Today, what appears to have been a Russian-made missile fell into eastern Poland near Ukraine, killing two civilians. Poland is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an organization formed in 1949 to stand against the expansion of the Soviet Union and now standing against the expansion of Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
Journalistically speaking, this is a save-it-for-posterity opening for a story: “Donald Trump, who tried to overthrow the results of the 2020 presidential election and inspired a deadly riot at the Capitol in a desperate attempt to keep himself in power, announced he is running again for president in 2024.”
Nothing but the facts. Hats off to Domenico Montanaro of NPR.
Domenico Montanaro of NPR indicated that Trump might not enjoy the same uncritical coverage he received in 2016 when he began his story on the announcement: “Donald Trump, who tried to overthrow the results of the 2020 presidential election and inspired a deadly riot at the Capitol in a desperate attempt to keep himself in power, announced he is running again for president in 2024.”
INSPIRED A DEADLY RIOT? 🤡💩🎃 planned and controlled an hours-long deadly coup against the government and his own vice-president in a desperate attempt to keep himself in office and avoid jail, announced he is running again for president in 2024. The January 6th Committee has proved beyond a doubt that he is a treasonous piece of pond scum.
I love how the hearings were organized rather like legal briefs. (Not quite, but organizationally they were similar. Got my 880 page J6 book on preorder. 12th Night (Dec 6) is coming.
Damn, I could have sworn that I have been subjected to hours of testimony to that effect. And he claims to have been the driver of the evil; not convicted but guilty as sin in my eyes
The new frontrunner for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in 2024 is a suspected criminal."
Can we all agree that he did nothing for hours during the riot? Anyone who watched it on tv OR WAS AT THE CAPITOL knows this. People have been thrown in jail for much less.
Interesting quote by tfg stating that our country is in “grave trouble” since he’s the reason for the severe divisiveness 🙄. Don’t forget...he wanted to withdraw the USA from NATO. Can you imagine what our world would look like if he succeeded?
His “go to” has always been to blame someone/something else. How many times does he have to tell us that…. My mama would have taken us to the woodshed.
Thought Experiment: Trump withdraws us from NATO, Putin invades Ukraine which gets no help from USA-Trump, Europe is in disarray without us in NATO and Putin starts to steam roll small Eastern European members of NATO after subjugating Ukraine. Was that the Putin-Trump plan that Biden derailed? LOL Putin probably regrets not spending more money backing Trump!?!
Let's hope that that means that all of mainstream media will not be showing us FPOTUS all day every day as they did in the past. I'd like to be able to watch television news without seeing his face or hearing his voice from now until 2024—or, actually, ever again.
As I have said for seven years, if you do not feed a narcissist with grandiose attention, their giant, victimized ego soon shrivels and dries up, a quivering little raisin moping in the corner. Duck l'orange's corner need to be an 8x10 prison cell—for life. No mirror. He will not last long and leave the world a saner place. But the GQP will have to decide if they want wacko authoritarians or an actual functional democracy, which appears right now that they just want to be the all powerful, top, rich, white supremacist, misogynist guys and keep the status quo of colonization. I don't think so...misters, and a few even more bizarre misses. I cannot even fathom what Clarence Thomas or Hershel Walker think. Appears to me, like hostages, they identify with their white captors, clueless of their modern enslavement.
Those were my thoughts exactly. That whiny voice makes me want to puke. We were watching a basketball game and only saw written accounts of his announcement as breaking news. Didn't read any of them. We have stayed away from national news for at least a week and may continue that until they at least get past his running for 2024. And I hope they do.
Mim, 1,000%! I cancelled Dish, effective 11/22 in case the election went violent or something. I don't want to hear or see tfg ever again either. Prefer to read what I need to know on SubStack or print media. We'll see how long I last.... Thanks!
'PALM BEACH (The Borowitz Report)—Stating that “no one’s ever done this before,” Donald J. Trump announced plans to be impeached for a historic third time.'
'Speaking to supporters in a ballroom at Mar-a-Lago, the former President claimed that he and only he could bring impeachable offenses back to the White House.' (Satire, NewYorker)
And I can't wait for SNL to skewer him with its take on "Anybody remember Angela Merkel?" The pathetic way he focuses on the pronunciation of " Angela" as if it's a dirty word.
MaryB, I emailed a friend, a translator and poet, deeply knowledgeable about drama and history, asking him who created DJT. The former president arrived to punish us and burn the country down. Could he be a concoction of Putin's or whomever created Putin? Finally, I think we so-called 'normal' people, particularly. the young ones among us. have caught the ogre. Watching the monster decompose; that will be a show!
Decomposition is definitely apparent right now. An ugly but long-anticipated and well-deserved fate. It's hard to watch, and I wish I could look away. Soon we all can and should!
MaryB, I thought he'd be caught within two years of his presidency. I've been waiting for him to go naked, screaming into the dark night longer than most. As an avid audience member for the coming spectacular, I am eager to see it happen
The monster and his party. Party is a joke. His crooked pals, also elected by the unfortunate voters who do not understand they not only vote for TFG and yesterday’s failures of that party but their own best interests. Our Constitution allows unqualified candidates. Just to teach or work for civil service requires more preparation, experience. Education. I know this is just a rewind of thoughts and wishes. Only a miracle and a change to the Constitution will change the requirements. https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/our-government/the-executive-branch/
I tried to watch. Couldn't get past the four lies in the first paragraph. I am so grateful to put this in the context of 11/8 and all the good energy that showed up in election results. It's a good start!
BTW, I broke my "no snark" rule when I saw a tweet from Kari Lake that Trump has "her complete and total support." I replied, "Complete AND total?" Sigh....no one is perfect!
I didn’t watch either. Why give TFG one more tally. He or his buddies must keep track. They are interested in numbers, $$$ and votes, not substance and Truth and the USA.
I wish there was a laugh emoji here!!! Thanks for the LOL - it's been decades since I've been given a penance....so I said two Hail Mary's right after reading your comment....in Latin for good measure!!!
This reminded me of something I had forgotten about - about ten years ago in a class on creating solo performance pieces, I wrote and performed a one-act play, Father John Says a Hail Mary, about a 50 year old Catholic priest who was struggling with his homosexuality. I have no idea where he came from. But he showed up when the teacher told us to invite our next character to our consciousness. And today, the Senate moved the Respect for Marriage Act forward!!!
Chaplain Terry Nicholetti, I didn't watch his announcement. Self-protection is vital. I'll be on the cheering squad when he limps naked into the dark night.
"Self-protection is vital." I couldn't agree more! I saw a news clip today that people were trying to leave his speech and security wouldn't let them.....I wonder how long this agonizing "death" will take.
This is very good to hear. I continue, however, to wait for NPR to stop calling the extremist, anti-democratic, pro-autocracy Republicans "conservative."
"Biden said that he updated leaders at the roundtable meeting — which included French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel — on his earlier calls with Duda and Stoltenberg.
In a readout of Biden’s call with Duda, the White House said Biden “offered full U.S support for and assistance with Poland’s investigation” and “reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to NATO.”
Thank You President Biden for your quick and measured response.
Don't forget that the U.S. is the most powerful member of NATO, not just an interested party. It's time for negotiations to stop this Russian attack on Ukraine and also stop U.S. corporations that make weapons of war from becoming even more filthy rich.
No one seems to see Russia as ready to seriously engage in negotiations, but my understanding is that the US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has reestablished contact with Russian military head Shoigui. That is a move in that direction.
Russia seems more interested in digging in and making Putin's wishes come true. He has the audacity to send an oil lobbyist to appeal to nations at COP27 for relief from fossil fuels sanctions. An offensive move in all senses of the word.
Until republicans truly throw him under the bus very publicly, I will keep believing that they will all vote for him if he is the nominee. They voted not to remove him after a murderous riot. So I put nothing past them.
DeSantis is being trotted out as a big winner without the press, or the pundits really giving the context. I see this as a disinformation campaign by the press. "A sweep" is hard to identify when you remove a lot of people last minute from the rolls, and Gerrymander your state to erase almost all democratic districts from a majority, and intimidate people in the remaining ones when they vote by refusing to allow the Federal oversight that was called for to poll watch. Given the circumstances, I don't consider that a sweep, but a steal. Until the press brings that up, I feel that their reporting is inaccurate.
That is not the only state where Republicans created election laws making it very difficult for Black democratic voters to vote. The massive disenfranchisement of voters in several states is the election steal story! We should be saying this. Then, the Republicans don't need to throw Trump under the bus because in fair elections I think Democrats have shown that they will prevail. Maybe not in Texas, but then hardly anyone votes in Texas. According to a Texas friend of mine the winner wins out of 14-18% of eligible voters voting . I cannot do anything for that sorry state of affairs. Neither can Beto O'Rourke.
I agree, Linda. Just this morning, Wednesday, I heard NPR talking about DeSantis' win and never once mentioned the gerrymandering done there. BIG omission. Everyhone needs to see that!
My theory is that they are not so much supporting him, but afraid to lose the votes of his base. They are a bunch of unprincipled cowards and don't deserve to be in public office.
The best thing about Trump being the candidate is that he might be in the position of being a convicted felon by the time the election cycle rolls around. That might mean that even more people will switch back to the Democratic party. All of the Reagan Democrats who then became Republicans will have to now give pause. They did this trying to show how business savvy there were, even though they were just greedy fools, and now they see that being behind Trump is starting to look like having a loose screw!
They are beyond redemption and i agree with the post from Matt below. They are the party of death and will be until and if they show some care for ordinary people and not the filthy rich. Of course that's who funds them, so I am not holding my breath.....just continuing to support and vote for Ds.
Did you not notice that nobody but Faux Snooze carried the announcement and even they cut the live feed? Trump only knows his old hits - people will be easily bored. The media has decided to ignore him. Which should only drive him more nuts.
Actually, such academic studies have already begun and the discussions are enlightening. The facts might just be something Professor HCR wants to review and possibly reflect on including in her daily blog as tfg has now chosen to put his narcissism on full display once again. See below:
There are more just beginning and if made mainstream could begin to influence public opinion. These are not partisan "witch hunts" as they will be seen by his base and some % of the GOP / Murdoch. At some point serious science & education have to return we pray.
Thank you for the links I will look at later. Three mediate thoughts is that certinly one of the dynamics of authoritarianism is the installation of persistent PTSD over "thoughtcrime" (as "1984" illustrated), commercial advertising often uses psychological research to cultivate narcissism, thus consumption, and at base, the scientific method is epistemological, a commitment to intellectual integrity. Everything we do involves decisions of value as well as veracity. We go to the moon and do other things because we care about them, as well as learn how to do them. We don't (from by perspective) have a good framework for understanding the integration of empiricism , which we desperately need, with a lucid way of speaking about lived human experience (The mechanics of thermodynamics is also the sensation of sunshine on my shoulder, that ball of fusing hydrogen is also "rosy fingered dawn"). I suspect that wisdom is not only a well educated guess guess about what is really real, but also, what ultimately matters most, to us as sentient beings.
Tfg managed to kill the 'crazy right' in 19 key Senate, House & Governorship elections in contested states . Of course, Murdoch will pull the plug and/or cut his oxygen. Could get very ugly.
