The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) met in Washington, D.C., over the weekend, sparking speculation over the 2024 Republican presidential field. Hard-right figures like Donald Trump and his loyalists Mike Lindell, the MyPillow entrepreneur, and Kari Lake, who lost the 2022 race for Arizona governor, attended, along with House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) and right-wing media figure Steve Bannon, but many of those testing the 2024 presidential waters gave it a miss.
Tucker Carlson isn’t changing anyone’s view about what happened on Jan. 6 with his selective release of videos. The truth is vividly etched into the American consciousness - forever.
Democratic members of Congress are doing the right thing, calling out the lies and confronting Republicans in Committee rooms and in the press.
We need this righteous chorus, unrelentingly and directly in the faces of those who spread not just lies, but the fascist rhetoric of Trump and his spawn DeSantis – as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than Trump himself.
Cracks are showing in the Republican façade – it is time to break it up.
Whoaaa... this gives me some hope for humanity, in that maybe there aren't as many soulless MAGA Rethugs as there appeared to be...
"News broke today that an Israeli tech firm has uncovered a vast network of as many as hundreds of thousands of fake Twitter accounts designed to promote Trump and his vision, creating the illusion that he is more popular than he is. The analysts at the firm, Cyabra, believe the system was created within the U.S. “One account will say, ‘Biden is trying to take our guns; Trump was the best,’ and another will say, ‘Jan. 6 was a lie and Trump was innocent,’” said the engineer who discovered the network, Jules Gross. “Those voices are not people. For the sake of democracy I want people to know this is happening.”"
Look, this is not the time to sit on our laurels! Tonight, Rachel reported that the Republican party in both the Georgia State House and Senate are sending a bill to Kemp, their governor, to disallow any prosecutors from investigating Trump and others regarding the J6 insurrection/election deniers. This means Fani Willis will NOT be able to proceed with her case. Democracy is seriously at stake here! How the hell do they think they can away with anything like this? How is it they are so many steps ahead of the Dems in invoking their evil scenarios? Are our reps merely asleep at the wheel, all of the effing time?!! Do we have any loopholes to hold onto and make them stick?
The only good thing I saw today was that Indivisible is creating something new having to do with reaching out to the populations in rural areas. That is where we lack decent representation. And Heather, CA will take Hakeem Jeffries any time!
We have to go back to “1984” to see what the GOP is becoming. It makes my blood run cold.
“There is nothing subtle about Trump’s behavior. He lies, he repeats the lie, and his listeners either cower in fear, stammer in disbelief, or try to see how they can turn the lie to their own benefit. Trump’s lies are pure Big Brother crude. The blind, blatant disregard for truth is offered in an ancient tone of rage, vanity, and vengeance. Trump is pure raging authoritarian id.And so, rereading Orwell, one is reminded of what Orwell got right about this kind of brute authoritarianism—and that was essentially that it rests on lies told so often, and so repeatedly, that fighting the lie becomes not simply more dangerous but more exhausting than repeating it.”
Orwell’s “1984” and Trump’s America | The New Yorker (2017)
So many good arguments for how and why the Republican party, and especially the MAGA wing of the party, has become so corrupt and dangerous to the Republic.
The problem is that we're all preaching to the choir. We're all patting ourselves on the back in own own little self-righteous echo chamber. MAGA Republicans don't read any of this. And they wouldn't trust it if they did. They've already decided who and what they want to believe, and by God they're sticking to it. Rational arguments do not change minds that have been seduced by the demagogue. Have you talked to any of them lately? Regardless of the devil they choose in the next election, they haven't budged an inch.
Underneath the facade of every Republican politician spouting white Christian heterosexual values is a closeted drag queen such as Ron DeSantis, who performs under the name Rhonda Santis and is the lead singer for the conservative drag queen band Rhonda Santis and the White Noise.
The GOP has been based on lies ever since Reagan declared that the government is the problem and that trickle down is the basis for a fair economy. He knew, as do all who have come since, that government is the only effective tool to rein in out of control capitalism. What we are seeing now is the true trickle down of Reagan. Once the American people bought those lies, they were primed to believe anything, especially as amplified by Gingrich, Limbaugh, the Tea Party, Fox News, and the Freedom Caucus. Reality left the building a long time ago.
<snip>But in the years since Trump took office, previously uninterested Americans have seen what it means when those who believe in that vision take power.
Those who believe in equality before the law are standing up for that principle. <unsnip>
A more personal example is my daughter, 19. Last week, she joined me on the couch watching KET coverage of the Kentucky legislature. This 80% GOP body has passed recent incinderary bills including some nasty hate rhetoric speeches (aka crap).
