The extreme wealth concentration policy of the GOP is also antithetical to democracy. Extreme wealth concentration cannot co-exist with the premise of "one person, one vote". The ability to control media (thus, "Manufacturing Consent") is evidenced every day at Fox 'News' and in right-wing owned newspapers and radio across the country (having given rise to hate speech, borderline hate speech, and propaganda via Limbaugh, Jones, Carlson, Hannity, Ingraham, and others.
This concentration of wealth is also at work via the NRA, Big Oil, and Big Pharma. All extremely well-funded lobbying capability undermining any thought of gun violence protection, delaying and constraining climate action, and causing runaway costs of the American healthcare system.
This is why I always move Ronald Reagan and Milton Friedman's books in any bookstore to the "True Crime" section.
We were all distracted by the bright and shiny objects in the House Speakership circus: Matt Gaetz and his disrespect for the customs of the House by bringing down a Speaker, the right-wing awfulness of Steve Scalise, ratcheting up to the narcissism of Jim Jordan, and ending with the sad clown performance of Tom Emmer. The Republicans ultimately and UNANAMOUSLY chose the little-known, under-the-radar Mike Johnson, whose initial chief positive attribute appeared to be that he hadn’t had a personality clash with anyone in the conference.
As scrutiny has been focused on Johnson’s views, he turns out to be, in fact, the House member most aligned with the election deniers, Operation REDMAP gerrymanderers, Federalist Society judicial stackers, and Project 2025 government decimators. He rounds all 4 bases on the list for those who seek to end our democratic form of government and turn us into autocracy.
As a bonus, he also has extreme views on every social issue in the culture wars, and on economic policy and foreign policy.
Mike Johnson is a wolf in sheep’s clothing: intelligent, soft-spoken, humble, bespectacled, and with a certain bit of self-depreciation. He has an anti-Trump personality, with intelligence, vigor, and real “family values .” But he is far more amenable to grooming and understanding doctrinaire positions and crafting legislation, which makes him a huge potential asset for the oligarchs behind the former Republican party (FRP). He was primarily responsible for the Republican budget proposals in 2022, which aimed at dismantling the social safety net.
Make no mistake, Mike Johnson is on the fringe of the right-wing fringe. The question that arises in my mind is what was said in that last conference meeting that led to his election with NO dissent in the ranks and that would make EVERY member of the conference fall in line behind this extremist.
There is no question that Democrats will be using Johnson as the face of the Republican Party in every Congressional campaign in 2024 because of his extremist views. That would jeopardize the election prospects of many Republicans currently in the House. But if he glides so smoothly into his sheep’s clothing, as he did in the Hannity interview, that will be far far harder than it would have been with a Scalise or Jordan.
Perhaps that’s the reason why the 112 who opposed Jordan reversed their positions and collapsed so suddenly. Judge for yourself by watching the full Hannity interview. Know your opposition! Johnson scares me more than any other Republican out there. You should be scared of the wolf too.
He is the Republican Trojan Horse. I watched the interview and he is disarming. He adopted an African-American child and speaks with compassion about the different experiences of this child and his biological child who are about the same age. But make no mistake- he is a maga extremist whose values are well to the right of Reagan. He is the friendly face of fascism- one of the principal architects of the Republican plot to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. a promoter of gun proliferation, female subservience, restigmatization of same sex relationships- all done with a friendly smile.
He didn't adopt the Black child--and it was 25 years ago--apparently it may have been a foster child who was 14 back then----Hannity was soooo scripted in asking that question and giving a very different impression...
Georgia, thanks for the link.Yes, Hannity was so scripted ! I loathe how the GOP uses adoptees as political pawns,especially when it comes to reproductive rights.
TFFG calls himself a Republican but he shares no ideology with the FRP.
I don't believe anyone who starts a war with the sole purpose of expanding their rule or anyone with a message of cruelty and hate can be called a Christian including DeSantis and TFFG.
The label Christian (Richard and Gary) has become completed perverted in the USA. I even hesitate, but still insist on using it when appropriate because being saved means so much love to me in my life, and the obedience to remove as much hatred as possible. I am beginning to really hate these perverters though. Arrrgghhghg!
The first lie of Most Christians is posing as Christians. As with our Puritan heritage, they are Paulists.
Pay attention to their cherry-picked quotes, either from the barbarism of the Old Testament (Which Jesus was supposed to have superseded with his new covenant) or from the proselytizing of St. Paul trying to separate his Greek & Roman followers from the traditional.
You never hear quotes from Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, which concerns the life & teachings of Jesus the Christ.
My wife was an atheist long before we met. When I was researching her ancestry it turns out one of her great uncles was Pope Leo X who was one of the four Medici Popes. She's also part Shawnee and Cherokee. Her ancestry is way more interesting than mine.
Pope Leo X was a spendthrift spending funds on the arts including Rafael to paint various rooms in the Vatican.
The history of what happened here in WWII does not speak well of the Popes and of course, lots of Christians who were not Roman Catholic aided and abetted fascists.
As I have been yammering since 1994 when the Taliban (US style) gained control of Congress, they said then that their "Book" said nothing about science, so therefore, Federal tax dollars would no longer be wasted on it. USGS took the biggest hit because Stuart Udahl was Secratary of The Interior, and a geologist. 700 hundred of us had our jobs eliminated due to lack of funding and millioms upon millions of NSF grant funding $s for critical geological hazard research was wasted. I could go on and on..."The Moral Majority is Neither" bumpersticker was quite popular back then. I'll shut up.
I too am bouncing back and forth between the extremes, but here's my latest thought.
I watched last night’s Hannity interview with Mike Johnson for a second time, and came away with the distinct feeling that the entire House Speaker circus was scripted to put Mike Johnson in the chair. Just as Hannity’s first questions were scripted around Johnson having had a Black {foster?) son 25 years ago to establish his Christian family values bona fides.
As Trump becomes increasingly irrational, the Heritage Foundation and their dark money sources want a fresh face for their authoritarian views and Johnson fills the bill.
My suspicion grew, especially after Hannity and Johnson agreed that the one-vote motion to vacate rule should be changed. That’s extremely convenient now that it has served its temporary purpose of removing McCarthy and setting the stage for Johnson, who is far smoother, and appears way more palatable than Trump. A new star is born.
The long game is in play with Heritage. If the Republicans lose in 2024, they will have an ideal candidate with major experience chops to go up against Kamala Harris or Hakeem Jeffries. And as OPERATION REDMAP and the stacking of the judicial system and SCOTUS prove, it is a game they know how to play very well. Johnson is extremely smart and extremely right-wing doctrinaire.
Know what’s coming. Watch the interview. You can’t afford to look away. The snippets in the news, even Politico, are misleading.
I watched the interview....should have had a martini in hand! Sean Hannity is so depraved and so intentional on misleading questions. Hannity asking about Bidens mental state...really and Johnson has the gall to say that Biden is diminished?! Good lord because Trump is so intellectually with it?!! What concerns me is reading the comments on the Fox news page. This is a cult who follows blindly anything Fox puts out. Every comment was God bless our new Speaker, God bless Hannity, God bless the republicans and on and on. Truly sickening that Fox feeds this bs to its viewers 24/7.
The shock troops provided the distractions while they were setting up what they really want, wishing they could get another super smooth talker like Ronald Reagan to get rid of the Fairness Doctrine as another ratchet step to turn back progress towards meeting our ideals.
Agree this was the plan all along. As he accepted the nomination, I was googling him, and turned to my partner and said “this is who they wanted all along. The extremists played the rest of the party. Clever and dangerous.”
Georgia, the more I know about him, the more I am convinced that he was their choice all along. The other candidates were just distractions. Why would Emmer exit stage left so fluidly? Why didn't the others put up more of a fight? Given Jordan's aggressive, competitive personality, why wouldn't have just gone on and on?
It's just another coup, in plain site.
You are right, we should be terrified of him and all he can weld with that gavel.
I had the same idea when I began learning about him. I hate that my thinking process immediately leads me down into these assumptions of the worst in Republicans.
Georgia, I just started to listen to the Hannity interview. Having heard and read so much about his attachment to right wing politics, I decided I should listen to the interview myself, make up my own mind, and not be swayed by the opinions of others.
I must admit that I only made it through the first few minutes of the interview before I couldn’t stomach it any longer. His comments about the tragedy in Lewiston contained his assurance that guns don’t kill people; it’s the human heart that’s the problem. For good measure he talked about his deep compassion for the victims of the massacre and sent his prayers and those of the rest of the House to victims and their families. He assured me also that the 2nd amendment guarantees that people can keep guns for self protection and that now is not the time to talk about gun control since we are in the midst of this event in Lewiston.
I admire you and the other folks who were able to listen all the way through. I. Just. Couldn’t. Do. It.
Peter Burnett, I used to try to watch Rush Limbaugh every couple of years. I never made it very far into his program. I keep trying to see the other sides point of you but there never seems to be any civility or factual basis that I can identify with at all. it is now my opinion that there are no degrees or of racism or sexism or homophobia or… No spectrum, as it were. Fortunately, my very most basic level of cable TV does not include Fox News or anything other than a couple of networks and PBS. I am always happy to be able to tell people that no, I did not watch so-and-so because I don’t have cable.
Between your well chosen and accurate words and those of Richard below, we all should be on high alert. Just reading these words and those of Dr.Richardson is not enough! Enlightening others is a pass it on must.
Perfectly stated Georgia! I would make one change to your wording. For Johnson it would not be "autocracy" but rather "theocracy". For me, a Christian this would be the true end of my USA.
Georgia you are so spot on! I had the same thought that he is a wolf in sheeps clothing. In some ways he’s more dangerous because he looks normal, an average guy. MAGA Mike said in the Fox interview that in the wake of the Lewiston shooting that now’s not the time to discuss gun control. That it’s not the guns but the heart that’s the problem.
He has a closed mind. He causes me to remember a commercial from a while back from the United Negro College Fund, a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Note: With great appreciation and respect for the words of others here, my comments were directed at Richard and Georgia Fisanick. For some reason they appeared somewhat out of order. Oh well. Carry on and fight the good fight all!
I think the very worst aspect of Mike Johnson is that he actually believes, sincerely, that he and the rethugs are where they are because God has ordained it. This is terrifying, because all of his publicly stated views make it abundantly clear that he is no kind of Christian at all. And yet he and his ilk hold themselves out as such, which effectively - because he is a mild-mannered and soft spoken zealot, rather than a raving zealot - encourages the RWNJs to support and vote for him. The smyler with the knife - held at democracy's throat.
I agree! The Republicans have a tremendous structural advantage in elections and the courts. Can the Democratic Party continue to overcome this disadvantage if we have a speaker and an entire legislative body, with a conservative court, willing to exercise the overturning of an election and throw the entire presidential election to the house with one vote for each state? Dems lose flat out. We will have our own Ayatollah Johnson and a Christian theocracy. We could end up looking a lot like Iran, with nukes. I’m livid about how the republicans have lifted this theocrat to Speaker. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Now Trump has in place the coup inside. No matter who gets the most votes, Johnson can hand the election to Trump and the Proud Bots with guns to back him up. How do we stop this?
Georgia, thank you for the link to the Hannity interview. When the same legislators that voted for Johnson follow him into cutting Social Security and Medicare, I envision billboards with the slogan “(Name) voted to cut your Social Security and Medicare!”
