I had hoped that the days when the news came like a firehose were over, but so far, no luck. This morning, the stock market jumped 1200 points in its first day of trading after the announcement of Biden’s election. Over the course of the day it was up as much as 1600 points, then ended for the day with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 834.57 points, or 2.95%.
Today’s letter has raised the hair on the back of my neck...why are there no checks and balances to stop this mad man!? And what can we do to stop a future, more intelligent mad man from taking steps to destroy our country and democracy? We are already in it for the long haul to reverse The damage that he and his minions have done. Like causing so many to distrust our voting system, one of the main keys to democracy. And not allowing Biden and his team to read the daily briefings....isn’t there something that can be done about this, legally? On the bright side, the team that Biden has put together to fight Covid and the response of the market and some Republicans is positive. I guess there are people out there who are looking for a true leader. All of us, and those who are in the position of power, who truly care about our country and democracy need to stay on top and work on solving these issues or 2024 will be even more hellish than today.
Thank you for your letters and insights Heather Cox Richardson. And also, thanks to all the commentators here. Your insights, ideas and opinions helpful and some...eye opening.
Ditto, Terry! Thank you for so eloquently expressing how I feel. I’m still in the process of picking my chin up from the floor and trying to put my heart back into my chest. 😩
I have this feeling that Biden is being blocked from those daily briefings because of their content. They will be tailored to Trump’s personality with things to stoke his ego and little substance. And the current leaders like Ratcliffe will refuse to back away from Trump enough to let any daylight in. They are all sociopaths. I look forward to trusting who is taking care of our country again.
In framing a letter to a friend, I realized that this election is not formally over until the Electoral College convenes, the second Wednesday in December. It's still a toss-up as to whether Biden will have 290 EC votes, or 306 (if GA finishes blue), or more if AK or NC somehow go blue (highly unlikely). But he only needs 270, and the 290 are already locked in.
So we're probably going to need to wait until Dec 9 before we'll see any strong-arming to get Trump to turn over the keys.
I think Trump’s escape plan is crystallizing right in front of us. He let them kill Kashogi and now is selling arms to them without even notifying congress? This whole deal smells rotten! Maybe his big bankroll isn’t from Russia after all, but is UAE? I have a really bad feeling about this.
Yes, follow the money, which is millions of dollars in kick back to trump who owes millions, with benefit of safe haven in UAE which has no extradition treaty with the USA, and the convenience of a trump golf course in Dubai.
Remember, Trump doesn’t drink. And Russia can be dark, cold, and grey. I bet there is more than one gold toilet in the warm climate of the UAE . . . They can have him.
Ellie, I agree with the kick-back theme. That was my first thought. Also, to Jeanne's point about maybe Russia wasn't the money source, that, too, makes sense, since the UAE is probably much richer than Russia.
Looks like we're going to see major war in the Middle East again, and our own dear leader will have provided the fire power (and made a tidy fortune in the process, no doubt.)
Sitting in the UAE at the mercy of the ruling family's interests of the moment might not be the most comfortable place to try and hide from justice....it might prove decidedly temporary!
$400,000,000 debt resolution and out of the clutches of the State of New York and its looming charges sounds like a good short term plan for a narcissistic wheeler and dealer to plot his next move.
The money would be instantly seized as being the proceeds of a crime; bribery on the arms contracts. Deutsches Bank would be the first to denounce him as they are trying to repair their lost reputation; a massive downfall to which Trump's affaires have contributed largely. The $273 million he owes them can be written off against taxes. , the money might be useful to buy off any disgruntled Russian mafia boss/oligarch who he might have "displeased" but that's not part of the declared debt.
The bank could easily seize properties to the value of the debt if he flees. Imagine his Florida extravaganza and Trump Tower in NYC under lock and key.
Just checked. The UAE does not have an extradiction treaty with the US so a good place for the Trump family to go set up shop. It scares me that DT fired the people in charge of nuclear arms and international aide! It all fits doesn't it. Quid pro quo: recognize Israel and we'll sell you nuclear arms. And a Nunes creep in the mix. Also explains why DT isn't OKing the transition so Biden doesn't get the Daily Brief. It isn't about defending his loss; it's about personal survival with plenty of money.
I had not even considered UAE, but that makes a lot more sense than Russia. Russia will likely offer him no safe haven as he has outlived his usefulness to them politically.
When we were in Dubai the massive advertising billboards for his golf course, all with pictures of The Don, were everywhere. He would find a comfortable refuge there.
Donald is a multiple-opportunity grifter. He has taken hundreds of millions from Putin and his pals through money-laundering real estate deals and through Deutsche Bank loans backstopped by the Russian state bank. He has also publicly celebrated getting millions from the Saudis. Clearly he is now also collecting from the UAE. My concern at this point is not the financials, it's the other damage to this country he might do between now and Jan.20.
UAE is not Saudi Arabia. It is the Poobah of Saudi Arabia who ordered the murder of Kashogi. In fact the UAE and Saudi Arabia are not all that friendly. But it is still an illegal arms sale because it was blocked by the Senate AND the House.
Probably both bankroll from UAE and, that little tidbit mentioned, that these weapons could fall into the hands of China or RUSSIA. That is the real scary part.
I heard about Esper’s firing on NPR on my way home from work. They played the clip of him stating that he would not send active military into the streets or invoke the Insurrection Act. My first thought was that he is getting rid of Esper just so he can do those two things after riling up his base. He is going to burn us down in as many ways as he can. The firing of those other 3 department heads last week made me queasy. This makes me downright nauseous. All of this, combined with the refusal to allow and active blocking of the Biden-Harris transition, is the biggest and loudest alarm bell we are going to see before it’s too late. But very few are listening. I have also wondered if he is creating such severe destabilization to open the door for an invasion you another country. God help us all.
We had a Saturday of relief and joyful celebration in the streets. While Trump played golf. Now, let’s get real: He’s going to burn the house down. First distractions, then coup. Think as dark as you can. All the firings, the McConnell - Barr pact and statements, the sale of fighter jets to the UAE, the refusal to concede with resulting withholding of transition funds and classified info to BidenHarris - all signal a plan to seize and maintain power and escape accountability. More grift? Yes. But, I’m as afraid now, as I was that he would win re-election. We had one day of spontaneous joy and one day of relief. Now, we must resume constant vigilance as the USA enters a most dangerous period in the Orange 🍊 Rat’s Reign of Terror. Are all the guardrails gone? Is there any one or group or corporate entities that can counter this since the Senate is cowering and the House is infighting? Jack Dorsey? Trump’s Twitter account? Rupert Murdoch? Fox News coverage? Joe Biden and Kamala Harris need to become visible and audible on a frequent, reassuring basis. “Daily Briefing to the Nation”? Joe and Kamala are old pros; they and their team have to be plugged in. Meanwhile, I’m focusing my Citizen Campaign Volunteer efforts on GA. Georgia is on my mind. My channels are Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight, Andrew Yang, Indivisible Westchester and Vote Save America. ❤️🤍💙
I am thinking the same thing, that he is intentionally gutting our intelligence and national defense in order to allow a foreign government to take over our country and install him as the puppet to continue his reign of terror. Smh... something like that would've seemed like a spy thriller 4 years ago but considering all the "unprecedented" illogical and corrupt actions he has taken since becoming president, this crazy scenario could enable him to continue to "reign over this country" like the dictator he wishes to become.
I think that we might need to remember that although we “know” ( Or surmise) a lot, we also don’t know ( and can’t know ) much more. In order to focus on defense, we need to keep this one important fact in mind and stay as clear-eyed as we can.
I do not believe the story that Barr and McConnell are humoring the President by backing his false claims.
