831 Comments

Thank you Heather. I know you have been told thousands of times, but I am so grateful for your nightly letters. It may not be the news we want to read, but it is so important for it to be documented. Your letters will become my main source of daily information as I just cannot bring myself to turn on the news. Thank you - and please take care of yourself. You are priceless to your community.

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Heather points out so many things that the corporate media either fails to mention or is page 7 news.

For instance, while the corporate media plays the blame game on Democrats for losing the Presidential election by less than 2%, HCR points out that perhaps the dozens of voter suppression laws passed by Republicans across the country had an effect on the election.

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Totally agree - Substack writers have become the best source of news.

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Hear Hear👏

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I just became a subscriber to MeidasTouch as well. They do an amazing job......always have my online subscription to THE NATION......that is a lifer connection.

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Please check out YouTube's "Beau of the Fifth Column" and the companion long format channel "The Roads with Beau". If you are unfamiliar, those were started by a southern journalist a few years back. He stepped away from the channel and his team--including his wife "Belle" took over. They have since added some great additions, that being "Research Road" which gives info about all the news in tech and science, and "Interstate News" which covers underreported state news which might have a national impact.

I do like MeidasTouch, especially "Tennessee Brando" but their information is a little too slanted for me. I appreciate "Beau" more for their approach.

That being said, I have found many good resources for news from commenters on the LFAA forum and appreciate your suggestion for others who might not be aware of Meidas Touch.

I 100% agree that mainstream media has FAILED us numerous times and we need to help promote these independent journalists.

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Main stream media is controlled by major stockholders Vanguard and Black Rock and other investment firms. In a video, one of their executives said their driving goal is to reduce costs in the companies they purchase stock in. This is now true of a majority of the major corporations they are now the major stockholder of. Google "who are the major stockholders of--insert name of a company." This has huge implications for our economy and society.

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WJB, I have seen a lot from MeidasTouch and I am going to suggest we subscribe.

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If you're interested in the status of the law, legal cases involving the MelonFelon (and his minions), state and federal government matters, may I recommend both Legal AF (Meidas Touch Network program) and Glenn Kirchner's channel, Justice Matters. For voting-rights litigation, Marc Elias' Democracy Docket. I like Politics Girl, Bryan Tyler Cohen, and Red Wine and Blue, too. TYT is too over-the-top for my taste, but there is information interspersed with opinion.

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Lynn: Thanks so much for your reply and wonderful tips. Mark Elias Democracy Docket, Red Wine and Blue are new too me. All the others, I am aware of and are doing the work. Legal AF......Beat Down with Michael Cohen..... Totally my top of the list go too these days.

The mornings belong, always to The Stephanie Miller Show.....9-12 FreeSpeechTV....WCPT Chicago online. The guest list of contrubutors includes many on your list. Up to date progressive news every morning. She really is the #1 Progressive female voice on radio...(Sirrius as well)...Lots of humor as well.

Keep on being MidasMighty.

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WJB Motown -- "I just became a subscriber to MeidasTouch"

Overall, we rate MeidasTouch Left Biased based on the negative portrayal of Donald Trump and Republicans and the promotion of Democratic candidates. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to a lack of transparency with funding and the publication of one-sided content that can be misleading.

Detailed Report

Bias Rating: LEFT

Factual Reporting: MIXED

Country: USA

MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE

Media Type: Website

Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic

MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/meidastouch/

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‘We

Rate…’ who are we! The avalanche of fear and hate mongerimg from the maga outlets submerged Kamala message of hope and not going back! Bravo Meidias touch!

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Your "ratings" miss out on some very basic foundational facts that make MeidasTouch....Ben and his founding brothers the go to for millions.

#1 Saving Democracy is up front and center.......

#2 All those who support Democracy are welcome to be part or the Meidasmighty

#3 There is NOT a "media host" leader that runs MT. There is a broad coalition of lawyers, writers, hosts that work together on one mission

#4 The "negative portayal of Trump........He is the #1 enemy of democracy in America.......So your lack of transparency statement is 100% false.

#5 Factual reporting is top notch and not "mixed" ......often times it has served as source material.........Similar to THE NATION...

#6 Your statement about one sided content is 100% false. Democracy and truth are what MT stands for. The truth is.....MT would not be here if it were not for a fascist/totalitarian /convicted felon/convicted sex offender/dictator in waiting with the name of Donald Trump.

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Ron, looks good to me!

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It’s the only source of news I’m using. That and news outlet from the UK and EU. I work in a global environment with global teams and it is interesting to hear their perspectives.

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12 hrs ago·edited 12 hrs ago

Not only that, scores of provisional ballots and ballots that need 'curing' went uncounted. (at least that is my understanding) Protecting our right to vote and getting young people to run for office is the only way to defeat the orange traitor and his sycophants.

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Simplifying and streamlining the voting process is imperative. The long drawn out counting process invites shenanigans and shakes belief in the eventual outcome. The whole system needs to be consistent across the country and votes need to be counted and registered as they are cast. If little tricks were not part of mail in voting process there would not be a need for weeks long ballot curing. The point is to allow everyone to vote and those votes to be counted.

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Terry, the entire voting process is controlled by the states. For example the state of PENN has mandatory rule that when an election tally is LESS than 0.5% apart that PENN election must be recounted. Full stop.

Votes are still being counted right now in the PENN Senate race between Bob Casey & McCormick with over 82,000 votes STILL are yet to be counted. The difference is currently at 0.4% which triggers a Statewide recount. That PENN recount MUST be completed by 11/26 reported by 11/27.

That Penn recount MUST include U.S. soldiers who are overseas right now. Spoiler Alert: Even privates from Penn get to vote - corporals too! Wow. It also includes "provisional" ballots which the PENN Supreme Court ruled last week MUST be counted as well. Imagine that very cool.

So if a voter puts her ballot in an official ballot receptacle that was firebombed, she still get her vote counted. The rule-of-law is still alive across the Land Amazing.

Terry, if you have an amendment to the United States Constitution to propose just state your amendment for consideration. Otherwise, see Gore v Bush 2004 for many more mistakes to be avoided.

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Bryan, you're referring to Pennsylvania. Ohio is THE most corrupt state in the Union, the fascist laboratory. Voter suppression is rampant, and laws are a joke to those "elected" here. I think PA still has a chance to be relevant; Ohio has none.

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Thank you for your 2 am wake-the-west-coast-up correction. Edited. 🙏

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Have you read “What Happened in Ohio”? Bush definitely stole Ohio in 2004. And I’m sure the dirty tricks have continued and been expanded.

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Those "integrity" laws had the desired results. It is one of the reasons why he was so confident he could win this time as well as possible some other measures that were in the works. I am not so sure that our system is as secure as claimed.

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Based on what I read from the Brennan Center for Justice (https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-september-2024), many of the states that elected Trump had enacted restrictive voting laws. Trump supporters would argue that means fewer illegal votes were allowed, while others would argue that many legal voters were not able to vote. How do we know which is true? Not speculation, but actual facts. The numbers must be available somewhere, right?

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I dont think reduced black turnout was just "in the south", Harris was down 9 million, across the country. Eg AOC on split ticket voting in Brooklyn. I dont think "perhaps" is the way for Heather to put this one on the table.

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9 hrs ago·edited 9 hrs ago

According to the Associated Press 1 in 10 Black voters supported Trump. 6 in 10 White voters supported Trump. To say the reason Trump won was because there were less Black voters is scapegoating.

Yes-voter suppression is and always has been an issue, but to expect Black people to save White people from themselves is just crazy. This country has allowed white supremacy to prevail for centuries.

Racism (and sexism) are killing our so called democracy. Yet Americans don’t like to deal with the issues involved. After more than 250 years of enslaving Black people Trump has announced that he wants reparations for White people because of DEI.

Saving America from “browning” motivated too many White people to vote for Trump even if they don’t want to admit or realize that was his greatest appeal.

People are labeled “minority” and “non-white” based solely on skin color. What does skin color have to do with being human?

Until and unless we deal with the roots of racism in America fascism will rule the day. We just proved it with this election. It wasn’t about the price of eggs.

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Add misogyny to racism.

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This! People who couldn't vote for a woman. Add in people who would not vote for a Black woman.

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Eugenics is Steven Miller’s reason for existence! We will all know his name soon…in truth these tendencies have been part of fractured views—misogyny, sexual fears, racism, ‘white’ makes right hate, all play in here! Video games, tiki torches, low information (ignorant) voters, venomous rankings on Faux…xenophobia.

But the worst is the disconnect of people from community, from responsibility, from the outcome of their actions. Houseless humans! Actual and metaphorical, are visible symptoms.

Reagan closed the hospitals.

Bill and Newt ended welfare as we know it.

Think this mattered?

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Excuse me, but Heather said "people of color," not black people. That throws your whole case off.

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No, it does not. When white voters who claim to be allies are able to take a look within and spend less time being thin-skinned and glossing over the issues raised by Gina, we might begin to get somewhere. You may not like this but half of white women and a majority of white men voted for Trump in spite of what he said and represented. For a few cents off of eggs and some other "economic anxiety" issues, those voters handed to generations of citizens needless pain and the subversion of democracy. You don't get to use semantics to make your argument.

