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.
Shirtz, Because I’m programmed to find solutions once I believe I understand the problem, while, I, too, read the same words, I had failed to absorb them the way you had. Though the words originated from Robert’s newsletter, without your amplification, I would not have internalized them, and that would have been a great loss. With gratitude, Barbara
Nice realization, Shirlz. In voting, I believe candidates' Character is first, Integrity is second, and Policy is third. Policy can change, and people with character and integrity will do the right thing.
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.
I'm hopeful the echo in our echo chamber will amplify out to work across the country in the general elections so we will see the BIGGEST landslide since 1964 when Johnson beat Goldwater by 20 points..
And we get a really significant majority in the House to unseat the clown majority.👍😵💫
Man! Don’t we all. I take note of your reference to “our echo chamber.” Isn’t that clearly our challenge? How do we get the messaging beyond “our echo chamber?”
No challenge could be greater when we are so frequently watching people scream for “perfection.” Nice ideal, but in politics there is no time when we will elect perfection. But we must hold strong in unity to promote Biden’s integrity, grit, competence and steady hand.
For Merrill and John, While I don’t anticipate a landslide outcome, I do have great faith in how our every act, our every choice, send ripples of influence that can produce powerful results.
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!
Move to the head of the class, Cathy. This is an exceptional response to Congressman Chip Roy. Now, if only he would read it and reflect on it before he acts or votes.
Better yet, type that post up and share it liberally with friends and those not fully engaged. It needs to be heard by many.
Thank you, John, for those kind words. Succinct is one of my favorite words and I'm happy to have met that goal here. Even if Congressman Roy doesn't read it directly someone on his staff does and so I hope some of the points here will find some fertile young brain to blossom in.
This is a very articulate response, Cathy. It will probably not be absorbed too well by the small brain of Chip Roy, but we have to keep writing to these people. Being in Boebert’s district, I feel your pain.
I lived and worked in Massachusetts for over twenty years. Do you remember the bumper sticker the year President Nixon was reelected winning all the electoral votes except from Massachusetts. The bumper sticker read "Don't blame me, I'm from Massachusetts!" Now, my bumper sticker says "Re-Elect No One". We need term limits in Congress; there's tremendous bipartisan agreement on that by the citizens.
"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.
Exactly Dave, we’ve seen with our own eyes recently that Republicans will vote against their own best interests. They are literally afraid of their own constituents. MAGA Mike is not going to help them in their re-election prospects. The other thing is this very suspicious situation of Mr. Johnson having no money trail, which I read about yesterday in the Washington Post before seeing Robert’s newsletter. Even when I was living hand to mouth I had a checking account. Does he keep all his money in a coffee can? I would love to see this guy’s tax returns, if he even submits them.
We may all end up learning much more than we want to about Mr. Johnson's finances. Like you, I've always had a checking account, even if there wasn't always much in it but it's hard for me to believe that someone whose income is over $200,000 annually never has a checking account balance greater than the $1000 that the disclosure forms set as a minimum value for inclusion.
It’s absolutely absurd, Dave. No one can even get a credit line of $500 without having some kind of checking or savings account. I don’t know how this man is living, but he has probably avoided paying taxes for years on end, and is stashing hordes of money in his house, like Bob Menendez was doing. The corruption just stinks to high heaven.
Apparently the stench no longer bothers the members of Congress who have failed to even censure Menendez or George Santos and who tolerate behavior from their colleagues that would get any of us jailed without much sympathy from anyone.
Exactly! After watching 20 Republican cave just to move on there is no need to hold our breath. The Republicans have made their cowardice clear as they stop, take a breath and say, “Oh! Well! Let’s get on with the party and stop talking about being serious about governing.”
Wait! Wait! They never have said anything of the sort. 😰
Swbv, Johnson is golden. He has a mandate from the unanimous R caucus, a mandate from his donors, and a mandate from God. The ends justify the means, and he has just begun to roll out the means--until somebody stops him. Next is the government shutdown.
Johnson is a True Believer, and Brannon is an insane evil genius. Now is the time for all good persons to come to the aid of our country....
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.
At issue is all of the same people are reading the same substacks. And when I’ve asked the writers if they’ve surveyed the demographics of their readers, they’ve all said no. Like you these are my safe spaces vs watching the news, which is BS for the truth. But it’s also an echo chamber.
I come here so that I can be among sane and mostly like-minded people. It is a bit of an echo chamber sometimes, but there is healthy debate that’s almost always courteous.
