Thank you Heather. "This is a five-alarm fire." -which is the objective of the fringe 'burn-it-all-down' extremists who have taken over the GOP -as well as Putin and all other adversaries of the United States.
Heather is deeply concerned about what is not taking place in the House of Representatives.
She usually doesn't dedicate as much space to her opinions. And she is correct to do so. The Republicans are totally clueless and incapable of governing as she explains.
If there is another CR, then it will likely be loaded with many poison pills.
This will not end well even if they somehow kick the can down the road again.
They are NOT clueless, people should stop calling them that as it absolves them from taking responsibility for their intentional thwarting of democracy. They know EXACTLY what they are doing. What they ARE is CARELESS and INHUMANE and hateful and greedy and STUPID
Add: malicious, depraved, anti-American, treasonous, lazy, superfluous, and all the adjectives Dumas attributed to the monarchy before the French revolution.
Some are becoming rich enough to dramatically distort our whole society, the agenda under the hood of "Reaganomics": Make America "Gilded Age" Feudalistic Again. Some are scammers, and some are dupes, but all promote plutocracy and authoritarianism.
"No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time..." - Churchill
Gasoline because All of the GOP are funded by BigOil and its friends in BigChem, BigAg, BigPlastic, etc etc, whether they are as dumb as Boebert or as brilliant and slippery as McConnell.
Thanks, nail on the head. And led by a Facist Plan weakening our ability... couldn’t do it one way so here’s your sign.....
Whether we can ‘hold out’ until 11/24, and by what means...is a question for all Dems and for many Republicans who see what they DO want ‘ their party’ (loosely phrased ) won’t listen to.
🗣️Hey you folks ..they.don’t.care.
I just joined Zack Shrewbury’s PAC, he is running for Senate , a Democrat, for WV! 🙌🙌🙌
Doing what I can plus voting💙 I don’t feel hopeless but this is going to be far more an issue than I understand , I believe.
I wish you well in your efforts in West Virginia. But I sadly think that they will be in vain. Joe Manchin Is the only statewide Democrat to be elected in West Virginia in a long time and and he is really hardly a Democrat.. Trump won west virginia by something like thirty points in 2020 and will probably win again.. the likelihood of any Democrat senator winning in West Virginia this year other than Manchin is horrifically low and it saddens me to think that this is likely going to turn the Senate back to Republican control. This is a bad year for Democrats in the Senate. 20+ seats that are up for election are held by Democrats currently including the seats in Arizona, Montana, Nevada and West Virginia.The odds of picking up enough seats to hold the senate is very low and while we obviously need to try, we shouldn't be stunned if it doesn't happen.
Yes, but that took a LONG time and Virginia is NOT West Virginia. West Virginia went for Trump in 2020 (the year he LOST) by almost 39%.
Virginia went for Biden 54% to 44% while W Virginia went for Trump 68% to 30%. Virginia and West Virginia are virtually not at all alike other than the name Virginia. The thought that a Democratic Senate candidate can win in WV is so unlikely (other than Manchin) that I wouldn't even donate money there, sigh.
I have learned for a long time (since 1960, the first Presidential election I really remember when I was 9) that you have to be brutally realistic about our political system. There are VERY few surprises. To be honest, the most extreme surprise in my adult lifetime was the narrow "victory" achieved by Donald Trump in 2016. Even moreso than Bush's election by a hanging chad in Florida in 2000. But if you look at the state-by-state results, it becomes much easier to see (at least in retrospect) and of course makes it easier to see Biden's victory in 2020. Although I am virtually 100% certain that Trump will win in W Virginia in 2024, I think his chances nationally (assuming no nefarious conduct by either election officials or the political parties) are still much worse than even in 2020. Biden, as weak a candidate as I think he is, will squeak out another relatively narrow decision, and Trump will squawk about it as he did in 2020. However, in the Senate, I think there is virtually no way for the Democrats to carry a majority in 2024... that will have to wait this time until 2026 when the electoral map is once again in their favor (with 20 seats up for the GOP vs 13 for Dems). Fortunately the demographics at the individual level continue to grow in the Democrats' favor with each succeeding year as the older population dies off and the younger population (which is much more significantly Democratic) grows larger and as long as the MAGAts remain in control of the GOP I expect that trend will continue well into the future.
I think all is not lost in the United States, but it will take time (as change inevitably does, something I learned a while ago as I was growing up LOL). The biggest obstacle (at least IMHO) is the possibility of the entire government falling into autocratic hands who then exert unprecedented control that causes even the best of trends to break down. I.e., in short it means that the biggest challenge we have in front of us is making sure Trump does NOT win in 2024. THAT, as I see it, is the single biggest challenge we face today.
What kind of low-life supports cutting food access to people in need? The majority who benefit from SNAP are children. Literally taking bread from the mouths of babies. What defect in a person's character makes this OK?
The disconnect between words and deeds could not be more profound than that between those who claim to be Christians and their efforts to destroy the social safety net, which I see as the secular fulfillment of the admonitions of Matthew 25:31-46.
Like "The Party" in Orwell, these scammers pretty much label everything the exact opposite of what it is, no? The helpers are (insert epithet here), while patently self-serving liars are our nation's salvation. It seems to be a con as old as human history, but some in every society and every generation perpetrate and fall for it.
I refer to those people as Revelationists [sic]. They go from the vengeance of the Old Testament, cherry pick quotes from the New that support their hard-right political values and await the Rapture so they can gloat while the rest of us suffer through the Apocalypse. They wouldn't know a Beatitude if it slapped them upside the head.
When I was much younger I spoke to a right wing preacher whose sermon on eye-for-eye vengeance (he was advocating it) I had just heard. I cited the "new covenant" of Jesus. His reply was that the Bible is the "word of God" and therefore every word of it is true. Therefore "eye fir an eye" is questionably the true word of God, and since "God cannot contradict himself" it is the true word of God. It's from memory, but I think that's a pretty fair representation (in my memory, word for word) of what he said.
Also racist and misogynist: I continue to believe that racism and misogyny, along with dark money from the plutocrats' lobby, are at the root of it all.
Over the years I've noticed that white people are often reluctant to identify racism as racism, and men are often reluctant to identify misogyny as misogyny. So I think it's good to be specific. Also, since both racism and misogyny are group-related ailments, I'm not sure that "narcissism" or "sociopathy" apply.
I have some awareness that racism and sexism is more pervasive and more subtle that I am in a position to be aware of, and that is this a problem, but I am not saying the either of these traits are any less real or consequential for being seen as delusions of superiority. Sociopathy is when one has no regard for the welfare of others, may even get a thrill from hurting others, racism and sexism are probably its most common and impactful form. I see it as an individual trait, but it can also be cultivated in societies, and has been with monstrous consequences.
Well, in following Heather, we are reminded that back then it was the Southern Slaveholding oligharchy. The international corporatists came later as the Industrial Age took off. You name it, it has been going on since before the Romans wrote the Bible to scare the outlying masses into submission.
Exactly. For every “I Object” from Tuberville, cash pours in. Every time MTG goes on a vicious rant, cash pours in. This is the end game, NOT governing. I want to know who they’re really working for, the Koch’s, Leo Leonard, Russian oligarchs? They all seem to be pro-Putin. So is Trump.
As evidenced by their refusal to fund SNAP, a refusal that hurts many Americans far beyond recipients of SNAP because it's part of the far larger Farm Bill.
I thought Christians were instructed to love their God, feed and clothe the poor, comfort the sick and all that they did in aid of their bethren was as though they did it for Him.
A subset of Christianity for selfish know-it-alls who think they are superior to everyone else. Very easy to join—throw away your thinking cap and your softheart.
I agree with your basic point about the right-wing extremists who are sabotaging democracy and doing everything they can to shackle the federal government from serving the people.
But are they stupid? They keep making progress in achieving their goals. And let's face it: this same behavior is evident in many states.
There is certainly shameless cunning behind this, plus a lot of manipulation by controlling information, what is said and what is not; the tyrannosaur in the room. Nixon was corrupt, but the former "Republican" Party closed ranks and directly conspired to undermine democracy with Reagan.
They say....they say they’re doing well? I say we’re doing far better..far more quietly but steady.
Keep your eyes on the ball !
Push to pick up more seats ...the trends are increasingly favorable.
We. Can. Change. This. Script....we need to see our numbers in that which will take the votes to 1) strengthen the rules needing shored up 2) eliminate the money temptations (electorate out!) , 3) pass and codify safety laws/mechanisms from individual ability to bottleneck ...to majority rules.
I DO believe there is sufficient strategy tactics to timely intervene and implement. WE have a HUGE backing of good minds who watch and advise.
From my experience as a mental health therapist, there are some people that no matter what tools you use to help them change their harmful behaviors, they first have to hit rock bottom. So perhaps these extremists' poor thought-challenged constituents who keep voting for them need to experience what will happen to them if the government shuts down. But then again, did the government employees who found themselves in food bank lines during the trump shutdown learn anything? The sorry part is that we will have to suffer with them....
Spot on, Tina. The mission these people have is nothing else than to destroy democracy: their wealthy donors are paying them to do just that, all in line with Putin’s plans. I’m certain of it: as soon as the US falls, Putin starts his invasion of Poland. And the Republicans won’t give a sh*t when that happens: they’re in it just for the money.
Republicans have more in common with Yegeny Prigozin and Vladimir Putin than they do with regular Americans. Republicans are only responsible to their donors, NOT their constituents. How else do you explain how a mediocre wrestling coach from Ohio has a net worth of 30 million after gaining office? Of course they aren’t there to govern. They are their to get paid! Their job is to take the money and let the government burn while their people burn with it.
The Republican Party is on the Road to Extinction ... Patience is required, but as you point out, can a Majority of the House get to Vote on the CR before the Country runs off the rails and into the sea?
I m changing my mind. As long as people exist without checks on their power, these forces will always plague us. Corruption and self service of the powerful at the expense of the less powerful is NEVER going extinct. Otherwise it just comes back. That’s the lesson of human history.
Power tends to corrupt, thus checks on power are essential. Centralized power corrupts absolutely, so we theoretically divide authority into equal shares (the vote) and grant necessary governmental powers with accountability. There will always be cheaters, so we have the duty of keeping them honest, whether on our "side" or otherwise.
The Party is very much on the Road to Extinction. The killer question is how many innocents they will take down with them? In the worst case, our whole species is the "collateral damage". That is not outside of the realm of possibility unless we play our cards right. I am optimistic, but cautiously so.
The 8 in the House, plus how many in the Senate ( ? + Braun the Chicken), are not so Dumb, just so self-cock-assured of themselves, that I am expect National Heroics will be necessary to avoid their "collateral damage" ... if we can.
If there are any compromises, the dems will be the one to do it just to keep the government running. Republicans love to take time off at the most inappropriate times. Didn't they take 2 weeks vacation when the debt ceiling needed to be worked on?
They are very similar to the Russians. They like Putin and Orban ( ruler of Hungary not Turkey like trump said. They like censoring things (books newspapers, schools). Dissents
and protests are punished (better watch out on that a lot of people have disappeared or are in jail), personal freedoms are limited AND you can't believe them. They do not adhere to agreements.
I see this more as a five bell opportunity than a five alarm fire. Really - is this tiny minority playing from a strong hand? Do they have public sport? Have they given themselves room for flexibility going forward? Is there a part of the Bible that speaks to continuing resolutions?
A small group in a large body can have compelling ideas and evangelize brilliantly. They won’t be small long. That is not the situation. This is a group just begging to get their asses handed to them on a plate. (Metaphorically “begging” - they are too dumb to recognize that God isn’t at their back, if indeed there is a God who watches censoriously over the US Congress).
It could be ugly. I grant that. People could get hurt financially (although if this could cut back on dangerous absurdity that Black Friday has become, it might not be all bad).
Eight losses over Dobbs have not taught the MAGA crowd that one governs at the pleasure of the people. They will soon find out. In the meantime, let’s not give them the pleasure of enjoying the big dust storm they feel they have kicked up. Their day is coming and it won’t be pretty for them.
And where is Mike Johnson and why did he adjourn the House as a federal government shutdown looms? At a conference in Paris of far-right politicians. Of course.
Is there anyone on this thread who doesn’t believe that the ‘non-running’ Joe Manchin will suddenly show up running for ‘president’ on the ‘No Labels’ ticket? He is perfect, with his ‘liberal’ bona fides (Oh, qwitcher giggling!) as a ‘Democrat.’ If you listened to him ‘bowing out of the senate race’ he stuck in a non-sequitur about how he doesn’t like Trump. He’ll pull votes from Biden. I’d love to keep an eye on his bank account!!
No Labels is funded by some democrats, but mostly Republicans. It's dark money. They want to bring the country together but play by the old rules. There is no transparency. Manchin knows West Virginia won't elect a Democrat. At a time when we need to be a united front he bales for the $$ greener pastures.
What Democrats are funding No Labels? No Labels is a dark money PAC funded by the likes of Harlan Crow to defeat not only Democrats but Democracy as well. This group is a fascist trojan horse. They are dangerous.
I use it often instead of something like BS. I have used it for years and can't remember where I first saw it. But feel free to borrow....it has a nice dismissive sound.
Former Democrat Joe Lieberman, whose ego matches Manchin's is part of No Labels. Former Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Iowa) is leading a group, Citizens to Save Our Republic, to push back against No Labels.
He's a great guy, but he is running in a virtually 100% solid GOP state where the ONLY exception in 20 years has been Manchin and once he is gone, there is almost no chance that the state will elect a Democrat for Senate.
No Labels did not suddenly appear this year. They have been around for several years by backing Congressional members with a history of crossing the aisle to work with members of the other party (Democrat or Republican) to fashion compromise. They have worked to prevent such people from being taken out in a primary by the far right or far left extremes.