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We have to face facts. Most Americans don't want to work, consciously, at being a good citizen. They want entertainment. It has always been so. Shortly after WW2, Gov. made conscious anti-fascist propaganda on what it means to be an American. Do you remember seeing the Superman poster talking about how impugning others for their race or gender is un-American? We stopped doing that kind of civics chivvying. We let the Republican Cowboy myth take its place.

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Thank you, Barbara!

I think that the Lincoln Project tried to make ads that were entertaining for that reason. I know some family members--sadly--who can tell me all about the histories of the Golden Bachelors, but aren't even sure who their representatives are.

In the Reconstruction, voter suppression came in the form of literary tests. I don't want to suppress voters, but rhetorically think voters should have been tested to see if they understood tariffs before they cast a vote this year. The outcome would have been different.

And thus the "find out" stage begins. :-(

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Yes, we made a choice…Reagan was the tipping point as he talked about welfare Mom’s in pink Caddies collecting ten checks…Never existed!

Reality TV from Ronnie! It tapped into the equity to college programs, that seemed so unfair to many white families. An ‘unearned’ pass. NCLB was a funny twist that used equity to post national testing (eugenics and normal distribution) to inflict a back to basics, the three R’s out went love and joy, in came phonetics! Fear and failure! More excuses to reduce thinking! Anti-woke is just more anti-thinking after all! Dr. Derrick Bell is my favorite experience in the reality of a racist culture, not laws, culture…Culture Wars!

And around we go…

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And I know, this being a democracy, that all those other candidates and write-ins have the right to get voted for but is this the outcome that "green" voters wanted. A DonOLD presidency will hurt them even more than Democrats as anything environmental is definitely on the chopping block.

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Gary, I wondered about the effect of voter suppression laws. A MAGA yesterday accused me of getting info from MSM and I do not read it. We no longer watch the national news, only a half hour of the local, partly because I am fascinated about the new Portland Mayor and 12 person city council. Two of them ran as Democratic Socialists and won. Two Rs lost their seats on the Clackastan County Commission, replaced by Ds. The Oregon Senate has a super majority. The R head of his caucus in the Oregon House resigned his position (not sure if he left entirely) because he can't stand the chaos of his caucus. So some good local news. I am aghast at the pick of the ethically challenged Hair Gaetz, disliked by many in his own caucus. And now we have bat shit crazy Gabbard for head of intelligence who is a big security risk. No other country will share intelligence with us and our own assets will be at risk.

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Interesting that Portland used ranked choice voting while the state rejected it.

I think ranked choice voting didn't get explained well enough state-wide. But it apparently worked well to get through 19 candidates for mayor!

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It was so confusing to voters that many of them did not vote for mayor or council members. I do not call this a good outcome. I voted against it statewide because I see it as being a way to manipulate by bad actors.

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That was the PURPOSE of those changes …. I hate that SCOTUS let them happen…

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Yes, Gary Loft. Also the reports of bomb threats on Election Day in largely Democratic precincts had only a quick mention in the corporate media. There was only one evacuation to a different polling station, but I can imagine people deciding their physical safety was their top issue. Bomb threats traced to Russian sources.

Trump voters submit to Trump, Trump submits to Putin. But Americans reject the idea that it means they are being influenced by the Russians. No, not us, we are too smart!

Tulsi Gabbard submits to Putin, she transmits his message. Trump’s choice of her as intelligence chief looks like he expects her to keep intelligence about Russian interference from popping up, past and future. This is my take from Timothy Snyder today.

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Duh

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And the illegal and last minute as well as other bogus purges.

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Heather, While you write, referring to this morning’s LFAA, “It may not be the news we want to read,” admittedly, if I understood HCR correctly, she is intimating, with the election of Thune as Senate Majority Leader, a real possibility that the Republican-controlled Senate could, more than some of us had anticipated, serve, in some measure, as a check against the seemingly runaway excesses of executive power. Either way, I imagine how the Senate manages its “advise and consent” duty over the next several weeks will suggest whether, even in small part, it will try to contain Trump’s self-serving impulses as opposed to setting them loose of any limits.

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12 hrs ago·edited 10 hrs ago

I agree with you, Barbara. For me, the advise and consent duty to which you pointedly refer, will be the temperature gauge for this Senate as Trump's junta starts in January of 2025. If Trump is successful in achieving his "recess appointments", the Senate will be well behind the 8 ball for a long time to come. That he is demanding recess appointments is ludicrous and insulting, not only to the Senate, but also to the Constitution of this nation. And yet, as well and truthfully remarked by Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, in describing how he and his colleagues "walked away" from the evidence against Gaetz that is all too well known by now, this will be the test for the republican controlled Senate as to whether they perform as true patriots or wannabe lemming followers of the Trump dictatorship. Liz Cheney's words of caution to her fellow republicans during the Jan. 6th committee hearings ring truer and louder now than ever.

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Riad, I very much appreciate you writing and thoughtfully expanding upon my observations of HCR’s thinking.

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Thank you. Best wishes.

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I agree with everything you state so eloquently Riad. Based upon the past actions of the Republican Senate and Congress, I hold little hope that they will not capitulate to the demands of DJT - they rarely have rebuked him in the past. Collins is too feckless to not to surrender and many others are afraid of him

These insane appointments by DJT were not just meant to install loyalists but to test his power over the Senate. If he succeeds in these, even just one or two of them which the Senate may be tempted to do appease the monster, it will be death knell of our democracy - and I do not think I am being hysterical in that remark.

Reading people like Anne Applebaum, Tom Nichols and others I fear these are the baby steps toward an authoritarian takeover. If 73 million people had not voted for DJT , with the full knowledge of what he SAID he was going to do and what he has already done ( Jan 6 comes to mind ) I just might have some hopium that the Senate would stand up to him. But thought it is possible that they might, the evidence appears, at least to me , to be stronger in the other direction.

I pray I am wrong.

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Sonny, I don’t think most of the trump voters did have full knowledge. The media they tune into and believe ALL carefully censored out all the real information. They stuck with that media for the addictive dopamine rush of fear and anger. And chicken-or-egg, their amygdala is larger and likely more actively overriding their prefrontal cortex, so they have less ability to THINK critically. It’s hard for us to compete against that - let alone the Russian bomb threats, burning drop boxes, Republican poll watchers, and Red State voter suppression/disenfranchisement. This was a methodical and effective campaign.

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I recently visited family in Florida. Their TV was on Fox News day and night. Needless to say they were all Trump supporters and believed what they were told on Fox never popping their head up to look at another source of information. How do you stop the untruths and go back to real journalism? How do you get people to get news from several sources before making the decision?

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Well articulated, Riad. Thank you.

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Unfortunately I think they will be lemmings based on their previous behavior. Too afraid of retaliation. Thanks for your good analysis. It is obvious that Trump has figured out he can get away with anything because no one has the mechanism to oppose him!! The Senate should have voted to impeach him but the Republicans are just too happy to stay in power no matter what.

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"It is obvious that Trump has figured out he can get away with anything because no one has the mechanism to oppose him!!" Reva, I think the phrase "no one has the mechanism" describes exactly the republicans lack of courage and intellect.

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I certainly don't see Senators willingly giving up their advise and consent role in confirming cabinet appointments. But, I don't know what to expect...

I didn't have "watching our democratic republic be dismantled" on my bingo card 😢 💔

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The fact that Thune was elected in secret tells you all you need to know. Let’s see what they do when their votes are in plain view.

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I do not trust that the old R party will grow a collective spine. I am more than happy to be proven wrong.

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Their track record isn't particularly good, is it? At this point, arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, scoliosis, and just plain ol' degenerative disc disease has already set in. Unfortunately, they well appear to be well beyond surgical help. The left will not only now be responsible for their rehab but also wheeling them around in wheelchairs made of ethics.

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Not at all good. And I bet those wheelchairs have pressure points in them that will be darned uncomfortable.

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Well put!

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Very well stated, Riad!!

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Nice imagery

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My view from the bridge (Navy speak), Sideshow Don still doesn't trust republican senators. Best to my knowledge, there are 2 left that voted to impeach him hence the demand for recess appointments(RA). I also feel he wants RAs because he doesn't want the embarrassment of a loss and it denies senate Dems ammo for mid-term campaign adds

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But I think we are all well aware that we need to be gathering any support from the non MAGA members of both the House and the Senate because remember I believe there's still at least some law and order members who may counter the extremist of the MAGAS. I also believe these reprisal nominations are evidence of the mental dimming of the president elect. Now all can see he's left any judgment behind and is truly obsessed. Someone keep sending him his favorite 3099 calorie McDonald's meals. And gather ourselves for the midterms.

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You got that right Barbara Jo Krieger along with HCR. Thune's, first test is "slow ruling" 'recess appointments'.

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Hadn't thought of that, Bryan. Thank you for a bright spot in this rainy Chicago morning.

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And we as those senators’ constituents will have leverage over those senators. My senators and Rep are all MAGA, but observing their votes and calling or writing to express opinions can have an effect.

