Today President Biden traveled to Lake Charles, in the Republican-dominated state of Louisiana, to build bipartisan support for his $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan.
"Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said '100 percent of my focus is on stopping this new administration.'"
What Mitch is doing is proclaiming his intention not to share governance, not to participate in the process of democracy. Sounds like he's renouncing the constitution.
Mitch is getting away with murder. It’s incomprehensible that there is no way to stop him or Trump or Ted Cruz or Kevin McCarthy, et al. Maybe it’s always been this way? Why then does it feel worse than ever?
I feel worse than ever—it’s almost as bad a feeling as when former guy was in office but now they’re all still touting his big lie ever so blatantly. I’ll try to have a news free day for mental health.
Grandmothers totally rock! Why is there no Grandmothers Day?
In May 2005 I was in northern and western Yunnan, and encountered several of the national minorities of China. Of course they are under the thumb of the PRC, but not like the government knee on the neck of the Tibetans and especially Uighurs. Yunnan NMs are often impoverished, but tourism helps, though not uniformly; cf. prostitution in hotels. As the article notes, they have many cultural practices that seem worthwhile.
Anyday spent with a grandchild is Grandmothers Day. I don't want another day given to consumer marketing :) and there is already a Grandparents day (Sept. 12th this year). I'm curious what took you there, but not pressuring you to share. I've always been drawn to reading about Mongolia, I'm going to have to broaden my interests now.
Asking is no problem. It was a vacation covering much of China, planned by friends; I joined late so had no input in the itinerary, but no regrets over their choices. Like trips in the US, I treated it like a research visit, reading up in advance, keeping eyes and ears open, and asking numerous questions, and listening. A great way to travel.
If you like, try Jack Weatherford, The Secret History of the Mongol Queens. You can learn about Mongols AND grandmothers!
A pocket of cultural diversity and strong women resisting the patriarchy brought me peaceful moments. We need a spiritual uplift now and again. So glad you enjoyed it. ❤️
Yes, Lincoln knew this and in order to get elected, in order to oppose secession, in order to mobilize the country to prevent it, in order to get to the point where emancipation was possible, had to walk the same tightrope that Senators Manchin and Sinema walk. And his success was short lived since within a dozen years, the lies which nourished the Democratic Party of that day had spread to the Republicans as well. We only started to get over it in 1964, and are in danger of slipping back again. Democrats! The ignorance and gullibility of Americans cannot be underestimated. Some even believe that the benefits of the Biden agenda, already appearing, were made possible by Republicans who of course voted against them. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb!
But who knows what might have happened if Lincoln had not been assassinated? Andrew Johnson was not the perfect successor to carry out Lincoln's policies ("with charity to all..."), was he?
I have come to believe that single act (Lincoln's assassination) was the most consequential in our history. We were at a fork in the road and took the path of fascism and racial hatred.
I wonder about Lincoln. Andy Johnson was execrable, the worst president before 1/45. But Lincoln was so focused on reunion and reconciliation that he likely would have been lenient toward ex-Confederates. If AJ had been convicted and removed, president pro tempore Ben Wade would have succeeded. He was among the most radical of Radical Republicans -- so much that just enough senators who feared a Wade admin voted to acquit.
Grant was probably the best possible Reconstruction president. But given that Southerners essentially restarted the CW (it was hard to tell without openly declaring secession and war), and Northern abhorrence of another bloody conflict to preserve Black rights, it's hard to hope for more. Tragic.
I'm reading Heather's book, so I have a bit of bias. It is probably overstating to think that Lincoln would have taken us in an entirely different direction. But it's hard to believe he would have allowed the readmission of states with hateful Black Codes in place, and my guess is he may have tried to find a way to do some land redistribution. The fact that the vice president of the Confederacy was elected to the Senate almost immediately after the war is a disgrace (though I know he was never seated).
When passing the magnificent statue of Sen Sumner in Harvard Square, I often put in my two cents worth -- literally. Last time I looked, six cents were still there.
Because I didn't remember reading about this in HS, I looked at history.com for a brief intro and discovered that violence was once rampant in the houses of Congress - with Senators and Representatives carrying pistols and bowie knives and apparently prepared to regularly beat the cr*p out of one another! How did I miss this in my American History classes? https://www.history.com/news/charles-sumner-caning-cilley-duel-congressional-violence
I'm convinced it's because we have become entirely unable to agree on even basic truths. If a conservative opposed something like infrastructure programs on the basis of concerns about fiscal responsibility, I would disagree but could respect that position. But today's right wing echo chamber believes that Biden is the avatar of Satan and everything he is proposing will lead to global socialism and severe restrictions on their freedom (to eat beef, apparently 🙄). It's shameless and deeply dangerous.
How like the bomb carrying bodies of drugged “martyrs” these echo chamber thinkers are — well, perhaps the truth is — that their followers have become.
They mystify me. Is it really worth selling your soul for cash? Can Tucker Carlson (for instance) sleep at night? Does he somehow really believe those lies? I just don't get how one ends up in such moral degradation.
I think it matters if you are raised from infancy in a culture/home that places a high value on truth and live that way. I once read in a book that the most mentally disturbed people often come from homes where what was spoken and expected did not match the truth of what they lived (their reality). I've searched all my books looking for that tidbit again and cannot find it.
Perhaps. As good an explanation as any. But what a horror show their lives must have been as children to engender this level of mendacity. We do know that Trump's upbringing was emotionally abusive to an extreme, so there is that piece of evidence to back up what you say. It makes me very sad to think of the cruelty involved if you are right.
Of course he is getting away with murder. Until Manchin and Sinema act like real Democrats, he will continue to do so. I suppose it might help to get to the bottom of the Jan. 6th insurrection and have a few GOP Senators and Reps arrested for treason, hopefully well before November 2022. There's a lot of fun "stuff" that could go down that will make Joe Biden's job easier, but it hasn't happened yet.
The Republicans are bankrupt, utterly bankrupt, of ideas to constructively oppose. They are not bankrupt, sadly, in devious tricks to try to find their way back to power.
Not to “win” an election in the commonly understood meaning of the word, but to find their way back to power through a series of legislative tricks to suppress the vote.
Trickle down economics was a con of the highest order. Now that that half-baked, supremely disingenuous idea has been resoundingly kicked to the curb, they have unveiled trickle-down democracy. If there is full democracy for a certain segment of the population, some of it will surely trickle down to Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta and so forth.
What a pathetic grift this is. This is a con so bereft of cover that Ron deSantis can sign a bill only on Fox News. They know we know and are too cynical to even try to pretend otherwise.
This is not a political party. This is the guy you run out of town on a rail, delivering a swift kick in the ass along the way.
I’ve had enough of Cyber Ninjas, of strategically placed ballot boxes, of the thought that we have to hope a Cheney will rescue the party of Lincoln. Enough of lies - the Big Lie and those of any other size. Enough of Trump not admitting he lost the election. Enough of the Matt Gaetz’s of this party. Enough of the fact that 74 million people voted without the slightest consideration of the immorality of such a vote.
I’ve had enough and far too much. Is it too much to ask that there step forward a few more Amy Berman Jacksons who will together pound these clowns into dust?
He said pretty much the same thing when Obama was President and he got away with it for 8 years with no consequences, so he has no reason to do anything. And he just got re elected so we’re saddled with this obstructionist blow hole for another 6 years.
At what point are we allowed to wish ill health? I understand your not wanting to stain your own soul with that wish, but sometimes it's difficult to resist.
Not really. He is just agreeing that the filibuster is undemocratic....and hence is his best "friend".... he knows the constitution and the rules of the game propounded since and is using them for all he's worth. My enemy's friends....... are my first target in this battle and should be picked off as soon as possible in the early skirmishes before the real battle for voting rights begins.
Thereafter, and with truly open and universal elections, both the Senate and the will be following the will of the people irrespective of who wins a majority. The filibuster is no more democratic when it is used by the Democratic Party than when it is despoiled by the Republicans. Partisan politics is democracy in action, asking the losers what limits the winner must respect in order to govern is not what democracy is about. The "necessity" of a non-partisan Senate has to go the way of the dinosaur.
