When rejecting further negotiation with Pelosi, Trump said he had made a "generous" proposal. The use of that word is a clue to Trump's view of himself as some liege lord who is offering largesse to his subjects. It is ironic that he thinks using taxpayer money to support taxpayers is generous given that he doesn't pay any taxes. The end of his "dynasty" can't come soon enough.
Thank you, Heather, for all your efforts in keeping us informed! This edition gives me hope for the future.
This is what a President of the United States sounds like:
“Today we are engaged once again in a battle for the soul of the nation,” Biden said. “After all that America has accomplished, after all the years we have stood as a beacon of light to the world, it cannot be that here and now, in 2020, we will allow government of the people, by the people, and for the people to perish from this earth.
“You and I are part of a great covenant, a common story of divisions overcome and of hope renewed," he said. "If we do our part, if we stand together, if we keep faith with the past and with each other, then the divisions of our time can give way to the dreams of a brighter, better, future.”
And this: “Think about what it takes for a Black person to love America. That is a deep love for this country that for far too long we have never fully recognized.”
This sentence has reverberated with me since he spoke it. Over the past 6 months I have delved into books about the history and experience of Black people since the discovery of sugar. I could (and will continue) to read everything that sheds light on the ever pervasive shadow on humanity. How naive I was. How ashamed I feel. My biggest regret is that at 69 I have so little time left to work to correct this horrible injustice and my own ignorance for all these years.
I do feel a glimmer of hope after reading your letter Heather. And that’s a new sentiment after 3 years of deepening despair.
I hope that as we awaken to the resuscitation that Joe Biden’s election surely will be, that you will help steer us to the ways we can pick up the pieces and rebuild what Lincoln foresaw as the world we could have. Thank you for your wisdom, passion, and leadership.
Excellent point. I’ve been part of working not to have trump re-elected but I can’t stop there. I must help rebuild. I hadn’t consciously thought of that. Thanks.
I have read many books on slavery and race. I actually had to stop reading The Half That Has Never Been Told about cotton slavery. It was so terrible, I couldn't stomach what I was reading. One of my favorite books about the Civil War, slavery, and race is Saving Savannah which discusses that city pre, during, and post Civil War (the War of Northern Aggression as we learned we when visited there). I also recommend The New Jim Crow on how the drug wars impacted the Black community.
The other name for the Civil War down here, in addition to "The War of Northern/Yankee Aggression", is "The Late Unpleasantness". There's something so polite and genteel about that which, in a way, encapsulates the post-war Southern mentality. It is also highly ironic. Living down here and growing up as a "Son of the South", I have a very real love/hate relationship with this region. We are pretty unique, in both good and bad ways. Studying it is quite fascinating, and I still enjoy exploring this region, but we can never ignore the less savory parts of that history. We must face them and own up to them.
Yes, our guide told to about the The Late Unpleasantness. We also had an elderly docent who spoke as if the Civil War had ended the week before. It was election 2008 and we were in Charleston when Obama won.
Oh yeah. You can still find that. I heartily recommend Rick Bragg's book "All Over But the Shoutin'" if you've not read it. Bragg is a fave of mine and his books on the South are excellent. This one is about how some areas of the South seem to think, like my dad used to say, "they didn't lose the war...they're still just waitin' for ammunition..." The war is still very real for some. Weird after 160 years.
LEADERSHIP - it isn’t hard. But not everyone is cut out for it. I’ve always thought Biden could hold a crowd with encouraging and engaging words. Will he be the best president ever? Who knows . . .Of course he has a speech writer and who cares. The fact that a speech was written to communicate Biden’s feeling for the country AND THAT HE DELIVERED the speech rather than tossing a word salad for 75 minutes that has no beginning, middle, end or punctuation, shows that he is country over party.
He could be great but it will take a concerted effort by him and the Democratic Party to maintain focus and not give in to watered-down compromises in the name of "civility" or "bipartisanship." Indeed, their first obligation is to carry on the campaign to build BIGGER majorities (assuming we do get another Blue Wave) in both houses of Congress which will bring forth media-amplified Republican whining about partisanship.
