March 3, 2020. The Jr High Parking lot in a town north of Houston. I sat for over an hour. Atypically I had passed on the opportunity to early vote. It was down to the wire. Biden, Bloomberg, Sanders, and Warren were the big players left standing. 4 years earlier I voted for Sanders in a similar state of angst. This time my heart belonged to Elizabeth Warren. But I kept thinking about that primary vote for Sanders over Clinton and then what transpired afterwards. I never feel my vote in Texas counts. In my county the Republican primary winner always takes the prize and more times than not is unopposed on Election Day. But still I vote as if I am important, that my lone vote can make a difference. On March 3rd I once again wanted my vote to send a message to the Democratic Party and the universe at large. I wanted to send a thank you to Warren and tell her how much I loved her intelligence, eloquence and bravery. Ultimately I came to the conclusion that I had to put my heart aside and defend the country. We had to beat the incumbent. I voted for Biden. Afterwards I sheepishly confessed this to my friends . I wish I had had these words.
Voting is a chess move, not a Valentine.
Thank you Robert. I read you before I get out from under my covers. You and your commenting supporters give me confirmation, hope and a way forward. This may sound like a Valentine to you but it is also a chess move. Please continue. Please continue and I will help spread your message.
As for Joe Biden’s race against Trump in 2024, I imagine virtually no one on this platform needs convincing, regardless of one’s political assessment of Biden, of the importance of working tirelessly to get Biden reelected. That said, the decisive leadership this moment demands of Biden and Democrats overall cannot be overstated.
Given the hate, the division, the upheaval, the despair that Trump / Trumpism persists in stoking and making worse, contrary to Trump who presents himself as “the savior,” the Biden team needs to show an alternate, admittedly arduous, vision so just, so focused, and so disciplined as to not allow Republican deceptions and distortions to go unanswered.
My "representative" in Congress, Chip Roy sent out a survey this morning asking what his priorities should be. The choices were: 1. Secure the Border 2. Cut federal spending 3. End woke indoctrination at the Pentagon 4. End Biden's climate cult agenda 5. Stop sending blank checks to Ukraine. Here is my email reply, since None of the Above was not listed as a choice:
Dear Rep. Roy, Regarding your survey on what your priorities should be, you need a choice that says NONE OF THE ABOVE.
1. Secure the Border - This is a lot more complex than building a wall that doesn't do much or putting barb wire in the Rio Grande. The Congress needs to after decades of inaction on immigration put together a comprehensive immigration reform bill. This should include work visas (and paying taxes) for seasonal farm work, etc. This also means a foreign policy that helps countries get rid of the drug lords so people don't need to leave their own country and drugs don't come into the U.S.
2. Cut federal spending No, it has been the Republican administrations that have cut taxes so the rich can get richer - your only constituents you care about -- and run up the debt ($8 Trillion under one term for Trump). When one has paid into Social Security for decades saying this is an entitlement that can just be taken away is dastardly. No, I expect return on my investment!
3. End woke indoctrination at the Pentagon Anti-woke to me just means white males only that don't understand they are over-privileged compared to other groups. I say anyone willing to die for our country should be welcomed in our military and have equal opportunity to do so.
4. End Biden's climate cult agenda No, climate change is real and we can do something about it! Protecting oil companies is like protecting companies making buggy whips after cars became prevalent. Addressing the problems of climate change early will save money in the long run. Canadian wildfires making the air in New York City unbreathable! Get your heads out of the sand and pay attention to what is happening!
5. Stop sending blank checks to Ukraine No, Ukraine must win against Putin's aggression now. If Putin wins he'll go after NATO countries and we'll have a world war. Providing aid to Ukraine first is good for our defense contractors and second it is stopping autocracy from spending without any American soldiers dying! A win-win all around to fund Ukraine.
So, if this is your agenda, I want no part of it. I don't want to live in your Theocratic Oligarchic Kleptocracy -- a Theolikle. The rich don't need to be even richer. The middle class needs to make a living wage rather than it taking two incomes to feed a family. I will not have the government and lawyers determine whether I live or die because I'm pregnant because some small CHristian In Name Only sects (CHINOs) thinks the soul enters the body at conception rather than at birth. Being conservative is fine, but destroying our rights and economic well-being over your petty need for power doesn't fly with me.
So, my priority will be to RE-ELECT NO ONE with such an agenda!
"Only in Washington when you cut spending do they call it an increase in the deficit." Yeah, sure.
