The debt ceiling crisis is already affecting our national security. Because President Biden has pulled out of his trip to Australia so he can come home to address the crisis, a planned meeting of the Quad will not go forward. The Quad, whose official name is the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is a security group consisting of Australia, India, Japan and the United States that organized in 2007 as a response to China’s rising power.
Off topic, but great news in Florida. From Politico, "Florida Democrats put a W in the column six months after Republicans crushed them across the board in the 2022 elections.
Democrat Donna Deegan upset Republican Daniel Davis and became the first woman elected Jacksonville mayor, capping off an evening that also saw Dems win six out of nine races on the ballot in Florida’s largest city. The turnout was slightly more than 33%, with Republicans edging Democrats by 3 percentage points.
Deegan, a former TV anchor and leader of a nonprofit foundation that helps breast cancer victims, overcame a significant cash disadvantage and negative ads faulting her for participating in Black Lives Matter protests. She won the mayor’s race 52% to 48% over Davis, a former legislator and CEO of the JAX Chamber.
“Everybody said it could not be done in Jacksonville,” Deegan told her supporters last night while also pointing out her campaign and its volunteers had worked for a year and a half ahead of the victory.
Her victory was a clear boost for Democrats and comes a month after the party had been declared a “dead carcass on the side of the road” by Gov. Ron DeSantis. State Dems and Florida Republicans both poured money and time into the race. Jacksonville — and Duval County — went for Democrat Andrew Gillum in 2018 and President Joe Biden in 2020. But DeSantis carried the county decisively six months ago."
Not just that! Look up the Colorado Springs mayor's race, also decided yesterday. That county hasn't voted blue since the Civil Rights Act was passed. Yesterday Yemi Mobolade, an African immigrant and restaurant owner, beat the dark-money-funded former Repub Sec of State by double digits.
Last week in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Democrats won the mayorship, all but one open city council race, and every school board race.
One nice thing happening is once nice thing happening. Several related nice things happening in a row is a pattern. Specifically, the unmistakable pattern of being on the winning team.
Yes! Lots of "on the ground " work and many volunteers. I ran for Congress in Dem Primary the summer of 1984 and Jax beaches were in my Congressional district. At that time very tied to my ultra conservative Dem. opponent.
And here in Oregon around the Portland area, conservative candidates for school boards were defeated. We have one progressive and one conservative win here in Salem, the other undecided with conservative incumbent leading, but the board will still be progressive.
ELD, this was one of the truly heartening news items on Wednesday. I posted her win and statement on FB. What a breath of fresh air: “Tonight, love won...” something to that effect. And of course in Colorado Springs a Democrat won in a staunch Republican area. I think the repugnants brazen heartlessness has pushed independent voters to the polls to vote for Democrats. Thanks for your post.
Yeah, but... 1) the losing candidate still ran ads claiming the mayor-elect would support "Left-Wing Socialism!!!" and 2) when it comes to Indie vs Repub on the ballot, who is getting the support of the local Dems? It's pretty much semantics at that point.
Of course it's a nonsensical red herring. But it is a nonsensical red herring that usually works on the people it is intended to work on. Nice to see that this week it didn't.
While benefitting from US socialism through well maintained infrastructure in their neighborhoods, guaranteed social security payments, good healthcare and protection from first responders, also in their neighborhoods. I'm sick of this argument that socialism is bad. The reality is that the countries that all lean more heavily socialist, score higher on ALL measures of human well-being than the US.
You are right if you're referring to Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland, and perhaps Singapore. They are all capitalistic systems with very strong social programs and services in place - just as it should be if you want a happy and healthy populace.
You know what comes to my mind with these folks making such accusations of our being Socialists and Communists? "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Instead of bailing water out of a sinking boat, they're drilling more holes in the bottom.
The people of this country don't even know what they want. So many of us seem to think that if their leadership doesn't do everything they want, then it's out the door for those people. Biden has been doing a remarkable job but so many people just can't see it. I wish Americans would grow up and accept that leaders are people, and that they are all flawed some really more than others. Why the heck do they keep voting for the dangerously flawed, instead of the more middle of the road flawed people?
Because of the efforts of people like Ronald Reagan, Lee Atwater, Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, the entire Tea Party, et al, who have spent the last 40 years convincing the American people that government is bad and moving the center ever more rightwards. They have made people forget that the institution that floated all boats was unions, not free market capitalism. They have maintained lies about their own party (fiscal responsibility being the biggest one), while castigating liberals and Democrats as anti-American. Repeated often enough, everyone starts to believe the lies and it has sown such massive doubt that bothsiderism is rampant.
I remember all these arses, and the plot to make Democrat an expletive and some socialist policies as evil as McCarthy’s communism in the 50’s. They have cheated in every way possible, becoming more belligerent every single day….
Hard to know why?? I have many complaints about dems but will vote blue no matter who. I can see the writing on the wall if I (we) do not but so many don't pay attention. So thankful for HCR and Thom Hartman.
There’s always a grain of fertile soil. The Democrats have to invest in every race, in every state, instead of focusing on “SIGs” in and fighting each other. The Progressives have equally helped and harmed the Democrats. Good for moving policy; bad for dividing the Democratic voters.
I agree. But I like the rash, brash, fluent Progressives with their youth and fearlessness. There isn't a McCarthy or a Jordan among them. Or a Sinema. (Did I say "youth"? Yes, it's youth if the reasoning is tough elastic.)
Democrats are always drawn to Progressives. I was once one, so was Pelosi. We learned winning matters more than ideology. The younger generations may get both—not quite yet
As someone born and raised in Jacksonville (I was just there visiting for Mother's Day weekend on the eve of the mayoral election), I can attest that this is largely due to demographic shift. Duval county now has 1 million residents (when I left in 1994, it had about 700,000). The city retains a very thin White majority, but that is shifting daily. Duval will soon be a "minority-majority" city, and the Black middle class, especially, is growing fast. The Republican base, however -- middle and working class White folks who identify as evangelical Christian -- have fled Duval in droves, moving to adjacent suburban counties like St. Johns, Clay, Baker, and Nassau, which are overwhelmingly White. St. Johns (where Saint Augustine lies), especially, has experienced explosive growth, and is staunchly Republican. Clay, Baker, and Nassau have always been rural conservative areas, but they are booming these days as the "White flight" continues. I was hopeful that Deegan would pull off a victory, despite her headwinds. The moment my plane touched down in Boston Tuesday, I had a voice message from my mom excitedly announcing the win. Great news for Jacksonville!
As a side-note to this, I recently learned -- to my utter astonishment -- that "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the "Black National Anthem," was written and first performed in Jacksonville! This was never taught to us in school (I am White and attended integrated Jacksonville public schools my whole life). To think that such a point of pride for my hometown was something most White folks knew nothing about just blew my mind, but this is how white supremacy works. I'm ashamed it took so long for me to learn about it. Anyway, I also discovered that there is a new park -- "The Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing Park" -- currently under construction in the city's La Villa neighborhood, long-neglected after decades of decline, which was once a center of Black arts, culture, and politics known as "The Harlem of the South." Why now, after so long? Because the power dynamics are shifting. I wish I could say the same for the rest of the state.
Thank you, Michael. Having grown up in Virginia where in my public school we sang a lot, learning lots of spirituals, I didn’t learn about the anthem either. Must find it on YouTube.
That disgusting declaration by Ron DeSantis is indicative of the kind of man he is. He may have a blue ribbon education, but his comments and actions as Governor show his crass asshat side. I've been taught that we get what we put out so, I'll be looking for road kill that looks remarkably like him!
Professional political opportunist, of the worst kind! We've seen the dirtiest of them in these past years. Never dreamed it could be this bad. Thanks to HCR for always providing perspective.
We just had a run off for Mayor in Colorado Springs where the Republicans lost that position for the first time since 1997. A purple spot in a red sea!!!! Shows the voters are not that tied to their party!!!! The new Mayor is also a Nigeria Immigrant so another barrier was broken down here. I ran across a great article that showed how the top 100 large cities in the US have 64 run by Democrates vs 26 by Republicans. CS is 39th on the list. https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_current_mayors_of_the_top_100_cities_in_the_United_States#List_of_mayors
Really? I heard the Democrats won the City Dog catcher position too.
This almost too much to take. Lamenting about foreign policy?
Every minute Biden avoids foreign policy is good thing. Just a quick ride down memory lane.
First there was the Afghan debacle. We left behind chaos, billions of dollars in sensitive military equipment, and hung a lot of good people out to dry.
Then there was Ukraine. We were told over and over that the Russians were not going to invade. That was a joke. We could have stopped the invasion any time we wanted to. We could have parked 50,000 troops on the border. End of story. Instead we looked like fools.
We were told sanctions would work. They did work - on the US. We spiked our oil prices and caused dramatic inflation. We blew up the Nordstream pipeline causing a horrific natural disaster. To date we've spent over 100 Billions dollars and only have a lot of death and destruction to show for it - With no end in sight.
Worst of all we've driven the Russians into the arms of the Chinese.
It would be so bad if Biden hadn't taken millions from the Chinese and the Ukrainians.
BTW you uses their son to be the bag man?
As for the debt ceiling, the moral lecturing is getting tiring. Congress controls the budget period. I don't know how to break it to you, but the Republicans won in November. They control the budget process in the house. The democrats can't throw all the tantrums they want about pass spending but its on deaf ears. The McCarthy budget raised the debt ceiling
1.5T and holds spending a 2022 levels. WOW imagine that. Showing some financial restraint?
We don't need 80,000 IRS agents, especially given the Biden administration LOVE for going after all the political opponents with every governmental tool possible.
Just ask journalist Matt Tiabbi. The IRS paid him a visit at home the day he was suppose to testify about what he found in the Twitter files before congress. Ask Carter Page why the FBI forged documents and lied on a FISA warrant to spy on him and The Trump campaign. Ask Alex Berenson why the FBI and the White conspired to censor his twitter posts on COVID? All which were true.
The use of corrupt force never ends at your neighbors door. Its always ends up at yours.
But the stimulus enabled children to eat. When will affluent Americans begin to think about what it means to be poor in a country where there was rampant inflation and for profit medical care?
Its silly to blame Bush. All deficit spending is bad but sometimes necessary. However an expanding welfare state, with a declining currency, and an exploding deficit EQUALS GREECE.
Tax cuts are a complicated questions. The question always come down to how much, what's fair, and to what effect?
Trump tax cuts jumped started an economy stuck at a sub 2% GDP, just like Obama 2009 domestic spending helped a slumping economy.
The idea is a robust GDP with low taxes, this seem to produce the greatest government revenue. Higher taxes rarely produce higher revenue - at least not in the near and long term. If you believe in the old adage "Capital goes where its wanted" the inverse is also true "it leaves where its penalized" Higher taxes produce less investment, less wage productivity, and lower output.
As for Biden the mistake was the 2nd stimulus. Many democrat economics warned that the stimulus would be inflationary. In the end they were right.
A “must pay, no loophole” corporate tax rate of 15% would do wonders for the US Treasury. Add tax deductions for on-shoring and hiring verified citizens would also.
“Trickle down” is a myth, and even Milton Friedman admitted before he died his “only increasing stakeholder value matters” had unintended consequences to this nation.
Hard to make the argument that the Eisenhower effective—not—stated tax rates “held back” investment and we’re a drag on GDP.
Putin payroll? You must to talking about Hunter Biden? He was the bagman,
As for any connection between MAGA and Putin WHY DO YOU KEEP LYING?