Well, he did the same thing with Obama, so why should anybody be surprised? I believe he is one of the most evil, nasty, and dishonest Senators in the history of that institution. He has no soul or conscience. He is for nothing to help the people of this country, and sadly he has somehow convinced the Republican electorate that he is operating in their best interest. Ha! He's convinced he's stopping the "evils of socialism", which is what Republicans call an investment in and help for the American people. It is desperately needed out here and he and his cohorts just don't get it. There are already calls for the unemployment benefits to be halted because "people are making more money NOT working than being employed". Seriously??? My first question is: "what does this say about the wages people are earning in this country???" If that rather pathetic amount is MORE than what people are earning then we have a problem! But, Republicans are only concerned that there might be ONE person gaming the system, gadzooks!, so let's throw the baby out with the bathwater and stop these payments for EVERYBODY. I am so very very sick of these people operating only in the interests of the moneyed few. McConnell is the ring-leader of these wicked wicked people. Hard to express how much I detest him.
I think you've done a pretty awesome job of expressing it. You are joined by the majority in this forum, I'll bet. All that detestation, and the man still breathes!
Yes, how do they get away with denouncing our Constitution with obstruction and dismantling our right to vote freely and unobstructively? My brain might not be able to take much more of these fascist miscreants.
Sorry, not amazing at all. This is what he does. The Constitution means almost nothing to McConnell unless it gets in his way or he thinks he can misinterpret it to his advantage. Now we're stuck with him for the next 6 years, so all we Democrats can usefully do is find the votes to pass legislation. All the rest is just window dressing.
McConnell was responding to questions about Republicans removing Cheney. He had no answers for the questions about the shredding of the Republicans. He had to pull his little McTurtleneck in and hide behind the war against the Democrats. They had their chance to remove TFG and blew it. TFG now owns them.
He did this with President Obama. I used a clip from a conversation he had with Sean the Han nut¨where he chortles like a swamptoad that he had shut the Obama administration down. A despicable cancer.
This isn’t new for him. He has a great deal of responsibility for making Congress inept and not functional. One man is does not supposed to control one branch of government, but that is what he has been doing for years.
McConnell is committed to NO government action at all. Under his leadership, judges were rammed through and the big corporate tax cut. He doesn’t want the government to do ANYTHING AT ALL for ordinary people.
Cathy, since the first and third vowels are followed by double consonants, it is very likely accented similarly to anniversary. Latin also doesn’t have funny consonant pronunciation rules. That’s Italian. Call ‘em as you see ‘em.
Prather?......a chief magistrate in certain parts of the world! or was it "Blather"...harmless chatter? but the B and the P are far from each other on my French keyboard!
I learned while in graduate school that I have a dyslexic tendency to confuse b's and p's. I started finding many instances when I wrote one instead of the other. It likely also contributes to slow reading. It's interesting that I also type one in place of the other!
Now you’ve piqued my curiosity... the French keyboard is not laid out like the QWERTY keyboard? How do you type on it for your English uses, such as your comments here? (Sorry for the diversion...)
Thank you for posting this informative article. Perhaps we would be better off with old-fashioned hand-marked paper ballots dropped into a box and counted manually by representatives of the major parties, who would keep an eye on each other. Who keeps an eye on the trustworthiness of the technology which presently does our ballot counting, the developers of which are very, very, very, smart. Probably smarter than those who regulate our elections.
Very little evidence of any voting irregularities, no matter the method used. Not that I'm saying Mitch didn't cheat, but as a general thing, our elections are safe and secure.
Up until Election Day, all of the polls had this as a close race, favoring McConnell by a few percentage points. That's why the 57% to 38% result of the McConnell - McGrath vote is suspicious. Either there were voting "irregularities" or the polls were dead wrong. Can't have it both ways.
"Lindsey Graham’s race in South Carolina was so tight that he infamously begged for money, yet he won with a comfortable 10% lead—tabulated on ES&S machines throughout the state. In Susan Collins’ Maine, where she never had a lead in a poll after July 2, almost every ballot was fed through ES&S machines. Kentucky, South Carolina, Maine, Texas, Iowa and Florida are all states that use ES&S machines."
Spooky while I agree that we need recounts. We need to fear a possible push by foreign interests who would like to see fisticuffs or actual war break out between Americans. I am leery of these types of posts. If there were actual fraud to be proved I would hope the DOJ would go about it.
(I don't know anything about either of these sources, but the numbers make me think. The second article is actually an unofficial data analysis of the first article.)
Why are these stories uninteresting to MSNBC, Wapo, NY Times, CNBC, where are the major quasi liberal news outlets on this story? Heather isn’t commenting either. Perhaps this rabbit hole isn’t worthy? I don’t know what to think 🤔
While I agree with you, I also feel we need to hold our breath a bit until the Voting Rights are reinstated. Even when (I won't say if) the For the People Act is passed, there will be a huge backlog of court cases defending it. One commentator pointed out tonight that the state legislatures can act faster than the federal government. The Texas legislative session ends at the end of May and normally meets only every other year. However, there might be a special session called on redistricting in the fall so I hope they don't add some more barriers to voting at that time.
Sorry, Cathy. But don't hold your breath. Do breathe for sustenance!
As we are typing, "The Texas House hunkered down Thursday evening for what was expected to be hours of emotional debate on one of the most contentious measures of the session, a GOP-backed elections bill that would empower partisan poll watchers, increase penalties for voting crimes and bar mass distribution of applications for mail-in ballots...Any vote was expected to fall strictly along party lines in the chamber, which has 83 Republicans and 67 Democrats."
The only good news is that the pending law includes a provision to criminalize "intentionally miscounting or altering ballots," which would hopefully prevent a replay of the Maricopa County "recount" shenanigans in Arizona.
As we breathe, we can detox with "Dreaming of Wildflowers--Texas:"
The Texas House is still in session. Looks like they are on a break right now. My grandparents lived in Austin. Once when I was young my grandfather took us over to the Capitol one evening. One of the custodians who knew my grandfather and liked him unlocked the House chamber and let us in. My sister, brother and I then spent the next hour or so taking turns making laws. We abolished homework and made desert the first course of a meal.. things like that. It was great fun!
Why do you think they are having the “special “ session? We can no longer just stand by with our mouths agape while these greedy, self-serving arses dismantle our Democracy.
Make phone calls, go to your state legislature meetings in mass, speak on your local NPR. Do Something. We have some fine folks that will be running for office here in Georgia. But if we are barred from voting all will be lost.
Yes, we're doing what we can here! I'm a member of the League of Women Voters who filed the first lawsuit against the Florida voter suppression bill this week. We have a very active League in Texas who is joining with all the other organizations fighting the barriers to voting. The special session would be held to pass the redistricting which will be debated over the summer. The regular legislative session ends on May 31st and won't meet again until after the 2022 election...meets every two years! Another bill that we want passed within the current session is a redistricting transparency bill which would take effect on September 1 if passed. Texas received two more Congressional seats from the 2020 census. For me, the only real hope is in the For the People Act and even that will be contested in the courts ad nauseum. The 2022 election is going to be a big mess!
How can a state as populous as Texas have a legislature that meets only biennially? That seems very 19th century. Does the governor regularly call special or extraordinary sessions?
It seems to work just fine. You can look at it as how much worse it would be if they had more chances to pass more voter integrity bills. A session on the redistricting is worth doing because of the timetable. Seems pretty common to have a special session in odd numbered years but only the Governor can call it and must address only items on his call list.
True, but if he cannot pass legislation without GOP votes - which is to say, if all the DEM Senators are not with the program - this will all amount to a short burst of unwarranted optimism. The filibuster must either be eliminated or made irrelevant. All the rest is wishful thinking.
Republicans have argued that every tax increase in the past 100 years would "wreck the economy." Yet the record is that, with each of the tax increases, the economy subsequently improved. Just to mention the two most recent: Clinton's 1993 tax increase passed with no GOP votes. The result was the "Clinton 90s," one of the best economies the country has seen, with the deficit paid to zero and growth and good times most of the people here can remember. Followed by Bush's tax cuts, which led to the 2008 recession. Obama's tax increases gave us growth, while Trump's $1.2 trillion giveaway to the rich resulted one of the lowest economies (even without factoring in the pandemic).
How can you tell a Republican is lying? Look and see if their lips are moving.
Isn't interesting that each Republican administration ended with a poor economy or recession which the incoming Democrat President had to fix and then the next Republican administration takes credit the minute they take over the healthy economy the Democrat administration they inherent and ride its coat tails until they mess it up again?
This is a fact that Democrats consistently neglect to highlight. They need to strategize on how to better disseminate this information throughout the Republican favored media (Fox included) to counterbalance for the Republican disinformation machine.