Ask any small contractor, be it plumber, electrician, remodeler, general contractor, whatever, who works with his crew on the jobs and relies on someone--employee or service--to do the billing, keep track of the percentage complete, file the necessary lien notices, etc. When business slows he listens to Johnson and fires his billing-help to save money. He tries to do all that work himself, and soon cannot collect for work already completed.
This isn't fantasy. My career was in working with small contractors who got themselves into this bind--and too often into bankruptcy--for just this reason.
Hard to believe that Speaker Johnson hired a hack from Fox as his spokesperson. I think we suspected Johnson was in the Fox/Bannon pockets but he has somehow managed to advertise that fact. So in addition to trying to benefit his billionaire donors by cutting the IRS budget, he then looks to a Fox entertainer as his interlocutor to the American public. I wonder if/when he will consider that he is the Speaker of the whole House, not just of the Freedom Caucus.
I had lunch with a friend yesterday and he told me that he is not reading all the various media and substack postings because he feels overwhelmed because there is too much going on to keep track of and he’s worn out by the Trump indictments manipulation and postering and the Speaker and House circus which keeps getting worse. I thought about these comments and I too am a little leery of all of the noise but that is what they want us to feel. I honestly believe that many people have made up their minds about whom they would select as a President and the trials and the political noises probably will not change their minds. But there are a number of voters who are not there yet and we need to focus on them and get them on board. A country goes through moods and has feelings and these are changing for the better and the Biden Administration is demonstrating what calm steady leadership looks and feels like and Trump and the Republicans show us what chaos and inexperience looks like. The choice is obvious if people are paying attention.
Joe Biden is a GREAT president. In the general consensus around our liberal substack-o-sphere Joe Biden is a "good" president..But in today's adversive, abnormal political landscape, Biden has effectuated amazing policy changes both foreign and domestic with quiet diplomacy..pitch perfect for our troubled times..that takes GREATNESS" not just Goodness! Liberals can be maddeningly self deprecating and understated. Let's all say thean is a Great leader..
Regarding the current Israeli-Hamas-Palestine war, I cannot think of a single world politician with the experience, heart and backbone to develop and implement the long term solution required to get Palestinians to give up their "ocean to river" dream, Israelis to accept some in loco statehood for Palestinians and vanquish the suicidal death cult, Hamas..
Given the pair of Clinton-era scam artists who are running No Labels, they shouldn't be trusted further than you can see them with your eyes closed. They both go booted from the Democratic Party for being assholes (and you have to be a *serious* asshole for that to happen) and this is their revenge.
Just a small piece of real information coming from the President of Israel in a BBC interview that was not broadcast. Israel supplies only 7% of the water to Gaza. The rest has been co-opted or destroyed by their own people. The world wants to believe that Israel is the villain. I think we should all take a breath before judging without all the facts.
Off-topic: My neighbor, Mike Dukakis is 90 years old today. How different the world would be if the voters had been smart enough to elect him president in 1988.
Back to today: Mike Johnson is already proving himself a disaster. He'll come a cropper in the next 90 days. Maybe the next 90 hours.
Trump’s lawyers seem to have no end of motions to file. Is there a time when the Judge says, “no more motions. We are going to trial!” And in the Florida documents case, when does Jack Smith ask for Judge Cannon’s removal?
This comment has nothing to do with the Big Issues. It is about a smaller issue, but one that demonstrates the sensory stupidity of the average American. The subject: giant car pile-ups in Louisiana, Alabama, Texas and other states. It is simple: if you can't see, pull over and stop. At minimum, slow down to less than 5 mph. If the road is icy, don't be on the road at all! Driving is not like watching TV in your living room. Up here in Vermont, when driving is bad, we stay home.
Nothing is worth the risk of driving in bad conditions.
The Magas love Mark Johnson. He is quietly snarky and completely fact denying. I know some democrats are happy he’s there because everything he does will expose the GOP and favor Dems in the 2024 elections. But the damage he will do in the meantime will be significant and will promulgate governmental chaos. And where there’s chaos, strong authoritarian rule looks more and more attractive. What’s the strategy to counter Mark Johnson’s cynical destructive game plan? I can’t believe Mark Johnson makes Mitch McConnell actually look good.
Here's a scary thought to add to the mix: my brother, who has a tendency to be right with his predictions, says that Mike Johnson will be Trump's VP, which could account for his smug look. Tim Miller in his Not My Party video does a piece on the only difference between Pence and Johnson is Pence says Biden won, and Johnson is an election denier. Scary indeed....