No Labels has not even committed to entering a candidates (although they are making all the noises that they will) let alone who they would be. What if they put up Charlie Baker (former Gov of Massachusetts), Larry Hogan, or even Lynn Cheney as the presidential candidate and Manchin as VP. Would you still feel the same?
Third party and their candidates are cop outs. 3rd parties would rather keep the delusional blinders on, rather than acknowledge the hard truths and real challenges this democracy faces. Don’t fall for that nonsense. Choose an issue, or better several, learn the facts and work like hell to make this the country you want, and know in heart what it could be.
A third party is a mortal danger at this time -- a divisive device much used by Putin who learned its usefulness in Communist East Germany.
A time may come when the present GOP will have completed its work of self-destruction. Then, a third party could become useful, a dynamic force of opposition, an alternative, keeping the Democratic Party clean, alive and on its toes, kicking it out when necessary.
Any one-party State would be a corrupt rust-pile disaster. Consider the Communist parties of the Soviet empire, Putin's pseudo-party One Russia, Orban's criminal enterprise Fidesz, Iran, Mexico and the long history of its comically named Institutional Revolutionary Party...
I would. They are Republicans. Republicans have shown that they do not believe in one person, one vote, majority rule. I first noticed this in the Bush v. Gore election of 2000. It’s still perfectly clear to me, even more so.
There will never be any way to prove how and what difference it would have made if Gore had been made president, but many clues suggest to me it would have been significantly different in some good ways. I never thought I'd see a president worse than Nixon in my lifetime, but Reagan, Bush II and Trump took the cake. They all, however, shared the same party designation.
Absolutely this would be a potential disaster. If they can pull away even a few states' electoral votes from Democrats (more likely than from GOP), then no one will get 270 electoral votes and the Pres/VP votes will end up in the House/Senate (respectively). In the House, each state gets ONE vote for President and there are 26 states now with GOP majorities in the House, and only 22 states with Democratic majorities, plus two states (Minnesota and North Carolina) evenly divided. There is virtually no chance for a Democrat to win the presidency in a vote in the House by state. In the Senate, the vote is by each Senator, and if the Senate is controlled by the GOP after the 2024 election as I predict it will, then the VP will be a GOP VP as well.
We need to make sure that the Democrats WIN the Presidential election in the states, NOT in the Congress.
Don’t forget the fake degree from WVU. She did not complete the required courses and the university printed her a pass. That was a little bit of a scandal in these parts. The university has since corrected its grift, but that was dug up around the same time of the epi pen incident. Manchin is blamed for a lot of unpleasant shenanigans in WV. Especially in the southern part of the state. I travel through WV often on my way to NC. I’ve talk with so many West Virginians who want democratic reform. Those people have practically no state programs or protections. He’s a grifter who’s grown wealthy on the backs of his constituents.
Karen, thank you for these additional details. I had forgotten about his daughter and didn't know she got a fake degree from WVU. And I am glad to know that some there want democratic reform.
Perhaps I am, and you’re probably right. However, the Dobbs decision has many Republicans voting for abortion rights and for that, you vote blue. That’s what the 2024 election is shaping up up to be about no matter how much denial the GOP is in.
Isn't it time when the citizenry ought to wake up to recognize that the continuance of the duopoly is the continuance of never getting what it expresses it wants from the government.? (Gun control, Universal Health Care, tuition free college/university, etc) Time to recompose the structure of the federal democratic republic to make it fairer. As noted elsewhere here, Tuberville's destructive clownish mentality reveals just how anachronistic the institution of the Senate is. How unfair and unrepresentative it is. Where one Tuberville equals 8 Californian's in political weight. And given the self-serving and also unrepresentative and undemocratic Democratic Establishment that "gives" the citizenry the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, having a truly 3rd party candidate to consider would be a boon. The other problem of the adolescent Republicans is their constituents loving the power they flaunt. The duopoly - called the Business Party with two flanks - are proving their destructive sterility to us, their employers.
So purity test, pipe dreams, and Pied Pipers. So splitting the opposition vote to put Republicans in power.
The time is so over for false equivalencies between the GOP and the Democratic Party. By now - in all three branches of government - it is clear that the differences between the two parties are more significant than the similarities.
The right united to re-form the GOP in its own image. There is a lesson here.
Thanks Lin. The yammering about mistakes of the past, ignoring the steps forward in the present, recalls the votes for Harambe, the tragic gorilla. Getting dark money out of politics certainly won’t be the goal for Crow’s No Labels, or Joe Manchin.
"the yammering about mistakes of the past..." Eh, yea, forget about history...history is dead anyway..why bother with it..." it's the future stupid!!! Really?! Interesting. I wonder if that creates or at least increases the chances of major "blunders"that wind up killing millions of people?
So you’re a duopoly purist then? You have pipe dreams in Pied Pipers like the Clintons, and Obama?
Nothing is more significant about the two parties than their lockstep donor fealty to monied interests, corporate or otherwise. It dwarfs everything else.
Speaking of 2016, we could have had a clear choice between democratic socialism and fascism, and seen what vision most Americans preferred, but the Democratic Party establishment said nope, don’t mess with our neoliberalism. And so, onward toward authoritarianism.
That’s the real lesson. The Democrats can’t even unite to protect one of their own from an absurd censure vote, they bend over to the MIC for an absurd defense budget and endless war/genocide, and support absurd, outdated repressive economic ‘fixes’ (interest rate hikes) to deal with a working class being hammered by the price of food and medicine.
I’m not saying the GOP is not what Heather describes. What I am saying is dissing third parties, or third party voters, just shows how tribally ignorant are those who cast blame everywhere but where it belongs when answering the question:
‘Why do Democrats have such a bad habit of losing easily winnable elections against GOP Christian fascists, corporate whores, and vacuous media celebrities?’
To paraphrase Andy’s note to the warden in Shawshank, the answer lies in the mirror.
Apparently, you see the historical trend as the Democratic Party remaining faithful to the concerns of the people instead of steadily moving rightward over the past 40 years. Really? Where have you been? Sleeping? Not yet born? Clinton eviscerated support for the poor and freed Wall Street and banks from any shred of decency (regulation) they once had. Then, of course, there is Citizen's United. Not to mention what happened subsequent to the distribution of the Powell Memorandum.And Obama's patting Wall street on its head after the 2008 debacle saying there there nothing's going to change for you. And, lo and behold, Private Equity shoots out of the canon to chew up and spit out everything it touches.
Selina Sweet, you are quite right to dream of a better world --- that's to conceive such a world in your mind. But it cannot be born unless dreamers first wake up and take stock of the world as it is here and now... in desperate need of betterment.
I dearly want to get money out of politics and go to entirely ranked choice voting for all elections (or something else as sensible), but wanting it and being able to get it now are vastly different. Right here, right now, we are fighting just to keep from being turned into a dystopian nightmare that we would have an even worse time of coming back from, if we even had a chance at all.
The fact that ONE senator can hold up military promotions as Tuberville is doing or stop appointments of ambassadors as Rand Paul is doing is STUPID. That one single person, according to Senate rules, can hold up necessary appointments is another reason the rules of the need to be reformed. A minority of ONE is endangering our military and our country. We are living in an unbelievable, unbalanced world.
He won’t cave. He’s proud of being a destroyer of the military. It sets up an authoritarian government. He’s a stooge for Putin, like most Republicans are now.
Joe Manchin is 76 yrs old. Too old? Does he have national appeal? Name recognition? A platform? I don't think he can win and I don't think he wants to lose and he can't vote with the Democratics without making it complicated because his state isn't Democratic, which is just ironic in itself. If he isn't just done, what does he want? A seat in the cabinet? He certainly can't think he could do better than Biden with the world on fire.
The voters the Manchin campaign are targeting are voters who voted for Biden in 2020 because they refused to vote for Trump. They are what’s left of the centrist Republicans and the Never-Trumpers. They voted for Jill Stein or the other guy in 2016. (Edit) He’s not running to win; he’s running to spoil. He already knows that going into it. He’s running because he is getting paid to run.
Democrats must coalesce around Joe and nobody else. We also must win the House to keep any sense of democracy intact.
I think it is crazy not to WANT to vote for Joe Biden. He may not be doing a perfect job but he is doing a great job. I don't think a third party spoiler candidate is what Joe Manchin wants to be. I'm basing that on my belief that he and Joe Biden work together better than the press leads us to believe. If you read "The Last Politician" people just might be a little less worried. Manchin aside, that book is really worth reading.
The disinformation campaign against Joe Biden is targeting the youngest voters with stories like ‘If we get involved w Ukraine, it will turn out another terrorist group, like Afghanistan or Iran.’
There are other stories that point out Biden’s flaws. They point to successful governors, like Whitmer or Newsom and ask, “Why not them?”
I think when he starts to consider the scrutiny his record, business dealings, finances, and West Virginia will receive he will decide not to run, walk away with his delusions intact and settle for a talking head job.
One thing to note is that Manchin is 76. If the goal is to find a candidate more acceptable to Independents, along with centrists from both parties, pretty certain Manchin’s age and willingness to burn the climate to shreds will not be MORE acceptable to most Gen Z and Millennial voters. Are they really that blind? (Rhetorical question, folks, since we all know the results of blind ambition...)
Because rather than being "dreamers" we are "realists". Seriously, WV went for TRUMP in 2020 (the year he LOST the Presidential election, remember?) by THIRTY NINE percent! Joe Manchin won his Senate seat in WV by about 5 percent. That is a FOURTY-FOUR percent swing. Manchin is a unicorn, a candidate who goes against the tide and wins because he has some kind of universal appeal that defies the general trends. He is the only WV candidate to have made that happen in the past 20 years.
There is virtually no chance that Biden can win WV nor is there virtually any chance that another Democrat (other than Manchin, or maybe Jesus Christ) can win the Senate seat in WV. I would willingly put up $1000 to win $100 that no Democrat except Manchin could win the Senate seat in WV in 2024. That is 10:1 against and I am confident enough about that... far more confident than I am about who will win the Presidential election overall.
Jim looks like an alcoholic waiting to have a heart attack. West Virginia ranks in the bottom of everything. Manchin says he did a great job for WV? If the air and water don't kill you first. They have the worst opioid crisis in the country.
Kind of given as said wants to travel the uS. To see how people feel about a party in the middle. But this is not middle funded by gop donors to make sure the orange one gets back in power.
Hydro cabin oligarchs can always buy exactly what they want. If you can convince 1/2 the population global warming isn’t real, it’s not to hard to convince them that Joe Manchin is good for the country.
There is no way Manchin will EVER get the vote of anyone who saw him and Sinema give the go-ahead for voting rights to continue to be eroded, unimpeded, from red state to state. And that was just one example of the irresponsibility of the man.
Joan, on the news last night, he was described a moderate or centrist and we both said something to the TV. He is neither, but just another dope who stands in the way of getting things done for ordinary people. I see him and I want to throw up.
Kathleen, i heard a commentator on a TV talk show (sorry, I forgot his name) say,
"i'd rather have an old man who needs another nap, than an old man who needs another lawyer." The media keeps focusing on Biden's age and disregards his accomplishments.
Yes, he's old. Trump is old too. In his " old age", Biden has tried to do those things that will benefit ALL Americans. In his "old age," Trump has tried to do nothing but those things which will benefit HIM.
it just amazes me that so many people don't understand that.
It's scary how media's goal is to destroy a Democratic administration. If it weren't Biden it would be another Democratic President. They did it to Obama too, and Clinton. I believe media's hatred of Biden is so visceral is 1) he served under Black President 2) he selected Black woman as his running mate 3) he has the support of many voters in the Black community. I think I see a pattern here.
I also detected it during the Obama administration also. It was inside voice back then but that's a good point about how Trump triggered people to let their fascist flags fly. He also emboldened the media to do the same and get more outside voice.
Please. The media’s job is to provide ad revenue to increase bottom-line profit for its corporate owners. Period.
Horse-race political coverage; who’s up, who’s down, who sucks more/less, it’s like crack for the political ‘spectators’, and the money keeps rolling in.
If their profit margins are better with fascism, you betcha. Why do you think far too many CEOs, from Bloomberg to Wall Street banksters to Big Tech and media moguls, when asked who they would vote for if Bernie won the Dem nomination in ‘16 and faced Trump, said Trump? Capital is not interested in democracy; it threatens shareholder value.
I fail to see how this is surprising to anyone. Media "moguls" are capitalists. Bernie Sanders is NOT a capitalist in any real sense of the word. He is a (good) communist and that threatens the capitalists of the media (who of course are the owners, just as in virtually every large business sector in the United States, except maybe for Ben and Jerry's... oh yeah, today, even Ben and Jerry's :-) ). Bernie would be a real threat to the current form of capitalism in this country and that would scare all the moguls, but the likelihood of Bernie ever winning such an election REGARDLESS of the media moguls is less than 10% (maybe less than ONE percent). We are NOT yet a communist country or even a "democratic socialist" country (a euphemism for a communist country of course) and as much as such an event would thrill ME, it isn't going to win an election at least not in my lifetime.
Why not? He is leading the GOP race. They would be faulted (rightly so I think) for IGNORING his campaign simply because he refuses to debate. Biden won't debate anyone either, but that shouldn't mean the media should ignore him and focus on, say, Robert Kennedy (ugh).
When the patent medicine barker spiels his spiels, his dishonesty isn't mitigated because someone else paid for the wagon. MSM spiels for corporate interests, we all know that. That shouldn't stop people from remembering Edward Murrow.
You’re, like me, old, if you reference Murrow. We might know that, but millions don’t, hence, plenty of viewers for cable ‘news’. Most people today would say, ‘Murrow… who dat?’
The media are also trying to be sure the Dems take nothing for granted. They are scared of dark money too and make certain (or at least the best of them make certain) that we are too.
