The defeat of Liz Cheney marks the end of hope for Republicans as a political party. They may still call it the Republican Party, but it has descended to the level of a conspiratorial gang, dedicated to destroying democracy in the service of a mainly white and mainly “Christian” elite and, rather ironically, in the service of a coterie of wealthy individuals and corporations. Until yesterday there was a glimmer of hope that the party might re-discover its roots as a legitimate conservative movement, albeit deeply flawed. That possibility has now been extinguished, and the true nature of the gang is clear. And because it is a gang not a political party, the doom of the “party” is even more clear.
I would agree with you, Jon, but I think the time of death of the GOP was the refusal to convict Trump in the second impeachment trial after January 6th. The GOP could have banished Trump forever from the presidency. Instead, it handed him back control of the party less than two months after January 6th.
Liz Cheney appears to disagree that the Republican Party is now doomed and dead. Her conclusion to her concession speech was an opening salvo: "This primary election is over. But now, the real work begins."
Like Robert writes, she is taking the long view, as she has from the moment she decided to vote to impeach Trump. Trump and Trumpers will look very different in one year than they look today to their supporters, and Liz is positioned to reel them back to the traditional Republican Party--with herself at its head.
I agree Ellie. She calls on Republicans, Democrats and Independents now. While she has no policy interest that is at all similar to mine, the stakes have been raised and priorities will be aligned. I will be following her closely and supporting her in this fight for democracy. I think a silent majority will rise to support her- our true patriots.
Thanks, Ellie, and I agree. I have to say, though, that I would feel a lot better about this if she would leave Dad at home. Walking around in his daughter's presence does not, for those of us who lived through those days, suddenly redeem Dick Cheney. There is a possibly lovely message here about a daughter's loyalty and forgiveness, but just personally seeing his ghostlike presence isn't a feel-good experience.
Dick Chaney was the Darth Vader of the Bush Administration which were different times. I am sure the Bush Administration has its skeleton’s but Liz Chaney with her Conservative baggage displayed a courage we have rarely seen in politics for a long time. It’s a shame more Republicans don’t care more about Democracy and their country than power.
Yes, I remember a time when Republicans were actually human beings with whom I roundly disagreed. Today I think we are almost dealing with a whole different species. The thing that frightens me isn't that they are monsters but that they have somehow, and with remarkable speed and effeciency, created around them a culture that supports them. Even the mainstream "liberal" press, as their word condemn, the focus of their coverage paves the road. Witness today's news--mar-a-lago, its facts, its fictions, the fallout, and most of all the Trump and MAGA responses. We are being herded.
Trumpism is a cult of people who have been angry for a long time but we had not seen them or addressed their issues. Trump made it OK to act up and out and mimic him with lies and threats because adult Republicans were afraid to push back because of the potential casualties to their career just like Liz Chaney. Maybe Liz Chaney will help take Trump down and because she put country over party she will always be remembered as a warrior with integrity and could have an even brighter political future.
Stephen, I couldn't agree more and because of the way she pulled Democrats into her primary fight she could conceivably usher in at least some renewal of true bi-partisanship in the service of something larger than either party. We'll see. She needs to get Dad off stage immediately.
Well, we don't have to go down that path. I'm determined to find (or make) some new ones. Democracy is worth it and talking heads are not. I keep reflecting on the film, Don't Look Up.
Liz Cheney may be a unifier on issues surrounding free and fair elections, Presidential conduct and the rule of law. Kudos to her for that. And if she manages to pull together another political party that is not committed to lying as central platform, more kudos.
But she is still, at her core, part of a long term movement in American politics that puts corporations over people and religious nonsense over freedom.
I wish her success in continuing to honor the rule of law and preventing TFG from achieving political office again.
But I would NEVER vote for her. Remember what her basic beliefs are and they are not aligned with social justice. She is aligned with income inequality, healthcare for the affluent and education based on your zip code.
Always remembering her history before rising to the challenge of Jan 6, I will wait for what she will be saying now. She has given us reason to trust her, to believe she says what she means and means what she says.
OTOH, "I know that you think you understand what you thought you heard me say. I'm not sure you realize that what you heard me say is not what I meant."
I've spent lots of years unpacking that aphorism. It keeps me cautious as I continue to listen to a variety of POVs. L&B&L
When the heart button doesn’t turn red, refresh your page and it should then show it’s red. If not, just click on it again, and it should turn red. You may have to scroll to find it.
Well, beyond the need to save the nation from T___p and the cancer he represents, Liz Cheney and I agree on very little. If she wants to try to save the Republican Party, fine--I view that as making our job easier. But the effort will fail. In the long run, the nation does need a truly conservative party. But it won't be this Republican one.
Today there is no Republican Party and it ended when Trump became President. Republicans need to save their party and we need to save our country from Trump Republicans. We need a two party system with both parties believing in the constitution, rule of law and Democracy.
