The Brian Hassett article "Why I Love Joe Biden" is a really excellent summary of Biden's many accomplishments. Those who whine about Joe Biden being too old need to take a look and take a step back. If this resume crossed their desks anonymously, they'd be all over it and rightfully so. Oh but it's an 81 year old guy? Too old!! But Biden has been Presidenting very successfully. We still need him because of the former guy and his nasty incompetent sycophants. We need Biden's experience and competence. He is good because of, not in spite of, his age and many years of experience.
And I love the you tube clip embedded in the article where Taylor Swift switches from silent to engaged in speaking out against tRump and Marsha Blackburn.
" After she stayed silent during the 2016 election due to the attacks she was receiving from the trump-supporting / trump-like unhinged psychopaths kenye & kardashian, she finally spoke up in 2018 and is encouraging her fan base to be engaged."
It also took her mother to convince her dad to listen to what Taylor was saying. I have seen that video many times because of het, she managed to get over 35,000 of her fans to register to vote! That, in itself, is remarkable!
However, that video was in 2018. Will Taylor have the courage to oppose tRump in this cycle? I sure hope so because she would be a major influencer for younger folks to register and vote for Biden. She and Beyonce are the GOATS in their profession and could easily swing this election.
I think she will! She had the courage to stand up to her father and was crying about having to do so She's much more mature! So if she did it 6 years ago, she will likely do it again! I hope Beyonce speaks out also.
AND THE NEOFACISTSwith their rw media are freaking out.saying Biden has rigged the Super Bowl to receive the greatest benefit from Swift & Kelsey endorsement. Amazing!!!
I doubt it. Plus, the derriere is an oft attractive secondary sex characteristic on both genders, that should not be conflated with one of the most evil H. sapiens ever to walk the planet.
It is most certainly is not juvenile, and it's a condescension to imply that it is. It's the use of the lower case "t" that is the point.
I use many alternatives for referencing him. He came into office to promote his brand, which is his name. I professed to never promote his brand. Period. If you don't mind encouraging use of his brand, that's on you.
No. it's conflating the former guy with a secondary sex characteristic that's attractive on both genders. It's like using the C-word for the female genitalia.
At 80 I recall vaguely President Truman and more clearly every other president throughout my lifetime. Until DJT, I had NEVER seen or heard of a president off stage creating chaos, demeaning people, and subtly (and not so subtly) threatening people and our democracy.
It is so boldly clear that Donald J. Trump is a threat to every citizen regardless of their politics. Why? Because, as we have seen since he came down the escalator, he has offered nothing more than vitriolic divisive hate speech and the unvarnished mobster mentality that one might expect to see in a B movie. He is a shameless human being who continues to show no moral compass except for one point to trying to escape accountability and concurrently stating he would pardon all who have already been charged and held accountable.
Vote in 2024 - up and down the ballot. Get Out the Vote so others play their part in democracy.
"It’s Democratic voters who stay home that elect Republicans . . . ."
I wish people understood that in our system, everyone actually votes, even the non-voters. Our constitutional, legal and social set up overweights a conservative rural minority. In addition, the lack of proportional representation leads to a strong two party system with winner take all. Therefore, not voting and voting third party or protest write in votes all support continuing the overweighted conservative rural minority. I suspect some people do recognize that and do protest voting/non-voting to try to avoid taking responsibility for the fact that they are supporting the conservative minority.
In our younger years, my husband refused to vote. He ‘s a Vietnam Ver and was angry at the government. Man oh man, I read him the riot act about not exercising his rights after he told me his vote wouldn’t count! After that, he’s voted ever since.
"He is Nothing!" This from E. Jean Carroll in her interview just now (7:30 a.m. EST) on CBS Mornings. Before taking the stand, Ms. Carroll had been cloaked in fear over having to face her adversary. But, she said, once on the stand and being asked to state and spell her name, it all lifted for her as she realized this man. was. nothing. I do not have a link to the interview because it is too early. But if you search "CBS Mornings" with today's date, I am sure you will be able to find it.
Sorry for the off-topic announcement but thought it worth sharing.
Last night Rachel Maddow had a 40 minute interview with her along with her two lawyers. “He is nothing.” She exposed the Wizard of Oz! Poof, all of his power is gone.
I love that she said that, and that she appears to have emerged strengthened from facing the bastard in court. I agree that she's a hero (see directly below)
The editorial board of the Houston Chronicle has called out Governor Abbott for his cruelty and the similarity between him and George Wallace, who defied the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education in attempting to prevent racial integration. What was the response of President Kennedy to Wallace's defiance? Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard and brought about the racial integration in Alabama that the U.S. Supreme Court had mandated nearly a decade earlier. That is one of the reasons that George Wallace is so well-known as the racist he was. Are not Abbott's actions underpinned by racism, the notion that the people of color, crossing the border to escape cartel violence and climate change, are not worthy of compassion or respect? We know what Donald Trump thinks - immigrants are "poisoning the blood" of America, a fascist trope, and Abbott did not rebuke or contradict Trump for saying that. I, for one, would not consider federalization of the Texas National Guard an overstep of Biden's authority, or an unjustified use of executive power to defend the rule of federal law, which governor Abbott is flagrantly transgressing for political purposes.
Abbott's actions are similar to those of George Wallace. I'm sorry to disagree, Robert, but I think President Biden needs to federalize the Texas National Guard .
Abbott & Paxton's performative cruelty at the Border is deeply disturbing. Think about what it says about what it takes to win re-election in the deep red South. Having an electric grid that functions in both extreme heat and cold is secondary. Enabling women to attend formerly first rate universities and feel that they have control over their own bodies while learning is secondary. I never would have thought a non-word like "Woke" could be the center of a campaign.
