524 Comments

Thank you Heather. Never in my post-Dick Cheney lifetime did I expect to admire anyone from the Cheney family. While I disagree with many of the positions Liz Cheney has or would advocate, I applaud her courage in placing the Constitution above ‘GOP-power-before-country’ which is commonplace among post-Eisenhower Republicans.

‘Cheney wrote of how she and then–House speaker Nancy Pelosi came to respect each other over their common defense of the Constitution, a nonpartisan stance that foreshadows her conclusion that Trump is dangerous to the country. “Every one of us—Republican, Democrat, Independent—must work and vote together to ensure that Donald Trump and those who have appeased, enabled, and collaborated with him are defeated,” she writes. “This is the cause of our time.”’

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What struck me most when watching the January 6 Committee in action was the apparent respect the committee members showed for one another. Apparently that was not an illusion. I attribute that in large part to the tone set by Bennie Thompson (sp). I will never forget how refreshing it was to hear intelligent, civil discourse from politicians at that time.it struck me then how much people can overcome their differences when working together for a common cause.

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It is too bad that there were only two Republicans reasonable enough to serve on that committee, isn’t it…

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Too bad they we drummed out of the party for the sin of integrity.

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Nothing Trump has ever touched has gone untainted. Integrity and Trump are two words that can rarely if ever be found in the same sentence or even paragraph.

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NEVER! Integrity needs and understanding of what is good for the commonweal, the orange creature is void of such human quality!

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And just think.....there are people out there who look up to him.

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Swbv, those two words can never be found together. Death star is one huge festering example of the lack of integrity or anything decent.

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Shakespeare has Rosencrantz say "many wearing rapiers are afraid of goose-quills and dare scarce come thither." Joseph Welch skewered Joseph McCarthy with "At long last, have you left no sense of decency?".

Of course, decency can be in the eye of the beholder, as "in olden days a glimpse of stocking was thought of as something shocking", but lies, persecution, and character assassination stand out as indecent across, the arc of history; and yet they remain popular. That would seem to be at work in the McCarthyesque techniques were part of Nixon's character, and now subsequently define the modern "Republican" Party.

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That is the real crime, JL

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Essentially the whole damned party have been accessories before and after the fact. And the more subtle but most instrumental Big Lie goes at least as far back as Reagan, that "The love of money" is society's benefactor, not " government of the people, by the people, for the people". We have met this enemy and they is us.

Democracy is herding cats. It's messy and chaotic, and easy to make fun of, but that's where liberty and justice are born. It requires engagement, solidarity and good faith.

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Wyoming replaced her with a true nutter.

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Perhaps they will see what they get and feel the pain of being hit with the results over time.

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Sadly its more likely that we ALL will "feel the pain"!

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I'm not sure reasonable is the right adjective.They all seem to be cowards, afraid of DJT publicly calling them out. He also likes to publish their addresses and phone numbers so they receive death threats.

Heather writes today - "She notes that now-chair of the House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan (R-OH) didn’t appear to care about rules or legal processes surrounding the election results. “The only thing that matters is winning,” he told her."

He's been elected and re-elected 8 times and done absolutely nothing for his constituents. What does this say about his constituents?

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Gerrymandering keeps him in place

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The way his district is drawn, it almost looks like a salamander...and he is just as slimy as one!

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That they deserve him. And that says the world about Ohio. I have a friend who lives there and cannot wait to retire and leave.

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Some of us Ohioans are working for change!

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God bless you! It is unfair to paint all members of any community with a single brush.

I hope you also support Sherrod Brown for Senate. From what I've seen if him, he works hard for Ohio and. If I am wrong, please correct me because,I am supporting him.

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We wish you well. I wish the list of states I plan to avoid wasn’t so long. I know there are good people everywhere, but going to visit my sister in Kansas is like visiting aliens.

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Yes! Look at the recent votes. Having written GOTV postcards to help Ohioans, it’s gratifying to see them working for change.

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Yes you are, Godspeed! Our neighbors here at the resort in AZ are from Cleveland, Republicans but never voted for tfg

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Good luck !!!

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I lived in Cincinnati for four years in the early 1970s, having moved there after growing up in Missouri. I loved the "Queen City," and found most of the people I met to be kind, decent and welcoming toward me. When my then-husband was offered a job opportunity in Boston, I was heartbroken at the idea of leaving the mid-west. I think it might have taken me a week to get over the heartbreak, and immerse myself in discovering the rich history of Massachusetts and New England. I still live here.

