Today Stephen K. Bannon, a one-time adviser to former president Trump, was supposed to testify before the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol. Yesterday, Bannon’s lawyer sent a letter to committee chair Representative Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) saying that Bannon would neither produce documents nor testify because “President Trump”—not former president Trump—“is exercising his executive privilege; therefore, he has directed Mr. Bannon not to produce documents until the issue of executive privilege is resolved.”
I’m happy to learn that the effects of the unjust and vindictive dismissal of Andrew McCabe have been corrected. Such fascist behavior from the likes of tfg must never be tolerated.
With Heather’s echos of a modern-day Watergate stonewalling of Congress (and the courts?) I shall give you several days reprieve from my prattling. After a week of restoring a flood-damaged basement, a day in Philadelphia with Eisenhower Fellows (far more interesting than trustees, who all had fancy watches that offset my $30 Timex), a swift and successful day surgery, Georgia and I are preparing for a family influx this week end to celebrate my 88th birthday. You can spot me in my shirt: GRANDPA KNOWS EVERYTHING AND WHEN HE DOESN’T KNOW IT HE SWIFTLY MAKES IT UP.
I’m so glad Andrew McCabe got his pension back. Don’t forget how it was taken from him. I’ve read his book, “ The Threat”. Some may find it interesting that McCabe was the first FBI Agent to lead a case resulting in the first ever convictions of Russian mafia in New York and East coast.
What is evident is that a Mafia gangster group with sufficient wealth can indeed operate as a major political party, and it really can take over this country and all of its citizens. All presumptions that "It can't happen here" have shattered.
I'd like to think their reign of abuse is finally going to end, but given their stacking of the courts, this remains far from certain.
Is gift-giving the only thing Christmas is about? These people don't even seek consistency in framing their complaints. For years they complained about a non-existent "war on Christmas" because store clerks use the "happy holidays" greeting instead of "merry Christmas," their vehicles sport bumper stickers showing a stylized manger scene with the words "Keep Christ in Christmas," but now they're complaining that the gods of materialism and consumerism might withhold their benevolence on the holiday--and that it's Biden's fault?
Today’s letter consisted mainly of reports on the legal front about events that took place in the past. Warning: these lawsuits will not protect us from undemocratic actions that the Trump minions have in mind for the future. T and his enablers have learned their lessons from 2020 and are laying the groundwork for 2022 and 2024. That is why we need to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and abolish/reform the filibuster.
Healthline defines a sociopath "As someone who has antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). People with ASPD can’t understand others’ feelings. They’ll often break rules or make impulsive decisions without feeling guilty for the harm they cause." For a full definition click below. It's pretty scary.
This diagnosis was crystallized when DJT fired Andrew McCabe 26 hours before he was to retire and receive his full pension. Wow, I thought, this president operates out of pure spite. It turned out that his affliction was much more serious. The leader of the free world was a sociopath and people lined up to support him. Trouble was a brewin'.
One would think that someone in Trump's position today--facing serious lawsuits, hundreds of millions of dollars of personal debt, responsibility for a political insurrection--would cause him to lose a lot of sleep. Not so; the man thrives on chaos, regardless of the impact on the country he swore to protect. If that's not a sociopath I don't know what is.
Trump made his bed and hopefully he will face the consequences. Yet his disease tells him that he is bulletproof. It is now the job of the judicial system and law enforcement to do their jobs and bring him to justice. Here in Georgia the Fulton County DA has been dragging her feet to charge Trump with interfering in the 2020 election. ("Find me the votes.") It seems that his political opponents are fearful of the ramifications of doing the right thing by charging him with a crime, even arresting him. Would violence break out across the country, instigated by the former president's blind supporters? This possibility should not be considered. The law of the land should be enforced, regardless of the outcome.
I guess I’ve become that evil person who takes joy in other people’s problems. Laughed out loud this morning when I read that Trump may be having problems finding lawyers who will work for him and the supposition HCR made that it is likely due to the former President not paying in a timely fashion. Woo hoo! Executive privilege? Not if it doesn’t pay well, lol.
Then, Jeffery Clark’s current employer scrubbed all trace of his employment from their website. Glad they finally woke up to what a toxic, lying, arrogant piece of garbage the former Justice Department employee is. I hope his career is over, along with Bannon’s and every other person trying to destroy our democratic Republic.