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I thank the powers that be that my senators (Merkley and Wyden) are strongly progressive democratic senators.

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And I’m glad I live in Minnesota. Two good senators and a great governor - “if we can keep them!”

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If we can keep them.” I’m noticing the end of some posts are missing today.

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End of sentences missing. Why?

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Booker and newly elected Kim for me

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Ms. Krieger that is my fervent prayer and hope, as well. Even Senator Susan Collins has expressed (mildly) that Gaetz and Hegseth seem like very problematical choices and that the advise and consent of the Senate was a necessary procedure. Huh! The submissive mouse that roared!

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Please! My Senator, Susan Collins, missed her Margaret Chase Smith moment years ago. She only votes against her party when it costs her NOTHING!

In Maine we remember that when she first ran for Senator, Collins said she would only serve 2 terms. She is now in her 6th!

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I'm a Mainer, too and yeah, Susie is very much a follower. she's never been a leader and you're quite correct in that she generally only stakes a position when she can do so without risk. Which is why my take on her remark--while quite neutral in and of itself--is a departure for her. She won't take a stand against Trump but she might join a larger group of Senators who are resisting Trump's request to turn over one of their few remaining duties--that of "advice and consent to appointees of the executive branch".

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I wish I share Senator Collin’s optimism but after watching the Supreme Court nominations, the Republican Party will get in line and approve whoever Trump wants. I pray I’m wrong but history repeats itself

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They haven’t showed backbone in the past when they could have passed the impeachment charges. So… I don’t have much hope. Maybe a smidgeon, maybe not even that. Pinning hopes on McConnell seems small comfort. We knew, didn’t we? Others weren’t paying attention or have the same destructive urges fueled by hate. We need some miracles to get us out of this one, because as much as I don’t want to put it in print, I believe it will get worse. Love to you all …🌎🌏

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Let's hope you are correct. I was also a little more optimistic about Thune"s election. I can't even believe that I'm relieved at that then saw news about new A.G. and ...welcome back to the bizarro world!

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You stated exactly what I wanted to say. Thank you Heather.

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I am making several appointments in my feline house community of 7 damn cats who don’t listen to any of my commands. Wild Man, the most recent entry into this cat-astrophy of a community, will become defacto leader. He has no leadership abilities other than pilfering food off Babe’s food plate every early morning feeding. If I pull him by his tail away from Babe’s plate, well, he goes wild on me and wants to claw my hand and bite me. I only took this recent addition in after a neighbor hit his close sibling. You see, Wild Man was born in my back yard just a few short years ago. And now I’ve given him control of the house above more senior cats. Ringo has been made aware of this appointment and is wondering why he wasn’t recognized for his leadership role after his alpha status several years ago after whipping Big Willie’s butt. And a sorrowful-looking Big Willie remains aloof after losing his mother. Babe will likely continue his food grab off Wild Man’s plate in spite of Wild Man’s new leadership role.

More appointments to follow. Elenor is the purring house groomer and now has a following of Muffin and Wild Man, the two feral as well as myself, another feral, as I patiently wait for Elenor to lick my hand in the middle of the night.

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I hope wild man, ringo and big willie don't stoop to the authoritarian policies of trying to mark all the territories as their own! Pissing contests among childish males, par for the course.

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Someone just vomited cleaning time. The expectations to eat forces them to spit up hairballs so they don’t vomit after eating. Where as, Donald Trump might do the opposite and vomit after eating.

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Bill, Bill I have 2 standard Poodles. They’re adolescents w the male Gabriel one mo older than Isabella. However, as we all know in the universe of dogs, females generally rule. Isabella would like to be referred to as Queen Elizabeth 1st. Gabriel as Florence nightingale. I’m thinking that the coming shakeup of the government as you metaphorically spun it out will be chock full of cat and dog tussles hopefully 🤞 leading to midterms. If the Repub dare to even touch SS…..

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I would go wild on you, too, if you pulled me by the tail, especially if I'm hurting and confused by the loss of my sibling!

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Come on over, rover. (Wink) I didn’t hurt him.

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Bill — your last name is apt. 😍

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My stage name is Catman Bill and you can find my songs on YouTube if you wish.

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Thank you, Mr. Katz😉

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I so agree -- this newsletter is my very first read every morning, followed by Joyce Vance. Both are invaluable sources. Thank you Heather.

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My sentiments exactly. I can’t watch the news anymore. Way too much toxicity. So I rely on Heather, other SS, Rachel maddow, the daily. I know, a left-leaning bubble. But I turned on Fox for a minute and it was unbearable…..

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It is time to turn off the computer......shut down the screens and hit the streets people!!!

The women are marching and the men should be there as well........Guys, do you want the Maggots to come and force your women to have or not have a kid???

This is nazi Germany knocking at your door.......they came for Roe not they are coming after everything

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You make a very important point. we must keep making our voices going.

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I absolutely agree.

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I have done exactly the same thing: I have discontinued all my news apps (kept the Financial Times only) and all my social media. Heather’s letters are my source of information. For the next few years, I’m keeping my head down and not engaging, as my mental health depends on this. The grieving is real and it’s a long process towards healing. The chaos has already started. Gaetz as AG? God help America during this terrible time.

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I agree completely, Heather. Even when HCR is delivering the same dark news as other media outlets, she brings it to us with the deeper view of an historian as well as her own pragmatic and calmer de!ivery. I can handle the bad news when she's the messenger. She will be my only source for political news for a long while. Even PBS Newshour can set me off.

I've heard that MSNBC's ratings are dropping like a rock. I'm sad to hear it, but the reason must be obvious. I hope it will survive.

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Heather Greisz, you spoke just how my heart feels. Thank you to both Heathers.

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Yes, what you said!!

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Ditto! Blessings on you every day as you help to calm.

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Check out the Jim Hightower substack. His newsletter also tells the truth, unlike the corporate media.

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“While South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham said he would be willing to agree to the appointment, other Republican senators drew a line.”

Does anyone else think that the President elect has compromat on Lyndsey Graham?

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You wrote “Does anyone else think that the President elect has compromat on Lyndsey Graham?”

I’d kick it up a notch. I’m more concerned about what kompromat Putin has on Trump.

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I thought I read that the night of the election, Russian state TV aired nude photos of Melania. So much for Orange and his close buddy, Vladimir.

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15 hrs ago·edited 15 hrs ago

Trump is not so much Putin’s friend as he is under Putin’s thumb. The Melania skinpics are just salt in his wounds, and a reminder of who is boss (i.e. not the Orange stain).

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Far from salt in sounds, Trump used to show those photos of Melania in his NY office. The man is a sleeze who has zero dignity or sense of decorum.

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That was when he was in control.

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3 hrs ago·edited 3 hrs ago

Context matters. It’s one thing to show them off to individuals in his office. It is quite another to have them made universally available on the interwebs.

Though, I agree, the man is scum.

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They've been on the Internet for years yet you'll never find Trump complaining about it. I'd be interested to know if he complains to Putin about it or he knows he's been ridiculed.

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Exactly

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Exactly. You are my bitch, Trump. For starters.

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I always thought she was his controller.

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3 hrs ago·edited 3 hrs ago

Think of the power dynamic as a situation specific pendulum.

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Do you actually think Trump cared about that? Or would say anything if he did? Anyway it looks like that marriage is running on fumes at this point. Ms. Trump apparently refused Jill Biden's invite to tea and hinted that she won't be returning to the White House. No real surprises there. She was pretty much 100% AWOL during the campaign too. I expect they will stay married in name only until his second term is over (or he kicks the bucket) and divorce papers will be filed on Jan. 21, 2029. That seems like so far away!

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Yeah, no. People said she would file divorce papers after he lost to Biden in 2020. And then he got hit with all these huge settlement claims from court cases against him. Melania may be waiting for a bigger payoff. Or maybe she, too, is under Putin’s thumb and the nude photos were a warning shot.

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After all, if she stays in NY as she plans and lives a parallel life, it’s no big deal to remain married. They’re not even in the same state.

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An eternity for us.

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What ever the pre marriage agreement was may be the only thing keeping her in place. So much for family values

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I'm sure that's true.

I hardly consider the Trumps a "family", though.

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Only in the sense of a crime family where each has dirt on the others..

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A bunch of biological incidents.

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Carole Berkoff,

I do not understand "pre marriage agreements" and may be naive but I also believe she loves their son and wants the best for him during these years while he is receiving his education....for his future.

I think what Putin did was insulting. I should have realized that Trump was displaying her pictures as a matter of manly pride with no consideration towards Melania.

Trump has not hidden who he is...and yet....he has been chosen to lead what once was the greatest nation in the world.

Putin has known all along, he has Trump "in his pocket".

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The ultimate undoing of that union will depend on the wording of the prenup, no?

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She really doesn’t care.

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If nothing else, it may be an opportunity to up the ante with an updated post-nip agreement.

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it's reported that Barron still lives in the Trump tower. Well, I guess that saves us taxpayers some $$, but I wondered if he needs mommy close by that badly.

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True.

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I'd love a clip of how Putin speaks of Trump to his staff.