The Durham report SHOWED definitely there was no connection. They did show the Clinton campaign manufactured the Putin story and leaked it their adoring media fans. SO did the Mueller Report, So did the exhaustive Columbia School of Journalism which showed the same thing. It was so bad even the Washington Post had to retract of number of stories.
You are proof that lying in the name of cause is acceptable to leftists, but sadly to no one else.
Last statement so very powerful: “condemn the Democrats for whatever they do.” McCarthy’s chokehold demanding negotiations where none are possible in debts already incurred are damaging our national security and global standing. This is completely unacceptable; I believe President Biden should invoke the 14th. Amendment and continue his schedule of meetings regarding the Indopacific as planned. He tries so very hard to move us past the hellish years of Trump to have individual obstructionists of the MAGA cult thwart him at every turn. The man’s comfort in his own skin is a blessing to us all. Is there any other who could remain so calm and composed while steering this enormous ship of wrongly complaining shortsited fools? I think not. #GoJoeBiden
I agree, Judith, but Biden needs to just do it, not sort-of kind-of negotiate with McCarthy. He needs to say loudly and frequently that he has no intention of negotiating away any of his legislative accomplishments or anything else on the GOP's sicko wish list, and that he has no fear of subjecting the 14th Amendment to SCOTUS review if that's what it takes to keep the GOP from tanking our and the world's economy just to show they can.
He should have no further discussions with McCarthy and dedicate himself to his many other essential duties, such as showing up in Asia.
And the Democrats need to get it together and explain the situation to Americans in such a way that even the real dummies can understand just what's at stake and whose fault it is.
I believe the. GOP warlocks are in league with the warlocks in other countries, (perhaps even some warlocks in India - there's one in every crowd), whose hidden agenda is to change the center of the balance off power to...who knows where, (take a wild guess - Saudi Arabia?). Some country, or rather, their local oilygarchy is pulling strings to destabilize the USA with a little help from the KKK and the NRA.
I would bet a very huge chunk of money that Putin is blackmailing Trump. What about those 48 empty folders marked Secret found at Mar-A-Lago. Does Putin now have them? Does that have anything to do with some close to Putin dying in "accidents" last summer, falling out of buildings, etc.?
I think that the problem is home grown, with guys like Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump leading the charge, catering to the racism, misogyny and xenophobia existing in a large segment of our population. Google "The Anger Games, Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election, and Why." Support for white theocratic autocratic nationalism is prevalent among our population. Somewhere along the way we failed in teaching critical thinking skills and civics, what the democratic process actually is, i.e., one person, one vote, majority rule, providing for the peaceful transfer of political power.
It is an interesting and puzzling frame of mind. I hesitated to recommend this book but it offers some really pertinent history and interesting insights into the phenomenon of hate: "The Christ Conspiracy" by Acharya S.
You said it. These people suffer from "external locus of control" processing an immature style of thinking, so that they never have to look at their own contributions to their predicaments.
Susan, there are undoubtedly people in the world who try to get what they want by influencing other people in illegal and nefarious ways while trying to stay under the radar, but it is very difficult to know exactly who they are or what they are trying to accomplish and why, or even if they know what they really want, or even if they are such a problem for the rest of us that we have to wring our hands and tremble in fear.
A certain amount of craziness -- some of it useful -- is built into the human experience, but without names, addresses, numbers, documents, intercepted emails, money-trails and legitimate law enforcement entities investigating and prosecuting these people, we cannot get beyond our own suspicions which then morph into our own conspiracy "theories" which then become political weapons, and the truth of the matter leaks out haphazardly and is lost, overwhelmed by self-interested, well-financed and ubiquitous propaganda.
We see the GOP as mostly this, but they see us (Democrats, progressives, liberals, leftists, commies, whatever) as mostly this, too. So what to do? Tell the truth, stick to humane principles, argue well, and beat them at their own game, having faith that the human endeavor is still worthwhile even as we continue to pile up mistakes and put our own existence in jeopardy. Either we'll get it right in time, or we won't.
In any case, it's nothing a landslide for the Democrats in 2024 can't cure.
It's's just that they are so loud! Tantrums even! And if they are "packing," there is always the implied threat of being shot. Hitting women, dumping others out of wheelchairs, et al, are not unheard of. What a bunch of ill-tempered losers.
David H., my guess is that President Joe Biden is doing all he can to follow proper channels of governance with which I , as you, become very impatient. I trust him because I believe in his love of this country and the governance to which he has given his life.
He calls my bad attitudes out ...his example helps me think about a larger view of love for this country and hope for the world.
It is not a matter of intelligence but a cult belief continued to be fueled by gaslighting posts by MAGA/Freedom Caucus/ CN congressional representatives & faux news sources.
I was appalled to discover a letter in the Mensa magazine supporting Richard Nixon's second attempt to run for President; I could not imagine anyone with enough intelligence to belong to Mensa could be dumb enough to support Nixon.
There were plenty, learned when I worked in public schools that smart can also be crazy, they can also be greedy, very greedy. Mnuchin prime example, a legion of others crowding in
Carole, intelligence is very hard to either define or measure. If Einstein himself (bless his long departed soul) decided to return and support someone like Trump, he too would be a dummie.
in other words, not everyone who supports tfg is a dummy and thinking of them as dummies belies how they perceive & why using facts, rational, critical thinking does not move them from their cult thinking. It reminds me of Koontz Jane Hawk series.
When nursing began to take building their own field of knowledge seriously, they laid out that nursing was different them medicine because they treat the “whole” person. Not just the physically diseased. We were taught that the mental, emotional, and spiritual were every bit equal in importance to our health as the physical. Humanity has ignored the emotional as some sort of easily detached nonessential element of our being for far too long.
In other words, what people say sometimes belies what they really believe, and you don't necessarily have to be smart to know what's right, and vice versa. Reminds me of a Marx Brothers movie. I must be a commie.
I read a headline yesterday that said “McCarthy calls Joe’s Bluff”, and stated that McCarthy is bragging to his conference that HE has forced Joe Biden to the table to negotiate, and that Biden caved. My stomach sank. It also stated that Republicans are celebrating this.
Cathy (W. Michigan) It depends on where exactly you read "a headline." Not all headlines are worthy of our attention. Sounds like you read it in a right-wing neighborhood. Wouldn't waste anymore of your energy on it.
There are huge differences in how the debt issue is being framed. Plenty of never trumpers calling for negotiation. Greedy as ever, they don’t want to give up their 21% corporate tax rate gifted to them by tffg.
It's politics of the budget, not "giving in." Political dealing is the grist of democracy. Biden will agree to give up unspent COVID funds, not America.
I wish. Biden is still stuck in the 80s where the Democrats all said Tip and Ron will have a beer and solve all our problems. It was a lie then and the fact that the gerontocracy STILL believes it does not bode well.
David Herrick, I feel the same way about reaching across the aisle, but conclude every time I feel that way that it is more a strength of Biden than a weakness. When the time is ripe I doubt his advisors will let him give away the store even if he has to go with the 14th Amendment.
Question: has McCarthy read it yet? If yes, does he understand it? It applies as much to him as to the president.
If i were Biden, i would not care one bit if they condemned me. Who cares what these lowly cretins think or say? I think back to what FDR told his supporters in a rally back in 1933, he said, '' i heard the Republicans said they hate me, i say, let them hate me, i welcome their hate.'' President Biden ought to say the same thing to the band of lying, cheating, hating, thug Rethuglicans. I saw this documentary a few months ago about the life of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He did quite a lot of good things for the poor and disadvantaged Americans during the great depression in the 1930's. ln my opinion, he was one of the greatest Presidents ever. I am totally with the idea of invoking the 14th Amendment. Defaulting on the debt is totally unacceptable. It is a disgrace that a group of misfits,( The Rethugs in Congress) are allowed to wreck the economy of the entire world. These lowlifes aren't even qualified to be in our Congress, especially Marjorie Traitor Goon, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Gym Jordan, etc and many more. This white trash has Kevin McCarthy by the testicles in this debt blackmail/ extortion plan for the United States. All of this is so disgusting and shouldn't even be happening. These Rethugs act like spoiled brat children that don't get their way, we need adults in our Congress, not a group of spoiled brat 4 year olds. President Biden really needed to be in Asia as planned instead of having to bow down to spoiled brat kids that called themselves Rethugs.
John, unfortuntely, they are each ELECTED RETHUGS. What does this say about our country? Look for the source of the money.....there you will find the polluted stream that did not just happen but has been developing for years. We were not "on guard".....we were sleeping on our watch.....now we are reaping the results of our neglect.
Mark, join your nearest and dearest Democratic group and get to work. That’s how we are going to take the country back. You can just type “indivisible” into your computer to get started.
They hate him, no matter what. Had an old 90+ women tell me, two days ago, that she hated Joe Biden because he put all these guns on the streets. That’s repubs who are glued to Fox, she is not demented, except for the MAGAt cult.
Senator Hawley is hoping for the political cover Biden's invocation of the 14th Amendment will give the Republicans. Biden must "negotiate" with McCarthy's team in order to remove as much of that cover as possible. Without the negotiations, Republicans can simply trumpet their "tax and spend Democrats" line, and still give the appearance that they in no way cooperated with the Democrats. It is a stupid, irresponsible game, but it is the one they are playing. So far, Biden and his administration has managed to out smart and out govern them. They (the Democrats - and most Republicans) fully understand the gravity of this situation: hence not attending the Quad meeting. This very visible piece of news/consequence can be used to further highlight the Republican's irresponsibility in this crisis they have manufactured. I hope Moodys is kinder to our bond rating than they were the last time the Republicans threatened default.
This reminds me of an incident involving Lyndon Johnson. He wanted his campaign manager to make a claim that his opponent was having an illicit affair. The campaign manager replied that the opponent wasn't having such an affair. Johnson reportedly replied, "I know that. I just want to see him deny it in print." McCarthy and his colleagues know that negative publicity works. They'll pile any default on the backs of the Democrats, the "reckless Socialist spenders," Trump's $7.8 trillion debt increase (a record) in four years to the contrary notwithstanding.
What the Democrats need to do is to whip the Republicans at the polls and to do that we can organize locally (among other things.) I started a Democratic club where I live in central Florida in a 55+ gated community in early 2017. The community has about 2200 inhabitants. I reserved a room that would hold 20 people and sent out a notice to meet if there was any interest in forming a local Democratic club. Surprisingly, more than 100 showed up. Some who had known each other for more than ten years didn't know that the others were Democrats. They were "in the closet." When I asked why in 15 years there had been no Democratic club formed, the answer was "No one else had the courage." It's a sad, sad commentary on the state of political discourse in this country, particularly in Florida. (I am a retiree coming here from California.)
Thank you for this. I just moved from my prior community to another gated community. Guess what? Yep, I'm going to do the same thing here. I have the list of all the voters in my community. I know how people are registered. We're gonna get together and guaranteed - life is going to be much, much better for them when they can know their fellow travelers.
Winning in today's headlines matters ... well, little, except as soundbites that remain talking points that don'tgo away. Winning by a landslide at the polls, matters completely.
Judith H., you are absolutely correct. President Joe Biden's faith, knowledge, experience and love for this country over SELF is up front. Prresident Joe Biden, Jill and the fantastic wise and faithful are holding us together through this storm as well as each and every courageous voter!!!! I am grateful!!!!
The 14th amendment "was an attempt to make it impossible for those trying to destroy the nation to carry out their plans." Yes! This is exactly what the crazies in the house want to do. Biden needs to tell these whack-jobs to go pound sand, and use the 14th amendment. Sending an e-mail to the White house this morning supporting its use.