The only way the Republican party can return to the policies of old is by having many Republicans stand up and say “ we have had enough” only Republicans can fix this.
Her courage is compelling. However, there is something that puts me on edge and it's bipartisan. As much as I support strong women who are in the political limelight, such as Hillary and Liz, they both have ambitious men in their immediate circle who seem to be pushing them from behind. Is Dick Cheney wanting a vicarious return to politics?
When Hillary Clinton first threw her hat in the ring, Bill was at her side and very vocal. Was he hoping for another term from the wings of the White House?
Who can forget Bill's unfaithfulness or Dick's vicious exposure of Valerie Plame (sp?) when she revealed there was no 'yellow cake' uranium for alleged Iraq nukes. Neither man is a good example of unconditional support for "their" women.
Hope, I just typed a reply much the same. Seeing Dick Cheney hovering around like some pale ghost is giving me the creeps. And, ditto, Bill Clinton and all those men who seem unable to really support strong women by disappearing. I'm sick to death of the lot of them, but honestly. Dick Cheney?? Loving daughter or not, she needs to leave him at home.
We need to stop talking about the doom of the Republican Party and start doing something about holding the House and flipping the Senate and changing the laws that a majority of voters want . Winning both branches in November is the only way to protect the country from Trump and his cult. Only after major loses and will Republican legislators have the guts and willingness to step up and reclaim their party.
I agree with you completely. But we need to be aware of the members of the Chicken Little Caucus and the Nothing Can Be Done Club, who see only doom and gloom. A little perspective might help with those people.
In my fever dream, I imagine the opportunity for a grand bargain, where Dems, Independents and Republicans (the ones who feel their party has been usurped) join together in a temporary coalition to vote Democratic on an agreed upon platform: doing what it takes to save our Democracy. I could imagine such a coalition gradually morphing into two new parties—center left and center right—more accurately reflecting where the majority are. Yes, I know, a fever dream.
I'd feel a lot more optimistic about the next decade if it weren't for Kevin McCarthy. What's his latest, besides chortling over Liz Cheney's loss, threat? He says he'll investigate the 1/6 investigators. Jim Jordan's bloviation will be our daily news breakfast. McCarthy is really a small man, in thrall to a meglomaniac, and interested only in his ascension to the Speaker's chair. He's bad for our country. The next two years will be a horror for all of us unless the Dems pull a rabbit out of a hat and keep the House majority.
Regarding the threatened investigations if the GOP takes control of the House and / or Senate. let them break their picks against the rock of truth. What they will find is an administration that acted properly, guided by the law fealty to the Constitution. Perhaps they will learn something.
Liz Cheney is now free to transcend the dirty, corporatized politics of the Swamp and hopefully concentrate on resurrecting the values of traditional Republicanism, and perhaps even restoring the true conservative ethos to the processes of democracy instead of endlessly fighting the Fascist thugs who hijacked the GOP in the service of Donald Trump. The stand she took against the forces of authoritarianism is a noble achievement and her election defeat sends a clear signal that the majority of Wyoming's voters no longer value the Constitution and the Rule of Law. This revelation may be perceived as a great loss to the Republic, but ironically, in defeating Cheney, the people of Wyoming scored a victory for America and the highest ideals of Justice by exposing yet another vein of Trump-inspired tyranny that has so thoroughly corrupted the body politic. As a registered Green Party member, I'm not a big Cheney fan politically speaking, but this woman has certainly shown the nation what integrity looks like in action.
The IRA and the other bills that Biden has gotten passed, together such a powerful package that they constitute a redirection of the Reagan approach back toward FDR's definition of the relationship between the government and the people, manages to be largely ignored by the press. Certainly, the actual details of this bill, as you lay them out, aren't even on the radar. There are so few of us who seem even to know about them and, let's face it, not many will bother to find out. I don't know what to think or how to feel about that. Once again the mainstream press seems unable or unwilling to help out by informing the citizens of something momentous like this, a BFD indeed, because??
Do we as a citizenry have such a short attention span that we can't focus on something like this that involves a list of details not all of which apply to all of us? Maybe that isn't an attention span problem. Maybe it's a problem of caring about something that doesn't directly affect me.
In any case, Mr. Hubbell, thank you for this clear acknowledgement of another historic achievement by Joe Biden who appears to be pushing slowly and with determination toward his goals for the country in spite of low approval ratings--much like Liz Cheney.
One last comment before I head off into the afternoon. Have any of you been watching Joe Biden's tweets lately? They are really good. I've watched the one of him welcoming Sweden and
Finland to NATO and another one celebrating the birthday of Social Security.
I found them to be really good, heartwarming, and funny. Biden comes across as a decent human being, which is hugely welcome just now. Biden's tweets are more interesting and informative than listening to talking heads. Cheers to you all.