Her comment was: 'Guess I had better join you watching this crap, I to see what I need to fight back against next.'
The repub grift is never ending and the party has no shame. K. McCarthy is playing out a repub script where the chances of accountability are remote. Giving exclusive access to 44,000 hours of Jan 6 video to Tucker Carlson and Fox. Can’t believe with all the trouble Fox is in that they would touch the video with a ten foot pole. In his favor are distraction and a following of voters and nonvoters who look only for R to guide them. “Carlson’s coverage of the videos started tonight, with him depicting the rioters as “sightseers” and claiming that other media outlets have lied about the violence on January 6.” What do viewers see with their own eyes? George Orwell’s 1984 is a lesson in lies and doublespeak. That should be required reading. The repubs are masters of both.
Thank you for this post showing the disgusting work of FNC in the hands of Tucker. Finally, it was great to read how others are stepping forward to call out and demonstrate the lies that falsely offer a fake account of what we all saw on January 6, 2021. We will overcome.
I am reading Jon Meacham's biography of Abraham Lincoln, and I am just at the point of finishing the passages in Chapter 14 that describe the goings-on at the Democratic Presidential Convention that was held in Charleston, South Carolina, in April 1860. Your description of the CPAC circus this past weekend in Washington DC is redolent of Jon Meacham's depiction of the 1860 Democratic convention , except that MAGAhats were nowhere in sight, but sideburns and hoop skirts were apparently well represented, along with overweening pride, arrogance, and attitude. As to the Democratic Party platform of 1860, it was indistinguishable from the popcorn antics that Trump boosters were braying about during the weekend's proceedings. The same sort of apocalyptic atmosphere prevailed at both events; except that delegations from Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas withdrew early in disagreement with Northern Democrats, soon to be followed by delegations from Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia. Not to put a fine point on things, the Southern Democrats also lost the vote on the party platform by a vote of 165 to 138, in a battle that was all about preserving and advancing the cause of slavery. The Democrats' champion, Stephen Douglas, was unable to get the two thirds majority vote needed for him to become the Democratic Party's nominee at the Charleston convention. Without the radical Southerners to oppose them, the Regular Democrats soon reconvened in Baltimore, where Douglas secured his nomination, for what little it was worth. This was a pyrrhic victory, as the Democratic Party was by then irrevocably split, with one dissident faction opting to nominate the then Vice President John C Breckinridge, a Kentuckian, to represent what was left of the Democratic Party. A fourth candidate for president in the person of John Bell of Tennessee represented a group calling itself the Constitutional Union Party, which hope to preserve the Union while trying to downplay the slavery issue. John Bell was a relative moderate who embodied the ethos of the remnant of what used to be the historic Whig Party under the great Henry Clay. Most Whigs opted to affiliate with the up-and-coming Republican Party on its platform of funding internal improvements that promote interstate commerce.
Metaphorically speaking, from an astronomical perspective, what the nation saw was the equivalent of a dying star that was overtaken by its own heat and gravity until it blew itself to smithereens. What was left from the self-immolation of the Democratic Party were shards and pieces of what was once the dominant political party in America, now facing the new, and vital Republican Party, soon to be led by Abraham Lincoln in the race for the White House.
We are seeing echoes of the Democratic Party of 1860's implosion in the CPAC's meeting of today. The pressure and temperature are rising to unsupportable levels, with most Americans looking for peace and harmony. The party of Trump is a minority within the overall politics of America today; but, to carry the metaphor further, like the white dwarf star that survives the star that are formerly was, it is white-hot and infinitely dangerous, and to push the matter for further, it is spinning madly about, spewing deadly radiation in every direction. The question is, can the modern Democratic Party, led by Joe Biden, with his Lincolnesque mien and common decency, survive the radioactive fallout this weekend's grotesque reincarnation of the radical Southern Democrats of 1860. As that group of radicals reside within its own echo chamber, so does the Party of Trump. We can only hope and pray that the Democrats do reach out to the broad middle where nobody is looking to dissolve the Union, because today's radicals are no less anxious to destroy the federal Union than their forebears were in 1860 and 1861. Back then, it was all about preserving and celebrating slavery, today the mantra is somewhat more nuanced, but no less dangerous. And the same evil cast of characters has again appeared in our midst to destroy what the new Republican president would describe as, "the last best hope on earth".