It’s about time they ignore him. They’ve allowed him to suck all the oxygen out of the room and dominate the news cycle every freaking day for years! Maybe now when they do report, they will take a page from NPR and do the fact check before they report.
Yes, ignoring him might be painful. But he’s still dangerous; a good reason to indict or hold him legally responsible for whatever charges are in the oven.
I agree totally ignore him. Keeping him in the news feeds his narcissism and his base.
Even we need to stop talking about him. All I can hope for with his name out there is a further weakening of the Republican party as they fight for Maga votes.
Murdoch has decided to ignore him. Give Fox/Wash Post/WSJ's disses before the run... that's not the media. That's Murdoch.
I'm all for the GOP going after each other in the primaries, but DeathSantis would be worse. (He was a covid denier but gave shots to his major donors at a party, is anti LGBTQ+, has shown he's willing to go after private business if they disagree with him (Disney) and is a smarter, meaner version of Trump. I think at least as corrupt, but I'm not sure if he's quite as venal. We don't want any of their emerging candidates.
About time for the media to stop giving TFG airtime. He doesn’t care about negative coverage, only about no coverage. Maybe he’ll try to buy another media substitute before he runs out of money. History has shown criminals like him will have a fan club. So it’s up to government to stop his power. DOJ!!??
Wish that were true, but CNN carried it. They did cut away soon after his grand announcement. I was already forming the words of my letter that their coverage needed to end there for the course of his “run.” They then listed all of the different probable indictments he is under which helped our mood before we switched to a nature program to calm down. By the way, Roger Stone was in attendance.
Yesterday, in Heather's talk, she mentioned that she thinks there is "something going on with him" and his frequent meltdowns. Perhaps someone should throw a bucket of water over him and he will melt into a puddle like the Wicked Witch of the West. Ignoring him will hurt even more and I HOPE the media does not report every word he says like they did before.
I grew up with someone like that who ultimately needed memory care. My last coherent conversation with her was where she tried to get me to commit fraud. It's heartbreaking and awful.
My husband just died in MC. On no day of his life was he ever as deliberately ignorant and obsessed with himself as chump or any MAGAt. Chump is as he always was, at least from 5
Well, he is suffering from an agressive form of syphillis, dementia, 25+ years of incontinence, continuing effects of his serious bout of covid AND the quackery remedies he took following his release. Then, there's his morbid obesity and other ailments confronting 76 year olds.
His most disabling disease is, however, his 3 year old's malignant narcissism.
He is in a straight jacket of his own making.
We just need to figure out how to penetrate his "base"....
What I fail to understand is why Trump has not yet been called to testify before a federal grand jury. By waiting so long to indict, despite an avalanche of clear evidence that any other citizen would have been ordered to explain before a judge many months ago, Garland makes what should be legal business-as-usual even more "political" than it inherently and unavoidably is. How can he not want to set the precedent that no one is above the law, even former presidents?
Garland already is a hero. When I was a baby fed he got that terrorist McVeigh who killed my coworkers in OK City. The image of the firefighter carrying that toddler away from the carnage is stuck in my head forever.
This Trump thing will be Garlands legacy no matter what he does now. He could be remembered as a great hero or he could be looked upon as the greatest judicial failure ever to not prosecute the most criminal POTUS we have ever had. As others have stated here, who knows what the putrid Republican Party will do with TRUMP.I have zero faith in their integrity.
Rowshan, Once we were within 60 days of the midterm election, I had understood, based on precedent, that indictment of Trump or members of his command structure would not occur until after every eligible voter had cast a ballot, a deadline that has been rescheduled in Georgia for after polls close on December 6th. If indictments are not issued promptly thereafter, then, admittedly, I would have misread Garland’s remarks.
David, Considering, at least in my view, that a handful of cases against Trump and his various command structures can be nailed to the post with confirming evidence, if, after Dec. 6th, indictments are not promptly issued, I don’t perceive inaction on our part as an option.
Don't forget the Georgia grand jury. A state indictment does not have to worry about the "nicities" of the DoJ. I understand Gov. Kemp is testifying today, and that the case may wrap up soon. Keep your fingers crossed for an indictment!
Lynn, Though I empathize, in my book, Warnock retaining his Senate seat is well worth the wait. Hence, for the time being, I’ve set Trump’s fate aside, and am focused on doing my part for Warnock, while also supporting Indivisible’s demands for passage of critical legislation before Republicans retake the House in January.
Barbara, agreed! Go Warnock!!! Warnock!!! Warnock!!!
I was so disappointed that Stacy Abrams did not win THIS TIME. She loves her state and this country! I hope she will try again! She is an amazing American!
Emily, I, too, was disappointed by Abrams’ loss. I sense, because Kemp stood up to Trump’s attempts in 2020 to manufacture Trump votes, that Kemp was able to masquerade as a decent Republican despite a long history of suppressing votes, largely in Democratic counties.
Rowshan, Folks who know far more than I told me to expect DOJ to succeed in eliminating the Special Counsel from the stolen documents case and also to expect indictments in early 23.
Word is that the Jan 6th investigation will need more time and that the grand jury in Georgia has resumed calling in witnesses.
Meanwhile, we need Warnock to keep his seat, and for those who are interested, Indivisible needs help pressing the Senate, in particular, to pass critical legislation before Republicans retake control of the House.
Rowshan, While we wait, we can take heart from knowing, because election deniers lost races for virtually every state official post in battleground states, prognosticators have reset the clock gauging the demise of democracy from 2 minutes to midnight to 10 minutes to midnight. The one outstanding race is for Arizona’s AG.
If there was even a day, I missed it. I know there was two days this year that I had no news, but that was because I was stuck in the bathroom with a case of norovirus.
Which actually wasn't much different but was slightly preferable than listening/seeing tRump.
“We arrived at our bnb last night about 8:45. Finding our platform in Berlin was simple once we got to the station. Learned not to follow the crowd. Everyone in our car got off so we did too and found we were at Berlin Obf station not Berlin Hbf. Found a taxi and had 15 minutes to spare. Except our direct train was canceled and we took the milk run train 30 minutes later.
Our bnb, Gelbes Haus Taunus, is about 45 minutes from the railway station and 30 minutes from the airport. It is located in Kelkheim village in a pretty area of woods and low mountains. Great for dog walking.
Lucky's crate was delivered this morning and needs assembling. Then the work of training him begins. How successful we will be remains to be seen but he has no choice.”
Excellent news, thanks Rowshan for being the bearer of good tidings. For Allen and family, especially Lucky, crate training is challenging but can be enjoyable for both you and the dog. Part of it is making it clear to Lucky that he's not being abandoned. Most of my dogs viewed it as their personal part of the bigger house and would go there just to rest and relax. Best wishes to all of you.
That was something I never did, I was concerned that, having puppies, they'd learn to associate the smell with things to chew on. Never had a chewing problem although I ran through a lot of frozen dishrags while they were teething. That led to a decision to adopt older shelter dogs.
Well, Lucky certainly isn't a puppy and probably not prone to chewing. When I had my first puppy, adopted at 8 weeks old, he began chewing the insoles out of my shoes while I was at work. Someone suggested I tie a knot in a dirty sock then give it to him and that would redirect him. It worked! (I think I also may have put my shoes out of reach - this was in 1969 so memory is hazy).
Thanks for the update, Rowshan. I've been thinking about Allen and his family the last couple of days and appreciate knowing that they're still doing well. Are they headed back to Ukraine?
Thank you Rowshan. Please continue to stay in touch with Allen and family and send our love. They are brave and really represent Ukrainian courage and truly humanity’s quest for peace and Justice. And the struggle against Fascism that seems to be never ending. It’s History.
That raspy, monotonous, cringing voice!!! The creator of a gadget that dubs TFG’s voice every time he speaks on tv with Donald Duck’s voice will get rich. Any inventors out there? I will buy several—one for each tv and to give as presents.
An excellent question Rowshan. All of these indictments have been pending for a long time. The election was given as the latest reason for delay and that is now over. Time for a day in court.
If you don't see him on TV, that means DOJ is doing its job at his direction. 800 related prosecutions so far, with seditious conspiracy prosecutions in court and 4 grand juries...
Today was a stark study in contrasts: Trump babbling and sniffing his way though a sleeping-pill speech filled with lies, while President Biden collaborated with NATO leaders to deal with the missile crisis in Poland. Oh what a difference an election makes!
In the alternate universe in which Trump was re-elected, Ukraine was defeated months ago, and if NATO still exists, the U.S. has withdrawn and is keeping the bed warm for Putin.
The fact that Trumski-dumbski went to the trouble of doing the actual filing with the FEC to declare his candidacy - which means he is now limited in fund-raising, in coordination with supportive PACs and required to submit expenditure reports - all things that limit his TrumpStore moneymaking without oversight that he's been enjoying, is a demonstration of how scared he is of indictment.
"Look at me! I'm a for-real candidate! You can't go after me! Political witch hunt! Unfair!" blahblahblah
None of which has the slightest bearing on his coming indictments, arrrests and arraignments. I do wish they had arrested him for the Mar-A-Lago steal last night, which would have thrown a nice monkey wrench in this broadcast from the Kooky Klown Kar.
So inspirational. Long long ago when Facebook lured me I had a similar sing song which now properly belongs in your collection. Little Donny Johnny, puddin and pie, grabbed the girls where it made them cry. When the big girls and boys came out to play, Little Donny Johnny ran away.
Good point. On Jan. 6 we even had our "Burn the Reichstag" moment that almost succeeded. However, the state of the German economy in 1933 was vastly different than the economic conditions in the US today.
Even so, though MAGA had a setback in the last election, that was but one battle. With last night's announcement by TFG, the war continues.
Good reminder. I hope that I am able to keep a pulse on the "opposition" but I am not sure that I have the stomach to see where my former colleagues go with this.
I'd love them to have added a line to the NPR report that addressed the investigation into the theft and mishandling of TS/C information.
Yup, you are correct, TC, when you say that Trump is “now limited in fund-raising, in coordination with supportive PACs and required to submit expenditure reports.” He (his staff - Jared?) will file those reports in a timely fashion, I’m sure. But the timeliness will be the only “correct” thing about these fund-raising reports. Honesty? Accuracy? Completeness? Etc…. Not hallmarks of a Trump Operation.
Yup, scared. Yup, looking for protection. Yup, driving the KKKK (Kooky Konservative Klown Kar).
The big $ behind TFG is Robert Mercer and Charles Koch. But who else? Peter Thiel and Elon Musk? Others? These Libertarian billionaire supporters need to be called out, ostracized by the masses.
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.
We all--us and Garland and the DOJ--need to attend to Rachel Maddow's saga of incredible corruption of the US government by the Nazis in the 1940s. If I remember this correctly, corrupt governor of North Dakota gets indicted and elected to the Senate based on his bombastic flaunting norms and rule of law. Sedition trial becomes a circus. Is there a happy ending? More to be revealed when the last episode drops next week.
I've been watching every one. Frightening! So many of them got off by making a shame and circus of the trial. And the judge died! I am incensed that the DOJ never retried! I just hope that doesn't happen this time! We need these planners and schemers brought to justice!
Here we go again on the road to Crazytown. I am really sick of seeing his orange mug trying to steal the thunder from all that is good about America! While President Biden is meeting with NATO leaders and making real decisions, this clown is like the little kid on the playground yelling, "Look, look at me!"