The Party of Trump is afraid of its Leader: They have enabled him to the point that he now has them in a strangle hold. They actively participated in a wholesale misinformation campaign to cast Joe Biden as a Socialist when all along knowing it to be false. They supported the Fox narrative that if Biden were elected America would be one step away from Communist rule – a campaign based on lies, fear and prejudice.
And now, as their Leader challenges America’s right to vote for a candidate other than him, they continue to support him. One could reasonably suspect that Trump wants the nation to descend into violence and anarchy, provoking those who trusted the system to take to the streets where they will be met by the armed militias of the far right. At that point, the Leader of the Party of Trump will certainly declare martial law to seize control and begin the process he has been advocating since he first descended into politics – arresting his political opponents. If he goes out on the Rally trail, that suspicion will only be confirmed.
Think it cannot happen again - that it cannot happen in America? Read your history and think again.
The GOP has been playing the long game for decades now. Gingrich finalized the playbook. Trump is being used as the means to an end. They will discard him when he is no longer useful. The true threat is the GOP itself with their desire to rule by minority. The set up is already present. All they need is an intelligent 2024 populist, and the cake is done. Trump has served his purpose for them by establishing Trumpism, which they will shine and polish for 4 years while containing Biden. 2024 is the endgame. Sowing chaos and discord now helps the plan, thus they are tolerating him. The sales to the UAE may take some of them by surprise, but not all. If trump makes money off it, so be it. They obviously seem unconcerned with national security, which tells me they know far more than anyone else. And allowing a Biden read in on the daily briefings cannot be allowed until the final pieces of trump are completed. Just my opinion.
All your points may be true but Trump – even though there may be some long game that McConnell and company believe they are playing – is thinking only of himself and his thinking is seldom well considered and is often irrational.
Today it was announced that he was establishing a PAC to maintain his public profile and support like-minded candidates – regardless of whether he retains the White House. They may be done with Trump – but Trump does not intend to go away quietly.
I am relatively sanguine with the idea of recounts and legal proceedings working their way peacefully through the system. My main concern is this: Should he embark on a series of Rallies, the implications could be catastrophic.
I have moments where I take heart that Trump is not physically or mentally healthy. He’s already had at least one stoke and has shown signs of mental illness for at least 2 years. He is addicted to drugs that are not a normal medication regimen. When he gets angry and stomps around this just increases the risk of more serious heart problems leading to strokes. When the legal charges start slamming into him and he loses case after case I don’t think he will be able to function to control anything. And I believe when he falls his family will fall too. I seriously think he will be dead or totally disabled in the next few years. He will be unable to do more damage. McConnell has the biggest control otherwise. The rest of the GOP just follows along and does what they’re ordered. I’m not sure why they’re in office if they refuse to do the right thing and represent this country and its people. We can chip away at them though. They know what Trump is doing is wrong.
I agree with your thoughts about Trump’s health. However, Amy’s assessment of the GOP is spot on. As many have been saying, Trump is but a symptom of the decay of our democracy. Some of them, I would say, are guilty of Treason. The battle is just beginning.
One more thing. I hope all of you are writing/calling your senators. It’s one thing to preach to the choir on this page; quite another to call someone that has been elected to serve and protect us. Calling/writing news outlets is equally important.
My Senators are Pelosi and Harris. I have sent plenty of letters over the last 2 years. My involvement began when Trump shut down the government over his vanity wall. And my rage continued when we couldn’t help the immigrants and children in cages.
Yes, I just don’t think anyone will be as vocal or have the cult following Trump has. It is tough to replace a cult leader and not have huge problems. They will fight amongst themselves and cause inner turmoil. I know we’ve seen success with religious leaders like Billy Graham but they were family. Jr. has a serious drug problem that appears to get worse every time we see him. The rest of the kids are just whining faces living off daddy.
I agree with your point that the narrative that Barr and McConnell are humoring Trump by backing his false claims doesn't hold water. Politically--and that's the only way he thinks--McConnell doesn't need Trump any more, though to Amy's point, he does want to keep using the MAGAsters' support. And Barr will simply move on to a well-compensated think tank or university position, building support for his theocracy. But, the GOP long game continues, and that's where Barr's despicable actions erode the capacities of the DOJ--the Government's, not the Executive's lawyers--along with public confidence in the rule of law.
But I also agree with you that Trump's long-demonstrated character pathologies lead him to flail about creating chaos, trying to hold back the tide of defeat and its devastating consequences for him. Beyond any legal charges, he cannot tolerate being a loser. He has always skipped away from his failures, leaving others to deal with the wreckage. He doesn't make long-term plans, but he will consider burning down the house if he can't stay in it. This is where Sharon's concerns with his mental status become significant. I think it's not that he's clinically "crazy" or drug addicted, it's that he's clearly demented. Just recall or look at videos of his public hawking of whatever new project he was flogging in the '80s. Or for that matter, answering hostile questions about their various subsequent failures. It was all bullshit, but it was relatively coherent bullshit in largely fluent sentences. Otherwise he could not have been such a successful grifter, glorifying himself in NY media, for so long. Today, take your pick of his inability to articulately counterpoint challenges, the pervasive syntactic hash, the reliance on stock phrases and exclamations. He obviously is not nearly as good at those few compensations and skills that he previously had. In his infamous brag about his perfect memory on the MoCA, if he was prepped for his interview (as it certainly seems), they had to cheat. No test of either immediate or recall memory would use "person, man, woman, camera, TV" because the words fall into obvious associatively remembered groups. As he might say, "SAD!" But the problem for the country is that demented people often lose access to cognitive executive functions, lowering impulse controls and frequently becoming enraged when surprised by change or situations they cannot manage. And that is not good for everyone around them, especially i they happen to be the CEO.
To Mitch's point, I agree that this is a dangerous time. For a variety of reasons many will defend their Messiah. I don't think the military would back any move to martial law. But the ongoing flood of falsehoods and the prospect of frenzied rally-goers could certainly lead to various armed gangs (militias they ain't) causing real damage. And there might well be governors willing to allow their real state militias (i.e., National Guard units) to be drawn into defending "law and order." And the venal, clueless political tools Trump has put in positions of power could very well facilitate lawlessness.
Yes, not allowing the Biden team to see the daily briefings allows the Trump team to hide malfeasance and even treason in its end-game machinations until it's too late to prevent serious damage to the security of our country. It doesn't have to be overt violent takeover. It's been said for decades that our country's overthrow would most likely come from within. Trump et al. is just throwing the barn door wide open in their mad rush to pad their own nests in preparation for flight. When I said four years ago that Trump was dangerous (and disgusting), never did I then conceive of *how* dangerous.
When I reference the GOP, I am not referring to the rabid MAGA "base". I am speaking of the old school party operatives, their chosen long term strategists and their selected mouthpieces. The real Republicans. Because we all know, and the GOP know, that Trump is no Republican and never has been. This has been a remarkable situation of the stars aligning to unite opposites to use each other for each of their own purposes. Trump could obviously care less about traditional R ideals and values, but he will temporarily appear to embrace them for personal gain in power, celebrity and money. The Rs, meanwhile, are willing to tolerate his atrocities in order to advance their agenda towards oligarchy and authoritarianism, as they well know they will never again have the majority. To this point, just look at McConnell's recent statement concerning the fact that they may never have another R president if certain things do not happen. The survival of the party is very much at stake. Trump has just been their useful idiot. And they will fight to keep him as long as he is useful to the larger agenda. My long time friend and professional mentor in her 70s but still very active in business, church and politics (President of Republican Women at state levels for decades) recently posted on her business page "An election vote is not a Valentine card. You dont have to love the candidate. It is, however, a chess move." This simple statement sums up everything I am trying to explain.
What I don’t understand is why they - the ones you call “real republicans” - can’t adapt to the changing world. They could still have a party that was right of center and still win elections just like they did historically. This new breed of authoritarians is truly toxic and their lust for power is a mental illness. Evolution hints that if they can’t adapt to change they will die off. I guess they think they are literally in a fight for survival as the planet becomes increasingly overcrowded, and they have to grab all the resources and crush all the competition to guarantee their own survival. Social Darwinism manifesting, but so far not understood as a driving force.