I have friends who live in Ohio (Dayton, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus), all of them dissatisfied by the steady "reddening" and "MAGAfication" of the place they call home, not sure how they can reverse the trend. I think they're facing the same issues that so many people across the country are, and until they decide to unite and mobilize to change things, people like Jordan will continue to dominate them.

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As we have seen repeatedly, the MAGAs are very good at making threats not only to individuals, but also to their families. Good old mafia style M.O. Most of them sorta keep their hands clean by making public statements to stir up the nutty base who do their dirty work for them. And let's do nothing about guns, so the lower level mafia can be well armed.

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They aren't very smart or maybe just lazy! Pretty much the same with Indiana.

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Hoosiers tend to take too much for granted and resist things (and people) they don’t understand.

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Apparently all they needed was two. And being drummed out of the party was a glowing validation in my view. This ain’t your mother’s GOP. It’s a pit of vipers.

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Kind of a glaring example of the hold of MAGA on the GOP.

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Mit Romney can be added to that list and maybe a few others who’ve decided to quite rather than stay in and try to fight.

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It demands a LONG list of those who turned tail on THEIR oath to protect our country NEVER EVER see public service again. The wish wash wobble of far too many trying to keep their ‘good standing’ goes down like the sorry Santos story . It’s so amazingly ridiculous. Playing the GOP game of shallow integrity. They put on masks of acceptance, no big deal, that’s politics.

NOT IN MY BOOK OF ETHICAL EXPECTANCY.

Cheney and Kinzinger are THE two of too few who survived the coup.

The GOP shit show shot ‘the right’ ...dead.

💙💙VOTE ALL THE COMPLICIT OUT💙💙

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“Turned tail” reminds me of the security cam video showing the escort of VP Pence from the senate chamber juxtaposed with the exit of the junior senator from Missouri across a hallway.

Note to my fellow members of GPD*: lack of proper capitalization in listing his title is intentional.

*GPD: Grammar Police Department: To correct and to serve.

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I need to hire FT one of them GPD…thanks great post…maybe we can add to it by a CDH:closed door hearing …on the ‘list’ mentioned in my first post today…just sayin’😏

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I put him in with Jeff Flake. Both have principles, but not the stomach for a tough fight.

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Appears to be a large number who have no stomach! Letting a small number (House) of nitwits scare them out of the Congress rather than be brave(?) enough to do the jobs they were elected to do does show their lack of what public service used to mean!

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And remember Ben Sasse?

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Cheryl, regarding Jeff Flake, if he lacks the stomach to defend his principles, it is my understanding that historically that would be the definition of a person who lacks principles.

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I may be naively optimistic -I do think a resurgence of ‘Kitchen Table Democracy’ can help shift many away from the polarization common in today’s Fox ‘News’ America.

The first step is outlining what a shared future vision of America looks like and then working together toward electing and supporting competent leadership.

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It would be nice to have two political parties focusing on implementing the democratic process (one person, one vote, majority rule) with fair elections and no gerrymandering; however, the extreme MAGA/KKK Republicans, as Jim Jordan admitted, are only interested in winning elections, including by hook or crook. In fact, we are now at war to save our system. The enemy is our fellow Americans who want to turn the USA into a white Protestant autocracy. These white evangelical Christians are, sadly, racist to the core. We are presently engaged in our SECOND CIVIL WAR.

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Very true Richard. In fact, in can be argued, we've never finished the first. Rights, in which people suffered, sacrificed, and died for, should not be a political football used to divide us through the courts, and corrupt/incompetent so-called 'leadership'. We should be moving forward together confronting the challenges of our time, not relitigating the past.

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George, we have huge economic problems coming down the road fast. Electric-powered vehicles will replace those powered by internal combustion engines. Electric-powered vehicles are easier to make and don't need the servicing of the gas powered. Millions of jobs will be lost in the manufacturing process and in the service industry. The Jiffy Lubes will disappear. What then, when the national debt is $200 trillion and not even the interest on the debt can be paid? I feel for my two daughters and my 4-year old granddaughter.

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I suspect opportunity will be there. There are many of us old people needing care and new jobs rewiring the grid and installing and maintaining solar energy. There is a massive amount of crumbling infrastructure to care for. People seem to forget cars and planes were new just over a century ago. I would not have prepared for a technology job in the 70's but those industries employ many people. Who knows what will develop over the next century assuming we can deal with the challenges of climate change, mass migration and the resultant conflict.