Too, the news media will need to be brought to heel. Their old themes of Republican fortitude and Democratic fecklessness have to go in the fire. Let there be no more reflexive referrals to Gym Jordan or Lindsey Graham by the Sunday Morning pundits. The network news shows should be able to say when it's raining without caring what Dick Cheney thinks of the weather. It shouldn't be just left side bloggers that denounce the racism of Hannity, Carlson, and Ingraham. That needs to come from us as well as the elected officials who represent us.
Reading today’s Letter, and in other moments when evidence of Trump’s pernicious behavior fills the news, I am reminded of Adam Schiff’s concluding remarks at the Senate trial of Donald Trump, remarks that fell on deaf ears as the Republicans, with one exception, voted to acquit.
“If the truth doesn’t matter, we’re lost. The framers couldn’t protect us from ourselves, if right and truth don’t matter. And you know that what he did was not right. That’s what they do in the old country, that Colonel Vindman’s father came from. Or the old country that my great grandfather came from, or the old countries that your ancestors came from, or maybe you came from. But here, right is supposed to matter. It’s what’s made us the greatest nation on earth. No constitution can protect us, if right doesn’t matter any more. And you know you can’t trust this President to do what’s right for this country. You can trust he will do what’s right for Donald Trump. He’ll do it now. He’s done it before. He’ll do it for the next several months. He’ll do it in the election if he’s allowed to. This is why if you find him guilty, you must find that he should be removed. Because right matters. Because right matters and the truth matters. Otherwise, we are lost.”
Adam Schiff
Friday, January 24, 2020
Donald Trump is a fraud as are the Republicans who supported him then and continue to support him to this day. The tide appears to be turning, and I am encouraged. I am encouraged because it is becoming clearer each day that this man and his enablers will finally receive the inglorious mandate they so richly deserve: You fired – please remove your personal items from the premises as you leave.
Thank you, R. Dooley, for this reminder. At the time I thought Adam Schiff's words would move the Senate to vote to indict. I was sorely mistaken. Perhaps now Rep Schiff will finally be heard.
I think often of Rep. Schiff's closing argument - he was completely right about everything and the GOP may finally be paying the price for their weakness and mendacity over these four+ years
Let’s ship him his personal items. I say he is simply escorted out. There are no personal items that he could leave behind that would be useful to anyone. Other than his Russia “notes”book.
Actually, no, they may not personally remove anything. Their personal items will be packed up by whatever security agency does that sort of thing and dumped on the steps of Trump's monstrous DC hotel.
I was thinking that Amy Coney Barrett should withdraw or decline her nomination, especially if she is as Christian as she seems to be. Her presence will continue to cause infections and eventually deaths from hearings, meetings, and demonstrations (both pro and con) in the next few weeks. Even from a selfish point of view, her reputation as a juror will always be tainted by having been pushed forward by Trump.
I agree. After seeing all of the pictures in the NY Times of the after party of her official nomination I wondered how she felt about masks and how her actions and the actions of others she associates with affect their decisions. It was clear that the people at the ceremony and the party after did not have a care in the world about Coronavirus and that the carelessness was not based on science or good decisions. How are we supposed to have any confidence in a Supreme Court like that? I hope that question comes up during her confirmation hearings.
Republicans don't care how they get on the bench. Case in point Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh. She knows once she has been appointed to the Supreme Court nothing will matter.
True, unfortunately. My thought is that Ofmitch should decline as taking this seat would mark her forever. After all, she's already got a lifetime gig as an appellate judge. Truth, though, is that she's more of a right-bent politician than she is a jurist.
Even though People of Praise has scrubbed her from their website, the ties are still there. Creepily enough in their 2010 directory of states, she held the title of "handmaid"...........
If she does, I’ll eat a cotton ball. I have no idea why that is my version of eating crow. But honestly, she is power over everything. Not a chance she will withdraw. Although I agree she should withdraw, she is a distraction for the GOP. She could also call for an extension to the confirmation hearing in light of the outbreak at the White House. But it takes Moral courage to do such a thing.