Gotcha. It was Lindsey Graham who said there would never be another Republican president. I am saying that the Trump base -as you refer to them - is now the majority of the Republican party. I HOPE you are right!
But unfortunately, the "real" Rs want oligarchy and authoritarianism now to stay in power. It's the only way available for them. The R party of old is completely gone in their flailing gasps to stay in power, and the trumpublicans will destroy it in an entirely different way. The country will pay the cost either way.
My fears of a dt coup or designs on one predate his presidency. They are not completely gone, but I have always believed that they will originate with dt, not with McConnell and the R party as a whole. I believe the R's are essentially oligarchists, in line with Prof Richardson's thinking -- but I disagree with her regarding dt, who is a fascist and almost certainly a White Supremacist. The problem being that through blindness or an incorrect belief that they can control and restrain fascism, as well as a fear of him and his supporters, the oligarchists have gone along with him. A coup would bring out the left and make possible violent repression. But I'm hopeful the noise about the election primarily concerns preparations for the Jan 5 Georgia senatorial elections and the intention to promote a myth that the election was stolen. I also take some heart in the fact that unless the election is in serious doubt, unlikely, Biden will become Commander and Chief on Jan 20. And while it's entirely possible that dt is playing the press, there are indications that he is accepting a loss, such as his remark that he may run again in 2022. Sure hope I'm right.
Heather, you wrote today that "It is certainly possible that Trump and his people are launching a coup, as observers warn". Several paragraphs later, you listed a series of firings in high places and the replacement of these people with loyalists, and concluded that "In other words, Trump is cleaning out the few national security leaders who were not complete lackeys and replacing them with people who are. It's funny timing for such a shake-up, especially one that will
destabilize the country, making us more vulnerable." Putting these two statements together and recalling the series of similar-looking dismissals at State and Homeland Security in the past - all seemingly chaotic, but actually following a plan carefully laid out by T's then-counsel McGahn - seems to me to form a fairly clear scenario. There's a pattern here, and I suspect it is linked with the court challenges. Call it a "coup" or something else, but this is NOT the sort of chaotic behavior that our media have led us to believe is "normal" for T. We MUST pay attention - our democracy is in IMMINENT danger!
Oh Heather Cox Richardson, you said early on it would be bumpy if Trump lost. But all of this... The party of Trump is frightening with Barr and McConnell at the helm. We must be vigilant and speak out. It’s too bad we can’t throe water on them and watch them melt away like the wicked witch of the west.
Hard to scribe a coherent message when dark thoughts of impending scenarios swirl. I come back to believing in government as the scaffolding of society. Good government is difficult, mostly because human nature is difficult. So far in our history as a country we have made slow progress. 2020 has brought into focus for the vast majority of white Americans the truth about racism, vast economic disparity, unequal rights to vote, and a packing of the lower federal courts with acolytes of the Federalist Society, which is first and foremost a political far-right religious organization. Now the craven behavior of the vast majority of the elected republicans in congress comes to the forefront. They will argue and fuss, but the truth will out, as always.
The best course is the youth of this land. Citizens say 18-40, who’s very existence for the next 50 years depends on a response to climate change. Who believe in humanity with a spiritual reverence not tainted by blind religious, man-made dogma. Who believe in a constitution that can respond to a world of gravitational waves, quarks, CRISPR, and atmospheric rivers. Who believe in each other.
Respond to the run-off elections in Georgia. Respond to the mid-term elections in 2022. Then keep responding.
With the youth in our nation truly being the future we have a good side and a bad side. I have an 18 y/o who voted for the first time. He has never seemed to be concerned about even the slightest political things and having been isolated since March due to the pandemic has only had his online friends for interaction. However, when that ballot came he was energized. He read every proposition and looked up opinions from every angle. He made choices by discussing with us questions he might not have understood. I think we have a huge number of young voters in that category. Maybe they are energized by the fact that their life has been cut short by the pandemic. The second group of the young are the ones led by Charlie Kirk at Turning Point and the Evangelical kids that are kept from learning the truth about the world. They are cut off and isolated. They go to religious schools, their parents have a tight rein on their internet access and what they can see on TV. It will be nearly impossible to ever get these people to see truth. I will never forget being stationed in FL and the neighbor telling me black people were evil because that was the curse God put on Cain and Able. She had a 7 y/o that spouted this. 40 years later that child is most likely one of the Trumpers. My Christian upbringing never taught me these things. These people have destroyed Christianity for me. Even Mitt Romney perverts it for his own power in office.
Ive heard that the younger voters gave the republicans Montana up and down the ballot. Lots of evangelicals and fervid trumpers here. I think its true.
Yes, Montana is filled with the right-wing militia type people and they are so uneducated they believe Democrats will take their guns away. However, even thought there is currently no plan to do this it could become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When they start the violence and the National Guard has to be called in and a civil war is started it seems the inevitable result will be for this country to have extreme gun laws. The groups that keep going to Oregon and Washington and starting violence are coming from Montana and Idaho. They live in big compounds up there. Up until now they probably never voted and are clueless about our government.
Unfortunately I dont believe things will play out that way, despite the fact that it should. There are too many people in power that either actively support this behavior or passively look away. And the money involved with the NRA, the other gun lobbies representing the highly profitable industry, and the overall machismo regarding gun ownership that has overtaken a very large segment of the population will continue to drive this movement. Power, money and invincibility are potent motivators.
Especially after reading today’s letter I plan to call my Congress people and urge them to announce publicly that Biden is our president elect and it is time for the government to treat him as such. Heather’s post has scary implications.
Call Emily Murphy, the GSA and tell her to please sign the letter giving Biden access to what he is supposed to get as president elect. Her number (provided by the Lincoln Project ) is 844-472-4111.
emily.murphy@gsa.gov is her email address. I am sending the following email, with subject 'election': Good day.
Your job, and your obligation to this country and the US Constitution to which you swore an oath, is now to certify the transition of power so that President-Elect Biden can have access to security briefings and do his best for this country.
Your actions in this regard will define your place in history. Who will you serve? Your country and the truth? Or will you betray that trust?
My email reminded her of her duties under the 1963 Presidential Act. Then I went to the fact that she is clearly in a difficult position and may be intimidated or frightened of performing her duty. Suggested she contact the FBI for their protection first, then sign the letter already.
I emailed her in similar fashion (re the probable intimidation) and also noted that she would have no difficulty landing a very good job in the private sector
My senators are Marsha Blackburn who ran her whole campaign for the senate with her head up Trump’s a$$ while singing his praises, which she continues to do. Bill Hagerty, who was just elected, ran on “Trump loves me.” Our rep, who moves from elected office to elected office so he doesn’t have to actually work, is also a trump supporter. So, as you can see, we in TN have no one in Congress representing us.
Contact them anyway. HCR has stated in her talks that calling Congress people let's them know how many are for/against something and could perhaps temper their position.
Yesterday Joe Biden spoke from the office of the president elect. He was presidential In all ways—calm, factual, and proposing a thoughtful science based program to turn the COVID tide. We are witnessing the sharp contrast of dual presidential narratives. I’m hopeful that the majority of Americans (and slow stream of responsible Republican officials like Mitt Romney Susan Collins and George W. Bush) realize that restoration of a normal President will and must occur. Desperate efforts now will only cement DT’s infamy He is behaving like a terminal alcoholic desperately blaming everyone else acting paranoid and destroying his family. Unfortunately he has legions of enablers who drink the same delusional drink. On the plus side he’s losing Fox News. Yesterday they cut away from the lying press conference, they are talking heads are speechless, and many of the supporters are saying they don’t trust Fox anymore.