In truth, President Trump is doing us a favor. His latest grifting charade to suck from his foolish followers will now implode upon itself. He’s a sad target. His third run is more absurd than either of his others and the public with an IQ over 40 will tire of him. The Italians and Germans grew sick of Mussolini and Hitler. America will get sick of Trump Inc. His tax cheating will be charged. January 6 and secret documents stolen will be charged. He will be convicted. Trump is finished. His hair dresser will cry.
Trump won’t get Otisville. He will get house arrest at Mar-a-Lago for life with court supervision of visitors.
Those radicalized rarely admit to being fooled. They would rather protect their own ego than face the reality they were duped in the biggest con in history. Like the Nazi’s, they will go their grave as ‘true believers’.
Sandy, you have a way of seeing past the chaff to the wheat. I believe you are right about the indictments and the electorate in general growing tired of Trump's reality-free rhetoric.
As for predicting the next primary season, well, that's another matter. One reason pollsters so often get it wrong is simple demographics. In my state of NH, fully 24% of currently registered voters either did not live here or were too young to vote in 2016. This seems to be true in other swing states as well.
With that said, here is my tentative prediction. Trump will either win the Republican primary and lose the general election or so badly maul his opponent they will lose in the general.
Another scenario is that the Republicans will, in mid-2024 (18 months away), nominate someone other than Trump, which will leave Trump to run in the new MAGA Party. That will be fun to watch, huh?
I mean, there are only two choices: the Republicans either accept Trump or reject Trump.
Well, I guess there are two other possibilities: 1.) Trump decides to withdraw the candidacy that he just launched last night or 2.) Trump is in prison/under house arrest….
Pendulums swing. Trump’s is stalled. No air. No mo. No go. DeSantis is Trump DeMinimus. The Florida Flash. Hawley, Cruz, Abbott - are third tier fascists. Aging Joe is showing a little leg, smiling, winning the hearts of many, getting it done. Old. Smart. Running?
Our Founders provided for a President who can no longer perform his/her duties. I have no problem with Biden running again in 2024. He is currently showing that his age is NOT preventing him from performing well - at home, legislatively, and abroad, diplomatically. It’s time for Democrats to quit its Ageism, it’s time for Democrats to get SOLIDLY behind its leader, it’s time for Democrats to BOLSTER Biden’s choice for his possible “emergency” successor, Vice President Kamala Harris. Democrats voted in 2020 for Biden & HARRIS.
Certainly my wish too, but that so many are still susceptible to his vombast is still terrifying. And there is the issue of why so many Americans are so disaffected and gullible enough to be led around by their collective noses. One theory is that many men are floundering because the definition of masculinity has changed, and that good paying jobs for those without college educations are dwindling- if now nonexistent. 40% of households have women as the higher wage earners. Disaffected men are much more susceptible to the mythical promises of authoritarian "strong father" leaders. Hitler was successful because their economy was in the dumper - partly due to the draconian terms of the Armistice. How do we prevent a replay of history?
I do believe that your theory here is worth looking at. When you couple that with the toxic masculinity that has pervaded our culture since... the 80's? 90''s... it does seem correlated with the loss of family wage jobs whereby a family could live on a single income.
We have a perfectly good shithole of a prison here in Reidsville GA Sandy, that will be the perfect accommodation for the odious one, it is probably the last place in the US that he would ever want to spend a day in much less the rest of his miserable life, it would be almost worth the price of admission to watch him try to eat the food. 😎
I didn't watch tonight's announcement by Trump. I knew it was going to happen.
I prefer to liken it to the report you get from the doctor that the infection you have been treated for hasn't quite healed. You will need to stay on the antibiotics that makes you aggressively sick for 10 more days.
The difference being, we will be forced to take the stomach sickening, diarrhea producing pill for that much longer.
I just replied to a plea for $$$ for the next election via DNC and replied that 1. we are exhausted at this moment. 2. The DNC does nothing to deserve funds from any of us because it is an ineffectual group while millions of us are in the trenches donating to candidates like Tim Ryan (ignored by the DNC), writing letters, phone banking, working tirelessly on the ground. We will need to begin doing all of this again very soon.
I agree wholeheartedly. The overwhelming emails and texts for money was too much. I thought Tim Ryan had a very good shot. I also thought Val Demings had a very good shot and was shocked to see that Rubio beat her by around double the amount of votes. How can this be? The DNC basically abandoned Florida, abandoned a woman who was so ready and capable of being a terrific senator. The DNC blew this one. I hope they will put more focus on Florida in the future, and to other excellent candidates. I just donated to Raphael Warnock. Specific candidates need our attention.
De Santis has a long record of actively messing with voting data. Remember that statistician he fired and then harassed for not adjusting the polls to his liking? Val Demings was running neck to neck with Rubio, and the distortion in the vote against her is very suspect. Crist loosing to De Santis by such a wide margin is also suspicious. The elections in Florida should be investigated.
Boy, that is true in Texas also. Probably Georgia too. The new “election integrity” laws suppressed as they were meant to do. Hope the networks stop playing up the wins in Tx and Fl. They were legalized cheating…
I agree and in my resident state of Ohio, we voted on unconstitutional maps. For the 4th time, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the Republican drawn maps be thrown out. This was ignored by the state and we voted in illegal districts. It casts
I don't know if cutting off the DNC is the right approach but they did abandon Florida completely. No Republican would abandon NY and Zeldin almost won.
Gailee, here is a wonderful organization that I just donated to: https://swingleft.org/targets/state/ga. I haven’t given to the DNC ever, I think. Don’t despair, we spoke loud and clear at the polls. I still can’t believe we are losing the House. OMG. Keep on, keepin’ on!
Is there any way of checking these pleas for authenticity? The ones asking Republicans for $ are in EXACTLY the same stile, right down to the layout, font type and size. Now I contribute directly to the DNC or my local Democratic party. I'm sure some of these emails are scams.
Agreed, I have heard good things about Swing Left from at least 3 different sources. I'm talking about the boundless numbers of emails that show up in my inbox asking for $, that all seem kind of fly-by-night sleazy.
I so agree! I gave yo Ryan and am pissed he didn't get help from DNC! That's why I never give to DNC any more. Only to specific candidates of my own choosing.
I am delighted that Trump—on his own and without any Republican leadership out-front support—has declared himself a 2024 presidential candidate. Great for the Dems in the Georgia Senate run off on Dec 6th. Also great for the Dems, as it exacerbates the internecine Republican political fighting.
Trump’s ‘Midas touch’ in selecting Republican electoral candidates proved leaden on November 8th and the BIG LIE/January 6th/election fraud liturgy was an electoral turnoff.
Trump, the Republican ‘leader maximus,’ is being blamed for the Red Trickle (with large blue spots) on November 8th. An increasing number of Trumpublicans are viewing Trump, with his outdated message and outrageous assaults on those Republicans who don’t genuflect, as a negative in the run up to the 2024 elections.
Trump’s ego and megalomania can not acknowledge that lock-step Trumpism has experienced a massive body blow. He will continue to rant and rave while McConnell, DeSantis, and others will seek revenge for Trump’s and Trumpism’s negative impact on the November elections.
The Dems should be delighted that a wounded shark is bloodying Republican political waters. I am!.
Hope is eternal. Go find a dead IH-M and bring it roaring back to life. You need to find some joy now. This spring you can hook up a one bottom plow and turn perfect furrows, smelling the newly turned earth as you watch them fold perfectly. Renewal in balance will come to you.
I see as I've been driving around in my community this week, that folks that have had Trump signs in their yards, some since he won the presidency in 2016, have removed them. One house in particular had multiple signs of different sizes adorning his place, all gone now.
Somehow this gives me some hope. False hope? May be, possibly, probably, but I wonder if others have noticed this in their communities.
I frequently drive from Seattle to Spokane to visit family. The eastern side of Washington is very red and was full of drumph signs, which I routinely flipped off. Since 2020, my middle fingers have gotten far less use. A CD in E WA re-elected one of the R reps who voted for impeachment. I also hope these are strong clues of a change in MAGAt thinking.
Mike S., I truly understand your fears and feel much the same especially in the spring. When Dobbs finally dropped, it was a huge body blow. I had no choice but stretch beyond all the angst and terror into new arenas of activism. I mastered new technology, pushed myself to fund raise for the States Project, texted for many different organizations, made calls, wrote over 600 postcards, marched, and was a poll monitor on Election Day.
I also looked to hero’s like John Lewis, MLK, RFK, RBG, Pauli Murray, V. Zelenzkyy (to name but a few) for courage and inspiration.
Hope is a practice and an action. Please don’t fall prey to paralysis and cynicism. Find avenues that call to you and volunteer. You will feel better. I staved off a major depression by doing so. Also, I recommend Robert Hubbell’s newsletter, Today’s Edition, on Substack. He summarizes the days political events with realistic optimism and offers ways to get involved.
We need to play the long game and not sit down until the general election. Early money to the states or GOTV orgs lays infrastructure for successful campaigns. I’ll continue to challenge myself as things unfold. Please join or continue the fight. And do it with others!
Blood does seep and swirl, not only to the fringes but to some innocents as well. It has always been so. May the shark and his greedy allies suffer a fatal blow this time.
Keith, I am amused with "Red Trickle" which I have coopted into "Red Tinkle" which is oft the sign of an infection. Your "dots of blue" reminds me of an old M*A*S*H episode wherein there is a soldier (a loud, white, southerner) receiving surgical care who demands that they not give him any blood for a transfusion that was collected from an individual of African descent (translated). This upset the doctors so much that they gave an injection of a chemical that would turn the patient's urine blue. Upon coming out of anesthesia, the patient's first concern was that there was none of "that" blood in his system. They told him only if his urine was blue. It was. He pitched a fit; the doctors took him to town. Pretty cool episode.
Tuba player How did you do fighting the Red Tide in your county? I’m feeling blue about the results, but give you the Congressional Medal of Honor for your courageous fight. As we know, Hawk Eye ultimately triumphed in MASH.
I live in reliably blue Lane County. We kept Pete DeFazio's seat blue, and with our new congressional district, added a Democrat. We do indeed have some very red pockets, but for now, we are outnumbering them.
Foreign bribe money being laundered through the hotel is *exactly* what the Framers meant by "emoluments" that a president must not be allowed. It's time (or 200 years past time) for congress to codify mechanisms for enforcing this ban.
Remember how he said he put all his companies in a trust and would not have control over them? The press conference (around January 11 or 12 2017) with reams of paper on a table (maybe props documents or blank pages, imho) with a lawyer standing next to him (Sheri A. Dillon, a lawyer for the Trump Organization), him saying he just got done signing all these papers! Horsefeathers, it was evident afterwards, but no “emoluments authority” stepped in to counter….
Here it begins, november 30 2016, NYT
“ Ethics Office Praises Donald Trump for a Move He Hasn’t Committed To”
Pat, I think you read Putin’s mind. What am I thinking about Crump right now? (Omit any profanity. He brings out words I don’t use, uh, very often....)
Similar to the milktoast apology the US offered a small village in Afghanistan after a US helicopter gunned down all but one (nine total) of the 12 year old boys gathering wood outside an Afghan village. We killed nearly 100% of the boys in the village, BUT, oopsie, we sorry.