Unfortunately Trump has absolutely CONvinced the unreading, aggrieved members of his fan club that the Biden administration is the most corrupt in the history of the world. Projection and/or tranference at a staggering level. It would be unbelievable if I hadn't heard--in person--an older man claim all that and more, to a clerk as he was checking out his groceries. I couldn't believe my ears, but there it is.
I just wish your friend would read Robert's Newsletter. He leaves us with hope every day. THIS is how I remain calm myself, in spite of the circus of events that unfold on a daily basis!
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..
I wish I could like your comment 100 times! Yes, Biden is going to go down with Roosevelt and Lincoln. He is by far the best president of my lifetime, which began during the first summer of the Eisenhower Administration. I think a lot of his skill has to do with his long experience, and having been able to learn from his mistakes, unlike a lot of people, including a lot of politicians.
Merrill, I echo David in wanting to like this comment a couple of hundred times. Biden has been accomplishing great things, under increasingly difficult circumstances, due to his diplomacy and negotiating skills, decades of experience, and levelheadedness. He is doing all this in a non-flashy style; but
unfortunately, Americans seem to like entertainment in their politics, and that’s an unfortunate thing. They can’t see below the surface of things because the right-wing media has hammered into their heads the idea that Biden is an old man with brain damage. It’s so very unfortunate. Even the mainstream media, in a less dramatic way, is focusing more on what they consider Biden’s disabilities than his incredible skills. I’m quite sick of it at this point.
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.
Thanks, TC..........I have never heard of Jacobsen or Galston. Frum, yes...I have heard of him. Why are they so hateful that they would run a spoiler for revenge and in so doing, destroy the country and immolate themselves as well in this vindictive devil's bargain? MAGAs aren't the only idiots around, apparently.
Is Frum still associated with No Labels? He founded it in 2010, but I don't see anything suggest he is currently involved in No Labels. And his writings at the Atlantic suggest he believes Biden will beat Trump by a strong margin.
Frum was a speech writer for GWB if I remember correctly. But, yes, he HAS come over to the good side, and he does write for the Atlantic or at least he WAS writing for the Atlantic. I think it's a few years since I've seen anything by him in The Atlantic.
I was reading that info from an article about the founding in 2010 of "No Labels". Nothing in the article suggested that he had moved on--at the same time, nothing was said of any current involvment. My bad--I should have done a deeper dive to check.
Doesn’t Frum write for the Atlantic? Or am I imagining this? I don’t have a subscription to the Atlantic, so I can’t read many articles there. What I have read of his work tells me that he is a Biden supporter.
You are correct--although Frum was a co-founder of "No Labels" in 2010, he has apparently seen the light since then and his current writings indicate his belief that Biden will win with a big margin. When I re-read the article I realized that all the references to Frum were from his co-founding days and there was no indication that he was still involved with No Labels.
My bad and my sincere apologies for misleading anyone.
No worries. It’s hard to keep up with all this craziness; and there’s no end in sight, at least not for the near future. It’s no wonder that people who do not stay tuned into reliable new sources have no clue what’s going on.
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.
I went to college in Massachusetts during the years that Dukakis was governor. I liked him even back then. It’s unfortunate that so many Americans were convinced to vote a lesser man into office by a couple of grotesque political ads.
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....
Let’s hope you are right, Robert. Whether VP or Speaker his Christian evangelical anti-democratic, the Bible is my worldview should be the beginning of the end. I hope so.
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.
And I’d like to add, I have no regrets. Biden has more than exceeded my expectations. I am fully supporting him now.
Me, too. As I did in the primary and in 2020. Love ya
Shirtz, Because I’m programmed to find solutions once I believe I understand the problem, while, I, too, read the same words, I had failed to absorb them the way you had. Though the words originated from Robert’s newsletter, without your amplification, I would not have internalized them, and that would have been a great loss. With gratitude, Barbara
Nice realization, Shirlz. In voting, I believe candidates' Character is first, Integrity is second, and Policy is third. Policy can change, and people with character and integrity will do the right thing.
Shiriz, Thank You! The perfect illustration for Robert’s excellent post.
I could literally feel the struggle between your heart and mind.
News Flash: The heart and mind both won! I’m glad to be on your team....
"Voting is a chess move, not a valentine." I think I want that on a t-shirt!
and a message to the Trump supporters: "You got checkmated by your valentine".
Game over.
Bumpa stickah
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.
Thanks Barbara..