You are really misreading history here. "...media's goal is to destroy a Democratic administration..."? Really? The media is doing here what it is mostly supposed to do which is to report on what the public thinks. At least 35% of the public (the Maga part) bellieves Biden is a child-molesting pedophile and hate him viscerally. And if you watch Biden, you realize that he IS old, and he IS just barely keeping it together (I watched his teleconference after his meetings with Chinese leader XI and it was grossly embarassing).
I am a FIRM supporter of MOST of Biden's policies (not all, I am still not sure about his support of Israel, and yes, I am a Jewish atheist who doesn't like Netanyahu at all). I think he was the right President at the right time in 2020. I actually believe he will beat Trump in 2024 assuming nothing changes, but not because Biden is all that strong but because Trump is just that much weaker. BOTH parties are committing electoral suicide right now and I think (hope) that if the Democrats jump first to a better candidate, they will be more certain of victory.
You are being highly dogmatic to say that the analysis of Biden is because of media hatred. Just watch his performance on TV tonight. He is OLD (I wish I caould say that in larger capitals/typeface). He is barely hanging on. I still like him, but I do not love him as a Presidential candidate for his 80th-84th years on earth (he is already the oldest person to ever hold the office of President).
So please, don't attack the media for doing something that just obviously looks right. Not attacking Biden, but holding him up to the light to see his flaws (which are extensive, if not as bad as Trump's).
And I do not for a minute agree with your three "bullet" points about why the media "hates" him. First I don't believe they hate him and I seriously don't believe they hate him because he served under a black President. Sure, a few media people (Fox people) might, but by and large, the media is doing what it is supposed to do and for the most part, holding the light to Biden just reveals how weak he will be.
If the vote comes down to Trump and Biden, I will hold my nose and vote for Biden and hope that he survives. I think the daggers that would come out from the right wing if Harris becomes President will actually insure a GOP candidate wins the Presidency in 2028 (but fortunately, it won't be Trump). My preference would be for a better candidate for president to emerge THIS year so that a Democratic win in 2024 might lead to EIGHT years of good solid leadership by Cory Booker or Whitson or one of several others who would be a whole lot better as President than Biden.
I saw something on the former bird site (forgive me if I already said this in a different post) "NO, he's NOT too old to do the job! He's DOING the job!!".
I share your anger. Newspapers should be "muckrakers" full of investigative journalism. But the headlines are designed for eyeball harvesting - click bait. Every Biden age bashing story is shameful and ignores the obvious dementia and psychopathy of Trump.
That being said, at least if we get past the cosmetic headlines, there is sometimes a breaking story that means something. As opposed to network TV.
I am a lot more disgusted with ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN than the old print media. Talk about utter nonsense. But, plenty of blame to go around, eh?
signed, a Cord Cutter (have not seen a TV ad in years)
If you watched Biden on TV tonight (the post-Xi press conference) you might be feeling a little less confident. Biden was atrocious. That comes from someone like me, a 72-year old long-time far left winger, who is an absolute Trump antagonist, and pro-D to the end. But it is REALLY REALLY difficult to just blatantly ignore the obvious. Biden is barely in touch with his communication command "central" (i.e., his brain) anymore. His communication abilities (probably one of the most important aspects of a President) are WAY WAY weaker than they were in 2020, and they weren't all that top notch back then in the middle of a pandemic when Biden could mostly hide behind a TV camera. Couple that with his middle-of-the-road pablum on Israel (I am also a Jewish atheist who thinks Netanyahu should be convicted and jailed as soon as possible) and I sadly think Biden has gone past his "expiration date".
Psychopathy is NOT as obvious on camera as senile-ism and so Trump doesn't look as bad as Biden does in public in front of the cameras. In fact he looks downright solid (if what you want is a vehement angry facist) compared to Biden.
So this makes the 2024 election a real dilemma for me. I would prefer to see someone else instead of Biden, but if Biden is nominated, I will have to support him (because the alternative is so much worse, in fact downright unacceptable) despite my innate sense that it is not good for the country.
I hear you. I get it. But my own concern is not with Biden's judgement or cognition. I personally don't care how he "presents". I know there is decency and proficiency there. BTW, I am a 76 year old agnostic recovering Protestant whose last few wives have been Jewish.The current love of my life (26 years) is Sephardic with a twist of Italian DNA. The food is great.
But I do worry - a lot. About younger people just losing interest in Biden. Aside from the totalitarian presidency that could follow his defeat, the down ticket losses could be devastating if they don't show up for old Joe.
Your point is heard. My anger is that the MSM obsesses with this and fails to balance the conversation with the outrages of the bigot ridden religious radical right. It's lazy journalism.
Kathleen, it is the Republican, right-wing media that keeps pumping out disinformation about Biden. They spread the word that the economy is really bad while the Wall Street Journal touts how good the present U.S. economy is. And, when those folks only get their (dis)information from conspiracy spreading outlets, they buy into the lies. We have a real problem combatting this stuff.
well, debunking lies always takes more energy (and attention span) than spewing them out there in the first place. AFAICT that's the weakest link - democratic forms entrusted to a not-necessarily-informed (let alone monstrously MISinformed) population.
and is it a coincidence that public education has been under attack from how many angles for ... how long now? it has always needes strengthening, but demagogues and oligarchs and their countless dupes can't abide what widespread critical reasoning would do to their despicable comforts.
Which is, of course, worse. Not subscribing or watching just leads to ignorance and isolation, neither of which is going to help this situation. The BEST thing is to actively put forth alternatives that are better than the current nonsense. Biden should step down and let the D-party find a better (and younger mostly) candidate to run against Trump or whoever else the R-party puts up (DeSantis? LOL).
"Voters approved that amendment with 57% of the vote in a process established by the state constitution, but the plaintiffs want to stop it from taking effect, claiming that by creating a new right, it disfranchises them and prevents the legislature from making laws. "
Seems to me they are trying to disenfranchise us voters and want to Rule us rather than Represent us.
What is scaring me is that they are now being so open about their fascist authoritarian intentions. They would only be this open if they thought they would win. The only saving grace is that these quotes are perfect sound bites, andmake it so clear that they do not care about what the electorate wants. It is demeaning to the intelligence of voters. Maybe it will start to sink in to enough Republicans that the have to break with the MAGA wing of the party.
Georgia, yes they think they can win but that is a symptom of their intoxication with their power. The recent elections have proved them wrong in most places... so far.
I for one am not at all sure that your conclusions about recent elections are on point. Yes, Democrats have won, but much of that is predictable based on the seats that were up for grabs. For instance, VA state houses both are no Democratic but each only by one vote. That is VERY VERY VERY close. Yes, there has been no clear swing to the fascist right... that is of course good. But at the same time, although there have been quite a few successes, none of the Democratic successes have been huge or overwhelmning, and the gaps have been narrowing. Will this hold in a general Presidential election? I don't know, but I don't think complacency is a great idea at this point either.
Jeff, I think your perspective is correct - they aren't sensible or intelligent, they are hubristic - but on what basis I can't figure. May their hubris be their undoing, because by living in their tiny, delusional but LOUD bubble, they have really no idea how failed their ideas, policies and ethos are.
was there anything vague about Dubya's false dichotomies and "faith-based" flubs? the main reason (AFAICT) the intentions are more noticeable is that there's less and less competent gatekeeping of platforms. extremists have always been talking horribleness; they just hadn't synced up with media saturation until Ailes & Murdoch commodified a generic formula in that direction. and Manufacturing Consent was published before we even had a www...
I'm just spreading the words of someone else that hit upon the simplest and clear to me expression of what my old party has become.
It reminds me of what I learned from an Anthropologist that joined our Freedom Corner rally one week had made the following sign:
"Who you voted for
is not as important as
What You Stand For"
It inspired me to make business card size copies and use them to politely ask those who expressed disagreement, in civil or uncivil confrontational ways (as well as just interested passers by), what they stand for.
Almost all could express something they stood for, so that was the start of discussions about why they stood for it. I'd say 95% could provide some rationale for their beliefs so we could go on to discuss why we see differences and how much of each others sources make sense in a better balance of views. It is a slow process, but we have had many soften their incivility, expand their views, and even some join us with signs borrowed from us or their own new creations.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, himself was the other half of the inspiration, with his Talk Stoop reply to Cat Greenleaf surprising him with complimenting his "Skyhook" but asking him what he thought his greatest accomplishment was outside of basketball. After some thought (if I recall correctly), he said it was learning "get my point across without offending, or confusing, anyone."
I think Trump started or certainly encouraged a movement of attacking, name calling, shaming, and threatening people who don't agree with him. He doesn't care if he offends or confuses anyone. That's the only way he feels better about himself. He's so insecure about his intellectual shortcomings that he has to
put anyone down who dares question his ideas or motives.
Kareem needs to be applauded for his efforts and Trump should take lessons from him.
All well said except for ignoring the fact that Trump doesn't take lessons from anyone (at least not since Fred died - and those lessons were always at the end of a strop). If Trump had even the smallest inkling of how to learn from someone else, I question whether we would be in this mess in the first place.
Beau of the Fifth Column is very new to me, but spot on in not being blinded by individuals' views of ideological purity vs what balance we can improve in finding out the directions that will gain cooperative support vs alienating people, amplifying and strengthening their rejection of careless attempts to change their minds without listening to what their real concerns are.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to me, set an important example when he replied to Talk Stoop's Cat Greenleaf's surprise final question, "asking him what he thought his greatest accomplishment was outside of basketball. After some thought (if I recall correctly), he said it was learning "get my point across without offending, or confusing, anyone."
I assume he was also great at earning their trust through honest listening, and thoughtful responses to their concerns as a way to open their minds to listening to more views on subjects of mutual interest.
People like to think it's a democracy though, or at least pretend it is.
Democracy is defined as "a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives".
Of course, those in power define the term 'eligible members', plus there's no guarantee of how well you are represented.
Of course, you talk to the righties and they say "American is NOT a democracy, it's a republic!". They just don't (or won't) understand that a republic is a FORM of democracy.
They've been so completely brainwashed they are essentially Pavlov's dogs and the bell is ringing constantly! :(
Forgive an ignorant foreigner - but how come one single senator is able to bar military appointments? It makes no sense. To me, it looks like a very bad system, which bad actors are taking advantage of. It begs the question - why is that system in place at all? (Same question about the political appointment of judges, which to me is a pretty shocking aspect of the US constitution.)
I don’t understand why the Republican senate lead (that man with the turkey neck) doesn’t tell him to cut it out. And then gets together with the reasonable senators to change those rules. I can’t imagine the military are too happy with this situation. Mind you, I don’t understand why the appointments of senior members of your armed forces are being controlled by the Senate at all. Seems like a recipe for politicising the military. It’s not necessary for democratic accountability.
A) Rules for the Senate are passed before the first session of a new Congress starts. Once passed, those rules require a much greater number of votes to change. The current "one Senator can block an appointment" rule has been around quite a while and rarely creates the kind of stir that Tanktown Thomas Tuberville has created with his right-wing run-amok nonsense (and notably by a guy whose major accomplishment have come not on the battlefield but on the football field). For the most part, this kind of obstructionism when it HAS been used has been used by a Senator for HIGHLY selective opposition, usually to a single candidate for a Cabinet or other Executive office. There has been nothing like what Tuberville has done in virtually the entire history of Congress. Hopefully, the Senate will IN THE FUTURE change the current rule to at least limit the number of nominations that a single Senator can block at a time. Instead of permitting unlimited blocks (as is true now) they could say that a single Senator could block only one (or two or even five) nominations at a time without calling for a vote, thereby radically reducing the efficacy of Tuberville's (or any other obstructionist's) campaign. Unfortunately by Senate rule, you can't CHANGE this rule in the middle of a two-year session by a majority vote. You need 2/3 and you won't get that in this Congress so it simply hasn't even been attempted.
B) All senior appointments of the Executive branch are voted on by the Congressional branch. That is part of our "checks and balances" otherwise the Executive would have 100% unreviewed control of the military (not a good thing, IMHO). In fact, the Congressional oversight does EXACTLY what you say you are for, it usually makes sure that the senior appointments of the Executive are not TOTALLY politicized (which they often might be if there was no confirmation by the Congress). Its a balance and the Executive and Congress have to work together to get reasonable appointments in. We have never had a test of the system like this, with a single Congresscritter or Senator holding up a HUGE number of appointments and demanding capitulation. I doubt we will ever see this again as it is virtually certain that the next Congress will change this rule. But for now, it is what it is.
So to answer James Towner, we CAN fix it (or at least Congress can fix it) if they wanted to, but right now, it would be difficult. I tend to like MOST of the Congressional rules as I think they make things just difficult enough to require some thought, but are not so onerous as to be unchangeable. That said, it is never beyond belief that a smart (or stupid) rep can use an obscure rule to hold the entire Congress (and in some sense the country) hostage.
Is it ideal? Hell no. But as someone once said, it may not be perfect, but it is still mostly a better system than all the OTHER lousy systems that are used around the world.
To your first question: it’s a senate rule, and changeable. But there is no leadership in the senate. Same reason the house permits one person to take down the speaker.
This is not true at all. There is absolutely leadership in the Senate. But the rules require that once Congress is in session (after they have passed their "rules package" as they do just before opening a new session of Congress) that rules changes be approved by a supermajority (I believe 2/3) to make it VERY difficult to change rules. With the Senate at 51-49, even majorities are difficult, let alone supermajorities. The current rule that permits a single Senator to block a military promotion (designed to let a Senator stop one or a couple of military promotions where there might be a personal or political animosity) has never been weaponized as Tuberville has done to essentially block ALL promotions. You don't always see the consequences of your rules, and this is one case where no one ever expected anyone to do such a thing (mostly our military nominations are approved automatically in other times). But we are in strange times these days and Tuberville saw his opportunity and seized it. Even Minority leader Mitch McConnell (the dog of the dogs, IMHO) was surprised by Tuberville's action, and many GOP senators are opposed, but they (even with all the Dems) don't have the votes to change the rules now. They will have to wait until the start of the 2025-26 Senate, and hopefully,regardless of which party is in charge at that time by a narrow margin, expect this stupid archaic rule to be changed at least enough to make it impossible for either a D or R Senator to block ALL nominations of a certain type.