Of course, there is a difference between outright lying and obfuscation. I've noticed that most politicians are pretty adept at avoiding direct answers. Sometimes that is necessary; particularly when a questioner is trying to force the interlocutor to use the questioner's framing. Unfortunately, trying to avoid being trapped this way can look like obfuscation when the one being questioned is not greatly skilled at reframing. Stacey Abrams is one politician with the ability to both reframe using her own terms AND to answer without obfuscation. Another skillful woman is Jen Psaki. One of this week's press briefings gave her the opportunity to challenge a "reporter" who kept using T****-like phrases such as, "As we hear in the media...", or "As many people are saying..." (not direct quotes). Psaki, rather than responding to the disengenuous questions trying to get her to say that Biden's administration is merely Obama's third term, asked her for her sources. When the reporter could not offer any specifics other than "the media", Psaki went on to the next question from another member of the press pool.
The day that McConnell is no longer a US senator will be such a bright one for this country. The more I read his weak, coward pronouncements, the harder it is for me to be compassionate in any way toward him. He has been in a position to deal the Trump wing decisive blows atleast twice since the new year, but continues to show the country what kind of a person he really is. He's gutless beyond any measure I'm familiar with. He belongs in the trash bin of history, as do most of the Republican senators.
Do you honestly believe that Kentucky would replace MoscowMitch with someone who compromises with democrats? Or that Thune, Barrasso or Blunt would be less obstructionist?
I have lots of fine family in Kentucky actively working to destroy democracy in, what they believe is, the name of the countries founders. I also have a few fine family in Kentucky shifting the state.
Thanks. While driving to work I realized I could come back to a deluge of criticism 💚
It’s a serious challenge to love family we have fond history with yet so severely disagree with, while accepting that if they are involved in treason, insurrection, sedition, hate violence, etc. that they get deserved justice.
It is so hard, Rebecca. My solution is to keep the lines of communication open in the non confrontational areas of our lives. If we agree on a flower, a recipe, the weather in Maine? It might help the misguided ones to see us as rational and one day let go of their fear and anger based cult. The outrage machine generates heady, addictive stuff. They may never let go, but the iris bulbs we share will still bloom and a tiny spot of peace exists for focus. Ok. Here you see the evidence of why they call me Pollyanna. I just smile and say “ call em as you see em”.
This! And I agree with suggestions above about advertising/information campaign to highlight that the positive changes here now and in near future are brought to your state by YOU the American Taxpayer, and Biden-Harris administration. And please give any R credit who supports, as in Louisiana yesterday. Applause for cooperation even with differences. Ignore obstruction as if it were a bothersome irrelevant gnat.
There's actually a commercial running fairly often now touting the For the People Act. It's well done. It was produced by End Citizens United. I hope they will do the same campaign for the Infrastructure bill.
As long as the election are rigged in Kentucky (some counties with many more registered voters on the rolls then eligible citizens, mysterious results with ESS voting machines...), the answer is No.
Republicans have been disinvesting in America for most of my 72 year lifetime, making tax cuts their principal claim to fame. They tout American greatness and exceptionalism as they dash Americans and America on the the rocks of personal and political greed. Democrats since President Clinton in fear of losing elections went along. Americans complaining about their circumstances have found it easier to believe political and economic charlatans and entertainers than their own commonsense. And with every turn of the screw instead of coming to their senses and supporting investment in each other and the services we need and use, they play the roulette wheel of politics for whomever promises something for nothing.
Biden is the first President who is all cattle and no hat, who is not afraid to invest in America and put the money out there rather than just his mouth.
He's actually pretty cute. Everytime I see that smile, though, it occurs to me how much it probably cost. 😁 Teeth that straight and white don't occur in nature.
I'm having a rough time understanding why Republicans even bother to run for office other than to draw a salary paid for by the taxpayer, but don't believe in using taxpayer funds for the benefit of the taxpayer.
Because they see the opportunity to line their own pockets. Many of the congress people on both sides of the aisle come to office with less than a million dollars to their names and when they leave many of them are millionaires several times over. That is not happening on their congressional salary.
I hope Kentucky voters heard McConnell's declaration that he intends to stop the American Jobs Program. More importantly, I hope Kentucky folks like the American Jobs Program and resolve to sound off against McConnell's plan.
The problem is not McConnell. The problem is a couple of Democratic Senators more worried about their own political fortunes than about saving our country from the oligarchy.
And, with all due respect and understanding our need to commiserate, I think all this attention to the evil Senator from Kentucky is a useless distraction. He's horrible. What more is there to say about him? There is nothing that will change his mind, so let's just move on.
Here's where we need to focus: "Because Loeffler was finishing the term vacated by Johnny Isakson, Warnock is up for re-election in 2022" (GA). Mark Kelly (AZ) is serving the remainder of the late GOP Sen. John McCain’s final two years, so will run again for re-election in 2022.
Does anyone know if there are any other incumbents whose terms are up in 2022 that we need to focus on?
Kelly and Warnock are the most vulnerable. They represent historically conservative states, and with short records to run on will have fewer advantages than most incumbents. But if Dems stay motivated, and especially if For The People passes, the odds should favor them. So let's stay motivated!
I agree with David in that some efforts are more fruitful than others. As someone else pointed out earlier, Mitch was just re-elected to a six year term, so there’s virtually no way to diminish him except to increase the Democratic margin in the midterms. And anticipate that the good governance we’re getting now will be recognized by enough Americans to move the appreciation needle toward center. If it takes using budget resolution to get past no GOP votes, it’s important to do that and soon. Americans need some time to feel the benefits well before they fest out to vote at the end of next year.
I have no idea how they didn't see it back when it was first reported. Surely there is a newspaper in Kentucky that published the unvarnished truth about the aluminum company!
I just do not understand how Kentucky can continue to vote for this evil man. He has not done anything for Kentucky except bring in corruption. His state is at the bottom of the list in so many areas. Kentucky suffers because he is only concerned with his person wealth and power, and his Republican agenda. Has anyone ever investigated his election? Seems crazy for him to keep winning.
People want jobs. There is the example of the FoxConn plant in Wisconsin in which the state and feds gave money to the Chinese corporation. It was never built but the promise of thousands of jobs (and a nudge from Trump) had Wisconsin cheering until it fell apart. There is also the documentary film the Obamas made, "The American Factory". In it people signed up with the Chinese management for jobs, jobs, jobs, and compromised their customs and strengths. People will do anything to work.
Thank you, dear Prof. HCR, for your recognition of every step that our POTUS takes, whether small or large! He is showing us that his administration wants the very best for the ordinary, middle class citizen. If people can't see that, they're either wearing blinkers or don't want to acknowledge his efforts out of spite. Republicans can block him every step of the way, but one day he will be recognized as a good and decent leader who gave us all that he could
The best argument is no argument. I love how this administration sees these obstructionists flail about and still carries on with the agenda, unaffected. It must infuriate the hell out of them. It’s such a high road, obviously one the republicans can not conceive of never mind reach.
Oh, I doubt it will bring substantial results, at least in terms of electoral victories. Our losses in 2022 may be less than they would have been otherwise, but I would be amazed if we hold the House. I would call our Senate chances about even money. Too many people believe The Big Lie.
Biden is smart to hit the road to sell the plan, especially in Republican states. I hope a big ad spend is in the works, too, focusing on job creation. Sure, he's open to compromise. Not that there will be any takers. McConnell and company are making another major mistake, just as they did with the COVID relief package.
One of the things that just sticks in my craw is the Republiqan congress critters taking credit for the American Rescue Plan that they all voted against. One of the things that is showing up in my little world is how hard it is becoming for businesses to fill open positions because they pay less than the "largess" fostered within the American Rescue Plan, and how abhorrent this is. When I point out that the part that is "abhorrent" is that the jobs they are trying to fill do not pay a living wage, I am dismissed out of hand for insinuating that someone should be able to work full time at a single job and have money for food, housing, vehicle, technology and medical care.
A statistic that I find stunning is that only 56% of the polled Americans favor this infrastructure bill. I know that I read in previous years from these Republiqan friends of mine that more "skilled labor" jobs were needed so that no one "had" to go to college and emerge in horrendous debt just to get an above minimum wage job. Now that the opportunity exists for that (with massive infrastructure construction comes a very large need for these skilled labor jobs) they bleat that it is "too much".
I think it will be critical that every infrastructure project has a big banner announcing that this is "Taxpayer Money at Work Thanks to the American Rescue Plan."