"wrongly complaining shortsited fools"...what a great description of the MAGA. I also like "Congressional cordyceps" (ala The Last of Us) for the regressive Congressional caucus.
It’s always good to have a scapegoat; “condemn the Democrats for whatever they do.” And finding one is especially easy after they’re put into a position to be scapegoated by those (ahem, Mr. McCarthy) looking for a scapegoat.
Look, guys, let's be real with ourselves. This whole debacle was completely inevitable from the second those low-turnout CA&NY results came in that meant we would come up just short in the House. The Repubs were always going to tangle up the budget with the debt ceiling, and they were going to lie about it, and they were going to find a way to stick it to poor people, because that is their MO. And dollars to donuts the only realistic way this is going to end is by giving them some of what they want. They're going to call a bunch of the shots on this process and get some of what they want, because the majority party in the House always gets some of what they want, because everything to do with money comes from the House. But they will not get all of what they want, or even most of it, because they don't have the White House or Senate majority. That's how this works, always, because the Constitution doesn't have a clause that says "...unless some of the participants involved are batsh!t crazy super-@$$holes, in which case they can be ignored in the name of justice! Huzzah!" Elections are forks in the road, and pretty much everything legislation-wise can be predicted based on which path you turn onto, and there is jack squat you can do about it until the next fork in the road shows up. How ethically right you are doesn't matter. How popular your positions are doesn't matter. How smart and capable and well-spoken your leaders are - or how gross theirs are - doesn't matter. There is nothing you can do to make your not-preferred people un-in-charge of whatever they are unfortunately in charge of until the next election. Period.
So when Joe Biden comes back from his shortened trip and announces he's cut some deal that includes a bunch of stuff that we find truly unsavory and lets the McCs gloat for a little while about twisting the system just to make an extra million poor people dig out of the garbage, I do not want to hear huffing and grumbling and complaining, and I definitely don't want to hear the word "caved" or any variation of it. Ditto the phrase "rewarding bad behavior." Rougly 50% of American voters gave the green light for this bad behavior, and being a good President/Party Leader in this case means keeping a front up as long as you can, informing the public of the consequences when possible, and limiting the damage. Expecting us to get a day away from the X-date and have the President give a national address where he yells "Told ya I wouldn't blink first! Watcha gonna do now, show ponies?" is a fantasy. Just be glad that the global economy won't tank, and the social safety net will remain temporarily torn but pretty much intact. And start thinking about '24, where we can get the ducks in a row to end the filibuster, because THAT IS TOTALLY DOABLE and that is the only point at which truly nice things will happen.
Will, you may be right, even totally right on the mark, and perhaps sometime in mid-June when panicked markets have bounced back nicely despite predictions of debt-ceiling doom , we will all breathe a sigh of relief and say, "Hey, he had it right back on May 18th, that Will is some sharp dude!" But our "social safety net" is already in tatters and the 46.85% of the vote that went to Trump in 2020 is a bit too far from Biden's 51.31% to be dignified as "roughly 50%". Too close for comfort, hardly a landslide, but surely not a squeaker. The people did speak, even if not everyone was listening.
Will, I appreciate that you are a smart and well informed observer of politics, but beware the glibness trap. No one really knows what will happen if the US actually defaults on its debts because it has never happened before, but I would be curious to find out once and for all if this Supreme Court is merely an arm of the modern GOP or not. If it is, then we may be well past the point of no return already, thus in dire need of not counting on business as usual to save us.
Condemning Democrats for whatever they do seems to be all they are good for. I recall that Mitt Romney published an open letter to Obama urging him to pattern health care reforms after his plan in Massachusetts. Obama did so, after which Republicans publicly equated his plan with "Nazi Germany" and tried more times than I could track to repeal it. Tapped as the "GOP" presidential nominee, Romney also distanced himself from the plan calling it a good one for Massachusetts but not for the country. Democrats could find a foolproof cure for cancer and Republicans would demonize it, while projecting their own many flaws on anyone but them. The party has become corrupt as hell top to bottom, and the few remaining vestiges of decency publicly discarded with the rejection of Kinzinger and Cheney.
Thank you, HRC, for bringing the fourth section of the Fourteenth Amendment into the story. I also like the explanation sentence: "Congress intended the Fourteenth Amendment to assert the power of the federal government over the states..." Seems the idiot Repubs and magapublicans like to uphold the Constitution, I'm thinking the 2nd amend. there, but overlook the rest of that document. Unless it serves them. Okay so use the 4th section of the 14th but go one step further... have Biden use the rest of the 14th to take control of the states denying the nation on the subject of abortion and remove the religious right's swinging those states into their camp into the history books.
I mean, I get that the current circumstances are exhausting, and I'm not picking on you specifically, Bill, but...
...someone please tell me that the otherwise very intelligent crowd that frequents this here forum realizes that what they are suggesting regarding the 14th Amendment is incredibly far-fetched, almost certainly unconstitutional, and would be cause for outrage if the shoe was on the other foot, right? All y'all don't really believe that we are a better judge of the consequences of this hypothetical than the actual President, his entire cabinet and legal advisers, plus the entire former administration of Constitutional Law Scholar Barack Obama, who discarded that idea pretty darn quickly, right?
Obviously, the debt ceiling is anachronistic and dangerously outmoded. Its abolishment is much needed and would be, as you say, a positive.
It likely *does* conflict with the 14th Amendment. But the President cannot unilaterally declare an act of Congress void because of a conflict with the Constitution. That is the job of the Supreme Court, which is where this conflict would get thrown. I suspect even a more liberal court would not hand down the desired outcome, but we all know that not only would this court almost certainly not do so, but would use the case as a flimsy excuse to institute some other doctrine on the fly that would tie the President's hands further. And unlike the shenanigans of this Congress, that damage would last into the future.
Let's face it, any damage the current House Repubs will inflict would be the same damage they would inflict later this year in regular budget processes. It's all they can do at this point. In exchange for engaging on this at all, Biden will almost certainly insist the ceiling gets raised until after 2024, and that any cuts/caps not last longer than that. His team is betting that most of the ill-informed public will see this as sensible and moderate and electorally reward them accordingly, leaving Dems completely in charge to put the budget back together their way. It's a good bet. The 14th Amendment, not so much.
Constitutional law professor Lawrence Tribe has written that not only is the so-called debt ceiling law in violation of the 14th Amendment, it is also superseded by spending laws passed since by Congress and signed by the President. The ransom note is not only a reprehensible attempt to damage the country, it’s also invalid.
That article was a lot to absorb! So then, in a nutshell... to hell with the debt ceiling. Just pay our bills and no one can stop this administration from doing so “ legally”. Be done with this debt ceiling BS once and for all?
Hey, Sharon. I felt emboldened to link the article after seeing it not once but twice on Robert Hubbell's Today's Edition newsletter. Yes, I don't pretend to be able to follow it all but trust there are great minds here and "out there" who would have no trouble vetting it!
Thanks, MaryPat! So now we have Hockett teaming up with Tribe with their latest arguments published in the Hill (5/18/2023). (I'm not sure whether you subscribe to Hubbell's substack. That is where I got the link):
I agree, it is a very interesting article. However, I do question the article author’s statement: “No court would find otherwise.”. Yes, that’s what folks thought before the current US Supreme Court got ahold of the supposed firmly established precedent Roe v Wade too. And look where we are now. Just because it makes sense and the lion’s share of US citizens support it definitely does NOT mean the Biden administration would get a favorable decision from the SCOTUS should Biden choose to invoke the 14th amendment. Because what there is no doubt of at all is, the second Biden did that, the next second it would be challenged in court by the GOP. And it would likely be tied up for a year or two in the courts making it’s way to SCOTUS for a final determination. I have no confidence at all that SCOTUS would rule in favor of the Biden administration’s position.
Has anyone mentioned to you lately that you are a moron with his head up his ass? Please stop embarrassing your fellow Californians with your lack of intelligence and knowledge, you idiot.
"Has anyone mentioned to you lately that you are a moron with his head up his ass?"
Well, yeah, actually. My brother, who I live with. I think he also said something about my giant, pointy head not being able to fit up my skinny, pointy ass, so that's a bit of a subtle difference. And that argument was over whether Doritos are disgusting or not (I said yea).
I prefer it here, where arguments over grown-up topics lead to me being insulted by TCinLA, a far more distinguished and witty personage! I feel like I'm practically at the Algonquin Round Table!
Yes, Will from Cal... I do agree with you... however I am damn tired of the feeling that those other people are taking everything and we on this side can only stand back and wait for an election, and then hoping/wishing/trusting.... just tired of it all. And depressed. And disgusted. But you are correct. On another topic; isn't it great we in our world can agree/disagree and publicly comment/discuss/argue?
I have to say that having two individuals with the same initials beginning with the same letter that we refer to (in short hand) by those initials is a dyslexic's nightmare. Given the frequency with how typographical errors (not inspired by dyslexia) occur when letters are typed in the incorrect sequence occur, it is not surprising that we get the Professor's letters bass akwards occasionally.
The other piece of the debt ceiling news yesterday was that Biden appointed two negotiators to deal with the issue directly with McCarthy's aides. They are Shalanda Young and Steve Richetti. Shalanda Young is the Director of Management and the Budget and has many years of experience on the Hill involved in the budget process. Richetti is a close Biden confidant. Young was supported by a number of Republicans during her confirmation hearings.
So there is a sliver of hope that this crisis can be resolved by giving McCarthy a fig leaf to save his speakership by "giving back" unspent allocated covid funds without compromising on future spending cuts being tied to raising the debt ceiling. That would destroy the budget appropriations process and permanently compromise the trust that the US Government will always pay its bills.
Biden bailing on the quad meeting is a necessary move to assure our allies that he knows the priority has to be averting default and its effects on the world economy. Biden is wise to know when to take a hit and when to keep his eye on the bigger prize.
Georgia, you have recently been a dot of insight in a sea of freak-outs. Much appreciated.
The thing to remember here is that regardless of whatever semantics either side uses to describe whatever understanding gets reached, in no way does this episode indicate future Congresses will repeat this incident. The second the Dems have House plus 50 anti-filibuster Senators, they will likely abolish the ceiling entirely to avoid this happening again, or at least raise it so high it won't be hit anytime in the near future. The pattern of the last 7 years has been the MAGAts alerting everyone to the weak spots in the system via gleeful abuse of all of them. This is simply one more example.
Leaders handle the crises, everything else they delegate.
Biden is a LEADER.
tfg was simply a television personality trying to keep his "reality show presidency" on the screen 24/7/365. He wasn't working, so that results would then be worth reporting.
His malignant narcissism required him to be in the spotlight at all times.
That's one reason the Coronavirus pandemic was so woefully and horrifically mismanaged - leading to over a million lives lost in a country that has 3% of the world population but was suffering sometimes over a quarter of the deaths due to a once in a century pandemic.
The last pandemic, in 1918, he also purposely misdated as 1917 for some reason - perhaps because he is ignorant of history and plans to rewrite history.
What I wouldn't give to NEVER hear his name or see his face again!
The debt crisis is also a gift to Vladimir Putin, who doubtless is glad to see the greatest threat to his goals, the US, floundering and growing weaker.
House Republicans are committing treason every day they resist a clean debt ceiling bill.
Regarding the North Carolina Abortion Bill, Beau of the Fifth Column has an extraordinary video regarding the GOP ignoring the will of the majority of the people of the state. It is well worth watching and sharing widely!
Beverly, as usual Beau nails it. Hope the voters in NC are paying close attention. Am still curious as to the real reason that Dem rep suddenly (?) morphed into a Republican and shifted her pro-choice stance into a no-choice one.
