Great newsletter, Robert! I really really like this format. We gotta hit the R’s where it hurts and I don’t care if it’s below the belt. They have disrupted our lives long enough and as far as I am concerned, they are all low hanging fruit-balls! As for Trump, he keeps losing and losing and losing. In fact, he is one big fat LOSER.
It was the last night of Chanukkah and my concerns are still with the hostages as well as the health and well-being of the Palestinians. May a miracle happen.
"It was the last night of Chanukkah and my concerns are still with the hostages as well as the health and well-being of the Palestinians. May a miracle happen."
That's why it's so heartening to see Jamie Raskin (who wasn't deterred by the CHEAP shots the GOP took at him) and Sheldon Whitehouse take a stand against them.
This is all great but the people who NEED to READ this information about rethugs corruption aren’t the ones reading it! They even argue about proven facts, so why would they believe ‘anything bad’?.
(don’t mean to sound argumentative, just frustrated).
While I have the floor-why do these criminals continue to be permitted to appeal, appeal,appeal, over and over! GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!
Continue to show the outrage and concurrently get the message to those who are still out there willing to listen. Make 2024 a great year for America. Vote and get out the vote.
Bullies, the lot of them. I share this personal story to point out why you take a knife along with the charcuterie board.
There was a bully at my son’s school, he turned out to be a dark and dangerous human. He did not understand talk, discussion… collaboration. He spoke only one language which was an unpleasant mishegas of vulgar, and mean lingo (stay with me- I know it sounds like I’m describing trump but that’s not where I’m going with this).
All the moms had heard horror stories about this kid. Everyone was involved from Police to Child Services, etcetera, you did not want to know him, or him to know you (Seriously he sent grown up teachers to the hospital). Not till he targeted my son did I pay close attention to this bad kid.
My kid never complained - came home bloody- not a word. I asked ‘around’ and found out the bully was after him.
I circled around him at the park, came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. In the only language that he understood I told him ‘you touch my kid and I will end you’. I used every vulgar word that I knew. I’m not proud of it but I can tell you that this dangerous, troubled soul left our sphere immediately. Never heard of him again.
You fight. You speak their language. You bring a knife and a big stick.
Yes, as a mother you did what needed to be done to protect your child. In doing so, perhaps you helped another child to understand that there are consequences to actions.
My mother often prattled “Two wrongs don’t make a right,” so I stewed about it for years.
Finally, it hit me: In practice, adherence to that maxim allows the aggressor (who commits the first wrong) to carry on without (retaliatory) punishment.
Oh my GAWD, Michael! I never questioned mummy (she was a force), and here we are… you have lifted the hood up on this one. While two wrongs don’t make a right, still, allowing the aggressor – who commits the first wrong, gets to carry on. Huh. I’m in agreement with you. Fighting back is retaliatory and isn’t it the only way for accountability? Maybe there are other ways but doing nothing isn’t one of them.
We don’t need to leave it up to the Democratic Party to produce effective messaging. We progressive activists can do that perfectly well.
This includes letters to the editor, comments and feedback to journalists and news outlets, public demonstrations, such as the waving of Ukrainian flags that we saw last week on a bridge to Portland, and efforts by organizations like MoveOn.org, Indivisible, DemCast, and many others.
As Robert does, and Alexander Vindman, and Heather Cox Richardson, and Joyce Vance, and others do:
“If you don’t like the news, go out and make some of your own.“ Wes Nisker
I’m done leaving it up to Democrats to be solely responsible for winning this fight.
As someone else mentioned above, Professor Richardson has a different take in her letter this morning on the Comer story in particular and the media coverage in general. She feels a corner has been turned in terms of the media no longer looking the other way on Republican hypocrisy. At least in regards to Comer, it appears she is right. Do a Google search on “Comer shell company,” and a half dozen pieces come up, including angry denials from Comer himself indicating a defensive posture.
As a lifelong student of history, I enjoy it when the good Professor frames her letters in a historical context. In this case, she alludes to the turn of the tide in the 1870s when journalists, known as the muckrakers, began to turn on the wealthy elite and ushered in an era of progressivism. I’m not sure it’s a direct parallel, but there are similarities in the last ten days or so; the media has seemed to have changed tacks on how it covers Republican dysfunction and hypocrisy. It’s not always as easy to find as the Comer story is, but it is there, and the change is palpable.
I say all this to acknowledge that Robert was right a few weeks ago when he suggested that we pressure the media to report current events fairly. It would seem to be working, at least to a degree, and we should keep it up. The Muckrakers of the late nineteenth century let their conscience guide them, but that's not our reality. Instead, money directs our media, and we are its consumers. We do have a voice, and there is evidence that they hear us. Keep it up.
I agree, but I think there are other factors here. The first is to determine whether it’s part of a pattern. I’m not sure, but there is evidence that it might be. At about the time that you and other voices started calling the media out, the coverage subtly shifted. Whether that was people paying attention and writing news media to hold them accountable or if it changed as we get closer to the election, I don’t know.
The second thing is that stories like this early in an election tend to be noticed by political campaigns and put aside until they need them. Later, they're brought up at opportune times, and some of the same media that covered them initially pick the story back up. My political mentor called them “back pocket ammo.”
I don't know what this means, but I have felt a shift recently, and Professor Richardson’s letter rang true to me. How much of an analog to the muckrakers remains to be seen.