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Chump and Putin want their marks obedient and painfully aware of how so much worse could happen..

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That did happen, it was reported in numerous sites, and also that the on-air personalities were either smirking or outright laughing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHe0LxOQzvM&t=311s

"Tennessee Brando" is so down to earth, it's a shame more of the hill people don't listen and follow his advice.

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that was a warning to trump, Putin has nude and worst pictures of Thump

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I've seen them. They're all over X

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Does Trump care?

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Is it just my phone or are the end of a lot of posts being disappeared? Perhaps I have been remiss in my burnt offerings to the iPhone gods?

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I agree with Kompromat Putin has on Trump. Further I think Musk along with other world autocrats trump communes with are vehicles for communicating Putin’s advice/commands. A true Manchurian candidate and we have yet to realize how bad it will be. I wish MSM and others would dig more deeply into this profile and broadcast it. Putin’s goal is to disrupt and hobble western democracies which he is achieving; this has been said many times, but I don’t think it’s forefront enough.

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Ed Guerrant,

Putin and his buddies are bringing out their treasure trove of pictures and info that should have infuriated Trump. Trump is a coward. He bows before Putin. Putin and his thugs are enjoying every minute. Trump is allowing them to continue to shame him.

This is such a "clown show". How long are we going to continue enduring these insults as Trump and gang take our beloved country away from us and our children and grandchildren!?....as we WATCH!!!!

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How long? Well at LEAST four more years as we elected him again just one week ago. At this point it is really on us not him sad to say.

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Perhaps Putin has kompromat on Trump, but I honestly doubt he needs it because Trump is his biggest fan boy anyway.

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In both cases, I think it involves young boys, possibly even dead young boys. The nudie pics were both an FU and a warning if he doesn't do as told. As the Russian security guy said, he has obligations to those who put him in power

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And you think this because? Do you have ANY evidence of this? Or are you just making it up? I really do think as much as we hate Trump we should stay away from totally ignorant speculation. If you KNOW something present the evidence. If not, better to stick with stuff that is not slanderous and unproven.

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Putin has Trump in his firm grasp and will use him when it suits him best.

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Ed, we should be very concerned by the selection of Gabbard as head of national security. We might as well have a Putin oligarch present in the Oval Office or post our intelligence online.

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Trump has already said he wants to remove requirements for security clearance to see certain "evidence". This will certainly be a clown show...

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I would love to see the photos. No. Scratch that. I definitely don’t want to see the photos. Ever.

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Ha!! Neither do I. Somewhere, Lady Lindsey may be enjoying the kindness of strangers of the type the author of that quote did, yet without the fearlessness and poetry in so doing. I wish him no harm. Yet, I do wish his J. Edgar Hoover-esque hypocrisy to be exposed

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If only he'd just go privately enjoy his peculiar tastes in power play in whatever consensual adult manner he chooses - instead of playing them out on a national stage and jeopardizing everyone and anyone else who wants to do so.

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Just be honest Lindsey...but it's gone too far. There was a time I had some respect for him...but that's long gone. He's become an evil one, just to stay in power.

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Power tends to corrupt. That's a problem.

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It happened to my ex-wife...it was amazing to watch first hand. She went from a shy and caring when elected for the first time to kiss my ring and we can talk after she served a term.

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Must have been a trip down a dark alley

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Headline: Chicken wants Fox to take charge of charge of henhouse.

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I was thinking along the lines of Jemima Puddleduck.........either works here....

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Pit pat waddle pat.

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I want to laugh, and know I shouldn't. Me thinks you have created a trifecta.

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The Sun would publish them.....and I'm not interested....as long as minors are not involved or adults who did not consent....

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I don't know how you missed them a few years ago. They were unavoidable on the internet. It seems that the MAGA still find their first lady as "classy" even in the soft-core lesbian photos--which is REALLY odd since they hate the LGTBQ+ community. Johnson came right out and said that he and his son have some kind of program to monitor their consumption of porn--I wonder how many times HE viewed those photos?

And why does he even need to be monitored?!?!

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Ellen, you must be as shell shocked as I am.....

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Yes. If not directly, he has it through Putin. Putin and Musk are friendly, as friendly as egomaniacs can be with anyone. Elon bought the White House for Trump, and attaching himself to Trump's side like a burr is a constant reminder of who Trump really works for.

I have no faith in any Republican and given the number of Democrats that voted for HR 9495 which would give Trump powers to curtail the freedom of speech and action of any social justice organization, publication he deems a "threat" we know that some Democrats are not reliable either. I am grateful that HR 9495 did not pass, and thank my Representative Jonathan Jackson for voting NO! https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9495

We are currently looking at chaos in the DOD and Intelligence community and Homeland Security, as the Jr High will be unleashed on our government thanks to Trump. When Trump first ran for office I would say to my family at dinner time, that Melania is a deep cover Russian agent, and her mission was to marry a prominent American and get him into the White House so he could destroy us from within. I would occasionally say they were a deep cover couple, or Trump was the Russian agent. While I said this in a tongue and cheek way, I know that this was based on my instincts of who they are as people.

Let us hope our weakened Democratic structures, the ones that allowed Putin to interfere with voting in multiple ways including bomb threats in polling places in swing states, can be salvaged and strengthened. Let us hope that Putin cannot gain everyone's ear with the compromat that he has on them, or on Trump. I foresee the chaos makers in the White House Office being just that, along with their Junior High MAGA buddies in Congress. At the same time, these chaos makers did not get a lot done. Musk is a proud chaos maker too, and he bought the presidency for Trump, which is why he is attached to him like a bur, always there, always sticking in his opinion.

The Democrats need to get their own social media platform and their own version of TikTok and get their messages out to the people who missed them. They have 2 years to reclaim Congress. They have to work with disaffected Republicans and former Republicans like those of the Lincoln Project to get their messaging sharp and smart to different age groups. There must be a platform that is free of oligarchs to get the messages to the people. Making it forbidden will be one way to capture the youth. Make the ages to use it 25 and up. Make it international, and invite democrats from other nations to be part of this platform. Make sure it is in multiple languages.

I still think Prof. Snyder's analogy is a good one with his 60s Sitcom called Oligarchs' Island.

https://snyder.substack.com/p/oligarchs-island

We see how things will be in the White House office. Trump will have a revolving door of people, who get in, make the contacts they want to to monetize their offices, and then get out or get fired. The US under a Matt Gaetz as AG will not be safe for women at all.

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Get rid of Rupert first of all. The old geezer is a major player as is Lachlan

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Yes. However, the younger Murdoch who has taken it over is a problem too. Maybe less of one. I also have been told that people are switching from X to Blue Sky as their social media platform.

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Heather said in one recent talk that a lack of DM on other platforms is one reason she was still on X. I don't do much social media, but I read that Bluesky introduced a DM system in May.

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And I am witness to the defection from X on my FB presence of that also. I cling to the HCR videos and of course this forum via Substack. Those of you responding here are also the mental lifeline I need. I live in a state mainly Democratic, Maryland but we need the rebuilding of the bridge destroyed essentially by Maersk cheap attitude to departing the port and the president elect will not care one whit.

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When will Bluesky replace X as an option with FB on so many platforms. Waiting…

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Robin, I don't use these sorts of social media, what is DM?

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Did Rupert win that court battle?

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I think Lindsey is doing this of his own volition. He's Grima Wormtongue personified.

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Lindsey craves the feeling of being relevant more than perhaps anything else.He attaches himself to whoever seems ascendant at the time. First he was John McCain’s groupie, and now he’s Trump’s.

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Lindsey Graham has no credibility, he is only loyal to one man. That is Trump even if he likes wearing women's clothes.

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lol, and to think what happened to him, you have to watch the extended version to get the picture there.

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Aunt Pittypat speaks.

Seriously, though. Who doesn't know Lindsay Graham is gay? Anyone?

Unless Orange has pix of Graham and large farm animals, I dunno what he could have.

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According to the rent boys who have popped up occasionally to report on Miz Lindsay's antics, he is sufficiently unattractive even when paying for their services. It's pretty clear that there is dirt on him that the Felon-Elect produced years ago to make him toe the line. Miz L would find it difficult to justify his actions to his white nationalist homophobic supporters were there to be verifiable reports, not just Washington scuttlebutt.

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I would say that most people here don't care if Graham is gay. The hypocrisy is what we care about. That being said, for some odd reason, the biggest bible thumpers have blinders on when their chosen indulge in all the deadly sins. It confounds me.

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I don't have an answer to your question but I wonder why voters in South Carolina keep reelecting this guy as their senator...

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SC voters kept electing Strom Thurmond when he had to be propped upright in a chair. Nearly every time voters have an opportunity to elect someone who cares about the common good, they elect a money grubbing sleazeball.

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Because he is their Senator. Incumbency and seniority are the TWO BIGGEST factors in Senate success. Lindsay has both. Look around and see how many incumbent Senators were not selected this year. 3 and they ALL were Democrats, 2 in deep red states (West Virginia and Montana) and the other in Pennsylvania which was down to the wire incredibly close. In a state like South Carolina, if they actually found pictures of Lindsay in lingerie, it would be passed off as a Halloween costume.