I read the transcript of the Hannity interview because I couldn't get it out of my mind. Something was really bothering me subconsciously. As I read it I realized that not one question was asked about Trump and the primaries--the only mention of Trump was to "wind your mind back to before the pandemic" when the Trump administration had the greatest economy....
Looks to me like the dark money interests are getting ready to throw Trump under the bus. There was a lot about Santos and letting the legal system play out. So I think we are going to see the FRP go back to being the law and order party and Mike is going to be the crusader who leads the party out of the wilderness. It may take 5 years but I think that is going to be the long game. He kind of has that Clark Kent look about him...
Louisiana is 3rd lowest in rankings of quality of life for the states of the US. Of course they should provide the new speaker. Everything he espouses would reduce the quality of life for millions of Americans. There is something about his smile. Like, he's trying to look nice, but he's thinking something evil.
Excellent assessment. My blood pressure cannot tolerate the sound of Hannity's voice. Instead I listened to as much of Kelly and Mike Johnson's podcast -- Truth Be Told* -- as I could. Among his most troubling beliefs is that the United States is the only country in the world founded on a "religious statement of faith." (see https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/25/mike-johnson-speaker-house-conservative-00123680) Aside from the fact that there are several countries in the Middle East that would care to differ, his ahistorical understanding of the founders principles is astonishing given his claim to be a constitutional scholar.
Georgia, please post this information in a newsletter for wider access. Everything you cited is alarming but also his connection to the NRA; endorsed and supported by. His position on firearms is unequivocal. He is a monster masquerading as a religious zealot. Check out this site please.
Extreme wealth concentration cannot co-exist with the premise of "one person, one vote"
Especially when extreme concentrations of money are allowed to buy elections and legislative outcomes. Read the news with an eye to how much the thumb of massive amounts of money weighs on our political scales, and how "normalized" that has become. "Government of the people, by the people, for the people"? How much of it is and how much of it isn't? Who is "better off" after 40+ years of "Reaganomics" and who isn't?
"Citizens United" as and is a jaw-dropping betrayal of the foundations of democracy, equal protection, fair and free elections, and rule of law. It is as Orwellian as is its obfuscatory name.
Monopolists and their power to buy the Republican Party (they had Democrats in their pockets in the "Gilded Age") have purchased the roll back of reforms made since. The Government broke up Standard Oil, then approved the re-conglomeration of the fragments. How many of the leading stand-alone corporations from the 1960s are now no more than owned brands of a few huge conglomerates? How much of the total market do these oligarchs control? Increasingly one-of a-kind, local businesses that I have loved, have become far less user friendly satellites of some gigantic corporate Borg.
The Orwellian Geopese phase for "pro-monopoly" is "free market", but nothing that is dominated by disproportionately powerful bullies is in any meaningful sense "free". Is not a "free country" one that defends equal rights for all? As in "all"?
FDR did put in regulations and guardrails that "capitalist" nuts like Milton Friedman, one of the worst economists in history, would have opposed.
The far right, who named themselves "The America First Committee" in the 1930's, was in the process of avidly supporting the German Nazi Party in America and in Germany. See Rachel Maddow's "Ultra" podcast. Those nuts absolutely thought FDR was a socialist/communist.
And tried to forcibly depose him. When my daughter was teaching in Japan, I noticed there were some elected Communists in the goverment; yet Japan is very much a free-enterprise place. What was striking was that such a party was allowed to exist. In the US, "Communist" is another name for "evil", but I seems to me that a society that chose communism of some sort could be a good neighbor, though it seems to be that communism does not scale well, and therefore invites excessive control by the state. What is execrable is any monopoly of power by the state, be it Right Wing, Left Wing, Theocratic, whatever. Government of the people, by the people, for the people seems to be a good as it gets.
I think that liberty include a right of private enterprise, but monopolies of any sort are erosive of equal rights. We were on the right track with anti-trust, rules for business, just like any other activity that impacts others, such as Glass-Steagall, and "Truth in Advertising". Ayn Randian Alan Greenspan reportedly believed financial fraud should not be illegal, which is nuts. I think of capitalism as a do fire, which is useful in many ways kept in bounds, but consumes everything in sight if not contained to reasonable limits. Some things should never for sale.
"This is why I always move Ronald Reagan and Milton Friedman's books in any bookstore to the "True Crime" section." George - "spew alert!" I almost blew my morning coffee all over my screen when I read that last sentence. I couldn't agree more! Thank you.
“Manufactured Consent”. First time I have heard that. Brilliant and concise definition of propaganda. Moving books? Civil Disobedience in action
The interconnection of Government Policy direction and benefits to society (as opposed to that of the ‘individual’) provides a clear differentiation between Liberal Social Safety Nets/equality of opportunity, and that of Conservative strong arm tactics paid for by the elite class using propaganda against the average citizen to win their support of this would be ruling class
The psychology of this mass brainwashing is evil in its complexity
Dr Richardson does yeomen’s work in seeking to break down cause and effect into a clearer understanding of the difference between a socially conscience America and the Myth of Rugged Individualism
Rugged or not, ultra-individualism has a very special property: it so atomizes society that it is like an acid bath in which to dispose of the body politic.
Sure, Kathy, but Marlboro Man didn't just burst into being out of nothing.
Long before the NRA began
"weaponizing" America (yes, THAT word) Hollywood was feeding us "Shane", "Gunfight at OK Corral" and not just heroes and heroines -- Annie Get Your Gun -- but mythological weapons. So I grew up with the likes of "Colt 45" and "Winchester 73"...
If you’re not moving the books by Clinton and Krugman to that section, then you’re doing profiling police work, instead of consistently applying the law. Clinton lapped up Friedman with a spoon, and it took Krugman a decade to admit Naomi Klein was right after initially dissing ‘The Shock Doctrine’.
Until the Democrats come clean about their complicity in this ongoing horror show, we’ll continue to circle the drain and be ripe for strongman fascism; we’re already living under, as you noted, corporate fascism, and the seeds of Christian fascism have been flowering since the Moral Majority days. A fascism trifecta, as it were.
Biden is own goaling, losing Muslim votes by the day as Palestinians are slaughtered by U.S.-funded weapons; but hey, it’s not like he really needs swing states like Michigan, right? Amy Klobuchar is pleading with Jeff Bezos to censor Rumble and Substack; but not Heather of course, just the ‘bad’ Substack crowd. A selective First Amendment, if you will.
We’ve been riding this lesser evil voting train since Reagan; Bob Dole is the end of the world, no Bush is, no McCain is because Palin, no…. and here we are.
Fox sucks, but sycophants lap it up when MSNBC Maddow says the Russians are taking control of the Vermont energy grid, or Chris Hayes says Trump got peed on in Moscow, or Joy Reid hints Putin has his claws in Bernie Sanders. The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!
Meanwhile, the dwindling real left in this country, the activists who are organizing and in the streets on issues like Medicare For All, student debt, and currently, Palestinian lives, are dissed and marginalized by the Democratic Party establishment and politicians. Just wait, be patient, we’ve got to save democracy first, here, have a crumb, and don’t you dare think about sitting this election out, I, and my corporate donors, need your vote. Messaging.
The ratchet effect is real. The drift rightward will continue, because until the Democratic Party comes clean and fully renounces its own brand of corporate ownership, the votes from the currently apathetic registered Dems and non-voters it needs to break the ping-pong voting paradigm of ‘we need a change because government isn’t working’ will remain locked away.
Representative Johnson has been working hard to shape Louisiana to his vision of how America should look for as long as he has held office. Jefferies gave a great speech, but Republicans have been setting all this but for a long time. Ugh.
I love and appreciate your non-violent protest: “This is why I always move Ronald Reagan and Milton Friedman's books in any bookstore to the "True Crime" section.”
Thanks Heather and was especially impressed with your NPR interview on the 24th. I wish every Democrat messaged as clearly as you. The Democrats are so poor at messaging in my opinion the only places I hear advocacy for the Biden Administration is your letters , Robert Hubble and Joyce Vance. Democrats should be reading you and messaging everyday. The GOP and it’s backers have created hell on earth and will continue to do so.
Apologies for the long post, but this is from an email from Jennifer Rubin-
Subscriber-only Edition
This week, I’ll look at evolving coverage of President Biden, pick the pol of the week and share something off the (political) beaten path.
What caught my eye
Until recently, the gulf between President Biden’s performance in office and the coverage of his presidency was as vast as it has been in any modern presidency. Biden has steered the country out of a recession and pandemic, gotten through a slew of critical legislation (some bipartisan), avoided a default on the debt, set the stage for about 14 million new jobs and overseen a resurgence of manufacturing. Internationally, he has restored the United States’ image and solidified and expanded NATO in defense of Ukraine. Nevertheless, mainstream media coverage has been incessantly negative, dwelling on fears of recession, pointing to failure to “unite the country” (as if unity were possible in the MAGA era), obsessing over premature polling of dubious value and regurgitating MAGA talking points about his age.
Jon Allsop at the Columbia Journalism Review captured the cycle of negativity that has distorted coverage of Biden. “If Republicans are pushing a But her emails! media strategy in an attempt to tar Biden, the primary motivation, as I see it, is to foster cynicism; the aim is not a false equivalence that equally apportions credit, but one that conveys a sense that everyone in politics is just as old, just as corrupt, just as bad as each other, and that consequently, integrity doesn’t really matter and anything goes,” he wrote. “Journalists who indulge this effort can convince themselves that they’re only asking questions, or covering what voters think or what politicians are saying.” He added, “It’s the logical endpoint of a media ecosystem that approaches every story through the prism of elections — an approach that has always been cynical itself.” And worse, it legitimizes unacceptable Republican behavior and distorts the threat MAGA forces pose to democracy.
Then came the horrific pogrom in Israel in which Hamas murdered at least 1,400 men, women and children and kidnapped about 220. Biden stepped into the role of consoler-in-chief for American and Israeli Jews, distinguished between the Palestinian people and Hamas terrorists, negotiated privately with Israel to allow humanitarian aid to get through to Gaza and, in an impressive Oval Office address, explained why supporting Israel and Ukraine against barbarism is essential to our own security.
Now, the media declares Biden has reached an “inflection point.” Politico, in keeping with its habit of turning every event into a content-neutral political horserace, declared that Biden’s allies are “leery of appearing to politicize the Middle East crisis” but “see the opportunity presented by an unexpected crisis to feature Biden’s strengths.” Actually, the voices quoted simply reaffirm their belief he is doing an impressive job, defying critics’ characterization of him. (Sen. Christopher A. Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, said, “This is a real leader, and I think the American people are not ready to retreat from the world.”) Politico, not Biden allies, is framing this in political terms.
The report asserts that “the Biden team appears to be betting that the new war between Israelis and Palestinians could be a kind of tipping point” but cited no sources. Again, without sourcing, the report proclaimed that “the 80-year-old Biden is trying to change the narrative on what has become his biggest liability, his age.” Perhaps his recent trip to Israel was no different from his wartime journey to Ukraine. It might just be that Biden’s performance has been consistent, but the media only now grudgingly acknowledges what has been in front of their noses. (The Post’s Dan Balz presented a spin-free account of recent events: “a case study in the value of experience, expertise and preparation when the unexpected happens.”)
In short, Biden’s accomplishments are now too obvious to ignore. If the Israel-Gaza war becomes an inflection point for the media, it will be long overdue.
From the Big Tent event Katie Couric appeared as 'media light' with Heather. I was disappointed in Heather not having a more serious partner in the discussion.