The Republicans have created the perfect moment for our enemies. There is no better time for them to strike. Congress is in disarray, the military is weakened, the public is divided. In spite of the Democrats over performance in elections since 2018, there may not be enough time to right the ship. They’re mobilizing as we hand wring.
Note that Russia/Iran/Hamas realized that the iron was hot and struck Isreal just as the true chaos in the Republican House caucus too hold. I doubt that that co-occurrance was coincidental.
This is a continuation of Trump's insurrection. MAGAQ are our domestic terrorists. The world is literally on fire but wait, there is a man in a dress. Stop presses and call a special session. There is a man in a dress!! It's like yelling squirrel! They have no interest in governing. They want to rule. Thank you Citizens United.
Extortion is the GOTPs preferred negotiating technique,
They like it because it makes them feel like tough guys, plus it's cheaper than their #2 technique which is bribery. They gave up on persuasion and horse-trading a long time ago.
Extremists want all people to have babies but refuse to help feed the poor ones. My nephew works for Head Start in Ohio.... he said you can’t imagine how little these kids eat. They are ravenous. The important thing to the republicans is the pain. Make it hurt.
Antipathy toward society’s vulnerable is distinctly not the message of Jesus, who bizarrely has become the poster boy for reckless idea of Christian statehood that would punish women and their doctors and staff for making nuanced and heartfelt healthcare decisions.
I really have a hard time understanding that (as a non-theist). Why call yourself a "Christian" if what you want is a return to the 700's.... oh, wait...
No theism necessary to point out that anyone pushing a Christian state (a.k.a. White Christian Nationalism) is indefensible, reprehensible wildly out of step with the simple (and universal) message of love your neighbor, right? To combat it it’s necessary to point that out.
People decide 'what would Jesus do' depending on what their version of Jesus is like, as constructed by them or their religion. Yes, he was a real person, but how to decide what he really meant two thousand years ago can be a challenge. Look at the issues in the US trying to sort what was meant by the Constitution, written in English, only 250 or so years ago.
Good point, Mike. I like to follow "WWJD" but you nailed it. Obviously, my version of God is different than many other's version.
I digress to share a little story: about 30-40 years ago, the Catholic church that I attended had a very old priest. Tiny guy, what little hair he had on his head was as pure white as you could imagine. He was also senile.
In this case, this was not a bad thing! He had undoubtedly recited the mass thousands of times, and he could run through it. (the Scriptures passages are read by lectors--fyi for non-Catholics). It was a large suburban Chicago congregation, probably 5-6 services each weekend, so the duties were spread among the priests there. This guy resided there and said one mass each weekend on a rotating basis.
He gave the same basic sermon every week. He'd get up and tell us all how much God loves us. That God sees how hard we try to be good people, and He forgives us for all the times that we fail. He tells us to just keep trying. Just like we have/had/are earthly parents who give unconditional love, so does God. That yes, people were going astray and so Jesus came to light the way.
I can't possibly tell you how much of a balm that was, to hear that same sermon--to be bathed in LOVE. You could see it in the faces as they left church. I guess I am attracted to the idea of God (in whatever form you believe a higher power to be, I accept them all) to be an energy of love. I can't fathom why people follow any religion where God is angry and punishing.
This is all well and good, but still falls short for me (I am a dedicated atheist, just to be clear). When I lived in southern California, we had neighbors who were absolute committed Church of Christ evangelists. They were the nicest folks you ever met, they often invited us to dinner and fed us wonderfully, their kids and our kids played together, we shared tools and other stuff as we were next-door neighbors. Then one day they invited us to a "party" at their house where it turned out they were holding a meeting of some of their evangelical friends, and they introduced us. Then they started with the preaching, saying they understood that we were good people who had lost our way and needed to come back to "God" and "Jesus". We (my ex and I) were stunned but didn't know how to extricate ourselves without being totally offensive ("WTF? You are trying to 'save' us? Go f*** yourselves and your crazy religion!") so we quietly hung in through the harangues and hosannahs and ultimately at the end, we said our goodbyes and left. We wrote them a message thanking them for their hospitality but bluntly pointing out that if they EVER tried such a thing again, we would simply get up and leave. And you know what? They never spoke to us again. They still let our kids play with their kids, but all the friendship which had been completely phony of course ended that night.
I am disgusted to announce that Junk Fish Johnson and his House circus freak show have unanimously been awarded the Institutional Finger Up Its Ass Award.
There is a November 17th deadline to renew budget resolutions or the US government will shut down.
These Johnson jackals, after agreeing on nothing (except the absurd $14.5 billion for Israel funded by reducing past budget authorization for IRS by a similar amount), have gone on vacation until November 13th.
(I don’t believe that subpoenaing financial data from a broad range of Bidens or Marjorie Taylor Greene’s move to impeach several more folks are related to the impending government shutdown.)
I recall, when last there was a ‘budget shutdown crisis,’ that Trump called for a shutdown unless the Senate and President Biden accepted the cockamamie demands of the Republican House jackals.
I see, in this Johnson game of Russian Roulette, that the imperatives of responsibly running the United States, domestically and globally, are Trumped by MAGAmania.
I haven’t a clue how the United States will avoid a November 17th shutdown, as the House freak show is holding the country hostage by its unconscionable ineptness.
When even ‘Garland’ McConnell is pissed at the Johnson House, you know that the Trumpublicans are truly f++ked up.
The fascist minority's disdain for democracy and aid to the enemies of the United States and democracy everywhere is on full display. It is going to be a bitter and very dangerous year and two months. The only way forward will require a few Republicans to break ranks with those who would destroy the nation.
Aging gamer, the Republican senator who represents my district has aligned with Speaker Johnson, calling him a man of impeccable character. He (the senator) also voted to deny the elections outcome, saying that he is quite positive that the election was fraudulent.
I have sent email messages to him, to which he replies, surprisingly, and which I appreciate. I questioned his motives for voting for Jordan. He says he and most others always go with the one who is running. "It's a sad, sad situation."
In my latest email to him, I asked him WHEN he and others, who surely know the "Truth about Trump", were going to come to their collective senses and stand up for democracy instead of bowing down to him and the extremists who demand that they have their way. I asked him when they were going to realize how dangerous these people are. I told him how afraid I was that Speaker Johnson ( the man with impeccable character) was aligning himself with the likes of Marjorie Talor Greene, saying that he agreed with many of her opinions.
My senator claims to be a very religious man. I asked him how any "christian" with morals could support such an immoral man as Trump. I asked him why he believes that it's okay for those "christians" to try to force their beliefs on everyone. I'm awaiting an answer to that question.
So, the bottom line is, when will a few Republicans "break ranks with those who would destroy the nation."
MLMinET, he parrots all the biblical verses that support HIS views. What about the verses in which Jesus admonishes those who are judgemental, unkind, selfish, and misguided?
I think these misguided Republicans aren't FOR Trump. They're just AGAINST abortion and anything that they perceive as threats to their beliefs, which they want to force on everyone else.
I agrée. Thé 27 Ohio republicans who are going to do all they can to reverse the amendment that just passed are unhappy because they lost the argument, not because they oppose reproductive rights per se.
Well, not really. Do NOT ignore the reality. They are 100% opposed to reproductive rights too. They are fanatics and you will be surprised if you fall for the "they are just upset" line.
Where is the fire hose? It’s missing and Mike Johnson took it with him. I bet the House R’s are just real proud of themselves, you know, patting themselves on the back. There will be karma that will hit them in the face if the country isn’t funded. I predict after people feel the strains of not funding our government, there will be an uproar. Maybe this is what it takes to get those who think the R party will save them, actually won’t. Believe me, I do not want this to happen but these members are disjointed and discombobulated along with being evil.
While I don’t completely disagree with you, a default would not only be catastrophic for our country, but for other countries, and for our place in the world.
Thank you Heather. "This is a five-alarm fire." -which is the objective of the fringe 'burn-it-all-down' extremists who have taken over the GOP -as well as Putin and all other adversaries of the United States.
Heather is deeply concerned about what is not taking place in the House of Representatives.
She usually doesn't dedicate as much space to her opinions. And she is correct to do so. The Republicans are totally clueless and incapable of governing as she explains.
If there is another CR, then it will likely be loaded with many poison pills.
This will not end well even if they somehow kick the can down the road again.
They are NOT clueless, people should stop calling them that as it absolves them from taking responsibility for their intentional thwarting of democracy. They know EXACTLY what they are doing. What they ARE is CARELESS and INHUMANE and hateful and greedy and STUPID
Add: malicious, depraved, anti-American, treasonous, lazy, superfluous, and all the adjectives Dumas attributed to the monarchy before the French revolution.
And getting rich at the expense of every American.
Some are becoming rich enough to dramatically distort our whole society, the agenda under the hood of "Reaganomics": Make America "Gilded Age" Feudalistic Again. Some are scammers, and some are dupes, but all promote plutocracy and authoritarianism.
"No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time..." - Churchill
The owner of Home Depot ( BIG DONOR) says he supports trump because of anti regulation laws. I wonder how much he made from the tax cut?
👍🏼👍🏼
Absolutely
Absolutely correct. They are not clueless. They are the arsonists behind the current five-alarm fire.
And their fire hoses are loaded with gasoline, and they just keep pouring it on, then standing back and being proud of themselves.
I wonder just how many actual people in the US they represent, or think they are doing good work.
Far too many, but not for the first time a self-entitled minority of the powerful has tried to overthrow our nation's "better angels".
Gasoline because All of the GOP are funded by BigOil and its friends in BigChem, BigAg, BigPlastic, etc etc, whether they are as dumb as Boebert or as brilliant and slippery as McConnell.
Thanks, nail on the head. And led by a Facist Plan weakening our ability... couldn’t do it one way so here’s your sign.....
Whether we can ‘hold out’ until 11/24, and by what means...is a question for all Dems and for many Republicans who see what they DO want ‘ their party’ (loosely phrased ) won’t listen to.
🗣️Hey you folks ..they.don’t.care.
I just joined Zack Shrewbury’s PAC, he is running for Senate , a Democrat, for WV! 🙌🙌🙌
Doing what I can plus voting💙 I don’t feel hopeless but this is going to be far more an issue than I understand , I believe.
Thanks Heather, we hear you🫶☮️
💙💙VOTE ALL THE COMPLICIT OUT💙💙
And bring your own buckets of water if they unfunded the water pumps.
Or worse-firemen. Want to defund police so firemen could soon follow. hmmmm
Much to be said for ‘gravity feeds’ much akin to grassroots.
Ha! Let's hope.
I wish you well in your efforts in West Virginia. But I sadly think that they will be in vain. Joe Manchin Is the only statewide Democrat to be elected in West Virginia in a long time and and he is really hardly a Democrat.. Trump won west virginia by something like thirty points in 2020 and will probably win again.. the likelihood of any Democrat senator winning in West Virginia this year other than Manchin is horrifically low and it saddens me to think that this is likely going to turn the Senate back to Republican control. This is a bad year for Democrats in the Senate. 20+ seats that are up for election are held by Democrats currently including the seats in Arizona, Montana, Nevada and West Virginia.The odds of picking up enough seats to hold the senate is very low and while we obviously need to try, we shouldn't be stunned if it doesn't happen.
Statewide Virginia turned all blue
Yes, but that took a LONG time and Virginia is NOT West Virginia. West Virginia went for Trump in 2020 (the year he LOST) by almost 39%.
Virginia went for Biden 54% to 44% while W Virginia went for Trump 68% to 30%. Virginia and West Virginia are virtually not at all alike other than the name Virginia. The thought that a Democratic Senate candidate can win in WV is so unlikely (other than Manchin) that I wouldn't even donate money there, sigh.
I hate to be a realist but that is what I am. :(
Thank you Jon. It’s a long run game, and your points are valid plus real. I hope there’s a good surprise for both of us.
I have learned for a long time (since 1960, the first Presidential election I really remember when I was 9) that you have to be brutally realistic about our political system. There are VERY few surprises. To be honest, the most extreme surprise in my adult lifetime was the narrow "victory" achieved by Donald Trump in 2016. Even moreso than Bush's election by a hanging chad in Florida in 2000. But if you look at the state-by-state results, it becomes much easier to see (at least in retrospect) and of course makes it easier to see Biden's victory in 2020. Although I am virtually 100% certain that Trump will win in W Virginia in 2024, I think his chances nationally (assuming no nefarious conduct by either election officials or the political parties) are still much worse than even in 2020. Biden, as weak a candidate as I think he is, will squeak out another relatively narrow decision, and Trump will squawk about it as he did in 2020. However, in the Senate, I think there is virtually no way for the Democrats to carry a majority in 2024... that will have to wait this time until 2026 when the electoral map is once again in their favor (with 20 seats up for the GOP vs 13 for Dems). Fortunately the demographics at the individual level continue to grow in the Democrats' favor with each succeeding year as the older population dies off and the younger population (which is much more significantly Democratic) grows larger and as long as the MAGAts remain in control of the GOP I expect that trend will continue well into the future.
I think all is not lost in the United States, but it will take time (as change inevitably does, something I learned a while ago as I was growing up LOL). The biggest obstacle (at least IMHO) is the possibility of the entire government falling into autocratic hands who then exert unprecedented control that causes even the best of trends to break down. I.e., in short it means that the biggest challenge we have in front of us is making sure Trump does NOT win in 2024. THAT, as I see it, is the single biggest challenge we face today.
What kind of low-life supports cutting food access to people in need? The majority who benefit from SNAP are children. Literally taking bread from the mouths of babies. What defect in a person's character makes this OK?