The plot deepens daily. The shuffle of top administrators and development of the DOJ election task force along with Kushner’s handling of the UAE sale may be directly linked to a vast criminal enterprise by the shadow cabinet, the Kushner financial empire.
Replacement of key knowledgeable administrators opens the doors for nefarious activity that would pass scrutiny in the night of confusion.
AG Barr is obviously vacating his role as American’s Lawyer in directing the DOJ to snoop into election fraud rumors. Especially in any cases that the Judiciary has refused to act.
This accumulation of suspicious activity by the Trump administration is truly worthy of an Article 25 legal action. By holding back the transition process on the Covid menace, national security and legal actions the administration, and opens the nation to palpable weaknesses to very attentive foreign adversaries sure to leap into any breaches.
This is not mere quibbling over votes of obscure rural districts these are challenges to the very foundation of constitutional government: the transference of leadership in orderly steps.
I am perhaps naive, but firing these people does not make them disapear. They are still there, still informed, still loyal to our constitution. Who is to say that there is not a covert plan in place already to combat any of the tRump tantrum? I am the persistent-optimist, but that's just me. All of his loyalist will be fired in one swoop when power transitions, and I believe it will. One way or the other. Desparate people do desparate things and the country's biggest mistake will be to not act against it quickly and decisively.
Don't forget there is still the war with Iran option, and getting UAE on board gives more control over the area and for military staging. Trump may be planning the war between now and January and will insist he must stay as pres. Anything is possible. Including that he may in fact believe he can still cheat his way to a victory in a corrupt Supreme Court.
But the idea that it's all about the money for him also rings true. Maybe he doesn't owe anyone at UAE but maybe he has gotten agreements to cover the 400 million he owes in exchange for the arms sales.
Side note about the Georgia elections. Loeffler stands no chance of avoiding a runoff as she's in second place anyway. Perdue might, though, and that's a possible game plan there. But why Loeffler and Richard Burr never got charged for insider trading is a minor mystery. Minor in that such people never get charged, but still.
Howdy from what is going to soon become an epicentre of American politics for the next 8 weeks! Not just our looming Senate races for January 5th, but also our soon to begin recount. Now, WHO ELSE would Trump name to the group overseeing our recount but two of his best lap-dogs, Republican shill Doug Collins, and our former bubba governor, Sonny Perdue (current Sec’y of Agriculture, unless he’s been fired…hard to keep up…). Wow. Talk about totally unbiased observers. Collins quoted in our local paper as he’s from here, “Republicans stand by the ideal that every eligible voter should be able to vote legally and have it be counted,” said Collins. “During the coming recount, we are confident we will find evidence of improperly harvested ballots and other irregularities that will prove that President Trump won Georgia fairly again on his way to re-election as President. Georgians deserve a free and open process, and they will get one.” SO he’s basically already saying he’ll find improprieties before he’s even started. That’s a good sign it’ll be fair, eh?? He goes on to say, “As we begin the recount process, there are three things we are formally requesting today from Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. First, there must be a full comparison of absentee ballots cast and in-person and provisional ballots cast throughout the state. Second, there must be a check for felons and other ineligible persons who may have cast a ballot. Third, and most importantly, the Secretary of State should announce a full hand-count of every ballot cast in each and every county due to widespread allegations of voter irregularities, issues with voting machines, and poll watcher access. We can – and we will – petition for this in court after statewide certification is completed if the Secretary of State fails to act, but we are hopeful he will preemptively take this action today to ensure every Georgian has confidence in our electoral process.” Both Senate candidates are still calling for him to step down, but I don’t see that happening, at least according to Raffensperger’s latest statements. With Biden at an 11,000 vote lead right now, I do not see enough improper votes to change anything. This also holds true for the Senate results from the Perdue/Ossoff race, even though Perdue just fell under 50%, which is what necessitated that race being added to the runoff contest. FYI, the Loeffler/Warnock race is only to fill in the remainder of Johnny Isakson’s term, which is due to expire in 2022. ANOTHER race will be held then!
Below I’ve put up a few links if folks are interested in donating money or looking to volunteer.
ActBlue is an entity that oversees both Senate candidates’ campaigns, as well as Abrams’ organisation. A donation to them can be split evenly between all three if you desire:
The amounts of money that are expected to flood into our state are going to be epic. Already, Abrams’ group has, as of today, already received right at $10,000,000 SINCE FRIDAY! Estimates are that donations to both parties’ candidates could exceed half a billion (that’s with a “b”!) dollars. There is no understating the importance of this race to the entire future of Joe Biden’s ability to govern. Our airwaves and mailboxes are going to be besieged, and door-knocking will be as never before. Folks in Georgia had best get ready. We are already election-weary as never before, only to find out we have 8 more weeks of it! Pundits are already conjecturing who might most benefit from this election weariness—it’s hard to say. However, Republicans have NEVER lost a runoff election in Georgia history as Democrats always fail to show up for runoffs. Maybe this year can be different?! Democrats are going to be mobilising as never before here, so WATCH THIS SPACE!! “Okay, Mr. DeMille. Georgia is ready for her close-up!”
From what you have described, the Trumpers are trying delay Georgia's process so much that it will not be done in time for Biden to get the Georgia votes in the electoral college, thus providing fodder for their false claims. I do hope they don't get away with that nonsense.
I lost the the comment asking about where are the evangelicals and why aren't they concern about the Armenians. My theory is that the projected arms sale to the UAE is right up their alley. There are many in that group who want a major war in the Middle East thinking that this will force God's hand and the return of Jesus. They think that this will give them the upper hand and that the Kingdom of God will be restored on earth. My theology tells me 1) Jesus stated the kingdom of God is already here and it is up to us to care for one another and to seek God's mercy, justice and love for all in order to make it apparent and 2) God is not one to be manipulated. I like to think my theology comes from actually reading the Holy Scriptures while a great of theirs comes from televangelists and the Lift Behind series. And on thinking on this, this may explain the strong support 45 has received from that group. He can be manipulated and this is scary on many planes. Just a probable explanation for the thinking behind this group.
I think my joke last week about everything being ready for everything from a blowout to a coup d'etat to a civil war, isn't a joke. Any hope he would just go to Mar A Largo and stay there is "whistling past the graveyard." He knows how bad it will be to face prosecution in New York, that he cannot be pardoned from, and is so desperate to avoid that, he will attempt a coup. And now that he has a "Secretary" of Defense who won't argue when he orders troops into the streets, with an FBI run by a lackey who will go after the opposition, it really is set for that to happen. I told a friend in the Czech Republic that the situation could end up like Belarus, but it think it can go much worse.
He has his lackey but the JCS are (so far) firmly opposed to military involvement in a political contest. Let’s hope that Blair Mountain remains a detestable anomaly.
Today’s letter has raised the hair on the back of my neck...why are there no checks and balances to stop this mad man!? And what can we do to stop a future, more intelligent mad man from taking steps to destroy our country and democracy? We are already in it for the long haul to reverse The damage that he and his minions have done. Like causing so many to distrust our voting system, one of the main keys to democracy. And not allowing Biden and his team to read the daily briefings....isn’t there something that can be done about this, legally? On the bright side, the team that Biden has put together to fight Covid and the response of the market and some Republicans is positive. I guess there are people out there who are looking for a true leader. All of us, and those who are in the position of power, who truly care about our country and democracy need to stay on top and work on solving these issues or 2024 will be even more hellish than today.
Thank you for your letters and insights Heather Cox Richardson. And also, thanks to all the commentators here. Your insights, ideas and opinions helpful and some...eye opening.
Ditto, Terry! Thank you for so eloquently expressing how I feel. I’m still in the process of picking my chin up from the floor and trying to put my heart back into my chest. 😩
I have this feeling that Biden is being blocked from those daily briefings because of their content. They will be tailored to Trump’s personality with things to stoke his ego and little substance. And the current leaders like Ratcliffe will refuse to back away from Trump enough to let any daylight in. They are all sociopaths. I look forward to trusting who is taking care of our country again.