I watched Liz Cheney’s concession speech, which was quite masterful. She conceded the primary race, but she sure did not concede anything else. I kept thinking that she helped the Republican gang get to their current position. She voted with the Trump position about 90% of the time--against voting rights, against reproductive rights, etc. I applaud her courage in standing up to Trump. But I agree with Steve Schmidt who said the Republican Party should be burnt to the ground. The have-more big money interest are not cut from Abraham Lincoln’s cloth.
He talks about expanding the number of Justices on the court as Unpacking the Court since there is no way to reduce the number of life tenured Justices. With this Court People will defy its "rulings". I certainly haven't given up my reproductive rights just because the Extreme Court has some vague illogical reasoning that its not included in the Constitution. They are ignoring the Ninth Amendment which says the People have rights the Constitution does not enumerate! They are ignoring the People's wishes and taking away our rights with their "We have the votes; we can do anything we want." I have no reason to be a good subservient citizen and be forced into slavery of being a breeder. Seems like all that does is put more rapist DNAs into the gene pool. No, the Extreme Court has no weight with me. It is meaningless and actually destroying democracy. Time to stand up and go reread "On Civil Disobedience" where Thoreau espouses the need to prioritize one's conscience over the dictates of laws. My conscience is quite clear and ready to take action! First action is to get every citizen to VOTE all Republicans out of office. We, the People, all of us standing up for democracy this time!
Aug 17, 2022·edited Aug 17, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
To your point, the Washington Post and Guardian newsletters both headlined the Cheney story, again reflecting Trump's ability to mesmerize the starry-eyed media, to the detriment of the public's awareness of constructive political events. For the media it has the added benefit of feeding into their other running stories of Biden's poll numbers and the dysfunction of government and politics. Thank you for having your priorities straight, Robert.
Did you know that Princeton University did an analysis of the climate impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Preliminary Report: The Climate and Energy Impacts
of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 By Princeton University indicates the following:
“ Enacting the Inflation Reduction Act would lower annual U.S. energy expenditures by at least 4% in 2030, a savings of nearly $50 billion dollars per year for households, businesses and industry. That translates into hundreds of dollars in annual energy cost savings for U.S. households.”
I didn’t know this either. The alternative would be much higher energy costs for all of us.
We live in a topsy turvey world. We have Trump’s close associates being targeted and pleading guilty to their crimes on the same day the IRA is signed into law. You are right about people’s awareness and knowledge of what is in the bill. The key for me and the challenge for us is how we can communicate specifically how this bill will reduce inflation and save voters money. I have seen several candidates ads where they are standing in a supermarket talking about the rise in food costs and blaming Democrats but you never hear about the Republicans plan to reduce inflation and food costs which is exactly why you need to get the word out daily about the contents of the bill. Have you sent out today your. “ did you know “ comments about a what is in the bill
Today? I have and Robert today gave us more ammunition to send out.
Liz Chaney felt the brutality and viciousness of some of the Trump party’s attacks on her for putting country above party and holding him accountable. We need to support her efforts and the rest of the committee’s members and outcomes to avoid what happened to Chaney from happening to many others. This alone is a reason not to elect any Republican.
Immediately after listening to Liz Cheney and reducing the size of the screen, I was bombarded by what I assumed to be talking heads from Fox News. How they could listen to Cheney's speech and toss it off as a mere political ploy was disgusting. I am always surprised how that word, disgusting, finds its way into comments about the MAGA crowd. Are these highly paid pundits really committed to TFG and the danger he and his followers pose to our country? Or is it all a show? All about ratings and rantings and feel-good moments of gotcha, no matter who gets hurt as long as they "win"?
I don't have a television and I don't watch the news so when I do, it makes more of an impact on me. We must stand together for shared principles and oppose those who apparently have none. How best to do this? I just finished writing 100 register-to-vote
postcards and I've got 400 more. That's a start, but, like Liz Cheney, I am resolved to do whatever I can to help make sure Donald Trump and his minions never get near the White House again.
Your final paragraph is a classic. It deserves to be chiseled in stone and taught in all high school civics classes. That is if the school is lucky enough to have said class. Power to the People
I saw a headline today in Mother Jones that struck me. It said: "Liz Cheney was defeated by the extremist movement she helped to empower". She is a modern-day Dr. Frankenstein.
Cheney deserves lots of praise, and I added my voice to the mix. But she is a complicated politician whose views on almost everything except loyalty to the Constitution are on the extreme right. The Mother Jones article is right. Her foreign policy views are essentially those of her father; she called for the DOJ to investigate environmental groups like the Sierra Club because she suspected that they were controlled by foreign governments seeking to harm the US by preserving the environment; she sponsored a bill to de-list the grey wolf from the endangered species list; she accused Peter Strozk of fomenting a "coup" because his sent personal emails belittling Trump. Good for her for standing up to Trump after an attempted coup, but she is who she was before the coup--someone who sided with Trump more consistently that Jim Jordan and Paul Gosar. Would that she opposed Trump earlier, when he was tearing at the fabric of democracy by bribing Ukraine, collaborating with Russia, and turning our borders into separation camps for children and parents.