Maybe we should reclaim the word "woke." I have grown to hate it, BUT what it actually signifies is us, and what we are. Like reclaiming the American flag.
I am not the "woke" that Bill Maher is always making fun of. But aware of the insanity of the republicans, all of them. And aware of the needs of all, not just the rich and greedy. Wouldn't mind a tee to go with my "Make Racism Wrong Again" shirt. I also agree that the American flag is not the exclusive property of tea party magats.
How to insist, that if the Republican Party plans to nominate Trump, that he first needs a nonpartisan thorough neuro-psychiatric evaluation. The nation needs to know if he is heading into dementia or madness.
I'm thinking it will be obvious well before fall, but I agree with Jocelyn B, currently directly below, that a neuropsych evaluation should be mandatory.
Thank you for spending the bulk of your article on the situation at the border. I’m not sure that I agree with you that Biden should not go confront Abbott in Texas. If I remember correctly, didn’t federal troops go to Alabama when George Wallace tried to prevent segregation at schools in his state? Ther is something to be said that we must stand up to bullies. Abbott has been a monster to migrants and his own people. Look how Texas responded when women tried to get help with their own lives and healthcare as their pregnancies went wrong???? Did he show an iota of compassion? Absolutely not. But it’s perfectly fine for his badass to defy even the Supreme Court. It just should not be accepted or allowed. And let’s be sure to round up the 25 governors of red states who feel a “moral” call to go help Abbott kill more migrants. Just a horrific situation. Why would court cases take so long? The Supreme Court has spoken. There is no alternate reality that Abbott can present. Obviously I will support Biden in whatever he does. But a show of force would do us a world of good to humiliate this sorry human being. Meanwhile, what an incredible joke that Oklahoma censured Langford. Talk about an upset down world . He is in excellent company with Liz Cheney………..I am praying that somehow we’re able to pass the border reform bill!
With respect, the border section in dispute constitutes two tenths of one percent of the border between Texas and Mexico. Tiny. Yes, it is the busiest section Yes, the number of migrants is an issue but just one among several giant other issues in the U. S.
So I disagree that we are at the point where Biden should nationalize Texas National Guard. I believe it would be better to focus on Republicans unwillingness to govern and hammer them about their failure to pass the current bill; their failure to govern. They are incompetent failures. Losers. Let’s amplify that loudly.
Abbott is aching to give Biden a black eye but instead, is receiving some ugly press as are Republicans nationally because they are not truly interested suddenly in passing a policy that addresses the problems. Rather, they are willing to kill migrants with razor wire, allow mothers with kids to drown, and/or ship them completely unprepared to cold climates (Chicago has been inundated because Gov. Pritzker has very publicly criticized Abbott for his vicious policy regarding immigrants. There were immigrants who were flown from Texas to Chicago during the recent visit from the Polar Vortex. Temps were below zero and some migrants had no shoes, let alone jackets. Damn terrorist!) The media is actually paying attention to Republicans’ inability, indeed its unwillingness to govern, and are taking them to task. That matters.
I wish I could find it, but it is lost among the plethora of Instagram postings from yesterday. A fellow from Texas went to the border, Eagle Pass, I think, to see for himself what was going on. Now, this guy was a typical "redneck" type who confessed that he WANTED to lean Republican but wasn't sure. He posted a lengthy video of himself narrating as he showed miles and miles of fencing along the border. Turns out that from his report, that all the media coverage thus far has been in an area where two bridges cross the river, which is heavily controlled by guards - this is the area where all the Republican showboaters go for their media events. Beyond this very small area, are literally miles and miles of fence, with GATES that are wide open, where there are openings with NO GATES whatsoever. The point made was that there are literally hundreds of miles of open spaces along this border, not just one little half mile area with its guards and all the hoopla that awful Abbott is causing. If I can find it, I'll post a link to that video. At the end, the fellow says to viewers, there IS no "crisis" at the border. Turn off your TV's and ignore all the hype. AND he says, I'm not leaning Republican now that I have seen with my own eyes. IMO, Abbott is doing exactly what Robert says - running for office. This is true to form for him. He's despicable. He's trying to do two things: win votes and tank President Biden by deliberately baiting him to do something that will lose him votes. That's my two cents for today!
This exactly. Ratcheting up the tension is not the answer. Daring Republicans to pass policy (even if imperfect) to address the border issue in order to get Ukraine aid was genius and demonstrated President Biden's legislative prowess, IMO.
All good points for sure. And I agree that bad press is one answer to this MAGA arrogant disregard of the law. But, chances are the border bill will not pass. Then what? Abbott just keeps on using cruelty to cut off migrants in that area, possibly causing more deaths? The 25 other red states that have stupidly joined to support Abbott is remarkable. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma said something to the effect of “if the Supreme Court gets it wrong, we have a right to do what we need to do.” If that’s the case, the Dems could have simply ignored several of the recent SCOTUS decisions - including ending Roe vs Wade, expanding gun rights, crippling the EPA. If we can all just decide to follow only what we like, just as MAGA has decided to do when it comes to elections, then the end is near! My point is that the federal government has every right to go to Texas, and enforce the Supreme Court decision, just as was done when George Wallace thought he could stop integration in Alabama. Otherwise, the MAGA Party will just become a lawless and heartless purveyor of evil to the rest of the country. For the life of me, I don’t understand why Biden didn’t simply have the federal government take over the bussing of migrants across the country to places where they could be served. Instead, we’ve had to watch Greg Abbott abuse the system, and again bring harm to migrants that he wants to move out of Texas. When do WE get to say “enough”? I hope shaming them about the border bill will help. But have we ever seen in the last 6 years that MAGA is capable of shame???? I am not a military person at all. But bullies must be confronted.