I just had this discussion with a neighbor. This neighbor claimed the restaurant job she spoke of was offering $15 an hour. Here in FL, unemployment is $275 a week. (The legislature just refused to raise it.) And the feds are supplementing until September at $300 a week. A restaurant is not likely to offer benefits but I will inquire. So, if I've done my math correctly, that's just shy of $30k per year. Do you blame people for staying home, looking after their family, taking care of themselves? Their homes? It's OK for billionaires and millionaires to take advantage of tax loopholes but not ordinary Americans?! I think not!
Workers also used the pandemic to improve their skills, so they are less available to take low wage jobs. Schools are not yet fully open in many places, so someone (almost always a woman) has to provide schooling and childcare. And workers in places like restaurants are rightfully hesitant to take the health risk of working in that environment for the wage on offer (and if your friend truly believes there are restaurant jobs offering $15/hour before tips, I have a bridge I would like to sell them).
The Biden administration's plans for spending trillions on pandemic relief, infrastructure, etc., is like taking a loan to buy a house - generally a sound financial move that pays off down the road in the form of shelter and equity. Republican tax cuts on the other hand are the equivalent of borrowing to go on vacation, fun at the time, but there is no return on investment (this has been proven several times over the past 40 years or so). If you have to borrow money for a vacation, you shouldn't go. Plus, today I learned a new word - tergiversationist, which I plan to work into every conversation I can over the next several days! Thanks John!
So Steve, try using this unpronounceable word in a sentence, like over lunch. You know, you’re talking about family or dogs, so what in the world would you say including “tergiversationist” - you know about a family member or a dog?
Hey Frederick, another cool thing about the word "tergiversationist" is that using it invokes its meaning. I'm already having second thoughts about working it into conversation over the next several days. :)
“I was out with my dog —my best friend—this morning, just going for a walk, when he spotted a squirrel in the tree. I tried to pull him away, but he wouldn’t budge. He abandoned me! What a tergiversationist.”
Besides: (note the word "personnel") From Merriam Webster: "Infrastructure: the system of public works of a country, state, or region also : the resources (such as personnel, buildings, or equipment) required for an activity." Thanks, TPJ!!
I have to admire Biden for his never ending optimism. Going to a very red state to tell the people directly about how his plan will impact them is smart, but will it pay? I doubt it because a senator from another state will work to make sure it doesn't. F*&K Mitch! And when the American Plan is put into action, he'll boast about how good the plan is for Kentucky. As I said, F*&K Mitch. (Sorry for the language but I'm just over the top fed up with him.)
"Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said '100 percent of my focus is on stopping this new administration.'"
What Mitch is doing is proclaiming his intention not to share governance, not to participate in the process of democracy. Sounds like he's renouncing the constitution.
Simply amazing.
Mitch is getting away with murder. It’s incomprehensible that there is no way to stop him or Trump or Ted Cruz or Kevin McCarthy, et al. Maybe it’s always been this way? Why then does it feel worse than ever?
I feel worse than ever—it’s almost as bad a feeling as when former guy was in office but now they’re all still touting his big lie ever so blatantly. I’ll try to have a news free day for mental health.
Maybe this will help. It just came in my email :) and calmed me. https://www.yesmagazine.org/health-happiness/2020/11/09/china-himalayas-grandmothers-mosuo?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=YESDaily_20210507&utm_content=YESDaily_20210507+CID_f6cea2802eb7d4f83ae5659b8ec87316&utm_source=CM&utm_term=Read%20the%20full%20story
Grandmothers totally rock! Why is there no Grandmothers Day?
In May 2005 I was in northern and western Yunnan, and encountered several of the national minorities of China. Of course they are under the thumb of the PRC, but not like the government knee on the neck of the Tibetans and especially Uighurs. Yunnan NMs are often impoverished, but tourism helps, though not uniformly; cf. prostitution in hotels. As the article notes, they have many cultural practices that seem worthwhile.
Anyday spent with a grandchild is Grandmothers Day. I don't want another day given to consumer marketing :) and there is already a Grandparents day (Sept. 12th this year). I'm curious what took you there, but not pressuring you to share. I've always been drawn to reading about Mongolia, I'm going to have to broaden my interests now.
Asking is no problem. It was a vacation covering much of China, planned by friends; I joined late so had no input in the itinerary, but no regrets over their choices. Like trips in the US, I treated it like a research visit, reading up in advance, keeping eyes and ears open, and asking numerous questions, and listening. A great way to travel.
If you like, try Jack Weatherford, The Secret History of the Mongol Queens. You can learn about Mongols AND grandmothers!
https://www.google.com/doodles/grandmothers-day-2021-january-21
Thank you Christy! I had never heard of this society— and they look so elegant! How nice for them. Maybe in my next life🙏
Wow! Thanks, Christy, for this wonderful story and photos!
A pocket of cultural diversity and strong women resisting the patriarchy brought me peaceful moments. We need a spiritual uplift now and again. So glad you enjoyed it. ❤️
Thank You!
It is inspiring. Thank you.
❤️❤️
Read Red Sox news; they have the best record in MLB. The universe is in balance!
The ultimate yin/yang balance and on Mother’s Day weekend and anyone who has/had a mother!😃
The Slave Power in Congress was like this in the 1850s.
Yes, Lincoln knew this and in order to get elected, in order to oppose secession, in order to mobilize the country to prevent it, in order to get to the point where emancipation was possible, had to walk the same tightrope that Senators Manchin and Sinema walk. And his success was short lived since within a dozen years, the lies which nourished the Democratic Party of that day had spread to the Republicans as well. We only started to get over it in 1964, and are in danger of slipping back again. Democrats! The ignorance and gullibility of Americans cannot be underestimated. Some even believe that the benefits of the Biden agenda, already appearing, were made possible by Republicans who of course voted against them. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb!
But who knows what might have happened if Lincoln had not been assassinated? Andrew Johnson was not the perfect successor to carry out Lincoln's policies ("with charity to all..."), was he?
I have come to believe that single act (Lincoln's assassination) was the most consequential in our history. We were at a fork in the road and took the path of fascism and racial hatred.
Insert “classism”somewhere in there. I think it was Lincoln who recognized this fact first.
I wonder about Lincoln. Andy Johnson was execrable, the worst president before 1/45. But Lincoln was so focused on reunion and reconciliation that he likely would have been lenient toward ex-Confederates. If AJ had been convicted and removed, president pro tempore Ben Wade would have succeeded. He was among the most radical of Radical Republicans -- so much that just enough senators who feared a Wade admin voted to acquit.
Grant was probably the best possible Reconstruction president. But given that Southerners essentially restarted the CW (it was hard to tell without openly declaring secession and war), and Northern abhorrence of another bloody conflict to preserve Black rights, it's hard to hope for more. Tragic.
D Egerton, The Wars of Reconstruction
E Foner, Reconstruction
D Stewart, Impeached
B Wineapple, The Impeachers
[This message was sent from stolen land]
Oh, yeah. I remember Andy from high school.
I'm reading Heather's book, so I have a bit of bias. It is probably overstating to think that Lincoln would have taken us in an entirely different direction. But it's hard to believe he would have allowed the readmission of states with hateful Black Codes in place, and my guess is he may have tried to find a way to do some land redistribution. The fact that the vice president of the Confederacy was elected to the Senate almost immediately after the war is a disgrace (though I know he was never seated).
Good point
The beating of Charles Sumner for instance.
When passing the magnificent statue of Sen Sumner in Harvard Square, I often put in my two cents worth -- literally. Last time I looked, six cents were still there.
Because I didn't remember reading about this in HS, I looked at history.com for a brief intro and discovered that violence was once rampant in the houses of Congress - with Senators and Representatives carrying pistols and bowie knives and apparently prepared to regularly beat the cr*p out of one another! How did I miss this in my American History classes? https://www.history.com/news/charles-sumner-caning-cilley-duel-congressional-violence
Possibly the Jan 6th crowd was inspired by forebears? Um, I meant forebearers (no insult to bears intended).
Let’s hope (and work to insure) that the Sedition Caucus does not stay around long enough for even mentioned in history books.
They've already earned a mention. Hopefully it's no more than a footnote, or a paragraph at most.
Reading of the will: "To my brother-in-law Louie who always said I would never mention him in my will...Hello Louie!"
