Gosh, we're lucky to have these Letters. Someone trustworthy who actually knows and understands what's going on and can speak/translate the language. The Biden transcription! truth comes struggling out of the darkness.
Gosh, we're lucky to have these Letters. Someone trustworthy who actually knows and understands what's going on and can speak/translate the language. The Biden transcription! truth comes struggling out of the darkness.
Absolutely. I saw parts of the hearing but was fooled. Thanks to this letter, I have a far more balanced view. Lookie at what really happened here: out of many thousands documents being transferred, some that were classified accidentally slipped through. So, the President returned those documents, just as Vice President Pence did and, more than likely, at least several past (Vice) Presidents. Representative Raskin is right: we have bigger fish to fry -- like expelling fascism and keeping fascism out of the apex of national leadership.
I will be watching those excellent reporters on YouTube and sharing widely. ЁЯТЩЁЯТЩLawrence OтАЩDonnellЁЯТЩЁЯТЩGlenn Kirschner ЁЯТЩЁЯТЩJoy ReidЁЯТЩЁЯТЩRachel MaddowЁЯТЩЁЯТЩ but FIRST this excellent ЁЯСНЁЯП╗тнРя╕ПЁЯЗ║ЁЯЗ╕ЁЯТкЁЯП╗Heather Letter. ЁЯШНЁЯПЖЁЯЗ║ЁЯЗ╕тнРя╕П
Yes! Yes! Yes, Gigi! I saw most of what Professor Richardson recounted. It was an electrifying hearing for this Dem. Schiff, Swalwell, the lady rep from MI who made Hur read (eat) his own words, and several others skewered the majority.
Don't forget Democracy Docket/Marc Elias, who is a lawyer working day and night to protect and gain voters' rights. He gives a daily report of progress and losses in that arena.
I trust those people too, GiGi, but to move Haley voters et. al. over to Biden, we're better off citing less partisan media. I recommend The Bulwark podcasts on YouTube. The casters are all conservative never trumpers.
I also found, from the get-go, that the language Hur used to describe what he witnessed about Biden's memory, etc...was so far from the formal/technical legalese generally used in situations like this. It seemed generally very awkward...and out of place...
Grrrrr . Corporate America has bought out the main stream media and are seeking to pad their bottom line instead of reporting the тАЬnews.тАЭ Edward R Murrow, Eric Sevareid & Walter Cronkite must be spinning in their graves!
That is the truth. The A No. 1 way they pad their bottom line is to run hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign advertising each year, all those fact-free 30-second commercials we all reach instantly for the mute button to silnce. They factor it into their budgets, so they love a good horse race. And I'm sure the ad messages get through to the low-information voters.
Ouch! With MSNBC covering the hearing, itтАЩs terrible to know. As I pay no attention to the former channels of Huntley-Brinkley and Cronkite, was not aware of how far theyтАЩve fallen.
Unless you're partisan, about everyone who just watches MSM. This so called balanced reporting, ie "not taking sides", is interesting, considered they did away with "fair reporting" many years ago. I think that was when you were supposed to report based on factual evidence.
To boot it left Biden mis remembering the date of his son's death, while Heather says that was false. Morning Joe did a credible job this morning I thought.
Between NPR, PBS, AI, a few other sources and several pundits who's assessments are supported by facts, I feel I have a fairly good idea of what's going on. I also constantly question my conclusions as well as those of those I trust.
I'm not exactly sure what "main-stream news media" is. Is it that entertainment nonsense that ABC, NBC and CBS present on their morning and nightly news broadcasts? Sometimes I hear Fox and NewsMax included in the mix. But they're not considered main-stream, are they?
I also trust my girlfriend . She is almost always right! ;-)
In this instance, Craig, most outlets showed the televised hearing, so anyone who watched on any news source could come to his own conclusions regardless of pundits' opinions.
More than "Oh God, May 30th" I found Hur's remark that Biden appeared to him to have a photographic memory was far more revealing to me. The same man who said that reported that Biden's memory "has significant limitations." He also outright lied that Biden couldn't remember when Beau died.
That says so much about Hur (and the gop) as well as the news outlets that chose to focus on Biden's age and mental abilities again.
We really are at war. I'm 69 and I've never seen anything quite like this. And I am aware of some of the shenanigans going back to Nixon, Reagan and others.
Smart move to trust your girlfriend - from the "all politics is local" perspective.
With so many getting their news online these days, I agree that the meaning of "main-stream news media" has gotten a bit fuzzy. I'm a pretty loyal MSNBC and PBS and a few others viewer.
I also check in with the networks, Fox and others of that ilk occasionally to hear what they are putting out there. {I usually have to do it when my husband is out of the room, or he makes a quick exit.} Back in the Oliver North and Rush Limbaugh days I became a "know your enemy" believer. It gives you some insight into to their strategies and ways of thinking and, as we've learned with Trump, they'll often say the quiet part right out loud.
I don't know that I'd characterize the enemies' mental activity as thinking, Angela. Their strategy appears to be to level damaging lies about Biden's character and effectiveness while stoking the fears, grievances, and bigotry of their fans. It works, but I can't say that we're describing the same thing when we say, "I think [fill in the blank]..."
Midas Touch Network. David Packman show. The Bullwark. Beau of the Fifth Column (for great unpacking of single issues), and C-Span is really good if you just want unfiltered video of goings on in congress.
To your question, I suspect very few people will see this remark of mine but that very many people have, themselves, long ago drawn the same conclusion on their own. Thank you for the implicit, if unearned, compliment. But, hey, I lived in N.Y.C. long enough to learn how to take credit when it is not due.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a short letter to the editor of our local paper in ME. I mentioned that HCR was writing a daily newsletter that concisely reports current events mixed in with historical references relating to these events. And since HCR is a Mainer, I mentioned that as well.