Laura, your insight that MAGAs are not capable of shame is spot on. I'm not naive and think we will change their minds. We won't.
But the mainstream media is finally paying attention to Trump's mental decline and calling it out. Editorial writers are noting Republicans' attacks on democracy and are calling them out. The media was quick to pick up Trump's brag over the weekend to blame him for not passing the legislation designed to address border issues and noted Sen. Lankford calling out his fellow Republicans for declining to actually govern and for abrogating their pledge to uphold the U.S. Constitution!. Then he was censured for doing his damn job!
Influence MAGA's? No. Influence independent voters? Possibly, even likely. The recent polls have ticked up in favor of Biden - many Haley voters in Iowa and N.H. stated they would vote for Biden, not Trump if Haley was not the GOP presidential candidate. That is a critical group.
As Simon Rosenberg says, in his Hopium Chronicles newsletter here on Substack, we have to be loud and proud about Biden's successes and Trump and the GOP's losses, failures and lies. Loud and proud. Over time, we will influence some voters if it continues. And by the way, I do come from a military family - father, two brothers and my late husband all served but I have no clue how to confront dangerous bullies like Abbott. Diplomacy? Force? Combination? Wish I knew.... just my opinion to start with the media since I worked in media and know that's their job.
You’re right about the tide slowly turning in Biden’s favor. Let’s hope it continues and no other deus machina shows up to derail him! I too worked in media, and have been so appalled that reporters don’t challenge the crap they get when they interview Trump or any of his surrogates. Even when the Trump voters say things like, “I like his policies”, I believe a journalist should ask “which policies do you think were good?” If the voter knows at all, it won’t be for the right reasons. At which point, a real journalist could point out their errors or misconceptions. May not win friends, but it would set the record straight. I’m very anxious to see what Biden does with Texas should the bill not pass. Most likely, as Hubbell indicated today, he’ll take them to court……Enjoyed hearing your perspectives. Have a great day!!!
The cruelty is terrible, as you describe, but I think we need to start deporting everyone who tries to enter illegally, and greatly reduce legal immigration, to no more than 200,000/year. 2.5 million gained entry illegally last year, along with ~1.5 million legal immigrants. That's 40 million--two NY State equivalents--in a decade, or 120 million over three decades. Our country is already well beyond environmental sustainability, as we're using up our groundwater faster than it replenishes, putting our agricultural production at risk
I share your view. I believe the Biden administration should "Nationalize" the Texas NATIONAL Guard and order them to ASSIST the Border Patrol - to safely enforce our immigration laws.
Any other Texas "law enforcement" agency can be told to issue traffic tickets and investigate domestic violence by Texans.
Republicans are willing to abandon Ukraine as mere collateral damage to Trump’s insistence that they do nothing on the border issue. I’m reminded of a bumper sticker from the Vietnam War era, one used by supporters of the war: it showed an American flag with the words, These colors don’t run. Perhaps this could be recycled today.
The mainstream media is beginning to be more responsible. However - there were several pieces in WaPo and NYT touting the wonderful economy. One did not mention Biden once. The other did refer to him but neither could bring themselves to say 'Bidenomics is the envy of the world'. EJ Dionne roundly criticized his colleagues for their coverage as if trump is a normal candidate. (haha) As for 'we won't do the border thing is a presidential year' ---- hmm sounds like Merrick Garland redux. I was reminded on Saturday by a reader of the newsletter that armchair psychiatric diagnosis should be avoided. It is a very legitimate issue (remember Goldwater.) I thought about this - I do feel it is my responsibility to use the correct word 'dementia' here, because from a neurological point of view - we have ample evidence (I believe)in 'his own words' I think that we do need to drop the euphemisms. Unhinged, uncontrolled etc does not describe his behavior. His sentences are garbled; he is very confused. To confuse Pelosi with Haley is one instance and his saying things like 'debank' is another. I believe the more he is smoke out, the more people will come to the same conclusion.
Hi, Derek. I think people are entitled to give their opinions about Trump's mental conditions. Only medical professionals are ethically prohibited from issuing diagnoses without having performed an exam. If we artificially constrain Democrats from giving their opinions on Trump's mental state, we are simply ceding the ground to MAGA extremists. Moreover, the mental state of a presidential candidate is an important topic on which people should be able to speak.
So, as long as comments are respectful of people who have been diagnosed with dementia etc, I think we are entitled to give lay opinions about Trump's decline. My mom had dementia. I know what it looks like based on my personal experience. Trump is exhibiting some of the same symptoms.
100% agree. If one reads the Wikipedia article on Narcissistic Personality Disorder, they'll have zero doubt that this is the brain disorder DT has had his whole adult life. It dramatically warps a person's thinking and behaviors re: themselves, other people, greed, responsibility, shame, etc. No one with such distorted thinking and behavior should ever be in public office.
I'm a retired family physician, and evaluated scores of people for dementia during my career . To simplify, it's the condition at one end of a spectrum, with normal memory decline at the opposite end, and Mild Cognitive Impairment in the middle. A variety of standardized tests have been developed over decades to determine where people fit, at this moment, on that spectrum. The tests assess not just short term memory but verbal and written understanding, spatial cognition, etc. Scores on these tests can stay stable for many years, or steadily decline. If there is decline, the rate of change varies, depending on what the underlying brain condition is.
So, my strong sense is that Trump has a severe personality disorder but, because of his wealth and training, he was able to manipulate and crush people to "go far in the world". Nonetheless, it's still an absolute dealbreaker as far as fitness for public office. How far along he is on cognitive decline isn't clear. Some is clearly occurring, but I would not label it as "dementia" without knowing for certain how he has done on recent cognitive testing.