I just updated Jeffries's state. Not sure why I put him in California. Maybe I thought he was on vacation? :)
Tucker Carlson isn’t changing anyone’s view about what happened on Jan. 6 with his selective release of videos. The truth is vividly etched into the American consciousness - forever.
Democratic members of Congress are doing the right thing, calling out the lies and confronting Republicans in Committee rooms and in the press.
We need this righteous chorus, unrelentingly and directly in the faces of those who spread not just lies, but the fascist rhetoric of Trump and his spawn DeSantis – as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than Trump himself.
Cracks are showing in the Republican façade – it is time to break it up.
The excerpts from Trump’s speech are eerily like Hitler’s appeals in Germany. Chilling to read.
Whoaaa... this gives me some hope for humanity, in that maybe there aren't as many soulless MAGA Rethugs as there appeared to be...
"News broke today that an Israeli tech firm has uncovered a vast network of as many as hundreds of thousands of fake Twitter accounts designed to promote Trump and his vision, creating the illusion that he is more popular than he is. The analysts at the firm, Cyabra, believe the system was created within the U.S. “One account will say, ‘Biden is trying to take our guns; Trump was the best,’ and another will say, ‘Jan. 6 was a lie and Trump was innocent,’” said the engineer who discovered the network, Jules Gross. “Those voices are not people. For the sake of democracy I want people to know this is happening.”"
Look, this is not the time to sit on our laurels! Tonight, Rachel reported that the Republican party in both the Georgia State House and Senate are sending a bill to Kemp, their governor, to disallow any prosecutors from investigating Trump and others regarding the J6 insurrection/election deniers. This means Fani Willis will NOT be able to proceed with her case. Democracy is seriously at stake here! How the hell do they think they can away with anything like this? How is it they are so many steps ahead of the Dems in invoking their evil scenarios? Are our reps merely asleep at the wheel, all of the effing time?!! Do we have any loopholes to hold onto and make them stick?
The only good thing I saw today was that Indivisible is creating something new having to do with reaching out to the populations in rural areas. That is where we lack decent representation. And Heather, CA will take Hakeem Jeffries any time!
We have to go back to “1984” to see what the GOP is becoming. It makes my blood run cold.
“There is nothing subtle about Trump’s behavior. He lies, he repeats the lie, and his listeners either cower in fear, stammer in disbelief, or try to see how they can turn the lie to their own benefit. Trump’s lies are pure Big Brother crude. The blind, blatant disregard for truth is offered in an ancient tone of rage, vanity, and vengeance. Trump is pure raging authoritarian id.And so, rereading Orwell, one is reminded of what Orwell got right about this kind of brute authoritarianism—and that was essentially that it rests on lies told so often, and so repeatedly, that fighting the lie becomes not simply more dangerous but more exhausting than repeating it.”
Orwell’s “1984” and Trump’s America | The New Yorker (2017)
https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/orwells-1984-and-trumps-america
Microsoft president: Orwell’s 1984 could happen in 2024 - BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57122120
So many good arguments for how and why the Republican party, and especially the MAGA wing of the party, has become so corrupt and dangerous to the Republic.
The problem is that we're all preaching to the choir. We're all patting ourselves on the back in own own little self-righteous echo chamber. MAGA Republicans don't read any of this. And they wouldn't trust it if they did. They've already decided who and what they want to believe, and by God they're sticking to it. Rational arguments do not change minds that have been seduced by the demagogue. Have you talked to any of them lately? Regardless of the devil they choose in the next election, they haven't budged an inch.
I wouldn't get too comfortable.
"The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol had arranged to transfer the films to the National Archives,"
Why was this not done before the Republican takeover?
Underneath the facade of every Republican politician spouting white Christian heterosexual values is a closeted drag queen such as Ron DeSantis, who performs under the name Rhonda Santis and is the lead singer for the conservative drag queen band Rhonda Santis and the White Noise.
The GOP has been based on lies ever since Reagan declared that the government is the problem and that trickle down is the basis for a fair economy. He knew, as do all who have come since, that government is the only effective tool to rein in out of control capitalism. What we are seeing now is the true trickle down of Reagan. Once the American people bought those lies, they were primed to believe anything, especially as amplified by Gingrich, Limbaugh, the Tea Party, Fox News, and the Freedom Caucus. Reality left the building a long time ago.
<snip>But in the years since Trump took office, previously uninterested Americans have seen what it means when those who believe in that vision take power.