Just tell everyone you know, Republican or Democrat, to watch Michael Hayden on Twitter or the Republicans Against Trump ad. It is arguably the most moving and powerful political endorsement this year.
Thank you for always including Biden. I hope more journalists will notice he is not just a backdrop for Trump's antics but a critical part of this story. His speech yesterday was inspiring and full of hope.
Whether it's the steroids or all on his own, it appears Trump is having a mental breakdown. His grip on reality, always tenuous, seems to have snapped. How obvious, or oblivious, will it have to get before VP Pence, AG Barr, and congressional Republicans led by McConnell, all of whom are now scheming how each can come out ahead, get together to invoke the 25th Amendment? All were hoping, I'm sure, that Trump would at least make it through the election. To remove him before the election would be political suicide for most Republicans running on Nov. 3; and by god don't they deserve it. All of it. Especially McConnell.
All those White House and West Wing staffers working at home are polishing their resumes and wondering who is going to stab whom (I'm old school) in the back on the way out.
Thanks again, HCR. I read you first every morning.
I have been so appalled at the failure of major US media to cover anything beyond Trump's folly (whichever side they are on) to nit-picking irrelevant detail, that I've turned to foreign media and little local papers and stations for news about what else is going on in the USA. I got the initial news about the hurricane from NOAA, and following it on a little Louisiana station, who of course has a high interest in where that hurricane goes.
It's worth watching the Hasan Minhaj series (Netflix, "Patriot Act") on why our newspapers are failing and why local news is so important. The jokes are bad, but the facts he gathers are reliable. https://www.netflix.com/watch/81240932?trackId=200257859
Thanks! We've actually dodged a bullet. Delta veered a bit so it's pushed a little further east. Oh yeah, loud is right. I lived in Jupiter, FL for Andrew. I thought a freight train was running through the house and that was north of the direct hit by a good bit.
Funny, I live about 45 miles from D.C. so get the news from D.C. affiliates. Obviously they cover national news/politics but we get news of weather (weather is a big deal for us!) as well as local stories surrounding the District, Maryland and Virginia.
I asked a friend this morning if Trump will have to blow something up - literally - to get the supine GOP to act. They are like zombies! I've never seen anything like it in this country.
Republicans are caught. If they depose Trump, it will depress their base as they will be seen as traitors to "the cause." If they don't, the looming economic disaster may be threatening enough to drive independents and not-batshit-crazy republicans into Biden's camp. I'm sure that's why Biden is now leaning on his moderate bona fides.
It is time to invoke the 25th amendment at least temporarily while DT is still in the throws of COVID-19. He's on too many drugs with side effects that can alter one's mental state. I was on steroids for two weeks before back surgery and I could not stop talking! It was funny to me and my friends. It isn't so funny when the guy is already mentally unstable and has the nuclear codes.
It would seem that the American people are in the proverbial "eye of the storm"; a telling moment in which there is a semblance of calm while all around nature is exacting a terrible vengeance. The storm however is starting to collapse under its own weight and to dissipate as it consume's its own energy trying to maintain the fear that it once inspired and shore up the idea that it is actually going somewhere. There is a new "high pressure system" on the horizen bringing back much healthier, predictable and clement times and pushing the foul weather into oblivion..
Boy oh boy Stuart if you perceive there to be a semblance of calm I'd hate to see what chaos is! But no, you're right. The potential for total upheaval is very real and imminent; Trump is really piling it on right now though I think the events of the last week or so have been an eye opener for some of the fence sitters. I hope more follow suit.
It seems to me that it's a moment when every "spectator" is holding his/her breath. The world is waiting to see if he will collapse from the bug and all will fall apart.
Difficult to know at this point what they would offer odds on; there are so many possible combinations. On Pence taking over because of illness or "worse"? If it wasn't for Pelosi, I think Trump would have him shot first before allowing such an inglorious final act. Resignation with pardon and legal expenses covered...ok!
On trump winning the election they could if they only take money from his "diehards" as otherwise, even at 10 to 1 against, just think of the massive payouts to Biden supporters! There might be profit in taking bets on who will try to take over from after he is locked up...hoping for "the king is dead, long live the king" .