A related question is "how much does one get reckless in their speech when thousands of cult members make up audience after audience?" When there is zero chance that your adoring followers will care if you slip up here in there, I suspect it's easy to be sloppy as one rants furiously .
Oddly, his personality disorder is the main obstacle, IMO, why he should absolutely be rejected by voters. But it's the cognitive decline that will cause him to sound unstable and untrustworthy. In my mind, this speaks volumes about the judgment of the MAGA people, and the hopelessness/cynicism of other Trump voters. He's been totally amoral, shameless, intellectually incompetent, and dangerous for eight years, and now his verbal mistakes are bothering you??
Thanks for this information. Of course I have not read any more detailed testing, and you are right to point out that actually, none of us has. As a former mental health provider, though, I do not think the memory issues - which appear to be worsening daily - are related to the Narcissistic Personality Disorder. One or two lapses could be overlooked. But to not recognize the difference between your wife in a photo and E. Jean Carroll, to not know the difference between Nikki Haley and Nancy Pelosi, and to misuse or make up words multiple times on a daily basis seem to reveal memory loss. Just an opinion.
There have been qualified people during his presidency - psychologists, psychiatrists - who have come out and stated their diagnoses, which included "paranoid," "narcissistic," etc. I haven't heard of any qualified individuals saying/writing the word "dementia" yet, but I'm sure it's been said!
To repeat my comment on Dr. Richardson's post, this morning: The battle is not between Progressives and Conservatives. It is not between Democrats and Republicans. It IS between Fascists and freethinkers-worldwide, from Oklahoma to Russia; from Israel to Korea.
President Biden has a lot of big issues to deal with from immigration to Ukraine, Israel and the Middle East to climate change to name a few. The average voter probably does not spend as much time as we do invested in what is happening because there are other things happening in their hectic lives. What these voters need to hear is why Joe Biden should be elected to a second term and what his second term will mean to them and their families. Trump has outlined what he plans to do if elected but Biden is running today on what he has accomplished not on why he needs to be re-elected. That is what voters need to hear. If Biden can clearly articulate his vision for a second term in this “ is what I am going to do “ terms voters voters can easily understand and compare to what Trump is advocating.
Trump says he can cure “Biden inflation” on his first day in office. That’s a clear message, alright. Does anyone ask him how he will do it? Same with his health care better than Obamacare. It is a pity that empty promises get more press attention than actual facts.
I am somebody who reads the news obsessively, but I didn’t know that President Biden had border security/immigration budget requests ready on his first day on office.
Biden has done more as president than any for decades, truly. And all the media focuses on is his age. Trump is old too and has accomplished nothing except ravaging democracy. Thank you for standing by and for President Biden!
I agree with you that the narrative from the msm seems to be shifting but it still has a long way to go.Just over the weekend, CNN was normalizing Trump as a “normal” candidate to run for office when he is anything but.A black commentator was doing the same thing!I couldn’t believe my ears. I am glad that Trump’s cognitive decline and apparent gaffs in his speech are being finally noticed but there is still a long way to go here. Here is a candidate for POTUS who tried to overthrow the government and is actively planning on installing himself as dictator for life and the media still yammers on about his polling and rallies. This is still totally unacceptable.
Open borders was always the project of the Koch brothers and their wing of the Republican party. The GOP wants cheap exploitable labor for their business constituents that also has the effect of putting downward pressure on everyone else's wages. Workers that are not citizens or do not have visas/green cards cannot join unions and do not have any recourse to deal with workplace abuses. And, the GOP can then demonize the immigrants for political favor. It's also illegal for businesses to hire undocumented workers, so it's the businesses that are actually breaking the law. But the GOP doesn't talk about trying to enforce those laws. Bottom line, the GOP does not want a solution to this problem because they are deriving so much political benefit from it.
My wife and I visited San Diego the year after Trump left office. We noticed that 50% of the Starbucks were shuttered. When we found one that was open, we asked why so many Starbucks were closed. The employee said, "Trump. We can't hire people to staff the stores."
The Brian Hassett article "Why I Love Joe Biden" is a really excellent summary of Biden's many accomplishments. Those who whine about Joe Biden being too old need to take a look and take a step back. If this resume crossed their desks anonymously, they'd be all over it and rightfully so. Oh but it's an 81 year old guy? Too old!! But Biden has been Presidenting very successfully. We still need him because of the former guy and his nasty incompetent sycophants. We need Biden's experience and competence. He is good because of, not in spite of, his age and many years of experience.
And I love the you tube clip embedded in the article where Taylor Swift switches from silent to engaged in speaking out against tRump and Marsha Blackburn.
" After she stayed silent during the 2016 election due to the attacks she was receiving from the trump-supporting / trump-like unhinged psychopaths kenye & kardashian, she finally spoke up in 2018 and is encouraging her fan base to be engaged."
Bravo!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvDAD1xnb4Q
Thanks for posting that. She is such a force for good; my husband and I love her (and we're "old fogies")!
Oh, Jocelyn! We're not old fogies. But we recognize a force for good when we see one! (I'm 70)
Me too, and she had to go up against her dad - in tears - in order to stand up for what she believes!
It also took her mother to convince her dad to listen to what Taylor was saying. I have seen that video many times because of het, she managed to get over 35,000 of her fans to register to vote! That, in itself, is remarkable!
Absolutely! She really is a ROCK STAR!
and so much more!
However, that video was in 2018. Will Taylor have the courage to oppose tRump in this cycle? I sure hope so because she would be a major influencer for younger folks to register and vote for Biden. She and Beyonce are the GOATS in their profession and could easily swing this election.
I think she will! She had the courage to stand up to her father and was crying about having to do so She's much more mature! So if she did it 6 years ago, she will likely do it again! I hope Beyonce speaks out also.