One of the best college survey courses I was required to take in college was the history of American Journalism. The muckrakers changed the course of history. Politico’s recent work to uncover Clarence Thomas’s corruption was classic muckraker journalism, as is AP’s piece yesterday on Comer’s shell company ownership. We need much more of this - just overtake the media with facts about the lies and corruption among MAGA politicians. May I suggest a deep dive into Matt Goetz? Jim Jordan? Paul Rand? Ted Cruz? Please!
(And Democrats should also be concerned, Menendez should damn well resign. Out with corruption. Time to govern, not grift)
I just did a google search, 9 stories, not counting some reported more than once. Even, The New Republic. Good to see a Republican on the road to Humiliation.
The other night on PBS Newshour Lisa Desjardins reported on Hunter Biden story. She led with his defying subpoena, faintly mentioning later that he agrees to testify in public. She then showed a clip of Jim Jordan railing about Hunter’s “defying” subpoena & never mentioned Jordan’s defying Jan6 committee subpoena. I sent her a tweet saying I thought this was journalistically irresponsible.
She has been among the (many) disappointing journalists during the Trump era - her (apparent) attempts to be balanced are ineffective against the tide of lies, distortions and projections from Republicans.
I imagine you got no reply. At a Biden fundraiser in Boston 2 weeks ago there were large pro-Palestinian protests. Two Boston Globe journalists covered it - atrociously I might add. They quoted at length a protester saying Biden had blood on his hands, was responsible for deaths of babies etc etc. No question from the reporters as to whether the protesters knew of Biden's increasing pressuring of Israel. Then, an interview with a nursing student, (this one is rich) saying that Biden was a disappointment and had not met her expectations --- again - no follow up question - 'do you know how hard he has tried to get student loan forgiveness and how the republicans and the right wing supreme court have thwarted every attempt? I wrote to them - NO REPLY
I sympathize with your viewpoint, but I’m not sure the journalists’ job is to debate with interviewees, rather than draw them out as objectively as possible.
During the last few nights, my recollection was that the PBS Newshour was straightforward, essentially sympathetic to Hunter Biden’s demand that he be permitted to testify *in public*, not behind closed doors (as Comer, Jordan, et al. Are trying to enforce).
For people who think you don't use "combative metaphors" in politics: here's your Earth shoes, the Chardonnay and Brie are over on the table, and your Volvo is parked outside. Go take a ride.
As someone who was involved in professional politics, it IS combat, and if you don't like that, go play tiddly-winks.
The difference is between then and now, is that then both sides knew the things you couldn't agree to and didn't do. There was a certain honor between the warriors.
There are two ways of thinking about politics: it is the art of the possible or, in Orwellian terms, it is "war minus the shooting." I prefer the art of the possible but at times (like now) it sure feels like George Orwell's description of "sport" is more applicable. Example A: Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian question.
This is, indeed, a fight. A fight for our lives, and a democratic, not autocratic, government in this country. Rights are being stripped from the LGBTQI+ community, women, immigrants...the list is unfortunately getting longer. This is NOT 1933 Germany, and we need to continue to fight on every front.
To some of us Jews it does feel like Germany...neo-Nazis marching in front of synagogues, bomb threats to synagogues, some people calling for boycotts of Jewish businesses, county commissioners afraid to display a Menorah publicly...
...I'm talking about Missoula, Montana....fyi, a lot of Yellowstone is filmed here.
The Good News: There's a larger than life Menorah at the County Fairgrounds in the busiest intersection of Missoula, We've had public lighting of menorahs, on a busy highway RV park a large menorah was displayed. The vandalism that the county commissioners feared did not happen. We are not hiding.
My heart is with Israel and the Palestinians. Yes, antisemitism is on the rise. Women's rights are being eviscerated. The LGBTQI+ community is rapidly losing any rights they acquired. It is frightening, and we need to continue to FIGHT.
Yes, I do not disagree with you that women and LGBTQ+ rights are being eviscerated. But, Jews, who were in the front lines of the fight for women's rights and LGBTQ+ are being villainized. I have been to Jewish Gay Weddings. There are gay Rabbis.
Yesterday, there were bomb scares all over the state of Montana. Mostly in the schools. One was for the reform synagogue here in Missoula. That's just down the hill from me. Masked up Neo-Nazis have paraded in front of the synagogue. We have had anti-Semitic flyers dumped all over town for years. The Kaiman, the University of Montana newpaper, printed an op ed piece 30 years ago that the Holocaust never occurred.
Nothing new here.
While Palestinians deserve some heart, yes they are human, my concern right now is for myself and my neighbors. If I'm a target this affects my neighbors on my street who are Catholic, Evangelical, and general Christian. I hire their kids who are ultra responsible to do my yard work. They are all great people. What is being lost is seeing the humanity in "the other."
As a non theist, I believe that everyone has the right to practice their chosen religion without harm. I have a problem with religion when it is used to shape policies and laws. As someone who is Jewish, of course you are more focused on threats to your freedom to practice your religion freely. I have a LGBTQI+ child who has been subjected to horrible verbal abuse and threats. The amount of hate and animosity out there for anyone who is not a straight, white, Christian male is horrifying. I also am seeing an increase of hate towards people of color, and the indigenous population. I think we are seeing different types of hate in different parts of the country. The fact that our SJC is a right, Christian vessel now is a huge problem. The bible is not a directive, and SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE has been forgotten.
A few years ago a woman came to my door with a petition. It was about having to use bathrooms assigned to your sex at birth. I pointed to the bathroom on the landing saying any of my guests can use that bathroom. There are no signs on it. She said "you don't get it." My response was "you don't get it."
Thank you. People who expend the energy on things that don't really matter irk me. For the record, it's not all white, straight males. But the majority of violent attacks, especially shootings, in that group are beyond alarming.