It's important that the public understands that, but obviously the Republicans are well aware of what they they are doing. Lies and manipulation is the only tools they have left.
Mental image, with credit to the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffet,: when the tide goes out, you see who's been swimming without a bathing suit. They're exposed, and they are trying to cover up their AR-15s. .
Jerry, that is rich. My junior high brain went traipsing down its path and wished that it was the AR-55, because that can look like the word "arss". I do, however, think that Will from Cal has the best imagery.
So with Republicans given a turn in the wheelhouse are saying "pay us ransom or we will steer the Ship of State into into an iceberg." The are not fit to pilot a coaster wagon in the midst of a civilized society. It's all about what THEY want with shameless indifference to the harm they do to others. It is at least criminally negligent if not a form of insurrection.
Your last sentence about what Hawley indicated about what the Dems should do and then blame them later, is so right on, Heather. Anything they can twist around that meets their criteria is what they are very good at. Biden cancelled his trip reluctantly. There’s a storm a’brewing in these here states and he feels he needs to be home to take care of business. This summit can be rescheduled, can it not? My feeling is that Biden will use the 14th Amendment, Section 4 and say the hell to the R’s. They’re just a bunch of evildoers who stick together like glue. Look at how they all decided not to push Santos out the door today. Qevin said he will wait for the House Ethics Committee to make a decision. What a joke. I hope he goes down in flames.
Most of the media continue to do a miserable job covering the debt-ceiling crisis. I suspect most voters have no clue that Republicans have manufactured the crisis and that they're refusing to pay for spending an earlier Congress approved. In other words, they're fiscal terrorists holding the nation hostage.
From the outset, Biden should have said he would invoke the 14th Amendment if the debt-ceiling wasn't raised by a specific date in order to save the economy, domestically and globally, and to end this madness once and for all. Or at least until the issue winds through the courts or Democrats control both house of Congress and pass reform legislation.
First, again, We, capital W, are most emphatically *not* in debt. We have $140 Trillion of net household wealth. *Net* That’s against $31 Trillion of federal debt. See <http://uswealthclock.com> with sources.
Our US net household wealth grew about $70 Trillion in the past 10 years; our debt grew about $12 Trillion.
See anything there? Never mind how much of our debt has been created by R disasters since Reagan, W, and Don T. There is good federal debt, and there should be another $2 Trillion for infrastructure -- but Rs blocked that.
See also the NY Times, which finally published the big net number ( $140 Trillion ) in very big fonts, with graphic breakdowns!
$84 Trillion is estimated to be transferred (inherited) by 2045. That’s tax free, unless . . . oh, never mind, it’s tax free, 90% are screwed, the details are not material, except where they are infuriating, eg no tax on inherited capital gains . . . and the stupidity of the rich blocking prosperity for the great majority of households, whose payments and purchases are where great wealth comes from.
Thanks and how for your daily distilled knowledge,
"There is good federal debt, and there should be another $2 Trillion for infrastructure -- but Rs blocked that."
Obviously there is smart debt and foolish debt. The former primes the pump for net gains of one sort or another. Republicans seem to prescribe free and unaccountable spending for them, and austerity for everyone else. The technical term for that is "ripoff".
Well, thanks, b.rad. However, to my mind, being in debt is not the same as being wealthy. I would posit there are many wealthy people who do not pay their bills which means they are debtors. Have I said that right?
Bill Gates — and each of that crowd — has credit cards, and I bet they often have a balance that most of us would find staggering . . . but he is *not* in debt.
Is that it?
Saying ‘being in debt is not the same as being wealthy’ seems too obvious, dictionary stuff; not what you were trying to say? thanks, b.rad
The last few paragraph of that article you link to:
'But David Kelly, the chief global strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, warns that “it’s not a matter of just taxing the wealth of the richest and handing it out to everybody else,” especially since a wealth tax might well be struck down as unconstitutional by the courts.
He and others make the case that although the widening wealth gap may be inevitable, finding financially creative or cost-effective ways to raise baseline standards of living is still possible.
“The real question is not ‘why are the rich rich?’ or what to do about that,” Mr. Kelly argued. “It is ‘why are the poor poor?’ and what to do about that.” '
Your statement that the rich are "blocking prosperity for the great najority of households" is not precisely supported by the article, but you made it anyway. I understand your anger, but not understanding one's "enemy" (or seeing the full complexity of a challenge) leads to losing a battle (or expending political capital on irrelevancies).
Yes the tax codes need to change. Yes, the social safety net needs to grow. Yes, systemic roadblocks to modest wealth building by the average person need to be removed. And yes, getting anti-democratic politicians unelected should be done in the next election.
But targeting a single villain group will not achieve much.
Had to use the one liner. Thanks for your thoughts.
My post is about fairness, and clear opportunities for prosperity and growth right in front of us, through simple fairness.
The pivot to ‘villains’ is you, not me. However, I defer to Sheldon Whitehouse’s book, ‘The Scheme’ detailing the takeover of our judiciary by a few of the wealthiest people in this country, to focus on injustice and corrupt conspiracy to twist our country, degrading our liberty and prosperity for the sole ultimate goal of reducing their taxes.
And that leads directly to the ominous ‘may be struck down.’. Article 1 says Congress can tax. It’s that simple.
Regular voters, who realize they should no longer take this bait and vote against their family, colleagues, friends, and the rest of us, are the only hope for real progress, as I see it — b.rad
I'm sorry, I interpret your writing to indicate you're assuming all wealthy people actively try to hoard wealth while keeping others down. Not all from the upper 10% are like that.
It is well within the realm of plausibility that Josh Hawley is actually sincere about the President invoking the 14th Amendment. It is also well within the realm of plausibility that an asteroid will veer off course and carve a continent-sized crater in the midst of Eurasia.
Ha! Josh Hawley is the most dangerous and most anti-American Senator. He is John Adams in his Alien & Sedition Act paranoid phase, plus Andrew Jackson in his ethnic cleansing of Native American phase rolled into one plus a touch of Iago.
Smart, old before his time, and ruthlessly authoritarian in the service of all things bad, from Trump, racist voter suppression, gay and trans bashing, Israeli apartheid supporting, anti-environmentalism, science denying,war mongering as long as brown people are dying,etc., etc.,
Is he that smart, though? Or is he just formally trained doofus from a state of informally untrained doofuses?
I'd love to think he's the worst, but we just had Senator Concussed-One-Too-Many-Times-By-Football (R-AL) complaining about the military not making enough room for white supremacy, then literally point-blank saying that "we shouldn't even have elections anymore," so... competition for the title is fierce!
Ha! Tuberville is certainly not smart. Hawley is. He may play dumb to keep his "anti-elite" credentials in the eyes of the Fox News watchers, but that's just putting on the anti-ritz. Same with the odious Tom Cotton
Ahh the entirely unlovely but oh so photogenic Hawleys. While Josh is busy undermining Congress, Erin was busy today undermining women's health by arguing to ban mifepristone. As counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom - drumroll, you guessed it, a Leonard Leo production. This is the next generation of made in the cauldron of The Federalist Society racist right wing religious extremist Stepford couples. Coming soon to a White House near you. Unless we (and I mean every single citizen who does want a clerical fascist state) get out the vote for every single Democratic candidate. No excuses.
"Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), an anti-choice dark-money group that helped overturn Roe and has accepted thousands from Leo-linked DonorsTrust, is suing the Food and Drug Administration on behalf of the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine over its approval of mifepristone."
Off topic, but great news in Florida. From Politico, "Florida Democrats put a W in the column six months after Republicans crushed them across the board in the 2022 elections.
Democrat Donna Deegan upset Republican Daniel Davis and became the first woman elected Jacksonville mayor, capping off an evening that also saw Dems win six out of nine races on the ballot in Florida’s largest city. The turnout was slightly more than 33%, with Republicans edging Democrats by 3 percentage points.
Deegan, a former TV anchor and leader of a nonprofit foundation that helps breast cancer victims, overcame a significant cash disadvantage and negative ads faulting her for participating in Black Lives Matter protests. She won the mayor’s race 52% to 48% over Davis, a former legislator and CEO of the JAX Chamber.
“Everybody said it could not be done in Jacksonville,” Deegan told her supporters last night while also pointing out her campaign and its volunteers had worked for a year and a half ahead of the victory.
Her victory was a clear boost for Democrats and comes a month after the party had been declared a “dead carcass on the side of the road” by Gov. Ron DeSantis. State Dems and Florida Republicans both poured money and time into the race. Jacksonville — and Duval County — went for Democrat Andrew Gillum in 2018 and President Joe Biden in 2020. But DeSantis carried the county decisively six months ago."
Not just that! Look up the Colorado Springs mayor's race, also decided yesterday. That county hasn't voted blue since the Civil Rights Act was passed. Yesterday Yemi Mobolade, an African immigrant and restaurant owner, beat the dark-money-funded former Repub Sec of State by double digits.
Last week in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Democrats won the mayorship, all but one open city council race, and every school board race.
One nice thing happening is once nice thing happening. Several related nice things happening in a row is a pattern. Specifically, the unmistakable pattern of being on the winning team.
Nice things like Dem wins don't just happen. Volunteers and voters make them happen. By uniting. And pushing uphill - together.
Hint: It's how racist right wing religious extremists took over the GOP. And it's how we can take back government to save democracy - the only way,
And as the new Jacksonville mayor said, it took 1.5 years of voters and volunteers working to make it happen; it takes time, energy and persistence!
Yes! Lots of "on the ground " work and many volunteers. I ran for Congress in Dem Primary the summer of 1984 and Jax beaches were in my Congressional district. At that time very tied to my ultra conservative Dem. opponent.
And here in Oregon around the Portland area, conservative candidates for school boards were defeated. We have one progressive and one conservative win here in Salem, the other undecided with conservative incumbent leading, but the board will still be progressive.
ELD, this was one of the truly heartening news items on Wednesday. I posted her win and statement on FB. What a breath of fresh air: “Tonight, love won...” something to that effect. And of course in Colorado Springs a Democrat won in a staunch Republican area. I think the repugnants brazen heartlessness has pushed independent voters to the polls to vote for Democrats. Thanks for your post.
The Colorado Springs win was by a registered Independent, not a Democrat. The Holy Rollers in Colorado Springs aren't that radical yet.
Yeah, but... 1) the losing candidate still ran ads claiming the mayor-elect would support "Left-Wing Socialism!!!" and 2) when it comes to Indie vs Repub on the ballot, who is getting the support of the local Dems? It's pretty much semantics at that point.
Left wing socialism’s a red herring. Republicans have been beating a dead fish for 90 years.
Of course it's a nonsensical red herring. But it is a nonsensical red herring that usually works on the people it is intended to work on. Nice to see that this week it didn't.
While benefitting from US socialism through well maintained infrastructure in their neighborhoods, guaranteed social security payments, good healthcare and protection from first responders, also in their neighborhoods. I'm sick of this argument that socialism is bad. The reality is that the countries that all lean more heavily socialist, score higher on ALL measures of human well-being than the US.
(I don't write a substack, but I can't get Substack to remove this)
Some of the Scandinavian countries demonstrate exactly this. If we had a solid social safety net, there would not have been an opioid crisis.
You are right if you're referring to Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland, and perhaps Singapore. They are all capitalistic systems with very strong social programs and services in place - just as it should be if you want a happy and healthy populace.
I don't think the claim of Democrats being Socialists is dead. I see it often. At times I see Dems called Communists.
Being called socialists and being actual socialists are different
You know what comes to my mind with these folks making such accusations of our being Socialists and Communists? "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Instead of bailing water out of a sinking boat, they're drilling more holes in the bottom.