We'll know when he starts talking to trees. It's a pretty close comparaison for the wives that's for sure! Caroline of Brunswick was as vulgar. In the meantime beware of the Prince regent. I don't think there is a William Pitt Snr to hold the "royal" ship together.
Beautifully put. I hope Americans know this year, more than ever, that dreadful feeling of being in the eye, that anxiety of waiting, can be softened by one thing: being involved. As HCR said in her H & P chat yesterday: do whatever you can, attach yourself to a campaign, sure, but also -- help people get to the polls by babysitting, making dinner for them, walk their dog while they vote.
While reading today’s news summary, I am almost embarrassed to say that, by the time I was finished, I had tears of joy in my eyes, and cautious feelings of hope in my heart.
Me, too, but I will not let down my guard. There's no telling what shenanigans he has left...assuming Covid doesn't sideline him for a bit. And, someone should take his phone away. The tweets are never-ending, and some becoming more and more bizarre.
From the White House we are beginning to see corona justice. In parenting children, it's called "natural consequences."
Statistically, given the COVID-19 mortality rate of 3-4%, some of trump's super-spreader event attendees are going to prove trump dead wrong when he said, “Don’t be afraid of Covid.”
Thank you for putting this together so brilliantly. I so appreciate your work and reading the thoughtful intelligent comments. Although still weary and concerned, I am deeply grateful for the wise hope.
"Deputy press secretary Brian Morganstern told NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly that the White House still does not require masks because “everyone needs to take personal responsibility.”"
Everyone needs to take personal responsibility? Coming from ANYONE from Donald "I don't take responsibility at all" Trump's White House? WOW!
"On October 7th, 2016, we heard these words (grab them by the pussy highlights) Two weeks later, the Republicans engineered another accusation about Clinton and her e-mails, which our media fell for, suppressing democratic votes. Be aware that the Republicans and the Russians would love to do this again and be ver wary of any late-arriving smears against Joe Biden or his family. This is America, and we won't be fooled again!"
Maybe Trump's manic tweets last night were an anniversary nod of sorts. Naw, that would require him to keep up with this crap, and we know he doesn't - he just goes from one train wreck to the next.
Thanks, Dr. Richardson. I got to listen to the last few minutes of Biden's address yesterday, and was totally inspired by his words. Then watched him sprint up the rise as he left the area! Please, major networks, make Biden part of the major news every day, and make it equal coverage. I realize he isn't the president...yet...but he will be, and that should deserve coverage. I'm sick to death of Trump's ranting and showboating and all the minions who suck up the air behind him. Please...let's get this over with!
When rejecting further negotiation with Pelosi, Trump said he had made a "generous" proposal. The use of that word is a clue to Trump's view of himself as some liege lord who is offering largesse to his subjects. It is ironic that he thinks using taxpayer money to support taxpayers is generous given that he doesn't pay any taxes. The end of his "dynasty" can't come soon enough.
Thank you, Heather, for all your efforts in keeping us informed! This edition gives me hope for the future.
This is what a President of the United States sounds like:
“Today we are engaged once again in a battle for the soul of the nation,” Biden said. “After all that America has accomplished, after all the years we have stood as a beacon of light to the world, it cannot be that here and now, in 2020, we will allow government of the people, by the people, and for the people to perish from this earth.
“You and I are part of a great covenant, a common story of divisions overcome and of hope renewed," he said. "If we do our part, if we stand together, if we keep faith with the past and with each other, then the divisions of our time can give way to the dreams of a brighter, better, future.”
And this: “Think about what it takes for a Black person to love America. That is a deep love for this country that for far too long we have never fully recognized.”
This sentence has reverberated with me since he spoke it. Over the past 6 months I have delved into books about the history and experience of Black people since the discovery of sugar. I could (and will continue) to read everything that sheds light on the ever pervasive shadow on humanity. How naive I was. How ashamed I feel. My biggest regret is that at 69 I have so little time left to work to correct this horrible injustice and my own ignorance for all these years.
I do feel a glimmer of hope after reading your letter Heather. And that’s a new sentiment after 3 years of deepening despair.