Went to Morton Arboretum's Illumination this past weekend - was very heartened to see a Menorah display and not overhear dissent about it amongst the crowd.
The Lincoln project understands how to do anti-trump ads like nobody else does. I urge people to support them. I also support The Bulwark, which is a source of great analysis and impassioned discussion by former Republicans. Also, the most successful advertising team needs to volunteer its services to the Biden campaign, at this critical moment. The Biden press secretary, and campaign manager are abject failures and should be fired along with Merrick Garland.
From the Lincoln Project ad described by Kathy below: "Wake up, grow up, get in the fight . . . Stop pretending this is just another campaign. He has promised to take revenge."
Here is another ad that’s the kind of “nasty” video that Democrats simply will not put out, but it’s important to point out Trump’s creeping dementia and weaknesses.
All of their ads are extremely powerful, and many of them highlight Biden‘s accomplishments. The LP team has officially endorsed Biden just as they did in 2020. They are not fooling around.
We all know that this is an all hands on deck moment… Everyone has a role to play… In my opinion, the Lincoln project has found their lane through these ads, but there are many many lanes on the route to saving democracy.
The Lincoln Project got ZERO local people elected. They have been a farce since day one. Giving to candidates locally (city council, school board, state party...this is where everyday life happens).
Heather Cox Richardson has a more optimistic take on media coverage this morning in her newsletter, suggesting that we may start to see a shift in the narrative that has protected GOP corruption and incompetence, similar to what happened with the muckrakers taking on the ultra-wealthy of the Gilded Age. Let's hope she is right, and also do our part by clicking on those stories, and spreading the news of GOP hypocrisy and corruption, as well as Biden's successes by whatever means each of us has at our disposal. And if anyone knows any national Democrats--push them to get out there and tell the story, simply, clearly, repeatedly and everywhere.
HCR is such an amazing asset in these very troubled times; she pretty much saved my sanity when I discovered her during COVID and has continued to provide really unique, deep guidance based in history... I think she's being overly optimistic at times, but by doing so she's guiding the larger narrative and that's invaluable.
Meredith, She has been my first "go to" in Substack since the pandemic and every morning since. I know I will get the truth from her and don't want to waste time on mainstream media. I've also learned so much from reading the comments and links from other readers which is how I found Robert Hubbell and many more truthful, intelligent people.
You are such a terrific coach, Robert. Instead of a knife, I have been bringing an aggrieved sense of irony to any fight, which probably doesn't help much since the Evangelicals have no sense of humor and the GOP only does hateful. Nevertheless it gratifies my sense of fair play, and in my own mind at least hastens the hubris that always comes eventually.
Maybe I'm 'voting' against the tide here, but I actually appreciate your use of both newsletter formats; if it's not too difficult, perhaps you could use both depending somewhat on your evaluation of what the context of the day requires? The abbreviated list-style format is probably easier to absorb, but doesn't convey IMO the emotions and depth that the narrative provides. I'm here for more than your excellent presentation of news and analysis -- it's hard to describe, but your voice is also something I want to hear and it is expressed best in a more essay-like style.
Thanks, I missed that -- I'd like to say that it's because I'm old but it's more likely because I get impatient and don't take the time I need to thoroughly read stuff. Appreciate your pointing out what I missed here!
I'm old enough to remember that on October 23, 1956, students in Budapest massed at their beautiful parliament building to appeal to all Hungarians to protest against the brutal domination of Hungary by Russia. Those protests garnered enormous public support, & the uprising lasted 12 days before it was put down by Soviet tanks & troops on Nov. 4, but not before 2700 Hungarians were killed.
I mention this because it is unfathomable to me that Hungarians now support Victor Orban - an authoritarian who is one of Vladimir Putin's biggest supporters. I went to high school in NJ with a boy whose family, like thousands of Hungarians, escaped Hungary after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 & became US citizens. I wonder what they think about Orban's veto of EU aid to Ukraine.
And remember that Eisenhower decided the US would sit on the sidelines and watch as Russia crushed the revolt. Imagine how history might have been different if the US had done something to support the protests. It was a complicated situation--like Ukraine today--but doing absolutely nothing helped break the will of the protesters.
It’s hard to imagine how Eisenhower could have taken different *effective* actions against the USSR. Most American military forces were across the Atlantic; the USSR was next door. Military action in Hungary did not fall under the NATO charter; in any case, the military forces of other NATO nations were weak.
Economic sanctions? The USSR in those days was basically economically self-contained (other than milking the satellite nations). That would not have deterred the USSR.
I was about 15 years old at the time and was politically aware ( the June 1950 invasion of South Korea, and the Korean War, woke me up). The The crushing of the Hungarian Revolution was deeply dispiriting, but militarily opposing seriously it was not practically feasible.
Imagine if the U.S. hadn't turned a ship load of children away during the Holocaust. Admittedly I was planning on going to medical school growing up, so history wasn't necessarily my strong suit, but I definitely knew the highlights. History & civics seem to be dead in k-12 education these days.
Avoid “combative” metaphors??? Not use words like “struggle” and “battle”?
I agree with the need to tout successes and urge collaboration. But to not name the true nature of what Trump is doing is both short sighted and dangerous.
We are in the fight of our lives! If we don’t win this battle - if we fail to see Trump is making WAR on all of us who want democracy - and Trump is actively recruiting his army of Magas for an unfettered dictatorship if re-elected…
In fact I am wondering what plans are in place to overturn the election if he loses….and I’m really wondering what plans are in place to corrupt the election itself so it appears he won!
