean some Republican substitute would step in who might not be so resolved as he to see his obligation through. He was stuck between the gallows and the likely success of a political coup against the incoming administration. Talk about political drama!? This is a case of truth trumping (no pun intended) fiction. It doesn't get much better than this...if Pence's secret service agents were briefed, can you imagine how that possibility wouldn't have spread more broadly within the Secret Service? What were all those people thinking as they waited to see what resulted from that rally? President, constitution, VP, President, constitution, VP, left hand, right hand, where does our loyalty lie? Their job is to protect the president and certain other high officials; does that include being pawns in a political coup? I suspect some of them were interviewed by the committee, or perhaps they demured when asked? Pence was offered a hero's hand. Did he think it out in advance? I have a strong suspicion he and his aides ran the scenarios in advance. I'm surprised they didn't have some other spot picked out where they could barricade themselves in without having to share space with a bunch of panicked congressmen.
There haven't been too many times in the last 40 years where I would block out time to listen to government proceedings; This time, I think I'll be blocking my calendar out for the length of those hearings; it's going to be high drama, including all of the editorials parsing each day's revelations.
There was a time when educated politicians knew that ancient Rome ceased to be a Republic when the Senate allowed three wealthy and ambitious men--Pompey, Marc Antony, and Octavian (the future Augustus Caesar)--to control the country and its affairs overseas. We should talk about the threat to the United States as a republic and not just as a democracy.
Have you ever wondered why the Constitution says High crimes and Misdemeanors? Isn't a misdemeanor a minor crime? The British Parliament invented impeachment in 1376, primarily as a legislative counterweight against royal abuses of power. British law of the 18th century held government officials to a higher standard of conduct than regular citizens because of the magnified impact they could have on the country and its people. So, government officials are certainly not above the law and actually need to be held to a higher level of conduct than the rest of us. So wish we could see more accountability in today's political environment as specified by the Constitution!
And then Louie Gohmert continues the Republican faux victimhood refrain by claiming that only Republicans are punished for lying to the FBI or Congress while everyone lies. Once again, it’s projections.
One of the best issues of LFAA ever, clear and to the point, and the contrast between President Biden's accomplishments for the benefit of all Americans versus the Repugs' continued lack of cooperation and care for the well-being of their constituents has never been clearer. Now if only the message could be spread far and wide!
Heather, this is simply brilliant writing. The first two paragraphs describing the metamorphosis for the RPINO (Republican Party in Name Only) into an autocratic cult needs to be framed for posterity. And, then the contrast with the accomplishments of the Biden administration makes one's heart sing. BRAVO!
As I was shutting things down, in came HCR's letter which of course I had to read - there is no rest for the weary! Another terrific summation and the comment about Navarro's arrest (and his response as captured by HCR) made my day. What an idiot. As far as *ucker Carlson is concerned, his insanity grows every day and that he even has an audience is just plain nuts.
"Navarro was livid at being arrested and handcuffed and put in a cell, saying that if they had just called him and said they needed him down at court, he’d have shown up. (He appeared to miss the point that the subpoena he ignored is basically a call that says, 'Hey, we need you down at the court….') He claims that authorities have violated the Constitution."
Ari Melbar, MSNBC Anchor & Legal Analyst was busy yesterday as a percipient witness & a reporter. But, Ari's own show at 3 pm Pacific 6/3/2022 was some of his best work. Ari repeatedly & clealy pointed out that his 3 time guest, Navarro, admits in his faux 'complaint' that he (Navarro) had already been served with a separate Department of Justice ( DOJ ) subpoena. Navarro even listed the Fed subpoena number - the only confirming source! So Navarro has breached two (2) subpoenas not one (1). Navarro's condition appears to be severe exposure to the Wreck Cult. Yesterday, the Judge had to appoint him a Public Defender! Want to read the Court transcript of his day in Court before his needed rest in the Slammer.