I'm convinced it's because we have become entirely unable to agree on even basic truths. If a conservative opposed something like infrastructure programs on the basis of concerns about fiscal responsibility, I would disagree but could respect that position. But today's right wing echo chamber believes that Biden is the avatar of Satan and everything he is proposing will lead to global socialism and severe restrictions on their freedom (to eat beef, apparently 🙄). It's shameless and deeply dangerous.
How like the bomb carrying bodies of drugged “martyrs” these echo chamber thinkers are — well, perhaps the truth is — that their followers have become.
They mystify me. Is it really worth selling your soul for cash? Can Tucker Carlson (for instance) sleep at night? Does he somehow really believe those lies? I just don't get how one ends up in such moral degradation.
I think it matters if you are raised from infancy in a culture/home that places a high value on truth and live that way. I once read in a book that the most mentally disturbed people often come from homes where what was spoken and expected did not match the truth of what they lived (their reality). I've searched all my books looking for that tidbit again and cannot find it.
Perhaps. As good an explanation as any. But what a horror show their lives must have been as children to engender this level of mendacity. We do know that Trump's upbringing was emotionally abusive to an extreme, so there is that piece of evidence to back up what you say. It makes me very sad to think of the cruelty involved if you are right.
Have you seen his paycheck? Oh, he sleeps at night... and laughs all the way to the bank.
Money can't wash that kind of stain from your soul.
So dangerous and scary. They can’t even figure out there is truth if it’s inconvenient— their arrogance is astounding.
Maybe because it is so blatantly anti-American?
Yes and because it’s all about keeping their power to obstruct
Of course he is getting away with murder. Until Manchin and Sinema act like real Democrats, he will continue to do so. I suppose it might help to get to the bottom of the Jan. 6th insurrection and have a few GOP Senators and Reps arrested for treason, hopefully well before November 2022. There's a lot of fun "stuff" that could go down that will make Joe Biden's job easier, but it hasn't happened yet.
Maybe because it is.
The Republicans are bankrupt, utterly bankrupt, of ideas to constructively oppose. They are not bankrupt, sadly, in devious tricks to try to find their way back to power.
Not to “win” an election in the commonly understood meaning of the word, but to find their way back to power through a series of legislative tricks to suppress the vote.
Trickle down economics was a con of the highest order. Now that that half-baked, supremely disingenuous idea has been resoundingly kicked to the curb, they have unveiled trickle-down democracy. If there is full democracy for a certain segment of the population, some of it will surely trickle down to Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta and so forth.
What a pathetic grift this is. This is a con so bereft of cover that Ron deSantis can sign a bill only on Fox News. They know we know and are too cynical to even try to pretend otherwise.
This is not a political party. This is the guy you run out of town on a rail, delivering a swift kick in the ass along the way.
I’ve had enough of Cyber Ninjas, of strategically placed ballot boxes, of the thought that we have to hope a Cheney will rescue the party of Lincoln. Enough of lies - the Big Lie and those of any other size. Enough of Trump not admitting he lost the election. Enough of the Matt Gaetz’s of this party. Enough of the fact that 74 million people voted without the slightest consideration of the immorality of such a vote.
I’ve had enough and far too much. Is it too much to ask that there step forward a few more Amy Berman Jacksons who will together pound these clowns into dust?
And fox isn't news! I wish the mainstream media would stop referring to it as such😡❗️
Fox news is an oxymoron.
Let's call it Foxymoron.
👍
Agree. It is an entertainment channel.
I think when they refer to that source, they are thinking Fox "news".
Amen!
He said pretty much the same thing when Obama was President and he got away with it for 8 years with no consequences, so he has no reason to do anything. And he just got re elected so we’re saddled with this obstructionist blow hole for another 6 years.
Not that I wish him ill health, but he is up there in age and not exactly healthy.
At what point are we allowed to wish ill health? I understand your not wanting to stain your own soul with that wish, but sometimes it's difficult to resist.
Shhhh!! Remember we can deal with the filibuster...! Who cares what the Seditionist Caucus thinks? This is so Putinesque.
In your camp, Penelope.
Not really. He is just agreeing that the filibuster is undemocratic....and hence is his best "friend".... he knows the constitution and the rules of the game propounded since and is using them for all he's worth. My enemy's friends....... are my first target in this battle and should be picked off as soon as possible in the early skirmishes before the real battle for voting rights begins.
Thereafter, and with truly open and universal elections, both the Senate and the will be following the will of the people irrespective of who wins a majority. The filibuster is no more democratic when it is used by the Democratic Party than when it is despoiled by the Republicans. Partisan politics is democracy in action, asking the losers what limits the winner must respect in order to govern is not what democracy is about. The "necessity" of a non-partisan Senate has to go the way of the dinosaur.
Well, he did the same thing with Obama, so why should anybody be surprised? I believe he is one of the most evil, nasty, and dishonest Senators in the history of that institution. He has no soul or conscience. He is for nothing to help the people of this country, and sadly he has somehow convinced the Republican electorate that he is operating in their best interest. Ha! He's convinced he's stopping the "evils of socialism", which is what Republicans call an investment in and help for the American people. It is desperately needed out here and he and his cohorts just don't get it. There are already calls for the unemployment benefits to be halted because "people are making more money NOT working than being employed". Seriously??? My first question is: "what does this say about the wages people are earning in this country???" If that rather pathetic amount is MORE than what people are earning then we have a problem! But, Republicans are only concerned that there might be ONE person gaming the system, gadzooks!, so let's throw the baby out with the bathwater and stop these payments for EVERYBODY. I am so very very sick of these people operating only in the interests of the moneyed few. McConnell is the ring-leader of these wicked wicked people. Hard to express how much I detest him.
I think you've done a pretty awesome job of expressing it. You are joined by the majority in this forum, I'll bet. All that detestation, and the man still breathes!
Yes, how do they get away with denouncing our Constitution with obstruction and dismantling our right to vote freely and unobstructively? My brain might not be able to take much more of these fascist miscreants.
Sorry, not amazing at all. This is what he does. The Constitution means almost nothing to McConnell unless it gets in his way or he thinks he can misinterpret it to his advantage. Now we're stuck with him for the next 6 years, so all we Democrats can usefully do is find the votes to pass legislation. All the rest is just window dressing.
McConnell was responding to questions about Republicans removing Cheney. He had no answers for the questions about the shredding of the Republicans. He had to pull his little McTurtleneck in and hide behind the war against the Democrats. They had their chance to remove TFG and blew it. TFG now owns them.
He did this with President Obama. I used a clip from a conversation he had with Sean the Han nut¨where he chortles like a swamptoad that he had shut the Obama administration down. A despicable cancer.
He hurts every single American by doing this. He thumbs his nose at his sworn oath and single handedly brings Democracy to a silent stop.
This is his schtick and has been for a long time. It does have the merit of transparency and consistency, at least.
He is also making himself irrelevant.
This isn’t new for him. He has a great deal of responsibility for making Congress inept and not functional. One man is does not supposed to control one branch of government, but that is what he has been doing for years.
McConnell is committed to NO government action at all. Under his leadership, judges were rammed through and the big corporate tax cut. He doesn’t want the government to do ANYTHING AT ALL for ordinary people.
The election of ‘24 will be the biggest political dogfight in history. The results will determine the future of our democracy for decades to come.
By ‘24, Republicans will have tilted the playing field in their favor as far as the law allows.
I’m not optimistic about the future of America.
These tergiversationists are out in the open now -- not even a glove for the iron fist.
Tergiversation 1 : evasion of straightforward action or clear-cut statement : equivocation. 2 : desertion of a cause, position, party, or faith.
Thanks for extending my vocabulary with this most appropriate word for this discussion.
Cathy, same here, and I was a Latin major!
“The Latin verb tergiversari means "to show reluctance," and it comes from the combination of tergum, meaning "back," and versare, meaning "to turn."”
I think the more literal definition is the better one, at least in this context.
Now if it were just easy to pronounce... It isn't rolling off my tongue!
https://forvo.com/search/tergiversation/en/
Forvo.com is my go-to for pronunciation assistance in just about any language you can come up with.
Cathy, since the first and third vowels are followed by double consonants, it is very likely accented similarly to anniversary. Latin also doesn’t have funny consonant pronunciation rules. That’s Italian. Call ‘em as you see ‘em.
Should include "desertion of a country and Constitution, and sanity."
It seems that with every LFAA and its subsequent comments, I learn a new word almost every day. This is a fun one; I will need to practice it though!
thanks for the definition ;)
Prather?......a chief magistrate in certain parts of the world! or was it "Blather"...harmless chatter? but the B and the P are far from each other on my French keyboard!