March 3, 2020. The Jr High Parking lot in a town north of Houston. I sat for over an hour. Atypically I had passed on the opportunity to early vote. It was down to the wire. Biden, Bloomberg, Sanders, and Warren were the big players left standing. 4 years earlier I voted for Sanders in a similar state of angst. This time my heart belonged to Elizabeth Warren. But I kept thinking about that primary vote for Sanders over Clinton and then what transpired afterwards. I never feel my vote in Texas counts. In my county the Republican primary winner always takes the prize and more times than not is unopposed on Election Day. But still I vote as if I am important, that my lone vote can make a difference. On March 3rd I once again wanted my vote to send a message to the Democratic Party and the universe at large. I wanted to send a thank you to Warren and tell her how much I loved her intelligence, eloquence and bravery. Ultimately I came to the conclusion that I had to put my heart aside and defend the country. We had to beat the incumbent. I voted for Biden. Afterwards I sheepishly confessed this to my friends . I wish I had had these words.
Voting is a chess move, not a Valentine.
Thank you Robert. I read you before I get out from under my covers. You and your commenting supporters give me confirmation, hope and a way forward. This may sound like a Valentine to you but it is also a chess move. Please continue. Please continue and I will help spread your message.
Voting IS a chess move, not a Valentine.
"Voting is a chess move, not a valentine." I think I want that on a t-shirt!
As for Joe Biden’s race against Trump in 2024, I imagine virtually no one on this platform needs convincing, regardless of one’s political assessment of Biden, of the importance of working tirelessly to get Biden reelected. That said, the decisive leadership this moment demands of Biden and Democrats overall cannot be overstated.
Given the hate, the division, the upheaval, the despair that Trump / Trumpism persists in stoking and making worse, contrary to Trump who presents himself as “the savior,” the Biden team needs to show an alternate, admittedly arduous, vision so just, so focused, and so disciplined as to not allow Republican deceptions and distortions to go unanswered.
My "representative" in Congress, Chip Roy sent out a survey this morning asking what his priorities should be. The choices were: 1. Secure the Border 2. Cut federal spending 3. End woke indoctrination at the Pentagon 4. End Biden's climate cult agenda 5. Stop sending blank checks to Ukraine. Here is my email reply, since None of the Above was not listed as a choice:
Dear Rep. Roy, Regarding your survey on what your priorities should be, you need a choice that says NONE OF THE ABOVE.
1. Secure the Border - This is a lot more complex than building a wall that doesn't do much or putting barb wire in the Rio Grande. The Congress needs to after decades of inaction on immigration put together a comprehensive immigration reform bill. This should include work visas (and paying taxes) for seasonal farm work, etc. This also means a foreign policy that helps countries get rid of the drug lords so people don't need to leave their own country and drugs don't come into the U.S.
2. Cut federal spending No, it has been the Republican administrations that have cut taxes so the rich can get richer - your only constituents you care about -- and run up the debt ($8 Trillion under one term for Trump). When one has paid into Social Security for decades saying this is an entitlement that can just be taken away is dastardly. No, I expect return on my investment!
3. End woke indoctrination at the Pentagon Anti-woke to me just means white males only that don't understand they are over-privileged compared to other groups. I say anyone willing to die for our country should be welcomed in our military and have equal opportunity to do so.
4. End Biden's climate cult agenda No, climate change is real and we can do something about it! Protecting oil companies is like protecting companies making buggy whips after cars became prevalent. Addressing the problems of climate change early will save money in the long run. Canadian wildfires making the air in New York City unbreathable! Get your heads out of the sand and pay attention to what is happening!
5. Stop sending blank checks to Ukraine No, Ukraine must win against Putin's aggression now. If Putin wins he'll go after NATO countries and we'll have a world war. Providing aid to Ukraine first is good for our defense contractors and second it is stopping autocracy from spending without any American soldiers dying! A win-win all around to fund Ukraine.
So, if this is your agenda, I want no part of it. I don't want to live in your Theocratic Oligarchic Kleptocracy -- a Theolikle. The rich don't need to be even richer. The middle class needs to make a living wage rather than it taking two incomes to feed a family. I will not have the government and lawyers determine whether I live or die because I'm pregnant because some small CHristian In Name Only sects (CHINOs) thinks the soul enters the body at conception rather than at birth. Being conservative is fine, but destroying our rights and economic well-being over your petty need for power doesn't fly with me.
So, my priority will be to RE-ELECT NO ONE with such an agenda!
"Only in Washington when you cut spending do they call it an increase in the deficit." Yeah, sure.