AND THE NEOFACISTSwith their rw media are freaking out.saying Biden has rigged the Super Bowl to receive the greatest benefit from Swift & Kelsey endorsement. Amazing!!!
As Robert would say, they are ALL delusional and panicked. Their desperation is showing!
Great video. I didn't realize Taylor swift was such a force for good. I really appreciate it.
But please lose the "t-rump" thing. It doesn't hurt him in the least--we all despise him here already--and it's distractingly juvenile.
Distractingly juvenile? Many find it therapeutic.
I doubt it. Plus, the derriere is an oft attractive secondary sex characteristic on both genders, that should not be conflated with one of the most evil H. sapiens ever to walk the planet.
It is most certainly is not juvenile, and it's a condescension to imply that it is. It's the use of the lower case "t" that is the point.
I use many alternatives for referencing him. He came into office to promote his brand, which is his name. I professed to never promote his brand. Period. If you don't mind encouraging use of his brand, that's on you.
No. it's conflating the former guy with a secondary sex characteristic that's attractive on both genders. It's like using the C-word for the female genitalia.
How condescending of you to elevate your interpretation and belittle me.
At 80 I recall vaguely President Truman and more clearly every other president throughout my lifetime. Until DJT, I had NEVER seen or heard of a president off stage creating chaos, demeaning people, and subtly (and not so subtly) threatening people and our democracy.
It is so boldly clear that Donald J. Trump is a threat to every citizen regardless of their politics. Why? Because, as we have seen since he came down the escalator, he has offered nothing more than vitriolic divisive hate speech and the unvarnished mobster mentality that one might expect to see in a B movie. He is a shameless human being who continues to show no moral compass except for one point to trying to escape accountability and concurrently stating he would pardon all who have already been charged and held accountable.
Vote in 2024 - up and down the ballot. Get Out the Vote so others play their part in democracy.
"It’s Democratic voters who stay home that elect Republicans . . . ."
I wish people understood that in our system, everyone actually votes, even the non-voters. Our constitutional, legal and social set up overweights a conservative rural minority. In addition, the lack of proportional representation leads to a strong two party system with winner take all. Therefore, not voting and voting third party or protest write in votes all support continuing the overweighted conservative rural minority. I suspect some people do recognize that and do protest voting/non-voting to try to avoid taking responsibility for the fact that they are supporting the conservative minority.
Even the prayer in the Catholic and Episcopal Mass asks forgiveness for “what I have done and for what I have failed to do”.
In our younger years, my husband refused to vote. He ‘s a Vietnam Ver and was angry at the government. Man oh man, I read him the riot act about not exercising his rights after he told me his vote wouldn’t count! After that, he’s voted ever since.
Field Team 6 has lists of unregistered potential Democrats and those who stayed home in targeted states. https://www.fieldteam6.org/
"He is Nothing!" This from E. Jean Carroll in her interview just now (7:30 a.m. EST) on CBS Mornings. Before taking the stand, Ms. Carroll had been cloaked in fear over having to face her adversary. But, she said, once on the stand and being asked to state and spell her name, it all lifted for her as she realized this man. was. nothing. I do not have a link to the interview because it is too early. But if you search "CBS Mornings" with today's date, I am sure you will be able to find it.
Sorry for the off-topic announcement but thought it worth sharing.
She is a hero in my book!
Good morning, Lynell! Thanks for telling us about this interview. She should be revered throughout the lands!
I saw a snippet where she was on CNN also. I love her and Robbie so much!
Carroll and her lawyer also had a great interview on CNN this morning.https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2024/01/29/e-jean-carroll-trump-defamation-ctm-vpx.cnn
She said some great things in this interview as well. Thanks, Rick.
Last night Rachel Maddow had a 40 minute interview with her along with her two lawyers. “He is nothing.” She exposed the Wizard of Oz! Poof, all of his power is gone.
I love that she said that, and that she appears to have emerged strengthened from facing the bastard in court. I agree that she's a hero (see directly below)
The editorial board of the Houston Chronicle has called out Governor Abbott for his cruelty and the similarity between him and George Wallace, who defied the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education in attempting to prevent racial integration. What was the response of President Kennedy to Wallace's defiance? Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard and brought about the racial integration in Alabama that the U.S. Supreme Court had mandated nearly a decade earlier. That is one of the reasons that George Wallace is so well-known as the racist he was. Are not Abbott's actions underpinned by racism, the notion that the people of color, crossing the border to escape cartel violence and climate change, are not worthy of compassion or respect? We know what Donald Trump thinks - immigrants are "poisoning the blood" of America, a fascist trope, and Abbott did not rebuke or contradict Trump for saying that. I, for one, would not consider federalization of the Texas National Guard an overstep of Biden's authority, or an unjustified use of executive power to defend the rule of federal law, which governor Abbott is flagrantly transgressing for political purposes.
Houston is a great Democratic leading city but the rural area of Texas needs to be convinced.
Abbott knows it and has tried to keep Houston from taking care of their city business. He doesn’t recognize the color purple…
Or any other color other than all white.
Exactly. Boring mosaic
Abbott's actions are similar to those of George Wallace. I'm sorry to disagree, Robert, but I think President Biden needs to federalize the Texas National Guard .
Abbott & Paxton's performative cruelty at the Border is deeply disturbing. Think about what it says about what it takes to win re-election in the deep red South. Having an electric grid that functions in both extreme heat and cold is secondary. Enabling women to attend formerly first rate universities and feel that they have control over their own bodies while learning is secondary. I never would have thought a non-word like "Woke" could be the center of a campaign.
I’d like to use an electrically charged prod iron on those bastards!
I imagine there are plenty in rural Texas...