None of us can rest yet from all out efforts to get out the vote for 2022. But a good belly laugh is worth gold. Hope the view from prison is blank and bleak, guys.
Ohfergodssake, as a child of Dr. Seuss, I want to remind these Republicans that, for believers as well as for all of the Whos in Who-ville, no one can stop Christmas from coming. “It came just the same!”
What I like about Paul Krugman is he does for economics what HCR does for current events. Both distill the true nature of what's going down. His current opinion piece on the plight of American workers is perfectly timed.
The Revolt of the American Worker
By Paul Krugman
Opinion Columnist
All happy economies are alike; each unhappy economy is unhappy in its own way.
In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the economy’s problems were all about inadequate demand. The housing boom had gone bust; consumers weren’t spending enough to fill the gap; the Obama stimulus, designed to boost demand, was too small and short-lived.
In 2021, by contrast, many of our problems seem to be about inadequate supply. Goods can’t reach consumers because ports are clogged; a shortage of semiconductor chips has crimped auto production; many employers report that they’re having a hard time finding workers.
Much of this is probably transitory, although supply-chain disruptions will clearly last for a while. But something more fundamental and lasting may be happening in the labor market. Long-suffering American workers, who have been underpaid and overworked for years, may have hit their breaking point.
About those supply-chain issues: It’s important to realize that more goods are reaching Americans than ever before. The problem is that despite increased deliveries, the system isn’t managing to keep up with extraordinary demand.
Earlier in the pandemic, people compensated for the loss of many services by buying stuff instead. People who couldn’t eat out remodeled their kitchens. People who couldn’t go to gyms bought home exercise equipment.
The result was an astonishing surge in purchases of everything from household appliances to consumer electronics. Early this year real spending on durable goods was more than 30 percent above prepandemic levels, and it’s still very high.
But things will improve. As Covid-19 subsides and life gradually returns to normal, consumers will buy more services and less stuff, reducing the pressure on ports, trucking and railroads.
The labor situation, by contrast, looks like a genuine reduction in supply. Total employment is still five million below its prepandemic peak. Employment in the leisure and hospitality sector is still down more than 9 percent. Yet everything we see suggests a very tight labor market.
Yeah, well, about 375,000 people didn't even make it to Christmas last year, to say nothing of their presents..... What's wrong with these people?!?!?!?
I saw tonight a video of Steve Bannon on January 5, 2021 saying "I can promise you, tomorrrow All Hell is going to break loose! Tomorrow, All Hell is going to break loose!" I guess they want to talk to him. Guilty as the day is long.
DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A DEMOCRAT – I ONLY VOTE FOR THEM BY DEFAULT
I was once a registered Democrat (I was once a registered Socialist) but now NPA or Independent.
From what I read on the Progressive Politics group on MeWe and my leftist friends on twitter, Dems, Socialists & Independents are all getting tired of waiting for the party to get off the pot and put some criminals in jail. What is the point of having a subpoena if it can be ignored with impunity? I have been deposed twice by the State Atty. General’s Office in Miami (Janet Reno didn’t like what I had to say) but I showed up as required.
Also, we libs out here on the sidelines wish they would forget the infrastructure battles and start fighting for a new new Voting Rights Law to end the resurgence of Jim Crow laws in all these backward states controlled by the Repugnant Party. If the filibuster can be gotten rid of then do it. Dems seem to want to hold on to that political game in case they are in the minority again. IT WON’T MATTER. The Repugnant Party has become a terrorist group and is pushing autocracy. If they get a majority across the board in 2022 & 2024, Democracy may be history, just as it was in Germany when they ELECTED the Nazi party & Adolf Hitler became chancellor in 1933.
I'm glad that "the law loomed large today in national politics." I've seen a lot of law ignored this year, as well as of course in the 4 preceding this year, and for my psyche anyway the only way to counteract the fascist abuses of The Former Guy and his flunkies is to call them before the bar.
I’m happy to learn that the effects of the unjust and vindictive dismissal of Andrew McCabe have been corrected. Such fascist behavior from the likes of tfg must never be tolerated.
