Hopefully Jordan’s bullying and doxxng will backfire in a spectacular and public way. He’s hoping that the Republican “holdouts” will cave to angry constituents calling for them to vote him in. I propose that people flood their offices with calls, encouraging them to stand their ground. Fight fire with water—and douse those flames!
I think that the big secret in Congress is that we no longer have a two-party system. There are three parties: Democrats, Republican, and MAGA. The latter two are only held together out of desperation. The Democrats are the true majority party. Of course, the sooner that fact is accepted, the better it will be. Unfortunately, I expect there will be a great deal more harm, to us and the countries who desperately need our support, before the GOP finally, predictably implodes, and the Democrats are left to repair all the damage.
President Biden's 60 Minutes interview segment ended with him saying
"We have enormous opportunities to make this a better world."
There is NO COMPARISON with what the Biden/Harris administration has been able to accomplish and their MORAL COMPASS
to the CHAOS, extremism and fearmongering of those now representing the GOP - as he said, this is NOT your grandfather's GOP.
The Biden/Harris administration offers transparency of the sort I have never seen before in politics - the White House Office of Public Outreach has numerous affinity groups that have provided regular briefings SINCE THE INAUGURATION.
When the Hamas attack occurred,
* The President was soon on the phone with Netanyahu outlining response AND RULES OF WAR
* The Vice President has traveled and established relationships with countries throughout the world, particularly reasserting the USA's prestige in Africa and India to counterbalance Russian and Chinese influence;
while trumpeting administration priorities on reproductive freedoms, voting access, gun safety, opposition to banning books or whitewashing the teaching of American history, livable wages and support for families including child care, and changes to immigration pathways.
She also continues to preside over the US Senate, and swore in Laphonza Butler, only the third Black female US Senator in history, to fill the late Dianne Feinstein's seat.
* The Second Gentleman, of Jewish faith himself, contributes input and addresses anti-Semitism both abroad and domestically, praising the steady leadership of President Biden,
* Secretary of State Blinken made a SERIES of personal meetings with leaders THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST. The State Department has arranged charter flights out of Israel for American citizens.
* Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin continues to coordinate military support to Ukraine and now Israel, deploying ships closer to the Middle East.
* Multiple government agencies are involved in planning to locate and recover any hostages taken by Hamas, and address victims' relatives concerns and requests.
The GOP, meanwhile,
# removed the Speaker of the House for the first time in our nation's history
# has been unable to elect a replacement Speaker
(of the two leading candidates -
neither admits the 2020 Election was valid,
and one is attached to white supremacist domestic terror associations
and the other to sexual abuse scandals)
# is not conducting any business in Congress as a result
# is facing a government shutdown by not passing a federal budget into 2024
# threatens to stop assistance to Ukraine
# has blocked military promotions, thus harming national security
# has blocked diplomats from being confirmed, thus harming global security
# continues to follow an increasingly deranged, multiply indicted candidate who appears to have given crucial national classified intel to foreign sources who paid to have close access to him,
aligns with the war criminal Putin over democratic allies,
and is fixated on nuclear capabilities, once suggesting using a bomb to attempt to divert a hurricane.
The Biden/Harris administration demonstrates steady, experienced resolve, and has proven to be the better option during these fraught times and events.
The current chaotic GOP appears to be incapable and perhaps uninterested in governing for the good of the country and world,
unable to perform the most basic of functions in Congress.
I just came back from 17 days in England and had the opportunity to visit some former classmates who have lived abroad for 30 plus years. It was interesting discussing the Israeli attack by Hamas with them because they had a very different and more detailed understanding of the complicated history and politics involved in the dispute and hatred. The London Times and several French newspapers covered the story differently and in my opinion more objectivity because they were focused on the both the reasons Israel was so unprepared and were critical of the Israeli government and of course the savage and horrific attacks by Hamas. What made the coverage more objective was the inclusion of opinions and comments about the involvement of Iran and other countries and the interconnection between various other players. The coverage did not seem bias or political in nature. In my opinion most Americans do not have a full understanding of the attacks and are more focused on revenge and an “ eye for an eye” resolution. Because of this there is limited appreciation for the fantastic job the Biden Administration is doing. We need to change that by making sure we understand the entire situation and can communicate it to others.