In framing a letter to a friend, I realized that this election is not formally over until the Electoral College convenes, the second Wednesday in December. It's still a toss-up as to whether Biden will have 290 EC votes, or 306 (if GA finishes blue), or more if AK or NC somehow go blue (highly unlikely). But he only needs 270, and the 290 are already locked in.
So we're probably going to need to wait until Dec 9 before we'll see any strong-arming to get Trump to turn over the keys.
I think Trump’s escape plan is crystallizing right in front of us. He let them kill Kashogi and now is selling arms to them without even notifying congress? This whole deal smells rotten! Maybe his big bankroll isn’t from Russia after all, but is UAE? I have a really bad feeling about this.
Yes, follow the money, which is millions of dollars in kick back to trump who owes millions, with benefit of safe haven in UAE which has no extradition treaty with the USA, and the convenience of a trump golf course in Dubai.
Remember, Trump doesn’t drink. And Russia can be dark, cold, and grey. I bet there is more than one gold toilet in the warm climate of the UAE . . . They can have him.
Plus, once he is no longer useful to Putin, he would be more easily disposed of by poison if he is in Russia.
Ellie, I agree with the kick-back theme. That was my first thought. Also, to Jeanne's point about maybe Russia wasn't the money source, that, too, makes sense, since the UAE is probably much richer than Russia.
Looks like we're going to see major war in the Middle East again, and our own dear leader will have provided the fire power (and made a tidy fortune in the process, no doubt.)
Sitting in the UAE at the mercy of the ruling family's interests of the moment might not be the most comfortable place to try and hide from justice....it might prove decidedly temporary!
$400,000,000 debt resolution and out of the clutches of the State of New York and its looming charges sounds like a good short term plan for a narcissistic wheeler and dealer to plot his next move.
The money would be instantly seized as being the proceeds of a crime; bribery on the arms contracts. Deutsches Bank would be the first to denounce him as they are trying to repair their lost reputation; a massive downfall to which Trump's affaires have contributed largely. The $273 million he owes them can be written off against taxes. , the money might be useful to buy off any disgruntled Russian mafia boss/oligarch who he might have "displeased" but that's not part of the declared debt.
The bank could easily seize properties to the value of the debt if he flees. Imagine his Florida extravaganza and Trump Tower in NYC under lock and key.
Good points! I thought he was going to fly to Russia, but now it appears that he’s going to bribe his way to exile in UAE
Just checked. The UAE does not have an extradiction treaty with the US so a good place for the Trump family to go set up shop. It scares me that DT fired the people in charge of nuclear arms and international aide! It all fits doesn't it. Quid pro quo: recognize Israel and we'll sell you nuclear arms. And a Nunes creep in the mix. Also explains why DT isn't OKing the transition so Biden doesn't get the Daily Brief. It isn't about defending his loss; it's about personal survival with plenty of money.
I had not even considered UAE, but that makes a lot more sense than Russia. Russia will likely offer him no safe haven as he has outlived his usefulness to them politically.
Absolutely, Pamela. Out of office, he's of no use to Putin.
Sandra also true if Putin is actually going to leave office next year per sources I have seen from as of late.
And the weather is better ...
When we were in Dubai the massive advertising billboards for his golf course, all with pictures of The Don, were everywhere. He would find a comfortable refuge there.
Bingo.
Donald is a multiple-opportunity grifter. He has taken hundreds of millions from Putin and his pals through money-laundering real estate deals and through Deutsche Bank loans backstopped by the Russian state bank. He has also publicly celebrated getting millions from the Saudis. Clearly he is now also collecting from the UAE. My concern at this point is not the financials, it's the other damage to this country he might do between now and Jan.20.
UAE is not Saudi Arabia. It is the Poobah of Saudi Arabia who ordered the murder of Kashogi. In fact the UAE and Saudi Arabia are not all that friendly. But it is still an illegal arms sale because it was blocked by the Senate AND the House.
True, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel is a Democrat and the timeline for such a deal is usually about 5 years.
Probably both bankroll from UAE and, that little tidbit mentioned, that these weapons could fall into the hands of China or RUSSIA. That is the real scary part.
I heard about Esper’s firing on NPR on my way home from work. They played the clip of him stating that he would not send active military into the streets or invoke the Insurrection Act. My first thought was that he is getting rid of Esper just so he can do those two things after riling up his base. He is going to burn us down in as many ways as he can. The firing of those other 3 department heads last week made me queasy. This makes me downright nauseous. All of this, combined with the refusal to allow and active blocking of the Biden-Harris transition, is the biggest and loudest alarm bell we are going to see before it’s too late. But very few are listening. I have also wondered if he is creating such severe destabilization to open the door for an invasion you another country. God help us all.
We had a Saturday of relief and joyful celebration in the streets. While Trump played golf. Now, let’s get real: He’s going to burn the house down. First distractions, then coup. Think as dark as you can. All the firings, the McConnell - Barr pact and statements, the sale of fighter jets to the UAE, the refusal to concede with resulting withholding of transition funds and classified info to BidenHarris - all signal a plan to seize and maintain power and escape accountability. More grift? Yes. But, I’m as afraid now, as I was that he would win re-election. We had one day of spontaneous joy and one day of relief. Now, we must resume constant vigilance as the USA enters a most dangerous period in the Orange 🍊 Rat’s Reign of Terror. Are all the guardrails gone? Is there any one or group or corporate entities that can counter this since the Senate is cowering and the House is infighting? Jack Dorsey? Trump’s Twitter account? Rupert Murdoch? Fox News coverage? Joe Biden and Kamala Harris need to become visible and audible on a frequent, reassuring basis. “Daily Briefing to the Nation”? Joe and Kamala are old pros; they and their team have to be plugged in. Meanwhile, I’m focusing my Citizen Campaign Volunteer efforts on GA. Georgia is on my mind. My channels are Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight, Andrew Yang, Indivisible Westchester and Vote Save America. ❤️🤍💙
You terrify me, because you are right.
I am thinking the same thing, that he is intentionally gutting our intelligence and national defense in order to allow a foreign government to take over our country and install him as the puppet to continue his reign of terror. Smh... something like that would've seemed like a spy thriller 4 years ago but considering all the "unprecedented" illogical and corrupt actions he has taken since becoming president, this crazy scenario could enable him to continue to "reign over this country" like the dictator he wishes to become.
I think that we might need to remember that although we “know” ( Or surmise) a lot, we also don’t know ( and can’t know ) much more. In order to focus on defense, we need to keep this one important fact in mind and stay as clear-eyed as we can.
I do not believe the story that Barr and McConnell are humoring the President by backing his false claims.
The Party of Trump is afraid of its Leader: They have enabled him to the point that he now has them in a strangle hold. They actively participated in a wholesale misinformation campaign to cast Joe Biden as a Socialist when all along knowing it to be false. They supported the Fox narrative that if Biden were elected America would be one step away from Communist rule – a campaign based on lies, fear and prejudice.
And now, as their Leader challenges America’s right to vote for a candidate other than him, they continue to support him. One could reasonably suspect that Trump wants the nation to descend into violence and anarchy, provoking those who trusted the system to take to the streets where they will be met by the armed militias of the far right. At that point, the Leader of the Party of Trump will certainly declare martial law to seize control and begin the process he has been advocating since he first descended into politics – arresting his political opponents. If he goes out on the Rally trail, that suspicion will only be confirmed.
Think it cannot happen again - that it cannot happen in America? Read your history and think again.