All I want for Christmas is Trump in prison and so I've composed this version of Lennon's Imagine:
Imagine Trump in prison
I wonder if you can
his orange hair and jumpsuit
and fading phoney tan
Imagine all the inmates
laughing at his brand
You may think I'm a dreamer
but I'm hoping that we can
put this psycho doink in prison
and let justice rule the land
With Heather’s echos of a modern-day Watergate stonewalling of Congress (and the courts?) I shall give you several days reprieve from my prattling. After a week of restoring a flood-damaged basement, a day in Philadelphia with Eisenhower Fellows (far more interesting than trustees, who all had fancy watches that offset my $30 Timex), a swift and successful day surgery, Georgia and I are preparing for a family influx this week end to celebrate my 88th birthday. You can spot me in my shirt: GRANDPA KNOWS EVERYTHING AND WHEN HE DOESN’T KNOW IT HE SWIFTLY MAKES IT UP.
I’m so glad Andrew McCabe got his pension back. Don’t forget how it was taken from him. I’ve read his book, “ The Threat”. Some may find it interesting that McCabe was the first FBI Agent to lead a case resulting in the first ever convictions of Russian mafia in New York and East coast.
What is evident is that a Mafia gangster group with sufficient wealth can indeed operate as a major political party, and it really can take over this country and all of its citizens. All presumptions that "It can't happen here" have shattered.
I'd like to think their reign of abuse is finally going to end, but given their stacking of the courts, this remains far from certain.
Is gift-giving the only thing Christmas is about? These people don't even seek consistency in framing their complaints. For years they complained about a non-existent "war on Christmas" because store clerks use the "happy holidays" greeting instead of "merry Christmas," their vehicles sport bumper stickers showing a stylized manger scene with the words "Keep Christ in Christmas," but now they're complaining that the gods of materialism and consumerism might withhold their benevolence on the holiday--and that it's Biden's fault?
Today’s letter consisted mainly of reports on the legal front about events that took place in the past. Warning: these lawsuits will not protect us from undemocratic actions that the Trump minions have in mind for the future. T and his enablers have learned their lessons from 2020 and are laying the groundwork for 2022 and 2024. That is why we need to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and abolish/reform the filibuster.
Healthline defines a sociopath "As someone who has antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). People with ASPD can’t understand others’ feelings. They’ll often break rules or make impulsive decisions without feeling guilty for the harm they cause." For a full definition click below. It's pretty scary.
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/sociopath#diagnosis-and-symptoms
This diagnosis was crystallized when DJT fired Andrew McCabe 26 hours before he was to retire and receive his full pension. Wow, I thought, this president operates out of pure spite. It turned out that his affliction was much more serious. The leader of the free world was a sociopath and people lined up to support him. Trouble was a brewin'.
One would think that someone in Trump's position today--facing serious lawsuits, hundreds of millions of dollars of personal debt, responsibility for a political insurrection--would cause him to lose a lot of sleep. Not so; the man thrives on chaos, regardless of the impact on the country he swore to protect. If that's not a sociopath I don't know what is.
Trump made his bed and hopefully he will face the consequences. Yet his disease tells him that he is bulletproof. It is now the job of the judicial system and law enforcement to do their jobs and bring him to justice. Here in Georgia the Fulton County DA has been dragging her feet to charge Trump with interfering in the 2020 election. ("Find me the votes.") It seems that his political opponents are fearful of the ramifications of doing the right thing by charging him with a crime, even arresting him. Would violence break out across the country, instigated by the former president's blind supporters? This possibility should not be considered. The law of the land should be enforced, regardless of the outcome.
I guess I’ve become that evil person who takes joy in other people’s problems. Laughed out loud this morning when I read that Trump may be having problems finding lawyers who will work for him and the supposition HCR made that it is likely due to the former President not paying in a timely fashion. Woo hoo! Executive privilege? Not if it doesn’t pay well, lol.
Then, Jeffery Clark’s current employer scrubbed all trace of his employment from their website. Glad they finally woke up to what a toxic, lying, arrogant piece of garbage the former Justice Department employee is. I hope his career is over, along with Bannon’s and every other person trying to destroy our democratic Republic.
None of us can rest yet from all out efforts to get out the vote for 2022. But a good belly laugh is worth gold. Hope the view from prison is blank and bleak, guys.
Ohfergodssake, as a child of Dr. Seuss, I want to remind these Republicans that, for believers as well as for all of the Whos in Who-ville, no one can stop Christmas from coming. “It came just the same!”
For christians, isn’t Christmas supposed to about Jesus, not about presents.