I hope that as we awaken to the resuscitation that Joe Biden’s election surely will be, that you will help steer us to the ways we can pick up the pieces and rebuild what Lincoln foresaw as the world we could have. Thank you for your wisdom, passion, and leadership.
Excellent point. I’ve been part of working not to have trump re-elected but I can’t stop there. I must help rebuild. I hadn’t consciously thought of that. Thanks.
Cynthia, what you said rings too true for way too many of us. And you said it beautifully and eloquently. Thank you.
I have read many books on slavery and race. I actually had to stop reading The Half That Has Never Been Told about cotton slavery. It was so terrible, I couldn't stomach what I was reading. One of my favorite books about the Civil War, slavery, and race is Saving Savannah which discusses that city pre, during, and post Civil War (the War of Northern Aggression as we learned we when visited there). I also recommend The New Jim Crow on how the drug wars impacted the Black community.
The other name for the Civil War down here, in addition to "The War of Northern/Yankee Aggression", is "The Late Unpleasantness". There's something so polite and genteel about that which, in a way, encapsulates the post-war Southern mentality. It is also highly ironic. Living down here and growing up as a "Son of the South", I have a very real love/hate relationship with this region. We are pretty unique, in both good and bad ways. Studying it is quite fascinating, and I still enjoy exploring this region, but we can never ignore the less savory parts of that history. We must face them and own up to them.
Yes, our guide told to about the The Late Unpleasantness. We also had an elderly docent who spoke as if the Civil War had ended the week before. It was election 2008 and we were in Charleston when Obama won.
Oh yeah. You can still find that. I heartily recommend Rick Bragg's book "All Over But the Shoutin'" if you've not read it. Bragg is a fave of mine and his books on the South are excellent. This one is about how some areas of the South seem to think, like my dad used to say, "they didn't lose the war...they're still just waitin' for ammunition..." The war is still very real for some. Weird after 160 years.
I can’t wait read that! A really great book was ‘The History of Sugar’. It’s a quick read and life changing!
I feel much the same and I'm a decade older! Let us persevere together to make amends.
Yes! The Grey Panthers Comeback!
Cynthia, I wrote you a reply to this and it went poof! before I could post it. I wish I remember what I said!
That just endears you to me more!
I like your call to the grey panthers!
I’m with you!!!!
Indeed.
LEADERSHIP - it isn’t hard. But not everyone is cut out for it. I’ve always thought Biden could hold a crowd with encouraging and engaging words. Will he be the best president ever? Who knows . . .Of course he has a speech writer and who cares. The fact that a speech was written to communicate Biden’s feeling for the country AND THAT HE DELIVERED the speech rather than tossing a word salad for 75 minutes that has no beginning, middle, end or punctuation, shows that he is country over party.
He could be great but it will take a concerted effort by him and the Democratic Party to maintain focus and not give in to watered-down compromises in the name of "civility" or "bipartisanship." Indeed, their first obligation is to carry on the campaign to build BIGGER majorities (assuming we do get another Blue Wave) in both houses of Congress which will bring forth media-amplified Republican whining about partisanship.
Too, the news media will need to be brought to heel. Their old themes of Republican fortitude and Democratic fecklessness have to go in the fire. Let there be no more reflexive referrals to Gym Jordan or Lindsey Graham by the Sunday Morning pundits. The network news shows should be able to say when it's raining without caring what Dick Cheney thinks of the weather. It shouldn't be just left side bloggers that denounce the racism of Hannity, Carlson, and Ingraham. That needs to come from us as well as the elected officials who represent us.
Thank you, Professor Richardson for all you do.
Reading today’s Letter, and in other moments when evidence of Trump’s pernicious behavior fills the news, I am reminded of Adam Schiff’s concluding remarks at the Senate trial of Donald Trump, remarks that fell on deaf ears as the Republicans, with one exception, voted to acquit.