I learned while in graduate school that I have a dyslexic tendency to confuse b's and p's. I started finding many instances when I wrote one instead of the other. It likely also contributes to slow reading. It's interesting that I also type one in place of the other!
Now you’ve piqued my curiosity... the French keyboard is not laid out like the QWERTY keyboard? How do you type on it for your English uses, such as your comments here? (Sorry for the diversion...)
Well, I’m equivocating about tergiversating (I think)
Lol, when I get around to it.
Funny!
(I’m still laughing at myself that I wrote that 😂
Frederick, you’ve got company! 😂
Damn, that's deep vocab! Tergiversationist: one who shows reluctance
Thx, Ellie! I was still sounding it out ;)
😂😂😂 me too!
Me too 🤣
Wrote this word down for probable future use. Thanks, John!
Morning Lynell!! Don't forget its sibling, "prather."
I prather think not, TPJ!!
Capital pun-ishment
https://www.dcreport.org/2020/12/19/mitch-mcconnells-re-election-the-numbers-dont-add-up/
That's big news! Major vote-rigging, well documented. Why has news that severe about the election not gotten more exposure?!
Thank you, Diane, for posting it here.
Thank you for posting this informative article. Perhaps we would be better off with old-fashioned hand-marked paper ballots dropped into a box and counted manually by representatives of the major parties, who would keep an eye on each other. Who keeps an eye on the trustworthiness of the technology which presently does our ballot counting, the developers of which are very, very, very, smart. Probably smarter than those who regulate our elections.
Very little evidence of any voting irregularities, no matter the method used. Not that I'm saying Mitch didn't cheat, but as a general thing, our elections are safe and secure.
Up until Election Day, all of the polls had this as a close race, favoring McConnell by a few percentage points. That's why the 57% to 38% result of the McConnell - McGrath vote is suspicious. Either there were voting "irregularities" or the polls were dead wrong. Can't have it both ways.
I was all set to write that polls have become steadily less reliable, but this article contradicts that idea: https://www.insider.com/election-polls-accuracy-donald-trump-2021-1?utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=topbar
Sounds like E S&S needs investigating!
Thanks for re-posting this, Diane!
And, is any agency investigating?
Oops! I just posted this same link, along with one to an informal analysis of the numbers.
and not only Kentucky!
"Lindsey Graham’s race in South Carolina was so tight that he infamously begged for money, yet he won with a comfortable 10% lead—tabulated on ES&S machines throughout the state. In Susan Collins’ Maine, where she never had a lead in a poll after July 2, almost every ballot was fed through ES&S machines. Kentucky, South Carolina, Maine, Texas, Iowa and Florida are all states that use ES&S machines."
Are those owned by Ivanka?
Spooky while I agree that we need recounts. We need to fear a possible push by foreign interests who would like to see fisticuffs or actual war break out between Americans. I am leery of these types of posts. If there were actual fraud to be proved I would hope the DOJ would go about it.
I'd love to see a recount there, now...
How do we initiate one? Especially for SC, Kentucky and Maine.
Let's go!!
He quite possibly was not legally re-elected, if the reports of anomalous results in certain KY counties are true.
https://www.dcreport.org/2020/12/19/mitch-mcconnells-re-election-the-numbers-dont-add-up/
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/5/7/2028867/-Kentucky-Mitch-McConnell-and-Voting-Machines-A-Deeper-Dive
(I don't know anything about either of these sources, but the numbers make me think. The second article is actually an unofficial data analysis of the first article.)
Daily Kos is generally trustworthy.
Why are these stories uninteresting to MSNBC, Wapo, NY Times, CNBC, where are the major quasi liberal news outlets on this story? Heather isn’t commenting either. Perhaps this rabbit hole isn’t worthy? I don’t know what to think 🤔
We got us a president, a real leader, and what a breath of fresh air it is. Breathe deeply we have earned every single breath.
While I agree with you, I also feel we need to hold our breath a bit until the Voting Rights are reinstated. Even when (I won't say if) the For the People Act is passed, there will be a huge backlog of court cases defending it. One commentator pointed out tonight that the state legislatures can act faster than the federal government. The Texas legislative session ends at the end of May and normally meets only every other year. However, there might be a special session called on redistricting in the fall so I hope they don't add some more barriers to voting at that time.
Sorry, Cathy. But don't hold your breath. Do breathe for sustenance!
As we are typing, "The Texas House hunkered down Thursday evening for what was expected to be hours of emotional debate on one of the most contentious measures of the session, a GOP-backed elections bill that would empower partisan poll watchers, increase penalties for voting crimes and bar mass distribution of applications for mail-in ballots...Any vote was expected to fall strictly along party lines in the chamber, which has 83 Republicans and 67 Democrats."
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2021/05/06/texas-house-hunkers-down-for-late-night-debate-on-gop-backed-elections-bill/
The only good news is that the pending law includes a provision to criminalize "intentionally miscounting or altering ballots," which would hopefully prevent a replay of the Maricopa County "recount" shenanigans in Arizona.
As we breathe, we can detox with "Dreaming of Wildflowers--Texas:"
https://www.ellieteramoto.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Dreaming-Of-Wildflowers-Texas.jpg
The Texas House is still in session. Looks like they are on a break right now. My grandparents lived in Austin. Once when I was young my grandfather took us over to the Capitol one evening. One of the custodians who knew my grandfather and liked him unlocked the House chamber and let us in. My sister, brother and I then spent the next hour or so taking turns making laws. We abolished homework and made desert the first course of a meal.. things like that. It was great fun!
Good trouble, Cathy. I hope you legalized the 7-day weekend too.
I think we did add some holidays.
Universal basic income, perhaps? It shows great foresight.
Like 365 in the year?
What a great adventure! It just made my day! Thank you, Cathy!
sounds like a very special grandfather
I first read this as "my grandfather took over the Capitol one evening..." Sorry.
Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush are a beautiful combination.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04sKRRgznYE
Real nice... I play a pretty mean fiddle. Dick Walker, another fiddler, did a lot of gigs together.
"Aaaaaah-Haaahh!"
MmmHmmm!
Thank you
Here's the link to the livestream from the Texas House:
https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2021/texas-legislature-livestream/?_ga=2.248671623.1685186077.1620313934-2036103971.1620313934
Thank you for 'Dreaming of Wildflowers '. Made me smile.
Beautiful and healing photo!
Why do you think they are having the “special “ session? We can no longer just stand by with our mouths agape while these greedy, self-serving arses dismantle our Democracy.
Make phone calls, go to your state legislature meetings in mass, speak on your local NPR. Do Something. We have some fine folks that will be running for office here in Georgia. But if we are barred from voting all will be lost.
Yes, we're doing what we can here! I'm a member of the League of Women Voters who filed the first lawsuit against the Florida voter suppression bill this week. We have a very active League in Texas who is joining with all the other organizations fighting the barriers to voting. The special session would be held to pass the redistricting which will be debated over the summer. The regular legislative session ends on May 31st and won't meet again until after the 2022 election...meets every two years! Another bill that we want passed within the current session is a redistricting transparency bill which would take effect on September 1 if passed. Texas received two more Congressional seats from the 2020 census. For me, the only real hope is in the For the People Act and even that will be contested in the courts ad nauseum. The 2022 election is going to be a big mess!
How can a state as populous as Texas have a legislature that meets only biennially? That seems very 19th century. Does the governor regularly call special or extraordinary sessions?
It seems to work just fine. You can look at it as how much worse it would be if they had more chances to pass more voter integrity bills. A session on the redistricting is worth doing because of the timetable. Seems pretty common to have a special session in odd numbered years but only the Governor can call it and must address only items on his call list.
Thank you!
True, but if he cannot pass legislation without GOP votes - which is to say, if all the DEM Senators are not with the program - this will all amount to a short burst of unwarranted optimism. The filibuster must either be eliminated or made irrelevant. All the rest is wishful thinking.
Manchin and Sinema...What is their motivation? Can anyone explain for me?
Reelection. What else? Also, power of the 51st vote.
Each is in a predominantly Republican state and they walk a fine line appeasing both the Ds and the Rs. It's not a slam dunk for either.