What I like about Paul Krugman is he does for economics what HCR does for current events. Both distill the true nature of what's going down. His current opinion piece on the plight of American workers is perfectly timed.
The Revolt of the American Worker
By Paul Krugman
Opinion Columnist
All happy economies are alike; each unhappy economy is unhappy in its own way.
In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the economy’s problems were all about inadequate demand. The housing boom had gone bust; consumers weren’t spending enough to fill the gap; the Obama stimulus, designed to boost demand, was too small and short-lived.
In 2021, by contrast, many of our problems seem to be about inadequate supply. Goods can’t reach consumers because ports are clogged; a shortage of semiconductor chips has crimped auto production; many employers report that they’re having a hard time finding workers.
Much of this is probably transitory, although supply-chain disruptions will clearly last for a while. But something more fundamental and lasting may be happening in the labor market. Long-suffering American workers, who have been underpaid and overworked for years, may have hit their breaking point.
About those supply-chain issues: It’s important to realize that more goods are reaching Americans than ever before. The problem is that despite increased deliveries, the system isn’t managing to keep up with extraordinary demand.
Earlier in the pandemic, people compensated for the loss of many services by buying stuff instead. People who couldn’t eat out remodeled their kitchens. People who couldn’t go to gyms bought home exercise equipment.
The result was an astonishing surge in purchases of everything from household appliances to consumer electronics. Early this year real spending on durable goods was more than 30 percent above prepandemic levels, and it’s still very high.
But things will improve. As Covid-19 subsides and life gradually returns to normal, consumers will buy more services and less stuff, reducing the pressure on ports, trucking and railroads.
The labor situation, by contrast, looks like a genuine reduction in supply. Total employment is still five million below its prepandemic peak. Employment in the leisure and hospitality sector is still down more than 9 percent. Yet everything we see suggests a very tight labor market.
More: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/14/opinion/workers-quitting-wages.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuonUktbfqohlSFUaBybSRdkhrxqAwufI2r8xnGS7NTWUVSpDyetQHIGP9lyLZbZmY5F7-QWnc-J7Ee1lQu1unKgYNlZxSgKsr9yOkZ5ceSto8se6U208ms-dBOp9oGOxMiy3eOwmnLHnsUzfOmX6SeeIhy1aUQVmpJducF6r2nIalOySQqMuhI4Ijbp2DYt6RDwDeCGIo_Hvbh18M9yAZRnegRIkD6AbAXqA2I7BtM9TNVlaGlnET3tg4W8j69M6ONofPav3LxZIa9OUe5ctL3I8MJJVW36Q9Zw-&smid=url-share
Yeah, well, about 375,000 people didn't even make it to Christmas last year, to say nothing of their presents..... What's wrong with these people?!?!?!?
I saw tonight a video of Steve Bannon on January 5, 2021 saying "I can promise you, tomorrrow All Hell is going to break loose! Tomorrow, All Hell is going to break loose!" I guess they want to talk to him. Guilty as the day is long.
DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A DEMOCRAT – I ONLY VOTE FOR THEM BY DEFAULT
I was once a registered Democrat (I was once a registered Socialist) but now NPA or Independent.
From what I read on the Progressive Politics group on MeWe and my leftist friends on twitter, Dems, Socialists & Independents are all getting tired of waiting for the party to get off the pot and put some criminals in jail. What is the point of having a subpoena if it can be ignored with impunity? I have been deposed twice by the State Atty. General’s Office in Miami (Janet Reno didn’t like what I had to say) but I showed up as required.
Also, we libs out here on the sidelines wish they would forget the infrastructure battles and start fighting for a new new Voting Rights Law to end the resurgence of Jim Crow laws in all these backward states controlled by the Repugnant Party. If the filibuster can be gotten rid of then do it. Dems seem to want to hold on to that political game in case they are in the minority again. IT WON’T MATTER. The Repugnant Party has become a terrorist group and is pushing autocracy. If they get a majority across the board in 2022 & 2024, Democracy may be history, just as it was in Germany when they ELECTED the Nazi party & Adolf Hitler became chancellor in 1933.
I'm glad that "the law loomed large today in national politics." I've seen a lot of law ignored this year, as well as of course in the 4 preceding this year, and for my psyche anyway the only way to counteract the fascist abuses of The Former Guy and his flunkies is to call them before the bar.