The GOP has been playing the long game for decades now. Gingrich finalized the playbook. Trump is being used as the means to an end. They will discard him when he is no longer useful. The true threat is the GOP itself with their desire to rule by minority. The set up is already present. All they need is an intelligent 2024 populist, and the cake is done. Trump has served his purpose for them by establishing Trumpism, which they will shine and polish for 4 years while containing Biden. 2024 is the endgame. Sowing chaos and discord now helps the plan, thus they are tolerating him. The sales to the UAE may take some of them by surprise, but not all. If trump makes money off it, so be it. They obviously seem unconcerned with national security, which tells me they know far more than anyone else. And allowing a Biden read in on the daily briefings cannot be allowed until the final pieces of trump are completed. Just my opinion.
All your points may be true but Trump – even though there may be some long game that McConnell and company believe they are playing – is thinking only of himself and his thinking is seldom well considered and is often irrational.
Today it was announced that he was establishing a PAC to maintain his public profile and support like-minded candidates – regardless of whether he retains the White House. They may be done with Trump – but Trump does not intend to go away quietly.
I am relatively sanguine with the idea of recounts and legal proceedings working their way peacefully through the system. My main concern is this: Should he embark on a series of Rallies, the implications could be catastrophic.
I have moments where I take heart that Trump is not physically or mentally healthy. He’s already had at least one stoke and has shown signs of mental illness for at least 2 years. He is addicted to drugs that are not a normal medication regimen. When he gets angry and stomps around this just increases the risk of more serious heart problems leading to strokes. When the legal charges start slamming into him and he loses case after case I don’t think he will be able to function to control anything. And I believe when he falls his family will fall too. I seriously think he will be dead or totally disabled in the next few years. He will be unable to do more damage. McConnell has the biggest control otherwise. The rest of the GOP just follows along and does what they’re ordered. I’m not sure why they’re in office if they refuse to do the right thing and represent this country and its people. We can chip away at them though. They know what Trump is doing is wrong.
I agree with your thoughts about Trump’s health. However, Amy’s assessment of the GOP is spot on. As many have been saying, Trump is but a symptom of the decay of our democracy. Some of them, I would say, are guilty of Treason. The battle is just beginning.
One more thing. I hope all of you are writing/calling your senators. It’s one thing to preach to the choir on this page; quite another to call someone that has been elected to serve and protect us. Calling/writing news outlets is equally important.
My Senators are Pelosi and Harris. I have sent plenty of letters over the last 2 years. My involvement began when Trump shut down the government over his vanity wall. And my rage continued when we couldn’t help the immigrants and children in cages.
Yes, I just don’t think anyone will be as vocal or have the cult following Trump has. It is tough to replace a cult leader and not have huge problems. They will fight amongst themselves and cause inner turmoil. I know we’ve seen success with religious leaders like Billy Graham but they were family. Jr. has a serious drug problem that appears to get worse every time we see him. The rest of the kids are just whining faces living off daddy.
I agree with your point that the narrative that Barr and McConnell are humoring Trump by backing his false claims doesn't hold water. Politically--and that's the only way he thinks--McConnell doesn't need Trump any more, though to Amy's point, he does want to keep using the MAGAsters' support. And Barr will simply move on to a well-compensated think tank or university position, building support for his theocracy. But, the GOP long game continues, and that's where Barr's despicable actions erode the capacities of the DOJ--the Government's, not the Executive's lawyers--along with public confidence in the rule of law.
But I also agree with you that Trump's long-demonstrated character pathologies lead him to flail about creating chaos, trying to hold back the tide of defeat and its devastating consequences for him. Beyond any legal charges, he cannot tolerate being a loser. He has always skipped away from his failures, leaving others to deal with the wreckage. He doesn't make long-term plans, but he will consider burning down the house if he can't stay in it. This is where Sharon's concerns with his mental status become significant. I think it's not that he's clinically "crazy" or drug addicted, it's that he's clearly demented. Just recall or look at videos of his public hawking of whatever new project he was flogging in the '80s. Or for that matter, answering hostile questions about their various subsequent failures. It was all bullshit, but it was relatively coherent bullshit in largely fluent sentences. Otherwise he could not have been such a successful grifter, glorifying himself in NY media, for so long. Today, take your pick of his inability to articulately counterpoint challenges, the pervasive syntactic hash, the reliance on stock phrases and exclamations. He obviously is not nearly as good at those few compensations and skills that he previously had. In his infamous brag about his perfect memory on the MoCA, if he was prepped for his interview (as it certainly seems), they had to cheat. No test of either immediate or recall memory would use "person, man, woman, camera, TV" because the words fall into obvious associatively remembered groups. As he might say, "SAD!" But the problem for the country is that demented people often lose access to cognitive executive functions, lowering impulse controls and frequently becoming enraged when surprised by change or situations they cannot manage. And that is not good for everyone around them, especially i they happen to be the CEO.
To Mitch's point, I agree that this is a dangerous time. For a variety of reasons many will defend their Messiah. I don't think the military would back any move to martial law. But the ongoing flood of falsehoods and the prospect of frenzied rally-goers could certainly lead to various armed gangs (militias they ain't) causing real damage. And there might well be governors willing to allow their real state militias (i.e., National Guard units) to be drawn into defending "law and order." And the venal, clueless political tools Trump has put in positions of power could very well facilitate lawlessness.
Scary times are still upon us. Democrats must prepare now for 2024.
...and 2022 midterms.
More importantly!!
Yes, not allowing the Biden team to see the daily briefings allows the Trump team to hide malfeasance and even treason in its end-game machinations until it's too late to prevent serious damage to the security of our country. It doesn't have to be overt violent takeover. It's been said for decades that our country's overthrow would most likely come from within. Trump et al. is just throwing the barn door wide open in their mad rush to pad their own nests in preparation for flight. When I said four years ago that Trump was dangerous (and disgusting), never did I then conceive of *how* dangerous.
I disagree- the base is passionate about Trump .
When I reference the GOP, I am not referring to the rabid MAGA "base". I am speaking of the old school party operatives, their chosen long term strategists and their selected mouthpieces. The real Republicans. Because we all know, and the GOP know, that Trump is no Republican and never has been. This has been a remarkable situation of the stars aligning to unite opposites to use each other for each of their own purposes. Trump could obviously care less about traditional R ideals and values, but he will temporarily appear to embrace them for personal gain in power, celebrity and money. The Rs, meanwhile, are willing to tolerate his atrocities in order to advance their agenda towards oligarchy and authoritarianism, as they well know they will never again have the majority. To this point, just look at McConnell's recent statement concerning the fact that they may never have another R president if certain things do not happen. The survival of the party is very much at stake. Trump has just been their useful idiot. And they will fight to keep him as long as he is useful to the larger agenda. My long time friend and professional mentor in her 70s but still very active in business, church and politics (President of Republican Women at state levels for decades) recently posted on her business page "An election vote is not a Valentine card. You dont have to love the candidate. It is, however, a chess move." This simple statement sums up everything I am trying to explain.
What I don’t understand is why they - the ones you call “real republicans” - can’t adapt to the changing world. They could still have a party that was right of center and still win elections just like they did historically. This new breed of authoritarians is truly toxic and their lust for power is a mental illness. Evolution hints that if they can’t adapt to change they will die off. I guess they think they are literally in a fight for survival as the planet becomes increasingly overcrowded, and they have to grab all the resources and crush all the competition to guarantee their own survival. Social Darwinism manifesting, but so far not understood as a driving force.
Thst is a good way to describe it. Survival, not adaptation.
That is something to ponder. Im so happy I live in Massachusetts.
BTW I love 'the valentine card....'
Gotcha. It was Lindsey Graham who said there would never be another Republican president. I am saying that the Trump base -as you refer to them - is now the majority of the Republican party. I HOPE you are right!
But unfortunately, the "real" Rs want oligarchy and authoritarianism now to stay in power. It's the only way available for them. The R party of old is completely gone in their flailing gasps to stay in power, and the trumpublicans will destroy it in an entirely different way. The country will pay the cost either way.