Broader Context: The NYT & Wapo's Jacqueline Alemanny & Spencer Hsu ( paywall ) report the DOJ has formally notified the Select Committee that the DOJ will NOT pursue Meadows nor Scavino for contempt. LIttle detail but, Meadows did produce some 2300 emails sufficient to outline the failed Coup starting around November 5, 2020 as we will see in Primetime starting next Thursday. Update: Jay Kuo at the Substack source "The Staus Quo" unpacks the non- prosecution DOJ decision NOT to prosecute Meadows & Scavino.
Professor Heather Cox Richardson, once again you have delivered a powerful letter, past and present, reminding us of the importance of history. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” (George Santayana 1863-1952 Spanish philosopher, essayist, poet and novelist.)
The difference between 1920s and 2020 is a century. Yet the repubs current argument against and obstruction of legislation for the social safety net of President Biden’s Build Back Better plan is familiar. You wrote, “…Reagan Republicans took power with the plan of cutting the government back to the form it took in the 1920s…Republican leaders warned that white Christian men who just wanted to work hard for their own success were under attack by a government in thrall to minorities, women, lazy organized workers, and secularists who were destroying traditional values and turning the country over to socialism.” Sounds familiar. To protect our Democracy, Social Justice and Equality, our voices and Votes are more important than ever.
Two observations that Heather's letter seems to confirm.
1. Americans simply don't have the community instinct anymore to make sacrifices for others and each other for the common good. This instinct was most evident during WWII when most Americans rose to the occasion when they gave up buying new appliances to accept manufacturing turn to military equipment. And when they donated pots, pans and and other household items that could be melted down and turned into needed items to fight the war. Of course new cars were canceled for tanks. Gasoline needed to be used not for personal benefit but for the national benefit. Today Americans only think about their inconveniences and higher costs. Not about the national or world needs to overcome existential conditions.
2. Almost all Americans are getting their information from limited sources. For some, it may be only one TV news program. For others, it may be only TV networks. Very few are reading past, present and forecasted accounts from a variety of experts in many fields, applying well developed methods with backup and peer review. Footnotes? Listing sources? Putting several different but ultimately related storylines in context and in comparison? Zooming in and out to gather both details and big pictures? All of these are missing from most information that citizens consume today. On top of this, too many consumers think they are experts and immediately gravitate to whatever personal interpretation suits them. Hence Republicans think they are mistreated when prosecuted for lying about their government responsibilities, while others make stuff up and claim/believe it's the truth.
Where is Teddy Roosevelt when we need him to break up the concentrated power of today's monopolies? Baby formula is by no means the only critical product where a handful of companies own 90% of the market. This is where income disparity comes from and why the very workings of capitalism are being threatened by hollowing out the middle class in an economy dependent on consumers being able to buy products. A true egalitarian society like the Scandinavian countries actually strengthens the economy and brings well-being to all its citizens not just the top 1%. We, the people, all of us this time?
Heather Cox Richardson PhD gets a Letters from an American Nobel for the power of her vital summation, her useful detail and her accuracy and for her succinctness tonight. This is a midnight masterpiece.
Reacting to the arrest, Representative Louie Gohmert (R-TX) told Newsmax , “If you’re a Republican, you can’t even lie to Congress or lie to an FBI agent or they’re coming after you.”
Proving once again he is the Dumbest Fcking Goat Roper To Ever Live.
Heather, how do you keep up with all this news?! You’re such a treasure chest of information and in-depth knowledge!
Tonight, I loved your lines about Navarro:
“Navarro was livid at being arrested and handcuffed and put in a cell, saying that if they had just called him and said they needed him down at court, he’d have shown up.”
The icing on the cake was: “He appeared to miss the point that the subpoena he ignored is basically a call that says, ‘Hey, we need you down at the court….’”
The importance of tonight’s content cannot be over emphasized. We are dealing with a sad, sick, emotionally disturbed political party gone nuts. Quite literally, the GOP paranoia has gone mad. David Stockman and GHWB’s slam of Gov. Dukakis come to mind. It’s impossible to find an honest leader atop the GOP. America cannot be a one party three ring circus. I love no party. But the party system matters. Constitutional democracies deal with party politics. Tonight we have one party and one Tucker Fox Fix sham party staffed and funded in Moscow. What next?