Aug 17, 2022·edited Aug 19, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
In Today's Edition Robert stated, "As many legal commentators have noted, Trump’s statement proves that he intended to take and retain documents that included defense secrets and highly classified documents. That is bad for Trump. Very bad."
We have all seen outrageous fact after outrageous fact presented for all the world, and everyone in this country, to see. So, to the comment I have quoted, I say, this is only "bad for Trump," if, and only if, he is actually held accountable with REAL consequences. That has yet to happen. Until it does become reality, I am sadly skeptical, but no less hopeful that he will find the end of his lifetime of conning others, flaunting and disregarding the rule of law, and his narcissism is filled with substantial and real consequences.
Hi Robert. I want to congratulate you and your wife on your anniversary. Kudos to your many years together! I can appreciate your anniversary as my husband and I will celebrate 42 years on August 31.
I like how you two collaborate and how you give her credit for her work with you.
Aug 17, 2022·edited Aug 17, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
HELP PLEASE! I'm answering Robert's challenge spread the word, but I need an answer and a suggestion to a specific reply I've been getting on Twitter (some politely and some not so much!). How do I answer the challenge that the CBO says the IRA will cost middle Americans $20 billion in new taxes? Here's what happened:
I got hundreds of "likes, retweets" to my post yesterday about the IRA, "Republicans are calling the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) “tax and spend.” It’s true! We’re TAXING multinational companies generating over $1 billion per year and SPENDING the money on seniors, US workers and the climate crisis. Pass it on! (Inspired by https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/the-bonfire-of-insanity)
This post got a lot of likes, but when I used it specifically to answer the CBO challenge, the response I got was that Forbes is a democratic publication that doesn't know truth.
So now I have to admit that when I tried to read the whole article again, I couldn't fully understand it.
Is it possible to explain simply why this is or isn't true? thank you!
Okay, let's break down the hyperventilated reporting from the Post.
What the article says is that "enhanced IRS enforcement" will result in additional revenue from "underreported income" from small businesses run as "pass through" entities."
In other words, yes, some "middle class" taxpayers who own "pass through" corporations small businesses will end up paying more taxes on INCOME THAT THEY ARE NOT REPORTING now.
Here is the relevant language from the article: The CBO analysis confirms an earlier report from the Joint Committee on Taxation that found that throwing an extra $80 billion at the IRS to improve the agency’s collection of under-reported income will end up targeting small business owners to pay for the legislation.
Note, however, that the Post has put its own spin on what the CBO analysis confirms. I looked at the original CBO analysis I did not see anything that said the IRS would "target small businesses to pay for the legislation." That is the Post's political spin.
So, is it fair that people pay taxes on income they earn? Yes. Is it a "tax increase" because the IRS discovers that some businesses are not reporting income that is taxable under the tax code? No. does that increase revenue to the federal government when people pay taxes on money they earn? Yes.
Moreover, the NYPost article is based on a disingenuous argument. The head of the National TAxpayer's Union claims that mid-sized businesses will pay taxes they don't owe because they "won't fight back" against the IRS. That argument assumes the IRS will assert that taxpayers owe money they don't owe in the hopes the taxpayers will just give up. I don't believe that the IRS engages in such predatory tactics, but the NYPost article is based on that assumption. The Posts article is misleading and wrong. When people pay taxes they owe on income they are concealing, that is not a tax increase.
Thank you!!! Would it be ok if I create a pdf with your newsletter headline and link so I can attach it to a Tweet? I have two doc appts today but I'lll work on a 280 character tweet tonight and post it for your approval. I want to get this right! There really are people out there who will engage respectfully!
The defeat of Liz Cheney marks the end of hope for Republicans as a political party. They may still call it the Republican Party, but it has descended to the level of a conspiratorial gang, dedicated to destroying democracy in the service of a mainly white and mainly “Christian” elite and, rather ironically, in the service of a coterie of wealthy individuals and corporations. Until yesterday there was a glimmer of hope that the party might re-discover its roots as a legitimate conservative movement, albeit deeply flawed. That possibility has now been extinguished, and the true nature of the gang is clear. And because it is a gang not a political party, the doom of the “party” is even more clear.
I would agree with you, Jon, but I think the time of death of the GOP was the refusal to convict Trump in the second impeachment trial after January 6th. The GOP could have banished Trump forever from the presidency. Instead, it handed him back control of the party less than two months after January 6th.
Well, I'm probably being too nice to them. Being too nice is not generally one of my faults.