Thats what I see as well. Greed
My fears of a dt coup or designs on one predate his presidency. They are not completely gone, but I have always believed that they will originate with dt, not with McConnell and the R party as a whole. I believe the R's are essentially oligarchists, in line with Prof Richardson's thinking -- but I disagree with her regarding dt, who is a fascist and almost certainly a White Supremacist. The problem being that through blindness or an incorrect belief that they can control and restrain fascism, as well as a fear of him and his supporters, the oligarchists have gone along with him. A coup would bring out the left and make possible violent repression. But I'm hopeful the noise about the election primarily concerns preparations for the Jan 5 Georgia senatorial elections and the intention to promote a myth that the election was stolen. I also take some heart in the fact that unless the election is in serious doubt, unlikely, Biden will become Commander and Chief on Jan 20. And while it's entirely possible that dt is playing the press, there are indications that he is accepting a loss, such as his remark that he may run again in 2022. Sure hope I'm right.
Heather, you wrote today that "It is certainly possible that Trump and his people are launching a coup, as observers warn". Several paragraphs later, you listed a series of firings in high places and the replacement of these people with loyalists, and concluded that "In other words, Trump is cleaning out the few national security leaders who were not complete lackeys and replacing them with people who are. It's funny timing for such a shake-up, especially one that will
destabilize the country, making us more vulnerable." Putting these two statements together and recalling the series of similar-looking dismissals at State and Homeland Security in the past - all seemingly chaotic, but actually following a plan carefully laid out by T's then-counsel McGahn - seems to me to form a fairly clear scenario. There's a pattern here, and I suspect it is linked with the court challenges. Call it a "coup" or something else, but this is NOT the sort of chaotic behavior that our media have led us to believe is "normal" for T. We MUST pay attention - our democracy is in IMMINENT danger!
Oh Heather Cox Richardson, you said early on it would be bumpy if Trump lost. But all of this... The party of Trump is frightening with Barr and McConnell at the helm. We must be vigilant and speak out. It’s too bad we can’t throe water on them and watch them melt away like the wicked witch of the west.
I find it helpful to visualize such a scenario.
That really does paint a lovely picture!
Hard to scribe a coherent message when dark thoughts of impending scenarios swirl. I come back to believing in government as the scaffolding of society. Good government is difficult, mostly because human nature is difficult. So far in our history as a country we have made slow progress. 2020 has brought into focus for the vast majority of white Americans the truth about racism, vast economic disparity, unequal rights to vote, and a packing of the lower federal courts with acolytes of the Federalist Society, which is first and foremost a political far-right religious organization. Now the craven behavior of the vast majority of the elected republicans in congress comes to the forefront. They will argue and fuss, but the truth will out, as always.
The best course is the youth of this land. Citizens say 18-40, who’s very existence for the next 50 years depends on a response to climate change. Who believe in humanity with a spiritual reverence not tainted by blind religious, man-made dogma. Who believe in a constitution that can respond to a world of gravitational waves, quarks, CRISPR, and atmospheric rivers. Who believe in each other.
Respond to the run-off elections in Georgia. Respond to the mid-term elections in 2022. Then keep responding.
With the youth in our nation truly being the future we have a good side and a bad side. I have an 18 y/o who voted for the first time. He has never seemed to be concerned about even the slightest political things and having been isolated since March due to the pandemic has only had his online friends for interaction. However, when that ballot came he was energized. He read every proposition and looked up opinions from every angle. He made choices by discussing with us questions he might not have understood. I think we have a huge number of young voters in that category. Maybe they are energized by the fact that their life has been cut short by the pandemic. The second group of the young are the ones led by Charlie Kirk at Turning Point and the Evangelical kids that are kept from learning the truth about the world. They are cut off and isolated. They go to religious schools, their parents have a tight rein on their internet access and what they can see on TV. It will be nearly impossible to ever get these people to see truth. I will never forget being stationed in FL and the neighbor telling me black people were evil because that was the curse God put on Cain and Able. She had a 7 y/o that spouted this. 40 years later that child is most likely one of the Trumpers. My Christian upbringing never taught me these things. These people have destroyed Christianity for me. Even Mitt Romney perverts it for his own power in office.
Ive heard that the younger voters gave the republicans Montana up and down the ballot. Lots of evangelicals and fervid trumpers here. I think its true.
Yes, Montana is filled with the right-wing militia type people and they are so uneducated they believe Democrats will take their guns away. However, even thought there is currently no plan to do this it could become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When they start the violence and the National Guard has to be called in and a civil war is started it seems the inevitable result will be for this country to have extreme gun laws. The groups that keep going to Oregon and Washington and starting violence are coming from Montana and Idaho. They live in big compounds up there. Up until now they probably never voted and are clueless about our government.
Unfortunately I dont believe things will play out that way, despite the fact that it should. There are too many people in power that either actively support this behavior or passively look away. And the money involved with the NRA, the other gun lobbies representing the highly profitable industry, and the overall machismo regarding gun ownership that has overtaken a very large segment of the population will continue to drive this movement. Power, money and invincibility are potent motivators.
Especially after reading today’s letter I plan to call my Congress people and urge them to announce publicly that Biden is our president elect and it is time for the government to treat him as such. Heather’s post has scary implications.
Call Emily Murphy, the GSA and tell her to please sign the letter giving Biden access to what he is supposed to get as president elect. Her number (provided by the Lincoln Project ) is 844-472-4111.
emily.murphy@gsa.gov is her email address. I am sending the following email, with subject 'election': Good day.
Your job, and your obligation to this country and the US Constitution to which you swore an oath, is now to certify the transition of power so that President-Elect Biden can have access to security briefings and do his best for this country.
Your actions in this regard will define your place in history. Who will you serve? Your country and the truth? Or will you betray that trust?
Sincerely,
I used this as a starting point and wrote something similar to her. Thanks.
Thanks. Just sent my version too.
me too!
Sent it, and distributed it to many friends, asking that they do the same. Thanks!
Thanks, Joan! Sent it.
Thank you for this, Joan. I did add a sentence at the end hoping she can live with herself if she betrays the sworn oath.
Thank You!
My email reminded her of her duties under the 1963 Presidential Act. Then I went to the fact that she is clearly in a difficult position and may be intimidated or frightened of performing her duty. Suggested she contact the FBI for their protection first, then sign the letter already.
Insightful
I emailed her in similar fashion (re the probable intimidation) and also noted that she would have no difficulty landing a very good job in the private sector
You just get a menu of buttons at that number.
My senators are Marsha Blackburn who ran her whole campaign for the senate with her head up Trump’s a$$ while singing his praises, which she continues to do. Bill Hagerty, who was just elected, ran on “Trump loves me.” Our rep, who moves from elected office to elected office so he doesn’t have to actually work, is also a trump supporter. So, as you can see, we in TN have no one in Congress representing us.
Contact them anyway. HCR has stated in her talks that calling Congress people let's them know how many are for/against something and could perhaps temper their position.
You have Jim Cooper.
I swear to God, what's happening with Trump et al. has been part of my worst nightmare for the last 5 years.
Mine Too!!!
Yesterday Joe Biden spoke from the office of the president elect. He was presidential In all ways—calm, factual, and proposing a thoughtful science based program to turn the COVID tide. We are witnessing the sharp contrast of dual presidential narratives. I’m hopeful that the majority of Americans (and slow stream of responsible Republican officials like Mitt Romney Susan Collins and George W. Bush) realize that restoration of a normal President will and must occur. Desperate efforts now will only cement DT’s infamy He is behaving like a terminal alcoholic desperately blaming everyone else acting paranoid and destroying his family. Unfortunately he has legions of enablers who drink the same delusional drink. On the plus side he’s losing Fox News. Yesterday they cut away from the lying press conference, they are talking heads are speechless, and many of the supporters are saying they don’t trust Fox anymore.