“If the truth doesn’t matter, we’re lost. The framers couldn’t protect us from ourselves, if right and truth don’t matter. And you know that what he did was not right. That’s what they do in the old country, that Colonel Vindman’s father came from. Or the old country that my great grandfather came from, or the old countries that your ancestors came from, or maybe you came from. But here, right is supposed to matter. It’s what’s made us the greatest nation on earth. No constitution can protect us, if right doesn’t matter any more. And you know you can’t trust this President to do what’s right for this country. You can trust he will do what’s right for Donald Trump. He’ll do it now. He’s done it before. He’ll do it for the next several months. He’ll do it in the election if he’s allowed to. This is why if you find him guilty, you must find that he should be removed. Because right matters. Because right matters and the truth matters. Otherwise, we are lost.”
Adam Schiff
Friday, January 24, 2020
Donald Trump is a fraud as are the Republicans who supported him then and continue to support him to this day. The tide appears to be turning, and I am encouraged. I am encouraged because it is becoming clearer each day that this man and his enablers will finally receive the inglorious mandate they so richly deserve: You fired – please remove your personal items from the premises as you leave.
Thank you, R. Dooley, for this reminder. At the time I thought Adam Schiff's words would move the Senate to vote to indict. I was sorely mistaken. Perhaps now Rep Schiff will finally be heard.
I think often of Rep. Schiff's closing argument - he was completely right about everything and the GOP may finally be paying the price for their weakness and mendacity over these four+ years
Let’s ship him his personal items. I say he is simply escorted out. There are no personal items that he could leave behind that would be useful to anyone. Other than his Russia “notes”book.
He’s not literate enough to even have that.
Actually, no, they may not personally remove anything. Their personal items will be packed up by whatever security agency does that sort of thing and dumped on the steps of Trump's monstrous DC hotel.
And under guard preferrably!
I would not be surprised if it came to that.
I was thinking that Amy Coney Barrett should withdraw or decline her nomination, especially if she is as Christian as she seems to be. Her presence will continue to cause infections and eventually deaths from hearings, meetings, and demonstrations (both pro and con) in the next few weeks. Even from a selfish point of view, her reputation as a juror will always be tainted by having been pushed forward by Trump.
I agree. After seeing all of the pictures in the NY Times of the after party of her official nomination I wondered how she felt about masks and how her actions and the actions of others she associates with affect their decisions. It was clear that the people at the ceremony and the party after did not have a care in the world about Coronavirus and that the carelessness was not based on science or good decisions. How are we supposed to have any confidence in a Supreme Court like that? I hope that question comes up during her confirmation hearings.
Excellent point, Robert!
Republicans don't care how they get on the bench. Case in point Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh. She knows once she has been appointed to the Supreme Court nothing will matter.
True, unfortunately. My thought is that Ofmitch should decline as taking this seat would mark her forever. After all, she's already got a lifetime gig as an appellate judge. Truth, though, is that she's more of a right-bent politician than she is a jurist.
She may be derailed yet. Washington Post has a piece about her much deeper involvement with People of Praise than she let on. https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/amy-coney-barrett-people-of-praise/2020/10/06/5f497d8c-0781-11eb-859b-f9c27abe638d_story.html
Even though People of Praise has scrubbed her from their website, the ties are still there. Creepily enough in their 2010 directory of states, she held the title of "handmaid"...........
Well done. I thought Ofmitch was a typo before I made the handmaid connection :)
If she does, I’ll eat a cotton ball. I have no idea why that is my version of eating crow. But honestly, she is power over everything. Not a chance she will withdraw. Although I agree she should withdraw, she is a distraction for the GOP. She could also call for an extension to the confirmation hearing in light of the outbreak at the White House. But it takes Moral courage to do such a thing.
Just tell everyone you know, Republican or Democrat, to watch Michael Hayden on Twitter or the Republicans Against Trump ad. It is arguably the most moving and powerful political endorsement this year.
Forty years in the military, CIA, and NSA under Bush, and Gen. Hayden concludes, "Biden is a good man. Donald Trump is not."
Very powerful endorsement. You are right - everyone must see this.
Agreed.
Thank you for always including Biden. I hope more journalists will notice he is not just a backdrop for Trump's antics but a critical part of this story. His speech yesterday was inspiring and full of hope.