I don't know what will convince MAGA voters to change their votes but if the letter served to bring a few more readers into the fold, it was worth the few minutes it took to write.
HCR is fantastic at relaying information and hopefully new readers agree.
LFAA readers trying to convince MAGAs to abandon DT is no more likely to happen than LFAA readers being convinced to abandon President Biden. Effort there is mostly amounts to letting them live in our heads rent-free. There are millions of Independents and almost apolitical voters out there that can and need to be reminded of the truth about DT and the MAGA movement in general. DT = Dick-Tater. MAGA = Many American power Grabbing Ass-h__s.
Steve Abbott - "LFAA readers trying to convince MAGAs to abandon DT is no more likely to happen than LFAA readers being convinced to abandon President Biden."
Don't be too sure of that.
Republicans who have in the past voted for GOP nominee Donald Trump explain exactly why they will never do so again in a damning series of testimonials released by the Republican Accountability PAC.
The conservative group is spending $50 million on its "Republican Voters Against Trump" campaign to spotlight тАЬЁЭСЯЁЭСТЁЭСОЁЭСЩ ЁЭСУЁЭСЬЁЭСЯЁЭСЪЁЭСТЁЭСЯ ЁЭСЗЁЭСЯЁЭСвЁЭСЪЁЭСЭ ЁЭСгЁЭСЬЁЭСбЁЭСТЁЭСЯЁЭСа ЁЭСЪЁЭСОЁЭСШЁЭСЦЁЭСЫЁЭСФ ЁЭСбтДОЁЭСТ ЁЭСРЁЭСОЁЭСаЁЭСТ ЁЭСУЁЭСЬЁЭСЯ ЁЭСдтДОЁЭСж ЁЭСбтДОЁЭСТЁЭСж ЁЭСдЁЭСЬЁЭСЫтАЩЁЭСб ЁЭСаЁЭСвЁЭСЭЁЭСЭЁЭСЬЁЭСЯЁЭСб тДОЁЭСЦЁЭСЪ ЁЭСЦЁЭСЫ ЁЭСБЁЭСЬЁЭСгЁЭСТЁЭСЪЁЭСПЁЭСТЁЭСЯ."
What troubles me is whom will these people vote for? I feel that we need to convince them that a vote for Biden is a vote to preserve democracy, and a vote for any third party candidate is really a vote for Trump. Also "noncommitted".
I heard one of their ads this morning, Ron. It was very good. The only place where I'd dispute you is that I believe unswerving allegiance to Trump[ism] is the definition of MAGA. I believe they call R's that part company with him on anything "RINOs," cf Haley, Cheney, Kinsinger, Lankford, Raffensperger, et. al.
Moronic Ass Grabbing Authoritarians - my contribution to your collection of irreverent acronyms, Steve. I'm with you 100% on the rest of your comments.
I know Rs who have never voted for death star, so only the members of the cult are unreachable. Palmer has a list of races where donations will help rather than spending money in deep red districts.
The Palmer Report. If you look it up, you will get a biased negative review. The headlines tend to be hyperbolic, but the content is often much better than that. He does have a list of races where donations can make a difference if people need a list.
I'm convinced that nothing will sway MAGA voters. They've drunk the kool aid and will (hopefully) go down with their dear leader.
I absolutely agree that HCR is a reliable source of factual journalism, and I like her all the more because she happens to agree with me on her interpretation of the facts. Ah, ego!
I'm more optimistic about maybe 5% of the voters. I think they will ultimately support Biden.
The Lincoln Project's goal in 2020 was to swing 2-3% of the vote to Biden from Trump. Biden won in the 6 swing states so maybe they did their job??
And I'm also counting on many of the people that died of Covid-19 as leaning Republican. And the millions of young people that are voting in 2024 for the first time as leaning Democrat.
So much depends on voter turnout as well. The better the turnout, the better Biden's chances I think.
Plus Jan 6th happened after the election so we also don't know how many of the Trump voters were turned off by the insurrection.
Things went well for us yesterday. The Hur hearing hurt the Republicans. The stock market went up and I made more donations with BIDEN DOLLARS, to NOW and to Rueben Gallego in Arizona. In my mind, this is "free money" to be used to defeat Fascism here. Today is another day for what should it profit a man if he gains a fortune but loses his freedom?
Don't forget the purge going on in the RNC. They are normally the ones who setup and fund the local offices in states. Now all that money will be going to pay Don the cons lawyers.
The RNC hostile takeover is complete to a, most likely dismayed, moderate camp of GOP that only saw "R" as the brand vs. MAGA the cons and active seditionists amongst them.
MAYBE - This will finally break the slumber/hoodwinked Americans that still believe in USA (I pray).
Ally House, we are the modern day "Minute Men and Women." I know that it sounds trite to say it, but we are the "boots on the ground" here. Our participation and our financial contributions can help save the day. I am often reminded of the words from John Greenleaf Whittier's poem, "Maud Muller:" "Of all the sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: it might have been." The story is about two could-have-been lovers, but the thought is universal. We must take on the task before us. The young judge lost out because he never pursued the young maiden.
Five hands clapping. Actually, make that six, or it changes the meaning (takes two hands to clap). Five hands is what Nancy Pelosi used after tfg's SOU.
Thanks for your donations to Democrat causes whenever you make "extra money," Richard! This is EXACTLY how Biden and down-ballot Dems will win in 2024. Especially if the Repugs continue to run out of money. Sad to say, it does indeed take lots and lots of money to win elections in America.
Hooray Richard,. IтАЩm тАШtaking notesтАЩ on what youтАЩre doing as an example of smart & wise investing in the future of Democracy: 1) NOW 2) Ruben Gallego in Arizona.
Another $6,000 added to my account today, Lauren. I see it as "using house money to preserve and protect the house." That's what I'm doing here. More donations went out today.