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Very unfortunate truth Jon.🥴

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Listen to the Will Saletan podcast series on the Corruption of Lindsey Graham.

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Thank you for this heads-up.

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Possibly; when asked by a reporter he answered “we’ll see.

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Yes, Ted.

How else could we explain that the former friend of John McCain and Joe Biden (I'm talking having dinner as families together type friends - loyal and loving Senate partners) became a chameleon changing colors at the whim of a man he once considered a liability for Republicans.

In 2016 Graham said. “Looking back, we should have basically kicked him out of the party.”

Asked how that would be done, the South Carolina senator suggested Republicans could have united against him like many are doing now.

“The more you know about Donald Trump, the less likely you are to vote for him. The more you know about his business enterprises, the less successful he looks. The more you know about his political giving, the less Republican he looks,” Graham said. “We should have done this months ago.”

There is a chain of "kompromat" starting with Putin on Trump and Trump on Graham.

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I think the Kompromat on Graham is as serious and most likely just as damaging, if not more so, than the kompromat the Russians have on DJT. This whole administration is now starting to put out the foulest of odors of corruption one can imagine. The republicans are due for a nasty fall sometime within the Trump administration. That's my prediction.

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Obvious as is Putin’s kompromat on chump.

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That seems to be true. He went from outright enemy to I'll disagree with you openly on some issues I care about to lap dog. Or it's just survival. When his crowd booed him...he knew he had moved outside of survival mode.

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No I think Lindsey Graham is a very weak reed who has been broken and humiliated and I have no idea why South Carolinians keep re-electing him.

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Yes-Russian money!!!

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Ted, if the rumor mill is any indication, the only "kompromat" on Graham is that he might be gay. It is only kompromat when our society makes that an issue. My wish for him is that he could find whatever internal peace he needs to be himself. That wish is the reason I will never refer to him as "Miss Lindsey".

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I hope that enough Republicans have a soul to stand up to this nonsense. Harris nailed it when she called out Trump as “not a serious man”. Never thought the very slim majority wanted to vote for a clown. Government is not a reality TV show. Thanks Heather!

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More registered voters didn't vote than voted for Trump. About a third of registered voters voted for him, even while voting for progressive ballot measures.

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Laurie, I am disappointed, pissed, aggrieved and flummoxed that eligible citizens CHOSE not to vote in such a historic election. Boggles my mind. A friend of mine, also in her 70’s has an adult daughter who mentioned that a number of her friends did not plan to vote—didn’t think it mattered. How I would love to see our country have an engaged citizenry that paid attention, sussed out accurate information and engaged in the process….and those eligible would feel it their civic duty to vote and be proud of that. I was particularly appreciative of the Mary Trump SubStack from yesterday that weighed in on the “finger pointing” by pundits on why Trump won. ‘Tis a puzzle to me. Personally, I thought the Harris/Walz campaign was excellent—it DID speak to the basics that folks are concerned about AND to future goals. I did “hear” what they were saying…I’m just gobsmacked so many others didn’t….seemed plain, simple, strong, inclusive, inspiring in a practical sort of way…..my thoughts were that I could totally get on board with their vision. Still do hold that vision, so plan to resist backsliding and persist in upholding what they showed as possible.

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I thought Harris/Walz ran an excellent campaign too. They talked about things that were relevant and didn't waste their time whining about their grievances. But, as we have seen on 11/5, it is very difficult to battle the lies that Voldemort and his cadre of criminals have been spouting over the last 9 years. I have left FB (except for posting the HCR letters) but before I left, I saw a good meme.. "She has to be flawless and he gets to be lawless". Sadly, it seems that they will do their level best to take lawless to a whole new level.

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The press double standard kinda baffled me, even some of the press that is not a billionaire's plaything.

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You are so right. They Followed Rupert down the Fox hole. I’m old enough to remember when WaPo put it all on the line to dig and seek the truth. There is plenty still hidden, and few diggers

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Not everyone at Wapo wanted the editorial staff who arrived from the chaff of the UK papers afraid of libel to buck Trump. There are still people who stood for truth there. That HUGH HEWITT got his panties in a twist and left shows there are still people there who won't put up with his hate nonsense. The NYT has its people like Brooks who walks a fine line most of the time. I'm not canceling since it's our local paper of sorts and the people who support the running of the paper will lose jobs when they had nothing to do with the political stance bothers me.

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I cancelled my WAPO subscription many months ago and pick through the insulting “influencer” style junk in my NYT subscription to read the few insightful writers still found there.

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Sorry this is again nonsense. The NYT was hugely critical of Trump. People just didn't care. Don't blame the media for the failures of the voters. Not a single paper, not even the grotesque pro Trump papers missed his threats to deport 10 million illegal immigrants or his threats to imprison Biden's entire animated of they can get away with it. Those things were reported widely.

PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T CARE!

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I don't agree the NYT was hugely critical of Trump. Perhaps an opinion piece here or there, but overall they published five or six times as many stories about Trump than Biden and Harris. And they expected the reader to draw their own conclusions about the veracity of Trump's BS.

But for Biden, they harped on his age and urged him to resigned as long as two and a half years ago,

Trump shows clear signs of dementia plus he's a narcissistic autocrat and the NYTimes said very little about it.

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I think an important factor is being missed. P.T. Barnum, a promoter and con artist prototype for Trump, is credited with saying, "There's no such thing as bad publicity."

Donald has benefitted from the free publicity he's received from all corporate media during all three of his presidential runs. Whether the coverage was positive or negative didn't matter to him. The point was to get his name in front of the public non-stop. In fact, he made outrageous statements and acted inappropriately, just to grab headlines.

WaPo was especially cooperative in this. Even when they ran stories about Harris/Walz, the headline writers managed to include Trump's name.

The constant drumbeat has an effect on low-information voters. Positive coverage makes them feel good about Trump and negative coverage makes them believe he's being persecuted "just like Jesus." That's a win-win for Trump.

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On deportation, don't a slight majority of Americans favor that?

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Jon-Why didn’t they care? What is it that they do care about?

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Women always have a higher hill to climb, in heels.

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I have met several seniors that believe that Trump has never told a lie. Think about that! There is video of Trump lying over and over, but these ostrich people refuse the hear any of it.

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"Ostrich people". Good one.

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I can't decide if Trump is "he who must not be named" or if Musk is.

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Or both…..I hope they both get the royal flush into the toilet of history.

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Fifteen times.

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I wouldn't hold my breath. You will be without air for a very long time.

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I’d go back in fantasy lit and try fitting Musk-and-Thiel as Sauron, Vance as the Mouthpiece of Sauron, and Trump as Saruman. The Heritage Foundation can be Ringwraiths.

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Oh lord, more Tolkien references LOL! Please stop. You are trivializing something that is deadly serious.

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Nah. Saruman was deviously intelligent, the orange blob can’t even speak a coherent sentence. You’re right about Vance, though: hevis just a mouthpiece.

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Both are vile cretins with destruction as the agenda and “crap on all men are created equal” as their mantra.

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I think they are interchangeable.

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Folks don’t understand that the very basis of Democracy IS the vote. Without it there is NO Democracy. This must be thorougly explained in schools, including universities.

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There is no SAT for wisdom. I doubt there ever could be; but we can be taught to pay more attention to stuff that matters. And sooner or later stuff happens that really matters.

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Folks DO understand but they just don't care. Moreover the Democratic party screwed themselves (Biden has full responsibility for that blunder) and their constituents. Harris did the best she could in the situation she was in but it was a losing situation from the get go. Biden would have lost by far more votes. He just had his head stuck in the sand (quite common with long term politicians... look at the late Diane Feinstein as a relevant example... she was in pretty much the same shape as Strom Thurmond was late in his career yet persisted in running again).

I am a strong advocate for age limits on Senators and Congress critters (not term limits, if you are 35 and want to run for 15 Congress terms, go for it, just not after age 75 or 80 at the latest). I realize this would hurt a few peyote like Bernie Sanders who appears pretty healthy at 83 but by and large most of them at that age need to be turned out to pasture. Yes, even my own Congress critter Nancy Pelosi.

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Good point, but sometimes, age does equate to wisdom. Some good examples in this group. Wish Dems would mentor younger people instead of some younger ones barreling in like they know everything.

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I understand that age and wisdom are not necessarily related and that arbitrary rules can exclude good people. But we already have arbitrary rules (minimum age rules for elected federal officers etc) the purpose of a rule isn't perfection but rather to minimize the potential for damage. Would a maximum age man a few awesome elders would have to retire? Sure but it might insure that some really terrible elders are kept out of office. I'd trade the former for the latter in a heartbeat.

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I spoke to several young people in the past month or so who are Dems but said they and their friends could not vote for Biden or Harris because of Biden’s stance on Israel and Gaza. And considering the number of Palestinians living in the US, that might total another group of people not voting Dem for Pres. even if they did not vote for Trump. And there are others, from both parties who cannot bring themselves to vote for a women, and others that say absolutely not to a Black woman. So it is not just dumb or naive or not caring people who voted for Trump, or didn’t vote for Harris.