We all hate war - but make no mistake - we are in a war. If you don’t want to take arms against the Maga enemy, then maybe you can join the medical corps and help bind up the wounds of those who see no choice but to go into battle.
Just please don’t try to pretend Trump and Magas are not fighting a battle against democracy and say we must not respond with suitable weapons and metaphors. If we don’t meet the attacks on our precious democracy with sufficient force and battle ready response, we will end up imprisoned in Trump’ gulags. Just look at Russia - Putin is Trump’s idol. And now Navalny has disappeared. And the unprovoked destruction of Ukraine goes on unabated!!! Our choice is clear! Democracy or Trump’s fascistic dictatorship!
Well said, and very consistent with the Lincoln Project ad quoted above, which includes the exhortation to, "Wake up, grow up, and get involved . . . . "
When words like 'round up', 'destroy' and 'execute' are mainstays in the MAGA vocabulary I've read and listened to, it's time to understand 'things are getting real'.
Their chatter and rhetoric (and trump's) is worse than pre - Jan. 6th.
We are not at war with the Republicans . We are in a political struggle. War involves the killing of your enemy . Democrats do not seek to kill Republicans , we seek to beat them at the polls. To use violent rhetoric -“arms against the MAGA enemy “ is unhelpful. We win this struggle by writing postcards to voters.
We would like to not be at war with Trump and Maga, but they are at war with us. Their language is brutal and their intentions are fascistic. And if they are in power and we disagree with them, they will imprison us just as Putin does with his opposition. Postcards are essential and do an important job. But you must listen to what they are saying and know this is a battle, not just politics as usual.
I like the writing organization change very much, Robert! You spell it out and give references if we want to take a deeper dive and know more. You’re right about the click-bait going on in the main stream media, of course, but I see you as a seasoned, expert interpreter. The shift in how newspapers are scrambling and fighting for their very existence has opened new doors for many of us who are pundits in our own realms. Just look at some of your readers’ Substack lists of who else they read and support! You and many others are curating from your own backgrounds what adds truth and accuracy to the conversation. It’s a shift. I still appreciate some of the amazing writers employed by “the media” and we can reference them when needed. Anyway, thank you, thank you, thank you for what you are giving us, Robert. It is hard work and time consuming and emotional work. That’s why I am a paid subscriber and have my membership on auto renew. With limited budgets for many of us, we can curate which of the outlets and writers resonate with us. I sure wish I’d believed you sooner about Merrick Garland making a big mistake waiting so long! That is to say, your “take on things” and your work resonate with me.
Thanks for your feedback and your support as a paying subscriber. Over time, the newsletter has transformed into my full-time occupation. Your support helps me to keep at it.
Agree, every well put word! The day after trump won, I set upon reading something besides features in the papers I routinely read. That's when it struck me how under informed I was and how poor the majority of reporting was and continues to be.
The November numbers represent the 22nd straight month with an unemployment rate under 4% -- a record not seen since prior to 1970. This means lots of people are working and earning a living and hopefully improving their quality of life. In other major economic developments is that food prices, rents, mortgage rates and interest rates are all lower while the stock market is reaching new highs. The economy is the second most important issue in the election just behind abortion especially for young people. What the Biden administration needs to do is define these economic improvements in terms voters can relate to. I live in NC and just recently I saw an ad that said “ 267,000 new jobs were created in NC because of investments Democrats made in infrastructure projects to fix our roads, clean our water and upgrade our infrastructures. They then broke the increase jobs down by county and detailed the investments and then mentioned that the local Republican legislators voted against these projects. We all write letters and post cards to legislators why not write to the Democratic chairperson in your state and ask them to run ads detailing what Democrats have done in your state.?
"We all write letters and post cards to legislators why not write to the Democratic chairperson in your state and ask them to run ads detailing what Democrats have done in your state.?"✅
… and have the ads highlight cases where Republicans voted *against* infrastructure projects, only to make believe they supported the projects. Expose the hypocrisies.
Great newsletter, Robert! I really really like this format. We gotta hit the R’s where it hurts and I don’t care if it’s below the belt. They have disrupted our lives long enough and as far as I am concerned, they are all low hanging fruit-balls! As for Trump, he keeps losing and losing and losing. In fact, he is one big fat LOSER.
It was the last night of Chanukkah and my concerns are still with the hostages as well as the health and well-being of the Palestinians. May a miracle happen.
"It was the last night of Chanukkah and my concerns are still with the hostages as well as the health and well-being of the Palestinians. May a miracle happen."
Amen, Marlene, may a miracle happen.
We don't need to hit Republicans below the belt. They have stuck their chins out so far that it won't take much for Democrats to knock them out.
That's why it's so heartening to see Jamie Raskin (who wasn't deterred by the CHEAP shots the GOP took at him) and Sheldon Whitehouse take a stand against them.
Raskin and Whitehouse are two of the smartest, most believable legislators in Congress.
Love LOVE RASKIN!
This is all great but the people who NEED to READ this information about rethugs corruption aren’t the ones reading it! They even argue about proven facts, so why would they believe ‘anything bad’?.
(don’t mean to sound argumentative, just frustrated).
While I have the floor-why do these criminals continue to be permitted to appeal, appeal,appeal, over and over! GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!
Continue to show the outrage and concurrently get the message to those who are still out there willing to listen. Make 2024 a great year for America. Vote and get out the vote.
Great metaphor!
Happy Chanukkah, Marlene, and all those who celebrate the holiday, and blessings to all of us through the new year.
Thanks so much, Janet! 💞
“Collaboration“ is bringing a cheese and fruit plate to a knife fight.