Since the revolution in Russia
YES !! All GLORY! To Our ONE TRUE GOD! And HIS Precious SON! OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST! GOD ! Holds the VICTORY ! For HIS BRIDE! The CHURCH !!
Do we have to tolerate preaching on here?
What are you saying?
Subscribed!
Tom The fact that the winning Holy Roller in Colorado Springs was an independent is a marvelous riposte to an evangeliance [avalanche].
Correct and he is a “traditional conservative”…certainly aren’t radical at all…..
Does it have anything to do with dissatisfaction with both parties?
The people of this country don't even know what they want. So many of us seem to think that if their leadership doesn't do everything they want, then it's out the door for those people. Biden has been doing a remarkable job but so many people just can't see it. I wish Americans would grow up and accept that leaders are people, and that they are all flawed some really more than others. Why the heck do they keep voting for the dangerously flawed, instead of the more middle of the road flawed people?
Because of the efforts of people like Ronald Reagan, Lee Atwater, Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, the entire Tea Party, et al, who have spent the last 40 years convincing the American people that government is bad and moving the center ever more rightwards. They have made people forget that the institution that floated all boats was unions, not free market capitalism. They have maintained lies about their own party (fiscal responsibility being the biggest one), while castigating liberals and Democrats as anti-American. Repeated often enough, everyone starts to believe the lies and it has sown such massive doubt that bothsiderism is rampant.
I remember all these arses, and the plot to make Democrat an expletive and some socialist policies as evil as McCarthy’s communism in the 50’s. They have cheated in every way possible, becoming more belligerent every single day….
Hard to know why?? I have many complaints about dems but will vote blue no matter who. I can see the writing on the wall if I (we) do not but so many don't pay attention. So thankful for HCR and Thom Hartman.
Hobbs has everyone by the (*****
supply DT here).
Yes! yes! yes! There's still fertile soil in Florida.
I guess mouse poop makes a good fertilizer!
There’s always a grain of fertile soil. The Democrats have to invest in every race, in every state, instead of focusing on “SIGs” in and fighting each other. The Progressives have equally helped and harmed the Democrats. Good for moving policy; bad for dividing the Democratic voters.
I agree. But I like the rash, brash, fluent Progressives with their youth and fearlessness. There isn't a McCarthy or a Jordan among them. Or a Sinema. (Did I say "youth"? Yes, it's youth if the reasoning is tough elastic.)
Democrats are always drawn to Progressives. I was once one, so was Pelosi. We learned winning matters more than ideology. The younger generations may get both—not quite yet
As someone born and raised in Jacksonville (I was just there visiting for Mother's Day weekend on the eve of the mayoral election), I can attest that this is largely due to demographic shift. Duval county now has 1 million residents (when I left in 1994, it had about 700,000). The city retains a very thin White majority, but that is shifting daily. Duval will soon be a "minority-majority" city, and the Black middle class, especially, is growing fast. The Republican base, however -- middle and working class White folks who identify as evangelical Christian -- have fled Duval in droves, moving to adjacent suburban counties like St. Johns, Clay, Baker, and Nassau, which are overwhelmingly White. St. Johns (where Saint Augustine lies), especially, has experienced explosive growth, and is staunchly Republican. Clay, Baker, and Nassau have always been rural conservative areas, but they are booming these days as the "White flight" continues. I was hopeful that Deegan would pull off a victory, despite her headwinds. The moment my plane touched down in Boston Tuesday, I had a voice message from my mom excitedly announcing the win. Great news for Jacksonville!
As a side-note to this, I recently learned -- to my utter astonishment -- that "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the "Black National Anthem," was written and first performed in Jacksonville! This was never taught to us in school (I am White and attended integrated Jacksonville public schools my whole life). To think that such a point of pride for my hometown was something most White folks knew nothing about just blew my mind, but this is how white supremacy works. I'm ashamed it took so long for me to learn about it. Anyway, I also discovered that there is a new park -- "The Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing Park" -- currently under construction in the city's La Villa neighborhood, long-neglected after decades of decline, which was once a center of Black arts, culture, and politics known as "The Harlem of the South." Why now, after so long? Because the power dynamics are shifting. I wish I could say the same for the rest of the state.
Thank you, Michael. Having grown up in Virginia where in my public school we sang a lot, learning lots of spirituals, I didn’t learn about the anthem either. Must find it on YouTube.
That disgusting declaration by Ron DeSantis is indicative of the kind of man he is. He may have a blue ribbon education, but his comments and actions as Governor show his crass asshat side. I've been taught that we get what we put out so, I'll be looking for road kill that looks remarkably like him!
Professional political opportunist, of the worst kind! We've seen the dirtiest of them in these past years. Never dreamed it could be this bad. Thanks to HCR for always providing perspective.
DeSatanist went to Ivy.
Which is the academic equivalent of welfare for white people.
#duuuval
We also elected Joyce Morgan for Property appraiser beyond the city council seats. First African American Woman Democrat!!! Equally exciting!
I’ll repeat...#duuuval
Yay!!!!
We just had a run off for Mayor in Colorado Springs where the Republicans lost that position for the first time since 1997. A purple spot in a red sea!!!! Shows the voters are not that tied to their party!!!! The new Mayor is also a Nigeria Immigrant so another barrier was broken down here. I ran across a great article that showed how the top 100 large cities in the US have 64 run by Democrates vs 26 by Republicans. CS is 39th on the list. https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_current_mayors_of_the_top_100_cities_in_the_United_States#List_of_mayors
Really? I heard the Democrats won the City Dog catcher position too.
This almost too much to take. Lamenting about foreign policy?
Every minute Biden avoids foreign policy is good thing. Just a quick ride down memory lane.
First there was the Afghan debacle. We left behind chaos, billions of dollars in sensitive military equipment, and hung a lot of good people out to dry.
Then there was Ukraine. We were told over and over that the Russians were not going to invade. That was a joke. We could have stopped the invasion any time we wanted to. We could have parked 50,000 troops on the border. End of story. Instead we looked like fools.
We were told sanctions would work. They did work - on the US. We spiked our oil prices and caused dramatic inflation. We blew up the Nordstream pipeline causing a horrific natural disaster. To date we've spent over 100 Billions dollars and only have a lot of death and destruction to show for it - With no end in sight.
Worst of all we've driven the Russians into the arms of the Chinese.
It would be so bad if Biden hadn't taken millions from the Chinese and the Ukrainians.
BTW you uses their son to be the bag man?
As for the debt ceiling, the moral lecturing is getting tiring. Congress controls the budget period. I don't know how to break it to you, but the Republicans won in November. They control the budget process in the house. The democrats can't throw all the tantrums they want about pass spending but its on deaf ears. The McCarthy budget raised the debt ceiling
1.5T and holds spending a 2022 levels. WOW imagine that. Showing some financial restraint?
We don't need 80,000 IRS agents, especially given the Biden administration LOVE for going after all the political opponents with every governmental tool possible.
Just ask journalist Matt Tiabbi. The IRS paid him a visit at home the day he was suppose to testify about what he found in the Twitter files before congress. Ask Carter Page why the FBI forged documents and lied on a FISA warrant to spy on him and The Trump campaign. Ask Alex Berenson why the FBI and the White conspired to censor his twitter posts on COVID? All which were true.
The use of corrupt force never ends at your neighbors door. Its always ends up at yours.
https://www.salon.com/2023/03/28/bush-cuts-have-largely-driven-national-debt-issues-since-2001-report_partner/
But the stimulus enabled children to eat. When will affluent Americans begin to think about what it means to be poor in a country where there was rampant inflation and for profit medical care?
Deficit Increases
Bush 5.8T
Obama 8.6T
Trump 6.7 T
Biden 5-6T estimate
Its silly to blame Bush. All deficit spending is bad but sometimes necessary. However an expanding welfare state, with a declining currency, and an exploding deficit EQUALS GREECE.
Increased Domestic + military spending + massive tax cuts = Greece
Tax cuts are a complicated questions. The question always come down to how much, what's fair, and to what effect?
Trump tax cuts jumped started an economy stuck at a sub 2% GDP, just like Obama 2009 domestic spending helped a slumping economy.
The idea is a robust GDP with low taxes, this seem to produce the greatest government revenue. Higher taxes rarely produce higher revenue - at least not in the near and long term. If you believe in the old adage "Capital goes where its wanted" the inverse is also true "it leaves where its penalized" Higher taxes produce less investment, less wage productivity, and lower output.
As for Biden the mistake was the 2nd stimulus. Many democrat economics warned that the stimulus would be inflationary. In the end they were right.
The most robust GDP in American history was under FDR and Eisenhower with a 91% maximum tax rate.
But. I understand you Oubs have to lie. The truth if Republican policy is just too ugly.
I agree the 2nd stimulus was a mistake.
A “must pay, no loophole” corporate tax rate of 15% would do wonders for the US Treasury. Add tax deductions for on-shoring and hiring verified citizens would also.
“Trickle down” is a myth, and even Milton Friedman admitted before he died his “only increasing stakeholder value matters” had unintended consequences to this nation.
Hard to make the argument that the Eisenhower effective—not—stated tax rates “held back” investment and we’re a drag on GDP.
Damn, are you on Putin’s payroll with all the other MAGAts and rethuglicans
Putin payroll? You must to talking about Hunter Biden? He was the bagman,
As for any connection between MAGA and Putin WHY DO YOU KEEP LYING?
The Durham report SHOWED definitely there was no connection. They did show the Clinton campaign manufactured the Putin story and leaked it their adoring media fans. SO did the Mueller Report, So did the exhaustive Columbia School of Journalism which showed the same thing. It was so bad even the Washington Post had to retract of number of stories.
You are proof that lying in the name of cause is acceptable to leftists, but sadly to no one else.
Last statement so very powerful: “condemn the Democrats for whatever they do.” McCarthy’s chokehold demanding negotiations where none are possible in debts already incurred are damaging our national security and global standing. This is completely unacceptable; I believe President Biden should invoke the 14th. Amendment and continue his schedule of meetings regarding the Indopacific as planned. He tries so very hard to move us past the hellish years of Trump to have individual obstructionists of the MAGA cult thwart him at every turn. The man’s comfort in his own skin is a blessing to us all. Is there any other who could remain so calm and composed while steering this enormous ship of wrongly complaining shortsited fools? I think not. #GoJoeBiden
I agree, Judith, but Biden needs to just do it, not sort-of kind-of negotiate with McCarthy. He needs to say loudly and frequently that he has no intention of negotiating away any of his legislative accomplishments or anything else on the GOP's sicko wish list, and that he has no fear of subjecting the 14th Amendment to SCOTUS review if that's what it takes to keep the GOP from tanking our and the world's economy just to show they can.
He should have no further discussions with McCarthy and dedicate himself to his many other essential duties, such as showing up in Asia.
And the Democrats need to get it together and explain the situation to Americans in such a way that even the real dummies can understand just what's at stake and whose fault it is.
Reaching across the aisle is suicidal these days.
I believe the. GOP warlocks are in league with the warlocks in other countries, (perhaps even some warlocks in India - there's one in every crowd), whose hidden agenda is to change the center of the balance off power to...who knows where, (take a wild guess - Saudi Arabia?). Some country, or rather, their local oilygarchy is pulling strings to destabilize the USA with a little help from the KKK and the NRA.
The guilty party at the center of the vast worldwide right wing conspiracy will be found to speak with a Russian accent.
. . . and his pigeon in the U.S. who must do his bidding, I suspect because of photos of Moscow hotel room activities.