Watching Representative Nadler's questioning of Mr Hur. The latter strikes me as disingenuous at best. 0f course he was familiar with the Trump case! He damn well knew that his investigation would be compared with that documenting Trump's wrong-doing. Very disappointed in Rep. McClintock today.
Representative Lofgren nailed it, too, with the note-books of President Reagan. That part of the hearing brought up the problem of over-classification. When I worked in Iraq and Afghanistan, I learned very quickly to avoid classified information whenever possible because so much was classified that was already in the press or was maddeningly obvious. I figured that, if I stayed away except when necessary (e.g., when and where to meet for a convoy run outside fortified areas), I would reduce the risk of me unintentionally tipping classified content and suffering for it.
Not really. Though, as stated elsewhere, I am always open to taking credit where it is not due. The other problem of classification is the green wall of silence. Classifying notes that would be embarrassing or even (arguably) indicative of criminal behavior to avoid accountability. That is why I broke with many conservative colleagues by sympathizing with the disclosures made by Chlesea Manning and Julian Assange.
EDIT: in any case, Marlene, thank you for thinking of me.
Anne-Louise, I never thought I would see Truth struggling so hard to prevail. Trump, his followers, and the media are pushing the Truth as hard as they can BACK into the darkness, where they want it to stay. A darkness so abysmal that the Truths which I were taught to strive for- honesty, compassion, respect for others' opinions and beliefs, reason, and the understanding of how dangerous mob mentality can be, are no longer valued. In place of Truths are now the Lies of someone as demented and evil as Donald Trump. Will any of his weak-minded and frightened followers ever see the light and the Truth?
For the first years of his presidency, Biden tried to "take the high road" thinking that Right would win over Wrong without his having to ride the low rails of the Trump train. I'm glad to see that he is now defending and crediting himself for the good things he's tried to do for all Americans.
Yes, Truth IS struggling and, as hard as it seems with all the negativity brought on by Trump and the media,we need to shine Biden's Truth if we want to
continue to live freely in the America that was meant to be.
It helps hoodwink the gullible by first destroying public education. An ignorant, overworked, underpaid, frightened serfdom is useful when you want to disseminate viral propaganda.
Handwritten presidential diaries are exempt from the records act.* Biden turned over all his diaries, he only had to turn over sections which may have included classified info. By contrast, GHW Bush's DOJ helped Reagan keep his diaries out of court - to help squash the Iran Contra investigation. (Later on the advice of AG Bill Barr, Bush totally squashed the investigation by pardoning high level Reagan admin officials indicted on Iran Contra crimes. Yes. The same Barr of Mueller infamy.)
I am surprised that no Democrats seem to have brought up that throughout his term, Trump and his admin officials ignored / actively subverted the records act by destroying document and using private apps for official business.
(There was a records management analyst assigned to retrieving whatever torn and shredded papers he could find and piecing them back together. Your tax dollars at work under Republicans.)
*Personal records exempted from the records act: diaries, journals, or other personal notes serving as the functional equivalent of a diary or journal which are not prepared or utilized for, or circulated or communicated in the course of, transacting Government business;
Ann-Louise, I find it interesting that Hur announced his leaving DOJ, effective yesterday. I heard about that only once yesterday (don't recall which outlet), and except for today's Heather Letter, have not heard anything about it elsewhere. Definitely well-timed for Hur to accept an appointment from TFFG. Now that the Dems' gloves are coming off, though, I'll go out on a limb and predict that TFFG won't be handing out any appointments in November.
Merrick Garland made a huge mistake in appointing an obvious political activist in Hur, by bending over backwards to not appear to play politics. Andrew Weissmann said yesterday that Garland knew exactly what Hur was and should have known what the result would be. The Democrats must learn that we can't afford to use the appearance of being fair when we are up against Republicans, who almost never return the favor
Nancy, I am certain that Our "left" the DOJ BEFORE his testimony. Thus, Hur'appeared before Committee as Private Citizen Hur.
BTW, the Special Attorney Federal rules & regulations were written by NEAL KATYAL the GREAT. So, Hur escaped the legal frame work of his statutory duties that he owed when Our wrote the "report" (sic).
Bryan, yes, the report I heard yesterday was that he resigned before the hearing, which freed him to discuss his "findings" as a private citizen and not in his formerly official capacity. Naturally, the MAGA Rethuglicans will remain convinced that he appropriately described Biden as a "well-meaning elderly man with a faulty memory" (a/k/a suffering from dementia), but his SOTU speech proved otherwise.
Despite media coverage of him for years painting him with Hur's brush, he has repeatedly proven that he is on top of his game and has produced great results - and under great pressure. I had misgivings before he was elected that he was too old, but certainly couldn't have considered voting for Troll Trump. My concerns were erased on Day 1 when Biden went from his inauguration directly to the Oval Office and went to work!
I absolutely love Neal Katyal -- the GREAT -- his intellect, his impish grin when he or other commentators slip in a humorous comment. Andrew Weissmann is another hero, as are the Sisters in Law. We're fortunate to have all of them in our camp.
Perhaps Garland knew exactly what he was doing and relied on the cult to eat their young, as the man who would be king once dropped. I think it's a good thing to keep the DoJ apolitical. It's supposed to be and not just in appearance.
I was thinking about equality just yesterday. Of course we're not all created equal, meaning the same. But that was just a turn of phrase in a letter to George III. When they got down to business the framers clarified it to "equal under the law." Good call IMHO. We can all be different and still have blind justice, at least in theory (or aspiration).
We will never arrive at a more perfect union if we allow ourselves to become the enemy. It's tempting to fight fire with fire, but more evolutionary to encourage the arc of the moral universe to bend toward justice by NOT putting our thumb on her scales.