Republicans have argued that every tax increase in the past 100 years would "wreck the economy." Yet the record is that, with each of the tax increases, the economy subsequently improved. Just to mention the two most recent: Clinton's 1993 tax increase passed with no GOP votes. The result was the "Clinton 90s," one of the best economies the country has seen, with the deficit paid to zero and growth and good times most of the people here can remember. Followed by Bush's tax cuts, which led to the 2008 recession. Obama's tax increases gave us growth, while Trump's $1.2 trillion giveaway to the rich resulted one of the lowest economies (even without factoring in the pandemic).
How can you tell a Republican is lying? Look and see if their lips are moving.
Isn't interesting that each Republican administration ended with a poor economy or recession which the incoming Democrat President had to fix and then the next Republican administration takes credit the minute they take over the healthy economy the Democrat administration they inherent and ride its coat tails until they mess it up again?
Repugs come to power, go to war, and leave with a wrecked economy.
This is a fact that Democrats consistently neglect to highlight. They need to strategize on how to better disseminate this information throughout the Republican favored media (Fox included) to counterbalance for the Republican disinformation machine.
We need Dems/Independents that dress Rethug but speak Sanity infiltrating Faux. Like some rethugs who I fear have infiltrated the dem party.
Lying as deception comes easy to GOP, less so to Dems.
Of course, there is a difference between outright lying and obfuscation. I've noticed that most politicians are pretty adept at avoiding direct answers. Sometimes that is necessary; particularly when a questioner is trying to force the interlocutor to use the questioner's framing. Unfortunately, trying to avoid being trapped this way can look like obfuscation when the one being questioned is not greatly skilled at reframing. Stacey Abrams is one politician with the ability to both reframe using her own terms AND to answer without obfuscation. Another skillful woman is Jen Psaki. One of this week's press briefings gave her the opportunity to challenge a "reporter" who kept using T****-like phrases such as, "As we hear in the media...", or "As many people are saying..." (not direct quotes). Psaki, rather than responding to the disengenuous questions trying to get her to say that Biden's administration is merely Obama's third term, asked her for her sources. When the reporter could not offer any specifics other than "the media", Psaki went on to the next question from another member of the press pool.
Thank you.
Huh. Imagine that.
"How can you tell a Republican is lying? Look and see if their lips are moving." This is the best I've read in a long time. Thank you TC.
Good morning, TC, and thank you.
That’s quite a narrative. Too bad none of it is true.
Go back to FleeceBlock with the rest of the gaga old Boomers. That's from Dr. Paul Krugman, who I suspect knows a bit more than a Trumpmoron does.
Troll Watch, R Warr!ck, Ignore
Thanks. An even better reason for him to go back to DDT, er, I mean FB.
Plop, plop. Oops forgive my tribalism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFmkL8TqN4c
This is among the earlier racially-integrated ads.
😂🤣😂🤣🤗
The day that McConnell is no longer a US senator will be such a bright one for this country. The more I read his weak, coward pronouncements, the harder it is for me to be compassionate in any way toward him. He has been in a position to deal the Trump wing decisive blows atleast twice since the new year, but continues to show the country what kind of a person he really is. He's gutless beyond any measure I'm familiar with. He belongs in the trash bin of history, as do most of the Republican senators.
His face is falling down. Maybe he’ll cease to be able to mumble.
🤣
Imagine waking up next to him? Horrors.
🤣🤣🤣
(my guess is separate bedrooms)
Good guess— I’d need a separate house in a separate state.😎
Do you honestly believe that Kentucky would replace MoscowMitch with someone who compromises with democrats? Or that Thune, Barrasso or Blunt would be less obstructionist?
HCR has lots of fine readers in Kentucky who are working to shift their state in a progressive direction.
I have lots of fine family in Kentucky actively working to destroy democracy in, what they believe is, the name of the countries founders. I also have a few fine family in Kentucky shifting the state.
Sympathy for the having the former, and appreciation for the latter.
Thanks. While driving to work I realized I could come back to a deluge of criticism 💚
It’s a serious challenge to love family we have fond history with yet so severely disagree with, while accepting that if they are involved in treason, insurrection, sedition, hate violence, etc. that they get deserved justice.
It is so hard, Rebecca. My solution is to keep the lines of communication open in the non confrontational areas of our lives. If we agree on a flower, a recipe, the weather in Maine? It might help the misguided ones to see us as rational and one day let go of their fear and anger based cult. The outrage machine generates heady, addictive stuff. They may never let go, but the iris bulbs we share will still bloom and a tiny spot of peace exists for focus. Ok. Here you see the evidence of why they call me Pollyanna. I just smile and say “ call em as you see em”.
My sentiments exactly. Hoping a few other of your family see the light, Rebecca.
This! And I agree with suggestions above about advertising/information campaign to highlight that the positive changes here now and in near future are brought to your state by YOU the American Taxpayer, and Biden-Harris administration. And please give any R credit who supports, as in Louisiana yesterday. Applause for cooperation even with differences. Ignore obstruction as if it were a bothersome irrelevant gnat.
There's actually a commercial running fairly often now touting the For the People Act. It's well done. It was produced by End Citizens United. I hope they will do the same campaign for the Infrastructure bill.
I saw a well done commercial here yesterday about immigration reform, showing all the essential work immigrants did in the pandemic year.
Immigrants are the bedrock of the caregiving economy -- cleaners, food servers, nurses, home aids, etc. Immigrants get the job done!
As long as the election are rigged in Kentucky (some counties with many more registered voters on the rolls then eligible citizens, mysterious results with ESS voting machines...), the answer is No.
Republicans have been disinvesting in America for most of my 72 year lifetime, making tax cuts their principal claim to fame. They tout American greatness and exceptionalism as they dash Americans and America on the the rocks of personal and political greed. Democrats since President Clinton in fear of losing elections went along. Americans complaining about their circumstances have found it easier to believe political and economic charlatans and entertainers than their own commonsense. And with every turn of the screw instead of coming to their senses and supporting investment in each other and the services we need and use, they play the roulette wheel of politics for whomever promises something for nothing.
Biden is the first President who is all cattle and no hat, who is not afraid to invest in America and put the money out there rather than just his mouth.
Yes and he’d look good with a hat.
And he really does rock those shades. 😎
The shades, when he flashes that smile. Priceless!
He's actually pretty cute. Everytime I see that smile, though, it occurs to me how much it probably cost. 😁 Teeth that straight and white don't occur in nature.
When dental care is added to affordable health care, won't that be a boon?
He just rocks big time😎👏🏻
And walk those dogs.
Yes, indeedy, David Souers. I like you're way of thinking.
I'm having a rough time understanding why Republicans even bother to run for office other than to draw a salary paid for by the taxpayer, but don't believe in using taxpayer funds for the benefit of the taxpayer.
Because they see the opportunity to line their own pockets. Many of the congress people on both sides of the aisle come to office with less than a million dollars to their names and when they leave many of them are millionaires several times over. That is not happening on their congressional salary.
AND they go straight from Congress to highly-paid lobbying and think tank firms. It's a lucrative gig all around.
Thank you, Pam and Reid. I had a momentary lapse!
Thank you, David. Well said.
I hope Kentucky voters heard McConnell's declaration that he intends to stop the American Jobs Program. More importantly, I hope Kentucky folks like the American Jobs Program and resolve to sound off against McConnell's plan.
The problem is not McConnell. The problem is a couple of Democratic Senators more worried about their own political fortunes than about saving our country from the oligarchy.
And, with all due respect and understanding our need to commiserate, I think all this attention to the evil Senator from Kentucky is a useless distraction. He's horrible. What more is there to say about him? There is nothing that will change his mind, so let's just move on.
Here's where we need to focus: "Because Loeffler was finishing the term vacated by Johnny Isakson, Warnock is up for re-election in 2022" (GA). Mark Kelly (AZ) is serving the remainder of the late GOP Sen. John McCain’s final two years, so will run again for re-election in 2022.
Does anyone know if there are any other incumbents whose terms are up in 2022 that we need to focus on?
Kelly and Warnock are the most vulnerable. They represent historically conservative states, and with short records to run on will have fewer advantages than most incumbents. But if Dems stay motivated, and especially if For The People passes, the odds should favor them. So let's stay motivated!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCyT6P6BkoA
Making my yesterday today. Thanks, TPJ!!
Wait ... what? Tell me again what day it is.
I couldn't agree more!
Agreed. I wish the news folks would ignore his, and all, power strutting.