Maybe we should reclaim the word "woke." I have grown to hate it, BUT what it actually signifies is us, and what we are. Like reclaiming the American flag.
How about a t-shirt that says "Woke & Proud" or words to that effect, but more clever?
Proud to be woke
I like it! Wish I had the funds to make a run with that logo/meme
I'd prefer not to reclaim it. My gut doesn't like it. I think it hurts us. But I'm all for reclaiming the American flag.
I am not the "woke" that Bill Maher is always making fun of. But aware of the insanity of the republicans, all of them. And aware of the needs of all, not just the rich and greedy. Wouldn't mind a tee to go with my "Make Racism Wrong Again" shirt. I also agree that the American flag is not the exclusive property of tea party magats.
Sen. Lankford became anathema to Trump and his co-conspirators for a simple reason: He told the truth. I just hope he doesn’t try to backtrack.
How to insist, that if the Republican Party plans to nominate Trump, that he first needs a nonpartisan thorough neuro-psychiatric evaluation. The nation needs to know if he is heading into dementia or madness.
Make a law that says they all need an evaluation?
I'm thinking it will be obvious well before fall, but I agree with Jocelyn B, currently directly below, that a neuropsych evaluation should be mandatory.
Thank you for spending the bulk of your article on the situation at the border. I’m not sure that I agree with you that Biden should not go confront Abbott in Texas. If I remember correctly, didn’t federal troops go to Alabama when George Wallace tried to prevent segregation at schools in his state? Ther is something to be said that we must stand up to bullies. Abbott has been a monster to migrants and his own people. Look how Texas responded when women tried to get help with their own lives and healthcare as their pregnancies went wrong???? Did he show an iota of compassion? Absolutely not. But it’s perfectly fine for his badass to defy even the Supreme Court. It just should not be accepted or allowed. And let’s be sure to round up the 25 governors of red states who feel a “moral” call to go help Abbott kill more migrants. Just a horrific situation. Why would court cases take so long? The Supreme Court has spoken. There is no alternate reality that Abbott can present. Obviously I will support Biden in whatever he does. But a show of force would do us a world of good to humiliate this sorry human being. Meanwhile, what an incredible joke that Oklahoma censured Langford. Talk about an upset down world . He is in excellent company with Liz Cheney………..I am praying that somehow we’re able to pass the border reform bill!
With respect, the border section in dispute constitutes two tenths of one percent of the border between Texas and Mexico. Tiny. Yes, it is the busiest section Yes, the number of migrants is an issue but just one among several giant other issues in the U. S.
So I disagree that we are at the point where Biden should nationalize Texas National Guard. I believe it would be better to focus on Republicans unwillingness to govern and hammer them about their failure to pass the current bill; their failure to govern. They are incompetent failures. Losers. Let’s amplify that loudly.
Abbott is aching to give Biden a black eye but instead, is receiving some ugly press as are Republicans nationally because they are not truly interested suddenly in passing a policy that addresses the problems. Rather, they are willing to kill migrants with razor wire, allow mothers with kids to drown, and/or ship them completely unprepared to cold climates (Chicago has been inundated because Gov. Pritzker has very publicly criticized Abbott for his vicious policy regarding immigrants. There were immigrants who were flown from Texas to Chicago during the recent visit from the Polar Vortex. Temps were below zero and some migrants had no shoes, let alone jackets. Damn terrorist!) The media is actually paying attention to Republicans’ inability, indeed its unwillingness to govern, and are taking them to task. That matters.
I wish I could find it, but it is lost among the plethora of Instagram postings from yesterday. A fellow from Texas went to the border, Eagle Pass, I think, to see for himself what was going on. Now, this guy was a typical "redneck" type who confessed that he WANTED to lean Republican but wasn't sure. He posted a lengthy video of himself narrating as he showed miles and miles of fencing along the border. Turns out that from his report, that all the media coverage thus far has been in an area where two bridges cross the river, which is heavily controlled by guards - this is the area where all the Republican showboaters go for their media events. Beyond this very small area, are literally miles and miles of fence, with GATES that are wide open, where there are openings with NO GATES whatsoever. The point made was that there are literally hundreds of miles of open spaces along this border, not just one little half mile area with its guards and all the hoopla that awful Abbott is causing. If I can find it, I'll post a link to that video. At the end, the fellow says to viewers, there IS no "crisis" at the border. Turn off your TV's and ignore all the hype. AND he says, I'm not leaning Republican now that I have seen with my own eyes. IMO, Abbott is doing exactly what Robert says - running for office. This is true to form for him. He's despicable. He's trying to do two things: win votes and tank President Biden by deliberately baiting him to do something that will lose him votes. That's my two cents for today!
This exactly. Ratcheting up the tension is not the answer. Daring Republicans to pass policy (even if imperfect) to address the border issue in order to get Ukraine aid was genius and demonstrated President Biden's legislative prowess, IMO.
All good points for sure. And I agree that bad press is one answer to this MAGA arrogant disregard of the law. But, chances are the border bill will not pass. Then what? Abbott just keeps on using cruelty to cut off migrants in that area, possibly causing more deaths? The 25 other red states that have stupidly joined to support Abbott is remarkable. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma said something to the effect of “if the Supreme Court gets it wrong, we have a right to do what we need to do.” If that’s the case, the Dems could have simply ignored several of the recent SCOTUS decisions - including ending Roe vs Wade, expanding gun rights, crippling the EPA. If we can all just decide to follow only what we like, just as MAGA has decided to do when it comes to elections, then the end is near! My point is that the federal government has every right to go to Texas, and enforce the Supreme Court decision, just as was done when George Wallace thought he could stop integration in Alabama. Otherwise, the MAGA Party will just become a lawless and heartless purveyor of evil to the rest of the country. For the life of me, I don’t understand why Biden didn’t simply have the federal government take over the bussing of migrants across the country to places where they could be served. Instead, we’ve had to watch Greg Abbott abuse the system, and again bring harm to migrants that he wants to move out of Texas. When do WE get to say “enough”? I hope shaming them about the border bill will help. But have we ever seen in the last 6 years that MAGA is capable of shame???? I am not a military person at all. But bullies must be confronted.