Dear Robert and Jill, Gretchen and I read your newsletter every morning. We appreciate immensely your stalwart compassion and balance. Hang in there! You are both doing great work that will be appreciated and applauded for years to come.
Follow how the fear mongering by DeSantis, Trump and Ramaswamy against refugees compares with an incident in 1931 where a ship full of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany off Miami was denied entry in the U.S. and sent back to Europe to their death.
Interactive StoryMap: A Lesson in Compassion: Jewish Refugee Ship's Legacy
I am a postcard writer and currently preparing to mail out all of my encouragement cards to voters in Virginia. Unless I missed it, I don’t remember seeing a call for Louisiana postcards. I would have jumped on it. It absolutely saddens me that voter apathy put a Republican Trifecta in place in Louisiana. Shame, shame, shame. What are we missing in that so many people don’t feel it necessary to vote?
Thanks again for what you do to help me start my morning feeling more inspired and informed. It is easy to feel overwhelmed these days with what is happening in the Middle East, Ukraine and here in the U.S.
Thanks also to you and Jill for the pictures of the Ecclipse. We couldn’t see anything in NY.
Robert, your introductory comments were especially helpful today to keep me (and hopefully many others) calm, stable, and focused on doing the critical work of building a healthy democracy right here in our country. I am deeply grateful for your wise perspective and guidance.
I watched the 60 Minutes interview with President Biden last night. Pelly commentated that "America's oldest president seemed tired from directing all this but..." Wouldn't any president worth their salt, no matter age, be tired from directing all this?!?!? I'm tired from just watching it! Indeed, though, the interview highlighted Biden's strength, clarity of purpose, moral leadership, and strong diplomatic team working with him. Now if the dimwitted Senate MAGArs would get off their high horse and confirm the long list of foreign service officials awaiting their intended posts, the work would be distributed as it's designed to be. And then there's Gym Jordan 🤬, to be polite.
On Saturday, however, we got to see up close and personal that the universe is still working!!! The eclipse!!! We didn't have solar glasses or bother to poke a hole in a piece of paper; we had the trees!!! Walking to and from the Burbank farmers market, there were a bazillion little eclipses all over the sidewalks and upside the buildings. The most spectacular was the image of tree leaves enveloping the tall white columns of a church school auditorium. Some days it's kinda nice to be alive.
Excellent newsletter, Robert. Thank you! And I am so glad you invited us to go to the Common Ground event last night. I was not familiar with that group and what they are doing currently in Virginia. It was very inspirational to learn of the organization's recruiting black young people to phone bank and to hear some of those individuals' stories about how much doing so has meant to them. The leader of the group, Andrea, was very impressive, as were the results of their work in increasing the black vote. It was great to hear you and Jessica Craven and to see and hear Heather Booth's presentation, which included her personal history and experience as one of the "Janes" who aided desperate women in getting abortions before Roe. I have been glad to be writing letters with Vote Forward to young Virginians to encourage them to vote. I am even happier after attending that excellent program.
While “defend(ing) democracy at home” is my top priority, I don’t accept the premise that its preservation necessarily would contribute (seeing that it never has) to engendering peace in the Middle East. Instead, I submit we start by characterizing the Israeli / Palestinian conflict, from 1948 to the present, for what it is—the quintessential conflict between right and right, expressly from each side’s perspective. I, further, would maintain, that as long as each side persists in pursuing the struggle in the name of what it believes to be right and just and moral, there will be no end to the violence. In the alternative, were both sides guided through a process that admittedly would entail gut-wrenching compromises by both, we potentially could see a break in this seemingly endless cycle of violence.
Regarding Jordan, and others, not willing to support Ukraine, why are they not reminded that WWll began with Germany invading Poland and believed Hitler when he had no further aspirations. Is it because many are ignorant of, refuse to learn from the past?
The Democrats need to run white economic populists. Particularly men. that’s the country we live in and these are desperate times. And please don’t attack me for my opinion.
Hopefully Jordan’s bullying and doxxng will backfire in a spectacular and public way. He’s hoping that the Republican “holdouts” will cave to angry constituents calling for them to vote him in. I propose that people flood their offices with calls, encouraging them to stand their ground. Fight fire with water—and douse those flames!