So? Russia CONTINUES to follow the US Playbook that we wrote for them to use in Ukraine from our "work" in Afghanistan.
"KABUL - Troops in attack helicopters that belong to the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan mistakenly killed nine boys Tuesday with machine-gun and rocket fire as they collected firewood, thinking that the children were Taliban insurgents, the international forces acknowledged Wednesday.
U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, who heads the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, ordered all field commanders and helicopter crew members to study their orders again on when coalition aircraft can open fire on people on the ground.
The coalition said it was "deeply sorry" for the error.
The incident was sure to inflame already-raw Afghan sensitivities on civilian deaths from coalition military actions. Mohammed Bismel, a brother of two of the dead boys, told McClatchy Newspapers that he thought Afghan President Hamid Karzai should resign and declare "holy war against foreign forces."
In fact, the sole boy left by accident said that the helicopter first descended to get a close look at them and they waved. They could see it was a US helicopter.
For some painful reason, I cannot forget. Perhaps because I had the pleasure of having a Dad from Mexico and watched as (some, but by no means all) white Americans treated him like dirt (the nice word to use) when I was a kid in rural East Texas. Now, by no means did everyone do that. But, when it happened, it was really ugly, and, for me, scary.
Maybe, although I am lucky to have light skin like my Mom, maybe because I saw how nasty some Americans could be just because of dark skin, I related to the killing of the darkies in Afghanistan that we did FOR NO REASON AT ALL.
Bush just wanted to distract us from the fact that he was a born loser made good by his Daddy's money and his white skin. His admission to Yale? Legacy (affirmative action).
His admission to Harvard with his C average from Yale? Legacy (affirmative action).
A born loser led us all to kill brown people for two decades, and? Just for fun.
It is ridiculous. Putin continues to lose ground in Ukraine (Russia shouldn't be attacking in the first place), and also continues to target civilians and civilian infrastructure. Without any consequences other than the original sanctions and provision of short range weapons by the West.
Prof. Richardson evenhandedly describes the former guy's announcement as, "... a subdued version of his rallies" marked by a lack of enthusiasm in the room and a descent into a rant.
Milbank's review was, well, blistering, calling the appearance interminable, meandering, low-energy, defensive, desultory, and rambling as well as full of old grievances, more attacks on immigrants, and election-conspiracy claims.
Yet according to other reporting some 40% of Republicans are still all-in on the former guy, still enthusiastically swilling the Kool-Aid. I guess it's instructive to remember that 24% of Republicans still supported Nixon ==> even after he had resigned in disgrace and was walking out to AF1 for the last time <==.
None are so blind as those who have eyes but would not see.
I am hopeful there are enough people in the U.S. who now realize that Trump didn't make "America Great Again" Incidentally, Mr. Trump it is actually the United States of America as opposed to South America or Central America as examples.
Journalistically speaking, this is a save-it-for-posterity opening for a story: “Donald Trump, who tried to overthrow the results of the 2020 presidential election and inspired a deadly riot at the Capitol in a desperate attempt to keep himself in power, announced he is running again for president in 2024.”
Nothing but the facts. Hats off to Domenico Montanaro of NPR.
I am going to repost that quote everywhere possible.
YES!
Domenico Montanaro of NPR indicated that Trump might not enjoy the same uncritical coverage he received in 2016 when he began his story on the announcement: “Donald Trump, who tried to overthrow the results of the 2020 presidential election and inspired a deadly riot at the Capitol in a desperate attempt to keep himself in power, announced he is running again for president in 2024.”
INSPIRED A DEADLY RIOT? 🤡💩🎃 planned and controlled an hours-long deadly coup against the government and his own vice-president in a desperate attempt to keep himself in office and avoid jail, announced he is running again for president in 2024. The January 6th Committee has proved beyond a doubt that he is a treasonous piece of pond scum.
Please, NPR, no more mulligans.
Unfortunately TFFG has not been "proven" and convicted of planning and controlling that riot so I understand NPRs very carefully worded coverage.
I love how the hearings were organized rather like legal briefs. (Not quite, but organizationally they were similar. Got my 880 page J6 book on preorder. 12th Night (Dec 6) is coming.
Please tell me the details so I can order my Chanukah present.
Thank you!
LOL
I've seen 3 different J6 books! One is 752 pages, another 500 something. Haven't seen the 880 page one. Which to choose?!
How many biographies of John Adams have been written? Which one is "truth?"
Everyone has bias, but treating Trump as an evil dragon to be slain is the biggest mistake on the part of Democrats. It only empowers him.
And treating you like a well-meaning commenter just empowers you.
:: grumbling about the trolls ::
Damn, I could have sworn that I have been subjected to hours of testimony to that effect. And he claims to have been the driver of the evil; not convicted but guilty as sin in my eyes
Here's a good carefully worded headline-- "TODAY'S TOP MADDOWBLOG POSTS
Scandal-plagued suspected criminal launches presidential campaign
The new frontrunner for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in 2024 is a suspected criminal."
Can we all agree that he did nothing for hours during the riot? Anyone who watched it on tv OR WAS AT THE CAPITOL knows this. People have been thrown in jail for much less.
Interesting quote by tfg stating that our country is in “grave trouble” since he’s the reason for the severe divisiveness 🙄. Don’t forget...he wanted to withdraw the USA from NATO. Can you imagine what our world would look like if he succeeded?
Dangerous guy🚨
His “go to” has always been to blame someone/something else. How many times does he have to tell us that…. My mama would have taken us to the woodshed.
See, that's why I always feel deep pity for him.* He didn't get a proper fetchin's up, and I blame the parents.
*I bet he HATES pity...
He also said that there may never be another movement like this one (his MAGA movement), or something to that effect. I hope he's right.
What about a bowel movement?
He certainly needs one.
Thought Experiment: Trump withdraws us from NATO, Putin invades Ukraine which gets no help from USA-Trump, Europe is in disarray without us in NATO and Putin starts to steam roll small Eastern European members of NATO after subjugating Ukraine. Was that the Putin-Trump plan that Biden derailed? LOL Putin probably regrets not spending more money backing Trump!?!
Let's hope that that means that all of mainstream media will not be showing us FPOTUS all day every day as they did in the past. I'd like to be able to watch television news without seeing his face or hearing his voice from now until 2024—or, actually, ever again.
Agree. A media blackout would be welcome. No more free publicity. No more feeding the massive, horrible ego.
As I have said for seven years, if you do not feed a narcissist with grandiose attention, their giant, victimized ego soon shrivels and dries up, a quivering little raisin moping in the corner. Duck l'orange's corner need to be an 8x10 prison cell—for life. No mirror. He will not last long and leave the world a saner place. But the GQP will have to decide if they want wacko authoritarians or an actual functional democracy, which appears right now that they just want to be the all powerful, top, rich, white supremacist, misogynist guys and keep the status quo of colonization. I don't think so...misters, and a few even more bizarre misses. I cannot even fathom what Clarence Thomas or Hershel Walker think. Appears to me, like hostages, they identify with their white captors, clueless of their modern enslavement.
Those were my thoughts exactly. That whiny voice makes me want to puke. We were watching a basketball game and only saw written accounts of his announcement as breaking news. Didn't read any of them. We have stayed away from national news for at least a week and may continue that until they at least get past his running for 2024. And I hope they do.
Mim, 1,000%! I cancelled Dish, effective 11/22 in case the election went violent or something. I don't want to hear or see tfg ever again either. Prefer to read what I need to know on SubStack or print media. We'll see how long I last.... Thanks!
Slava Ukraine.
'Trump to Try for Historic Third Impeachment'
'PALM BEACH (The Borowitz Report)—Stating that “no one’s ever done this before,” Donald J. Trump announced plans to be impeached for a historic third time.'
'Speaking to supporters in a ballroom at Mar-a-Lago, the former President claimed that he and only he could bring impeachable offenses back to the White House.' (Satire, NewYorker)
And I can't wait for SNL to skewer him with its take on "Anybody remember Angela Merkel?" The pathetic way he focuses on the pronunciation of " Angela" as if it's a dirty word.
I look forward to the day when we say, "Anybody remember Trump?"
MaryB, I emailed a friend, a translator and poet, deeply knowledgeable about drama and history, asking him who created DJT. The former president arrived to punish us and burn the country down. Could he be a concoction of Putin's or whomever created Putin? Finally, I think we so-called 'normal' people, particularly. the young ones among us. have caught the ogre. Watching the monster decompose; that will be a show!
Decomposition is definitely apparent right now. An ugly but long-anticipated and well-deserved fate. It's hard to watch, and I wish I could look away. Soon we all can and should!
MaryB, I thought he'd be caught within two years of his presidency. I've been waiting for him to go naked, screaming into the dark night longer than most. As an avid audience member for the coming spectacular, I am eager to see it happen
The monster and his party. Party is a joke. His crooked pals, also elected by the unfortunate voters who do not understand they not only vote for TFG and yesterday’s failures of that party but their own best interests. Our Constitution allows unqualified candidates. Just to teach or work for civil service requires more preparation, experience. Education. I know this is just a rewind of thoughts and wishes. Only a miracle and a change to the Constitution will change the requirements. https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/our-government/the-executive-branch/
Academy Award!!!
Thank you Liz!!! I've never seen this!! Now I have to share!
🤣😂🤣
I tried to watch. Couldn't get past the four lies in the first paragraph. I am so grateful to put this in the context of 11/8 and all the good energy that showed up in election results. It's a good start!
BTW, I broke my "no snark" rule when I saw a tweet from Kari Lake that Trump has "her complete and total support." I replied, "Complete AND total?" Sigh....no one is perfect!
I didn’t watch either. Why give TFG one more tally. He or his buddies must keep track. They are interested in numbers, $$$ and votes, not substance and Truth and the USA.
Two Hail Mary's should do it Chap.
Go in peace.
I wish there was a laugh emoji here!!! Thanks for the LOL - it's been decades since I've been given a penance....so I said two Hail Mary's right after reading your comment....in Latin for good measure!!!
This reminded me of something I had forgotten about - about ten years ago in a class on creating solo performance pieces, I wrote and performed a one-act play, Father John Says a Hail Mary, about a 50 year old Catholic priest who was struggling with his homosexuality. I have no idea where he came from. But he showed up when the teacher told us to invite our next character to our consciousness. And today, the Senate moved the Respect for Marriage Act forward!!!
The right and freedom to love who you love. A most sacred thing indeed.
And a big wow on the Hail Mary's in Latin!
Yes, and thank you...it was fun to call up that memory from over half century ago!!
Chaplain Terry Nicholetti, I didn't watch his announcement. Self-protection is vital. I'll be on the cheering squad when he limps naked into the dark night.
'
"Self-protection is vital." I couldn't agree more! I saw a news clip today that people were trying to leave his speech and security wouldn't let them.....I wonder how long this agonizing "death" will take.
🤣
Fern, I love Andy! Maybe he’s our next candidate for something important. Like president.
No, no Irenie. He's one of our best mouthpieces!!
Fern, good point. He’s only beholden to the Truth.
…and to laughter!
We need laughter! ❤️
We'd like to see a picture of that, Pat!