Navarro's temper tantrum speak volumes about him: take part in an attempted coup, defy subpoenas, and then act as if the FBI should have chauffeured him to jail and stopped along the way for a latte and massage. Be still my heart! They dared handcuff him and shackle his legs? As in standard protocol? And in public? Oh you poor entitled well-off white dude.
On a related note, I read somewhere today that three federal grand juries are now empaneled to handle the massive Justice Department investigation. And Navarro knows there's a boulder rolling downhill toward him — much bigger charges than contempt of Congress.
If Pence's staff were warning his Secret Service agents about potential violence, they certainly had already talked to Pence about it. He had resisted and resisted tfg's pressure to torpedo the electoral college delegate count, standing on constitutional ground as the reason he could not (would he if he could?) do anything but certify the votes. So, Pence must have thought out a contingeny plan should there be a direct threat. When Congress's doors were being battered down, he was quick to make it all the way to the parking lot, where he refused to be transported from the building. Somehow I don't think his refusal was simply quick thinking; he had already figured out that leaving the building might mean he couldn't get back any time soon and his absence would mean some Republican substitute would step in who might not be so resolved as he to see his obligation through. He was stuck between the gallows and the likely success of a political coup against the incoming administration. Talk about political drama!? This is a case of truth trumping (no pun intended) fiction. It doesn't get much better than this...if Pence's secret service agents were briefed, can you imagine how that possibility wouldn't have spread more broadly within the Secret Service? What were all those people thinking as they waited to see what resulted from that rally? President, constitution, VP, President, constitution, VP, left hand, right hand, where does our loyalty lie? Their job is to protect the president and certain other high officials; does that include being pawns in a political coup? I suspect some of them were interviewed by the committee, or perhaps they demured when asked? Pence was offered a hero's hand. Did he think it out in advance? I have a strong suspicion he and his aides ran the scenarios in advance. I'm surprised they didn't have some other spot picked out where they could barricade themselves in without having to share space with a bunch of panicked congressmen.
There haven't been too many times in the last 40 years where I would block out time to listen to government proceedings; This time, I think I'll be blocking my calendar out for the length of those hearings; it's going to be high drama, including all of the editorials parsing each day's revelations.
There was a time when educated politicians knew that ancient Rome ceased to be a Republic when the Senate allowed three wealthy and ambitious men--Pompey, Marc Antony, and Octavian (the future Augustus Caesar)--to control the country and its affairs overseas. We should talk about the threat to the United States as a republic and not just as a democracy.
Have you ever wondered why the Constitution says High crimes and Misdemeanors? Isn't a misdemeanor a minor crime? The British Parliament invented impeachment in 1376, primarily as a legislative counterweight against royal abuses of power. British law of the 18th century held government officials to a higher standard of conduct than regular citizens because of the magnified impact they could have on the country and its people. So, government officials are certainly not above the law and actually need to be held to a higher level of conduct than the rest of us. So wish we could see more accountability in today's political environment as specified by the Constitution!
Biden manages to get plane loads of baby formula while Republicans vote against a bill to allow WIC mothers more choice in baby formula and another bill to streamline FDA approval of European formula. https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/19/chip-roy-louie-gohmert-wic-formula-shortage/amp/
And then Louie Gohmert continues the Republican faux victimhood refrain by claiming that only Republicans are punished for lying to the FBI or Congress while everyone lies. Once again, it’s projections.
One of the best issues of LFAA ever, clear and to the point, and the contrast between President Biden's accomplishments for the benefit of all Americans versus the Repugs' continued lack of cooperation and care for the well-being of their constituents has never been clearer. Now if only the message could be spread far and wide!
Heather, this is simply brilliant writing. The first two paragraphs describing the metamorphosis for the RPINO (Republican Party in Name Only) into an autocratic cult needs to be framed for posterity. And, then the contrast with the accomplishments of the Biden administration makes one's heart sing. BRAVO!