Agree, Frankom. Heather did a great push-back on Katie's protection of the media not covering Biden in a more positive light. As I remember it, she reminded Katie that she herself has been able to maintain a following of several million people in the wake of her own news about what Biden has accomplished for the American people.
Exactly. Immediately after the million people comment from Heather made Katie made a shallow gesture about news needing to be exciting . I cannot recall exact wording. I felt badly for Heather it was as if she were speaking with a shallow separated from real life ‘big media’ representative. Robert Hubbell would have been so much better! .
Frankom, how can I listen to the interview? I searched for it online but couldn't find anything. Do you by chance have a link? Thanking you in advance--
Hey, Carolyn. The Big Tent interview was on Zoom on October 25. At the end, they said it was recorded and those that were part of the Zoom would be sent the recording. Interesting to note, Heather drew thousands and thousands of people to this event. Both Katie and the moderator (can't remember her name, sorry!) were so impressed about that.
I will keep this page open today. If I receive the recording from them, I will post it here for you.
Jennifer Rubin of the WAPO, Robert Reich, Georgia Fisanick and others here on Substack, Dana Milbank on WAPO. Ezra Klein has an excellent pod cast.
But compared to Fox and the constant attacks on the Democrats they are often drowned out by the attacks and denials of the far-right.
You too have a voice. You can call or write your local or national politicians as often as you have time.
I've begged Susan Collins to switch parties on numerous occasions. She has never responded to that request, but she has responded to other emails. She did not respond when I called her out for voting for the sexual predator Kavanaugh.
The USPS service (oxymoron alert) is abysmal in Maine. She often writes letters to DeJoy and his underlings complaining about how awful they have become.
I have never liked Collins. She is disingenuous with her comments. Typically she comes out initially with a statement in favor of certain a Democrat sponsored bill but when it comes time to vote on it she falls in line with the rest of the republicans and votes against it. She was one of the women Senators who rushed to push Al Franken out.
You mean Collins, right? I could only stomach part of it. My evil neighbor Leonard Leo in Northeast Harbor (actually I'm about 30 minutes away) raised enough outside money for her to get reelected. She so needs to go as does the evil Leonard Leo.
Total agreement here, Mr. Loft. When she won against Sara Gideon with all the money Collins spent on those ads with Bill Green (who has since admitted that he got such blowback from those ads that helped Collins win, that he will never venture into political advocacy again--to which I say: GOOD) and all the money she got from Lennie's fundraiser in NE Hahbah...I damn near cried. Of course, Sara didn't make campaigning for her easy, either.
Yeah the Collins campaign was definitely nervous. The outside money paid for all of the mud-slinging ads against Sara which is so Republican.
I hadn't heard that about Bill Green and the blowback. I'm so glad. I've got to admit, he is revered in ME and I think his ads made the difference between Collins getting enough votes to avoid RCV. I'm not sure if Sara would have won the RCV but it would have been a good kick in the pants for Collins.
Sara did really well for someone without a lot of name recognition I thought.
Since the election I've stepped up my emails to Collins. At one point she told me to contact one of her staff instead of her (ha ha). I think I touched a nerve.
I agree--those ads definitely put Collins over the top and I was very disappointed in him, as I felt as well-known as he is, he should have refrained from coming in on either side. Considering the very low blow that Collins lobbed at Gideon--that she was from "away" *gasp*--as though most of our newest and most productive folks aren't from someplace else. I told people: hey, she and her family have CHOSEN to live here--isn't that a good sign? And tbh, ALL of us who live are "from away" originally.
I thought she did well, but got some very bad advice about how to handle some of the adverse stuff that got thrown at her.
Speaking of messaging, have any HCR readers assessed the impact of 4.9 % economic growth on the budget deficit and debt? Presumably, the growth leads to greater tax revenues that at some point reduce deficit spending ... a good message.
Christopher, who explains the legal issues, cases, subpoenas, roles of prosecutors, judges, defendants and their lawyers' moves and motions, etc., in plain English from her long experience and skill with clarity, humor, warmth and generosity; Joyce Vance is a master; no one does it better!
Link on Christopher and LFAAers who are not familiar with Civil Discourse by Joyce Vance.
Thank you Heather. Biden-Harris have done well by us. I was struck by the apology and statement by the Maine legislator. I hope he carries through with his commitment.
Yes, we were. Jared is the Rep for my district and I am so pleased that he came right out and said what he did. It may cost him votes because CD2 is VERY rural and Mainers do love their guns--but mostly for hunting (for which the AR-15 is definitely NOT suited) and varmint control.
I don't think there's a Republican in ME that can beat Jared at this point. Poliquin is a such a sleaze as is LePage. Just the fact that LePage moved to FL and came back to run for Governor again didn't sit well with the voters. Who else do they have?
I've written Jared about his stance on guns and the Ellsworth American has called him out in their editorials on his stance on guns. I was glad to see him come out but unfortunately after such a horrific event.
Some things in life are really simple. What do you need to sell guns? You cannot sell them to well-thinking, peaceloving citizens. No, to sell guns, you need angry citizens. Simple as that. So: divide them in good (white, “hard-working”) and bad (black, female, “lazy”, liberal snowflake, “expecting hand-outs”), and there you go. And who could be better at stoking dissent and keeping people angry than, yup, the Orange Blob. No wonder the Republican party, who are well-paid by the NRA, endorsed him (and for the most part, still do)…
Lots of well-thinking, peace-loving people hunt and enjoy sport shooting. Not just in the USA, but around the world. Yet the USA is the outlier with regard to gun deaths.
1) an AR-15 is not a hunting weapon, nor a sports weapon, it is designed to kill lots of people in mere seconds. There is absolutely no reason any citizen should ever be able to own such a weapon.
2) I’ll wager that the majority of the “gun bunnies” in the US never hunt nor engage in sport shooting: they buy guns to “defend themselves”, which means they buy guns with the objective to kill people.
3) In other parts of the world, the regulations around gun ownership are far, far stricter than in the USA.
I’m sorry to say this, but my guess is that of all the gun owners in the US, those well-thinking, peace-loving people who enjoy hunting and sport shooting are a minority. The majority is the host of angry gun bunnies who are, part unwittingly, part really eager, being recruited into a civil war by the MAGA crew.
Guns are the God of choice for repubs/MAGAts. A message to our new speaker who offered more prayers. How is that working for us? Seems to make things worse. Maybe your line is jammed, or maybe you are just depending on God the magician instead of you as a responsible human. Congressional repubs seemed to have picked the worst among you to lead. Sorry Jordan, so hard to be worst among worse.
Meanwhile, Joe and crew continue saving our arses, but the MAGAts get the headlines. Wake up MSM, war and chaos lead, but give Joe’s light a chance to shine.
Democracy is headed for the rocks without a well informed electorate. That's an individual responsibility we share as citizens, but it is also a responsibility of those who claim to report necessary news.
Or the 1970s team of Woodward and Bernstein. It's not that there is no important investigative journalism out there, but overall, it has felt different ever since media started feeding out of Ronald Reagan's hand.
Exactly, and I was dumb enough to think that they had learned from the Nixon fiasco. They just became more devious. And Reagan was a better actor than I gave him credit for. But he had Peggy Noonan for screenwriter and Michael Deaver for PR. And about that time Rupert was invited in and Walter retired. Perfect storm. Even had Reagan Democrats. Traitors on the home front...
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — 'Barely four years before a gunman’s deadly rampage in Maine, a state that is staunchly protective of gun rights, the governor signed a law aimed at preventing a mass shooting like the one Wednesday night that claimed at least 18 lives.'
'It was called a “yellow flag” law, different from the “red flag” laws cropping up in other states to seize weapons from gun owners viewed as a threat. In a sign of the pro-Second Amendment mindset in Maine, a gun-rights group helped write the law, and critics said that, while it was a first step toward stronger gun safety measures, the state could save more lives by doing more — like passing a red flag law.'
'The yellow flag law and permissive gun measures in Maine are coming under greater scrutiny in the aftermath of a massacre that authorities say was carried out by a man who was committed to a mental health facility for two weeks this past summer and had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” a military base.'
'It was not clear whether anyone had used the yellow flag law in the suspect’s case, but gun-control advocates on Thursday blamed the killings on what one called Maine’s “weak gun laws.”
'Vice President Kamala Harris said gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in the U.S. and called on Congress to pass stronger laws, including making background checks universal, passing a red flag law and banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.'
“It is a false choice to suggest we must choose between either upholding the Second Amendment or passing reasonable gun safety laws to save lives,” Harris said in a statement.'
'In recent years, anti-gun violence groups in Maine have repeatedly failed in pushing for stronger laws, even with Democratic control of the Legislature and governor’s office.
On Thursday, they vowed to try again.'
'At a minimum, the Maine Gun Safety Coalition wants the state to ban assault weapons to prevent more mass shootings, said Cam Shannon, the group’s chair.'
'Elected officials must “stop bowing to the gun lobby and look squarely at the face of what has happened in Maine’s second largest city,” Shannon said.'
'Maine is one of about 20 states that allow permitless carry — having a concealed weapon in public without a permit — and the state has a longstanding culture of gun ownership that is tied to its traditions of hunting and sport shooting.'
'Gun rights advocates have for years held up Maine as an example of a place with unrestrictive gun laws and little violent crime.'
'Wednesday night’s mass shooting is especially difficult to stomach considering the recent failures to strengthen Maine’s gun laws, said Lynn Ellis of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition.'
“It’s infuriating,” Ellis said. (AP) See link below.
I was chatting with one of the code enforcement officers in Hancock County, ME. She retired from the military and became CEO of several towns overseeing over eight thousand properties at least 20 years ago.
She told me in passing that she carries a gun with her when she goes out to meet with property owners and to inspect properties. She said that she has never had to threaten anyone but she also says there are some people that don't believe anyone should tell them what they can or can't do with their property. With or without a gun, I would never pick a fight with her. But it is so common for people to carry guns in ME that most people don't even give it a second thought. But they do now.
Republicans have had an EGO (Easing God Out) problem for decades. They have come to worshiping idols, presently in the form of a cowboy with an AR-15, rather than following the actual teachings of their professed Christian faith. The fruits of their labor are plain to see in Lewiston today.
Thank you for this very informative Newsletter. Yes the economy becomes stronger when all participate and reap the benefits and that should not be labeled Socialism but Good Governance for ALL the people. Regarding the horrendous, unforgiving issue of AR-15 semiautomatic rifles being in the hands of individuals, it is not that the ban expired, more appropriately Congress did not renew the 10 year ban. So we have our elected officials to thank for all these deadly mass shootings. The blame is on them and hopefully haunts those who opposed its renewal.
That weapon has NO BUSINESS in civilian hands, in civilian law enforcement hands, and MUST be completely described as a tactical assault weapon and for military use ONLY. Period.
Also, I had to wince at this turn of phrase: "... mass shootings took off as individual rights trumped the rights of the community." I will never ever be able to use the verb of tfg's name in a sentence again, and it's a good thing I quit playing bridge long ago.
Like others here, I too now scan for exits and possible hiding spots when I go out to public places and spaces. It is another sad and exhausting day in America with yet more families and communities devastated by senseless gun violence.
Just Janice, I'm from No Cal originally too. Now living mostly in Scotland (Scottish husband!) and it is SO liberating to be in a country with strict gun control. City or countryside, I feel safer than I ever have in my life. People can't possibly realize how pervasive and stressful the fear is until it's just not there anymore.