Liz Cheney appears to disagree that the Republican Party is now doomed and dead. Her conclusion to her concession speech was an opening salvo: "This primary election is over. But now, the real work begins."
Like Robert writes, she is taking the long view, as she has from the moment she decided to vote to impeach Trump. Trump and Trumpers will look very different in one year than they look today to their supporters, and Liz is positioned to reel them back to the traditional Republican Party--with herself at its head.
I agree Ellie. She calls on Republicans, Democrats and Independents now. While she has no policy interest that is at all similar to mine, the stakes have been raised and priorities will be aligned. I will be following her closely and supporting her in this fight for democracy. I think a silent majority will rise to support her- our true patriots.
What an irony if the Republican party goes down in ashes and Liz is the proverbial phoenix. She just may unify people from all sides.
Thanks, Ellie, and I agree. I have to say, though, that I would feel a lot better about this if she would leave Dad at home. Walking around in his daughter's presence does not, for those of us who lived through those days, suddenly redeem Dick Cheney. There is a possibly lovely message here about a daughter's loyalty and forgiveness, but just personally seeing his ghostlike presence isn't a feel-good experience.
Dick Chaney was the Darth Vader of the Bush Administration which were different times. I am sure the Bush Administration has its skeleton’s but Liz Chaney with her Conservative baggage displayed a courage we have rarely seen in politics for a long time. It’s a shame more Republicans don’t care more about Democracy and their country than power.
Yes, I remember a time when Republicans were actually human beings with whom I roundly disagreed. Today I think we are almost dealing with a whole different species. The thing that frightens me isn't that they are monsters but that they have somehow, and with remarkable speed and effeciency, created around them a culture that supports them. Even the mainstream "liberal" press, as their word condemn, the focus of their coverage paves the road. Witness today's news--mar-a-lago, its facts, its fictions, the fallout, and most of all the Trump and MAGA responses. We are being herded.
Trumpism is a cult of people who have been angry for a long time but we had not seen them or addressed their issues. Trump made it OK to act up and out and mimic him with lies and threats because adult Republicans were afraid to push back because of the potential casualties to their career just like Liz Chaney. Maybe Liz Chaney will help take Trump down and because she put country over party she will always be remembered as a warrior with integrity and could have an even brighter political future.
Stephen, I couldn't agree more and because of the way she pulled Democrats into her primary fight she could conceivably usher in at least some renewal of true bi-partisanship in the service of something larger than either party. We'll see. She needs to get Dad off stage immediately.
Well, we don't have to go down that path. I'm determined to find (or make) some new ones. Democracy is worth it and talking heads are not. I keep reflecting on the film, Don't Look Up.
Well said!
Dear Dean, I wish I had been one of your students. You write beautifully and with clear visuals and historical reminders. Much appreciated!
Liz Cheney may be a unifier on issues surrounding free and fair elections, Presidential conduct and the rule of law. Kudos to her for that. And if she manages to pull together another political party that is not committed to lying as central platform, more kudos.
But she is still, at her core, part of a long term movement in American politics that puts corporations over people and religious nonsense over freedom.
I wish her success in continuing to honor the rule of law and preventing TFG from achieving political office again.
But I would NEVER vote for her. Remember what her basic beliefs are and they are not aligned with social justice. She is aligned with income inequality, healthcare for the affluent and education based on your zip code.
Always remembering her history before rising to the challenge of Jan 6, I will wait for what she will be saying now. She has given us reason to trust her, to believe she says what she means and means what she says.
OTOH, "I know that you think you understand what you thought you heard me say. I'm not sure you realize that what you heard me say is not what I meant."
I've spent lots of years unpacking that aphorism. It keeps me cautious as I continue to listen to a variety of POVs. L&B&L
Won't let me like your comment so 'like'.
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Well, beyond the need to save the nation from T___p and the cancer he represents, Liz Cheney and I agree on very little. If she wants to try to save the Republican Party, fine--I view that as making our job easier. But the effort will fail. In the long run, the nation does need a truly conservative party. But it won't be this Republican one.
Today there is no Republican Party and it ended when Trump became President. Republicans need to save their party and we need to save our country from Trump Republicans. We need a two party system with both parties believing in the constitution, rule of law and Democracy.
The only way the Republican party can return to the policies of old is by having many Republicans stand up and say “ we have had enough” only Republicans can fix this.
Her courage is compelling. However, there is something that puts me on edge and it's bipartisan. As much as I support strong women who are in the political limelight, such as Hillary and Liz, they both have ambitious men in their immediate circle who seem to be pushing them from behind. Is Dick Cheney wanting a vicarious return to politics?
When Hillary Clinton first threw her hat in the ring, Bill was at her side and very vocal. Was he hoping for another term from the wings of the White House?