I'm hopeful the echo in our echo chamber will amplify out to work across the country in the general elections so we will see the BIGGEST landslide since 1964 when Johnson beat Goldwater by 20 points..
And we get a really significant majority in the House to unseat the clown majority.👍😵💫
Man! Don’t we all. I take note of your reference to “our echo chamber.” Isn’t that clearly our challenge? How do we get the messaging beyond “our echo chamber?”
No challenge could be greater when we are so frequently watching people scream for “perfection.” Nice ideal, but in politics there is no time when we will elect perfection. But we must hold strong in unity to promote Biden’s integrity, grit, competence and steady hand.
For Merrill and John, While I don’t anticipate a landslide outcome, I do have great faith in how our every act, our every choice, send ripples of influence that can produce powerful results.
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!
Move to the head of the class, Cathy. This is an exceptional response to Congressman Chip Roy. Now, if only he would read it and reflect on it before he acts or votes.
Better yet, type that post up and share it liberally with friends and those not fully engaged. It needs to be heard by many.
Great writing. Succinct!
Thank you, John, for those kind words. Succinct is one of my favorite words and I'm happy to have met that goal here. Even if Congressman Roy doesn't read it directly someone on his staff does and so I hope some of the points here will find some fertile young brain to blossom in.
This is a very articulate response, Cathy. It will probably not be absorbed too well by the small brain of Chip Roy, but we have to keep writing to these people. Being in Boebert’s district, I feel your pain.
Well done, Cathy.
Perfect. I’m in Massachusetts, so don’t get to sound off against the stupidity, greed and corruption of folks like Roy. Thanks for sharing.
I lived and worked in Massachusetts for over twenty years. Do you remember the bumper sticker the year President Nixon was reelected winning all the electoral votes except from Massachusetts. The bumper sticker read "Don't blame me, I'm from Massachusetts!" Now, my bumper sticker says "Re-Elect No One". We need term limits in Congress; there's tremendous bipartisan agreement on that by the citizens.
I do remember that bumper sticker! I would love to see term limits in Congress. Would also like to see term limits for SCOTUS.
Me, too!
"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.
Don't hold your breath. As long as the rest of the caucus reflexively supports him, Johnson will keep up the divisive and ineffective behavior.
Exactly Dave, we’ve seen with our own eyes recently that Republicans will vote against their own best interests. They are literally afraid of their own constituents. MAGA Mike is not going to help them in their re-election prospects. The other thing is this very suspicious situation of Mr. Johnson having no money trail, which I read about yesterday in the Washington Post before seeing Robert’s newsletter. Even when I was living hand to mouth I had a checking account. Does he keep all his money in a coffee can? I would love to see this guy’s tax returns, if he even submits them.
We may all end up learning much more than we want to about Mr. Johnson's finances. Like you, I've always had a checking account, even if there wasn't always much in it but it's hard for me to believe that someone whose income is over $200,000 annually never has a checking account balance greater than the $1000 that the disclosure forms set as a minimum value for inclusion.
It’s absolutely absurd, Dave. No one can even get a credit line of $500 without having some kind of checking or savings account. I don’t know how this man is living, but he has probably avoided paying taxes for years on end, and is stashing hordes of money in his house, like Bob Menendez was doing. The corruption just stinks to high heaven.
Apparently the stench no longer bothers the members of Congress who have failed to even censure Menendez or George Santos and who tolerate behavior from their colleagues that would get any of us jailed without much sympathy from anyone.
Exactly! After watching 20 Republican cave just to move on there is no need to hold our breath. The Republicans have made their cowardice clear as they stop, take a breath and say, “Oh! Well! Let’s get on with the party and stop talking about being serious about governing.”
Wait! Wait! They never have said anything of the sort. 😰
A wise man once said, "when words and actions disagree, believe the actions".
Swbv, Johnson is golden. He has a mandate from the unanimous R caucus, a mandate from his donors, and a mandate from God. The ends justify the means, and he has just begun to roll out the means--until somebody stops him. Next is the government shutdown.
Johnson is a True Believer, and Brannon is an insane evil genius. Now is the time for all good persons to come to the aid of our country....
News flash: Hacks hire Hacks.
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.
At issue is all of the same people are reading the same substacks. And when I’ve asked the writers if they’ve surveyed the demographics of their readers, they’ve all said no. Like you these are my safe spaces vs watching the news, which is BS for the truth. But it’s also an echo chamber.
I come here so that I can be among sane and mostly like-minded people. It is a bit of an echo chamber sometimes, but there is healthy debate that’s almost always courteous.