As I was shutting things down, in came HCR's letter which of course I had to read - there is no rest for the weary! Another terrific summation and the comment about Navarro's arrest (and his response as captured by HCR) made my day. What an idiot. As far as *ucker Carlson is concerned, his insanity grows every day and that he even has an audience is just plain nuts.
"Navarro was livid at being arrested and handcuffed and put in a cell, saying that if they had just called him and said they needed him down at court, he’d have shown up. (He appeared to miss the point that the subpoena he ignored is basically a call that says, 'Hey, we need you down at the court….') He claims that authorities have violated the Constitution."
Ari Melbar, MSNBC Anchor & Legal Analyst was busy yesterday as a percipient witness & a reporter. But, Ari's own show at 3 pm Pacific 6/3/2022 was some of his best work. Ari repeatedly & clealy pointed out that his 3 time guest, Navarro, admits in his faux 'complaint' that he (Navarro) had already been served with a separate Department of Justice ( DOJ ) subpoena. Navarro even listed the Fed subpoena number - the only confirming source! So Navarro has breached two (2) subpoenas not one (1). Navarro's condition appears to be severe exposure to the Wreck Cult. Yesterday, the Judge had to appoint him a Public Defender! Want to read the Court transcript of his day in Court before his needed rest in the Slammer.
Broader Context: The NYT & Wapo's Jacqueline Alemanny & Spencer Hsu ( paywall ) report the DOJ has formally notified the Select Committee that the DOJ will NOT pursue Meadows nor Scavino for contempt. LIttle detail but, Meadows did produce some 2300 emails sufficient to outline the failed Coup starting around November 5, 2020 as we will see in Primetime starting next Thursday. Update: Jay Kuo at the Substack source "The Staus Quo" unpacks the non- prosecution DOJ decision NOT to prosecute Meadows & Scavino.
Professor Heather Cox Richardson, once again you have delivered a powerful letter, past and present, reminding us of the importance of history. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” (George Santayana 1863-1952 Spanish philosopher, essayist, poet and novelist.)
The difference between 1920s and 2020 is a century. Yet the repubs current argument against and obstruction of legislation for the social safety net of President Biden’s Build Back Better plan is familiar. You wrote, “…Reagan Republicans took power with the plan of cutting the government back to the form it took in the 1920s…Republican leaders warned that white Christian men who just wanted to work hard for their own success were under attack by a government in thrall to minorities, women, lazy organized workers, and secularists who were destroying traditional values and turning the country over to socialism.” Sounds familiar. To protect our Democracy, Social Justice and Equality, our voices and Votes are more important than ever.
Two observations that Heather's letter seems to confirm.
1. Americans simply don't have the community instinct anymore to make sacrifices for others and each other for the common good. This instinct was most evident during WWII when most Americans rose to the occasion when they gave up buying new appliances to accept manufacturing turn to military equipment. And when they donated pots, pans and and other household items that could be melted down and turned into needed items to fight the war. Of course new cars were canceled for tanks. Gasoline needed to be used not for personal benefit but for the national benefit. Today Americans only think about their inconveniences and higher costs. Not about the national or world needs to overcome existential conditions.
2. Almost all Americans are getting their information from limited sources. For some, it may be only one TV news program. For others, it may be only TV networks. Very few are reading past, present and forecasted accounts from a variety of experts in many fields, applying well developed methods with backup and peer review. Footnotes? Listing sources? Putting several different but ultimately related storylines in context and in comparison? Zooming in and out to gather both details and big pictures? All of these are missing from most information that citizens consume today. On top of this, too many consumers think they are experts and immediately gravitate to whatever personal interpretation suits them. Hence Republicans think they are mistreated when prosecuted for lying about their government responsibilities, while others make stuff up and claim/believe it's the truth.
Where is Teddy Roosevelt when we need him to break up the concentrated power of today's monopolies? Baby formula is by no means the only critical product where a handful of companies own 90% of the market. This is where income disparity comes from and why the very workings of capitalism are being threatened by hollowing out the middle class in an economy dependent on consumers being able to buy products. A true egalitarian society like the Scandinavian countries actually strengthens the economy and brings well-being to all its citizens not just the top 1%. We, the people, all of us this time?