Too graphic, you ass ____!
Fern, I think Pat's comment was an epic understatement!😄
Let Pat "air it all out."
Pat, and flabber-gassing!
This is very good to hear. I continue, however, to wait for NPR to stop calling the extremist, anti-democratic, pro-autocracy Republicans "conservative."
"Conservative" is correct. They want to conserve their money and power.
I think HOARDING GREEDY is more "on the money"
Conservative too mild
Excellent point!
"riot"?? You can call it what it was - Insurrection or attempted coup.
you are so right
PERFECT opening paragraph
Right up there with " It was the best of times and the worst of times..." Dickens Tale of two Cities
"Biden said that he updated leaders at the roundtable meeting — which included French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel — on his earlier calls with Duda and Stoltenberg.
In a readout of Biden’s call with Duda, the White House said Biden “offered full U.S support for and assistance with Poland’s investigation” and “reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to NATO.”
Thank You President Biden for your quick and measured response.
Thank You President Biden......as an echo.
And may I say once again: thank god we have a President Biden and not the other guy...........
And thank heavens we have such an experienced, knowledgeable President.
Don't forget that the U.S. is the most powerful member of NATO, not just an interested party. It's time for negotiations to stop this Russian attack on Ukraine and also stop U.S. corporations that make weapons of war from becoming even more filthy rich.
No one seems to see Russia as ready to seriously engage in negotiations, but my understanding is that the US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has reestablished contact with Russian military head Shoigui. That is a move in that direction.
https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3197746/senior-military-official-holds-a-background-briefing/
Russia seems more interested in digging in and making Putin's wishes come true. He has the audacity to send an oil lobbyist to appeal to nations at COP27 for relief from fossil fuels sanctions. An offensive move in all senses of the word.
https://www.passblue.com/2022/11/15/at-cop27-russia-shows-up-with-oil-lobbyists-and-demands-sanctions-relief/?utm_source=PassBlue+List&utm_campaign=b5c2233684-RSS_PassBlue&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4795f55662-b5c2233684-55087283
So glad that the elections show Putin that even if he messes with our elections Americans care about democracy!
It is by now believed—as I’m sure most readers know—that the errant missile was fired by Ukrainian forces attempting to shoot down a Russian missile.
Yes. So wonderful to not have this escalate. Cooler, calmer heads prevailed. God Bless NATO.
Until republicans truly throw him under the bus very publicly, I will keep believing that they will all vote for him if he is the nominee. They voted not to remove him after a murderous riot. So I put nothing past them.
That is on brand for Republicans. They are a walking purse, looking for anyone who can bring the votes. They’re lemmings, all of them.
Nicely put......walking purse. I will have to remember that one.
DeSantis is being trotted out as a big winner without the press, or the pundits really giving the context. I see this as a disinformation campaign by the press. "A sweep" is hard to identify when you remove a lot of people last minute from the rolls, and Gerrymander your state to erase almost all democratic districts from a majority, and intimidate people in the remaining ones when they vote by refusing to allow the Federal oversight that was called for to poll watch. Given the circumstances, I don't consider that a sweep, but a steal. Until the press brings that up, I feel that their reporting is inaccurate.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/videos/ron-desantis-drew-florida-an-extreme-gerrymander/
https://www.nbcmiami.com/decision-2022/turnout-was-a-big-problem-for-democrats-in-major-florida-counties/2906393/
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/04/florida-desantis-election-crimes-unit-removal-felons-voting-rolls/8256072001/
That is not the only state where Republicans created election laws making it very difficult for Black democratic voters to vote. The massive disenfranchisement of voters in several states is the election steal story! We should be saying this. Then, the Republicans don't need to throw Trump under the bus because in fair elections I think Democrats have shown that they will prevail. Maybe not in Texas, but then hardly anyone votes in Texas. According to a Texas friend of mine the winner wins out of 14-18% of eligible voters voting . I cannot do anything for that sorry state of affairs. Neither can Beto O'Rourke.
https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/25/texas-election-turnout/
Even so, there were some Democratic and diversity gains.
https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/weekend-read-alignment-changes-new-firsts-during-2022-midterm-elections-in-texas/
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2022/11/15/native-americans-support-democrats-over-republicans-across-house-and-senate-races/
I agree, Linda. Just this morning, Wednesday, I heard NPR talking about DeSantis' win and never once mentioned the gerrymandering done there. BIG omission. Everyhone needs to see that!
My theory is that they are not so much supporting him, but afraid to lose the votes of his base. They are a bunch of unprincipled cowards and don't deserve to be in public office.
That's a really good point Susan. However the end result is the same if they vote for him. Voting while holding your nose counts just the same.
Agreed, which is why they are cowards!
The best thing about Trump being the candidate is that he might be in the position of being a convicted felon by the time the election cycle rolls around. That might mean that even more people will switch back to the Democratic party. All of the Reagan Democrats who then became Republicans will have to now give pause. They did this trying to show how business savvy there were, even though they were just greedy fools, and now they see that being behind Trump is starting to look like having a loose screw!
May be beyond redemption? Looking back in hindsight, the Republican party has been beyond redemption ever since Eisenhower.
Yep, one could even go back to the coup of 1933…. FDR and HST knew them well.
"attempted" coup of 1933, aka, White House Putsch or Business Coup.
Fortunately, Sen Prescott Bush approached a patriotic Marine General (Ret).
Don’t know about Eisenhower, but certainly since Nixon’s Southern Strategy in 1968.
Happened when they embraced W/Dickie, in my humble opinion
They are beyond redemption and i agree with the post from Matt below. They are the party of death and will be until and if they show some care for ordinary people and not the filthy rich. Of course that's who funds them, so I am not holding my breath.....just continuing to support and vote for Ds.
Oh, good grief!! Now we have to put up with seeing tfg on the daily news again. AG Merrill Garland, where art thou?!!!
Did you not notice that nobody but Faux Snooze carried the announcement and even they cut the live feed? Trump only knows his old hits - people will be easily bored. The media has decided to ignore him. Which should only drive him more nuts.
Just the facts: Murdoch & Faux cut the feed when he tfg was started in on a rant about Angela Merkel.
I’ll be happy when they don’t cover him at all, Bryan.
And yet his legacy will live on in academic discussions of abnormal social psychology.
Which won't be published in the popular press.
Actually, such academic studies have already begun and the discussions are enlightening. The facts might just be something Professor HCR wants to review and possibly reflect on including in her daily blog as tfg has now chosen to put his narcissism on full display once again. See below:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8049239/
https://www.union.edu/news/psychology/202202/study-union-researchers-about-why-narcissists-support-donald-trump-among
There are more just beginning and if made mainstream could begin to influence public opinion. These are not partisan "witch hunts" as they will be seen by his base and some % of the GOP / Murdoch. At some point serious science & education have to return we pray.
Thank you for the links I will look at later. Three mediate thoughts is that certinly one of the dynamics of authoritarianism is the installation of persistent PTSD over "thoughtcrime" (as "1984" illustrated), commercial advertising often uses psychological research to cultivate narcissism, thus consumption, and at base, the scientific method is epistemological, a commitment to intellectual integrity. Everything we do involves decisions of value as well as veracity. We go to the moon and do other things because we care about them, as well as learn how to do them. We don't (from by perspective) have a good framework for understanding the integration of empiricism , which we desperately need, with a lucid way of speaking about lived human experience (The mechanics of thermodynamics is also the sensation of sunshine on my shoulder, that ball of fusing hydrogen is also "rosy fingered dawn"). I suspect that wisdom is not only a well educated guess guess about what is really real, but also, what ultimately matters most, to us as sentient beings.
For sure!!!
Me too.
Me too
Me, too!
Rupert and son have cut his lifeline. He will flatline soon.
Tfg managed to kill the 'crazy right' in 19 key Senate, House & Governorship elections in contested states . Of course, Murdoch will pull the plug and/or cut his oxygen. Could get very ugly.
Without the oxygen, maybe his balloon will suffer a prick and SPUTTER to the orange blob that he is
🙏🤣🤣🤣🙏
We can only hope! 🙏 I am so sick of hearing his voice or seeing him in the media!
Oh, dear!
The one nobody's remembering now? He's even forgotten her surname, if he ever knew it.
She was awesome, she cleaned his clock and he never forgets revenge
Just as cruel of a Human Ape as we have witnessed ... or does Abbott edge DeathSatan out?
It’s about time they ignore him. They’ve allowed him to suck all the oxygen out of the room and dominate the news cycle every freaking day for years! Maybe now when they do report, they will take a page from NPR and do the fact check before they report.
Yes, ignoring him might be painful. But he’s still dangerous; a good reason to indict or hold him legally responsible for whatever charges are in the oven.
And so is his base dangerous; they were a seething mob waiting for his appearance and they remain such, waiting for him or DeSantis.
I have only a faint hope that the media, including NPR, will do that.
I agree totally ignore him. Keeping him in the news feeds his narcissism and his base.
Even we need to stop talking about him. All I can hope for with his name out there is a further weakening of the Republican party as they fight for Maga votes.
We also all need to stop clicking on the tgf stories and his activities imho, Jennifer.
"Even we need to stop talking about him." Yes. Please!
I hope so, Diana!
Murdoch has decided to ignore him. Give Fox/Wash Post/WSJ's disses before the run... that's not the media. That's Murdoch.
I'm all for the GOP going after each other in the primaries, but DeathSantis would be worse. (He was a covid denier but gave shots to his major donors at a party, is anti LGBTQ+, has shown he's willing to go after private business if they disagree with him (Disney) and is a smarter, meaner version of Trump. I think at least as corrupt, but I'm not sure if he's quite as venal. We don't want any of their emerging candidates.
Got that right K-i-t-W.
All repubs seem to be smarter and meaner, what’s to like about any of them. Except that they lack the cult nuts
I am hoping desantis causes tfg trouble. He has more power than tfg in FL would be my guess.
No we don’t, Kathy.
TC,
Remember, Trump is a victim. So, the news media will be his main blame game again.
About time for the media to stop giving TFG airtime. He doesn’t care about negative coverage, only about no coverage. Maybe he’ll try to buy another media substitute before he runs out of money. History has shown criminals like him will have a fan club. So it’s up to government to stop his power. DOJ!!??
I was wondering… I did flip channels a few times but was busy cutting my nails
Wish that were true, but CNN carried it. They did cut away soon after his grand announcement. I was already forming the words of my letter that their coverage needed to end there for the course of his “run.” They then listed all of the different probable indictments he is under which helped our mood before we switched to a nature program to calm down. By the way, Roger Stone was in attendance.
Roger is attached by an umbilical
I certainly hope that you’re 100% correct, TC!
He seems to have ample coverage from all I am looking at this morning. I wish they would all ignore him like they ignore you and me.
Yes, I turned off the TV again this morning. <eye roll>
I wish that were true, but it isn't.
Yesterday, in Heather's talk, she mentioned that she thinks there is "something going on with him" and his frequent meltdowns. Perhaps someone should throw a bucket of water over him and he will melt into a puddle like the Wicked Witch of the West. Ignoring him will hurt even more and I HOPE the media does not report every word he says like they did before.
I grew up with someone like that who ultimately needed memory care. My last coherent conversation with her was where she tried to get me to commit fraud. It's heartbreaking and awful.