Laura, your insight that MAGAs are not capable of shame is spot on. I'm not naive and think we will change their minds. We won't.
But the mainstream media is finally paying attention to Trump's mental decline and calling it out. Editorial writers are noting Republicans' attacks on democracy and are calling them out. The media was quick to pick up Trump's brag over the weekend to blame him for not passing the legislation designed to address border issues and noted Sen. Lankford calling out his fellow Republicans for declining to actually govern and for abrogating their pledge to uphold the U.S. Constitution!. Then he was censured for doing his damn job!
Influence MAGA's? No. Influence independent voters? Possibly, even likely. The recent polls have ticked up in favor of Biden - many Haley voters in Iowa and N.H. stated they would vote for Biden, not Trump if Haley was not the GOP presidential candidate. That is a critical group.
As Simon Rosenberg says, in his Hopium Chronicles newsletter here on Substack, we have to be loud and proud about Biden's successes and Trump and the GOP's losses, failures and lies. Loud and proud. Over time, we will influence some voters if it continues. And by the way, I do come from a military family - father, two brothers and my late husband all served but I have no clue how to confront dangerous bullies like Abbott. Diplomacy? Force? Combination? Wish I knew.... just my opinion to start with the media since I worked in media and know that's their job.
You’re right about the tide slowly turning in Biden’s favor. Let’s hope it continues and no other deus machina shows up to derail him! I too worked in media, and have been so appalled that reporters don’t challenge the crap they get when they interview Trump or any of his surrogates. Even when the Trump voters say things like, “I like his policies”, I believe a journalist should ask “which policies do you think were good?” If the voter knows at all, it won’t be for the right reasons. At which point, a real journalist could point out their errors or misconceptions. May not win friends, but it would set the record straight. I’m very anxious to see what Biden does with Texas should the bill not pass. Most likely, as Hubbell indicated today, he’ll take them to court……Enjoyed hearing your perspectives. Have a great day!!!
What will Rupert do!
The cruelty is terrible, as you describe, but I think we need to start deporting everyone who tries to enter illegally, and greatly reduce legal immigration, to no more than 200,000/year. 2.5 million gained entry illegally last year, along with ~1.5 million legal immigrants. That's 40 million--two NY State equivalents--in a decade, or 120 million over three decades. Our country is already well beyond environmental sustainability, as we're using up our groundwater faster than it replenishes, putting our agricultural production at risk
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/08/28/climate/groundwater-drying-climate-change.html
and Propublica projected that in three decades, MILLIONS of Americans will be climate refugees.
Under these circumstances it's nuts for us to be allowing any population increase, let alone two NY state equivalents per decade.
https://www.propublica.org/article/climate-change-will-force-a-new-american-migration
I share your view. I believe the Biden administration should "Nationalize" the Texas NATIONAL Guard and order them to ASSIST the Border Patrol - to safely enforce our immigration laws.
Any other Texas "law enforcement" agency can be told to issue traffic tickets and investigate domestic violence by Texans.
If something isn’t done, chump could win. It’s as big an issue as the abortion issue. Repubs know that. Do something Joe.
Republicans are willing to abandon Ukraine as mere collateral damage to Trump’s insistence that they do nothing on the border issue. I’m reminded of a bumper sticker from the Vietnam War era, one used by supporters of the war: it showed an American flag with the words, These colors don’t run. Perhaps this could be recycled today.
The mainstream media is beginning to be more responsible. However - there were several pieces in WaPo and NYT touting the wonderful economy. One did not mention Biden once. The other did refer to him but neither could bring themselves to say 'Bidenomics is the envy of the world'. EJ Dionne roundly criticized his colleagues for their coverage as if trump is a normal candidate. (haha) As for 'we won't do the border thing is a presidential year' ---- hmm sounds like Merrick Garland redux. I was reminded on Saturday by a reader of the newsletter that armchair psychiatric diagnosis should be avoided. It is a very legitimate issue (remember Goldwater.) I thought about this - I do feel it is my responsibility to use the correct word 'dementia' here, because from a neurological point of view - we have ample evidence (I believe)in 'his own words' I think that we do need to drop the euphemisms. Unhinged, uncontrolled etc does not describe his behavior. His sentences are garbled; he is very confused. To confuse Pelosi with Haley is one instance and his saying things like 'debank' is another. I believe the more he is smoke out, the more people will come to the same conclusion.
Hi, Derek. I think people are entitled to give their opinions about Trump's mental conditions. Only medical professionals are ethically prohibited from issuing diagnoses without having performed an exam. If we artificially constrain Democrats from giving their opinions on Trump's mental state, we are simply ceding the ground to MAGA extremists. Moreover, the mental state of a presidential candidate is an important topic on which people should be able to speak.
So, as long as comments are respectful of people who have been diagnosed with dementia etc, I think we are entitled to give lay opinions about Trump's decline. My mom had dementia. I know what it looks like based on my personal experience. Trump is exhibiting some of the same symptoms.
Yes, totally agree with you, Robert, as my dad had it also. It’s a heartbreaking disease but in Trump’s case, my heart isn’t breaking.
Mean, evil people get old too, no sympathy here.
I know what it looked like, chump has a personality disorder in addition to decompensating. Tell it ALL
There might be more than dementia happening there. He clearly has always had a Personality Disorder as well. The point is: he is unfit for office!