From another lens, I suspect the Israelis and the Palestinians live lives of stress and pervasive fear beyond what we can imagine. i am glad you have found that sense of peace that safety gives. Love Scotland.
Kathy, it's wonderful for me, but essential for the young children in our family. It is heartbreaking to me that we couldn't even consider sending them to school in the US. Scotland is gorgeous and is doing things right in a lot of ways.
Just Janice, I'm from So Ore (and to me, San Francisco is NoCal). I have avoided using that bridge term since 2016 due to its affiliation with our most recent fpotus. My life became what you describe in your last paragraph when I got into law enforcement, and has stayed with me into my 11th year of retirement. It is tragic that civilians have to have that same level of alertness that those of us in law enforcement have to utilize.
My daughter had a room mate in college from Bosnia, who grew up sleeping fully dressed in case they had to run in the night. Freedom is a matter of freedom from as well as freedom to. Those freedoms are sustained by a society's sense of membership in a civil society, with boundaries to behavior that, where necessary, law enforcement defends. Life is unpredictable enough to justify abiding vigilance, but we also need reasonably safe spaces we can just enjoy, or focus upon useful matters beyond immediate threats to our own survival. It requires a preponderantly cooperative effort.
Yes. It's bad. And yes we those metaphors are going to haunt us for a long time. It sounds like you might be watching bad metaphor crazy CNN, the chicken little/sky is falling network. Only useful during an actual emergency. Oh I almost forgot, the sky actually is falling now so...
The thing about "unalienable" human rights is that they are necessarily universal, or is not really a right, it's a privileged. And as we know, some animals regard themselves as inherently more privileged over others (i.e. supremacy); but that turns out to be the problem, not the solution. Equal protection and equal opportunity; irrespective of race, creed, or religion, no?
And if individual rights apply to All, we have a logical and just responsibility to respect the rights of ALL, which includes protecting someone's right not to be shot or otherwise exposed to unreasonable risks by other's less than responsible behaviors. That seems to me to be self-evident.
"Putting money at the 'supply side' rather than the 'demand side' would allow everyone to prosper together, they promised: a rising tide would lift all boats. They vowed to cut taxes and regulations and to restore American individualism."
There was and remains a lot of malarkey in this formula, starting with the identity of "supply" and "demand". Most people fill a dual role as workers and consumers, and collaboratively exchange what they produce to fill each other's needs. That has certainly been true in hunting and gathering societies and remains true when people labor for a wage which they use to buy goods. The supply is still the product of workers, be they managers who coordinate the creation of a complex product or the workers who ship or otherwise deliver it to be distributed. But the rewards to those who supply are not always fairly distributed, and have been less so since Republicans (with too much Democratic acquiescence) removed or sidelined the many rules and policies that in the wake of the plutocratic "Gilded Age" and "The Great Depression" delivered both economic growth and an expanding middle class. Subsequently, some of the yachts have grown into massive private ocean-liners, but many or most of the dinghies began badly leaking or are dead in the water.
Individualism? Yes we are all individuals owed certain individual rights and liberties, but we also interact and share the same planet; which means, to the extent we impact others, we share responsibilities as well. Negotiating and enforcing those responsibility is a core function of what government is all about. Those who wish to "pursue happiness", and yet reject responsibilities for substantive harms to others, are the problem, not the solution.
“A rising tide lifts all boats”… Not if some of those boats are anchored by hereditary poverty and skin colour. But cannot mention that if you want to push a doctrine that’s only good for your rich, white self…
It was what "Reaganomics" had was always aiming for.
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both” — Louis Brandeis
"This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon “moderation” in government. Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H.L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid." -Dwight Eisenhower (who either overestimated the electorate, underestimated the power of media, or both.
Another great column, but would like to add a couple remarks for context: You quote Maine Governor Janet Mills about being 'deeply saddened' by the mass shooting but do not mention that she did not support gun safety laws that might have prevented it. Mills is right that her hometown 'did not deserve this terrible assault' but she has been part of the problem. And you did not mention that the social media posts of the latest mass shooter showed admiration for Trump, Tucker Carlson and the like. Unregulated grievance-stoking viral lies and liars once again appear to have a role in inspiring murderous acts.
3rd quarter growth was reported yesterday to be 4.9%! And yet still Republicans claim the economy is terrible. They say that because in 4 years Trump’s economy never came close to that.
Everything you say is true and are results from under regulated supply side economics. The truth is a rising tide lifts the yachts, the row boats drown because they are anchored to the bottom.
The high growth and low unemployment are direct result of Biden's bottom up/middle out policies.
Since the Port Artbur massacre in April, 1996 which killed 35 people, Australia has had only a handful of multiple shootings, none of which would even qualify as a "mass shooting" in the American sense. Why? Because after Port Arthur, a national system of gun control legislation was put into effect. If Australia can do it, America can do it.
First, Aussies are far more likely to think than the average American. Part of this is because of the significant Scottish and Irish heritage which imbues doubt as part of the thinking process having been under Britain's thumb in their past.
Second, Aussies don't have the "American Cowboy" story in the minds like white Americans do.
I can't help but wonder...if Democrats suddenly came out in favor of unlimited access to guns, no gun control at all.....would Republicans then reverse themselves in a mad dash to do the opposite? Because it seems that the MAGA culture warriors go out of their way to endorse and march for whatever the Dems are against.
Thank you Dr. Richardson for this report. Kudos to Biden/Harris. Regulation, like moderation, helps everyone except extremists, be they greedy billionaires, gun nuts, or MAGA cultists. For the rest of us, having laws, rule and regulations are essential. Most Americans thrive in a well-regulated society where everybody knows what is expected of them.
My deepest sympathy to the State of Maine and the people of Lewiston. We need to take this battle directly to the people feeding this hellish trend - the manufacturers, dealers, promoters of weapons and the NRA. We will get no laws passed that will remain in force so long as the unconstitutional judges on the Federal and Supreme Courts keep shooting them down.
Without doubt, the republican members of congress will overwhelmingly send out their "heart-felt" thoughts and prayers, but that will be the extent of their "efforts". Just sound-bites for the news feeds, with no action to prevent more gun horror in this country, where the rate of gun ownership is 120.5 guns per 100 people. Something has GOT TO CHANGE!
Thank you Heather.
The extreme wealth concentration policy of the GOP is also antithetical to democracy. Extreme wealth concentration cannot co-exist with the premise of "one person, one vote". The ability to control media (thus, "Manufacturing Consent") is evidenced every day at Fox 'News' and in right-wing owned newspapers and radio across the country (having given rise to hate speech, borderline hate speech, and propaganda via Limbaugh, Jones, Carlson, Hannity, Ingraham, and others.
This concentration of wealth is also at work via the NRA, Big Oil, and Big Pharma. All extremely well-funded lobbying capability undermining any thought of gun violence protection, delaying and constraining climate action, and causing runaway costs of the American healthcare system.
This is why I always move Ronald Reagan and Milton Friedman's books in any bookstore to the "True Crime" section.
We were all distracted by the bright and shiny objects in the House Speakership circus: Matt Gaetz and his disrespect for the customs of the House by bringing down a Speaker, the right-wing awfulness of Steve Scalise, ratcheting up to the narcissism of Jim Jordan, and ending with the sad clown performance of Tom Emmer. The Republicans ultimately and UNANAMOUSLY chose the little-known, under-the-radar Mike Johnson, whose initial chief positive attribute appeared to be that he hadn’t had a personality clash with anyone in the conference.
As scrutiny has been focused on Johnson’s views, he turns out to be, in fact, the House member most aligned with the election deniers, Operation REDMAP gerrymanderers, Federalist Society judicial stackers, and Project 2025 government decimators. He rounds all 4 bases on the list for those who seek to end our democratic form of government and turn us into autocracy.
As a bonus, he also has extreme views on every social issue in the culture wars, and on economic policy and foreign policy.
Mike Johnson is a wolf in sheep’s clothing: intelligent, soft-spoken, humble, bespectacled, and with a certain bit of self-depreciation. He has an anti-Trump personality, with intelligence, vigor, and real “family values .” But he is far more amenable to grooming and understanding doctrinaire positions and crafting legislation, which makes him a huge potential asset for the oligarchs behind the former Republican party (FRP). He was primarily responsible for the Republican budget proposals in 2022, which aimed at dismantling the social safety net.
Make no mistake, Mike Johnson is on the fringe of the right-wing fringe. The question that arises in my mind is what was said in that last conference meeting that led to his election with NO dissent in the ranks and that would make EVERY member of the conference fall in line behind this extremist.
There is no question that Democrats will be using Johnson as the face of the Republican Party in every Congressional campaign in 2024 because of his extremist views. That would jeopardize the election prospects of many Republicans currently in the House. But if he glides so smoothly into his sheep’s clothing, as he did in the Hannity interview, that will be far far harder than it would have been with a Scalise or Jordan.
Perhaps that’s the reason why the 112 who opposed Jordan reversed their positions and collapsed so suddenly. Judge for yourself by watching the full Hannity interview. Know your opposition! Johnson scares me more than any other Republican out there. You should be scared of the wolf too.
https://youtu.be/_4RC8tABeMo (Hannity interview)
He is the Republican Trojan Horse. I watched the interview and he is disarming. He adopted an African-American child and speaks with compassion about the different experiences of this child and his biological child who are about the same age. But make no mistake- he is a maga extremist whose values are well to the right of Reagan. He is the friendly face of fascism- one of the principal architects of the Republican plot to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. a promoter of gun proliferation, female subservience, restigmatization of same sex relationships- all done with a friendly smile.
He didn't adopt the Black child--and it was 25 years ago--apparently it may have been a foster child who was 14 back then----Hannity was soooo scripted in asking that question and giving a very different impression...
Georgia, thanks for the link.Yes, Hannity was so scripted ! I loathe how the GOP uses adoptees as political pawns,especially when it comes to reproductive rights.
I can't watch that fraud SH for five seconds without screaming. Imagine what would happen if nobody watched that crap and everybody read Heather.
You’re right!
And Johnson sidestepped the issue of “ASSAULT” weapons and ONLY spoke of the right to bear arms; another misdirection of the TRUTH!
"Friendly Face of Fascism".
But he is a Christian! Ask him!
Great quote. Thanks!
"The friendly face of fascism." Powerful.
CINO (sin-o) Christian in name only. Can a Fascist be a Christian? I think not.
Is it Christian to want the US to be a Fascist theocracy? I think not.
Definitely a Fascist can be a Christian: Mussolini, Hitler and DeSantis all claim(ed) to be Roman Catholics.
They are Christians only in the sense that they aren't some other religion like Buddhist or Muslim.
TFFG calls himself a Republican but he shares no ideology with the FRP.
I don't believe anyone who starts a war with the sole purpose of expanding their rule or anyone with a message of cruelty and hate can be called a Christian including DeSantis and TFFG.
They fail/ed Catholic social teaching and are not representative of those social values.
The label Christian (Richard and Gary) has become completed perverted in the USA. I even hesitate, but still insist on using it when appropriate because being saved means so much love to me in my life, and the obedience to remove as much hatred as possible. I am beginning to really hate these perverters though. Arrrgghhghg!
by the way, if you haven't seen it, toward the end of his Monologue, Steven Colbert has the eloquent, serious and definitive challenge to M. Johnson...and all of us actually. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C__x_wuG8s8&ab_channel=TheLateShowwithStephenColbert
The first lie of Most Christians is posing as Christians. As with our Puritan heritage, they are Paulists.