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14 hrs ago·edited 14 hrs ago

Well, those "taking a stand" and not voting for Biden because of all the tragic issues in Gaza will now discover that Trump will be much harsher in his treatment of that region. Plus now instead of someone who wanted to lead with compassion & joy, we now have an unfolding nightmare. I hope those "taking a stand" will see how meaningless their position was.

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These “caring people” apparently never have a moment when logic is a factor in their actions. Netanyahu has free rein now, good work fools.

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He pretty much ended up having a "free reign" anyway. Biden's efforts to have bb practice some restrain have been an exercise in futility. He HAD to pull back on military support.

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That's another thing. Putin has killed or wounded way over half-a-million of his OWN people. He has damaged the Russian economy for decades to come. Trump's little Johnson with held American aid for over 6 months from Ukraine and yet the Middle East was way more important to young people than the war crimes committed by Ukraine. And who started the war in Israel with an attack on civilians.

My heart aches for the millions of innocents including Palestinians, Iranians, Israelis, Ukranians and even Russians. But Trump got a total pass on Israel and Ukraine when he set up both of these wars during his previous Presidency.

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I have been very unhappy with the Biden Administrations approach to mass killings in Palestine, but allowing Trump to win will make it better? We the People need to think in terms of outcomes.

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There is NO, NOT ONE situation that Trump will make better. In fact, he will make everything worse.

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Ye think??

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You went on too long there JL.

"We the people need to think. " Period.

Enough said but sadly not likely to change much.

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Sexism, racism, and idiocy.

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Im inclined to agree, as opposed to just not caring, per Jon. There was a turning away. AOC put a lot of it down to "the economy" with Harris, which i find not believable, but I think that the Republicans outperform on the economy vs Dems is more myth than anything.

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Well, Frank, there is the repeated history of Dems coming in to clean up the financial/economic foibles of the Repubs…you’d think folks would catch on.

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The empirical record of Dems vs Gop doesn't support the myth at all, from what i can tell.

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Yeah, all that too has been in my awareness (HRC being the first example)….but the Israel/Palestine issue is confusing to me….not understanding the implications of not voting, or voting for TFFFG & what that would really mean. However severe the impacts are, I hope there are lessons learned here.

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Fox will spin the lessons into schitt yarn.

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I wonder, most American Arabs/Palestinians voted against Harris, for Trump.

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Yeah, Frank, that’s what’s been indicated—wonder if it’s really true. If so, how could they not know TFFFG wouldn’t give a sh*t about the Palestinians…..confirmed, now, by appointing Huckabee ambassador to Israel. I wonder, too, how Harris/Walz might have had a different approach to Israel than the current admin, it being (I imagine) difficult to speak of such during the campaign with Harris being the sitting VP.

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People who didn't show up to vote just don't realize the consequences until it is too late. They just don't take voting seriously. The same thing happened in midterm elections in 2022. This why the Republicans controlled the house and all hell broke lose. If Democrats would of held control of both houses , Trump would of been in prison. This is why elections are so damn important. People are just ignorant and stupid.

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Well that's likely true but please don't let Joe or Merrick off the hook.

If Garland hadn't been the lazy ass AG that he proved to be, the Jan 6 case would have started at least 1 year earlier and we might not be here.

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I don't think Garland was a "lazy ass" as much as he looked at everything the way a judge does rather than as a prosecutor must. It was a complete abdication of his duty as an AG, and the re-election of tfg is 100% his responsibility. The 🍊💩 should be in prison, not the White House.

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Agree Ally, and he likely would have been appointed by Obama to SCOTUS, a role he was much more suited for, had it not been for McConnell the Hypocrite.

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Ally of course that description was mostly intended for humor. I actually supported Garland for SCOTUS but as AG you are 100% correct he didn't do his job and the country will now pay for it. I am not sure I give him 100% of the blame because he was Biden's selection and as Truman said "the buck stops here" (with the President). But otherwise you are spot on.

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Churchill was right. Chump will fix it. He is living proof that “the idiotic people” are better than a crazy leader. Catastrophic when we have both.

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1/3 or more of the electorate generally don't turn out. Been true since before i was kid 70 years ago

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Yeah, Frank, same as it ever was. Still, I hope for us to do better. Sigh.

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I have a good friend from college days who in the last week openly was proud of her stand to not vote for either...because her vote was "sacred" to her. I tried to get through...but it went nowhere. I wrote a substack titled "tealeaves" because of her....and she reads tarot cards...

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A lot more people are likely to suffer because MAGA won. What kind of sacred is that? It has been said that all that is necessary for evil to triumph in the world is for people of good will to do nothing.

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The truest statement ever made…

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That is exactly what happened.

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JL I tried VERY hard to get that point across. She wasn't hearing it...getting it...I don't know... and this is a person who is usually very open...very tolerant of all people...I'm mystified that she would not make a choice.

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Excellent observation JL. Thank you.

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^^^THIS^^^

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Proud imbecility just = weaponized imbecility. Hope the moron enjoys the destruction derby

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"I think of voting as a chess move, not a Valentine" Rebecca Solnit

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Very good quote. There's very few I've really thought were totally wonderful.

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Yes, WHAT happened is plain. Biden received 81,000,000 votes in 2020, Trump 74,000.000. Harris received 71,000,000 votes in 2024, Trump 75,000,000. Trump didn't pick up any Harris voters, 10,000,000 of them chose to stay home.

As to WHY that happened, that will eventually get sussed out. Otherwise the Democratic party, no matter how able and disciplined, will remain the red-headed stepchild of American politics. For now, all the Monday morning quarterbacks in the media and elsewhere don't seem to have a clue, and our best pollsters got it wrong - again.

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Excellent comment, Barbara.

In Australia, voting is required. I believe there is a small fine. But it sets a tone. Like you pay taxes, you drink water, you eat, you vote - all just expected.

Here from gov.au:

"Australia has one of the highest voter turnouts in the world. Since voting became compulsory in 1924, over 90 percent of those registered have voted in every federal election. Compulsory voting means every eligible Australian citizen (18 years or older) is required by law to enrol and vote. For more information about elections, visit the Australian Electoral Commission website."

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In the US the response would be “I ain’t gonna and you can’t make me.” What, about age 3

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Oppositional defiant toddler.

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Oooooooh….just like our President-elect!

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Exactly

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Based on a chart that said it was the group 45-64 who either voted for the chump or stayed home I am appalled. The children of BOOMERS! THEY really let us down. They are the same age spread as Harris Walz too. My own daughter is part of the group by age but quaking for the lives of her children. And because of her husband's job living in the misery of Ohio, for now.

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I'm with you, Barbara! And would like to add dismayed, discouraged, appalled, frightened, and disgusted to your first sentence.

Our local Indivisible group will likely renew its focus on engaging and educating citizens - Civics 101 for all ages. Our county turnout is usually in the mid-60%, one of the highest turnouts in Oregon. Americans are throwing away democracy - it's mind-boggling.

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It all depends on your sources of information. I believe that a large percentage of Trump voters had no idea of what they were voting for. We’ll see when he shows his hand and they finally realize what they have done.

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They didn’t figure it out the last time. So many of his base think Trump is a good businessman. 6 bankruptcies + driving casinos into the ground=good businessman? Go figure!

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The Apprentice has a lot to answer for.

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Yeah, but Jenn, he has a GOLD TOILET!!! Ya just can’t beat the admiration of that! And all those buildings with his name on it in BIG letters too!!! He must be a Magic Man!!!

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The “principled” ignorant young, have screwed us all, including themselves.

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Many registered voters were not given the oppty to vote … another issue for another day

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13 hrs ago·edited 9 hrs ago

In Texas and other states, repubs spent four years passing “voter integrity” laws designed for suppression, and every dirty trick imaginable. People have no idea how much of an impact that “big fish in little ponds” have. Repubs know..,

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While this is probably true it certainly did NOT effect the outcome of the election. Harris got 9 MILLION fewer votes than Biden. I don't care what analysis you make, that loss of votes and the election had virtually nothing to do with voter suppression. It was a minor blip if anything.

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There’s a lot of voters who are brown & black in all the southern states including Texas which I don’t think refers to itself as a southern… tho of course it is in the deepest south…

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In deep schitt at present.

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Yes, I have been holding this information in mind, and it does make me think of the old saying, "what if they had a war and nobody came."

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I tried to like

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That is really a shame because this was a critical election for our freedom and our Democracy.

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Dems warned, repubs threw schitt on the warnings.

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Again don't be misled. I am not suggesting voter suppression didn't happen in places but NINE MILLION votes? That would be amazing! Most of those votes were lost because of things the Democrats did to themselves, not voter suppression.

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Like having the audacity to run a woman of color? The two most qualified presidential candidates of my lifetime were a former Senator, Sec State, and First Lady and a former DA, State Attorney General, Senator, and Vice President. Both were women.

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Oh c'mon Ally I hope you know that it has nothing to do with nominating a woman of color. It has to do with Biden refusal to do what he promised letting his own arrogance and thirst for power take over his political brain.