Let’s fight till we are secure in both houses, and then talk about collaboration.
Bullies, the lot of them. I share this personal story to point out why you take a knife along with the charcuterie board.
There was a bully at my son’s school, he turned out to be a dark and dangerous human. He did not understand talk, discussion… collaboration. He spoke only one language which was an unpleasant mishegas of vulgar, and mean lingo (stay with me- I know it sounds like I’m describing trump but that’s not where I’m going with this).
All the moms had heard horror stories about this kid. Everyone was involved from Police to Child Services, etcetera, you did not want to know him, or him to know you (Seriously he sent grown up teachers to the hospital). Not till he targeted my son did I pay close attention to this bad kid.
My kid never complained - came home bloody- not a word. I asked ‘around’ and found out the bully was after him.
I circled around him at the park, came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. In the only language that he understood I told him ‘you touch my kid and I will end you’. I used every vulgar word that I knew. I’m not proud of it but I can tell you that this dangerous, troubled soul left our sphere immediately. Never heard of him again.
You fight. You speak their language. You bring a knife and a big stick.
Yes, as a mother you did what needed to be done to protect your child. In doing so, perhaps you helped another child to understand that there are consequences to actions.
And this, Dear Reader, is why "the female of the species is more deadly than the male."
I agree you need to fight back only how the fight is fought is my concern. I don’t want to be in the gutter with them.
As mummy always said “two wrongs don’t’ make a right” and yet being aggressively defensive and offensive is not wrong action.
My mother often prattled “Two wrongs don’t make a right,” so I stewed about it for years.
Finally, it hit me: In practice, adherence to that maxim allows the aggressor (who commits the first wrong) to carry on without (retaliatory) punishment.
Oh my GAWD, Michael! I never questioned mummy (she was a force), and here we are… you have lifted the hood up on this one. While two wrongs don’t make a right, still, allowing the aggressor – who commits the first wrong, gets to carry on. Huh. I’m in agreement with you. Fighting back is retaliatory and isn’t it the only way for accountability? Maybe there are other ways but doing nothing isn’t one of them.
Fire with fire?
Extreme times require extreme measures. Robert is right, I'm sick of dems not showing up prepared for what's right in front of them.
And you survive, and sometimes that's what it takes ; and you will know it when you're there.
I learned a new word today - mishegas. Thank you, will remember it.
Love that word!
Hey everyone,
We don’t need to leave it up to the Democratic Party to produce effective messaging. We progressive activists can do that perfectly well.
This includes letters to the editor, comments and feedback to journalists and news outlets, public demonstrations, such as the waving of Ukrainian flags that we saw last week on a bridge to Portland, and efforts by organizations like MoveOn.org, Indivisible, DemCast, and many others.
As Robert does, and Alexander Vindman, and Heather Cox Richardson, and Joyce Vance, and others do:
“If you don’t like the news, go out and make some of your own.“ Wes Nisker
I’m done leaving it up to Democrats to be solely responsible for winning this fight.
Amen!!!
As someone else mentioned above, Professor Richardson has a different take in her letter this morning on the Comer story in particular and the media coverage in general. She feels a corner has been turned in terms of the media no longer looking the other way on Republican hypocrisy. At least in regards to Comer, it appears she is right. Do a Google search on “Comer shell company,” and a half dozen pieces come up, including angry denials from Comer himself indicating a defensive posture.
As a lifelong student of history, I enjoy it when the good Professor frames her letters in a historical context. In this case, she alludes to the turn of the tide in the 1870s when journalists, known as the muckrakers, began to turn on the wealthy elite and ushered in an era of progressivism. I’m not sure it’s a direct parallel, but there are similarities in the last ten days or so; the media has seemed to have changed tacks on how it covers Republican dysfunction and hypocrisy. It’s not always as easy to find as the Comer story is, but it is there, and the change is palpable.
I say all this to acknowledge that Robert was right a few weeks ago when he suggested that we pressure the media to report current events fairly. It would seem to be working, at least to a degree, and we should keep it up. The Muckrakers of the late nineteenth century let their conscience guide them, but that's not our reality. Instead, money directs our media, and we are its consumers. We do have a voice, and there is evidence that they hear us. Keep it up.
I hope she is right. Let's see if Comer is still in the news next week. That will prove whether the story can outlast the 24-news cycle.
I agree, but I think there are other factors here. The first is to determine whether it’s part of a pattern. I’m not sure, but there is evidence that it might be. At about the time that you and other voices started calling the media out, the coverage subtly shifted. Whether that was people paying attention and writing news media to hold them accountable or if it changed as we get closer to the election, I don’t know.
The second thing is that stories like this early in an election tend to be noticed by political campaigns and put aside until they need them. Later, they're brought up at opportune times, and some of the same media that covered them initially pick the story back up. My political mentor called them “back pocket ammo.”
I don't know what this means, but I have felt a shift recently, and Professor Richardson’s letter rang true to me. How much of an analog to the muckrakers remains to be seen.
One of the best college survey courses I was required to take in college was the history of American Journalism. The muckrakers changed the course of history. Politico’s recent work to uncover Clarence Thomas’s corruption was classic muckraker journalism, as is AP’s piece yesterday on Comer’s shell company ownership. We need much more of this - just overtake the media with facts about the lies and corruption among MAGA politicians. May I suggest a deep dive into Matt Goetz? Jim Jordan? Paul Rand? Ted Cruz? Please!
(And Democrats should also be concerned, Menendez should damn well resign. Out with corruption. Time to govern, not grift)
I just did a google search, 9 stories, not counting some reported more than once. Even, The New Republic. Good to see a Republican on the road to Humiliation.