Pay attention to their cherry-picked quotes, either from the barbarism of the Old Testament (Which Jesus was supposed to have superseded with his new covenant) or from the proselytizing of St. Paul trying to separate his Greek & Roman followers from the traditional.
You never hear quotes from Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, which concerns the life & teachings of Jesus the Christ.
You don't know about Popes Pius XI (unholy alliance with Mussolini) and Pius XII (holocaust denier)?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pope_and_Mussolini (see also https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/david-i-kertzer, and .https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Deputy)?
I don't. Thanks for the link.
My wife was an atheist long before we met. When I was researching her ancestry it turns out one of her great uncles was Pope Leo X who was one of the four Medici Popes. She's also part Shawnee and Cherokee. Her ancestry is way more interesting than mine.
Pope Leo X was a spendthrift spending funds on the arts including Rafael to paint various rooms in the Vatican.
Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII https://g.co/kgs/gHDixF
Very interesting and informative read
The history of what happened here in WWII does not speak well of the Popes and of course, lots of Christians who were not Roman Catholic aided and abetted fascists.
Gilead. Or Oceana. Anyone who has not read or watched "The Handmaid's Tale" needs to. It's as important as 1984.
Like that. American Taliban is perfect. Ready to bring down democracy!
As I have been yammering since 1994 when the Taliban (US style) gained control of Congress, they said then that their "Book" said nothing about science, so therefore, Federal tax dollars would no longer be wasted on it. USGS took the biggest hit because Stuart Udahl was Secratary of The Interior, and a geologist. 700 hundred of us had our jobs eliminated due to lack of funding and millioms upon millions of NSF grant funding $s for critical geological hazard research was wasted. I could go on and on..."The Moral Majority is Neither" bumpersticker was quite popular back then. I'll shut up.
I was in a complete spiral about it until I read Robert Hubbell today, and this article by Dennis Aftergut: Five Ways Mike Johnson Will Help Make Hakeem Jeffries Speaker in 2025. Guaranteed to bring blood pressure down to functional levels: https://verdict.justia.com/2023/10/26/five-ways-mike-johnson-will-help-make-hakeem-jeffries-speaker-in-2025
I too am bouncing back and forth between the extremes, but here's my latest thought.
I watched last night’s Hannity interview with Mike Johnson for a second time, and came away with the distinct feeling that the entire House Speaker circus was scripted to put Mike Johnson in the chair. Just as Hannity’s first questions were scripted around Johnson having had a Black {foster?) son 25 years ago to establish his Christian family values bona fides.
As Trump becomes increasingly irrational, the Heritage Foundation and their dark money sources want a fresh face for their authoritarian views and Johnson fills the bill.
My suspicion grew, especially after Hannity and Johnson agreed that the one-vote motion to vacate rule should be changed. That’s extremely convenient now that it has served its temporary purpose of removing McCarthy and setting the stage for Johnson, who is far smoother, and appears way more palatable than Trump. A new star is born.
The long game is in play with Heritage. If the Republicans lose in 2024, they will have an ideal candidate with major experience chops to go up against Kamala Harris or Hakeem Jeffries. And as OPERATION REDMAP and the stacking of the judicial system and SCOTUS prove, it is a game they know how to play very well. Johnson is extremely smart and extremely right-wing doctrinaire.
Know what’s coming. Watch the interview. You can’t afford to look away. The snippets in the news, even Politico, are misleading.
youtu.be/_4RC8tABeMo
I watched the interview....should have had a martini in hand! Sean Hannity is so depraved and so intentional on misleading questions. Hannity asking about Bidens mental state...really and Johnson has the gall to say that Biden is diminished?! Good lord because Trump is so intellectually with it?!! What concerns me is reading the comments on the Fox news page. This is a cult who follows blindly anything Fox puts out. Every comment was God bless our new Speaker, God bless Hannity, God bless the republicans and on and on. Truly sickening that Fox feeds this bs to its viewers 24/7.
Yes...the slavish affirmations (and blessings?? ick.) from the cultists are beyond sickening.
Seems like a much more thoroughly prepared campaign with a less well known candidate than David Duke, who was not prepared to get past Tim Russert.
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KjJ0mMB3uA
The shock troops provided the distractions while they were setting up what they really want, wishing they could get another super smooth talker like Ronald Reagan to get rid of the Fairness Doctrine as another ratchet step to turn back progress towards meeting our ideals.
Smooth talker, mild-mannered good guy Fascist.
Agree this was the plan all along. As he accepted the nomination, I was googling him, and turned to my partner and said “this is who they wanted all along. The extremists played the rest of the party. Clever and dangerous.”
What allied countries didnt want to meet with Biden in Europe? Per Hannity!!!
Read the comments? Lots of OMGs & god bless etc.
Thanks for this link. It does reassure.
Thanks Alexandra for link to Hubbel article and this zinger closer, Brian Johnson has...."Everything Voters Hate about the GOP "
Georgia, the more I know about him, the more I am convinced that he was their choice all along. The other candidates were just distractions. Why would Emmer exit stage left so fluidly? Why didn't the others put up more of a fight? Given Jordan's aggressive, competitive personality, why wouldn't have just gone on and on?
It's just another coup, in plain site.
You are right, we should be terrified of him and all he can weld with that gavel.
I absolutely agree. See my reply above to Alexandra...
I had the same idea when I began learning about him. I hate that my thinking process immediately leads me down into these assumptions of the worst in Republicans.
Georgia, I just started to listen to the Hannity interview. Having heard and read so much about his attachment to right wing politics, I decided I should listen to the interview myself, make up my own mind, and not be swayed by the opinions of others.
I must admit that I only made it through the first few minutes of the interview before I couldn’t stomach it any longer. His comments about the tragedy in Lewiston contained his assurance that guns don’t kill people; it’s the human heart that’s the problem. For good measure he talked about his deep compassion for the victims of the massacre and sent his prayers and those of the rest of the House to victims and their families. He assured me also that the 2nd amendment guarantees that people can keep guns for self protection and that now is not the time to talk about gun control since we are in the midst of this event in Lewiston.
I admire you and the other folks who were able to listen all the way through. I. Just. Couldn’t. Do. It.
Nor could I. Way too alarming, with absolutely nothing reassuring. Folks, do not underestimate this problem.
You have my sympathy, Sara.
The first time I sat down to watch a far-right politician, way back in 1984... I got a headache.
Headache got so bad I had to take a break.
Headache subsided and, when I came back, I was surprised to see the interview was still going on...
Now, I was curious, not in the least judgmental, I only wanted to listen to what the guy had to say... and was impressed by the brute's smooth tongue.
But two minutes back into the interview... not just headache, nausea...
*
Last time I watched a fascist speak, I lost my cool... and my blood pressure shot up to danger levels! Worse, it wouldn't come down.
I won't willingly expose myself to this poison any more.
Peter Burnett, I used to try to watch Rush Limbaugh every couple of years. I never made it very far into his program. I keep trying to see the other sides point of you but there never seems to be any civility or factual basis that I can identify with at all. it is now my opinion that there are no degrees or of racism or sexism or homophobia or… No spectrum, as it were. Fortunately, my very most basic level of cable TV does not include Fox News or anything other than a couple of networks and PBS. I am always happy to be able to tell people that no, I did not watch so-and-so because I don’t have cable.
And... I don't watch TV at all...
Nope - got through 15-20 minutes but I had already listened to his acceptance speech so wasnt terribly shocked by Hannity's version.
Between your well chosen and accurate words and those of Richard below, we all should be on high alert. Just reading these words and those of Dr.Richardson is not enough! Enlightening others is a pass it on must.
The man is a Christo-Nazi. Very polite, and evil incarnate.
Sounds even worse than Cruz...
How is that possible?
False humility into the bargain...
*
The worst of this is so many people's radical inability to distinguish genuine human beings from the fakes with basic acting skills.
Perfectly stated Georgia! I would make one change to your wording. For Johnson it would not be "autocracy" but rather "theocracy". For me, a Christian this would be the true end of my USA.
Georgia you are so spot on! I had the same thought that he is a wolf in sheeps clothing. In some ways he’s more dangerous because he looks normal, an average guy. MAGA Mike said in the Fox interview that in the wake of the Lewiston shooting that now’s not the time to discuss gun control. That it’s not the guns but the heart that’s the problem.
He has a closed mind. He causes me to remember a commercial from a while back from the United Negro College Fund, a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Thank you for ringing that warning bell so loudly and clearly. It is now up to the rest of us to sound that alarm.
Note: With great appreciation and respect for the words of others here, my comments were directed at Richard and Georgia Fisanick. For some reason they appeared somewhat out of order. Oh well. Carry on and fight the good fight all!
I think the very worst aspect of Mike Johnson is that he actually believes, sincerely, that he and the rethugs are where they are because God has ordained it. This is terrifying, because all of his publicly stated views make it abundantly clear that he is no kind of Christian at all. And yet he and his ilk hold themselves out as such, which effectively - because he is a mild-mannered and soft spoken zealot, rather than a raving zealot - encourages the RWNJs to support and vote for him. The smyler with the knife - held at democracy's throat.
I agree! The Republicans have a tremendous structural advantage in elections and the courts. Can the Democratic Party continue to overcome this disadvantage if we have a speaker and an entire legislative body, with a conservative court, willing to exercise the overturning of an election and throw the entire presidential election to the house with one vote for each state? Dems lose flat out. We will have our own Ayatollah Johnson and a Christian theocracy. We could end up looking a lot like Iran, with nukes. I’m livid about how the republicans have lifted this theocrat to Speaker. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Now Trump has in place the coup inside. No matter who gets the most votes, Johnson can hand the election to Trump and the Proud Bots with guns to back him up. How do we stop this?
The legalization of fascism.
Yes. That’s what Republican traitors need.
It is what they currently have: Supreme Court, House of Representatives, etc.
Georgia, thank you for the link to the Hannity interview. When the same legislators that voted for Johnson follow him into cutting Social Security and Medicare, I envision billboards with the slogan “(Name) voted to cut your Social Security and Medicare!”
I read the transcript of the Hannity interview because I couldn't get it out of my mind. Something was really bothering me subconsciously. As I read it I realized that not one question was asked about Trump and the primaries--the only mention of Trump was to "wind your mind back to before the pandemic" when the Trump administration had the greatest economy....
Looks to me like the dark money interests are getting ready to throw Trump under the bus. There was a lot about Santos and letting the legal system play out. So I think we are going to see the FRP go back to being the law and order party and Mike is going to be the crusader who leads the party out of the wilderness. It may take 5 years but I think that is going to be the long game. He kind of has that Clark Kent look about him...
Louisiana is 3rd lowest in rankings of quality of life for the states of the US. Of course they should provide the new speaker. Everything he espouses would reduce the quality of life for millions of Americans. There is something about his smile. Like, he's trying to look nice, but he's thinking something evil.
Excellent assessment. My blood pressure cannot tolerate the sound of Hannity's voice. Instead I listened to as much of Kelly and Mike Johnson's podcast -- Truth Be Told* -- as I could. Among his most troubling beliefs is that the United States is the only country in the world founded on a "religious statement of faith." (see https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/25/mike-johnson-speaker-house-conservative-00123680) Aside from the fact that there are several countries in the Middle East that would care to differ, his ahistorical understanding of the founders principles is astonishing given his claim to be a constitutional scholar.