Unfortunately Trump has absolutely CONvinced the unreading, aggrieved members of his fan club that the Biden administration is the most corrupt in the history of the world. Projection and/or tranference at a staggering level. It would be unbelievable if I hadn't heard--in person--an older man claim all that and more, to a clerk as he was checking out his groceries. I couldn't believe my ears, but there it is.
I just wish your friend would read Robert's Newsletter. He leaves us with hope every day. THIS is how I remain calm myself, in spite of the circus of events that unfold on a daily basis!
He does and as great as Robert’s newsletter is and uplifting his issue is he is overwhelmed.
Excellent, Stephen.
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..
I wish I could like your comment 100 times! Yes, Biden is going to go down with Roosevelt and Lincoln. He is by far the best president of my lifetime, which began during the first summer of the Eisenhower Administration. I think a lot of his skill has to do with his long experience, and having been able to learn from his mistakes, unlike a lot of people, including a lot of politicians.
Your comment is eloquent and on point!
Merrill, I echo David in wanting to like this comment a couple of hundred times. Biden has been accomplishing great things, under increasingly difficult circumstances, due to his diplomacy and negotiating skills, decades of experience, and levelheadedness. He is doing all this in a non-flashy style; but
unfortunately, Americans seem to like entertainment in their politics, and that’s an unfortunate thing. They can’t see below the surface of things because the right-wing media has hammered into their heads the idea that Biden is an old man with brain damage. It’s so very unfortunate. Even the mainstream media, in a less dramatic way, is focusing more on what they consider Biden’s disabilities than his incredible skills. I’m quite sick of it at this point.
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.
Thanks, TC..........I have never heard of Jacobsen or Galston. Frum, yes...I have heard of him. Why are they so hateful that they would run a spoiler for revenge and in so doing, destroy the country and immolate themselves as well in this vindictive devil's bargain? MAGAs aren't the only idiots around, apparently.
Is Frum still associated with No Labels? He founded it in 2010, but I don't see anything suggest he is currently involved in No Labels. And his writings at the Atlantic suggest he believes Biden will beat Trump by a strong margin.
I hope Frum is not involved in No Labels. I was under the same impression as Robert: that he had come over to the good side!
Frum was a speech writer for GWB if I remember correctly. But, yes, he HAS come over to the good side, and he does write for the Atlantic or at least he WAS writing for the Atlantic. I think it's a few years since I've seen anything by him in The Atlantic.
Thank you Mr. Hubbell...that is a reassuring thought.
I was reading that info from an article about the founding in 2010 of "No Labels". Nothing in the article suggested that he had moved on--at the same time, nothing was said of any current involvment. My bad--I should have done a deeper dive to check.
Doesn’t Frum write for the Atlantic? Or am I imagining this? I don’t have a subscription to the Atlantic, so I can’t read many articles there. What I have read of his work tells me that he is a Biden supporter.
You are correct--although Frum was a co-founder of "No Labels" in 2010, he has apparently seen the light since then and his current writings indicate his belief that Biden will win with a big margin. When I re-read the article I realized that all the references to Frum were from his co-founding days and there was no indication that he was still involved with No Labels.
My bad and my sincere apologies for misleading anyone.
No worries. It’s hard to keep up with all this craziness; and there’s no end in sight, at least not for the near future. It’s no wonder that people who do not stay tuned into reliable new sources have no clue what’s going on.
I'm guessing that there's a huge amount of ego wrapped up with the hatefulness, the desire for revenge, etc. But TC knows these guys and I don't.
TC, “this is their revenge”--and a serious increase in their liquidity....
surprise surprise (not)
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.
Israel has bombed desalination plants in Gaza making fresh water harder to obtain.
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.
I went to college in Massachusetts during the years that Dukakis was governor. I liked him even back then. It’s unfortunate that so many Americans were convinced to vote a lesser man into office by a couple of grotesque political ads.
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.
What a great metaphor for those who blindly follow.
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.
Definitely with Mike Johnson we count down the months while we pile up the video footage for campaign ads. There will be a lot.
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....
The media isn't done plumbing the depths of Mike Johnson's secrets. If Trump brings him on as a VP, it will be Sarah Palin all over again.
Let’s hope you are right, Robert. Whether VP or Speaker his Christian evangelical anti-democratic, the Bible is my worldview should be the beginning of the end. I hope so.
Why didn’t the Media know about Mike Johnson before he was elected Speaker of The House?
Yikes!