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My husband who is very involved in alternative energy research at an international level, has noticed a recent massive effort by unidentified groups who have been placing ads opposing solar, wind and other forms of alternative energy. They are particularly active in spreading lies about the effects of electric vehicles and wind generated energy. Every time I ask him about one of these declarations by these groups he gives me the scientific facts debunking all of them. It was even mentioned in a recent conference in which he was involved. I hope one of our good investigative reporters goes after the source of the disinformation so they can be called out.

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cars replaced buggies, computers replaced type writers..things change.

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I have confidence in what Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, is also doing for our economy. When I am politically down, I watch another of his infrastructure building site videos.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/595142717910172/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT

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Yes. And the displacement of labor demand attributable to AI. There will need to be a significant transformation of the economic system toward fairness if society has the political will to avoid a massive disruption and resultant suffering. Climate, resource scarcity, and economics will supersede the ridiculous issues society is presently misdirected toward.

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I dont think this is a drumbeat on Bloomberg business. The problem of employment displacement due to new technologies has been around for a very long time. Robotics has already taken up much of the labour needs in vehicle etc manufacturing factories. You could also mention AI driving inroading on long-distance trucking. But i can't deny there aren't long term issues over displacement the rest of the economy can't absorb, and with comparable incomes. Right now, at full employment, US economy runs a 3% unemployment rate. Part of the problem of this is further concentration of wealth. But we also know a well paid "middle class" is a potent source of demand in any economy. Likely beyond pure marketplace logic.

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Hardly a soul ,either side, talks 1) taxes 2) military reductions both eating us alive.

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We will have to go back to growing our own vegetables, educating ourselves about all sorts changes as we try to survive climate change. There will be jobs we haven’t dreamed of, but it will only be if we recognize that world population must be reduced and learn the importance of adoption and birth control. Your granddaughter and your daughters can have gratifying lives but only if they take into account that they will have many different decisions that are different from our generation. Having had one child who also had one, I hope that my grandson will either adopt or enjoy not having children. “Be fruitful and multiply” is no longer possible if we want to continue as a species.

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Well, e-vehicles can allow us a liveable earth, but so far they're limited to fairly short driving radii.

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Didn't someone write a book about that?

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Amen👏

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You are so right. The hate of “others,” and democrats is at the core, having had that hate burnished by the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Lee Atwater and their ilk since Ronnie approved such. And use Christianity to make the Schitt smell like roses. Glad so many of us didn’t buy it, but the fight continues.

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it is manufactured performative hate, hate for profit and power

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Exactly

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"Mark my words if these preachers get control

of the (Republican) party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly,

these people frighten me.

Politics and governing

demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've

tried to deal with them."

REPUBLICAN BARRY GOLDWATER

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Mary, thank you for sharing that. Goldwater hit the nail on the head - how can one compromise when one has the "Absolute Truth?" This is where the train has jumped off the rail - the MAGA/KKK evangelical Republicans, manipulated by the extremely wealthy, have no clue or desire to know what their function as government officials is. Given that we have about 70 million of these people here in the U.S., we've got a problem that will take decades to undo.

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With all the writing there is, history books fill volumes and yet- new renditions are on Best Seller lists of similar ( and here comparison)and yet - blow for blow similarities...and yet- country after country falling prey or under siege ...and yet.

I’ve done my best to insulate myself ( ourselves) ..my children ( in their 50’s) really don’t think it will happen...I hope they’re right...I can’t imagine the conversation then if they manage to get here to survive ...if it does. The only saving grace is in every instance ..it.didn’t.end.well.for.the.bad.guys.but a lot of innocents died proving it.

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Yes Mary! Nothing pissed off Jesus more than these types of uber hypocrites....

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Can we use our votes and the rule of law to keep the world "safe for democracy"?

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Frankly, the only way that we're going to keep the world "safe for democracy" along with the rule of law is to out-vote the dark forces. Absolutely, we need to be involved more than ever before in our lives.

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We can dream and hope! Imagine if Fox and Breitbart injected a bit of truth into their broadcasts...just a little at a time...so their listeners gradually realized that what they consider fake news isn't fake at all.

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Heads would explode (and average IQ would subsequently rise). :)

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As I read George's post the first step is ousting all Republicans.

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Sadly, I don't think there are any left. It is really about the Democratic Party versus the anti-democracy party.