Who can forget Bill's unfaithfulness or Dick's vicious exposure of Valerie Plame (sp?) when she revealed there was no 'yellow cake' uranium for alleged Iraq nukes. Neither man is a good example of unconditional support for "their" women.
Hope, I just typed a reply much the same. Seeing Dick Cheney hovering around like some pale ghost is giving me the creeps. And, ditto, Bill Clinton and all those men who seem unable to really support strong women by disappearing. I'm sick to death of the lot of them, but honestly. Dick Cheney?? Loving daughter or not, she needs to leave him at home.
True, Dean!
We need to stop talking about the doom of the Republican Party and start doing something about holding the House and flipping the Senate and changing the laws that a majority of voters want . Winning both branches in November is the only way to protect the country from Trump and his cult. Only after major loses and will Republican legislators have the guts and willingness to step up and reclaim their party.
I agree with you completely. But we need to be aware of the members of the Chicken Little Caucus and the Nothing Can Be Done Club, who see only doom and gloom. A little perspective might help with those people.
In my fever dream, I imagine the opportunity for a grand bargain, where Dems, Independents and Republicans (the ones who feel their party has been usurped) join together in a temporary coalition to vote Democratic on an agreed upon platform: doing what it takes to save our Democracy. I could imagine such a coalition gradually morphing into two new parties—center left and center right—more accurately reflecting where the majority are. Yes, I know, a fever dream.
I'd feel a lot more optimistic about the next decade if it weren't for Kevin McCarthy. What's his latest, besides chortling over Liz Cheney's loss, threat? He says he'll investigate the 1/6 investigators. Jim Jordan's bloviation will be our daily news breakfast. McCarthy is really a small man, in thrall to a meglomaniac, and interested only in his ascension to the Speaker's chair. He's bad for our country. The next two years will be a horror for all of us unless the Dems pull a rabbit out of a hat and keep the House majority.
Regarding the threatened investigations if the GOP takes control of the House and / or Senate. let them break their picks against the rock of truth. What they will find is an administration that acted properly, guided by the law fealty to the Constitution. Perhaps they will learn something.
I have given up on the truth being a concern to Jordan and an unfortunately large % of his Freedom Caucus colleagues
Your words to God’s ears
Liz Cheney is now free to transcend the dirty, corporatized politics of the Swamp and hopefully concentrate on resurrecting the values of traditional Republicanism, and perhaps even restoring the true conservative ethos to the processes of democracy instead of endlessly fighting the Fascist thugs who hijacked the GOP in the service of Donald Trump. The stand she took against the forces of authoritarianism is a noble achievement and her election defeat sends a clear signal that the majority of Wyoming's voters no longer value the Constitution and the Rule of Law. This revelation may be perceived as a great loss to the Republic, but ironically, in defeating Cheney, the people of Wyoming scored a victory for America and the highest ideals of Justice by exposing yet another vein of Trump-inspired tyranny that has so thoroughly corrupted the body politic. As a registered Green Party member, I'm not a big Cheney fan politically speaking, but this woman has certainly shown the nation what integrity looks like in action.
The IRA and the other bills that Biden has gotten passed, together such a powerful package that they constitute a redirection of the Reagan approach back toward FDR's definition of the relationship between the government and the people, manages to be largely ignored by the press. Certainly, the actual details of this bill, as you lay them out, aren't even on the radar. There are so few of us who seem even to know about them and, let's face it, not many will bother to find out. I don't know what to think or how to feel about that. Once again the mainstream press seems unable or unwilling to help out by informing the citizens of something momentous like this, a BFD indeed, because??
Do we as a citizenry have such a short attention span that we can't focus on something like this that involves a list of details not all of which apply to all of us? Maybe that isn't an attention span problem. Maybe it's a problem of caring about something that doesn't directly affect me.
In any case, Mr. Hubbell, thank you for this clear acknowledgement of another historic achievement by Joe Biden who appears to be pushing slowly and with determination toward his goals for the country in spite of low approval ratings--much like Liz Cheney.
One last comment before I head off into the afternoon. Have any of you been watching Joe Biden's tweets lately? They are really good. I've watched the one of him welcoming Sweden and
Finland to NATO and another one celebrating the birthday of Social Security.
I found them to be really good, heartwarming, and funny. Biden comes across as a decent human being, which is hugely welcome just now. Biden's tweets are more interesting and informative than listening to talking heads. Cheers to you all.
I watched Liz Cheney’s concession speech, which was quite masterful. She conceded the primary race, but she sure did not concede anything else. I kept thinking that she helped the Republican gang get to their current position. She voted with the Trump position about 90% of the time--against voting rights, against reproductive rights, etc. I applaud her courage in standing up to Trump. But I agree with Steve Schmidt who said the Republican Party should be burnt to the ground. The have-more big money interest are not cut from Abraham Lincoln’s cloth.