I agree with David in that some efforts are more fruitful than others. As someone else pointed out earlier, Mitch was just re-elected to a six year term, so there’s virtually no way to diminish him except to increase the Democratic margin in the midterms. And anticipate that the good governance we’re getting now will be recognized by enough Americans to move the appreciation needle toward center. If it takes using budget resolution to get past no GOP votes, it’s important to do that and soon. Americans need some time to feel the benefits well before they fest out to vote at the end of next year.
Investigate McTurtle's numbers-defying election theft.
I really hope someone is doing this, but doesn't seem like it will happen.
Does McConnell have a plan? Other than to obstruct Biden?
Not that I know of. Obstruction is his plan.
Simple answer -- No.
It's what they do when they have no interest or ability to govern.
Meanwhile, McConnell is working to override Russian sanctions in order to bring a Russian aluminum plant to Kentucky. It's a good reason why he is continually re-elected. He may not succeed but he gets major re-election points for trying. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-a-mcconnell-backed-effort-to-lift-russian-sanctions-boosted-a-kentucky-project/2019/08/13/72b26e00-b97c-11e9-b3b4-2bb69e8c4e39_story.html
Kentucky is so connected to Russian oligarchs now Russia and Putin could annex it.
Is Kentucky a state or an oblast?
Appears not.
McConnell and his wife Ms. Choa will bring the money in the backdoor without missing a beat. Just as they are trying to do now with a Russian owned Aluminum Company. The company is under sanctions by the US government which McConnell is working to override. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-a-mcconnell-backed-effort-to-lift-russian-sanctions-boosted-a-kentucky-project/2019/08/13/72b26e00-b97c-11e9-b3b4-2bb69e8c4e39_story.html
Wish every KY voter would see this.
I have no idea how they didn't see it back when it was first reported. Surely there is a newspaper in Kentucky that published the unvarnished truth about the aluminum company!
I just do not understand how Kentucky can continue to vote for this evil man. He has not done anything for Kentucky except bring in corruption. His state is at the bottom of the list in so many areas. Kentucky suffers because he is only concerned with his person wealth and power, and his Republican agenda. Has anyone ever investigated his election? Seems crazy for him to keep winning.
In his own words: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/2019/01/07/mitch-mcconnell-clout-helped-kentucky-families-washington/2499959002/
People want jobs. There is the example of the FoxConn plant in Wisconsin in which the state and feds gave money to the Chinese corporation. It was never built but the promise of thousands of jobs (and a nudge from Trump) had Wisconsin cheering until it fell apart. There is also the documentary film the Obamas made, "The American Factory". In it people signed up with the Chinese management for jobs, jobs, jobs, and compromised their customs and strengths. People will do anything to work.
Thank you, dear Prof. HCR, for your recognition of every step that our POTUS takes, whether small or large! He is showing us that his administration wants the very best for the ordinary, middle class citizen. If people can't see that, they're either wearing blinkers or don't want to acknowledge his efforts out of spite. Republicans can block him every step of the way, but one day he will be recognized as a good and decent leader who gave us all that he could
Yes. This, exactly.
The best argument is no argument. I love how this administration sees these obstructionists flail about and still carries on with the agenda, unaffected. It must infuriate the hell out of them. It’s such a high road, obviously one the republicans can not conceive of never mind reach.
And they look like the petty obstructionists they are in contrast. Precisely the Biden plan.
Effective. Just watch.
Oh, I doubt it will bring substantial results, at least in terms of electoral victories. Our losses in 2022 may be less than they would have been otherwise, but I would be amazed if we hold the House. I would call our Senate chances about even money. Too many people believe The Big Lie.
Biden is smart to hit the road to sell the plan, especially in Republican states. I hope a big ad spend is in the works, too, focusing on job creation. Sure, he's open to compromise. Not that there will be any takers. McConnell and company are making another major mistake, just as they did with the COVID relief package.
One of the things that just sticks in my craw is the Republiqan congress critters taking credit for the American Rescue Plan that they all voted against. One of the things that is showing up in my little world is how hard it is becoming for businesses to fill open positions because they pay less than the "largess" fostered within the American Rescue Plan, and how abhorrent this is. When I point out that the part that is "abhorrent" is that the jobs they are trying to fill do not pay a living wage, I am dismissed out of hand for insinuating that someone should be able to work full time at a single job and have money for food, housing, vehicle, technology and medical care.
A statistic that I find stunning is that only 56% of the polled Americans favor this infrastructure bill. I know that I read in previous years from these Republiqan friends of mine that more "skilled labor" jobs were needed so that no one "had" to go to college and emerge in horrendous debt just to get an above minimum wage job. Now that the opportunity exists for that (with massive infrastructure construction comes a very large need for these skilled labor jobs) they bleat that it is "too much".
I think it will be critical that every infrastructure project has a big banner announcing that this is "Taxpayer Money at Work Thanks to the American Rescue Plan."
I just had this discussion with a neighbor. This neighbor claimed the restaurant job she spoke of was offering $15 an hour. Here in FL, unemployment is $275 a week. (The legislature just refused to raise it.) And the feds are supplementing until September at $300 a week. A restaurant is not likely to offer benefits but I will inquire. So, if I've done my math correctly, that's just shy of $30k per year. Do you blame people for staying home, looking after their family, taking care of themselves? Their homes? It's OK for billionaires and millionaires to take advantage of tax loopholes but not ordinary Americans?! I think not!
Workers also used the pandemic to improve their skills, so they are less available to take low wage jobs. Schools are not yet fully open in many places, so someone (almost always a woman) has to provide schooling and childcare. And workers in places like restaurants are rightfully hesitant to take the health risk of working in that environment for the wage on offer (and if your friend truly believes there are restaurant jobs offering $15/hour before tips, I have a bridge I would like to sell them).
Hi. For further info, please email heathersherd@gmail.com with your name and issues of interest. Thanks!
The Biden administration's plans for spending trillions on pandemic relief, infrastructure, etc., is like taking a loan to buy a house - generally a sound financial move that pays off down the road in the form of shelter and equity. Republican tax cuts on the other hand are the equivalent of borrowing to go on vacation, fun at the time, but there is no return on investment (this has been proven several times over the past 40 years or so). If you have to borrow money for a vacation, you shouldn't go. Plus, today I learned a new word - tergiversationist, which I plan to work into every conversation I can over the next several days! Thanks John!
Perfect summary
So Steve, try using this unpronounceable word in a sentence, like over lunch. You know, you’re talking about family or dogs, so what in the world would you say including “tergiversationist” - you know about a family member or a dog?
Hey Frederick, another cool thing about the word "tergiversationist" is that using it invokes its meaning. I'm already having second thoughts about working it into conversation over the next several days. :)
“I was out with my dog —my best friend—this morning, just going for a walk, when he spotted a squirrel in the tree. I tried to pull him away, but he wouldn’t budge. He abandoned me! What a tergiversationist.”
Definitely the word of the day.
So now I see I can use this word with the following: “dog”, “walk” and “Squirrel” - or does “best friend” also fit in. THIS is so confusing!
Did you know that there's a band named the Works Progress Administration?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wwR6q_NofM&list=OLAK5uy_ls-HXPBnbsXkoeCwfcVPCbC_yJ7UAdA8I
For a song that's actually about infrastructure, one has to go back, back to the roots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vLZOKshJPs
Was it worth it in the end?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D2Q9-1EmB4
Don't forget the families who do the work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-HY_1oE90c
Joe Biden stands with them, comes from them.
TPJ you just created a playlist for my day!
Thanks for the music!
Thank you all. It's a musical essay with captions.
Grand Coulee Dam and US Steel, great American music afternoon break. BIG THANKS!
Besides: (note the word "personnel") From Merriam Webster: "Infrastructure: the system of public works of a country, state, or region also : the resources (such as personnel, buildings, or equipment) required for an activity." Thanks, TPJ!!
I have to admire Biden for his never ending optimism. Going to a very red state to tell the people directly about how his plan will impact them is smart, but will it pay? I doubt it because a senator from another state will work to make sure it doesn't. F*&K Mitch! And when the American Plan is put into action, he'll boast about how good the plan is for Kentucky. As I said, F*&K Mitch. (Sorry for the language but I'm just over the top fed up with him.)
This is Biden's playbook. I agree it will yield only minimal results, but he was dealt a dirty hand.
Hi. For further info, please email heathersherd@gmail.com with your name and issues of interest. Thanks!
God how I hate Mitch McConnell.
There is that of God in everyone, but sometimes a microscope is needed to find it.
Hypocrisy, thy name is Mitch McConnell; the very personification; pure and unadulterated by any form of decency.
It’s exciting!