Lauren, I appreciate your comments, and agree with you in principle. Garland has bent over backward to avoid the stench of partisanship, and if everyone in leadership positions tried to do the same thing, the world would be a better place - our Supreme Court, for instance, would enjoy a much larger approval score, as an example.
However, I gather that Hur's hyper partisanship was well known, and I believe that Merrick Garland could have chosen a Republican who would not have voiced his prejudices in his comments. What Hur did was outside the bounds of common practice, and because he could find no grounds to charge President Biden, he put his thumb on the scale, treating Biden's situation as similar to Trump's - his sponsor. There was absolutely no comparison, and anyone with an ounce of integrity would not have done what he did. I believe that he was pandering to Biden's opposition, in a more polite and rational manner than coarse Marjorie Taylor Greene, but still pandering.
To be clear, I was not suggesting that we should ever put our thumb on the scales of Justice. Our behavior should not mimic the current opposition, but when making a choice that could well cause great damage, the choice should be someone whose principles should be fair and objective. I believe that Garland could have chosen a better special prosecutor than Robert Hur.
I don't understand how Hur was allowed to publish his report without some screening by DOJ. What Hur put in that report was inappropriate at the least. This gives the DOJ a huge black eye.
This reminds me of Attorney General Barr's lying account of the Mueller Report. James Carville wanted to know if there are any Democrat lawyers in Washington since every special council has been a staunch Republican. The Department of Justice is apparently not blind.
I find chaos always previews plans gone awry , like outsmarting oneself and the last to knowтАжtoo much for me teenie brain to lump sum and see thru, but suspect the implosion.. least we make no mistake тАж.stay vigilant.
Gosh, we're lucky to have these Letters. Someone trustworthy who actually knows and understands what's going on and can speak/translate the language. The Biden transcription! truth comes struggling out of the darkness.
Absolutely. I saw parts of the hearing but was fooled. Thanks to this letter, I have a far more balanced view. Lookie at what really happened here: out of many thousands documents being transferred, some that were classified accidentally slipped through. So, the President returned those documents, just as Vice President Pence did and, more than likely, at least several past (Vice) Presidents. Representative Raskin is right: we have bigger fish to fry -- like expelling fascism and keeping fascism out of the apex of national leadership.
What proportion of public opinion will see what you have now seen (thanks to this letter)?
There are some political youtube channels that cover this stuff far better than the mainstream media. It's sad.
I will be watching those excellent reporters on YouTube and sharing widely. ЁЯТЩЁЯТЩLawrence OтАЩDonnellЁЯТЩЁЯТЩGlenn Kirschner ЁЯТЩЁЯТЩJoy ReidЁЯТЩЁЯТЩRachel MaddowЁЯТЩЁЯТЩ but FIRST this excellent ЁЯСНЁЯП╗тнРя╕ПЁЯЗ║ЁЯЗ╕ЁЯТкЁЯП╗Heather Letter. ЁЯШНЁЯПЖЁЯЗ║ЁЯЗ╕тнРя╕П
Add Meidas Touch Network to the list, including Legal AF. And the new Inside with Jen Psaki. ЁЯЩВ
Yes most definitely the Meidas Touch is amazing
Yes! Yes! Yes, Gigi! I saw most of what Professor Richardson recounted. It was an electrifying hearing for this Dem. Schiff, Swalwell, the lady rep from MI who made Hur read (eat) his own words, and several others skewered the majority.
Don't forget Democracy Docket/Marc Elias, who is a lawyer working day and night to protect and gain voters' rights. He gives a daily report of progress and losses in that arena.
I trust those people too, GiGi, but to move Haley voters et. al. over to Biden, we're better off citing less partisan media. I recommend The Bulwark podcasts on YouTube. The casters are all conservative never trumpers.
Thanks everyone for your suggestions. ItтАЩs great to know they are reliable sources.
Mark Saleski - "There are some political youtube channels that cover this stuff far better than the mainstream media."
Robert Hubbell, also, did an excellent job of describing the issue.
ЁЭР╡ЁЭСОЁЭСаЁЭСТЁЭСС ЁЭСЬЁЭСЫ ЁЭР╡ЁЭСЦЁЭССЁЭСТЁЭСЫтАЩЁЭСа ЁЭССЁЭСТЁЭСЭЁЭСЬЁЭСаЁЭСЦЁЭСбЁЭСЦЁЭСЬЁЭСЫ ЁЭСбЁЭСТЁЭСаЁЭСбЁЭСЦЁЭСЪЁЭСЬЁЭСЫЁЭСж, ЁЭСаЁЭСЭЁЭСТЁЭСРЁЭСЦЁЭСОЁЭСЩ ЁЭСРЁЭСЬЁЭСвЁЭСЫЁЭСаЁЭСТЁЭСЩ ЁЭР╗ЁЭСвЁЭСЯ ЁЭСдЁЭСЯЁЭСЬЁЭСбЁЭСТ ЁЭСО ЁЭСаЁЭСЩЁЭСОЁЭСЫЁЭССЁЭСТЁЭСЯЁЭСЬЁЭСвЁЭСа ЁЭСЯЁЭСТЁЭСЭЁЭСЬЁЭСЯЁЭСб ЁЭСбтДОЁЭСОЁЭСб ЁЭСРЁЭСЩЁЭСОЁЭСЦЁЭСЪЁЭСТЁЭСС ЁЭР╜ЁЭСЬЁЭСТ ЁЭР╡ЁЭСЦЁЭССЁЭСТЁЭСЫ ЁЭСдЁЭСОЁЭСа тАЬЁЭСОЁЭСЫ ЁЭСТЁЭСЩЁЭССЁЭСТЁЭСЯЁЭСЩЁЭСж ЁЭСЪЁЭСОЁЭСЫ ЁЭСдЁЭСЦЁЭСбтДО ЁЭСО ЁЭСЭЁЭСЬЁЭСЬЁЭСЯ ЁЭСЪЁЭСТЁЭСЪЁЭСЬЁЭСЯЁЭСж.тАЭ ЁЭСЗтДОЁЭСТ ЁЭСЭЁЭСЯЁЭСЦЁЭСЪЁЭСОЁЭСЯЁЭСж ЁЭСТЁЭСгЁЭСЦЁЭССЁЭСТЁЭСЫЁЭСРЁЭСТ ЁЭСУЁЭСЬЁЭСЯ ЁЭР╗ЁЭСвЁЭСЯтАЩЁЭСа ЁЭСаЁЭСЩЁЭСОЁЭСЫЁЭССЁЭСТЁЭСЯ ЁЭСдЁЭСОЁЭСа ЁЭР╡ЁЭСЦЁЭССЁЭСТЁЭСЫтАЩЁЭСа ЁЭСОЁЭСЩЁЭСЩЁЭСТЁЭСФЁЭСТЁЭСС ЁЭСЦЁЭСЫЁЭСОЁЭСПЁЭСЦЁЭСЩЁЭСЦЁЭСбЁЭСж ЁЭСбЁЭСЬ ЁЭСЯЁЭСТЁЭСРЁЭСОЁЭСЩЁЭСЩ ЁЭСбтДОЁЭСТ ЁЭССЁЭСОЁЭСбЁЭСТ ЁЭСЬЁЭСУ тДОЁЭСЦЁЭСа ЁЭСаЁЭСЬЁЭСЫ ЁЭР╡ЁЭСТЁЭСОЁЭСвтАЩЁЭСа ЁЭССЁЭСТЁЭСОЁЭСбтДО.