*https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/truth-be-told-with-mike-kelly-johnson/id1613637836
Georgia, please post this information in a newsletter for wider access. Everything you cited is alarming but also his connection to the NRA; endorsed and supported by. His position on firearms is unequivocal. He is a monster masquerading as a religious zealot. Check out this site please.
www.americas1stfreedom.org
Thank you for your extensive and quick work.
Extreme wealth concentration cannot co-exist with the premise of "one person, one vote"
Especially when extreme concentrations of money are allowed to buy elections and legislative outcomes. Read the news with an eye to how much the thumb of massive amounts of money weighs on our political scales, and how "normalized" that has become. "Government of the people, by the people, for the people"? How much of it is and how much of it isn't? Who is "better off" after 40+ years of "Reaganomics" and who isn't?
Citizens United made sure that extreme wealth could legally have its say in politics.
"Citizens United" as and is a jaw-dropping betrayal of the foundations of democracy, equal protection, fair and free elections, and rule of law. It is as Orwellian as is its obfuscatory name.
Its say, Gary?
A push for monopoly.
Add to that the fact that greed makes men stupid.
Unmediated, sociopathic self-interest makes us greedy, cruel, and generally evil.
Monopolists and their power to buy the Republican Party (they had Democrats in their pockets in the "Gilded Age") have purchased the roll back of reforms made since. The Government broke up Standard Oil, then approved the re-conglomeration of the fragments. How many of the leading stand-alone corporations from the 1960s are now no more than owned brands of a few huge conglomerates? How much of the total market do these oligarchs control? Increasingly one-of a-kind, local businesses that I have loved, have become far less user friendly satellites of some gigantic corporate Borg.
The Orwellian Geopese phase for "pro-monopoly" is "free market", but nothing that is dominated by disproportionately powerful bullies is in any meaningful sense "free". Is not a "free country" one that defends equal rights for all? As in "all"?
It must have been a couple of decades ago that I noted in my diary:
"Greed makes men stupid.
Greed rules the world.
So, why be surprised when we're ruled by idiots?"
i.e., capitalism and democracy do not partner well.
Same with nationalism and the global economy.
Capitalism and Democracy do partner well provided there is adequate regulatory guard rails.
Yes, and the sticky part is a neutral guard rail agency. Emphasis on neutral, not bought and paid for.
Teddy Roosevelt and FDR would have disagreed.
FDR did put in regulations and guardrails that "capitalist" nuts like Milton Friedman, one of the worst economists in history, would have opposed.
The far right, who named themselves "The America First Committee" in the 1930's, was in the process of avidly supporting the German Nazi Party in America and in Germany. See Rachel Maddow's "Ultra" podcast. Those nuts absolutely thought FDR was a socialist/communist.
.....and read her new book, "Prequel". You can insert a more recent cast of characters and still have the same general story.
And tried to forcibly depose him. When my daughter was teaching in Japan, I noticed there were some elected Communists in the goverment; yet Japan is very much a free-enterprise place. What was striking was that such a party was allowed to exist. In the US, "Communist" is another name for "evil", but I seems to me that a society that chose communism of some sort could be a good neighbor, though it seems to be that communism does not scale well, and therefore invites excessive control by the state. What is execrable is any monopoly of power by the state, be it Right Wing, Left Wing, Theocratic, whatever. Government of the people, by the people, for the people seems to be a good as it gets.
I think that liberty include a right of private enterprise, but monopolies of any sort are erosive of equal rights. We were on the right track with anti-trust, rules for business, just like any other activity that impacts others, such as Glass-Steagall, and "Truth in Advertising". Ayn Randian Alan Greenspan reportedly believed financial fraud should not be illegal, which is nuts. I think of capitalism as a do fire, which is useful in many ways kept in bounds, but consumes everything in sight if not contained to reasonable limits. Some things should never for sale.
Yes, like votes, media, politicians, liberty, etc etc
"This is why I always move Ronald Reagan and Milton Friedman's books in any bookstore to the "True Crime" section." George - "spew alert!" I almost blew my morning coffee all over my screen when I read that last sentence. I couldn't agree more! Thank you.
Glad it was almost. Trickle down is horrible for society (and for your screen).
TRICKLE DOWN = SIPHON UP
You are so right George A. Polisher. Also, that is such a great idea! I will start doing the same the next time I am in a bookstore!
It is therapeutic!
Fabulous! I can't wait to go into a Barnes and Noble, now!
The US:
They are so close together here;
Democracy, anarchy and autocracy.
The towering power of money and the desperate hunger for control;
the greed and widespread varieties of need.
Exceptionalism, grievances; the growth of mental health issues,
and the rising mortality rate.
Guns, guns, guns and high capacity magazines.
The US is exploding inside.
***
GUN VIOLENCE ARCHIVE 2023
Published Date: October 26, 2023
'TOTAL NUMBER of GUN VIOLENCE DEATHS of all causes in US in 2023: 35,383'
“Manufactured Consent”. First time I have heard that. Brilliant and concise definition of propaganda. Moving books? Civil Disobedience in action
The interconnection of Government Policy direction and benefits to society (as opposed to that of the ‘individual’) provides a clear differentiation between Liberal Social Safety Nets/equality of opportunity, and that of Conservative strong arm tactics paid for by the elite class using propaganda against the average citizen to win their support of this would be ruling class
The psychology of this mass brainwashing is evil in its complexity
Dr Richardson does yeomen’s work in seeking to break down cause and effect into a clearer understanding of the difference between a socially conscience America and the Myth of Rugged Individualism
Thank you Dave. And “Manufacturing Consent” is a term I first heard when reading Noam’s book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12617.Manufacturing_Consent
Rugged or not, ultra-individualism has a very special property: it so atomizes society that it is like an acid bath in which to dispose of the body politic.
Breaking Bad, huh?
This myth of the cowboy is propaganda.
Sure, Kathy, but Marlboro Man didn't just burst into being out of nothing.
Long before the NRA began
"weaponizing" America (yes, THAT word) Hollywood was feeding us "Shane", "Gunfight at OK Corral" and not just heroes and heroines -- Annie Get Your Gun -- but mythological weapons. So I grew up with the likes of "Colt 45" and "Winchester 73"...
And Coors Light
If you’re not moving the books by Clinton and Krugman to that section, then you’re doing profiling police work, instead of consistently applying the law. Clinton lapped up Friedman with a spoon, and it took Krugman a decade to admit Naomi Klein was right after initially dissing ‘The Shock Doctrine’.
Until the Democrats come clean about their complicity in this ongoing horror show, we’ll continue to circle the drain and be ripe for strongman fascism; we’re already living under, as you noted, corporate fascism, and the seeds of Christian fascism have been flowering since the Moral Majority days. A fascism trifecta, as it were.
Biden is own goaling, losing Muslim votes by the day as Palestinians are slaughtered by U.S.-funded weapons; but hey, it’s not like he really needs swing states like Michigan, right? Amy Klobuchar is pleading with Jeff Bezos to censor Rumble and Substack; but not Heather of course, just the ‘bad’ Substack crowd. A selective First Amendment, if you will.
We’ve been riding this lesser evil voting train since Reagan; Bob Dole is the end of the world, no Bush is, no McCain is because Palin, no…. and here we are.
Fox sucks, but sycophants lap it up when MSNBC Maddow says the Russians are taking control of the Vermont energy grid, or Chris Hayes says Trump got peed on in Moscow, or Joy Reid hints Putin has his claws in Bernie Sanders. The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!
Meanwhile, the dwindling real left in this country, the activists who are organizing and in the streets on issues like Medicare For All, student debt, and currently, Palestinian lives, are dissed and marginalized by the Democratic Party establishment and politicians. Just wait, be patient, we’ve got to save democracy first, here, have a crumb, and don’t you dare think about sitting this election out, I, and my corporate donors, need your vote. Messaging.
The ratchet effect is real. The drift rightward will continue, because until the Democratic Party comes clean and fully renounces its own brand of corporate ownership, the votes from the currently apathetic registered Dems and non-voters it needs to break the ping-pong voting paradigm of ‘we need a change because government isn’t working’ will remain locked away.
But hey, how about that new iPhone, huh?
George, I love the idea of moving Milton Friedman’s book; the economists that I know personally detest him.
It makes sense. Friedman was a propagandist for the wealthy. Not a real economist.
Representative Johnson has been working hard to shape Louisiana to his vision of how America should look for as long as he has held office. Jefferies gave a great speech, but Republicans have been setting all this but for a long time. Ugh.
I love and appreciate your non-violent protest: “This is why I always move Ronald Reagan and Milton Friedman's books in any bookstore to the "True Crime" section.”
I love that you do that with the books!! :D
Criminals to crime section...great idea! The power of suggestion.
Thanks Heather and was especially impressed with your NPR interview on the 24th. I wish every Democrat messaged as clearly as you. The Democrats are so poor at messaging in my opinion the only places I hear advocacy for the Biden Administration is your letters , Robert Hubble and Joyce Vance. Democrats should be reading you and messaging everyday. The GOP and it’s backers have created hell on earth and will continue to do so.
Consider a listen to Brian Tyler Cohen.
He is great, especially his interviews!
Thanks!
He’s good!!
Apologies for the long post, but this is from an email from Jennifer Rubin-
Subscriber-only Edition
This week, I’ll look at evolving coverage of President Biden, pick the pol of the week and share something off the (political) beaten path.
What caught my eye
Until recently, the gulf between President Biden’s performance in office and the coverage of his presidency was as vast as it has been in any modern presidency. Biden has steered the country out of a recession and pandemic, gotten through a slew of critical legislation (some bipartisan), avoided a default on the debt, set the stage for about 14 million new jobs and overseen a resurgence of manufacturing. Internationally, he has restored the United States’ image and solidified and expanded NATO in defense of Ukraine. Nevertheless, mainstream media coverage has been incessantly negative, dwelling on fears of recession, pointing to failure to “unite the country” (as if unity were possible in the MAGA era), obsessing over premature polling of dubious value and regurgitating MAGA talking points about his age.
Jon Allsop at the Columbia Journalism Review captured the cycle of negativity that has distorted coverage of Biden. “If Republicans are pushing a But her emails! media strategy in an attempt to tar Biden, the primary motivation, as I see it, is to foster cynicism; the aim is not a false equivalence that equally apportions credit, but one that conveys a sense that everyone in politics is just as old, just as corrupt, just as bad as each other, and that consequently, integrity doesn’t really matter and anything goes,” he wrote. “Journalists who indulge this effort can convince themselves that they’re only asking questions, or covering what voters think or what politicians are saying.” He added, “It’s the logical endpoint of a media ecosystem that approaches every story through the prism of elections — an approach that has always been cynical itself.” And worse, it legitimizes unacceptable Republican behavior and distorts the threat MAGA forces pose to democracy.
Then came the horrific pogrom in Israel in which Hamas murdered at least 1,400 men, women and children and kidnapped about 220. Biden stepped into the role of consoler-in-chief for American and Israeli Jews, distinguished between the Palestinian people and Hamas terrorists, negotiated privately with Israel to allow humanitarian aid to get through to Gaza and, in an impressive Oval Office address, explained why supporting Israel and Ukraine against barbarism is essential to our own security.