The disconnect between words and deeds could not be more profound than that between those who claim to be Christians and their efforts to destroy the social safety net, which I see as the secular fulfillment of the admonitions of Matthew 25:31-46.
Like "The Party" in Orwell, these scammers pretty much label everything the exact opposite of what it is, no? The helpers are (insert epithet here), while patently self-serving liars are our nation's salvation. It seems to be a con as old as human history, but some in every society and every generation perpetrate and fall for it.
Yup.
MisTBlu. Don't want to wait for judgement day. Want the goats gone NOW,
🫶
A right wing "Christian".
I refer to those people as Revelationists [sic]. They go from the vengeance of the Old Testament, cherry pick quotes from the New that support their hard-right political values and await the Rapture so they can gloat while the rest of us suffer through the Apocalypse. They wouldn't know a Beatitude if it slapped them upside the head.
When I was much younger I spoke to a right wing preacher whose sermon on eye-for-eye vengeance (he was advocating it) I had just heard. I cited the "new covenant" of Jesus. His reply was that the Bible is the "word of God" and therefore every word of it is true. Therefore "eye fir an eye" is questionably the true word of God, and since "God cannot contradict himself" it is the true word of God. It's from memory, but I think that's a pretty fair representation (in my memory, word for word) of what he said.
Those two words should not in the same sentence.
The same ones who want children to be born
Also racist and misogynist: I continue to believe that racism and misogyny, along with dark money from the plutocrats' lobby, are at the root of it all.
All three are forms of malignant narcissism, the sociopathic pretense and/or delusion of "supremacy" lacking both compassion and conscience.
Over the years I've noticed that white people are often reluctant to identify racism as racism, and men are often reluctant to identify misogyny as misogyny. So I think it's good to be specific. Also, since both racism and misogyny are group-related ailments, I'm not sure that "narcissism" or "sociopathy" apply.
I have some awareness that racism and sexism is more pervasive and more subtle that I am in a position to be aware of, and that is this a problem, but I am not saying the either of these traits are any less real or consequential for being seen as delusions of superiority. Sociopathy is when one has no regard for the welfare of others, may even get a thrill from hurting others, racism and sexism are probably its most common and impactful form. I see it as an individual trait, but it can also be cultivated in societies, and has been with monstrous consequences.
As it has been since the 1930s.They haven't given up. They just can spend more and the T-Rump is their new face.
Well, in following Heather, we are reminded that back then it was the Southern Slaveholding oligharchy. The international corporatists came later as the Industrial Age took off. You name it, it has been going on since before the Romans wrote the Bible to scare the outlying masses into submission.
For their equivalent of chump change one can purchase all the deplorables you can 'use.'
Exactly. For every “I Object” from Tuberville, cash pours in. Every time MTG goes on a vicious rant, cash pours in. This is the end game, NOT governing. I want to know who they’re really working for, the Koch’s, Leo Leonard, Russian oligarchs? They all seem to be pro-Putin. So is Trump.
Yes. Yes. And YES!
As evidenced by their refusal to fund SNAP, a refusal that hurts many Americans far beyond recipients of SNAP because it's part of the far larger Farm Bill.
I thought Christians were instructed to love their God, feed and clothe the poor, comfort the sick and all that they did in aid of their bethren was as though they did it for Him.
A subset of Christianity for selfish know-it-alls who think they are superior to everyone else. Very easy to join—throw away your thinking cap and your softheart.
CINOs?
I agree with your basic point about the right-wing extremists who are sabotaging democracy and doing everything they can to shackle the federal government from serving the people.
But are they stupid? They keep making progress in achieving their goals. And let's face it: this same behavior is evident in many states.
There is certainly shameless cunning behind this, plus a lot of manipulation by controlling information, what is said and what is not; the tyrannosaur in the room. Nixon was corrupt, but the former "Republican" Party closed ranks and directly conspired to undermine democracy with Reagan.
They say....they say they’re doing well? I say we’re doing far better..far more quietly but steady.
Keep your eyes on the ball !
Push to pick up more seats ...the trends are increasingly favorable.
We. Can. Change. This. Script....we need to see our numbers in that which will take the votes to 1) strengthen the rules needing shored up 2) eliminate the money temptations (electorate out!) , 3) pass and codify safety laws/mechanisms from individual ability to bottleneck ...to majority rules.
I DO believe there is sufficient strategy tactics to timely intervene and implement. WE have a HUGE backing of good minds who watch and advise.
Let’s not forget KARMA😉
Hold steady,Mates
From my experience as a mental health therapist, there are some people that no matter what tools you use to help them change their harmful behaviors, they first have to hit rock bottom. So perhaps these extremists' poor thought-challenged constituents who keep voting for them need to experience what will happen to them if the government shuts down. But then again, did the government employees who found themselves in food bank lines during the trump shutdown learn anything? The sorry part is that we will have to suffer with them....
Perhaps better described as irresponsible, cruel, sadistic, hateful, greedy and yes, stupid. Very, very stupid.
And, evil.
Spot on, Tina. The mission these people have is nothing else than to destroy democracy: their wealthy donors are paying them to do just that, all in line with Putin’s plans. I’m certain of it: as soon as the US falls, Putin starts his invasion of Poland. And the Republicans won’t give a sh*t when that happens: they’re in it just for the money.
I'm sorry Tina. but careless and inhumane is what you get from those carrying out orders from Vladimir Putrid.
Tina, bless you.
Bingo, Tina. Thank you.
Republicans have more in common with Yegeny Prigozin and Vladimir Putin than they do with regular Americans. Republicans are only responsible to their donors, NOT their constituents. How else do you explain how a mediocre wrestling coach from Ohio has a net worth of 30 million after gaining office? Of course they aren’t there to govern. They are their to get paid! Their job is to take the money and let the government burn while their people burn with it.
We need to be rid of this turbulent party. I hope that we last until 11/2024
The Republican Party is on the Road to Extinction ... Patience is required, but as you point out, can a Majority of the House get to Vote on the CR before the Country runs off the rails and into the sea?
Yup. But the danger is they take us all over that cliff with them.
Absolutely, so we need to intervene.
I m changing my mind. As long as people exist without checks on their power, these forces will always plague us. Corruption and self service of the powerful at the expense of the less powerful is NEVER going extinct. Otherwise it just comes back. That’s the lesson of human history.
Power tends to corrupt, thus checks on power are essential. Centralized power corrupts absolutely, so we theoretically divide authority into equal shares (the vote) and grant necessary governmental powers with accountability. There will always be cheaters, so we have the duty of keeping them honest, whether on our "side" or otherwise.
The Party is very much on the Road to Extinction. The killer question is how many innocents they will take down with them? In the worst case, our whole species is the "collateral damage". That is not outside of the realm of possibility unless we play our cards right. I am optimistic, but cautiously so.
The 8 in the House, plus how many in the Senate ( ? + Braun the Chicken), are not so Dumb, just so self-cock-assured of themselves, that I am expect National Heroics will be necessary to avoid their "collateral damage" ... if we can.
The Jan Sixers seemed confident enough of their own righteousness invulnerability that they took selfies for the prosecution.
@ Patty Rickard...From the first play about a stochastic terrorist!
If there are any compromises, the dems will be the one to do it just to keep the government running. Republicans love to take time off at the most inappropriate times. Didn't they take 2 weeks vacation when the debt ceiling needed to be worked on?
They are very similar to the Russians. They like Putin and Orban ( ruler of Hungary not Turkey like trump said. They like censoring things (books newspapers, schools). Dissents
and protests are punished (better watch out on that a lot of people have disappeared or are in jail), personal freedoms are limited AND you can't believe them. They do not adhere to agreements.
It will end as Hakeem Jefferies said, or it will not end.
I see this more as a five bell opportunity than a five alarm fire. Really - is this tiny minority playing from a strong hand? Do they have public sport? Have they given themselves room for flexibility going forward? Is there a part of the Bible that speaks to continuing resolutions?
A small group in a large body can have compelling ideas and evangelize brilliantly. They won’t be small long. That is not the situation. This is a group just begging to get their asses handed to them on a plate. (Metaphorically “begging” - they are too dumb to recognize that God isn’t at their back, if indeed there is a God who watches censoriously over the US Congress).
It could be ugly. I grant that. People could get hurt financially (although if this could cut back on dangerous absurdity that Black Friday has become, it might not be all bad).
Eight losses over Dobbs have not taught the MAGA crowd that one governs at the pleasure of the people. They will soon find out. In the meantime, let’s not give them the pleasure of enjoying the big dust storm they feel they have kicked up. Their day is coming and it won’t be pretty for them.
And where is Mike Johnson and why did he adjourn the House as a federal government shutdown looms? At a conference in Paris of far-right politicians. Of course.
https://newrepublic.com/post/176851/mike-johnson-sends-house-home-early-far-right-conference-paris
I do hope Heather comments on this Paris junket at such an inopportune time. More people need to know.
Yes, just what are our Congress-critters up to? There is method in the madness, and it's not a pretty sight.
Why did Michael Johnson adjourn the House for the weekend? He may be planning to burn down the Reichstag.
🤬🤬🤬
I thought he had no (reportable) financial assets?
Is there anyone on this thread who doesn’t believe that the ‘non-running’ Joe Manchin will suddenly show up running for ‘president’ on the ‘No Labels’ ticket? He is perfect, with his ‘liberal’ bona fides (Oh, qwitcher giggling!) as a ‘Democrat.’ If you listened to him ‘bowing out of the senate race’ he stuck in a non-sequitur about how he doesn’t like Trump. He’ll pull votes from Biden. I’d love to keep an eye on his bank account!!
Main additional danger at this time: a third party.
Who finances Manchin and to what end?
No Labels is funded by some democrats, but mostly Republicans. It's dark money. They want to bring the country together but play by the old rules. There is no transparency. Manchin knows West Virginia won't elect a Democrat. At a time when we need to be a united front he bales for the $$ greener pastures.
What Democrats are funding No Labels? No Labels is a dark money PAC funded by the likes of Harlan Crow to defeat not only Democrats but Democracy as well. This group is a fascist trojan horse. They are dangerous.
Do not be fooled by this group's bs.
www.motherjones.com/no labels exposed
Here’s the full link https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/06/no-labels-exposed-heres-a-list-of-donors-funding-its-effort-to-disrupt-the-2024-race/
Thank you. I'm a techtard. I was trying to paste it and wouldn't work. I'm sure it's me.
The link won't open the article. Bring the Country together?! These are fascists! Their rhetoric is empty platitudes. Where is their policy?
There plan is to have a kumbaya moment. Then dismantle everything Biden did for Americans.
Yes it does open the article. You just have to click thru a couple ads!!
From the above:
So far, No Labels has gotten onto the ballot in four states: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, and Oregon.
Aaackkk!
There goals are to be in every state.
Hmm…
Some of their dreck started appearing on my feed on Facebook and that was some time ago. I recognized immediately that it was BS.
I love your word "dreck"! Think I will borrow it!
I use it often instead of something like BS. I have used it for years and can't remember where I first saw it. But feel free to borrow....it has a nice dismissive sound.
Former Democrat Joe Lieberman, whose ego matches Manchin's is part of No Labels. Former Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Iowa) is leading a group, Citizens to Save Our Republic, to push back against No Labels.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4103217-gephardt-no-labels-effort-would-probably-elect-donald-trump-in-race-against-biden/
Link to Gephardt's group:
https://www.forourrepublic.us/#:~:text=JOIN%20THE%20CAMPAIGN%20TO%20SAVE%20THE%20REPUBLIC&text=We%20are%20concerned%20American%20citizens,Greed%20and%20ego%20be%20damned.
Any dark money is typically from? The oil industry and oil oligarchs.
Zack Shrewsbury is an ex Marine, running for WV Senate. He’s a newcomer, I sense a ‘good guy’ , and will need a lot of advertisement. I’m onboard.
He's a great guy, but he is running in a virtually 100% solid GOP state where the ONLY exception in 20 years has been Manchin and once he is gone, there is almost no chance that the state will elect a Democrat for Senate.
No Labels did not suddenly appear this year. They have been around for several years by backing Congressional members with a history of crossing the aisle to work with members of the other party (Democrat or Republican) to fashion compromise. They have worked to prevent such people from being taken out in a primary by the far right or far left extremes.
No Labels has not even committed to entering a candidates (although they are making all the noises that they will) let alone who they would be. What if they put up Charlie Baker (former Gov of Massachusetts), Larry Hogan, or even Lynn Cheney as the presidential candidate and Manchin as VP. Would you still feel the same?
Third party and their candidates are cop outs. 3rd parties would rather keep the delusional blinders on, rather than acknowledge the hard truths and real challenges this democracy faces. Don’t fall for that nonsense. Choose an issue, or better several, learn the facts and work like hell to make this the country you want, and know in heart what it could be.
I said "main danger AT THIS TIME".
A third party is a mortal danger at this time -- a divisive device much used by Putin who learned its usefulness in Communist East Germany.
A time may come when the present GOP will have completed its work of self-destruction. Then, a third party could become useful, a dynamic force of opposition, an alternative, keeping the Democratic Party clean, alive and on its toes, kicking it out when necessary.
Any one-party State would be a corrupt rust-pile disaster. Consider the Communist parties of the Soviet empire, Putin's pseudo-party One Russia, Orban's criminal enterprise Fidesz, Iran, Mexico and the long history of its comically named Institutional Revolutionary Party...
That’s quite a sufficient and succinct synopsis, Peter.
I would. They are Republicans. Republicans have shown that they do not believe in one person, one vote, majority rule. I first noticed this in the Bush v. Gore election of 2000. It’s still perfectly clear to me, even more so.