ЁЭСЗтДОЁЭСТ ЁЭСбЁЭСЯЁЭСОЁЭСЫЁЭСаЁЭСРЁЭСЯЁЭСЦЁЭСЭЁЭСб ЁЭСатДОЁЭСЬЁЭСдЁЭСа ЁЭСбтДОЁЭСОЁЭСб ЁЭР╗ЁЭСвЁЭСЯтАЩЁЭСа ЁЭСРЁЭСЩЁЭСОЁЭСЦЁЭСЪЁЭСа ЁЭСОЁЭСЯЁЭСТ ЁЭССЁЭСТЁЭСаЁЭСЭЁЭСЦЁЭСРЁЭСОЁЭСПЁЭСЩЁЭСТ ЁЭСЩЁЭСЦЁЭСТЁЭСа.
https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/made-for-tv-special-counsel-report?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=271358&post_id=142568893&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3zw8i&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
Despicable is the just word. That particular one was below the belt.
I also found, from the get-go, that the language Hur used to describe what he witnessed about Biden's memory, etc...was so far from the formal/technical legalese generally used in situations like this. It seemed generally very awkward...and out of place...
I'm guessing he too (Hur) is somehow bullied or threatened by Trump...He should be ashamed of himself...
"Oh, God, May 30th."
Thank you
Just watched last night's NBC News. They simply made it look like a "he said she said" story.
Grrrrr . Corporate America has bought out the main stream media and are seeking to pad their bottom line instead of reporting the тАЬnews.тАЭ Edward R Murrow, Eric Sevareid & Walter Cronkite must be spinning in their graves!
That is the truth. The A No. 1 way they pad their bottom line is to run hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign advertising each year, all those fact-free 30-second commercials we all reach instantly for the mute button to silnce. They factor it into their budgets, so they love a good horse race. And I'm sure the ad messages get through to the low-information voters.
Ouch! With MSNBC covering the hearing, itтАЩs terrible to know. As I pay no attention to the former channels of Huntley-Brinkley and Cronkite, was not aware of how far theyтАЩve fallen.
Watch C-Span some time. Very enlightening!
How many people actually get their news from these kinds of sources?
Unless you're partisan, about everyone who just watches MSM. This so called balanced reporting, ie "not taking sides", is interesting, considered they did away with "fair reporting" many years ago. I think that was when you were supposed to report based on factual evidence.
Gah. Well, we know where they'll be when the lights go out.
To boot it left Biden mis remembering the date of his son's death, while Heather says that was false. Morning Joe did a credible job this morning I thought.
Between NPR, PBS, AI, a few other sources and several pundits who's assessments are supported by facts, I feel I have a fairly good idea of what's going on. I also constantly question my conclusions as well as those of those I trust.
I'm not exactly sure what "main-stream news media" is. Is it that entertainment nonsense that ABC, NBC and CBS present on their morning and nightly news broadcasts? Sometimes I hear Fox and NewsMax included in the mix. But they're not considered main-stream, are they?
I also trust my girlfriend . She is almost always right! ;-)
In this instance, Craig, most outlets showed the televised hearing, so anyone who watched on any news source could come to his own conclusions regardless of pundits' opinions.
More than "Oh God, May 30th" I found Hur's remark that Biden appeared to him to have a photographic memory was far more revealing to me. The same man who said that reported that Biden's memory "has significant limitations." He also outright lied that Biden couldn't remember when Beau died.
That says so much about Hur (and the gop) as well as the news outlets that chose to focus on Biden's age and mental abilities again.
We really are at war. I'm 69 and I've never seen anything quite like this. And I am aware of some of the shenanigans going back to Nixon, Reagan and others.
My private nick-name for Mr Hur, Lauren and Craig, is Judas Been Whore. Could not resist with Ben Hur being on the tube recently.
Smart move to trust your girlfriend - from the "all politics is local" perspective.
With so many getting their news online these days, I agree that the meaning of "main-stream news media" has gotten a bit fuzzy. I'm a pretty loyal MSNBC and PBS and a few others viewer.