No in fact I was committed to Harris from the start. I voted for her many times as District Attorney in San Francisco, as California AG, as Senator and as Vp (and as president too).

I just wanted to try to set the record straight.

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She was my choice in 2020. This country is not ready for a woman president. Period.

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Don’t blame the Dems. After watching a convicted felon incite an insurrection, indulge in all manner of grift, be granted immunity and dominate the public square they see the system as corrupt. They don’t think their vote will matter.

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It was the Dems who didn't vote. So who DO you blame? The GOP for running a candidate who appealed to more voters? Seriously? I mean you can hate the result, that is fair. But hard to blame the people who did what THEY thought was right even if we disagree on that.

No this loss is absolutely on the people who didn't vote and on Joe Biden for being so egotistical that he couldn't get out of the way in time to at least give the Dems a fair shake at a fair election. And for that, he dashed much of his own n legacy because in the end they mostly remember your mistakes not your successes and Biden's mistakes were doozies.

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AOC for example was a split ticket vote

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Really? She voted for Trump? That would shock me. Maybe for Jill Stein? I didn't hear about this, love to hear more.

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And if she DID vote for Stein, then as a Democrat she had to take some share of the responsibility too (although New York was a "safe" state to register a protest vote unlike say Pennsylvania. )

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That would not be soul, it would be cojones, guts, a spine of some sort. All of which have been lacking in the GOP for many decades (I'll grant an exception in John McCain). The Republicans had a chance to do the right thing when T**** was impeached, twice, no less. They could have voted to convict him. And we would not be facing this disaster today. I fault them, largely in the person of Mitch McConnell, an even larger evil than the orange menace himself, for making T****'s candidacy possible. They, those esteemed members of the 'law and order' party, let us down. And will forever bear the deserved shame of cowardice.

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Trump and Musk are the fruit of Reaganomics.

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What Reagan (succumbing to the delusions of Uncle Miltie) degenerated to where we find ourselves now, namely living through the plot of The Lord of the Flies but with little hope of rescue in the end.

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We have less than 24 months to begin to take our country back and that means our party’s leaders - both in and out of government - had better get their act together and work - not just harder - mostly smarter!!!

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That's never been the problem. The problem is Americans like carny shows over reality and sleeping in rather than getting out and voting. There also is this baked in problem of misogyny and racism. Too many think voting is an option, not a necessity.

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Voting, and due diligence in doing so is entirely necessary, if government of the people, by the people, for the people, is not to perish from the earth.

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You are so right, let somebody else do it.

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I agree. However, that do to their ignorance and stupidity behavior. There is just no justification for it.

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They and us. Grassroots organizations like Indivisible and Swing Left are organizing now for 2025 and 2026.

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https://indivisible.org/

Mega-zoom on 11/13/24: Worth Fighting For: Indivisible’s Strategy for Fighting Trump 2.0

https://www.youtube.com/live/db-Pvqa5SQE?si=P8vf7lPUf2xhkErA

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I am out of energy and money.

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You mean government WASN'T a reality TV show.

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16 hrs ago·edited 16 hrs ago

Of course if this horrible reality WAS a TV show, nobody would watch, as there are no likable characters. Where is James Bond when we need him?

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I'd settle for an informed electorate.

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It's a circus of clowns who are incompetent and no nothing about governing. That is the danger to the American people and this country.

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It has become a clown show thanks to dishonest media. They will sell the body and soul of the US for a quick buck. Until that is cured we will be in a treacherous state.

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It's certainly not, but TeeVee makes it into one; and now the 'Net. That and some vested financial interests.

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Electing Thule seems as a small gesture towards decency. I think they won’t cross him much. Haven’t in the past. Even though he won’t be held accountable, he still committed treason on January 6 and not one Senator had the balls to make sure he suffered any consequences. As an aside, I think it’s funny Mel is rejecting the First Lady gig!!

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"I hope enough Republicans have a soul... "

ROTFLMAO!

To quote Rob Reiner's mother from When Harry Met Sally. "I want what he's having!"

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While I agree with you, I also think resting our hope on the integrity of Republicans might not be fruitful. But they might, maybe this time, protect their own power. Let’s hope so. What an appalling cabinet.

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Earlier today I made mention of having “less than 24 months to begin to take our country back…”. However, I think that it is much better to say “bring” our country back…!!!

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Do you think the fact that the Democratic candidate was a woman of color played a part in the outcome of the election? A substantial part of our population is racist, sexist or both and that includes a lot of Democrats. I think these facts and the voter suppression laws you referred to caused the greater part of the difference between the Biden/Harris

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16 hrs ago·edited 16 hrs ago

With more than a dash of mis- and disinformation tossed into the witches brew of American politics under the perhaps lethal influence of social media.

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Many of you probably just received this email from "The Guardian"

Yesterday we announced that we will no longer post on any official Guardian editorial accounts on the social media site X (formerly Twitter). We think that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources could be better used promoting our content elsewhere.

This is something we have been considering for a while given the often disturbing content promoted or found on the platform. The US presidential election campaign served only to underline what we have considered for a long time: that X is a toxic media platform and that its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.

X users will still be able to share our articles, and the nature of live news reporting means we will still occasionally embed content from X within our article pages.

Our reporters will also be able to carry on using the site for newsgathering purposes, just as they use other social networks in which we don’t officially engage.

Social media can be an important tool for news organisations and help us to reach new audiences but, at this point, X now plays a diminished role in promoting our work. Our journalism is available and open to all on our website and we would prefer people to come to theguardian.com and support our work there. You can also enjoy our journalism on the Guardian app and discover new pieces via our brilliant set of regular newsletters.

Thankfully, we can do this because our business model doesn’t rely on viral content tailored to the whims of the social media giants’ algorithms – instead we’re funded directly by our readers.

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Heather said in one recent Politics chat on FB that a lack of DM on other platforms is one reason she was still on X. I don't do much social media, but I read that Bluesky introduced a DM system in May. It sounds as though a lot of people are switching post election.

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Social media and podcasters (Rogan).

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Bingo. Both are like unchecked rumors in steroids.

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The people who elected the convicted felon only watch and listen to right wing media and social media. Fox, Rogan, truth social, newsmax, twitter, etc. all repeat rumors, advance conspiracy theories, etc. They all support the sexism, bigotry and misogyny of those who voted for the felon. The spineless, wish washy members of Congress are out for themselves and not their constituents. They don’t challenge the lies or the absurd theories that the right wing nuts consume. There was plenty of fodder on the campaign trail and they were silent. They bend the knee and kiss the ring. The GOP will be complicit and responsible for the downfall of this country. All the folks who voted for the felon will eventually be screaming…not in MY backyard or some version of that as they lose their benefits and freedoms.

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Ed-Mis and dis information focused on Haitians eating pets, drag queens and trans people changing children’s gender in schools while Kamala championed sex changes. Don’t forget Trump’s “beautiful white skin”. Racism and sexism at their best.

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Absolutely. Listen, patriarchy for one is the ground floor. It has been with us for thousands of years and has taught all of us that women are secondary when that couldn’t be farther from the truth. It has been a war system of extraction and domination that nature is now showing us the limits of. We need to move beyond a patriarchal system or we’re out a here. It will resolve our issues with white supremacy and climate. It is core and key…..

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I find it interesting that women, and women of color moved away from Harris compared to Biden in 2020. It is hard not to blame it on sexism and race, when trump seems such a hateful blowhard, and Harris so reasonable, but i have read some good arguments that point to failed messaging to the middle and working class. Class being more of a driver than race/identity politics. the dems were easily painted as more concerned with "WOKE" politics than the wellbeing of the majority of working regular Americans. Especially Black and Latino voters. at the end of the day, repubs got the message out that more people wanted to hear. Even if it was all bullshit! Tough pill to swallow...

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Sean~ we have created a country more focused on Fantasy Football and fast food burgers than real existence. The Caesars were right, all you need is Bread & the Games to mollify the peasants.

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Class is absolutely the key! Dems constantly say “middle class”. (most of whom are still busy doing kitchen renos). They may once in awhile say “working class”. But the word “poor”, no.

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My husband and I kept saying the same. “Middle class” leaves out a whole bunch of the electorate.

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It has seemed to me that Democrats have failed, so far as I have noticed, to articulate what a better society would look like. Not just initiative, some of which have been great but under-appreciated. The working poor have yet to connect the dots to who and how their economic progress was arrested, and what it would take to give them a break. Reaganomics tilted the table toward billionaires, diverting money away from Main St., and towards Wall St. That should be obvious, but so far it is not.

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13 hrs ago·edited 13 hrs ago

Dems have a messaging problem, always have. But Joe and Kamala worked their arses off to help the ones needing it most. No good deed goes unpunished, it seems

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Annie-except for Black people who are middle class, poor and working class voters who know tyranny when they see (and experience) it.

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Perfect storm of Schitt propaganda. Goebbels al, the way.,,

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Sean-In the environment created around this election “woke” means Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Who wants that? Even Black and Latino voters just want to be part of the “in crowd”.

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Well, it was obvious. When chump started whining about Joe dropping out, the propaganda machine started the racism, sexism blather and chump started entertaining. An inquiring mind could probably pin it down to the day. Fox is not subtle.