Now, the media declares Biden has reached an “inflection point.” Politico, in keeping with its habit of turning every event into a content-neutral political horserace, declared that Biden’s allies are “leery of appearing to politicize the Middle East crisis” but “see the opportunity presented by an unexpected crisis to feature Biden’s strengths.” Actually, the voices quoted simply reaffirm their belief he is doing an impressive job, defying critics’ characterization of him. (Sen. Christopher A. Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, said, “This is a real leader, and I think the American people are not ready to retreat from the world.”) Politico, not Biden allies, is framing this in political terms.
The report asserts that “the Biden team appears to be betting that the new war between Israelis and Palestinians could be a kind of tipping point” but cited no sources. Again, without sourcing, the report proclaimed that “the 80-year-old Biden is trying to change the narrative on what has become his biggest liability, his age.” Perhaps his recent trip to Israel was no different from his wartime journey to Ukraine. It might just be that Biden’s performance has been consistent, but the media only now grudgingly acknowledges what has been in front of their noses. (The Post’s Dan Balz presented a spin-free account of recent events: “a case study in the value of experience, expertise and preparation when the unexpected happens.”)
In short, Biden’s accomplishments are now too obvious to ignore. If the Israel-Gaza war becomes an inflection point for the media, it will be long overdue.
Fabulous!
From the Big Tent event Katie Couric appeared as 'media light' with Heather. I was disappointed in Heather not having a more serious partner in the discussion.
Agree, Frankom. Heather did a great push-back on Katie's protection of the media not covering Biden in a more positive light. As I remember it, she reminded Katie that she herself has been able to maintain a following of several million people in the wake of her own news about what Biden has accomplished for the American people.
Exactly. Immediately after the million people comment from Heather made Katie made a shallow gesture about news needing to be exciting . I cannot recall exact wording. I felt badly for Heather it was as if she were speaking with a shallow separated from real life ‘big media’ representative. Robert Hubbell would have been so much better! .
Yes, Frankom! IMO, Katie was way out of her league in this interview.
Soooooooo out!
Frankom, how can I listen to the interview? I searched for it online but couldn't find anything. Do you by chance have a link? Thanking you in advance--
Hey, Carolyn. The Big Tent interview was on Zoom on October 25. At the end, they said it was recorded and those that were part of the Zoom would be sent the recording. Interesting to note, Heather drew thousands and thousands of people to this event. Both Katie and the moderator (can't remember her name, sorry!) were so impressed about that.
I will keep this page open today. If I receive the recording from them, I will post it here for you.
Here you go, Carolyn!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ4jjwsKfY8
Here's the audio version:
https://bigtentnews.substack.com/p/bigtent-podcast-heather-cox-richardson?r=e8bhr&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web#details
Jennifer Rubin of the WAPO, Robert Reich, Georgia Fisanick and others here on Substack, Dana Milbank on WAPO. Ezra Klein has an excellent pod cast.
But compared to Fox and the constant attacks on the Democrats they are often drowned out by the attacks and denials of the far-right.
You too have a voice. You can call or write your local or national politicians as often as you have time.
I've begged Susan Collins to switch parties on numerous occasions. She has never responded to that request, but she has responded to other emails. She did not respond when I called her out for voting for the sexual predator Kavanaugh.
The USPS service (oxymoron alert) is abysmal in Maine. She often writes letters to DeJoy and his underlings complaining about how awful they have become.
I have never liked Collins. She is disingenuous with her comments. Typically she comes out initially with a statement in favor of certain a Democrat sponsored bill but when it comes time to vote on it she falls in line with the rest of the republicans and votes against it. She was one of the women Senators who rushed to push Al Franken out.
Did you see her spiel in Lewiston? She was disgusting.
You mean Collins, right? I could only stomach part of it. My evil neighbor Leonard Leo in Northeast Harbor (actually I'm about 30 minutes away) raised enough outside money for her to get reelected. She so needs to go as does the evil Leonard Leo.
Total agreement here, Mr. Loft. When she won against Sara Gideon with all the money Collins spent on those ads with Bill Green (who has since admitted that he got such blowback from those ads that helped Collins win, that he will never venture into political advocacy again--to which I say: GOOD) and all the money she got from Lennie's fundraiser in NE Hahbah...I damn near cried. Of course, Sara didn't make campaigning for her easy, either.
Yeah the Collins campaign was definitely nervous. The outside money paid for all of the mud-slinging ads against Sara which is so Republican.
I hadn't heard that about Bill Green and the blowback. I'm so glad. I've got to admit, he is revered in ME and I think his ads made the difference between Collins getting enough votes to avoid RCV. I'm not sure if Sara would have won the RCV but it would have been a good kick in the pants for Collins.
Sara did really well for someone without a lot of name recognition I thought.
Since the election I've stepped up my emails to Collins. At one point she told me to contact one of her staff instead of her (ha ha). I think I touched a nerve.
I agree--those ads definitely put Collins over the top and I was very disappointed in him, as I felt as well-known as he is, he should have refrained from coming in on either side. Considering the very low blow that Collins lobbed at Gideon--that she was from "away" *gasp*--as though most of our newest and most productive folks aren't from someplace else. I told people: hey, she and her family have CHOSEN to live here--isn't that a good sign? And tbh, ALL of us who live are "from away" originally.
I thought she did well, but got some very bad advice about how to handle some of the adverse stuff that got thrown at her.
Ugh...Leo🤬🤬
Speaking of messaging, have any HCR readers assessed the impact of 4.9 % economic growth on the budget deficit and debt? Presumably, the growth leads to greater tax revenues that at some point reduce deficit spending ... a good message.
Christopher, who explains the legal issues, cases, subpoenas, roles of prosecutors, judges, defendants and their lawyers' moves and motions, etc., in plain English from her long experience and skill with clarity, humor, warmth and generosity; Joyce Vance is a master; no one does it better!
Link on Christopher and LFAAers who are not familiar with Civil Discourse by Joyce Vance.
https://open.substack.com/pub/joycevance/p/cooperation-vs-immunity?r=dvi9g&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Watch the Meidas Touch and Legal AF and affliates for more info.
Check out Simon Rosenberg, many others.
Thank you Heather. Biden-Harris have done well by us. I was struck by the apology and statement by the Maine legislator. I hope he carries through with his commitment.
I hope his constituents are watching.
Yes, we were. Jared is the Rep for my district and I am so pleased that he came right out and said what he did. It may cost him votes because CD2 is VERY rural and Mainers do love their guns--but mostly for hunting (for which the AR-15 is definitely NOT suited) and varmint control.
I don't think there's a Republican in ME that can beat Jared at this point. Poliquin is a such a sleaze as is LePage. Just the fact that LePage moved to FL and came back to run for Governor again didn't sit well with the voters. Who else do they have?
I've written Jared about his stance on guns and the Ellsworth American has called him out in their editorials on his stance on guns. I was glad to see him come out but unfortunately after such a horrific event.
So I hope...but the R's will certainly try.
Professor Richardson: I hope you and your family are well and safe.
Some things in life are really simple. What do you need to sell guns? You cannot sell them to well-thinking, peaceloving citizens. No, to sell guns, you need angry citizens. Simple as that. So: divide them in good (white, “hard-working”) and bad (black, female, “lazy”, liberal snowflake, “expecting hand-outs”), and there you go. And who could be better at stoking dissent and keeping people angry than, yup, the Orange Blob. No wonder the Republican party, who are well-paid by the NRA, endorsed him (and for the most part, still do)…
Nailed it, Dutch Mike. 100%.
But I would have said hardworking white MEN.
Yeah, you’re right.
Lots of well-thinking, peace-loving people hunt and enjoy sport shooting. Not just in the USA, but around the world. Yet the USA is the outlier with regard to gun deaths.
And why would that be?
1) an AR-15 is not a hunting weapon, nor a sports weapon, it is designed to kill lots of people in mere seconds. There is absolutely no reason any citizen should ever be able to own such a weapon.
2) I’ll wager that the majority of the “gun bunnies” in the US never hunt nor engage in sport shooting: they buy guns to “defend themselves”, which means they buy guns with the objective to kill people.
3) In other parts of the world, the regulations around gun ownership are far, far stricter than in the USA.
I’m sorry to say this, but my guess is that of all the gun owners in the US, those well-thinking, peace-loving people who enjoy hunting and sport shooting are a minority. The majority is the host of angry gun bunnies who are, part unwittingly, part really eager, being recruited into a civil war by the MAGA crew.
And the NRA was and is well paid by Russia.
If that is true, they have all the more reason to combat democracy wherever they can…
Yup! Nailed!!!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/10/26/gun-violence-authoritarianism-normalization/
Guns are the God of choice for repubs/MAGAts. A message to our new speaker who offered more prayers. How is that working for us? Seems to make things worse. Maybe your line is jammed, or maybe you are just depending on God the magician instead of you as a responsible human. Congressional repubs seemed to have picked the worst among you to lead. Sorry Jordan, so hard to be worst among worse.
Meanwhile, Joe and crew continue saving our arses, but the MAGAts get the headlines. Wake up MSM, war and chaos lead, but give Joe’s light a chance to shine.
Democracy is headed for the rocks without a well informed electorate. That's an individual responsibility we share as citizens, but it is also a responsibility of those who claim to report necessary news.
Necessary news - how that has changed in my adulthood? Now it seems to include Jersey Shore, Dancing with the idiots, etc. where is Walter?
Or the 1970s team of Woodward and Bernstein. It's not that there is no important investigative journalism out there, but overall, it has felt different ever since media started feeding out of Ronald Reagan's hand.
Exactly, and I was dumb enough to think that they had learned from the Nixon fiasco. They just became more devious. And Reagan was a better actor than I gave him credit for. But he had Peggy Noonan for screenwriter and Michael Deaver for PR. And about that time Rupert was invited in and Walter retired. Perfect storm. Even had Reagan Democrats. Traitors on the home front...
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — 'Barely four years before a gunman’s deadly rampage in Maine, a state that is staunchly protective of gun rights, the governor signed a law aimed at preventing a mass shooting like the one Wednesday night that claimed at least 18 lives.'
'It was called a “yellow flag” law, different from the “red flag” laws cropping up in other states to seize weapons from gun owners viewed as a threat. In a sign of the pro-Second Amendment mindset in Maine, a gun-rights group helped write the law, and critics said that, while it was a first step toward stronger gun safety measures, the state could save more lives by doing more — like passing a red flag law.'
'The yellow flag law and permissive gun measures in Maine are coming under greater scrutiny in the aftermath of a massacre that authorities say was carried out by a man who was committed to a mental health facility for two weeks this past summer and had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” a military base.'
'It was not clear whether anyone had used the yellow flag law in the suspect’s case, but gun-control advocates on Thursday blamed the killings on what one called Maine’s “weak gun laws.”
'Vice President Kamala Harris said gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in the U.S. and called on Congress to pass stronger laws, including making background checks universal, passing a red flag law and banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.'
“It is a false choice to suggest we must choose between either upholding the Second Amendment or passing reasonable gun safety laws to save lives,” Harris said in a statement.'
'In recent years, anti-gun violence groups in Maine have repeatedly failed in pushing for stronger laws, even with Democratic control of the Legislature and governor’s office.
On Thursday, they vowed to try again.'
'At a minimum, the Maine Gun Safety Coalition wants the state to ban assault weapons to prevent more mass shootings, said Cam Shannon, the group’s chair.'
'Elected officials must “stop bowing to the gun lobby and look squarely at the face of what has happened in Maine’s second largest city,” Shannon said.'