I also check in with the networks, Fox and others of that ilk occasionally to hear what they are putting out there. {I usually have to do it when my husband is out of the room, or he makes a quick exit.} Back in the Oliver North and Rush Limbaugh days I became a "know your enemy" believer. It gives you some insight into to their strategies and ways of thinking and, as we've learned with Trump, they'll often say the quiet part right out loud.
I don't know that I'd characterize the enemies' mental activity as thinking, Angela. Their strategy appears to be to level damaging lies about Biden's character and effectiveness while stoking the fears, grievances, and bigotry of their fans. It works, but I can't say that we're describing the same thing when we say, "I think [fill in the blank]..."
Better you than me, Angela! I cannot stomach those channels, even for a minute.
I failed to mention several others I trust, but you all named them. And some of you have clued me in to many clear minded pundits and thank you!
Brian Tyler Cohen comes to mind!
Yup. I watch youtube for music, trailers and politics. And basta.
"Morning Joe' had it hosted by Mika.
What YT channels? I donтАЩt have access to TV anymore and need alternative ways to follow news. Thanks.
Midas Touch Network. David Packman show. The Bullwark. Beau of the Fifth Column (for great unpacking of single issues), and C-Span is really good if you just want unfiltered video of goings on in congress.
Thanks!
To your question, I suspect very few people will see this remark of mine but that very many people have, themselves, long ago drawn the same conclusion on their own. Thank you for the implicit, if unearned, compliment. But, hey, I lived in N.Y.C. long enough to learn how to take credit when it is not due.
That's right. I forgot about Pence. When is he being called before this committee??
Thanks, Maureen. That made me giggle.
Anne-Louise, I agree with you.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a short letter to the editor of our local paper in ME. I mentioned that HCR was writing a daily newsletter that concisely reports current events mixed in with historical references relating to these events. And since HCR is a Mainer, I mentioned that as well.
I don't know what will convince MAGA voters to change their votes but if the letter served to bring a few more readers into the fold, it was worth the few minutes it took to write.
HCR is fantastic at relaying information and hopefully new readers agree.
Don't give attention to the maggots. Give attention to the great middle which is larger than both ends put together. The Independents
of both parties are the ones to make the difference.
LFAA readers trying to convince MAGAs to abandon DT is no more likely to happen than LFAA readers being convinced to abandon President Biden. Effort there is mostly amounts to letting them live in our heads rent-free. There are millions of Independents and almost apolitical voters out there that can and need to be reminded of the truth about DT and the MAGA movement in general. DT = Dick-Tater. MAGA = Many American power Grabbing Ass-h__s.
Steve Abbott - "LFAA readers trying to convince MAGAs to abandon DT is no more likely to happen than LFAA readers being convinced to abandon President Biden."
Don't be too sure of that.
Republicans who have in the past voted for GOP nominee Donald Trump explain exactly why they will never do so again in a damning series of testimonials released by the Republican Accountability PAC.
The conservative group is spending $50 million on its "Republican Voters Against Trump" campaign to spotlight тАЬЁЭСЯЁЭСТЁЭСОЁЭСЩ ЁЭСУЁЭСЬЁЭСЯЁЭСЪЁЭСТЁЭСЯ ЁЭСЗЁЭСЯЁЭСвЁЭСЪЁЭСЭ ЁЭСгЁЭСЬЁЭСбЁЭСТЁЭСЯЁЭСа ЁЭСЪЁЭСОЁЭСШЁЭСЦЁЭСЫЁЭСФ ЁЭСбтДОЁЭСТ ЁЭСРЁЭСОЁЭСаЁЭСТ ЁЭСУЁЭСЬЁЭСЯ ЁЭСдтДОЁЭСж ЁЭСбтДОЁЭСТЁЭСж ЁЭСдЁЭСЬЁЭСЫтАЩЁЭСб ЁЭСаЁЭСвЁЭСЭЁЭСЭЁЭСЬЁЭСЯЁЭСб тДОЁЭСЦЁЭСЪ ЁЭСЦЁЭСЫ ЁЭСБЁЭСЬЁЭСгЁЭСТЁЭСЪЁЭСПЁЭСТЁЭСЯ."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahBKWQssQ5o
Thank you for sharing this, Ron.
Thank You, Ron.
What troubles me is whom will these people vote for? I feel that we need to convince them that a vote for Biden is a vote to preserve democracy, and a vote for any third party candidate is really a vote for Trump. Also "noncommitted".
I heard one of their ads this morning, Ron. It was very good. The only place where I'd dispute you is that I believe unswerving allegiance to Trump[ism] is the definition of MAGA. I believe they call R's that part company with him on anything "RINOs," cf Haley, Cheney, Kinsinger, Lankford, Raffensperger, et. al.
Lauren Lundgren - "I believe they call R's that part company with him on anything "RINOs"
Yes, you are correct. I should have clarified with "Ex-MAGAs"
Moronic Ass Grabbing Authoritarians - my contribution to your collection of irreverent acronyms, Steve. I'm with you 100% on the rest of your comments.
I know Rs who have never voted for death star, so only the members of the cult are unreachable. Palmer has a list of races where donations will help rather than spending money in deep red districts.
Palmer?? I missed that reference.
The Palmer Report. If you look it up, you will get a biased negative review. The headlines tend to be hyperbolic, but the content is often much better than that. He does have a list of races where donations can make a difference if people need a list.
Thanks Gary. It's nice to read a voice of reason amongst the often crazy letters in The American.
I'm convinced that nothing will sway MAGA voters. They've drunk the kool aid and will (hopefully) go down with their dear leader.
I absolutely agree that HCR is a reliable source of factual journalism, and I like her all the more because she happens to agree with me on her interpretation of the facts. Ah, ego!
I'm more optimistic about maybe 5% of the voters. I think they will ultimately support Biden.
The Lincoln Project's goal in 2020 was to swing 2-3% of the vote to Biden from Trump. Biden won in the 6 swing states so maybe they did their job??