Richard, at last a fellow believer in MI 5 (or 6)! The report fits DT to a T!
I would bet a very huge chunk of money that Putin is blackmailing Trump. What about those 48 empty folders marked Secret found at Mar-A-Lago. Does Putin now have them? Does that have anything to do with some close to Putin dying in "accidents" last summer, falling out of buildings, etc.?
I think that the problem is home grown, with guys like Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump leading the charge, catering to the racism, misogyny and xenophobia existing in a large segment of our population. Google "The Anger Games, Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election, and Why." Support for white theocratic autocratic nationalism is prevalent among our population. Somewhere along the way we failed in teaching critical thinking skills and civics, what the democratic process actually is, i.e., one person, one vote, majority rule, providing for the peaceful transfer of political power.
It was ever thus.
It is an interesting and puzzling frame of mind. I hesitated to recommend this book but it offers some really pertinent history and interesting insights into the phenomenon of hate: "The Christ Conspiracy" by Acharya S.
I just ordered this book on your suggestion and am anxious for its arrival.
You said it. These people suffer from "external locus of control" processing an immature style of thinking, so that they never have to look at their own contributions to their predicaments.
Susan, there are undoubtedly people in the world who try to get what they want by influencing other people in illegal and nefarious ways while trying to stay under the radar, but it is very difficult to know exactly who they are or what they are trying to accomplish and why, or even if they know what they really want, or even if they are such a problem for the rest of us that we have to wring our hands and tremble in fear.
A certain amount of craziness -- some of it useful -- is built into the human experience, but without names, addresses, numbers, documents, intercepted emails, money-trails and legitimate law enforcement entities investigating and prosecuting these people, we cannot get beyond our own suspicions which then morph into our own conspiracy "theories" which then become political weapons, and the truth of the matter leaks out haphazardly and is lost, overwhelmed by self-interested, well-financed and ubiquitous propaganda.
We see the GOP as mostly this, but they see us (Democrats, progressives, liberals, leftists, commies, whatever) as mostly this, too. So what to do? Tell the truth, stick to humane principles, argue well, and beat them at their own game, having faith that the human endeavor is still worthwhile even as we continue to pile up mistakes and put our own existence in jeopardy. Either we'll get it right in time, or we won't.
In any case, it's nothing a landslide for the Democrats in 2024 can't cure.
It's's just that they are so loud! Tantrums even! And if they are "packing," there is always the implied threat of being shot. Hitting women, dumping others out of wheelchairs, et al, are not unheard of. What a bunch of ill-tempered losers.
🙏🙏🤞🏼🤞🏼🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊
It does look like the only way for democracy to survive in the US of A.
I continue to be shocked 😳 😳😳 at the number of people who continue their blind loyalty to the fascist lies.
AMEN ! David ! ALL Stated, in GODS HOLY WORD !
Thom Hartmann has some similar thoughts.
Have you read this:
https://hartmannreport.com/p/trump-couldnt-possibly-be-a-russian?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=302288&post_id=121670192&isFreemail=true&utm_medium=email
But of course.
Don’t forget Russia!
Oilygarchy. Ooo, love it!
David H., my guess is that President Joe Biden is doing all he can to follow proper channels of governance with which I , as you, become very impatient. I trust him because I believe in his love of this country and the governance to which he has given his life.
He calls my bad attitudes out ...his example helps me think about a larger view of love for this country and hope for the world.
“You don’t negotiate with terrorists!”
It is not a matter of intelligence but a cult belief continued to be fueled by gaslighting posts by MAGA/Freedom Caucus/ CN congressional representatives & faux news sources.
I was appalled to discover a letter in the Mensa magazine supporting Richard Nixon's second attempt to run for President; I could not imagine anyone with enough intelligence to belong to Mensa could be dumb enough to support Nixon.
There were plenty, learned when I worked in public schools that smart can also be crazy, they can also be greedy, very greedy. Mnuchin prime example, a legion of others crowding in
Carole, intelligence is very hard to either define or measure. If Einstein himself (bless his long departed soul) decided to return and support someone like Trump, he too would be a dummie.
in other words, not everyone who supports tfg is a dummy and thinking of them as dummies belies how they perceive & why using facts, rational, critical thinking does not move them from their cult thinking. It reminds me of Koontz Jane Hawk series.
When nursing began to take building their own field of knowledge seriously, they laid out that nursing was different them medicine because they treat the “whole” person. Not just the physically diseased. We were taught that the mental, emotional, and spiritual were every bit equal in importance to our health as the physical. Humanity has ignored the emotional as some sort of easily detached nonessential element of our being for far too long.
I understand from being an occupational therapist
In other words, what people say sometimes belies what they really believe, and you don't necessarily have to be smart to know what's right, and vice versa. Reminds me of a Marx Brothers movie. I must be a commie.
David: agreed!!!
I read a headline yesterday that said “McCarthy calls Joe’s Bluff”, and stated that McCarthy is bragging to his conference that HE has forced Joe Biden to the table to negotiate, and that Biden caved. My stomach sank. It also stated that Republicans are celebrating this.
Any truth to this?
Cathy (W. Michigan) It depends on where exactly you read "a headline." Not all headlines are worthy of our attention. Sounds like you read it in a right-wing neighborhood. Wouldn't waste anymore of your energy on it.
There are huge differences in how the debt issue is being framed. Plenty of never trumpers calling for negotiation. Greedy as ever, they don’t want to give up their 21% corporate tax rate gifted to them by tffg.
Grand Rapids headline?
Actually, I think it was Axios.
Also, today I read on the Substack “Chop Wood Carry Water” that President Biden is indeed talking about giving in to some Republican demands. 😡😡😡
It's politics of the budget, not "giving in." Political dealing is the grist of democracy. Biden will agree to give up unspent COVID funds, not America.
" Bad SPEAK, is EMPTY ! " TALK, is CHEAP ! Walk FORWARD, gets It DONE! GO BLUE !!
I wish. Biden is still stuck in the 80s where the Democrats all said Tip and Ron will have a beer and solve all our problems. It was a lie then and the fact that the gerontocracy STILL believes it does not bode well.
We’re in this mess because Obama caved.
David Herrick, I feel the same way about reaching across the aisle, but conclude every time I feel that way that it is more a strength of Biden than a weakness. When the time is ripe I doubt his advisors will let him give away the store even if he has to go with the 14th Amendment.
Question: has McCarthy read it yet? If yes, does he understand it? It applies as much to him as to the president.
If i were Biden, i would not care one bit if they condemned me. Who cares what these lowly cretins think or say? I think back to what FDR told his supporters in a rally back in 1933, he said, '' i heard the Republicans said they hate me, i say, let them hate me, i welcome their hate.'' President Biden ought to say the same thing to the band of lying, cheating, hating, thug Rethuglicans. I saw this documentary a few months ago about the life of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He did quite a lot of good things for the poor and disadvantaged Americans during the great depression in the 1930's. ln my opinion, he was one of the greatest Presidents ever. I am totally with the idea of invoking the 14th Amendment. Defaulting on the debt is totally unacceptable. It is a disgrace that a group of misfits,( The Rethugs in Congress) are allowed to wreck the economy of the entire world. These lowlifes aren't even qualified to be in our Congress, especially Marjorie Traitor Goon, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Gym Jordan, etc and many more. This white trash has Kevin McCarthy by the testicles in this debt blackmail/ extortion plan for the United States. All of this is so disgusting and shouldn't even be happening. These Rethugs act like spoiled brat children that don't get their way, we need adults in our Congress, not a group of spoiled brat 4 year olds. President Biden really needed to be in Asia as planned instead of having to bow down to spoiled brat kids that called themselves Rethugs.
John, unfortuntely, they are each ELECTED RETHUGS. What does this say about our country? Look for the source of the money.....there you will find the polluted stream that did not just happen but has been developing for years. We were not "on guard".....we were sleeping on our watch.....now we are reaping the results of our neglect.
EMILY,,, it is True, WE are kind of Reaping what WE have Sown, BUT ! WE CAN NOT, Let THE MAMMONITES !! Take OVER !
Mark, join your nearest and dearest Democratic group and get to work. That’s how we are going to take the country back. You can just type “indivisible” into your computer to get started.
He’s a Dem??? Lordy
Exactly, they are clowns. Nothing more. Not one thinker in the lot. Call their bluff.
They hate him, no matter what. Had an old 90+ women tell me, two days ago, that she hated Joe Biden because he put all these guns on the streets. That’s repubs who are glued to Fox, she is not demented, except for the MAGAt cult.
Senator Hawley is hoping for the political cover Biden's invocation of the 14th Amendment will give the Republicans. Biden must "negotiate" with McCarthy's team in order to remove as much of that cover as possible. Without the negotiations, Republicans can simply trumpet their "tax and spend Democrats" line, and still give the appearance that they in no way cooperated with the Democrats. It is a stupid, irresponsible game, but it is the one they are playing. So far, Biden and his administration has managed to out smart and out govern them. They (the Democrats - and most Republicans) fully understand the gravity of this situation: hence not attending the Quad meeting. This very visible piece of news/consequence can be used to further highlight the Republican's irresponsibility in this crisis they have manufactured. I hope Moodys is kinder to our bond rating than they were the last time the Republicans threatened default.
This reminds me of an incident involving Lyndon Johnson. He wanted his campaign manager to make a claim that his opponent was having an illicit affair. The campaign manager replied that the opponent wasn't having such an affair. Johnson reportedly replied, "I know that. I just want to see him deny it in print." McCarthy and his colleagues know that negative publicity works. They'll pile any default on the backs of the Democrats, the "reckless Socialist spenders," Trump's $7.8 trillion debt increase (a record) in four years to the contrary notwithstanding.
That's right, Richard. So what can truth-loving Democrats do about it? Who will call them out, if not Joe Biden?
I say: Joe, now is the time to be a hard ass!
What the Democrats need to do is to whip the Republicans at the polls and to do that we can organize locally (among other things.) I started a Democratic club where I live in central Florida in a 55+ gated community in early 2017. The community has about 2200 inhabitants. I reserved a room that would hold 20 people and sent out a notice to meet if there was any interest in forming a local Democratic club. Surprisingly, more than 100 showed up. Some who had known each other for more than ten years didn't know that the others were Democrats. They were "in the closet." When I asked why in 15 years there had been no Democratic club formed, the answer was "No one else had the courage." It's a sad, sad commentary on the state of political discourse in this country, particularly in Florida. (I am a retiree coming here from California.)
Good for you, Richard! Hope your group continues to grow!
Richard, thank you!!!!!....a great example we MUST follow!!!!
Thank you for this. I just moved from my prior community to another gated community. Guess what? Yep, I'm going to do the same thing here. I have the list of all the voters in my community. I know how people are registered. We're gonna get together and guaranteed - life is going to be much, much better for them when they can know their fellow travelers.
Good job!!! Lots of people are very savvy to what the far rights are doing and not about to stop. It is frustrating to the point of tuning out.
But to be involved with groups who feel the same is not only uplifting but
ideas and then actions result.
Thank you, Richard !!💙
And I understand Celebration, isn’t.
Winning in today's headlines matters ... well, little, except as soundbites that remain talking points that don'tgo away. Winning by a landslide at the polls, matters completely.
Y'all .... he's negotiating. It started late yesterday.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/biden-continue-debt-limit-talks-amid-g7-travel-white-house-spokeswoman-says-2023-05-17/
Judith H., you are absolutely correct. President Joe Biden's faith, knowledge, experience and love for this country over SELF is up front. Prresident Joe Biden, Jill and the fantastic wise and faithful are holding us together through this storm as well as each and every courageous voter!!!! I am grateful!!!!