Amen!
The other night on PBS Newshour Lisa Desjardins reported on Hunter Biden story. She led with his defying subpoena, faintly mentioning later that he agrees to testify in public. She then showed a clip of Jim Jordan railing about Hunter’s “defying” subpoena & never mentioned Jordan’s defying Jan6 committee subpoena. I sent her a tweet saying I thought this was journalistically irresponsible.
Thanks for taking action!
Write to PBS and complain!
She has been among the (many) disappointing journalists during the Trump era - her (apparent) attempts to be balanced are ineffective against the tide of lies, distortions and projections from Republicans.
I imagine you got no reply. At a Biden fundraiser in Boston 2 weeks ago there were large pro-Palestinian protests. Two Boston Globe journalists covered it - atrociously I might add. They quoted at length a protester saying Biden had blood on his hands, was responsible for deaths of babies etc etc. No question from the reporters as to whether the protesters knew of Biden's increasing pressuring of Israel. Then, an interview with a nursing student, (this one is rich) saying that Biden was a disappointment and had not met her expectations --- again - no follow up question - 'do you know how hard he has tried to get student loan forgiveness and how the republicans and the right wing supreme court have thwarted every attempt? I wrote to them - NO REPLY
I sympathize with your viewpoint, but I’m not sure the journalists’ job is to debate with interviewees, rather than draw them out as objectively as possible.
During the last few nights, my recollection was that the PBS Newshour was straightforward, essentially sympathetic to Hunter Biden’s demand that he be permitted to testify *in public*, not behind closed doors (as Comer, Jordan, et al. Are trying to enforce).
PBS is quickly going the way of NPR, etc.
Excellent, Betsy...I just wrote to them echoing your criticism. The more of us they hear from, the better.
Good for you, Betsy!
For people who think you don't use "combative metaphors" in politics: here's your Earth shoes, the Chardonnay and Brie are over on the table, and your Volvo is parked outside. Go take a ride.
As someone who was involved in professional politics, it IS combat, and if you don't like that, go play tiddly-winks.
Oh TC, thanks for this . It made me laugh. And hey, I had a pair of Earth shoes.
I never realized how dirty politics is and you are so correct on that.
The difference is between then and now, is that then both sides knew the things you couldn't agree to and didn't do. There was a certain honor between the warriors.
There are two ways of thinking about politics: it is the art of the possible or, in Orwellian terms, it is "war minus the shooting." I prefer the art of the possible but at times (like now) it sure feels like George Orwell's description of "sport" is more applicable. Example A: Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian question.
This is, indeed, a fight. A fight for our lives, and a democratic, not autocratic, government in this country. Rights are being stripped from the LGBTQI+ community, women, immigrants...the list is unfortunately getting longer. This is NOT 1933 Germany, and we need to continue to fight on every front.
To some of us Jews it does feel like Germany...neo-Nazis marching in front of synagogues, bomb threats to synagogues, some people calling for boycotts of Jewish businesses, county commissioners afraid to display a Menorah publicly...
...I'm talking about Missoula, Montana....fyi, a lot of Yellowstone is filmed here.
The Good News: There's a larger than life Menorah at the County Fairgrounds in the busiest intersection of Missoula, We've had public lighting of menorahs, on a busy highway RV park a large menorah was displayed. The vandalism that the county commissioners feared did not happen. We are not hiding.
My heart is with Israel and the Palestinians. Yes, antisemitism is on the rise. Women's rights are being eviscerated. The LGBTQI+ community is rapidly losing any rights they acquired. It is frightening, and we need to continue to FIGHT.
Yes, I do not disagree with you that women and LGBTQ+ rights are being eviscerated. But, Jews, who were in the front lines of the fight for women's rights and LGBTQ+ are being villainized. I have been to Jewish Gay Weddings. There are gay Rabbis.
Yesterday, there were bomb scares all over the state of Montana. Mostly in the schools. One was for the reform synagogue here in Missoula. That's just down the hill from me. Masked up Neo-Nazis have paraded in front of the synagogue. We have had anti-Semitic flyers dumped all over town for years. The Kaiman, the University of Montana newpaper, printed an op ed piece 30 years ago that the Holocaust never occurred.
Nothing new here.
While Palestinians deserve some heart, yes they are human, my concern right now is for myself and my neighbors. If I'm a target this affects my neighbors on my street who are Catholic, Evangelical, and general Christian. I hire their kids who are ultra responsible to do my yard work. They are all great people. What is being lost is seeing the humanity in "the other."
As a non theist, I believe that everyone has the right to practice their chosen religion without harm. I have a problem with religion when it is used to shape policies and laws. As someone who is Jewish, of course you are more focused on threats to your freedom to practice your religion freely. I have a LGBTQI+ child who has been subjected to horrible verbal abuse and threats. The amount of hate and animosity out there for anyone who is not a straight, white, Christian male is horrifying. I also am seeing an increase of hate towards people of color, and the indigenous population. I think we are seeing different types of hate in different parts of the country. The fact that our SJC is a right, Christian vessel now is a huge problem. The bible is not a directive, and SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE has been forgotten.
A few years ago a woman came to my door with a petition. It was about having to use bathrooms assigned to your sex at birth. I pointed to the bathroom on the landing saying any of my guests can use that bathroom. There are no signs on it. She said "you don't get it." My response was "you don't get it."
For the record I'm straight.
Thank you. People who expend the energy on things that don't really matter irk me. For the record, it's not all white, straight males. But the majority of violent attacks, especially shootings, in that group are beyond alarming.