My husband just died in MC. On no day of his life was he ever as deliberately ignorant and obsessed with himself as chump or any MAGAt. Chump is as he always was, at least from 5
Jeri, I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your husband, both today, and before he lost who he had been. My heartfelt condolences.
My condolences.
So sorry to hear that, Jeri!
I'm so sorry for your loss, Jeri.
I'm sorry for your pain, Jeri. Sending sunshine your way. Take care.
So very sorry, Jeri.
With T___p it’s the nation that needs memory care.
Well, he is suffering from an agressive form of syphillis, dementia, 25+ years of incontinence, continuing effects of his serious bout of covid AND the quackery remedies he took following his release. Then, there's his morbid obesity and other ailments confronting 76 year olds.
His most disabling disease is, however, his 3 year old's malignant narcissism.
He is in a straight jacket of his own making.
We just need to figure out how to penetrate his "base"....
Cults don’t deprogram themselves. Sadly, they vote, some even control the voting process. Stalin told us
Definitely!
What I fail to understand is why Trump has not yet been called to testify before a federal grand jury. By waiting so long to indict, despite an avalanche of clear evidence that any other citizen would have been ordered to explain before a judge many months ago, Garland makes what should be legal business-as-usual even more "political" than it inherently and unavoidably is. How can he not want to set the precedent that no one is above the law, even former presidents?
He'd be remembered as a hero!
Garland already is a hero. When I was a baby fed he got that terrorist McVeigh who killed my coworkers in OK City. The image of the firefighter carrying that toddler away from the carnage is stuck in my head forever.
Do you want this stuff indicted or to STICK?
Both, KathyintheWallowas, ASAP.
To stick, Kathy!
I did not realize you were an OKC survivor. Such an awful time, and Garland did a magnificent job of prosecuting that one.
This Trump thing will be Garlands legacy no matter what he does now. He could be remembered as a great hero or he could be looked upon as the greatest judicial failure ever to not prosecute the most criminal POTUS we have ever had. As others have stated here, who knows what the putrid Republican Party will do with TRUMP.I have zero faith in their integrity.
In my opinion, the Republican Party is no longer a viable political party.
❤️
My thoughts exactly, David!
Rowshan, Once we were within 60 days of the midterm election, I had understood, based on precedent, that indictment of Trump or members of his command structure would not occur until after every eligible voter had cast a ballot, a deadline that has been rescheduled in Georgia for after polls close on December 6th. If indictments are not issued promptly thereafter, then, admittedly, I would have misread Garland’s remarks.
That's a good point, Barbara Jo, and I really hope you're right.
David, Considering, at least in my view, that a handful of cases against Trump and his various command structures can be nailed to the post with confirming evidence, if, after Dec. 6th, indictments are not promptly issued, I don’t perceive inaction on our part as an option.
Don't forget the Georgia grand jury. A state indictment does not have to worry about the "nicities" of the DoJ. I understand Gov. Kemp is testifying today, and that the case may wrap up soon. Keep your fingers crossed for an indictment!
Kathleen, You’re absolutely right. I understand the Georgia grand jury resumed calling in witnesses directly after the election.
Me, too!
Oh the agony, i was waiting for the indictment on nov 9th.
Lynn, Though I empathize, in my book, Warnock retaining his Senate seat is well worth the wait. Hence, for the time being, I’ve set Trump’s fate aside, and am focused on doing my part for Warnock, while also supporting Indivisible’s demands for passage of critical legislation before Republicans retake the House in January.
Barbara, agreed! Go Warnock!!! Warnock!!! Warnock!!!
I was so disappointed that Stacy Abrams did not win THIS TIME. She loves her state and this country! I hope she will try again! She is an amazing American!
The new “voter integrity” crap in several states explains why some vermin were “re-elected.”
Emily, I, too, was disappointed by Abrams’ loss. I sense, because Kemp stood up to Trump’s attempts in 2020 to manufacture Trump votes, that Kemp was able to masquerade as a decent Republican despite a long history of suppressing votes, largely in Democratic counties.
I’ll wait patiently, Barbara.
Rowshan, Folks who know far more than I told me to expect DOJ to succeed in eliminating the Special Counsel from the stolen documents case and also to expect indictments in early 23.
Word is that the Jan 6th investigation will need more time and that the grand jury in Georgia has resumed calling in witnesses.
Meanwhile, we need Warnock to keep his seat, and for those who are interested, Indivisible needs help pressing the Senate, in particular, to pass critical legislation before Republicans retake control of the House.
I do so hope you’re right, Barbara Jo.
Rowshan, While we wait, we can take heart from knowing, because election deniers lost races for virtually every state official post in battleground states, prognosticators have reset the clock gauging the demise of democracy from 2 minutes to midnight to 10 minutes to midnight. The one outstanding race is for Arizona’s AG.
Did we ever stop?
If there was even a day, I missed it. I know there was two days this year that I had no news, but that was because I was stuck in the bathroom with a case of norovirus.
Which actually wasn't much different but was slightly preferable than listening/seeing tRump.
Poor you, Miselle!
Doesn’t this just grieve one’s soul? I hope the networks yawn more than give oxygen to this viper…
Update from Allen Hingston:
“We arrived at our bnb last night about 8:45. Finding our platform in Berlin was simple once we got to the station. Learned not to follow the crowd. Everyone in our car got off so we did too and found we were at Berlin Obf station not Berlin Hbf. Found a taxi and had 15 minutes to spare. Except our direct train was canceled and we took the milk run train 30 minutes later.
Our bnb, Gelbes Haus Taunus, is about 45 minutes from the railway station and 30 minutes from the airport. It is located in Kelkheim village in a pretty area of woods and low mountains. Great for dog walking.
Lucky's crate was delivered this morning and needs assembling. Then the work of training him begins. How successful we will be remains to be seen but he has no choice.”
Excellent news, thanks Rowshan for being the bearer of good tidings. For Allen and family, especially Lucky, crate training is challenging but can be enjoyable for both you and the dog. Part of it is making it clear to Lucky that he's not being abandoned. Most of my dogs viewed it as their personal part of the bigger house and would go there just to rest and relax. Best wishes to all of you.
I expect Allen and wife know to include in the crate some clothing items they've worn. Socks and underclothes are especially good.
That was something I never did, I was concerned that, having puppies, they'd learn to associate the smell with things to chew on. Never had a chewing problem although I ran through a lot of frozen dishrags while they were teething. That led to a decision to adopt older shelter dogs.
Well, Lucky certainly isn't a puppy and probably not prone to chewing. When I had my first puppy, adopted at 8 weeks old, he began chewing the insoles out of my shoes while I was at work. Someone suggested I tie a knot in a dirty sock then give it to him and that would redirect him. It worked! (I think I also may have put my shoes out of reach - this was in 1969 so memory is hazy).
Thanks for the update, Rowshan. I've been thinking about Allen and his family the last couple of days and appreciate knowing that they're still doing well. Are they headed back to Ukraine?
They are headed back to Canada.
OK. Thanks!
Thank you Rowshan! What wonderful news ❤️
You’re most welcome, Linda. I was delighted to read it, too!!
Thank you Rowshan. Please continue to stay in touch with Allen and family and send our love. They are brave and really represent Ukrainian courage and truly humanity’s quest for peace and Justice. And the struggle against Fascism that seems to be never ending. It’s History.
That raspy, monotonous, cringing voice!!! The creator of a gadget that dubs TFG’s voice every time he speaks on tv with Donald Duck’s voice will get rich. Any inventors out there? I will buy several—one for each tv and to give as presents.
Super depressing. The news last night about his run (I couldn't watch the video) felt like a wet weighted blanket.
Wet, weighted, and moldy blanket.
My thoughts exactly Rowshan. Please God, can't he just GO AWAY?
An excellent question Rowshan. All of these indictments have been pending for a long time. The election was given as the latest reason for delay and that is now over. Time for a day in court.
Thank you, Dave!
If you don't see him on TV, that means DOJ is doing its job at his direction. 800 related prosecutions so far, with seditious conspiracy prosecutions in court and 4 grand juries...
Today was a stark study in contrasts: Trump babbling and sniffing his way though a sleeping-pill speech filled with lies, while President Biden collaborated with NATO leaders to deal with the missile crisis in Poland. Oh what a difference an election makes!
In the alternate universe in which Trump was re-elected, Ukraine was defeated months ago, and if NATO still exists, the U.S. has withdrawn and is keeping the bed warm for Putin.
Exactly where chump was headed. I don’t even need notes from Helsinki
Quite the contrast!
The fact that Trumski-dumbski went to the trouble of doing the actual filing with the FEC to declare his candidacy - which means he is now limited in fund-raising, in coordination with supportive PACs and required to submit expenditure reports - all things that limit his TrumpStore moneymaking without oversight that he's been enjoying, is a demonstration of how scared he is of indictment.
"Look at me! I'm a for-real candidate! You can't go after me! Political witch hunt! Unfair!" blahblahblah
None of which has the slightest bearing on his coming indictments, arrrests and arraignments. I do wish they had arrested him for the Mar-A-Lago steal last night, which would have thrown a nice monkey wrench in this broadcast from the Kooky Klown Kar.
Hmmm.
Trumpski-dumbski sat on the floor,
Trumpski-dumbski ranted some more.
None of the newspapers, networks, or posts,
Cared to repeat all his whining and boasts.
So inspirational. Long long ago when Facebook lured me I had a similar sing song which now properly belongs in your collection. Little Donny Johnny, puddin and pie, grabbed the girls where it made them cry. When the big girls and boys came out to play, Little Donny Johnny ran away.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the moment in German history when most Germans were laughing at Hitler as a loser and a comedy with no future???
Hitler was just getting started.
"Hitler was just getting started."
Good point. On Jan. 6 we even had our "Burn the Reichstag" moment that almost succeeded. However, the state of the German economy in 1933 was vastly different than the economic conditions in the US today.
Even so, though MAGA had a setback in the last election, that was but one battle. With last night's announcement by TFG, the war continues.
Chump was reportedly a fan of Mien Kampf, no surprise. Hope we remember to do more than laugh, although laughing is so therapeutic
Who do you suppose he got to read it to him?
I suspect TFG's future is more along the lines of Lyndon LaRouche.
Good reminder. I hope that I am able to keep a pulse on the "opposition" but I am not sure that I have the stomach to see where my former colleagues go with this.
I'd love them to have added a line to the NPR report that addressed the investigation into the theft and mishandling of TS/C information.
Scary stuff this crack pot is.
Now THAT is great!
Applause
Joseph,
Thanks!!
It's HUUUUUGGE..A
You have such a way with words, REPEAT ad nauseam
Thanks for this Joseph. It really made me chuckle.
👋 👋 👋 👋 👋 👋 👋
👏👏👏
BRAVO!!!
Yup, you are correct, TC, when you say that Trump is “now limited in fund-raising, in coordination with supportive PACs and required to submit expenditure reports.” He (his staff - Jared?) will file those reports in a timely fashion, I’m sure. But the timeliness will be the only “correct” thing about these fund-raising reports. Honesty? Accuracy? Completeness? Etc…. Not hallmarks of a Trump Operation.