Whether it's the steroids or all on his own, it appears Trump is having a mental breakdown. His grip on reality, always tenuous, seems to have snapped. How obvious, or oblivious, will it have to get before VP Pence, AG Barr, and congressional Republicans led by McConnell, all of whom are now scheming how each can come out ahead, get together to invoke the 25th Amendment? All were hoping, I'm sure, that Trump would at least make it through the election. To remove him before the election would be political suicide for most Republicans running on Nov. 3; and by god don't they deserve it. All of it. Especially McConnell.
All those White House and West Wing staffers working at home are polishing their resumes and wondering who is going to stab whom (I'm old school) in the back on the way out.
Thanks again, HCR. I read you first every morning.
BTW, there is a major hurricane two days away from hitting the Louisiana/Mississippi Gulf coast.
I have been so appalled at the failure of major US media to cover anything beyond Trump's folly (whichever side they are on) to nit-picking irrelevant detail, that I've turned to foreign media and little local papers and stations for news about what else is going on in the USA. I got the initial news about the hurricane from NOAA, and following it on a little Louisiana station, who of course has a high interest in where that hurricane goes.
It's worth watching the Hasan Minhaj series (Netflix, "Patriot Act") on why our newspapers are failing and why local news is so important. The jokes are bad, but the facts he gathers are reliable. https://www.netflix.com/watch/81240932?trackId=200257859
That’s great. Read local newspapers. 👍
Thankfully, foreign media, Reuters, AP all feature stories outside of Trump.
Yes, we here on the Yucatan Peninsula are battening down the hatches. There are actually 2 coming your way, Gamma and Delta.
Hope you are all safe and will be okay there
Yes, indeed. Stay safe!
Stay safe!
I'm hoping you'll all be safe. Wear ear plugs, they are so loud!
Thanks! We've actually dodged a bullet. Delta veered a bit so it's pushed a little further east. Oh yeah, loud is right. I lived in Jupiter, FL for Andrew. I thought a freight train was running through the house and that was north of the direct hit by a good bit.
Funny, I live about 45 miles from D.C. so get the news from D.C. affiliates. Obviously they cover national news/politics but we get news of weather (weather is a big deal for us!) as well as local stories surrounding the District, Maryland and Virginia.
I asked a friend this morning if Trump will have to blow something up - literally - to get the supine GOP to act. They are like zombies! I've never seen anything like it in this country.
Republicans are caught. If they depose Trump, it will depress their base as they will be seen as traitors to "the cause." If they don't, the looming economic disaster may be threatening enough to drive independents and not-batshit-crazy republicans into Biden's camp. I'm sure that's why Biden is now leaning on his moderate bona fides.
It appears not-batshit-crazy Republicans are already in Biden’s camp.
It is time to invoke the 25th amendment at least temporarily while DT is still in the throws of COVID-19. He's on too many drugs with side effects that can alter one's mental state. I was on steroids for two weeks before back surgery and I could not stop talking! It was funny to me and my friends. It isn't so funny when the guy is already mentally unstable and has the nuclear codes.
It would seem that the American people are in the proverbial "eye of the storm"; a telling moment in which there is a semblance of calm while all around nature is exacting a terrible vengeance. The storm however is starting to collapse under its own weight and to dissipate as it consume's its own energy trying to maintain the fear that it once inspired and shore up the idea that it is actually going somewhere. There is a new "high pressure system" on the horizen bringing back much healthier, predictable and clement times and pushing the foul weather into oblivion..
Boy oh boy Stuart if you perceive there to be a semblance of calm I'd hate to see what chaos is! But no, you're right. The potential for total upheaval is very real and imminent; Trump is really piling it on right now though I think the events of the last week or so have been an eye opener for some of the fence sitters. I hope more follow suit.
It seems to me that it's a moment when every "spectator" is holding his/her breath. The world is waiting to see if he will collapse from the bug and all will fall apart.
The oddsmakers are having a field day, I'm sure!
Difficult to know at this point what they would offer odds on; there are so many possible combinations. On Pence taking over because of illness or "worse"? If it wasn't for Pelosi, I think Trump would have him shot first before allowing such an inglorious final act. Resignation with pardon and legal expenses covered...ok!