There will never be any way to prove how and what difference it would have made if Gore had been made president, but many clues suggest to me it would have been significantly different in some good ways. I never thought I'd see a president worse than Nixon in my lifetime, but Reagan, Bush II and Trump took the cake. They all, however, shared the same party designation.
But... would you trust anyone who's willing to get into harness with this man?
Are u asking as an oil oligarch or a regular citizen? Joe Manchin is for sale to the highest bidder, until the next highest bid comes along.
Ah yes, a five-star bought-and-soldier...
Absolutely this would be a potential disaster. If they can pull away even a few states' electoral votes from Democrats (more likely than from GOP), then no one will get 270 electoral votes and the Pres/VP votes will end up in the House/Senate (respectively). In the House, each state gets ONE vote for President and there are 26 states now with GOP majorities in the House, and only 22 states with Democratic majorities, plus two states (Minnesota and North Carolina) evenly divided. There is virtually no chance for a Democrat to win the presidency in a vote in the House by state. In the Senate, the vote is by each Senator, and if the Senate is controlled by the GOP after the 2024 election as I predict it will, then the VP will be a GOP VP as well.
We need to make sure that the Democrats WIN the Presidential election in the states, NOT in the Congress.
Manchin no more "knows" WV will not elect a Democrat than I do.
Don’t forget the fake degree from WVU. She did not complete the required courses and the university printed her a pass. That was a little bit of a scandal in these parts. The university has since corrected its grift, but that was dug up around the same time of the epi pen incident. Manchin is blamed for a lot of unpleasant shenanigans in WV. Especially in the southern part of the state. I travel through WV often on my way to NC. I’ve talk with so many West Virginians who want democratic reform. Those people have practically no state programs or protections. He’s a grifter who’s grown wealthy on the backs of his constituents.
That makes me sick! As soon as I learned about "No Labels" I figured he would run for President.
Karen, thank you for these additional details. I had forgotten about his daughter and didn't know she got a fake degree from WVU. And I am glad to know that some there want democratic reform.
I hear you, but if you believe West Virginia's in general want democratic leadership, why did they vote for Trump by almost 30% in 2020?
I Think you May be misreading the tea leaves here.
Perhaps I am, and you’re probably right. However, the Dobbs decision has many Republicans voting for abortion rights and for that, you vote blue. That’s what the 2024 election is shaping up up to be about no matter how much denial the GOP is in.
I remember reading that. That was disgusting.
Who finances Manchin?
Not just the coal industry.
From opensecrets.org
Federal Congressional Candidacy
67.61% comes from Large Individual Contributions
Campaign Committee Fundraising, 2019 - 2024
Industry
Total Individuals PACs
Securities & Investment
$1,282,553 $1,270,053 $12,500
Real Estate
$819,345 $816,345 $3,000
Retired
$779,228 $779,228 $0
Oil & Gas
$676,985 $628,985 $48,000
Lawyers/Law Firms
$361,116 $348,116 $13,000
That's telling.
It suggests he wants a boost now.
What follows should clarify the paymasters' purpose and confirm Manchin's personal motivation.
It does look like a game, profiting both ego and pocket, of opportunistic political parasitism.
And there is no better example of a government parasite than Joe Manchin.
With the wealthy, it's never enough; they always need 'just a little bit more'.
They are essentially hoarders.
Why?
It's guaranteed dissatisfaction.
Go back to that marvelous folk tale, The Fisherman and His Wife.
Wife is never satisfied for long when she's gotten what she wants, keeps wishing for -- and getting -- more, more, MORE... M O R E !!!!!
Until she wants (like America's 45th President) to be God.
And ends up with her wretched husband back in the ditch they crawled out of at the outset...
Isn't it time when the citizenry ought to wake up to recognize that the continuance of the duopoly is the continuance of never getting what it expresses it wants from the government.? (Gun control, Universal Health Care, tuition free college/university, etc) Time to recompose the structure of the federal democratic republic to make it fairer. As noted elsewhere here, Tuberville's destructive clownish mentality reveals just how anachronistic the institution of the Senate is. How unfair and unrepresentative it is. Where one Tuberville equals 8 Californian's in political weight. And given the self-serving and also unrepresentative and undemocratic Democratic Establishment that "gives" the citizenry the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, having a truly 3rd party candidate to consider would be a boon. The other problem of the adolescent Republicans is their constituents loving the power they flaunt. The duopoly - called the Business Party with two flanks - are proving their destructive sterility to us, their employers.
Duopoly? So pre2016.
So purity test, pipe dreams, and Pied Pipers. So splitting the opposition vote to put Republicans in power.
The time is so over for false equivalencies between the GOP and the Democratic Party. By now - in all three branches of government - it is clear that the differences between the two parties are more significant than the similarities.
The right united to re-form the GOP in its own image. There is a lesson here.
Thanks Lin. The yammering about mistakes of the past, ignoring the steps forward in the present, recalls the votes for Harambe, the tragic gorilla. Getting dark money out of politics certainly won’t be the goal for Crow’s No Labels, or Joe Manchin.
"the yammering about mistakes of the past..." Eh, yea, forget about history...history is dead anyway..why bother with it..." it's the future stupid!!! Really?! Interesting. I wonder if that creates or at least increases the chances of major "blunders"that wind up killing millions of people?
So you’re a duopoly purist then? You have pipe dreams in Pied Pipers like the Clintons, and Obama?
Nothing is more significant about the two parties than their lockstep donor fealty to monied interests, corporate or otherwise. It dwarfs everything else.
Speaking of 2016, we could have had a clear choice between democratic socialism and fascism, and seen what vision most Americans preferred, but the Democratic Party establishment said nope, don’t mess with our neoliberalism. And so, onward toward authoritarianism.
That’s the real lesson. The Democrats can’t even unite to protect one of their own from an absurd censure vote, they bend over to the MIC for an absurd defense budget and endless war/genocide, and support absurd, outdated repressive economic ‘fixes’ (interest rate hikes) to deal with a working class being hammered by the price of food and medicine.
I’m not saying the GOP is not what Heather describes. What I am saying is dissing third parties, or third party voters, just shows how tribally ignorant are those who cast blame everywhere but where it belongs when answering the question:
‘Why do Democrats have such a bad habit of losing easily winnable elections against GOP Christian fascists, corporate whores, and vacuous media celebrities?’
To paraphrase Andy’s note to the warden in Shawshank, the answer lies in the mirror.
Apparently, you see the historical trend as the Democratic Party remaining faithful to the concerns of the people instead of steadily moving rightward over the past 40 years. Really? Where have you been? Sleeping? Not yet born? Clinton eviscerated support for the poor and freed Wall Street and banks from any shred of decency (regulation) they once had. Then, of course, there is Citizen's United. Not to mention what happened subsequent to the distribution of the Powell Memorandum.And Obama's patting Wall street on its head after the 2008 debacle saying there there nothing's going to change for you. And, lo and behold, Private Equity shoots out of the canon to chew up and spit out everything it touches.
Selina Sweet, you are quite right to dream of a better world --- that's to conceive such a world in your mind. But it cannot be born unless dreamers first wake up and take stock of the world as it is here and now... in desperate need of betterment.
For now, the best is the enemy of the good.
The enemy!
Exactly!
I dearly want to get money out of politics and go to entirely ranked choice voting for all elections (or something else as sensible), but wanting it and being able to get it now are vastly different. Right here, right now, we are fighting just to keep from being turned into a dystopian nightmare that we would have an even worse time of coming back from, if we even had a chance at all.
The fact that ONE senator can hold up military promotions as Tuberville is doing or stop appointments of ambassadors as Rand Paul is doing is STUPID. That one single person, according to Senate rules, can hold up necessary appointments is another reason the rules of the need to be reformed. A minority of ONE is endangering our military and our country. We are living in an unbelievable, unbalanced world.
What if eight Californians walked into his office and just glared at him in silence until he caved in...
He won’t cave. He’s proud of being a destroyer of the military. It sets up an authoritarian government. He’s a stooge for Putin, like most Republicans are now.
The oil,gas,coal lobby of course.
Harlan Crow, et al.
Joan, I think the only true question is, did the GOP pay him in large or small bills ?
Joe Manchin is 76 yrs old. Too old? Does he have national appeal? Name recognition? A platform? I don't think he can win and I don't think he wants to lose and he can't vote with the Democratics without making it complicated because his state isn't Democratic, which is just ironic in itself. If he isn't just done, what does he want? A seat in the cabinet? He certainly can't think he could do better than Biden with the world on fire.
The voters the Manchin campaign are targeting are voters who voted for Biden in 2020 because they refused to vote for Trump. They are what’s left of the centrist Republicans and the Never-Trumpers. They voted for Jill Stein or the other guy in 2016. (Edit) He’s not running to win; he’s running to spoil. He already knows that going into it. He’s running because he is getting paid to run.
Democrats must coalesce around Joe and nobody else. We also must win the House to keep any sense of democracy intact.
I think it is crazy not to WANT to vote for Joe Biden. He may not be doing a perfect job but he is doing a great job. I don't think a third party spoiler candidate is what Joe Manchin wants to be. I'm basing that on my belief that he and Joe Biden work together better than the press leads us to believe. If you read "The Last Politician" people just might be a little less worried. Manchin aside, that book is really worth reading.
The disinformation campaign against Joe Biden is targeting the youngest voters with stories like ‘If we get involved w Ukraine, it will turn out another terrorist group, like Afghanistan or Iran.’
There are other stories that point out Biden’s flaws. They point to successful governors, like Whitmer or Newsom and ask, “Why not them?”
I like Whitmer. (Newsom less, CA resident me.). But NOT NOW. Definitely NOT NOW.
Whitmer/ Shapiro (PA Gov) in that order for 2028.
You talk as though Manchin has announced he's running. As far as I know he hasn't.
You wanna bet he won’t?
Manchin has shown how little he values the common man (as Henry Wallace would say.). So, no bet.
I think when he starts to consider the scrutiny his record, business dealings, finances, and West Virginia will receive he will decide not to run, walk away with his delusions intact and settle for a talking head job.
Manchin is and continues to be a danger to our country.
One thing to note is that Manchin is 76. If the goal is to find a candidate more acceptable to Independents, along with centrists from both parties, pretty certain Manchin’s age and willingness to burn the climate to shreds will not be MORE acceptable to most Gen Z and Millennial voters. Are they really that blind? (Rhetorical question, folks, since we all know the results of blind ambition...)
He likes living on his yacht in DC. Anything to keep him out of WV where he has been part of the destruction caused by coal mining.
Now THERE's a yacht that the orcas need to find, tout de suite!!
His bank account is already far more than adequate.
Mike Johnson doesn’t even have one. Makes it hard to see where HIS money comes from.
In my mind's eye I see clearly where MAGA Mike's moolah comes from.
Which begs the question, "How does he pay his bills?" I don't see him taking a paycheck to the post office for money orders.
Sadly, whatever he does, or doesn't do, Dems are highly likely to lose that West Virginia Senate seat. We have to pick up at least 1 new one.
Why is everyone so quick to give up on WV?
Because rather than being "dreamers" we are "realists". Seriously, WV went for TRUMP in 2020 (the year he LOST the Presidential election, remember?) by THIRTY NINE percent! Joe Manchin won his Senate seat in WV by about 5 percent. That is a FOURTY-FOUR percent swing. Manchin is a unicorn, a candidate who goes against the tide and wins because he has some kind of universal appeal that defies the general trends. He is the only WV candidate to have made that happen in the past 20 years.
There is virtually no chance that Biden can win WV nor is there virtually any chance that another Democrat (other than Manchin, or maybe Jesus Christ) can win the Senate seat in WV. I would willingly put up $1000 to win $100 that no Democrat except Manchin could win the Senate seat in WV in 2024. That is 10:1 against and I am confident enough about that... far more confident than I am about who will win the Presidential election overall.
He had basically said as much in his resignation speech. Man, that Harland Crowe money must be good! I hear he gave Jill Stein $1000 bucks 😂
He would never win reelection. Gov. Jim Justice will be the GOP nominee for that seat.
Jim looks like an alcoholic waiting to have a heart attack. West Virginia ranks in the bottom of everything. Manchin says he did a great job for WV? If the air and water don't kill you first. They have the worst opioid crisis in the country.
Kind of given as said wants to travel the uS. To see how people feel about a party in the middle. But this is not middle funded by gop donors to make sure the orange one gets back in power.
Of course this ever-devious snake will run.
And it's not accident that Jill Stein announced another run for president yesterday.
Hydro cabin oligarchs can always buy exactly what they want. If you can convince 1/2 the population global warming isn’t real, it’s not to hard to convince them that Joe Manchin is good for the country.
There is no way Manchin will EVER get the vote of anyone who saw him and Sinema give the go-ahead for voting rights to continue to be eroded, unimpeded, from red state to state. And that was just one example of the irresponsibility of the man.
Joan, on the news last night, he was described a moderate or centrist and we both said something to the TV. He is neither, but just another dope who stands in the way of getting things done for ordinary people. I see him and I want to throw up.
The media continue to focus on how much everybody hates Joe Biden instead of doing in depth articles about this. My contempt for them grows daily.
Kathleen, i heard a commentator on a TV talk show (sorry, I forgot his name) say,
"i'd rather have an old man who needs another nap, than an old man who needs another lawyer." The media keeps focusing on Biden's age and disregards his accomplishments.
Yes, he's old. Trump is old too. In his " old age", Biden has tried to do those things that will benefit ALL Americans. In his "old age," Trump has tried to do nothing but those things which will benefit HIM.
it just amazes me that so many people don't understand that.
It's scary how media's goal is to destroy a Democratic administration. If it weren't Biden it would be another Democratic President. They did it to Obama too, and Clinton. I believe media's hatred of Biden is so visceral is 1) he served under Black President 2) he selected Black woman as his running mate 3) he has the support of many voters in the Black community. I think I see a pattern here.