I think that the big secret in Congress is that we no longer have a two-party system. There are three parties: Democrats, Republican, and MAGA. The latter two are only held together out of desperation. The Democrats are the true majority party. Of course, the sooner that fact is accepted, the better it will be. Unfortunately, I expect there will be a great deal more harm, to us and the countries who desperately need our support, before the GOP finally, predictably implodes, and the Democrats are left to repair all the damage.
President Biden's 60 Minutes interview segment ended with him saying
"We have enormous opportunities to make this a better world."
There is NO COMPARISON with what the Biden/Harris administration has been able to accomplish and their MORAL COMPASS
to the CHAOS, extremism and fearmongering of those now representing the GOP - as he said, this is NOT your grandfather's GOP.
The Biden/Harris administration offers transparency of the sort I have never seen before in politics - the White House Office of Public Outreach has numerous affinity groups that have provided regular briefings SINCE THE INAUGURATION.
When the Hamas attack occurred,
* The President was soon on the phone with Netanyahu outlining response AND RULES OF WAR
* The Vice President has traveled and established relationships with countries throughout the world, particularly reasserting the USA's prestige in Africa and India to counterbalance Russian and Chinese influence;
while trumpeting administration priorities on reproductive freedoms, voting access, gun safety, opposition to banning books or whitewashing the teaching of American history, livable wages and support for families including child care, and changes to immigration pathways.
She also continues to preside over the US Senate, and swore in Laphonza Butler, only the third Black female US Senator in history, to fill the late Dianne Feinstein's seat.
* The Second Gentleman, of Jewish faith himself, contributes input and addresses anti-Semitism both abroad and domestically, praising the steady leadership of President Biden,
* Secretary of State Blinken made a SERIES of personal meetings with leaders THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST. The State Department has arranged charter flights out of Israel for American citizens.
* Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin continues to coordinate military support to Ukraine and now Israel, deploying ships closer to the Middle East.
* Multiple government agencies are involved in planning to locate and recover any hostages taken by Hamas, and address victims' relatives concerns and requests.
The GOP, meanwhile,
# removed the Speaker of the House for the first time in our nation's history
# has been unable to elect a replacement Speaker
(of the two leading candidates -
neither admits the 2020 Election was valid,
and one is attached to white supremacist domestic terror associations
and the other to sexual abuse scandals)
# is not conducting any business in Congress as a result
# is facing a government shutdown by not passing a federal budget into 2024
# threatens to stop assistance to Ukraine
# has blocked military promotions, thus harming national security
# has blocked diplomats from being confirmed, thus harming global security
# continues to follow an increasingly deranged, multiply indicted candidate who appears to have given crucial national classified intel to foreign sources who paid to have close access to him,
aligns with the war criminal Putin over democratic allies,
and is fixated on nuclear capabilities, once suggesting using a bomb to attempt to divert a hurricane.
The Biden/Harris administration demonstrates steady, experienced resolve, and has proven to be the better option during these fraught times and events.
The current chaotic GOP appears to be incapable and perhaps uninterested in governing for the good of the country and world,
unable to perform the most basic of functions in Congress.
I just came back from 17 days in England and had the opportunity to visit some former classmates who have lived abroad for 30 plus years. It was interesting discussing the Israeli attack by Hamas with them because they had a very different and more detailed understanding of the complicated history and politics involved in the dispute and hatred. The London Times and several French newspapers covered the story differently and in my opinion more objectivity because they were focused on the both the reasons Israel was so unprepared and were critical of the Israeli government and of course the savage and horrific attacks by Hamas. What made the coverage more objective was the inclusion of opinions and comments about the involvement of Iran and other countries and the interconnection between various other players. The coverage did not seem bias or political in nature. In my opinion most Americans do not have a full understanding of the attacks and are more focused on revenge and an “ eye for an eye” resolution. Because of this there is limited appreciation for the fantastic job the Biden Administration is doing. We need to change that by making sure we understand the entire situation and can communicate it to others.