And I'm also counting on many of the people that died of Covid-19 as leaning Republican. And the millions of young people that are voting in 2024 for the first time as leaning Democrat.
So much depends on voter turnout as well. The better the turnout, the better Biden's chances I think.
Plus Jan 6th happened after the election so we also don't know how many of the Trump voters were turned off by the insurrection.
Things went well for us yesterday. The Hur hearing hurt the Republicans. The stock market went up and I made more donations with BIDEN DOLLARS, to NOW and to Rueben Gallego in Arizona. In my mind, this is "free money" to be used to defeat Fascism here. Today is another day for what should it profit a man if he gains a fortune but loses his freedom?
Don't forget the purge going on in the RNC. They are normally the ones who setup and fund the local offices in states. Now all that money will be going to pay Don the cons lawyers.
The RNC hostile takeover is complete to a, most likely dismayed, moderate camp of GOP that only saw "R" as the brand vs. MAGA the cons and active seditionists amongst them.
MAYBE - This will finally break the slumber/hoodwinked Americans that still believe in USA (I pray).
ЁЯСПЁЯП╗ЁЯСПЁЯП╗ЁЯСПЁЯП╗ЁЯТе
ЁЯСНЁЯП╛ЁЯСНЁЯП╛
Well said, Richard, and point well taken.
Ally House, we are the modern day "Minute Men and Women." I know that it sounds trite to say it, but we are the "boots on the ground" here. Our participation and our financial contributions can help save the day. I am often reminded of the words from John Greenleaf Whittier's poem, "Maud Muller:" "Of all the sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: it might have been." The story is about two could-have-been lovers, but the thought is universal. We must take on the task before us. The young judge lost out because he never pursued the young maiden.
Thank you for the quote. I often used the "woulda coulda shoulda" phrase and follow it with "well, why didn'tcha".
Five hands clapping. Actually, make that six, or it changes the meaning (takes two hands to clap). Five hands is what Nancy Pelosi used after tfg's SOU.
Thanks for your donations to Democrat causes whenever you make "extra money," Richard! This is EXACTLY how Biden and down-ballot Dems will win in 2024. Especially if the Repugs continue to run out of money. Sad to say, it does indeed take lots and lots of money to win elections in America.
How kind of them to squander their pennies on the soon-to-be-incarcerated Pied Pooper.
Hooray Richard,. IтАЩm тАШtaking notesтАЩ on what youтАЩre doing as an example of smart & wise investing in the future of Democracy: 1) NOW 2) Ruben Gallego in Arizona.
Thank you:-)
Bravo, Richard! Doncha just love using the house's money to bring down the house?
Another $6,000 added to my account today, Lauren. I see it as "using house money to preserve and protect the house." That's what I'm doing here. More donations went out today.
Truth always did have a tough row to hoe, or something like thatтАж
The one I most remember is, "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes" Mark Twain
Yep.
Or "Falsehood flies, and the truth comes limping after it.тАЭ - Jonathan Swift
https://yadontknow.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-tortoise.html
Ah, Dean Swift! Thank you!
Now there's a man who wasn't blinded by religion.
Yep, but my daddy translated it to NC countryтАж
Watching Representative Nadler's questioning of Mr Hur. The latter strikes me as disingenuous at best. 0f course he was familiar with the Trump case! He damn well knew that his investigation would be compared with that documenting Trump's wrong-doing. Very disappointed in Rep. McClintock today.
The idiocy is mind-boggling. They know he has no loyalty to anyone, they deserve any horrible thing he does to them.
Representative Lofgren nailed it, too, with the note-books of President Reagan. That part of the hearing brought up the problem of over-classification. When I worked in Iraq and Afghanistan, I learned very quickly to avoid classified information whenever possible because so much was classified that was already in the press or was maddeningly obvious. I figured that, if I stayed away except when necessary (e.g., when and where to meet for a convoy run outside fortified areas), I would reduce the risk of me unintentionally tipping classified content and suffering for it.
Wow! That was a fine line you obviously had to walk!
Not really. Though, as stated elsewhere, I am always open to taking credit where it is not due. The other problem of classification is the green wall of silence. Classifying notes that would be embarrassing or even (arguably) indicative of criminal behavior to avoid accountability. That is why I broke with many conservative colleagues by sympathizing with the disclosures made by Chlesea Manning and Julian Assange.
EDIT: in any case, Marlene, thank you for thinking of me.
ЁЯШВтАжoh my ..great laugh, Jeri
From the garden of my childhoodтАж.
Anne-Louise, I never thought I would see Truth struggling so hard to prevail. Trump, his followers, and the media are pushing the Truth as hard as they can BACK into the darkness, where they want it to stay. A darkness so abysmal that the Truths which I were taught to strive for- honesty, compassion, respect for others' opinions and beliefs, reason, and the understanding of how dangerous mob mentality can be, are no longer valued. In place of Truths are now the Lies of someone as demented and evil as Donald Trump. Will any of his weak-minded and frightened followers ever see the light and the Truth?
For the first years of his presidency, Biden tried to "take the high road" thinking that Right would win over Wrong without his having to ride the low rails of the Trump train. I'm glad to see that he is now defending and crediting himself for the good things he's tried to do for all Americans.
Yes, Truth IS struggling and, as hard as it seems with all the negativity brought on by Trump and the media,we need to shine Biden's Truth if we want to
continue to live freely in the America that was meant to be.
It helps hoodwink the gullible by first destroying public education. An ignorant, overworked, underpaid, frightened serfdom is useful when you want to disseminate viral propaganda.
What truth you speak!
Thanks, Pam. Yes.