Professor Laurence Tribe's article mentioned above in Today's Edition is so worth reading! I'd almost call it mandatory for this audience. https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2022/08/16/supreme-court-roe-vs-wade-clarence-thomas/
He talks about expanding the number of Justices on the court as Unpacking the Court since there is no way to reduce the number of life tenured Justices. With this Court People will defy its "rulings". I certainly haven't given up my reproductive rights just because the Extreme Court has some vague illogical reasoning that its not included in the Constitution. They are ignoring the Ninth Amendment which says the People have rights the Constitution does not enumerate! They are ignoring the People's wishes and taking away our rights with their "We have the votes; we can do anything we want." I have no reason to be a good subservient citizen and be forced into slavery of being a breeder. Seems like all that does is put more rapist DNAs into the gene pool. No, the Extreme Court has no weight with me. It is meaningless and actually destroying democracy. Time to stand up and go reread "On Civil Disobedience" where Thoreau espouses the need to prioritize one's conscience over the dictates of laws. My conscience is quite clear and ready to take action! First action is to get every citizen to VOTE all Republicans out of office. We, the People, all of us standing up for democracy this time!
To your point, the Washington Post and Guardian newsletters both headlined the Cheney story, again reflecting Trump's ability to mesmerize the starry-eyed media, to the detriment of the public's awareness of constructive political events. For the media it has the added benefit of feeding into their other running stories of Biden's poll numbers and the dysfunction of government and politics. Thank you for having your priorities straight, Robert.
Did you know that Princeton University did an analysis of the climate impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Preliminary Report: The Climate and Energy Impacts
of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 By Princeton University indicates the following:
“ Enacting the Inflation Reduction Act would lower annual U.S. energy expenditures by at least 4% in 2030, a savings of nearly $50 billion dollars per year for households, businesses and industry. That translates into hundreds of dollars in annual energy cost savings for U.S. households.”
I didn’t know this either. The alternative would be much higher energy costs for all of us.
We live in a topsy turvey world. We have Trump’s close associates being targeted and pleading guilty to their crimes on the same day the IRA is signed into law. You are right about people’s awareness and knowledge of what is in the bill. The key for me and the challenge for us is how we can communicate specifically how this bill will reduce inflation and save voters money. I have seen several candidates ads where they are standing in a supermarket talking about the rise in food costs and blaming Democrats but you never hear about the Republicans plan to reduce inflation and food costs which is exactly why you need to get the word out daily about the contents of the bill. Have you sent out today your. “ did you know “ comments about a what is in the bill
Today? I have and Robert today gave us more ammunition to send out.
Liz Chaney felt the brutality and viciousness of some of the Trump party’s attacks on her for putting country above party and holding him accountable. We need to support her efforts and the rest of the committee’s members and outcomes to avoid what happened to Chaney from happening to many others. This alone is a reason not to elect any Republican.
“ Have you sent out today your. “ did you know “ comments about a what is in the bill”
Yes, we all have work to do. Biden’s doing his part…
https://english.elpais.com/usa/2022-08-16/joe-biden-to-travel-across-us-to-promote-flagship-project-the-inflation-reduction-act.html
Great point for us to message the benefits of this Inflation Reduction Act. Heather Cox Richardson listed one that caught my eye:
“A 30% tax credit for energy-efficient windows, heat pumps, or newer models of appliances will lower people’s energy costs…”
Home Depot and Lowe’s are not going to credit Biden’s IRA on their price tags, but home owners will see the benefit when they do their taxes.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/august-16-2022
Thank you for including mr tribe. He is brilliant
Immediately after listening to Liz Cheney and reducing the size of the screen, I was bombarded by what I assumed to be talking heads from Fox News. How they could listen to Cheney's speech and toss it off as a mere political ploy was disgusting. I am always surprised how that word, disgusting, finds its way into comments about the MAGA crowd. Are these highly paid pundits really committed to TFG and the danger he and his followers pose to our country? Or is it all a show? All about ratings and rantings and feel-good moments of gotcha, no matter who gets hurt as long as they "win"?
I don't have a television and I don't watch the news so when I do, it makes more of an impact on me. We must stand together for shared principles and oppose those who apparently have none. How best to do this? I just finished writing 100 register-to-vote
postcards and I've got 400 more. That's a start, but, like Liz Cheney, I am resolved to do whatever I can to help make sure Donald Trump and his minions never get near the White House again.
Your final paragraph is a classic. It deserves to be chiseled in stone and taught in all high school civics classes. That is if the school is lucky enough to have said class. Power to the People
S. Anderson
I saw a headline today in Mother Jones that struck me. It said: "Liz Cheney was defeated by the extremist movement she helped to empower". She is a modern-day Dr. Frankenstein.