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It's complicated but I don't doubt that sexism played a major part. It's just weird. Even in stodgy old England (among other places) they were ruled by a queen back when kings and queens were rulers, and the USA yet to become. Many nations have put women in their highest office. Strange that in "The Land of the Free", that seems a stretch for many.

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Most hated words in founding documents “all men are created equal.”

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The facts of this election.

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Absolutely I do. And I think her being a woman was a bigger issue than her being of color.

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Absolutely agree.

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Hegseth has a large iron cross tattooed on his chest. He is an avowed White Supremacist and was invited to leave the National Guard because of his White Supremacist statements and affiliations. He has claimed the iron cross on his chest is because he is a "Christian". He is a sadistic psychopath who used the military to act out his pathology and got pushed out because of it.

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That’s just “great”. Our top military must have ETHICS and “self control”.

I live around “angry white men”. They are NOT the what this country - with the weapons we have at our disposal - should ever have at the higher, much less “highest levels” of decision making for the American military.

What seems “interesting”/ “strong” as a “fighter” is not necessarily a strategist. The Secretary of Defense should be a strategically astute and have an understanding of the Military bureaucracy.

Without an understanding of the military bureaucracy - how can the Secretary of Defense make meaningful decisions regarding effective use of resources????

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As an Apache raised with Traditional Skills, Ethics, and Warriorship... I am appalled that a person, who was a Junior Officer, and an Advocate for a War Criminal that shot a young girl in such a manner so as she would die a slow agonizing death, would be appointed SecDef... Ethics, Humanity, seems to be Foreign Concepts to DJT, and Hegseth...

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Given Trump's statements of intent to use the military against citizens who dare to protest, you have described the perfect candidate who would carry that out. And the Supremely Corrupt have already given unqualified immunity to Trump should he give that order.

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This one is even more alarming than inappropriate.

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All are alarming, to the max

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And an quick capability with all computer programs

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How times change....I opposed the military in the streets during Viet Nam....now I realize it is the only organization in this country that can save the democracy and the republic....still looking for the American Cincinnatus.

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Never thought we could ever be wishing for a military coup in the USA. The unthinkably absurd now has entered the realm of possibility.

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Got any links to data supporting those claims? I don’t necessarily disbelieve them, but evidence would be more convincing.

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In listening to tonight‘s news, reporting that Trump is trying to get the Senate to go and to recess so that they do not have to approve of his nominees, Trump is already acting as a fee represents 100% of the people instead of just winning by slightly over halfand that the other half have a right to have their rights and opinions collaboratively included in decision-making. And so it is very important that the Senate have role and approving or disapproving of his nominees.

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Can chump still command the weasels. He wants forgiveness rather than permission

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But is that in the master plan?

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Regardless of who he appoints to important positions, Trump will remain focused on what he stands to gain in power, dominance, and wealth. Middle East policy: where can he build ocean-side resorts (Gaza) and luxury hotels (most Arab countries) and increase Jared Kushner's investment fund (Saudi Arabia). Education: where can he revive Trump University and establish private schools owned by the Trump Organization. Defense: which of his donors needs contracts so they can donate more to himself. NATO: which allies will allow for Trump properties, hotels, and profitable development?

How many people, including Members of Commerce and donors, and countries can he get to cave to him? How many people can he threaten with the IRS and the DOJ? Will his kids start fighting among themselves, if they're not already, to ensure their inheritance?

On a happier note, Indivisible.org is up and running with a new Indivisible Guide for Trump 2.0. Check out an Indivisible group near year - or start one yourself. Onward!

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DJT is Rapidly Declining... DJT will not last long enough to do all that... I wonder how the fight among his Successors will go?.... I hope that We all don't become Collateral Casualties...

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Thank you for this info! 🤗🇺🇸

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Laurie, thanks for the link to 2.0.

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If Elon Musk were to donate $200 billion to help pay off the national debt that would immediately reduce what we owe by 10%. That is the best way he could help us all. And he would still have $100 billion to play with.

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But just imagine what the slime would want in return.

On second thought, no, I don’t want to imagine that!

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He would never.

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What were the republican senators/others expecting? It is hard to believe they didn't know who they were supporting. It's hard to believe they didn't know this election was between those who want to destroy the country and those who wanted to govern. This is the way destruction works, boy and girls. Stop posturing for future historians.

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It’s where a

the purse strings are… held by The South African interloper

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14 hrs ago·edited 14 hrs ago

...and AIPAC. Both cartel parties seemed falling all over themselves in their efforts to hand over governance of our citizens to Bibi Netanyahu. It's one thing to give him weapons but quite another to give him a voice in advocating for employing violence against our college age children protesting a genocide. He was not content with the weapons--he wanted the power to have dissent silenced, and not one politician had the courage to call him out for it. Is there any historical precedent in our U.S. history?

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Heather, your letter tonight has come out earlier than usual; I hope that means you can catch up on some sleep.

Some chilling thoughts here! And a few giving us hope . We need every bit of hope we can find to fuel the determination to act.

Thank you for finding bits of hope in the chaos.

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Dear Heather, I worry that you’ll be a target for Matt Gaetz.

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We're all targets for Gaetz and Trump.

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And Putin, Laurie?

And the Iranian mullahs? Xi and his cadres? Kim? Mohammed bin Salman? Netanyahu? Orban? Assad? Erdogan? Sisi? Modi? The U.S.'s Clarence court and all its dark money billionaires, their social media algorithms for both "Christian" nationalism and for fascism?

Do any of them value a free press? Democracies? Or free women?

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Don't worry, Heather. You're over the age of consent....not really Matt's type.

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This is the first time I have seen someone admit that Trump won because of voter suppression. HCR is exactly right. All the pundits reasons added other factors but the drop in voting numbers happened because perople couldnt vote.

Trump's cabinet picks will delight comedians and cartoonists for the next two months. After that they will be in jail if Trump has his way. The courts will be busy for sure.

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Greg Palast has a new documentary out, Allen, exactly on the vast voter suppression.

You can find it by entering Greg's name and key words vigilante and hit man into your search engine.

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I started to watch it. Thanks

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So true, Texas led the way.

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Texas and Florida

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Yep, we have the cream of the monsters

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It's a sad day when a good sign is that horrible people are horrified by people who are more horrible.

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Well said

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Thank you!

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"Trump has made it clear that his goal for a second term is to toss overboard the rule of law and the international rules-based order"

Yup - he doesn't understand either. Let's be honest. This is a deeply stupid man. And a lot of the folks that voted for him aren't very bright either.

So how do we win back the stupid young men? We go low.

We rip Trump and MAGA folks on the lowest levels. They have no balls. They're enemies of America. They're cucks.

Secondly --- class warfare. Play up Elon Mush and Jeff Bezos. They stole money from you. Let's take it back.

It's so obvious.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and half of them are more stupid than that!

-Carlin

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Love Carlin

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Watching aLOT of Carlin reruns lately.

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Dems needed him for a spokesmodel

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The only way to win back white men, especially working-class, white men, is to adopt as a primary goal their top priority, which is preserving the systemic advantages of white men, but we can’t adopt that goal because it’s an anathema to decent human beings. The louts have taken over. They won’t relinquish power unless they are forced to release it. Hard to imagine where such force could come from.

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Trump’s mental decline is going to continue. The election isn’t going to arrest or reverse it. The clown show now establishing itself in the nation’s capital can only go from the ridiculous to the sublime as the head clown descends deeper and deeper into dementia.

I think eventually Elon Musk will discover what every other person who has thrown in with Trump has discovered; profound regret.

Lately I have remembered a quote from Winston Churchill. “You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing, after they have tried everything else.”

We’re about to get a big dose of everything else.

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Unfortunately Trump is the useful idiot and others are pulling the strings of power. Much like Reagan and Bush jr. he is stupid and malleable. The real power is the oligarchy and they are beginning to show their hand. They will prop up Trump as long as he can say and do as he is told.

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Many people thought they could control Trump. The only one who has succeeded in keeping it, so far, is Putin.

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Thanks for tonight's Letter. You have lifted my spirit with the dim possibility that Trump may have pushed for WAY too much with some of the nominees-in-waiting that he proposed (eg, Matt Gaetz) and that some of the non-MAGA Republicans may have reached the push-back point, at least with secret ballots. - It appears that John Thune will likely NOT be willing to grant Trump the recess appointments he wants (in order to assert his dominance over the GOP), rather, he favors going the traditional Senate confirmation process. (https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/13/south-dakota-senator-john-thune-says-recess-appointments-still-an-option-for-trump-cabinet/76265376007/)

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Page not found

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Bob, try again—it may have been overloaded.

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404 page not found. After repeated attempts.

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Definitely there mate.

https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/13/south-dakota-senator-john-thune-says-recess-appointments-still-an-option-for-trump-cabinet/76265376007/

In case that super long link is being troublesome, (turnovers can be a tripping hazard) I made this bitly shortened link.

https://bit.ly/3CtIxfp

All the best.

R

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Thanks. Your link worked. The original link still doesn't work for me.

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