The plot deepens daily. The shuffle of top administrators and development of the DOJ election task force along with Kushner’s handling of the UAE sale may be directly linked to a vast criminal enterprise by the shadow cabinet, the Kushner financial empire.
Replacement of key knowledgeable administrators opens the doors for nefarious activity that would pass scrutiny in the night of confusion.
AG Barr is obviously vacating his role as American’s Lawyer in directing the DOJ to snoop into election fraud rumors. Especially in any cases that the Judiciary has refused to act.
This accumulation of suspicious activity by the Trump administration is truly worthy of an Article 25 legal action. By holding back the transition process on the Covid menace, national security and legal actions the administration, and opens the nation to palpable weaknesses to very attentive foreign adversaries sure to leap into any breaches.
This is not mere quibbling over votes of obscure rural districts these are challenges to the very foundation of constitutional government: the transference of leadership in orderly steps.
And who has the right to invoke this Article 25? If it’s Congress, the Senate will do nothing.
Technically the VP invoked it which is extremely unlikely.
But that doesn’t mean it should not be implemented.
Maybe trump doesn't care about the election lawsuits. If he keeps losing the cases, he'll try getting it heard by "his Supreme court".
I am perhaps naive, but firing these people does not make them disapear. They are still there, still informed, still loyal to our constitution. Who is to say that there is not a covert plan in place already to combat any of the tRump tantrum? I am the persistent-optimist, but that's just me. All of his loyalist will be fired in one swoop when power transitions, and I believe it will. One way or the other. Desparate people do desparate things and the country's biggest mistake will be to not act against it quickly and decisively.
Don't forget there is still the war with Iran option, and getting UAE on board gives more control over the area and for military staging. Trump may be planning the war between now and January and will insist he must stay as pres. Anything is possible. Including that he may in fact believe he can still cheat his way to a victory in a corrupt Supreme Court.
But the idea that it's all about the money for him also rings true. Maybe he doesn't owe anyone at UAE but maybe he has gotten agreements to cover the 400 million he owes in exchange for the arms sales.
Side note about the Georgia elections. Loeffler stands no chance of avoiding a runoff as she's in second place anyway. Perdue might, though, and that's a possible game plan there. But why Loeffler and Richard Burr never got charged for insider trading is a minor mystery. Minor in that such people never get charged, but still.
Howdy from what is going to soon become an epicentre of American politics for the next 8 weeks! Not just our looming Senate races for January 5th, but also our soon to begin recount. Now, WHO ELSE would Trump name to the group overseeing our recount but two of his best lap-dogs, Republican shill Doug Collins, and our former bubba governor, Sonny Perdue (current Sec’y of Agriculture, unless he’s been fired…hard to keep up…). Wow. Talk about totally unbiased observers. Collins quoted in our local paper as he’s from here, “Republicans stand by the ideal that every eligible voter should be able to vote legally and have it be counted,” said Collins. “During the coming recount, we are confident we will find evidence of improperly harvested ballots and other irregularities that will prove that President Trump won Georgia fairly again on his way to re-election as President. Georgians deserve a free and open process, and they will get one.” SO he’s basically already saying he’ll find improprieties before he’s even started. That’s a good sign it’ll be fair, eh?? He goes on to say, “As we begin the recount process, there are three things we are formally requesting today from Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. First, there must be a full comparison of absentee ballots cast and in-person and provisional ballots cast throughout the state. Second, there must be a check for felons and other ineligible persons who may have cast a ballot. Third, and most importantly, the Secretary of State should announce a full hand-count of every ballot cast in each and every county due to widespread allegations of voter irregularities, issues with voting machines, and poll watcher access. We can – and we will – petition for this in court after statewide certification is completed if the Secretary of State fails to act, but we are hopeful he will preemptively take this action today to ensure every Georgian has confidence in our electoral process.” Both Senate candidates are still calling for him to step down, but I don’t see that happening, at least according to Raffensperger’s latest statements. With Biden at an 11,000 vote lead right now, I do not see enough improper votes to change anything. This also holds true for the Senate results from the Perdue/Ossoff race, even though Perdue just fell under 50%, which is what necessitated that race being added to the runoff contest. FYI, the Loeffler/Warnock race is only to fill in the remainder of Johnny Isakson’s term, which is due to expire in 2022. ANOTHER race will be held then!
Below I’ve put up a few links if folks are interested in donating money or looking to volunteer.
ActBlue is an entity that oversees both Senate candidates’ campaigns, as well as Abrams’ organisation. A donation to them can be split evenly between all three if you desire:
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/2020gasenaterunoff
The 2 links below are to Warnock’s campaign:
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/wfg-social?refcode=enight
https://twitter.com/ReverendWarnock
The 2 links below are for Jon Ossoff’s campaign:
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/texting_2020_10_05_ro_tjo
https://twitter.com/ossoff?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
This link is to Abrams’ organisation:
https://fairfight.com/
The amounts of money that are expected to flood into our state are going to be epic. Already, Abrams’ group has, as of today, already received right at $10,000,000 SINCE FRIDAY! Estimates are that donations to both parties’ candidates could exceed half a billion (that’s with a “b”!) dollars. There is no understating the importance of this race to the entire future of Joe Biden’s ability to govern. Our airwaves and mailboxes are going to be besieged, and door-knocking will be as never before. Folks in Georgia had best get ready. We are already election-weary as never before, only to find out we have 8 more weeks of it! Pundits are already conjecturing who might most benefit from this election weariness—it’s hard to say. However, Republicans have NEVER lost a runoff election in Georgia history as Democrats always fail to show up for runoffs. Maybe this year can be different?! Democrats are going to be mobilising as never before here, so WATCH THIS SPACE!! “Okay, Mr. DeMille. Georgia is ready for her close-up!”
From what you have described, the Trumpers are trying delay Georgia's process so much that it will not be done in time for Biden to get the Georgia votes in the electoral college, thus providing fodder for their false claims. I do hope they don't get away with that nonsense.
Thank you for writing from the trenches! Your post offers valuable insights. Best wishes for the runoff! Exciting times for Georgia!
I lost the the comment asking about where are the evangelicals and why aren't they concern about the Armenians. My theory is that the projected arms sale to the UAE is right up their alley. There are many in that group who want a major war in the Middle East thinking that this will force God's hand and the return of Jesus. They think that this will give them the upper hand and that the Kingdom of God will be restored on earth. My theology tells me 1) Jesus stated the kingdom of God is already here and it is up to us to care for one another and to seek God's mercy, justice and love for all in order to make it apparent and 2) God is not one to be manipulated. I like to think my theology comes from actually reading the Holy Scriptures while a great of theirs comes from televangelists and the Lift Behind series. And on thinking on this, this may explain the strong support 45 has received from that group. He can be manipulated and this is scary on many planes. Just a probable explanation for the thinking behind this group.
I think my joke last week about everything being ready for everything from a blowout to a coup d'etat to a civil war, isn't a joke. Any hope he would just go to Mar A Largo and stay there is "whistling past the graveyard." He knows how bad it will be to face prosecution in New York, that he cannot be pardoned from, and is so desperate to avoid that, he will attempt a coup. And now that he has a "Secretary" of Defense who won't argue when he orders troops into the streets, with an FBI run by a lackey who will go after the opposition, it really is set for that to happen. I told a friend in the Czech Republic that the situation could end up like Belarus, but it think it can go much worse.
I don’t believe Wray (FBI) is a lackey at all. That’s trump’s problem with him, along with his hatred of the FBI for doing its job in 2016.
He has his lackey but the JCS are (so far) firmly opposed to military involvement in a political contest. Let’s hope that Blair Mountain remains a detestable anomaly.