100% agree. If one reads the Wikipedia article on Narcissistic Personality Disorder, they'll have zero doubt that this is the brain disorder DT has had his whole adult life. It dramatically warps a person's thinking and behaviors re: themselves, other people, greed, responsibility, shame, etc. No one with such distorted thinking and behavior should ever be in public office.
I'm a retired family physician, and evaluated scores of people for dementia during my career . To simplify, it's the condition at one end of a spectrum, with normal memory decline at the opposite end, and Mild Cognitive Impairment in the middle. A variety of standardized tests have been developed over decades to determine where people fit, at this moment, on that spectrum. The tests assess not just short term memory but verbal and written understanding, spatial cognition, etc. Scores on these tests can stay stable for many years, or steadily decline. If there is decline, the rate of change varies, depending on what the underlying brain condition is.
So, my strong sense is that Trump has a severe personality disorder but, because of his wealth and training, he was able to manipulate and crush people to "go far in the world". Nonetheless, it's still an absolute dealbreaker as far as fitness for public office. How far along he is on cognitive decline isn't clear. Some is clearly occurring, but I would not label it as "dementia" without knowing for certain how he has done on recent cognitive testing.
A related question is "how much does one get reckless in their speech when thousands of cult members make up audience after audience?" When there is zero chance that your adoring followers will care if you slip up here in there, I suspect it's easy to be sloppy as one rants furiously .
Oddly, his personality disorder is the main obstacle, IMO, why he should absolutely be rejected by voters. But it's the cognitive decline that will cause him to sound unstable and untrustworthy. In my mind, this speaks volumes about the judgment of the MAGA people, and the hopelessness/cynicism of other Trump voters. He's been totally amoral, shameless, intellectually incompetent, and dangerous for eight years, and now his verbal mistakes are bothering you??
Thanks for this information. Of course I have not read any more detailed testing, and you are right to point out that actually, none of us has. As a former mental health provider, though, I do not think the memory issues - which appear to be worsening daily - are related to the Narcissistic Personality Disorder. One or two lapses could be overlooked. But to not recognize the difference between your wife in a photo and E. Jean Carroll, to not know the difference between Nikki Haley and Nancy Pelosi, and to misuse or make up words multiple times on a daily basis seem to reveal memory loss. Just an opinion.
There have been qualified people during his presidency - psychologists, psychiatrists - who have come out and stated their diagnoses, which included "paranoid," "narcissistic," etc. I haven't heard of any qualified individuals saying/writing the word "dementia" yet, but I'm sure it's been said!
To repeat my comment on Dr. Richardson's post, this morning: The battle is not between Progressives and Conservatives. It is not between Democrats and Republicans. It IS between Fascists and freethinkers-worldwide, from Oklahoma to Russia; from Israel to Korea.
President Biden has a lot of big issues to deal with from immigration to Ukraine, Israel and the Middle East to climate change to name a few. The average voter probably does not spend as much time as we do invested in what is happening because there are other things happening in their hectic lives. What these voters need to hear is why Joe Biden should be elected to a second term and what his second term will mean to them and their families. Trump has outlined what he plans to do if elected but Biden is running today on what he has accomplished not on why he needs to be re-elected. That is what voters need to hear. If Biden can clearly articulate his vision for a second term in this “ is what I am going to do “ terms voters voters can easily understand and compare to what Trump is advocating.
Trump says he can cure “Biden inflation” on his first day in office. That’s a clear message, alright. Does anyone ask him how he will do it? Same with his health care better than Obamacare. It is a pity that empty promises get more press attention than actual facts.
I am somebody who reads the news obsessively, but I didn’t know that President Biden had border security/immigration budget requests ready on his first day on office.
In a virtual Political Super Bowl The Winners And Losers would be Biden 10 - Trump 0.
Check the infographic:
https://thedemlabs.org/2024/01/27/super-bowl-winners-and-losers-biden-10-trump-0/
Biden has done more as president than any for decades, truly. And all the media focuses on is his age. Trump is old too and has accomplished nothing except ravaging democracy. Thank you for standing by and for President Biden!
Yes –
Much of the ostensibly broadminded media actually are bigoted.
I agree with you that the narrative from the msm seems to be shifting but it still has a long way to go.Just over the weekend, CNN was normalizing Trump as a “normal” candidate to run for office when he is anything but.A black commentator was doing the same thing!I couldn’t believe my ears. I am glad that Trump’s cognitive decline and apparent gaffs in his speech are being finally noticed but there is still a long way to go here. Here is a candidate for POTUS who tried to overthrow the government and is actively planning on installing himself as dictator for life and the media still yammers on about his polling and rallies. This is still totally unacceptable.
A normal candidate would never answer “If I win” when asked if they would accept the results of a free and fair election.
Hope somebody notices this
Open borders was always the project of the Koch brothers and their wing of the Republican party. The GOP wants cheap exploitable labor for their business constituents that also has the effect of putting downward pressure on everyone else's wages. Workers that are not citizens or do not have visas/green cards cannot join unions and do not have any recourse to deal with workplace abuses. And, the GOP can then demonize the immigrants for political favor. It's also illegal for businesses to hire undocumented workers, so it's the businesses that are actually breaking the law. But the GOP doesn't talk about trying to enforce those laws. Bottom line, the GOP does not want a solution to this problem because they are deriving so much political benefit from it.
My wife and I visited San Diego the year after Trump left office. We noticed that 50% of the Starbucks were shuttered. When we found one that was open, we asked why so many Starbucks were closed. The employee said, "Trump. We can't hire people to staff the stores."
Because Starbucks hired/hires illegal immigrants?