Handwritten presidential diaries are exempt from the records act.* Biden turned over all his diaries, he only had to turn over sections which may have included classified info. By contrast, GHW Bush's DOJ helped Reagan keep his diaries out of court - to help squash the Iran Contra investigation. (Later on the advice of AG Bill Barr, Bush totally squashed the investigation by pardoning high level Reagan admin officials indicted on Iran Contra crimes. Yes. The same Barr of Mueller infamy.)
I am surprised that no Democrats seem to have brought up that throughout his term, Trump and his admin officials ignored / actively subverted the records act by destroying document and using private apps for official business.
(There was a records management analyst assigned to retrieving whatever torn and shredded papers he could find and piecing them back together. Your tax dollars at work under Republicans.)
*Personal records exempted from the records act: diaries, journals, or other personal notes serving as the functional equivalent of a diary or journal which are not prepared or utilized for, or circulated or communicated in the course of, transacting Government business;
https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title44/chapter22&edition=prelim
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/trumps-presidential-records-act-violations-short-and-long-term-solutions
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/10/trump-papers-filing-system-635164
https://wapo.st/3IBVrYE
Biden has " ... photographic memory" ?
"Yes, those words do appear in the transcript on page ..."
'One more question Mr Hur, turn to page one, does your name appear as the Author of this report?"
Sorry, sometimes the trial attorney comes cut when a final right cross is appropriate. :- ) bsm
Ann-Louise, I find it interesting that Hur announced his leaving DOJ, effective yesterday. I heard about that only once yesterday (don't recall which outlet), and except for today's Heather Letter, have not heard anything about it elsewhere. Definitely well-timed for Hur to accept an appointment from TFFG. Now that the Dems' gloves are coming off, though, I'll go out on a limb and predict that TFFG won't be handing out any appointments in November.
Merrick Garland made a huge mistake in appointing an obvious political activist in Hur, by bending over backwards to not appear to play politics. Andrew Weissmann said yesterday that Garland knew exactly what Hur was and should have known what the result would be. The Democrats must learn that we can't afford to use the appearance of being fair when we are up against Republicans, who almost never return the favor
Nancy, I am certain that Our "left" the DOJ BEFORE his testimony. Thus, Hur'appeared before Committee as Private Citizen Hur.
BTW, the Special Attorney Federal rules & regulations were written by NEAL KATYAL the GREAT. So, Hur escaped the legal frame work of his statutory duties that he owed when Our wrote the "report" (sic).
Bryan, yes, the report I heard yesterday was that he resigned before the hearing, which freed him to discuss his "findings" as a private citizen and not in his formerly official capacity. Naturally, the MAGA Rethuglicans will remain convinced that he appropriately described Biden as a "well-meaning elderly man with a faulty memory" (a/k/a suffering from dementia), but his SOTU speech proved otherwise.
Despite media coverage of him for years painting him with Hur's brush, he has repeatedly proven that he is on top of his game and has produced great results - and under great pressure. I had misgivings before he was elected that he was too old, but certainly couldn't have considered voting for Troll Trump. My concerns were erased on Day 1 when Biden went from his inauguration directly to the Oval Office and went to work!
I absolutely love Neal Katyal -- the GREAT -- his intellect, his impish grin when he or other commentators slip in a humorous comment. Andrew Weissmann is another hero, as are the Sisters in Law. We're fortunate to have all of them in our camp.
Perhaps Garland knew exactly what he was doing and relied on the cult to eat their young, as the man who would be king once dropped. I think it's a good thing to keep the DoJ apolitical. It's supposed to be and not just in appearance.
I was thinking about equality just yesterday. Of course we're not all created equal, meaning the same. But that was just a turn of phrase in a letter to George III. When they got down to business the framers clarified it to "equal under the law." Good call IMHO. We can all be different and still have blind justice, at least in theory (or aspiration).
We will never arrive at a more perfect union if we allow ourselves to become the enemy. It's tempting to fight fire with fire, but more evolutionary to encourage the arc of the moral universe to bend toward justice by NOT putting our thumb on her scales.
Lauren, I appreciate your comments, and agree with you in principle. Garland has bent over backward to avoid the stench of partisanship, and if everyone in leadership positions tried to do the same thing, the world would be a better place - our Supreme Court, for instance, would enjoy a much larger approval score, as an example.
However, I gather that Hur's hyper partisanship was well known, and I believe that Merrick Garland could have chosen a Republican who would not have voiced his prejudices in his comments. What Hur did was outside the bounds of common practice, and because he could find no grounds to charge President Biden, he put his thumb on the scale, treating Biden's situation as similar to Trump's - his sponsor. There was absolutely no comparison, and anyone with an ounce of integrity would not have done what he did. I believe that he was pandering to Biden's opposition, in a more polite and rational manner than coarse Marjorie Taylor Greene, but still pandering.
To be clear, I was not suggesting that we should ever put our thumb on the scales of Justice. Our behavior should not mimic the current opposition, but when making a choice that could well cause great damage, the choice should be someone whose principles should be fair and objective. I believe that Garland could have chosen a better special prosecutor than Robert Hur.
I agree with you Ann-Louise!We are very lucky to have Heather to help us sort all of this out for us!!!ЁЯТЩЁЯТЩ
To preface an old saw: "A lie makes 3-trips (these days) around the world before the truth gets its shoes on ..."
I don't understand how Hur was allowed to publish his report without some screening by DOJ. What Hur put in that report was inappropriate at the least. This gives the DOJ a huge black eye.
This reminds me of Attorney General Barr's lying account of the Mueller Report. James Carville wanted to know if there are any Democrat lawyers in Washington since every special council has been a staunch Republican. The Department of Justice is apparently not blind.
There's quite a number of things happening which pass understanding. Dosage instructions: Just shut your eyes and swallow.
I find chaos always previews plans gone awry , like outsmarting oneself and the last to knowтАжtoo much for me teenie brain to lump sum and see thru, but suspect the implosion.. least we make no mistake тАж.stay vigilant.