Ask any small contractor, be it plumber, electrician, remodeler, general contractor, whatever, who works with his crew on the jobs and relies on someone--employee or service--to do the billing, keep track of the percentage complete, file the necessary lien notices, etc. When business slows he listens to Johnson and fires his billing-help to save money. He tries to do all that work himself, and soon cannot collect for work already completed.
This isn't fantasy. My career was in working with small contractors who got themselves into this bind--and too often into bankruptcy--for just this reason.
Hard to believe that Speaker Johnson hired a hack from Fox as his spokesperson. I think we suspected Johnson was in the Fox/Bannon pockets but he has somehow managed to advertise that fact. So in addition to trying to benefit his billionaire donors by cutting the IRS budget, he then looks to a Fox entertainer as his interlocutor to the American public. I wonder if/when he will consider that he is the Speaker of the whole House, not just of the Freedom Caucus.
I had lunch with a friend yesterday and he told me that he is not reading all the various media and substack postings because he feels overwhelmed because there is too much going on to keep track of and he’s worn out by the Trump indictments manipulation and postering and the Speaker and House circus which keeps getting worse. I thought about these comments and I too am a little leery of all of the noise but that is what they want us to feel. I honestly believe that many people have made up their minds about whom they would select as a President and the trials and the political noises probably will not change their minds. But there are a number of voters who are not there yet and we need to focus on them and get them on board. A country goes through moods and has feelings and these are changing for the better and the Biden Administration is demonstrating what calm steady leadership looks and feels like and Trump and the Republicans show us what chaos and inexperience looks like. The choice is obvious if people are paying attention.
Joe Biden is a GREAT president. In the general consensus around our liberal substack-o-sphere Joe Biden is a "good" president..But in today's adversive, abnormal political landscape, Biden has effectuated amazing policy changes both foreign and domestic with quiet diplomacy..pitch perfect for our troubled times..that takes GREATNESS" not just Goodness! Liberals can be maddeningly self deprecating and understated. Let's all say thean is a Great leader..
Regarding the current Israeli-Hamas-Palestine war, I cannot think of a single world politician with the experience, heart and backbone to develop and implement the long term solution required to get Palestinians to give up their "ocean to river" dream, Israelis to accept some in loco statehood for Palestinians and vanquish the suicidal death cult, Hamas..
Go Joe..
Given the pair of Clinton-era scam artists who are running No Labels, they shouldn't be trusted further than you can see them with your eyes closed. They both go booted from the Democratic Party for being assholes (and you have to be a *serious* asshole for that to happen) and this is their revenge.
Just a small piece of real information coming from the President of Israel in a BBC interview that was not broadcast. Israel supplies only 7% of the water to Gaza. The rest has been co-opted or destroyed by their own people. The world wants to believe that Israel is the villain. I think we should all take a breath before judging without all the facts.
Here’s to making the right chess moves for our elections. Here’s to not letting perfection be the enemy of the good.
Off-topic: My neighbor, Mike Dukakis is 90 years old today. How different the world would be if the voters had been smart enough to elect him president in 1988.
Back to today: Mike Johnson is already proving himself a disaster. He'll come a cropper in the next 90 days. Maybe the next 90 hours.
Trump’s lawyers seem to have no end of motions to file. Is there a time when the Judge says, “no more motions. We are going to trial!” And in the Florida documents case, when does Jack Smith ask for Judge Cannon’s removal?
This comment has nothing to do with the Big Issues. It is about a smaller issue, but one that demonstrates the sensory stupidity of the average American. The subject: giant car pile-ups in Louisiana, Alabama, Texas and other states. It is simple: if you can't see, pull over and stop. At minimum, slow down to less than 5 mph. If the road is icy, don't be on the road at all! Driving is not like watching TV in your living room. Up here in Vermont, when driving is bad, we stay home.
Nothing is worth the risk of driving in bad conditions.
The Magas love Mark Johnson. He is quietly snarky and completely fact denying. I know some democrats are happy he’s there because everything he does will expose the GOP and favor Dems in the 2024 elections. But the damage he will do in the meantime will be significant and will promulgate governmental chaos. And where there’s chaos, strong authoritarian rule looks more and more attractive. What’s the strategy to counter Mark Johnson’s cynical destructive game plan? I can’t believe Mark Johnson makes Mitch McConnell actually look good.
Here's a scary thought to add to the mix: my brother, who has a tendency to be right with his predictions, says that Mike Johnson will be Trump's VP, which could account for his smug look. Tim Miller in his Not My Party video does a piece on the only difference between Pence and Johnson is Pence says Biden won, and Johnson is an election denier. Scary indeed....