Your bathrooms & my bathrooms & all the bathrooms on airplanes!
My ask is that everyone who isn't invited just stay out of my pants. I never could have fathomed how difficult that would be for 1/3 of the country.
Went to Morton Arboretum's Illumination this past weekend - was very heartened to see a Menorah display and not overhear dissent about it amongst the crowd.
Had to look up the location.
This whole situation is very much a fight and I don't think Democrats realize how frustrated their constitutes are with them.
There is so very much at stake!
Obviously there's got to be give and take in politics, and then there's capitulation just to get along - it's called being bullied.
I really like the new format, especially when there are so many issues to write about! It helps me see each issue with clarity.
Thanks, Robert!
Thanks for the feedback!
I agree. This format is must easier to digest.
I second your comment!
Agree as well.
The Lincoln project understands how to do anti-trump ads like nobody else does. I urge people to support them. I also support The Bulwark, which is a source of great analysis and impassioned discussion by former Republicans. Also, the most successful advertising team needs to volunteer its services to the Biden campaign, at this critical moment. The Biden press secretary, and campaign manager are abject failures and should be fired along with Merrick Garland.
From the Lincoln Project ad described by Kathy below: "Wake up, grow up, get in the fight . . . Stop pretending this is just another campaign. He has promised to take revenge."
Powerful stuff.
Here is another ad that’s the kind of “nasty” video that Democrats simply will not put out, but it’s important to point out Trump’s creeping dementia and weaknesses.
https://youtu.be/m40yw_3dfvg
📣Share this Lincoln Project ad:
https://youtu.be/K5riEPdQVuk
This is a powerful ad; would that we could get something this good from our own party instead of just from disaffected Republicans!
All of their ads are extremely powerful, and many of them highlight Biden‘s accomplishments. The LP team has officially endorsed Biden just as they did in 2020. They are not fooling around.
Thanks for sharing this most excellent ad Kathy!
https://youtu.be/JSmakZ0if3E?si=tR4KLqDGN8e63WoX
Harsh, but can't find it in me to argue those points.
We all know that this is an all hands on deck moment… Everyone has a role to play… In my opinion, the Lincoln project has found their lane through these ads, but there are many many lanes on the route to saving democracy.
The Lincoln Project got ZERO local people elected. They have been a farce since day one. Giving to candidates locally (city council, school board, state party...this is where everyday life happens).
Heather Cox Richardson has a more optimistic take on media coverage this morning in her newsletter, suggesting that we may start to see a shift in the narrative that has protected GOP corruption and incompetence, similar to what happened with the muckrakers taking on the ultra-wealthy of the Gilded Age. Let's hope she is right, and also do our part by clicking on those stories, and spreading the news of GOP hypocrisy and corruption, as well as Biden's successes by whatever means each of us has at our disposal. And if anyone knows any national Democrats--push them to get out there and tell the story, simply, clearly, repeatedly and everywhere.
HCR is such an amazing asset in these very troubled times; she pretty much saved my sanity when I discovered her during COVID and has continued to provide really unique, deep guidance based in history... I think she's being overly optimistic at times, but by doing so she's guiding the larger narrative and that's invaluable.
Meredith, She has been my first "go to" in Substack since the pandemic and every morning since. I know I will get the truth from her and don't want to waste time on mainstream media. I've also learned so much from reading the comments and links from other readers which is how I found Robert Hubbell and many more truthful, intelligent people.
Readers & Writers = good company!
💙 HCR
I also see a media shift, although they should be shouting that EVERY Republican voted to impeach. There are no moderates ! 📣
MSM media is maybe waking up to the fact that another trump administration puts a bright red target on their backs.
I agree there has been a shift because the media senses a shift in what the community is saying and because Trump and the
House Republicans have the same old song all the time. If the media curtails their coverage the antics may receed
You are such a terrific coach, Robert. Instead of a knife, I have been bringing an aggrieved sense of irony to any fight, which probably doesn't help much since the Evangelicals have no sense of humor and the GOP only does hateful. Nevertheless it gratifies my sense of fair play, and in my own mind at least hastens the hubris that always comes eventually.
Maybe I'm 'voting' against the tide here, but I actually appreciate your use of both newsletter formats; if it's not too difficult, perhaps you could use both depending somewhat on your evaluation of what the context of the day requires? The abbreviated list-style format is probably easier to absorb, but doesn't convey IMO the emotions and depth that the narrative provides. I'm here for more than your excellent presentation of news and analysis -- it's hard to describe, but your voice is also something I want to hear and it is expressed best in a more essay-like style.
I agree. Robert even mentioned that he would switch formats situationally.
Thanks, I missed that -- I'd like to say that it's because I'm old but it's more likely because I get impatient and don't take the time I need to thoroughly read stuff. Appreciate your pointing out what I missed here!
Thanks for the feedback. I agree.
I'm old enough to remember that on October 23, 1956, students in Budapest massed at their beautiful parliament building to appeal to all Hungarians to protest against the brutal domination of Hungary by Russia. Those protests garnered enormous public support, & the uprising lasted 12 days before it was put down by Soviet tanks & troops on Nov. 4, but not before 2700 Hungarians were killed.
I mention this because it is unfathomable to me that Hungarians now support Victor Orban - an authoritarian who is one of Vladimir Putin's biggest supporters. I went to high school in NJ with a boy whose family, like thousands of Hungarians, escaped Hungary after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 & became US citizens. I wonder what they think about Orban's veto of EU aid to Ukraine.