On trump winning the election they could if they only take money from his "diehards" as otherwise, even at 10 to 1 against, just think of the massive payouts to Biden supporters! There might be profit in taking bets on who will try to take over from after he is locked up...hoping for "the king is dead, long live the king" .
My immediate visual is that he has turned into a King...King George III who may or may not have gone mad.
We'll know when he starts talking to trees. It's a pretty close comparaison for the wives that's for sure! Caroline of Brunswick was as vulgar. In the meantime beware of the Prince regent. I don't think there is a William Pitt Snr to hold the "royal" ship together.
Stuart, I think Twitter may be his "tress"...
“I will kill your friends and family to remind you of my love”.
Yep.
Beautifully put. I hope Americans know this year, more than ever, that dreadful feeling of being in the eye, that anxiety of waiting, can be softened by one thing: being involved. As HCR said in her H & P chat yesterday: do whatever you can, attach yourself to a campaign, sure, but also -- help people get to the polls by babysitting, making dinner for them, walk their dog while they vote.
Love this analogy, especially the "high pressure system" swooping down to clear the air of darkness.
While reading today’s news summary, I am almost embarrassed to say that, by the time I was finished, I had tears of joy in my eyes, and cautious feelings of hope in my heart.
Me, too, but I will not let down my guard. There's no telling what shenanigans he has left...assuming Covid doesn't sideline him for a bit. And, someone should take his phone away. The tweets are never-ending, and some becoming more and more bizarre.
Indeed. Stay vigilant!
I felt the exact same way
Me too!
From the White House we are beginning to see corona justice. In parenting children, it's called "natural consequences."
Statistically, given the COVID-19 mortality rate of 3-4%, some of trump's super-spreader event attendees are going to prove trump dead wrong when he said, “Don’t be afraid of Covid.”
“Dead wrong.” Hah.
Thank you for putting this together so brilliantly. I so appreciate your work and reading the thoughtful intelligent comments. Although still weary and concerned, I am deeply grateful for the wise hope.
"Deputy press secretary Brian Morganstern told NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly that the White House still does not require masks because “everyone needs to take personal responsibility.”"
Everyone needs to take personal responsibility? Coming from ANYONE from Donald "I don't take responsibility at all" Trump's White House? WOW!
Everyone needs to take personal responsibility = let them eat cake!
Also it’s becoming clearer Rosenstein was a double agent
On target observations.
Never underestimate the power of voter suppression. This is far from over.
True. Was reminded earlier that this is the same point when, in 2016, the Access Hollywood tapes came out. We CANNOT be complacent!
That would make a great ad in and of itself...
"On October 7th, 2016, we heard these words (grab them by the pussy highlights) Two weeks later, the Republicans engineered another accusation about Clinton and her e-mails, which our media fell for, suppressing democratic votes. Be aware that the Republicans and the Russians would love to do this again and be ver wary of any late-arriving smears against Joe Biden or his family. This is America, and we won't be fooled again!"
Maybe Trump's manic tweets last night were an anniversary nod of sorts. Naw, that would require him to keep up with this crap, and we know he doesn't - he just goes from one train wreck to the next.
I wonder how many of the Gold Star families are positive now, adding to those 34 cases. Without contact tracing, we will never know.
I find it ironic there was any kind of event at which trump was present to honor Gold Star families considering his despicable treatment of the Khans.
That is a dreadful thought.
I thought this, too, and it's terrible how they put so many people at risk every day
Thanks, Dr. Richardson. I got to listen to the last few minutes of Biden's address yesterday, and was totally inspired by his words. Then watched him sprint up the rise as he left the area! Please, major networks, make Biden part of the major news every day, and make it equal coverage. I realize he isn't the president...yet...but he will be, and that should deserve coverage. I'm sick to death of Trump's ranting and showboating and all the minions who suck up the air behind him. Please...let's get this over with!
While the transcript is nice, the visual of Biden's delivery of those words was powerful. CSPAN to the rescue.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?476667-1/joe-biden-appeals-unity-bipartisanship-gettysburg-address
Thank you, Andrew! Thank you CSPAN! The visual was indeed powerful!