Cheney deserves lots of praise, and I added my voice to the mix. But she is a complicated politician whose views on almost everything except loyalty to the Constitution are on the extreme right. The Mother Jones article is right. Her foreign policy views are essentially those of her father; she called for the DOJ to investigate environmental groups like the Sierra Club because she suspected that they were controlled by foreign governments seeking to harm the US by preserving the environment; she sponsored a bill to de-list the grey wolf from the endangered species list; she accused Peter Strozk of fomenting a "coup" because his sent personal emails belittling Trump. Good for her for standing up to Trump after an attempted coup, but she is who she was before the coup--someone who sided with Trump more consistently that Jim Jordan and Paul Gosar. Would that she opposed Trump earlier, when he was tearing at the fabric of democracy by bribing Ukraine, collaborating with Russia, and turning our borders into separation camps for children and parents.
In Today's Edition Robert stated, "As many legal commentators have noted, Trump’s statement proves that he intended to take and retain documents that included defense secrets and highly classified documents. That is bad for Trump. Very bad."
We have all seen outrageous fact after outrageous fact presented for all the world, and everyone in this country, to see. So, to the comment I have quoted, I say, this is only "bad for Trump," if, and only if, he is actually held accountable with REAL consequences. That has yet to happen. Until it does become reality, I am sadly skeptical, but no less hopeful that he will find the end of his lifetime of conning others, flaunting and disregarding the rule of law, and his narcissism is filled with substantial and real consequences.
Hi Robert. I want to congratulate you and your wife on your anniversary. Kudos to your many years together! I can appreciate your anniversary as my husband and I will celebrate 42 years on August 31.
I like how you two collaborate and how you give her credit for her work with you.
Best wishes for your continued happiness.
Susan Silva
HELP PLEASE! I'm answering Robert's challenge spread the word, but I need an answer and a suggestion to a specific reply I've been getting on Twitter (some politely and some not so much!). How do I answer the challenge that the CBO says the IRA will cost middle Americans $20 billion in new taxes? Here's what happened:
I got hundreds of "likes, retweets" to my post yesterday about the IRA, "Republicans are calling the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) “tax and spend.” It’s true! We’re TAXING multinational companies generating over $1 billion per year and SPENDING the money on seniors, US workers and the climate crisis. Pass it on! (Inspired by https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/the-bonfire-of-insanity)
BUT I also got a number of comments based on a NY Post article that the non-partisan CBO says that IRA will cost middle class $20billion in new taxes. "https://nypost.com/2022/08/15/inflation-reduction-act-will-cost-middle-class-20b-cbo/
I tried to answer with "You can believe this twisting of the CBO report. Or you can check out this article from Forbes explaining why this simply isn't true. https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2022/08/12/ignore-the-debate-over-whether-the-inflation-reduction-act-raises-taxes-on-those-making-400000-or-less/?sh=75c53e2d207d
This post got a lot of likes, but when I used it specifically to answer the CBO challenge, the response I got was that Forbes is a democratic publication that doesn't know truth.
So now I have to admit that when I tried to read the whole article again, I couldn't fully understand it.
Is it possible to explain simply why this is or isn't true? thank you!
Okay, let's break down the hyperventilated reporting from the Post.
What the article says is that "enhanced IRS enforcement" will result in additional revenue from "underreported income" from small businesses run as "pass through" entities."
In other words, yes, some "middle class" taxpayers who own "pass through" corporations small businesses will end up paying more taxes on INCOME THAT THEY ARE NOT REPORTING now.
Here is the relevant language from the article: The CBO analysis confirms an earlier report from the Joint Committee on Taxation that found that throwing an extra $80 billion at the IRS to improve the agency’s collection of under-reported income will end up targeting small business owners to pay for the legislation.
Note, however, that the Post has put its own spin on what the CBO analysis confirms. I looked at the original CBO analysis I did not see anything that said the IRS would "target small businesses to pay for the legislation." That is the Post's political spin.
So, is it fair that people pay taxes on income they earn? Yes. Is it a "tax increase" because the IRS discovers that some businesses are not reporting income that is taxable under the tax code? No. does that increase revenue to the federal government when people pay taxes on money they earn? Yes.
Moreover, the NYPost article is based on a disingenuous argument. The head of the National TAxpayer's Union claims that mid-sized businesses will pay taxes they don't owe because they "won't fight back" against the IRS. That argument assumes the IRS will assert that taxpayers owe money they don't owe in the hopes the taxpayers will just give up. I don't believe that the IRS engages in such predatory tactics, but the NYPost article is based on that assumption. The Posts article is misleading and wrong. When people pay taxes they owe on income they are concealing, that is not a tax increase.
Thank you!!! Would it be ok if I create a pdf with your newsletter headline and link so I can attach it to a Tweet? I have two doc appts today but I'lll work on a 280 character tweet tonight and post it for your approval. I want to get this right! There really are people out there who will engage respectfully!
Robert I sent you an email with a question I have before I complete my document.