'Maine is one of about 20 states that allow permitless carry — having a concealed weapon in public without a permit — and the state has a longstanding culture of gun ownership that is tied to its traditions of hunting and sport shooting.'
'Gun rights advocates have for years held up Maine as an example of a place with unrestrictive gun laws and little violent crime.'
'Wednesday night’s mass shooting is especially difficult to stomach considering the recent failures to strengthen Maine’s gun laws, said Lynn Ellis of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition.'
“It’s infuriating,” Ellis said. (AP) See link below.
https://apnews.com/article/gun-control-lewiston-maine-shooting-c0ea366da50bd9d9dd4fb1aac256c049
Thank you Fern. ❤️🙏😢
For all here who aren’t aware, Moms Demand Action are worthy of whatever support is possible.
https://momsdemandaction.org/
Well done FERN ... Lots of protein.
Thank you, Bryan Sean McKown. I know how necessary it is to have
enough protein.
Thanks for sharing Fern.
I was chatting with one of the code enforcement officers in Hancock County, ME. She retired from the military and became CEO of several towns overseeing over eight thousand properties at least 20 years ago.
She told me in passing that she carries a gun with her when she goes out to meet with property owners and to inspect properties. She said that she has never had to threaten anyone but she also says there are some people that don't believe anyone should tell them what they can or can't do with their property. With or without a gun, I would never pick a fight with her. But it is so common for people to carry guns in ME that most people don't even give it a second thought. But they do now.
Heaven forbid Card strikes again or a copycat.
A false choice, is there anything else with repubs, Kamala?
Republicans have had an EGO (Easing God Out) problem for decades. They have come to worshiping idols, presently in the form of a cowboy with an AR-15, rather than following the actual teachings of their professed Christian faith. The fruits of their labor are plain to see in Lewiston today.
True, couldn’t find any evidence of God with a microscope.
Another book to put into the queue. On one particular house of worship:
https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/the-chris-hedges-report-show-with-444?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=778851&post_id=138320419&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=eov1&utm_medium=email#details
The MSM is not going to wake up; the owners have been clinging to their pillows for too long.
Sad but true
Preamble requirement #3
Insure domestic tranquility
GOP - do your job - Damn It!
Absolutely, on the whole damn mission statement, and all the rest, including "to ourselves and our Posterity".
Thank you for this very informative Newsletter. Yes the economy becomes stronger when all participate and reap the benefits and that should not be labeled Socialism but Good Governance for ALL the people. Regarding the horrendous, unforgiving issue of AR-15 semiautomatic rifles being in the hands of individuals, it is not that the ban expired, more appropriately Congress did not renew the 10 year ban. So we have our elected officials to thank for all these deadly mass shootings. The blame is on them and hopefully haunts those who opposed its renewal.
Haunting only works if there is a conscience
And they only thing they halfway understand is being defeated, trounced, thoroughly. Up to us.
It gets worse: https://www.businessinsider.com/gun-sold-to-civilians-sig-sauer-mcx-spear-2022-7?op=1
https://www.thedailybeast.com/sig-sauers-mcx-spear-can-turbocharge-mass-shooters?via=twitter_page
That weapon has NO BUSINESS in civilian hands, in civilian law enforcement hands, and MUST be completely described as a tactical assault weapon and for military use ONLY. Period.
It is evident that the 2nd Amendment is not meant so that childish adults can play soldier.
It's TFG ... The F***ing GUNS.
Also, I had to wince at this turn of phrase: "... mass shootings took off as individual rights trumped the rights of the community." I will never ever be able to use the verb of tfg's name in a sentence again, and it's a good thing I quit playing bridge long ago.
Like others here, I too now scan for exits and possible hiding spots when I go out to public places and spaces. It is another sad and exhausting day in America with yet more families and communities devastated by senseless gun violence.
Just Janice, I'm from No Cal originally too. Now living mostly in Scotland (Scottish husband!) and it is SO liberating to be in a country with strict gun control. City or countryside, I feel safer than I ever have in my life. People can't possibly realize how pervasive and stressful the fear is until it's just not there anymore.
From another lens, I suspect the Israelis and the Palestinians live lives of stress and pervasive fear beyond what we can imagine. i am glad you have found that sense of peace that safety gives. Love Scotland.
Kathy, it's wonderful for me, but essential for the young children in our family. It is heartbreaking to me that we couldn't even consider sending them to school in the US. Scotland is gorgeous and is doing things right in a lot of ways.
I have the same reaction to that “trigger” word.
There's a reason behind using "trigger" in that nomenclature.
Just Janice, I'm from So Ore (and to me, San Francisco is NoCal). I have avoided using that bridge term since 2016 due to its affiliation with our most recent fpotus. My life became what you describe in your last paragraph when I got into law enforcement, and has stayed with me into my 11th year of retirement. It is tragic that civilians have to have that same level of alertness that those of us in law enforcement have to utilize.
My daughter had a room mate in college from Bosnia, who grew up sleeping fully dressed in case they had to run in the night. Freedom is a matter of freedom from as well as freedom to. Those freedoms are sustained by a society's sense of membership in a civil society, with boundaries to behavior that, where necessary, law enforcement defends. Life is unpredictable enough to justify abiding vigilance, but we also need reasonably safe spaces we can just enjoy, or focus upon useful matters beyond immediate threats to our own survival. It requires a preponderantly cooperative effort.
Yes. It's bad. And yes we those metaphors are going to haunt us for a long time. It sounds like you might be watching bad metaphor crazy CNN, the chicken little/sky is falling network. Only useful during an actual emergency. Oh I almost forgot, the sky actually is falling now so...
The thing about "unalienable" human rights is that they are necessarily universal, or is not really a right, it's a privileged. And as we know, some animals regard themselves as inherently more privileged over others (i.e. supremacy); but that turns out to be the problem, not the solution. Equal protection and equal opportunity; irrespective of race, creed, or religion, no?
And if individual rights apply to All, we have a logical and just responsibility to respect the rights of ALL, which includes protecting someone's right not to be shot or otherwise exposed to unreasonable risks by other's less than responsible behaviors. That seems to me to be self-evident.
"Putting money at the 'supply side' rather than the 'demand side' would allow everyone to prosper together, they promised: a rising tide would lift all boats. They vowed to cut taxes and regulations and to restore American individualism."
There was and remains a lot of malarkey in this formula, starting with the identity of "supply" and "demand". Most people fill a dual role as workers and consumers, and collaboratively exchange what they produce to fill each other's needs. That has certainly been true in hunting and gathering societies and remains true when people labor for a wage which they use to buy goods. The supply is still the product of workers, be they managers who coordinate the creation of a complex product or the workers who ship or otherwise deliver it to be distributed. But the rewards to those who supply are not always fairly distributed, and have been less so since Republicans (with too much Democratic acquiescence) removed or sidelined the many rules and policies that in the wake of the plutocratic "Gilded Age" and "The Great Depression" delivered both economic growth and an expanding middle class. Subsequently, some of the yachts have grown into massive private ocean-liners, but many or most of the dinghies began badly leaking or are dead in the water.
Individualism? Yes we are all individuals owed certain individual rights and liberties, but we also interact and share the same planet; which means, to the extent we impact others, we share responsibilities as well. Negotiating and enforcing those responsibility is a core function of what government is all about. Those who wish to "pursue happiness", and yet reject responsibilities for substantive harms to others, are the problem, not the solution.
“A rising tide lifts all boats”… Not if some of those boats are anchored by hereditary poverty and skin colour. But cannot mention that if you want to push a doctrine that’s only good for your rich, white self…
Heather's tie to the sea.........loved it.
Yes. And I would add that we are in a new Guilded Age. Exhibit A: Our Orange ex Presidiot now getting fitted for his orange jumpsuit.
It was what "Reaganomics" had was always aiming for.
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both” — Louis Brandeis
"This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon “moderation” in government. Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H.L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid." -Dwight Eisenhower (who either overestimated the electorate, underestimated the power of media, or both.
Another great column, but would like to add a couple remarks for context: You quote Maine Governor Janet Mills about being 'deeply saddened' by the mass shooting but do not mention that she did not support gun safety laws that might have prevented it. Mills is right that her hometown 'did not deserve this terrible assault' but she has been part of the problem. And you did not mention that the social media posts of the latest mass shooter showed admiration for Trump, Tucker Carlson and the like. Unregulated grievance-stoking viral lies and liars once again appear to have a role in inspiring murderous acts.
Especially when the murderous listener is schizophrenic.
3rd quarter growth was reported yesterday to be 4.9%! And yet still Republicans claim the economy is terrible. They say that because in 4 years Trump’s economy never came close to that.
For wealthy republicans and corporations they think the economy is terrible because:
-Perhaps they will have to pay their fair share in taxes
-Perhaps instead of making 400% MORE than the workers they will have to pay the workers more
-Perhaps drug companies will have to charge less for lifesaving drugs
-Perhaps hospitals will need to actually charge reasonable rates instead of being just for profit
-Perhaps banks will actually have to pay interest on the "loans" we give them by keeping our money there so they can use it.
There is more that can be added to this, for all, please feel free to add.
Everything you say is true and are results from under regulated supply side economics. The truth is a rising tide lifts the yachts, the row boats drown because they are anchored to the bottom.
The high growth and low unemployment are direct result of Biden's bottom up/middle out policies.
Mentally Republicans live in a Looking Glass universe, in which whatever they say is pretty much the exact opposite of what it actually is.
Projection is propaganda also.
Thanks again JL. And our fine example? See Exhibit A above.
Since the Port Artbur massacre in April, 1996 which killed 35 people, Australia has had only a handful of multiple shootings, none of which would even qualify as a "mass shooting" in the American sense. Why? Because after Port Arthur, a national system of gun control legislation was put into effect. If Australia can do it, America can do it.
"If Australia can do it, America can do it."
First, Aussies are far more likely to think than the average American. Part of this is because of the significant Scottish and Irish heritage which imbues doubt as part of the thinking process having been under Britain's thumb in their past.
Second, Aussies don't have the "American Cowboy" story in the minds like white Americans do.
Third, Americans, many of them, are just dumb.
I can't help but wonder...if Democrats suddenly came out in favor of unlimited access to guns, no gun control at all.....would Republicans then reverse themselves in a mad dash to do the opposite? Because it seems that the MAGA culture warriors go out of their way to endorse and march for whatever the Dems are against.
Just kidding. Sort of.
Obama successfully used reverse psychology on the GOP on multiple ocassions. Yes, they are that stupid.
IT’S THE GUNS. PERIOD.
Thank you Dr. Richardson for this report. Kudos to Biden/Harris. Regulation, like moderation, helps everyone except extremists, be they greedy billionaires, gun nuts, or MAGA cultists. For the rest of us, having laws, rule and regulations are essential. Most Americans thrive in a well-regulated society where everybody knows what is expected of them.
My deepest sympathy to the State of Maine and the people of Lewiston. We need to take this battle directly to the people feeding this hellish trend - the manufacturers, dealers, promoters of weapons and the NRA. We will get no laws passed that will remain in force so long as the unconstitutional judges on the Federal and Supreme Courts keep shooting them down.
Without doubt, the republican members of congress will overwhelmingly send out their "heart-felt" thoughts and prayers, but that will be the extent of their "efforts". Just sound-bites for the news feeds, with no action to prevent more gun horror in this country, where the rate of gun ownership is 120.5 guns per 100 people. Something has GOT TO CHANGE!