I agree. Racist and sexist people are so afraid of, and feel threatened by intelligent black people, and intelligent women, black or white.
I just never realized the numbers of Americans who feel this way.
They came out of the woodwork at Trump's bidding.
I also detected it during the Obama administration also. It was inside voice back then but that's a good point about how Trump triggered people to let their fascist flags fly. He also emboldened the media to do the same and get more outside voice.
Please. The media’s job is to provide ad revenue to increase bottom-line profit for its corporate owners. Period.
Horse-race political coverage; who’s up, who’s down, who sucks more/less, it’s like crack for the political ‘spectators’, and the money keeps rolling in.
Nice assessment, Tom.
I can appreciate that. But they're losing subscribers and viewers. I think they want fascism.
If their profit margins are better with fascism, you betcha. Why do you think far too many CEOs, from Bloomberg to Wall Street banksters to Big Tech and media moguls, when asked who they would vote for if Bernie won the Dem nomination in ‘16 and faced Trump, said Trump? Capital is not interested in democracy; it threatens shareholder value.
I fail to see how this is surprising to anyone. Media "moguls" are capitalists. Bernie Sanders is NOT a capitalist in any real sense of the word. He is a (good) communist and that threatens the capitalists of the media (who of course are the owners, just as in virtually every large business sector in the United States, except maybe for Ben and Jerry's... oh yeah, today, even Ben and Jerry's :-) ). Bernie would be a real threat to the current form of capitalism in this country and that would scare all the moguls, but the likelihood of Bernie ever winning such an election REGARDLESS of the media moguls is less than 10% (maybe less than ONE percent). We are NOT yet a communist country or even a "democratic socialist" country (a euphemism for a communist country of course) and as much as such an event would thrill ME, it isn't going to win an election at least not in my lifetime.
Definitely.
Even PBS last night gave as much time to Trump's campaign so as they did to the debate. That shouldn't happen.
Why not? He is leading the GOP race. They would be faulted (rightly so I think) for IGNORING his campaign simply because he refuses to debate. Biden won't debate anyone either, but that shouldn't mean the media should ignore him and focus on, say, Robert Kennedy (ugh).
When the patent medicine barker spiels his spiels, his dishonesty isn't mitigated because someone else paid for the wagon. MSM spiels for corporate interests, we all know that. That shouldn't stop people from remembering Edward Murrow.
You’re, like me, old, if you reference Murrow. We might know that, but millions don’t, hence, plenty of viewers for cable ‘news’. Most people today would say, ‘Murrow… who dat?’
Of course LOL.... if they were a little younger than us, they might say "Vic Murrow (sic)? You mean from Combat?"
Yeah, admittedly probable.
Kathleen, they are doing a bang up job of destroying it.
It's almost as if they have gleefully embraced their role as fascist enablers!
Kathleen, I couldn't agree more.
The media are also trying to be sure the Dems take nothing for granted. They are scared of dark money too and make certain (or at least the best of them make certain) that we are too.
You are really misreading history here. "...media's goal is to destroy a Democratic administration..."? Really? The media is doing here what it is mostly supposed to do which is to report on what the public thinks. At least 35% of the public (the Maga part) bellieves Biden is a child-molesting pedophile and hate him viscerally. And if you watch Biden, you realize that he IS old, and he IS just barely keeping it together (I watched his teleconference after his meetings with Chinese leader XI and it was grossly embarassing).
I am a FIRM supporter of MOST of Biden's policies (not all, I am still not sure about his support of Israel, and yes, I am a Jewish atheist who doesn't like Netanyahu at all). I think he was the right President at the right time in 2020. I actually believe he will beat Trump in 2024 assuming nothing changes, but not because Biden is all that strong but because Trump is just that much weaker. BOTH parties are committing electoral suicide right now and I think (hope) that if the Democrats jump first to a better candidate, they will be more certain of victory.
You are being highly dogmatic to say that the analysis of Biden is because of media hatred. Just watch his performance on TV tonight. He is OLD (I wish I caould say that in larger capitals/typeface). He is barely hanging on. I still like him, but I do not love him as a Presidential candidate for his 80th-84th years on earth (he is already the oldest person to ever hold the office of President).
So please, don't attack the media for doing something that just obviously looks right. Not attacking Biden, but holding him up to the light to see his flaws (which are extensive, if not as bad as Trump's).
And I do not for a minute agree with your three "bullet" points about why the media "hates" him. First I don't believe they hate him and I seriously don't believe they hate him because he served under a black President. Sure, a few media people (Fox people) might, but by and large, the media is doing what it is supposed to do and for the most part, holding the light to Biden just reveals how weak he will be.
If the vote comes down to Trump and Biden, I will hold my nose and vote for Biden and hope that he survives. I think the daggers that would come out from the right wing if Harris becomes President will actually insure a GOP candidate wins the Presidency in 2028 (but fortunately, it won't be Trump). My preference would be for a better candidate for president to emerge THIS year so that a Democratic win in 2024 might lead to EIGHT years of good solid leadership by Cory Booker or Whitson or one of several others who would be a whole lot better as President than Biden.
I saw something on the former bird site (forgive me if I already said this in a different post) "NO, he's NOT too old to do the job! He's DOING the job!!".
And I'm paraphrasing.
Karen, True!!
I hear you. The Washington Post has its Biden bashing stories daily. The media is fucking this up. Again!!
I just canceled WP, ENOUGH!
I did the same
I did and NYT too. Neither are strongly enough reporting in clear harsh terms what the Republicans and Trump are doing
Largely agree, though in the WP's defense, Greg Sargent's column is often worth reading.
I look for Jennifer Rubin
Ditto and the NYT as well
It's deliberate. I will not renew my subscription to WaPo.
I canceled 2 years ago, and I’m considering canceling my NYT subscription.
I cancelled NYT 2 weeks ago! I am done. Substack writers and some other media are awesome!
I got NYT for like a dollar a week because I wanted to read an article but need to cancel that now.
Me too!
I share your anger. Newspapers should be "muckrakers" full of investigative journalism. But the headlines are designed for eyeball harvesting - click bait. Every Biden age bashing story is shameful and ignores the obvious dementia and psychopathy of Trump.
That being said, at least if we get past the cosmetic headlines, there is sometimes a breaking story that means something. As opposed to network TV.
I am a lot more disgusted with ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN than the old print media. Talk about utter nonsense. But, plenty of blame to go around, eh?
signed, a Cord Cutter (have not seen a TV ad in years)
If you watched Biden on TV tonight (the post-Xi press conference) you might be feeling a little less confident. Biden was atrocious. That comes from someone like me, a 72-year old long-time far left winger, who is an absolute Trump antagonist, and pro-D to the end. But it is REALLY REALLY difficult to just blatantly ignore the obvious. Biden is barely in touch with his communication command "central" (i.e., his brain) anymore. His communication abilities (probably one of the most important aspects of a President) are WAY WAY weaker than they were in 2020, and they weren't all that top notch back then in the middle of a pandemic when Biden could mostly hide behind a TV camera. Couple that with his middle-of-the-road pablum on Israel (I am also a Jewish atheist who thinks Netanyahu should be convicted and jailed as soon as possible) and I sadly think Biden has gone past his "expiration date".
Psychopathy is NOT as obvious on camera as senile-ism and so Trump doesn't look as bad as Biden does in public in front of the cameras. In fact he looks downright solid (if what you want is a vehement angry facist) compared to Biden.
So this makes the 2024 election a real dilemma for me. I would prefer to see someone else instead of Biden, but if Biden is nominated, I will have to support him (because the alternative is so much worse, in fact downright unacceptable) despite my innate sense that it is not good for the country.
I hear you. I get it. But my own concern is not with Biden's judgement or cognition. I personally don't care how he "presents". I know there is decency and proficiency there. BTW, I am a 76 year old agnostic recovering Protestant whose last few wives have been Jewish.The current love of my life (26 years) is Sephardic with a twist of Italian DNA. The food is great.
But I do worry - a lot. About younger people just losing interest in Biden. Aside from the totalitarian presidency that could follow his defeat, the down ticket losses could be devastating if they don't show up for old Joe.
Your point is heard. My anger is that the MSM obsesses with this and fails to balance the conversation with the outrages of the bigot ridden religious radical right. It's lazy journalism.
Same here
Kathleen, it is the Republican, right-wing media that keeps pumping out disinformation about Biden. They spread the word that the economy is really bad while the Wall Street Journal touts how good the present U.S. economy is. And, when those folks only get their (dis)information from conspiracy spreading outlets, they buy into the lies. We have a real problem combatting this stuff.
well, debunking lies always takes more energy (and attention span) than spewing them out there in the first place. AFAICT that's the weakest link - democratic forms entrusted to a not-necessarily-informed (let alone monstrously MISinformed) population.
and is it a coincidence that public education has been under attack from how many angles for ... how long now? it has always needes strengthening, but demagogues and oligarchs and their countless dupes can't abide what widespread critical reasoning would do to their despicable comforts.
You are absolutely right. I don't know what the answer is, other than not subscribing or watching.
Which is, of course, worse. Not subscribing or watching just leads to ignorance and isolation, neither of which is going to help this situation. The BEST thing is to actively put forth alternatives that are better than the current nonsense. Biden should step down and let the D-party find a better (and younger mostly) candidate to run against Trump or whoever else the R-party puts up (DeSantis? LOL).
The House is on fire and the arsonists..... they’re in the House!!
They should be in prison.
The voters should stop voting hateful morons into office
Yes, and they hold the key. We don't.
Zevon
https://youtu.be/BA5JtxRgJN4?si=Qt_OpVz002GM6fUv
Zevon was a class act that couldn't be bought.
Miss him.
Yeah, Me too. His candor was a blessing and sometimes him a curse. He rode The Dark Horse well
"Voters approved that amendment with 57% of the vote in a process established by the state constitution, but the plaintiffs want to stop it from taking effect, claiming that by creating a new right, it disfranchises them and prevents the legislature from making laws. "
Seems to me they are trying to disenfranchise us voters and want to Rule us rather than Represent us.
What is scaring me is that they are now being so open about their fascist authoritarian intentions. They would only be this open if they thought they would win. The only saving grace is that these quotes are perfect sound bites, andmake it so clear that they do not care about what the electorate wants. It is demeaning to the intelligence of voters. Maybe it will start to sink in to enough Republicans that the have to break with the MAGA wing of the party.
Georgia, yes they think they can win but that is a symptom of their intoxication with their power. The recent elections have proved them wrong in most places... so far.
I for one am not at all sure that your conclusions about recent elections are on point. Yes, Democrats have won, but much of that is predictable based on the seats that were up for grabs. For instance, VA state houses both are no Democratic but each only by one vote. That is VERY VERY VERY close. Yes, there has been no clear swing to the fascist right... that is of course good. But at the same time, although there have been quite a few successes, none of the Democratic successes have been huge or overwhelmning, and the gaps have been narrowing. Will this hold in a general Presidential election? I don't know, but I don't think complacency is a great idea at this point either.
Jeff, I think your perspective is correct - they aren't sensible or intelligent, they are hubristic - but on what basis I can't figure. May their hubris be their undoing, because by living in their tiny, delusional but LOUD bubble, they have really no idea how failed their ideas, policies and ethos are.
was there anything vague about Dubya's false dichotomies and "faith-based" flubs? the main reason (AFAICT) the intentions are more noticeable is that there's less and less competent gatekeeping of platforms. extremists have always been talking horribleness; they just hadn't synced up with media saturation until Ailes & Murdoch commodified a generic formula in that direction. and Manufacturing Consent was published before we even had a www...
I think you nailed the essence of their strategy. I shows up in everything they say and so.
They want to rule, not represent. I stole this from you a while back.
I'm just spreading the words of someone else that hit upon the simplest and clear to me expression of what my old party has become.
It reminds me of what I learned from an Anthropologist that joined our Freedom Corner rally one week had made the following sign:
"Who you voted for
is not as important as
What You Stand For"
It inspired me to make business card size copies and use them to politely ask those who expressed disagreement, in civil or uncivil confrontational ways (as well as just interested passers by), what they stand for.
Almost all could express something they stood for, so that was the start of discussions about why they stood for it. I'd say 95% could provide some rationale for their beliefs so we could go on to discuss why we see differences and how much of each others sources make sense in a better balance of views. It is a slow process, but we have had many soften their incivility, expand their views, and even some join us with signs borrowed from us or their own new creations.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, himself was the other half of the inspiration, with his Talk Stoop reply to Cat Greenleaf surprising him with complimenting his "Skyhook" but asking him what he thought his greatest accomplishment was outside of basketball. After some thought (if I recall correctly), he said it was learning "get my point across without offending, or confusing, anyone."
I think Trump started or certainly encouraged a movement of attacking, name calling, shaming, and threatening people who don't agree with him. He doesn't care if he offends or confuses anyone. That's the only way he feels better about himself. He's so insecure about his intellectual shortcomings that he has to
put anyone down who dares question his ideas or motives.
Kareem needs to be applauded for his efforts and Trump should take lessons from him.
All well said except for ignoring the fact that Trump doesn't take lessons from anyone (at least not since Fred died - and those lessons were always at the end of a strop). If Trump had even the smallest inkling of how to learn from someone else, I question whether we would be in this mess in the first place.
I agree!
They have been very vocal about this objective.
Exactly what YouTube's "Beau of the Fifth Column" keeps stating.
Beau of the Fifth Column is very new to me, but spot on in not being blinded by individuals' views of ideological purity vs what balance we can improve in finding out the directions that will gain cooperative support vs alienating people, amplifying and strengthening their rejection of careless attempts to change their minds without listening to what their real concerns are.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to me, set an important example when he replied to Talk Stoop's Cat Greenleaf's surprise final question, "asking him what he thought his greatest accomplishment was outside of basketball. After some thought (if I recall correctly), he said it was learning "get my point across without offending, or confusing, anyone."