Dear Robert and Jill, Gretchen and I read your newsletter every morning. We appreciate immensely your stalwart compassion and balance. Hang in there! You are both doing great work that will be appreciated and applauded for years to come.
Best,
Damon White
Follow how the fear mongering by DeSantis, Trump and Ramaswamy against refugees compares with an incident in 1931 where a ship full of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany off Miami was denied entry in the U.S. and sent back to Europe to their death.
Interactive StoryMap: A Lesson in Compassion: Jewish Refugee Ship's Legacy
https://thedemlabs.org/2023/10/15/desantis-trump-ramaswamy-fearmonger-against-refugees-jewish-holocaust-lesson/
I am a postcard writer and currently preparing to mail out all of my encouragement cards to voters in Virginia. Unless I missed it, I don’t remember seeing a call for Louisiana postcards. I would have jumped on it. It absolutely saddens me that voter apathy put a Republican Trifecta in place in Louisiana. Shame, shame, shame. What are we missing in that so many people don’t feel it necessary to vote?
Thanks again for what you do to help me start my morning feeling more inspired and informed. It is easy to feel overwhelmed these days with what is happening in the Middle East, Ukraine and here in the U.S.
Thanks also to you and Jill for the pictures of the Ecclipse. We couldn’t see anything in NY.
Robert, your introductory comments were especially helpful today to keep me (and hopefully many others) calm, stable, and focused on doing the critical work of building a healthy democracy right here in our country. I am deeply grateful for your wise perspective and guidance.
I watched the 60 Minutes interview with President Biden last night. Pelly commentated that "America's oldest president seemed tired from directing all this but..." Wouldn't any president worth their salt, no matter age, be tired from directing all this?!?!? I'm tired from just watching it! Indeed, though, the interview highlighted Biden's strength, clarity of purpose, moral leadership, and strong diplomatic team working with him. Now if the dimwitted Senate MAGArs would get off their high horse and confirm the long list of foreign service officials awaiting their intended posts, the work would be distributed as it's designed to be. And then there's Gym Jordan 🤬, to be polite.
On Saturday, however, we got to see up close and personal that the universe is still working!!! The eclipse!!! We didn't have solar glasses or bother to poke a hole in a piece of paper; we had the trees!!! Walking to and from the Burbank farmers market, there were a bazillion little eclipses all over the sidewalks and upside the buildings. The most spectacular was the image of tree leaves enveloping the tall white columns of a church school auditorium. Some days it's kinda nice to be alive.
Robert ---- leave the power lines ---- it makes the picture unique!!
Excellent newsletter, Robert. Thank you! And I am so glad you invited us to go to the Common Ground event last night. I was not familiar with that group and what they are doing currently in Virginia. It was very inspirational to learn of the organization's recruiting black young people to phone bank and to hear some of those individuals' stories about how much doing so has meant to them. The leader of the group, Andrea, was very impressive, as were the results of their work in increasing the black vote. It was great to hear you and Jessica Craven and to see and hear Heather Booth's presentation, which included her personal history and experience as one of the "Janes" who aided desperate women in getting abortions before Roe. I have been glad to be writing letters with Vote Forward to young Virginians to encourage them to vote. I am even happier after attending that excellent program.
While “defend(ing) democracy at home” is my top priority, I don’t accept the premise that its preservation necessarily would contribute (seeing that it never has) to engendering peace in the Middle East. Instead, I submit we start by characterizing the Israeli / Palestinian conflict, from 1948 to the present, for what it is—the quintessential conflict between right and right, expressly from each side’s perspective. I, further, would maintain, that as long as each side persists in pursuing the struggle in the name of what it believes to be right and just and moral, there will be no end to the violence. In the alternative, were both sides guided through a process that admittedly would entail gut-wrenching compromises by both, we potentially could see a break in this seemingly endless cycle of violence.
Regarding Jordan, and others, not willing to support Ukraine, why are they not reminded that WWll began with Germany invading Poland and believed Hitler when he had no further aspirations. Is it because many are ignorant of, refuse to learn from the past?
The Democrats need to run white economic populists. Particularly men. that’s the country we live in and these are desperate times. And please don’t attack me for my opinion.
I miss you when you're away, and rejoice when you are back! What we need right now is HOPE!! And, lots of LOVE!