Yup, scared. Yup, looking for protection. Yup, driving the KKKK (Kooky Konservative Klown Kar).
Ivanka--and I presume Jared with her--says she's keeping out of politics.
Arresting ТЯцм₽ at his dolled-up presidential charade!
❗️ ❗️ ❗️
The big $ behind TFG is Robert Mercer and Charles Koch. But who else? Peter Thiel and Elon Musk? Others? These Libertarian billionaire supporters need to be called out, ostracized by the masses.
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.
We all--us and Garland and the DOJ--need to attend to Rachel Maddow's saga of incredible corruption of the US government by the Nazis in the 1940s. If I remember this correctly, corrupt governor of North Dakota gets indicted and elected to the Senate based on his bombastic flaunting norms and rule of law. Sedition trial becomes a circus. Is there a happy ending? More to be revealed when the last episode drops next week.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-presents-ultra
Japan attack shut down the Nazi crap in 1941, who will do it again?
I've been watching every one. Frightening! So many of them got off by making a shame and circus of the trial. And the judge died! I am incensed that the DOJ never retried! I just hope that doesn't happen this time! We need these planners and schemers brought to justice!
There outta be a law. (Or enforcement of the one's we've got).
So does this only apply if he's officially charged and found guilty?
Here we go again on the road to Crazytown. I am really sick of seeing his orange mug trying to steal the thunder from all that is good about America! While President Biden is meeting with NATO leaders and making real decisions, this clown is like the little kid on the playground yelling, "Look, look at me!"
Exactly, may his crazy town falter and burn
And just as objectionable.
In truth, President Trump is doing us a favor. His latest grifting charade to suck from his foolish followers will now implode upon itself. He’s a sad target. His third run is more absurd than either of his others and the public with an IQ over 40 will tire of him. The Italians and Germans grew sick of Mussolini and Hitler. America will get sick of Trump Inc. His tax cheating will be charged. January 6 and secret documents stolen will be charged. He will be convicted. Trump is finished. His hair dresser will cry.
Trump won’t get Otisville. He will get house arrest at Mar-a-Lago for life with court supervision of visitors.
Sandy,
Caution: We have counted Trump down and out before and he came back like the Terminator he is.
We should all be taking him as serously as the American heart attack he is.
The margins of the last election show that roughly 73 million voters are STILL in love with him.
Enough for him to win.
Germany thought Hitler was all washed up too ... but Hitler was just getting started when that thinking was prominent.
My nightmare
Right you are! Trump’s people are not going anywhere.
Those radicalized rarely admit to being fooled. They would rather protect their own ego than face the reality they were duped in the biggest con in history. Like the Nazi’s, they will go their grave as ‘true believers’.
Hitler and Mussolini were elected fairly.
Sandy, you have a way of seeing past the chaff to the wheat. I believe you are right about the indictments and the electorate in general growing tired of Trump's reality-free rhetoric.
As for predicting the next primary season, well, that's another matter. One reason pollsters so often get it wrong is simple demographics. In my state of NH, fully 24% of currently registered voters either did not live here or were too young to vote in 2016. This seems to be true in other swing states as well.
With that said, here is my tentative prediction. Trump will either win the Republican primary and lose the general election or so badly maul his opponent they will lose in the general.
Another scenario is that the Republicans will, in mid-2024 (18 months away), nominate someone other than Trump, which will leave Trump to run in the new MAGA Party. That will be fun to watch, huh?
That’s been my thought. Rejection by the GOP and a run as a third party. One can only hope.
I mean, there are only two choices: the Republicans either accept Trump or reject Trump.
Well, I guess there are two other possibilities: 1.) Trump decides to withdraw the candidacy that he just launched last night or 2.) Trump is in prison/under house arrest….
Or maybe promises Elon billions of moolah if he just turns Twitter over to the Twit in Chief for the duration...
H. Ross Perot and two others tried. Third party destroys, does it create.
Hmmmmm….a “destroyed” Republican Party? Santa Claus is comin’ to town (& I’ve been a pretty good boy…..)
Split the ticket! Ha! TFG remains a Master Strategist of stupidity.
Pendulums swing. Trump’s is stalled. No air. No mo. No go. DeSantis is Trump DeMinimus. The Florida Flash. Hawley, Cruz, Abbott - are third tier fascists. Aging Joe is showing a little leg, smiling, winning the hearts of many, getting it done. Old. Smart. Running?
Our Founders provided for a President who can no longer perform his/her duties. I have no problem with Biden running again in 2024. He is currently showing that his age is NOT preventing him from performing well - at home, legislatively, and abroad, diplomatically. It’s time for Democrats to quit its Ageism, it’s time for Democrats to get SOLIDLY behind its leader, it’s time for Democrats to BOLSTER Biden’s choice for his possible “emergency” successor, Vice President Kamala Harris. Democrats voted in 2020 for Biden & HARRIS.
Right, Dems need to support or shut up
❤️
We can only hope!
Certainly my wish too, but that so many are still susceptible to his vombast is still terrifying. And there is the issue of why so many Americans are so disaffected and gullible enough to be led around by their collective noses. One theory is that many men are floundering because the definition of masculinity has changed, and that good paying jobs for those without college educations are dwindling- if now nonexistent. 40% of households have women as the higher wage earners. Disaffected men are much more susceptible to the mythical promises of authoritarian "strong father" leaders. Hitler was successful because their economy was in the dumper - partly due to the draconian terms of the Armistice. How do we prevent a replay of history?
I do believe that your theory here is worth looking at. When you couple that with the toxic masculinity that has pervaded our culture since... the 80's? 90''s... it does seem correlated with the loss of family wage jobs whereby a family could live on a single income.
I dream
We have a perfectly good shithole of a prison here in Reidsville GA Sandy, that will be the perfect accommodation for the odious one, it is probably the last place in the US that he would ever want to spend a day in much less the rest of his miserable life, it would be almost worth the price of admission to watch him try to eat the food. 😎
Whoso incites, assists or engages
In rebellion or other outrages
Gets three squares and a cot
For ten years – that’s a lot!
Not to mention the fines and lost wages
Thank you Heather.
I didn't watch tonight's announcement by Trump. I knew it was going to happen.
I prefer to liken it to the report you get from the doctor that the infection you have been treated for hasn't quite healed. You will need to stay on the antibiotics that makes you aggressively sick for 10 more days.
The difference being, we will be forced to take the stomach sickening, diarrhea producing pill for that much longer.
Maybe we should simply skip the next round.
Sounds good to me.
Be safe. Be well.
I just replied to a plea for $$$ for the next election via DNC and replied that 1. we are exhausted at this moment. 2. The DNC does nothing to deserve funds from any of us because it is an ineffectual group while millions of us are in the trenches donating to candidates like Tim Ryan (ignored by the DNC), writing letters, phone banking, working tirelessly on the ground. We will need to begin doing all of this again very soon.
I agree wholeheartedly. The overwhelming emails and texts for money was too much. I thought Tim Ryan had a very good shot. I also thought Val Demings had a very good shot and was shocked to see that Rubio beat her by around double the amount of votes. How can this be? The DNC basically abandoned Florida, abandoned a woman who was so ready and capable of being a terrific senator. The DNC blew this one. I hope they will put more focus on Florida in the future, and to other excellent candidates. I just donated to Raphael Warnock. Specific candidates need our attention.
De Santis has a long record of actively messing with voting data. Remember that statistician he fired and then harassed for not adjusting the polls to his liking? Val Demings was running neck to neck with Rubio, and the distortion in the vote against her is very suspect. Crist loosing to De Santis by such a wide margin is also suspicious. The elections in Florida should be investigated.
Boy, that is true in Texas also. Probably Georgia too. The new “election integrity” laws suppressed as they were meant to do. Hope the networks stop playing up the wins in Tx and Fl. They were legalized cheating…
I agree and in my resident state of Ohio, we voted on unconstitutional maps. For the 4th time, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the Republican drawn maps be thrown out. This was ignored by the state and we voted in illegal districts. It casts
doubt that the results are legal.
Unreal, how can that be?
I don't know if cutting off the DNC is the right approach but they did abandon Florida completely. No Republican would abandon NY and Zeldin almost won.
And Ohio. I saw nary an ad sponsored by the DNC, or the Senate Leadership PAC. Ryan's ads were almost all self-funded until the very end.
Reporting of the 2020 fiasco in Florida made the same point – that the Dem infrastructure was vaporware all the way down...
Gailee, here is a wonderful organization that I just donated to: https://swingleft.org/targets/state/ga. I haven’t given to the DNC ever, I think. Don’t despair, we spoke loud and clear at the polls. I still can’t believe we are losing the House. OMG. Keep on, keepin’ on!
Don’t forget The States Project, which was successful in helping MI turn blue, and Minnesota, NC and WI, for just a few. We helped: https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/1XQhnyD/Tending-to-Democracy. And we’ll be back. Www.statesproject.org for more of what they accomplished with our money.
Been donating to them for years, they do good.
Thank you Elisabeth!
Oh yes, the begging will never stop, although my resources have plunged. I will donate to Warnock but then a hiatus, by necessity.
Is there any way of checking these pleas for authenticity? The ones asking Republicans for $ are in EXACTLY the same stile, right down to the layout, font type and size. Now I contribute directly to the DNC or my local Democratic party. I'm sure some of these emails are scams.
Never respond to begging emails. I go to candidate web site, I hope that is better
I do the same.
See my comment above. Funds go directly to candidates; The States Project’s overhead does not come out of donated funds.
Steve, not the referenced links we have given you. Swing Left is a very reputable and hard working group. Just ask if you have doubts....
Agreed, I have heard good things about Swing Left from at least 3 different sources. I'm talking about the boundless numbers of emails that show up in my inbox asking for $, that all seem kind of fly-by-night sleazy.
I so agree! I gave yo Ryan and am pissed he didn't get help from DNC! That's why I never give to DNC any more. Only to specific candidates of my own choosing.
I am delighted that Trump—on his own and without any Republican leadership out-front support—has declared himself a 2024 presidential candidate. Great for the Dems in the Georgia Senate run off on Dec 6th. Also great for the Dems, as it exacerbates the internecine Republican political fighting.
Trump’s ‘Midas touch’ in selecting Republican electoral candidates proved leaden on November 8th and the BIG LIE/January 6th/election fraud liturgy was an electoral turnoff.
Trump, the Republican ‘leader maximus,’ is being blamed for the Red Trickle (with large blue spots) on November 8th. An increasing number of Trumpublicans are viewing Trump, with his outdated message and outrageous assaults on those Republicans who don’t genuflect, as a negative in the run up to the 2024 elections.
Trump’s ego and megalomania can not acknowledge that lock-step Trumpism has experienced a massive body blow. He will continue to rant and rave while McConnell, DeSantis, and others will seek revenge for Trump’s and Trumpism’s negative impact on the November elections.
The Dems should be delighted that a wounded shark is bloodying Republican political waters. I am!.
Keith,
I am not as elated as you. I am, honestly, frightened. And, that is not a common feeling for me.
I know how many Americans love Trump more than they love their family members.
I know how many of those Americans who love Trump use hate as their main motivator.
I know how many Americans who love Trump are willing to use violence to get what they want.
I know how ill prepared the rest of America is to take on those who love Trump.