I assume he was also great at earning their trust through honest listening, and thoughtful responses to their concerns as a way to open their minds to listening to more views on subjects of mutual interest.
"Seems to me they are trying to disenfranchise us voters and want to Rule us rather than Represent us" - ya think?!? ;)
It's disgraceful.
Democrats should stay and write proposed legislation that is vote-ready--for a CR and anything else that needs to get done.
That would show the Democrats are serious about working on the problems this nation faces, rather than take a long weekend off in a crisis.
It's a strange sort of democracy. America is ruled now not by the will of the many, but the willfulness of the few.
America is not a Democracy. When party's are ruled by money.
People like to think it's a democracy though, or at least pretend it is.
Democracy is defined as "a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives".
Of course, those in power define the term 'eligible members', plus there's no guarantee of how well you are represented.
Of course, you talk to the righties and they say "American is NOT a democracy, it's a republic!". They just don't (or won't) understand that a republic is a FORM of democracy.
They've been so completely brainwashed they are essentially Pavlov's dogs and the bell is ringing constantly! :(
Forgive an ignorant foreigner - but how come one single senator is able to bar military appointments? It makes no sense. To me, it looks like a very bad system, which bad actors are taking advantage of. It begs the question - why is that system in place at all? (Same question about the political appointment of judges, which to me is a pretty shocking aspect of the US constitution.)
You are forgiven . We are not. Major flaw in our system which we apparently cannot or will not fix.
I don’t understand why the Republican senate lead (that man with the turkey neck) doesn’t tell him to cut it out. And then gets together with the reasonable senators to change those rules. I can’t imagine the military are too happy with this situation. Mind you, I don’t understand why the appointments of senior members of your armed forces are being controlled by the Senate at all. Seems like a recipe for politicising the military. It’s not necessary for democratic accountability.
A) Rules for the Senate are passed before the first session of a new Congress starts. Once passed, those rules require a much greater number of votes to change. The current "one Senator can block an appointment" rule has been around quite a while and rarely creates the kind of stir that Tanktown Thomas Tuberville has created with his right-wing run-amok nonsense (and notably by a guy whose major accomplishment have come not on the battlefield but on the football field). For the most part, this kind of obstructionism when it HAS been used has been used by a Senator for HIGHLY selective opposition, usually to a single candidate for a Cabinet or other Executive office. There has been nothing like what Tuberville has done in virtually the entire history of Congress. Hopefully, the Senate will IN THE FUTURE change the current rule to at least limit the number of nominations that a single Senator can block at a time. Instead of permitting unlimited blocks (as is true now) they could say that a single Senator could block only one (or two or even five) nominations at a time without calling for a vote, thereby radically reducing the efficacy of Tuberville's (or any other obstructionist's) campaign. Unfortunately by Senate rule, you can't CHANGE this rule in the middle of a two-year session by a majority vote. You need 2/3 and you won't get that in this Congress so it simply hasn't even been attempted.
B) All senior appointments of the Executive branch are voted on by the Congressional branch. That is part of our "checks and balances" otherwise the Executive would have 100% unreviewed control of the military (not a good thing, IMHO). In fact, the Congressional oversight does EXACTLY what you say you are for, it usually makes sure that the senior appointments of the Executive are not TOTALLY politicized (which they often might be if there was no confirmation by the Congress). Its a balance and the Executive and Congress have to work together to get reasonable appointments in. We have never had a test of the system like this, with a single Congresscritter or Senator holding up a HUGE number of appointments and demanding capitulation. I doubt we will ever see this again as it is virtually certain that the next Congress will change this rule. But for now, it is what it is.
So to answer James Towner, we CAN fix it (or at least Congress can fix it) if they wanted to, but right now, it would be difficult. I tend to like MOST of the Congressional rules as I think they make things just difficult enough to require some thought, but are not so onerous as to be unchangeable. That said, it is never beyond belief that a smart (or stupid) rep can use an obscure rule to hold the entire Congress (and in some sense the country) hostage.
Is it ideal? Hell no. But as someone once said, it may not be perfect, but it is still mostly a better system than all the OTHER lousy systems that are used around the world.
To your first question: it’s a senate rule, and changeable. But there is no leadership in the senate. Same reason the house permits one person to take down the speaker.
This is not true at all. There is absolutely leadership in the Senate. But the rules require that once Congress is in session (after they have passed their "rules package" as they do just before opening a new session of Congress) that rules changes be approved by a supermajority (I believe 2/3) to make it VERY difficult to change rules. With the Senate at 51-49, even majorities are difficult, let alone supermajorities. The current rule that permits a single Senator to block a military promotion (designed to let a Senator stop one or a couple of military promotions where there might be a personal or political animosity) has never been weaponized as Tuberville has done to essentially block ALL promotions. You don't always see the consequences of your rules, and this is one case where no one ever expected anyone to do such a thing (mostly our military nominations are approved automatically in other times). But we are in strange times these days and Tuberville saw his opportunity and seized it. Even Minority leader Mitch McConnell (the dog of the dogs, IMHO) was surprised by Tuberville's action, and many GOP senators are opposed, but they (even with all the Dems) don't have the votes to change the rules now. They will have to wait until the start of the 2025-26 Senate, and hopefully,regardless of which party is in charge at that time by a narrow margin, expect this stupid archaic rule to be changed at least enough to make it impossible for either a D or R Senator to block ALL nominations of a certain type.
The Republicans have created the perfect moment for our enemies. There is no better time for them to strike. Congress is in disarray, the military is weakened, the public is divided. In spite of the Democrats over performance in elections since 2018, there may not be enough time to right the ship. They’re mobilizing as we hand wring.
We cam make it clear who the vandals are.
Note that Russia/Iran/Hamas realized that the iron was hot and struck Isreal just as the true chaos in the Republican House caucus too hold. I doubt that that co-occurrance was coincidental.
This is a continuation of Trump's insurrection. MAGAQ are our domestic terrorists. The world is literally on fire but wait, there is a man in a dress. Stop presses and call a special session. There is a man in a dress!! It's like yelling squirrel! They have no interest in governing. They want to rule. Thank you Citizens United.
All Republicans have become J6 raiders!
The RNC unequivocally endorsed the Jan 6 attempted coup.
Extortion is the GOTPs preferred negotiating technique,
They like it because it makes them feel like tough guys, plus it's cheaper than their #2 technique which is bribery. They gave up on persuasion and horse-trading a long time ago.
well put. even persuasion requires a modicum of care.
Extremists want all people to have babies but refuse to help feed the poor ones. My nephew works for Head Start in Ohio.... he said you can’t imagine how little these kids eat. They are ravenous. The important thing to the republicans is the pain. Make it hurt.
Antipathy toward society’s vulnerable is distinctly not the message of Jesus, who bizarrely has become the poster boy for reckless idea of Christian statehood that would punish women and their doctors and staff for making nuanced and heartfelt healthcare decisions.
the more scripture one shoehorns into one's worldview, the less that "distinctly" obtains.
I really have a hard time understanding that (as a non-theist). Why call yourself a "Christian" if what you want is a return to the 700's.... oh, wait...
No theism necessary to point out that anyone pushing a Christian state (a.k.a. White Christian Nationalism) is indefensible, reprehensible wildly out of step with the simple (and universal) message of love your neighbor, right? To combat it it’s necessary to point that out.
People decide 'what would Jesus do' depending on what their version of Jesus is like, as constructed by them or their religion. Yes, he was a real person, but how to decide what he really meant two thousand years ago can be a challenge. Look at the issues in the US trying to sort what was meant by the Constitution, written in English, only 250 or so years ago.
Good point, Mike. I like to follow "WWJD" but you nailed it. Obviously, my version of God is different than many other's version.
I digress to share a little story: about 30-40 years ago, the Catholic church that I attended had a very old priest. Tiny guy, what little hair he had on his head was as pure white as you could imagine. He was also senile.
In this case, this was not a bad thing! He had undoubtedly recited the mass thousands of times, and he could run through it. (the Scriptures passages are read by lectors--fyi for non-Catholics). It was a large suburban Chicago congregation, probably 5-6 services each weekend, so the duties were spread among the priests there. This guy resided there and said one mass each weekend on a rotating basis.
He gave the same basic sermon every week. He'd get up and tell us all how much God loves us. That God sees how hard we try to be good people, and He forgives us for all the times that we fail. He tells us to just keep trying. Just like we have/had/are earthly parents who give unconditional love, so does God. That yes, people were going astray and so Jesus came to light the way.
I can't possibly tell you how much of a balm that was, to hear that same sermon--to be bathed in LOVE. You could see it in the faces as they left church. I guess I am attracted to the idea of God (in whatever form you believe a higher power to be, I accept them all) to be an energy of love. I can't fathom why people follow any religion where God is angry and punishing.
This is all well and good, but still falls short for me (I am a dedicated atheist, just to be clear). When I lived in southern California, we had neighbors who were absolute committed Church of Christ evangelists. They were the nicest folks you ever met, they often invited us to dinner and fed us wonderfully, their kids and our kids played together, we shared tools and other stuff as we were next-door neighbors. Then one day they invited us to a "party" at their house where it turned out they were holding a meeting of some of their evangelical friends, and they introduced us. Then they started with the preaching, saying they understood that we were good people who had lost our way and needed to come back to "God" and "Jesus". We (my ex and I) were stunned but didn't know how to extricate ourselves without being totally offensive ("WTF? You are trying to 'save' us? Go f*** yourselves and your crazy religion!") so we quietly hung in through the harangues and hosannahs and ultimately at the end, we said our goodbyes and left. We wrote them a message thanking them for their hospitality but bluntly pointing out that if they EVER tried such a thing again, we would simply get up and leave. And you know what? They never spoke to us again. They still let our kids play with their kids, but all the friendship which had been completely phony of course ended that night.
Sigh.
Amen and amen!!
I am disgusted to announce that Junk Fish Johnson and his House circus freak show have unanimously been awarded the Institutional Finger Up Its Ass Award.
There is a November 17th deadline to renew budget resolutions or the US government will shut down.
These Johnson jackals, after agreeing on nothing (except the absurd $14.5 billion for Israel funded by reducing past budget authorization for IRS by a similar amount), have gone on vacation until November 13th.
(I don’t believe that subpoenaing financial data from a broad range of Bidens or Marjorie Taylor Greene’s move to impeach several more folks are related to the impending government shutdown.)
I recall, when last there was a ‘budget shutdown crisis,’ that Trump called for a shutdown unless the Senate and President Biden accepted the cockamamie demands of the Republican House jackals.
I see, in this Johnson game of Russian Roulette, that the imperatives of responsibly running the United States, domestically and globally, are Trumped by MAGAmania.
I haven’t a clue how the United States will avoid a November 17th shutdown, as the House freak show is holding the country hostage by its unconscionable ineptness.
When even ‘Garland’ McConnell is pissed at the Johnson House, you know that the Trumpublicans are truly f++ked up.
The fascist minority's disdain for democracy and aid to the enemies of the United States and democracy everywhere is on full display. It is going to be a bitter and very dangerous year and two months. The only way forward will require a few Republicans to break ranks with those who would destroy the nation.
Aging gamer, the Republican senator who represents my district has aligned with Speaker Johnson, calling him a man of impeccable character. He (the senator) also voted to deny the elections outcome, saying that he is quite positive that the election was fraudulent.
I have sent email messages to him, to which he replies, surprisingly, and which I appreciate. I questioned his motives for voting for Jordan. He says he and most others always go with the one who is running. "It's a sad, sad situation."
In my latest email to him, I asked him WHEN he and others, who surely know the "Truth about Trump", were going to come to their collective senses and stand up for democracy instead of bowing down to him and the extremists who demand that they have their way. I asked him when they were going to realize how dangerous these people are. I told him how afraid I was that Speaker Johnson ( the man with impeccable character) was aligning himself with the likes of Marjorie Talor Greene, saying that he agreed with many of her opinions.
My senator claims to be a very religious man. I asked him how any "christian" with morals could support such an immoral man as Trump. I asked him why he believes that it's okay for those "christians" to try to force their beliefs on everyone. I'm awaiting an answer to that question.
So, the bottom line is, when will a few Republicans "break ranks with those who would destroy the nation."
Wonder how he defines a “very religious man.” Follows without thinking? Parrots all the correct biblical verses?
MLMinET, he parrots all the biblical verses that support HIS views. What about the verses in which Jesus admonishes those who are judgemental, unkind, selfish, and misguided?
I think these misguided Republicans aren't FOR Trump. They're just AGAINST abortion and anything that they perceive as threats to their beliefs, which they want to force on everyone else.
I agrée. Thé 27 Ohio republicans who are going to do all they can to reverse the amendment that just passed are unhappy because they lost the argument, not because they oppose reproductive rights per se.
Well, not really. Do NOT ignore the reality. They are 100% opposed to reproductive rights too. They are fanatics and you will be surprised if you fall for the "they are just upset" line.
My Republican Rep parrots all his oil company donor verses.
Please let us know when you get that answer. If ever.
Moselle, I certainly will.
Where is the fire hose? It’s missing and Mike Johnson took it with him. I bet the House R’s are just real proud of themselves, you know, patting themselves on the back. There will be karma that will hit them in the face if the country isn’t funded. I predict after people feel the strains of not funding our government, there will be an uproar. Maybe this is what it takes to get those who think the R party will save them, actually won’t. Believe me, I do not want this to happen but these members are disjointed and discombobulated along with being evil.
While I don’t completely disagree with you, a default would not only be catastrophic for our country, but for other countries, and for our place in the world.
*will* feel the strain...
Once a deployed service member misses a paycheck...
We tolerate a lot of bs, but messing with the military is touching the third rail. No coming back from that and they know it.
This is all a game of 'chicken' and the Repubs are hoping Dems blink first. Not going to happen!