And remember that Eisenhower decided the US would sit on the sidelines and watch as Russia crushed the revolt. Imagine how history might have been different if the US had done something to support the protests. It was a complicated situation--like Ukraine today--but doing absolutely nothing helped break the will of the protesters.
It’s hard to imagine how Eisenhower could have taken different *effective* actions against the USSR. Most American military forces were across the Atlantic; the USSR was next door. Military action in Hungary did not fall under the NATO charter; in any case, the military forces of other NATO nations were weak.
Economic sanctions? The USSR in those days was basically economically self-contained (other than milking the satellite nations). That would not have deterred the USSR.
I was about 15 years old at the time and was politically aware ( the June 1950 invasion of South Korea, and the Korean War, woke me up). The The crushing of the Hungarian Revolution was deeply dispiriting, but militarily opposing seriously it was not practically feasible.
Imagine if the U.S. hadn't turned a ship load of children away during the Holocaust. Admittedly I was planning on going to medical school growing up, so history wasn't necessarily my strong suit, but I definitely knew the highlights. History & civics seem to be dead in k-12 education these days.
Avoid “combative” metaphors??? Not use words like “struggle” and “battle”?
I agree with the need to tout successes and urge collaboration. But to not name the true nature of what Trump is doing is both short sighted and dangerous.
We are in the fight of our lives! If we don’t win this battle - if we fail to see Trump is making WAR on all of us who want democracy - and Trump is actively recruiting his army of Magas for an unfettered dictatorship if re-elected…
In fact I am wondering what plans are in place to overturn the election if he loses….and I’m really wondering what plans are in place to corrupt the election itself so it appears he won!
We all hate war - but make no mistake - we are in a war. If you don’t want to take arms against the Maga enemy, then maybe you can join the medical corps and help bind up the wounds of those who see no choice but to go into battle.
Just please don’t try to pretend Trump and Magas are not fighting a battle against democracy and say we must not respond with suitable weapons and metaphors. If we don’t meet the attacks on our precious democracy with sufficient force and battle ready response, we will end up imprisoned in Trump’ gulags. Just look at Russia - Putin is Trump’s idol. And now Navalny has disappeared. And the unprovoked destruction of Ukraine goes on unabated!!! Our choice is clear! Democracy or Trump’s fascistic dictatorship!
Onward democratic soldiers!
Well said, and very consistent with the Lincoln Project ad quoted above, which includes the exhortation to, "Wake up, grow up, and get involved . . . . "
When words like 'round up', 'destroy' and 'execute' are mainstays in the MAGA vocabulary I've read and listened to, it's time to understand 'things are getting real'.
Their chatter and rhetoric (and trump's) is worse than pre - Jan. 6th.
We are not at war with the Republicans . We are in a political struggle. War involves the killing of your enemy . Democrats do not seek to kill Republicans , we seek to beat them at the polls. To use violent rhetoric -“arms against the MAGA enemy “ is unhelpful. We win this struggle by writing postcards to voters.
We would like to not be at war with Trump and Maga, but they are at war with us. Their language is brutal and their intentions are fascistic. And if they are in power and we disagree with them, they will imprison us just as Putin does with his opposition. Postcards are essential and do an important job. But you must listen to what they are saying and know this is a battle, not just politics as usual.
👍 ‼️
I like the writing organization change very much, Robert! You spell it out and give references if we want to take a deeper dive and know more. You’re right about the click-bait going on in the main stream media, of course, but I see you as a seasoned, expert interpreter. The shift in how newspapers are scrambling and fighting for their very existence has opened new doors for many of us who are pundits in our own realms. Just look at some of your readers’ Substack lists of who else they read and support! You and many others are curating from your own backgrounds what adds truth and accuracy to the conversation. It’s a shift. I still appreciate some of the amazing writers employed by “the media” and we can reference them when needed. Anyway, thank you, thank you, thank you for what you are giving us, Robert. It is hard work and time consuming and emotional work. That’s why I am a paid subscriber and have my membership on auto renew. With limited budgets for many of us, we can curate which of the outlets and writers resonate with us. I sure wish I’d believed you sooner about Merrick Garland making a big mistake waiting so long! That is to say, your “take on things” and your work resonate with me.
Thanks for your feedback and your support as a paying subscriber. Over time, the newsletter has transformed into my full-time occupation. Your support helps me to keep at it.
Agree, every well put word! The day after trump won, I set upon reading something besides features in the papers I routinely read. That's when it struck me how under informed I was and how poor the majority of reporting was and continues to be.
The November numbers represent the 22nd straight month with an unemployment rate under 4% -- a record not seen since prior to 1970. This means lots of people are working and earning a living and hopefully improving their quality of life. In other major economic developments is that food prices, rents, mortgage rates and interest rates are all lower while the stock market is reaching new highs. The economy is the second most important issue in the election just behind abortion especially for young people. What the Biden administration needs to do is define these economic improvements in terms voters can relate to. I live in NC and just recently I saw an ad that said “ 267,000 new jobs were created in NC because of investments Democrats made in infrastructure projects to fix our roads, clean our water and upgrade our infrastructures. They then broke the increase jobs down by county and detailed the investments and then mentioned that the local Republican legislators voted against these projects. We all write letters and post cards to legislators why not write to the Democratic chairperson in your state and ask them to run ads detailing what Democrats have done in your state.?
"We all write letters and post cards to legislators why not write to the Democratic chairperson in your state and ask them to run ads detailing what Democrats have done in your state.?"✅
… and have the ads highlight cases where Republicans voted *against* infrastructure projects, only to make believe they supported the projects. Expose the hypocrisies.
"If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." Harry Truman.