I know that 73 MILLION AMERICANS LOVE TRUMP ENOUGH TO KILL ME in order to make him President.
So, I feel nothing but fear, and, a growing sense of anger that is not healthy at all.
Hope is eternal. Go find a dead IH-M and bring it roaring back to life. You need to find some joy now. This spring you can hook up a one bottom plow and turn perfect furrows, smelling the newly turned earth as you watch them fold perfectly. Renewal in balance will come to you.
Thank you for the live thought. Full of smell, sound and positive feeling.
Pat - You just struck a chord in me, sweet earth. Thank you
I see as I've been driving around in my community this week, that folks that have had Trump signs in their yards, some since he won the presidency in 2016, have removed them. One house in particular had multiple signs of different sizes adorning his place, all gone now.
Somehow this gives me some hope. False hope? May be, possibly, probably, but I wonder if others have noticed this in their communities.
We had that big big moon. The tide is turning.
lol - yes and it was a beaut, and showed up just in time
I frequently drive from Seattle to Spokane to visit family. The eastern side of Washington is very red and was full of drumph signs, which I routinely flipped off. Since 2020, my middle fingers have gotten far less use. A CD in E WA re-elected one of the R reps who voted for impeachment. I also hope these are strong clues of a change in MAGAt thinking.
Interesting observation. I’ll have to look around in my neck of the woods.
Mike S., I truly understand your fears and feel much the same especially in the spring. When Dobbs finally dropped, it was a huge body blow. I had no choice but stretch beyond all the angst and terror into new arenas of activism. I mastered new technology, pushed myself to fund raise for the States Project, texted for many different organizations, made calls, wrote over 600 postcards, marched, and was a poll monitor on Election Day.
I also looked to hero’s like John Lewis, MLK, RFK, RBG, Pauli Murray, V. Zelenzkyy (to name but a few) for courage and inspiration.
Hope is a practice and an action. Please don’t fall prey to paralysis and cynicism. Find avenues that call to you and volunteer. You will feel better. I staved off a major depression by doing so. Also, I recommend Robert Hubbell’s newsletter, Today’s Edition, on Substack. He summarizes the days political events with realistic optimism and offers ways to get involved.
We need to play the long game and not sit down until the general election. Early money to the states or GOTV orgs lays infrastructure for successful campaigns. I’ll continue to challenge myself as things unfold. Please join or continue the fight. And do it with others!
I read Hubbell today and subscribed - thanks for the tip
That’s great!
Blood does seep and swirl, not only to the fringes but to some innocents as well. It has always been so. May the shark and his greedy allies suffer a fatal blow this time.
Keith, I am amused with "Red Trickle" which I have coopted into "Red Tinkle" which is oft the sign of an infection. Your "dots of blue" reminds me of an old M*A*S*H episode wherein there is a soldier (a loud, white, southerner) receiving surgical care who demands that they not give him any blood for a transfusion that was collected from an individual of African descent (translated). This upset the doctors so much that they gave an injection of a chemical that would turn the patient's urine blue. Upon coming out of anesthesia, the patient's first concern was that there was none of "that" blood in his system. They told him only if his urine was blue. It was. He pitched a fit; the doctors took him to town. Pretty cool episode.
Tuba player How did you do fighting the Red Tide in your county? I’m feeling blue about the results, but give you the Congressional Medal of Honor for your courageous fight. As we know, Hawk Eye ultimately triumphed in MASH.
I live in reliably blue Lane County. We kept Pete DeFazio's seat blue, and with our new congressional district, added a Democrat. We do indeed have some very red pockets, but for now, we are outnumbering them.
Cannot be said for rural Oregon, however.
Foreign bribe money being laundered through the hotel is *exactly* what the Framers meant by "emoluments" that a president must not be allowed. It's time (or 200 years past time) for congress to codify mechanisms for enforcing this ban.
Remember how he said he put all his companies in a trust and would not have control over them? The press conference (around January 11 or 12 2017) with reams of paper on a table (maybe props documents or blank pages, imho) with a lawyer standing next to him (Sheri A. Dillon, a lawyer for the Trump Organization), him saying he just got done signing all these papers! Horsefeathers, it was evident afterwards, but no “emoluments authority” stepped in to counter….
Here it begins, november 30 2016, NYT
“ Ethics Office Praises Donald Trump for a Move He Hasn’t Committed To”
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/us/politics/donald-trump-business-president-elect.html?searchResultPosition=63
Then december 7, “Donald Trump Is Said to Intend to Keep a Stake in His Business”
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/us/politics/trump-organization-ivanka-trump.html?searchResultPosition=31
But the “next week” Press conference postponed…
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/opinion/how-trump-can-avoid-the-ethical-tarpit.html?searchResultPosition=5
Then the event, and an analysis, “ It ‘Falls Short in Every Respect’: Ethics Experts Pan Trump’s Conflicts Plan.
By KAREN YOURISH and LARRY BUCHANAN JAN. 12, 2017.
Ethics experts rebutted key parts of Donald J. Trump’s plan
to address conflicts of interest hours after the plan was presented
by Sheri A. Dillon, a lawyer for the Trump Organization.”
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/12/us/politics/ethics-experts-trumps-conflicts-of-interest.html?searchResultPosition=12
And finally, nope, he still controls the trustee, he is not divested. Pro Publica and FOIA disclosures.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/03/us/politics/donald-trump-business.html?searchResultPosition=1
Just what we need. More trump mixed in with everything else.
So I had aberrant missile. What of it. Hardly killed anyone. I am busy trying to kill millions of Ukrainians. Cut me some slack.
Pat, I think you read Putin’s mind. What am I thinking about Crump right now? (Omit any profanity. He brings out words I don’t use, uh, very often....)
You said it Gus! You said it all without voicing a word.
Similar to the milktoast apology the US offered a small village in Afghanistan after a US helicopter gunned down all but one (nine total) of the 12 year old boys gathering wood outside an Afghan village. We killed nearly 100% of the boys in the village, BUT, oopsie, we sorry.
So? Russia CONTINUES to follow the US Playbook that we wrote for them to use in Ukraine from our "work" in Afghanistan.
Gift link from NY Times on the story
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?unlocked_article_code=2uOxq3Vjk5kEq8PYilLS7qBcuVhJneWc-8UL067B8wC_UdtERY46JNohjNIJ-fktEkb2pWZvhUjMU39_s1F1nfL5R5nUrWdOkvV5dbohElzvw82jo8kNDNEKYx6pCpyyic3OfckSnBe6Z0ZqLcFbg9ZIGiPKdZauMZX4oNN0lRTbEBMMbWeI6oEr5En-rTq2vPO6CLROTPwM5FcoV4W5VHc-WILNqQapiu8AlAOBTioQKILyZir5FzktIQonari8x0eloQaGWnV7m_2-aoadw8lyoen8MSQlEHoyzOA0VhkxPQbTUmg37R6d-EkAxnUQQz9GaOg&smid=share-url
Link from a Tuscon newspaper:
https://tucson.com/news/world/9-afghan-boys-killed-in-error-by-coalition-copters/article_fba77997-5e8b-57f8-9743-67e9959c6bfd.html
"KABUL - Troops in attack helicopters that belong to the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan mistakenly killed nine boys Tuesday with machine-gun and rocket fire as they collected firewood, thinking that the children were Taliban insurgents, the international forces acknowledged Wednesday.
U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, who heads the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, ordered all field commanders and helicopter crew members to study their orders again on when coalition aircraft can open fire on people on the ground.
The coalition said it was "deeply sorry" for the error.
The incident was sure to inflame already-raw Afghan sensitivities on civilian deaths from coalition military actions. Mohammed Bismel, a brother of two of the dead boys, told McClatchy Newspapers that he thought Afghan President Hamid Karzai should resign and declare "holy war against foreign forces."
In fact, the sole boy left by accident said that the helicopter first descended to get a close look at them and they waved. They could see it was a US helicopter.
Then, it opened fire.
Gift link from NY Times on the story
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?unlocked_article_code=2uOxq3Vjk5kEq8PYilLS7qBcuVhJneWc-8UL067B8wC_UdtERY46JNohjNIJ-fktEkb2pWZvhUjMU39_s1F1nfL5R5nUrWdOkvV5dbohElzvw82jo8kNDNEKYx6pCpyyic3OfckSnBe6Z0ZqLcFbg9ZIGiPKdZauMZX4oNN0lRTbEBMMbWeI6oEr5En-rTq2vPO6CLROTPwM5FcoV4W5VHc-WILNqQapiu8AlAOBTioQKILyZir5FzktIQonari8x0eloQaGWnV7m_2-aoadw8lyoen8MSQlEHoyzOA0VhkxPQbTUmg37R6d-EkAxnUQQz9GaOg&smid=share-url
How soon we forget, Abu Ghraib had the same effect I’m sure
Jeri,
For some painful reason, I cannot forget. Perhaps because I had the pleasure of having a Dad from Mexico and watched as (some, but by no means all) white Americans treated him like dirt (the nice word to use) when I was a kid in rural East Texas. Now, by no means did everyone do that. But, when it happened, it was really ugly, and, for me, scary.
Maybe, although I am lucky to have light skin like my Mom, maybe because I saw how nasty some Americans could be just because of dark skin, I related to the killing of the darkies in Afghanistan that we did FOR NO REASON AT ALL.
Bush just wanted to distract us from the fact that he was a born loser made good by his Daddy's money and his white skin. His admission to Yale? Legacy (affirmative action).
His admission to Harvard with his C average from Yale? Legacy (affirmative action).
A born loser led us all to kill brown people for two decades, and? Just for fun.
War criminal, we are so shallow. It’s just skin people. And skin of any hue can cover genius or evil. Will logic ever gain a foothold?
I think that human history leads us to believe that there is no logic in the tribalistic behaviors of people.
❤️
It is ridiculous. Putin continues to lose ground in Ukraine (Russia shouldn't be attacking in the first place), and also continues to target civilians and civilian infrastructure. Without any consequences other than the original sanctions and provision of short range weapons by the West.
As Stephen Colbert would say: “Potato....”. O Lord.
Prof. Richardson evenhandedly describes the former guy's announcement as, "... a subdued version of his rallies" marked by a lack of enthusiasm in the room and a descent into a rant.
For some further characterization, see Dana Milbank's column in this morning's WaPo (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/11/15/trump-mar-a-lago-announcement-angry-dana-milbank/).
Milbank's review was, well, blistering, calling the appearance interminable, meandering, low-energy, defensive, desultory, and rambling as well as full of old grievances, more attacks on immigrants, and election-conspiracy claims.
Yet according to other reporting some 40% of Republicans are still all-in on the former guy, still enthusiastically swilling the Kool-Aid. I guess it's instructive to remember that 24% of Republicans still supported Nixon ==> even after he had resigned in disgrace and was walking out to AF1 for the last time <==.
None are so blind as those who have eyes but would not see.
WILL NOT SEE, but if Rupert stops burnishing…
I am hopeful there are enough people in the U.S. who now realize that Trump didn't make "America Great Again" Incidentally, Mr. Trump it is actually the United States of America as opposed to South America or Central America as examples.
I prefer the term USians to Americans, which means everyone from North, Central, South America.
Usians...I like it, Matt!