I agree
The 14th amendment "was an attempt to make it impossible for those trying to destroy the nation to carry out their plans." Yes! This is exactly what the crazies in the house want to do. Biden needs to tell these whack-jobs to go pound sand, and use the 14th amendment. Sending an e-mail to the White house this morning supporting its use.
"wrongly complaining shortsited fools"...what a great description of the MAGA. I also like "Congressional cordyceps" (ala The Last of Us) for the regressive Congressional caucus.
It’s always good to have a scapegoat; “condemn the Democrats for whatever they do.” And finding one is especially easy after they’re put into a position to be scapegoated by those (ahem, Mr. McCarthy) looking for a scapegoat.
AMEN ! JOE ! .......GODSPEED !!
Look, guys, let's be real with ourselves. This whole debacle was completely inevitable from the second those low-turnout CA&NY results came in that meant we would come up just short in the House. The Repubs were always going to tangle up the budget with the debt ceiling, and they were going to lie about it, and they were going to find a way to stick it to poor people, because that is their MO. And dollars to donuts the only realistic way this is going to end is by giving them some of what they want. They're going to call a bunch of the shots on this process and get some of what they want, because the majority party in the House always gets some of what they want, because everything to do with money comes from the House. But they will not get all of what they want, or even most of it, because they don't have the White House or Senate majority. That's how this works, always, because the Constitution doesn't have a clause that says "...unless some of the participants involved are batsh!t crazy super-@$$holes, in which case they can be ignored in the name of justice! Huzzah!" Elections are forks in the road, and pretty much everything legislation-wise can be predicted based on which path you turn onto, and there is jack squat you can do about it until the next fork in the road shows up. How ethically right you are doesn't matter. How popular your positions are doesn't matter. How smart and capable and well-spoken your leaders are - or how gross theirs are - doesn't matter. There is nothing you can do to make your not-preferred people un-in-charge of whatever they are unfortunately in charge of until the next election. Period.
So when Joe Biden comes back from his shortened trip and announces he's cut some deal that includes a bunch of stuff that we find truly unsavory and lets the McCs gloat for a little while about twisting the system just to make an extra million poor people dig out of the garbage, I do not want to hear huffing and grumbling and complaining, and I definitely don't want to hear the word "caved" or any variation of it. Ditto the phrase "rewarding bad behavior." Rougly 50% of American voters gave the green light for this bad behavior, and being a good President/Party Leader in this case means keeping a front up as long as you can, informing the public of the consequences when possible, and limiting the damage. Expecting us to get a day away from the X-date and have the President give a national address where he yells "Told ya I wouldn't blink first! Watcha gonna do now, show ponies?" is a fantasy. Just be glad that the global economy won't tank, and the social safety net will remain temporarily torn but pretty much intact. And start thinking about '24, where we can get the ducks in a row to end the filibuster, because THAT IS TOTALLY DOABLE and that is the only point at which truly nice things will happen.
Thank you for your sanity
Will, you may be right, even totally right on the mark, and perhaps sometime in mid-June when panicked markets have bounced back nicely despite predictions of debt-ceiling doom , we will all breathe a sigh of relief and say, "Hey, he had it right back on May 18th, that Will is some sharp dude!" But our "social safety net" is already in tatters and the 46.85% of the vote that went to Trump in 2020 is a bit too far from Biden's 51.31% to be dignified as "roughly 50%". Too close for comfort, hardly a landslide, but surely not a squeaker. The people did speak, even if not everyone was listening.
Will, I appreciate that you are a smart and well informed observer of politics, but beware the glibness trap. No one really knows what will happen if the US actually defaults on its debts because it has never happened before, but I would be curious to find out once and for all if this Supreme Court is merely an arm of the modern GOP or not. If it is, then we may be well past the point of no return already, thus in dire need of not counting on business as usual to save us.
Biden is negotiating. It started late yesterday.
Down the road, if our democracy fails, historians will point to the filibuster as one of the principal causes, the tyranny of the minority.
Will, love hearing your thoughts, thanks for sharing!
Condemning Democrats for whatever they do seems to be all they are good for. I recall that Mitt Romney published an open letter to Obama urging him to pattern health care reforms after his plan in Massachusetts. Obama did so, after which Republicans publicly equated his plan with "Nazi Germany" and tried more times than I could track to repeal it. Tapped as the "GOP" presidential nominee, Romney also distanced himself from the plan calling it a good one for Massachusetts but not for the country. Democrats could find a foolproof cure for cancer and Republicans would demonize it, while projecting their own many flaws on anyone but them. The party has become corrupt as hell top to bottom, and the few remaining vestiges of decency publicly discarded with the rejection of Kinzinger and Cheney.
We saw how Republicans handled the pandemic. How many people died due to their meanness and stupidity?
Thank you, HRC, for bringing the fourth section of the Fourteenth Amendment into the story. I also like the explanation sentence: "Congress intended the Fourteenth Amendment to assert the power of the federal government over the states..." Seems the idiot Repubs and magapublicans like to uphold the Constitution, I'm thinking the 2nd amend. there, but overlook the rest of that document. Unless it serves them. Okay so use the 4th section of the 14th but go one step further... have Biden use the rest of the 14th to take control of the states denying the nation on the subject of abortion and remove the religious right's swinging those states into their camp into the history books.
I mean, I get that the current circumstances are exhausting, and I'm not picking on you specifically, Bill, but...
...someone please tell me that the otherwise very intelligent crowd that frequents this here forum realizes that what they are suggesting regarding the 14th Amendment is incredibly far-fetched, almost certainly unconstitutional, and would be cause for outrage if the shoe was on the other foot, right? All y'all don't really believe that we are a better judge of the consequences of this hypothetical than the actual President, his entire cabinet and legal advisers, plus the entire former administration of Constitutional Law Scholar Barack Obama, who discarded that idea pretty darn quickly, right?
Right???
Using the fourteenth amendment would permanently remove the debt ceiling as political leverage for either party. I think that is a positive.
Obviously, the debt ceiling is anachronistic and dangerously outmoded. Its abolishment is much needed and would be, as you say, a positive.
It likely *does* conflict with the 14th Amendment. But the President cannot unilaterally declare an act of Congress void because of a conflict with the Constitution. That is the job of the Supreme Court, which is where this conflict would get thrown. I suspect even a more liberal court would not hand down the desired outcome, but we all know that not only would this court almost certainly not do so, but would use the case as a flimsy excuse to institute some other doctrine on the fly that would tie the President's hands further. And unlike the shenanigans of this Congress, that damage would last into the future.
Let's face it, any damage the current House Repubs will inflict would be the same damage they would inflict later this year in regular budget processes. It's all they can do at this point. In exchange for engaging on this at all, Biden will almost certainly insist the ceiling gets raised until after 2024, and that any cuts/caps not last longer than that. His team is betting that most of the ill-informed public will see this as sensible and moderate and electorally reward them accordingly, leaving Dems completely in charge to put the budget back together their way. It's a good bet. The 14th Amendment, not so much.
Agree...otherwise why have it. Accordingly, the whole debt ceiling mess seems to have been unconstitutional in the first place.
Constitutional law professor Lawrence Tribe has written that not only is the so-called debt ceiling law in violation of the 14th Amendment, it is also superseded by spending laws passed since by Congress and signed by the President. The ransom note is not only a reprehensible attempt to damage the country, it’s also invalid.
Hey, Will. What is your perspective about this solution as outlined in the link below?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rhockett/2023/05/11/six-legal-reasons-the-federal-budget-is-its-own-debt-ceilingand-floor/?sh=641c6ce132e8
If you agree, see if you can get a word in to President Biden ASAP LOL!
That article was a lot to absorb! So then, in a nutshell... to hell with the debt ceiling. Just pay our bills and no one can stop this administration from doing so “ legally”. Be done with this debt ceiling BS once and for all?
Hey, Sharon. I felt emboldened to link the article after seeing it not once but twice on Robert Hubbell's Today's Edition newsletter. Yes, I don't pretend to be able to follow it all but trust there are great minds here and "out there" who would have no trouble vetting it!
SUPERB Article !!!Thank You Lynell!! Shared and sleeping better tonight!
Thanks, MaryPat! So now we have Hockett teaming up with Tribe with their latest arguments published in the Hill (5/18/2023). (I'm not sure whether you subscribe to Hubbell's substack. That is where I got the link):
https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/4009101-biden-can-and-should-ignore-the-gops-debt-suicide-attempt/
P.S. These guys are real brainiacs. I followed about 75% of the arguments made, but others more knowledgeable will get the facts quickly, I imagine.
I agree, it is a very interesting article. However, I do question the article author’s statement: “No court would find otherwise.”. Yes, that’s what folks thought before the current US Supreme Court got ahold of the supposed firmly established precedent Roe v Wade too. And look where we are now. Just because it makes sense and the lion’s share of US citizens support it definitely does NOT mean the Biden administration would get a favorable decision from the SCOTUS should Biden choose to invoke the 14th amendment. Because what there is no doubt of at all is, the second Biden did that, the next second it would be challenged in court by the GOP. And it would likely be tied up for a year or two in the courts making it’s way to SCOTUS for a final determination. I have no confidence at all that SCOTUS would rule in favor of the Biden administration’s position.
I have the same thoughts, Carey. Nonetheless, IMHO, giving up is not an option.
FYI, Laurence Tribe joins Robert Hockett in another article (5/18/2023) expanding on Hockett's first article. Brainiacs take note!
https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/4009101-biden-can-and-should-ignore-the-gops-debt-suicide-attempt/
Agreed. If they are going to take me down, I’m going down swinging’!
Thanks, B C!
Has anyone mentioned to you lately that you are a moron with his head up his ass? Please stop embarrassing your fellow Californians with your lack of intelligence and knowledge, you idiot.
"Has anyone mentioned to you lately that you are a moron with his head up his ass?"
Well, yeah, actually. My brother, who I live with. I think he also said something about my giant, pointy head not being able to fit up my skinny, pointy ass, so that's a bit of a subtle difference. And that argument was over whether Doritos are disgusting or not (I said yea).
I prefer it here, where arguments over grown-up topics lead to me being insulted by TCinLA, a far more distinguished and witty personage! I feel like I'm practically at the Algonquin Round Table!
Well, if it’s any consolation, I agree Doritos are disgusting.
Yes, Will from Cal... I do agree with you... however I am damn tired of the feeling that those other people are taking everything and we on this side can only stand back and wait for an election, and then hoping/wishing/trusting.... just tired of it all. And depressed. And disgusted. But you are correct. On another topic; isn't it great we in our world can agree/disagree and publicly comment/discuss/argue?
Asserting that you (I suppose "you" plural) " are a better judge" doesn't at all make you (plural) a better judge. Prove it!
Oh, how I wish...
That would be nice, now wouldn’t it?
Bill, that works. Looks like it will take a radical decision to fight radical injustice. No matter the decision, the repubs will distort the story.
I think she’s HCR—HRC is someone else. 🙂
I have to say that having two individuals with the same initials beginning with the same letter that we refer to (in short hand) by those initials is a dyslexic's nightmare. Given the frequency with how typographical errors (not inspired by dyslexia) occur when letters are typed in the incorrect sequence occur, it is not surprising that we get the Professor's letters bass akwards occasionally.
The other piece of the debt ceiling news yesterday was that Biden appointed two negotiators to deal with the issue directly with McCarthy's aides. They are Shalanda Young and Steve Richetti. Shalanda Young is the Director of Management and the Budget and has many years of experience on the Hill involved in the budget process. Richetti is a close Biden confidant. Young was supported by a number of Republicans during her confirmation hearings.