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That’s the intent...💙💙VOTE ALL THE COMPLICIT OUT💙💙

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I was so proud that my rep from VA 2, Elaine Luria was on the Jan 6 committee. Serving probably cost her her reelection in our swingy district, but she did her duty.

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I hope she’ll be back. Let the MAGAts crawl back under their rocks in Virginia.

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I echo Gail, she should run again, perhaps for senate.

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What a shame Elaine Luria wasn’t re-elected in your district. She and all the others did a magnificent job serving on the Jan 6 committee.

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👍We’ll support her next run.✔️

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E Pluribus Unum

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Absolutely, Susan. How much could be accomplished by respectfully hammering out differences instead of wrong-headed shouts and name calling! Filling voters' and politicians' heads with anger and fear accomplishes nothing.

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In my day, that was the way members of Congress always behaved when conducting official business. That all changed starting in 1995, when Newt Gingrich broke politics in America, when collegiality and compromise were frowned on.

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Yes. well said Susan. And that cooperation and respect is refreshing in a time of such ego driven political discourse.

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I’m a lifelong Wyoming Republican, the only time I’ve voted for Liz Cheney was the 2022 primary, I had a 4’x 8’ sign on my fence, several people thanked me quietly and some chided me, my response was that I couldn’t stand crybaby losers.

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Cheney is impressive. It’s seems impossible that she would have approved of Trump’s 7 trillion dollar debt that Haley pointed out.

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Cheney voted with Trump 90% of the time. She is a climate change denier. She only stood against Trump after it became clear he wanted to destroy democracy. That she found the courage of her convictions then is a fortunate choice for the country at that point is something we can all be thankful for. I doubt if many of the rest of her positions have changed.

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Its OK to disagree. it's OK to have different positions. That's inevitable when you have 435 (House) people who come from Cities and Prairies, Mountains and Low Country. But if you tell the truth, provide time for your opponent to have his/her full say, and then open the floor to fair voting, a reasonable path forward is likely to emerge. There really isn't room for people like Gym Jordan in power. Whenever I see him speak, I am further convinced that he cares only for his own power, not for the good of the country. He's consistent, while also un-American.

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Agreed on her Republican "me vs we" bonafides. She advocates for the rich and would support the disenfranchisement of minorities and women in general. And the climate denial is as stupid and evil as it gets. Actually, it's bought and paid for by you know who.

But she is offering us an important gift. Let's accept it with gratitude. And then if we are still standing and she runs for office again, fight with every political might to be sure she doesn't serve again. So kudos to Liz for believing in our democracy to the degree she does. But yeah, I wouldn't want her as mayor of my small town.

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What you said, definitely. Sad, too. Her Dad was THE most corrupt Republican in office in my lifetime. It would be hard for her to be ethical, honest and concerned with America. Dick never was.

Our parents do matter.

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After having laid bare so much in the J6 investigations, I’d be surprised if her views have not changed. Maybe her new book will tell us.

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One can hope. I will read her book.

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I agree, it seems unlikely that she HASNT changed some of her views. And, this is the perfect window of opportunity for her to say so, and hopefully be truthful and sincere

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I believe there’s good reason to regard Liz as a truthful person.

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I think she is truthful. I agree with her stance on dealing with insurrectionists and treasonous ex-Presidents. I don’t agree with her stance on climate change, government regulation of polluting business, and reproductive freedom, is all.

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Yeah no.

"Rep. Cheney: Dems Turn Maternity Ward to Murder Field"https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1084075128431295

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George, I'm right there with ya. Whoever said "politics makes strange bedfellows" was spot on.

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The key word here is "respect" which is something I find very hard to do towards much of the MAGA fools.

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When facts and evidence are rejected by MAGA -it is impossible to have any meaningful discussion about anything. And I suppose I've become too old and impatient for discussions that are not meaningful.

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I wish she would throw her hat into the ring as an independent. It would divert votes away from Trump. She has professed to do anything to thwart him. She's a smart cookie - what can she do?

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She might agree to be Haley’s VP and try to play the same role her father did to W. Ugh.

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This is *totally off topic*. But I can't help but share. I'm joining the St. Paul Civic Symphony on tuba! I just wanted to share the joy! Matt.

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Hey, Matt! HCR Reader Ally House is also a tuba player! She is a member of the Eugene Symphonic Band in Eugene, Oregon, I hope you hook up with her here soon!

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Thanks, Lynell!

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Sherrif's Sonorous Sounds?

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