Those who believe in equality before the law are standing up for that principle. <unsnip>
A more personal example is my daughter, 19. Last week, she joined me on the couch watching KET coverage of the Kentucky legislature. This 80% GOP body has passed recent incinderary bills including some nasty hate rhetoric speeches (aka crap).
Her comment was: 'Guess I had better join you watching this crap, I to see what I need to fight back against next.'
The repub grift is never ending and the party has no shame. K. McCarthy is playing out a repub script where the chances of accountability are remote. Giving exclusive access to 44,000 hours of Jan 6 video to Tucker Carlson and Fox. Can’t believe with all the trouble Fox is in that they would touch the video with a ten foot pole. In his favor are distraction and a following of voters and nonvoters who look only for R to guide them. “Carlson’s coverage of the videos started tonight, with him depicting the rioters as “sightseers” and claiming that other media outlets have lied about the violence on January 6.” What do viewers see with their own eyes? George Orwell’s 1984 is a lesson in lies and doublespeak. That should be required reading. The repubs are masters of both.
“virtual political reality”
Technologically Amplified Lies.
Thank you for this post showing the disgusting work of FNC in the hands of Tucker. Finally, it was great to read how others are stepping forward to call out and demonstrate the lies that falsely offer a fake account of what we all saw on January 6, 2021. We will overcome.
I am reading Jon Meacham's biography of Abraham Lincoln, and I am just at the point of finishing the passages in Chapter 14 that describe the goings-on at the Democratic Presidential Convention that was held in Charleston, South Carolina, in April 1860. Your description of the CPAC circus this past weekend in Washington DC is redolent of Jon Meacham's depiction of the 1860 Democratic convention , except that MAGAhats were nowhere in sight, but sideburns and hoop skirts were apparently well represented, along with overweening pride, arrogance, and attitude. As to the Democratic Party platform of 1860, it was indistinguishable from the popcorn antics that Trump boosters were braying about during the weekend's proceedings. The same sort of apocalyptic atmosphere prevailed at both events; except that delegations from Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas withdrew early in disagreement with Northern Democrats, soon to be followed by delegations from Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia. Not to put a fine point on things, the Southern Democrats also lost the vote on the party platform by a vote of 165 to 138, in a battle that was all about preserving and advancing the cause of slavery. The Democrats' champion, Stephen Douglas, was unable to get the two thirds majority vote needed for him to become the Democratic Party's nominee at the Charleston convention. Without the radical Southerners to oppose them, the Regular Democrats soon reconvened in Baltimore, where Douglas secured his nomination, for what little it was worth. This was a pyrrhic victory, as the Democratic Party was by then irrevocably split, with one dissident faction opting to nominate the then Vice President John C Breckinridge, a Kentuckian, to represent what was left of the Democratic Party. A fourth candidate for president in the person of John Bell of Tennessee represented a group calling itself the Constitutional Union Party, which hope to preserve the Union while trying to downplay the slavery issue. John Bell was a relative moderate who embodied the ethos of the remnant of what used to be the historic Whig Party under the great Henry Clay. Most Whigs opted to affiliate with the up-and-coming Republican Party on its platform of funding internal improvements that promote interstate commerce.
Metaphorically speaking, from an astronomical perspective, what the nation saw was the equivalent of a dying star that was overtaken by its own heat and gravity until it blew itself to smithereens. What was left from the self-immolation of the Democratic Party were shards and pieces of what was once the dominant political party in America, now facing the new, and vital Republican Party, soon to be led by Abraham Lincoln in the race for the White House.
We are seeing echoes of the Democratic Party of 1860's implosion in the CPAC's meeting of today. The pressure and temperature are rising to unsupportable levels, with most Americans looking for peace and harmony. The party of Trump is a minority within the overall politics of America today; but, to carry the metaphor further, like the white dwarf star that survives the star that are formerly was, it is white-hot and infinitely dangerous, and to push the matter for further, it is spinning madly about, spewing deadly radiation in every direction. The question is, can the modern Democratic Party, led by Joe Biden, with his Lincolnesque mien and common decency, survive the radioactive fallout this weekend's grotesque reincarnation of the radical Southern Democrats of 1860. As that group of radicals reside within its own echo chamber, so does the Party of Trump. We can only hope and pray that the Democrats do reach out to the broad middle where nobody is looking to dissolve the Union, because today's radicals are no less anxious to destroy the federal Union than their forebears were in 1860 and 1861. Back then, it was all about preserving and celebrating slavery, today the mantra is somewhat more nuanced, but no less dangerous. And the same evil cast of characters has again appeared in our midst to destroy what the new Republican president would describe as, "the last best hope on earth".