So there is a sliver of hope that this crisis can be resolved by giving McCarthy a fig leaf to save his speakership by "giving back" unspent allocated covid funds without compromising on future spending cuts being tied to raising the debt ceiling. That would destroy the budget appropriations process and permanently compromise the trust that the US Government will always pay its bills.
Biden bailing on the quad meeting is a necessary move to assure our allies that he knows the priority has to be averting default and its effects on the world economy. Biden is wise to know when to take a hit and when to keep his eye on the bigger prize.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/17/us/politics/biden-debt-ceiling-shalanda-young-steve-ricchetti.html
Georgia, you have recently been a dot of insight in a sea of freak-outs. Much appreciated.
The thing to remember here is that regardless of whatever semantics either side uses to describe whatever understanding gets reached, in no way does this episode indicate future Congresses will repeat this incident. The second the Dems have House plus 50 anti-filibuster Senators, they will likely abolish the ceiling entirely to avoid this happening again, or at least raise it so high it won't be hit anytime in the near future. The pattern of the last 7 years has been the MAGAts alerting everyone to the weak spots in the system via gleeful abuse of all of them. This is simply one more example.
Thanks for helping to enlighten me further on the workings of our Government.
Clean that House!
Leaders handle the crises, everything else they delegate.
Biden is a LEADER.
tfg was simply a television personality trying to keep his "reality show presidency" on the screen 24/7/365. He wasn't working, so that results would then be worth reporting.
His malignant narcissism required him to be in the spotlight at all times.
That's one reason the Coronavirus pandemic was so woefully and horrifically mismanaged - leading to over a million lives lost in a country that has 3% of the world population but was suffering sometimes over a quarter of the deaths due to a once in a century pandemic.
The last pandemic, in 1918, he also purposely misdated as 1917 for some reason - perhaps because he is ignorant of history and plans to rewrite history.
What I wouldn't give to NEVER hear his name or see his face again!
The debt crisis is also a gift to Vladimir Putin, who doubtless is glad to see the greatest threat to his goals, the US, floundering and growing weaker.
House Republicans are committing treason every day they resist a clean debt ceiling bill.
Putin is supporting thinly veiled saboteurs, AKA Republicans.
QAnon has “Made in Moscow” stamped all over it.
Regarding the North Carolina Abortion Bill, Beau of the Fifth Column has an extraordinary video regarding the GOP ignoring the will of the majority of the people of the state. It is well worth watching and sharing widely!
The GOP intends to RULE, NOT REPRESENT people.
https://youtu.be/aPr2woR2cJM
I saw it and it made me sick to my stomach.
I used to live in NC before I retired - and the direction the state is heading suckens my very soil.
They are fighting back from McCrory and Art Pope, God did they leave a mess
You just sent me on a 30 minute Beau diversion. His breakdown of a comment he received on the Jordan Neely homicide was stellar.
Beverly, as usual Beau nails it. Hope the voters in NC are paying close attention. Am still curious as to the real reason that Dem rep suddenly (?) morphed into a Republican and shifted her pro-choice stance into a no-choice one.
“The debt ceiling is not about future spending, it is about paying bills Congress has already incurred.”
APE: Accounts Payable Extortion:
It's important that the public understands that, but obviously the Republicans are well aware of what they they are doing. Lies and manipulation is the only tools they have left.
Demographically the tide is out for the GOP. If not for Constitutional advantages, they’d be toast.
Mental image, with credit to the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffet,: when the tide goes out, you see who's been swimming without a bathing suit. They're exposed, and they are trying to cover up their AR-15s. .
At least we'll finally be able to see just how much those AR-15s are compensating for something...
And they have silencers /snark
Jerry, that is rich. My junior high brain went traipsing down its path and wished that it was the AR-55, because that can look like the word "arss". I do, however, think that Will from Cal has the best imagery.
Great visual!
Trying to “un-see” that
🤣
So with Republicans given a turn in the wheelhouse are saying "pay us ransom or we will steer the Ship of State into into an iceberg." The are not fit to pilot a coaster wagon in the midst of a civilized society. It's all about what THEY want with shameless indifference to the harm they do to others. It is at least criminally negligent if not a form of insurrection.
Your last sentence about what Hawley indicated about what the Dems should do and then blame them later, is so right on, Heather. Anything they can twist around that meets their criteria is what they are very good at. Biden cancelled his trip reluctantly. There’s a storm a’brewing in these here states and he feels he needs to be home to take care of business. This summit can be rescheduled, can it not? My feeling is that Biden will use the 14th Amendment, Section 4 and say the hell to the R’s. They’re just a bunch of evildoers who stick together like glue. Look at how they all decided not to push Santos out the door today. Qevin said he will wait for the House Ethics Committee to make a decision. What a joke. I hope he goes down in flames.
Most of the media continue to do a miserable job covering the debt-ceiling crisis. I suspect most voters have no clue that Republicans have manufactured the crisis and that they're refusing to pay for spending an earlier Congress approved. In other words, they're fiscal terrorists holding the nation hostage.
From the outset, Biden should have said he would invoke the 14th Amendment if the debt-ceiling wasn't raised by a specific date in order to save the economy, domestically and globally, and to end this madness once and for all. Or at least until the issue winds through the courts or Democrats control both house of Congress and pass reform legislation.
"Most of the media continue to do a miserable job covering [everything]. I suspect most voters have no clue [about anything]."
My suggestions for revisions are in brackets. Please see me in my office to discuss!
From one grammar nazi to another, 😉👍🏻.
First, again, We, capital W, are most emphatically *not* in debt. We have $140 Trillion of net household wealth. *Net* That’s against $31 Trillion of federal debt. See <http://uswealthclock.com> with sources.
Our US net household wealth grew about $70 Trillion in the past 10 years; our debt grew about $12 Trillion.
See anything there? Never mind how much of our debt has been created by R disasters since Reagan, W, and Don T. There is good federal debt, and there should be another $2 Trillion for infrastructure -- but Rs blocked that.
See also the NY Times, which finally published the big net number ( $140 Trillion ) in very big fonts, with graphic breakdowns!
‘The Greatest Wealth Transfer in History Is Here, With Familiar (Rich) Winners’. <https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/14/business/economy/wealth-generations.html>
$84 Trillion is estimated to be transferred (inherited) by 2045. That’s tax free, unless . . . oh, never mind, it’s tax free, 90% are screwed, the details are not material, except where they are infuriating, eg no tax on inherited capital gains . . . and the stupidity of the rich blocking prosperity for the great majority of households, whose payments and purchases are where great wealth comes from.
Thanks and how for your daily distilled knowledge,
best luck to US, b.rad
"There is good federal debt, and there should be another $2 Trillion for infrastructure -- but Rs blocked that."
Obviously there is smart debt and foolish debt. The former primes the pump for net gains of one sort or another. Republicans seem to prescribe free and unaccountable spending for them, and austerity for everyone else. The technical term for that is "ripoff".
Well, thanks, b.rad. However, to my mind, being in debt is not the same as being wealthy. I would posit there are many wealthy people who do not pay their bills which means they are debtors. Have I said that right?
Bill Gates — and each of that crowd — has credit cards, and I bet they often have a balance that most of us would find staggering . . . but he is *not* in debt.
Is that it?
Saying ‘being in debt is not the same as being wealthy’ seems too obvious, dictionary stuff; not what you were trying to say? thanks, b.rad
Thanks, b.rad. You win.
The last few paragraph of that article you link to:
'But David Kelly, the chief global strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, warns that “it’s not a matter of just taxing the wealth of the richest and handing it out to everybody else,” especially since a wealth tax might well be struck down as unconstitutional by the courts.
He and others make the case that although the widening wealth gap may be inevitable, finding financially creative or cost-effective ways to raise baseline standards of living is still possible.
“The real question is not ‘why are the rich rich?’ or what to do about that,” Mr. Kelly argued. “It is ‘why are the poor poor?’ and what to do about that.” '
Your statement that the rich are "blocking prosperity for the great najority of households" is not precisely supported by the article, but you made it anyway. I understand your anger, but not understanding one's "enemy" (or seeing the full complexity of a challenge) leads to losing a battle (or expending political capital on irrelevancies).
Yes the tax codes need to change. Yes, the social safety net needs to grow. Yes, systemic roadblocks to modest wealth building by the average person need to be removed. And yes, getting anti-democratic politicians unelected should be done in the next election.
But targeting a single villain group will not achieve much.
Had to use the one liner. Thanks for your thoughts.
My post is about fairness, and clear opportunities for prosperity and growth right in front of us, through simple fairness.
The pivot to ‘villains’ is you, not me. However, I defer to Sheldon Whitehouse’s book, ‘The Scheme’ detailing the takeover of our judiciary by a few of the wealthiest people in this country, to focus on injustice and corrupt conspiracy to twist our country, degrading our liberty and prosperity for the sole ultimate goal of reducing their taxes.
And that leads directly to the ominous ‘may be struck down.’. Article 1 says Congress can tax. It’s that simple.
Regular voters, who realize they should no longer take this bait and vote against their family, colleagues, friends, and the rest of us, are the only hope for real progress, as I see it — b.rad
I'm sorry, I interpret your writing to indicate you're assuming all wealthy people actively try to hoard wealth while keeping others down. Not all from the upper 10% are like that.
Tell Robin Hood.
Smh... nothing to say, just extreme disgust with the Rethugs for hobbling the well-being of this country with their political machinations.
It is well within the realm of plausibility that Josh Hawley is actually sincere about the President invoking the 14th Amendment. It is also well within the realm of plausibility that an asteroid will veer off course and carve a continent-sized crater in the midst of Eurasia.
Ha! Josh Hawley is the most dangerous and most anti-American Senator. He is John Adams in his Alien & Sedition Act paranoid phase, plus Andrew Jackson in his ethnic cleansing of Native American phase rolled into one plus a touch of Iago.
Smart, old before his time, and ruthlessly authoritarian in the service of all things bad, from Trump, racist voter suppression, gay and trans bashing, Israeli apartheid supporting, anti-environmentalism, science denying,war mongering as long as brown people are dying,etc., etc.,
Is he that smart, though? Or is he just formally trained doofus from a state of informally untrained doofuses?
I'd love to think he's the worst, but we just had Senator Concussed-One-Too-Many-Times-By-Football (R-AL) complaining about the military not making enough room for white supremacy, then literally point-blank saying that "we shouldn't even have elections anymore," so... competition for the title is fierce!
Ha! Tuberville is certainly not smart. Hawley is. He may play dumb to keep his "anti-elite" credentials in the eyes of the Fox News watchers, but that's just putting on the anti-ritz. Same with the odious Tom Cotton
😂
Ahh the entirely unlovely but oh so photogenic Hawleys. While Josh is busy undermining Congress, Erin was busy today undermining women's health by arguing to ban mifepristone. As counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom - drumroll, you guessed it, a Leonard Leo production. This is the next generation of made in the cauldron of The Federalist Society racist right wing religious extremist Stepford couples. Coming soon to a White House near you. Unless we (and I mean every single citizen who does want a clerical fascist state) get out the vote for every single Democratic candidate. No excuses.
"Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), an anti-choice dark-money group that helped overturn Roe and has accepted thousands from Leo-linked DonorsTrust, is suing the Food and Drug Administration on behalf of the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine over its approval of mifepristone."
https://accountable.us/how-abortion-pills-became-the-target-of-leonard-leos-post-roe-agenda/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/04/leonard-leo-federalist-society-conservative-abortion