Thank you for calling out journalists who go for the easy, sloppy, story on gas prices, inflation, and polls. Shame on them for missing one of the most important moments in modern history- the reoccurrence of Fascist thought and action to suppress democracy and free will, civil rights, and the law. The “‘secret service” has become just that; service to an unjust tyrant that hates losing and is willing to bring down an entire democracy and country to satisfy his ego. Sound familiar? Germany 1931. Thank God Pence had the insight to resist getting in the car. I have much more respect for him now than ever before. Bravo to the embarrassed former Trump groupies who testified that it was an armed rebellion to deny the peaceful transfer of power. WAKE UP print media. You are missing THE STORY!
Jul 15, 2022·edited Jul 15, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
While I commend Mike Pence for his non-compliance with Trump’s wishes to assist in over turning the 2020 election on January 6, 2021. I do not join with former White House Counsel Cippolone in recommending Pence for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. There are hundreds of millions of Americans who each day manage to discharge their assigned tasks, observe basic civic responsibilities, and comply with the Rule of Law. Certainly we have a right to expect at least that much from the Vice President of the United States. It is my feeling that too many are delivering plaudits for quite little in terms of service to country during the January 6 Committee hearings when far more should have been expected of them during their service to the whims and corruption of Donald Trump. Let’s hold back applause for those who could and should have done far more a long time before now.
Totally agree. Add Liz Cheney to this list of Americans who have simply done the right thing. That does not make them heroes. Don't get me wrong, I admire Liz for her courage and her steady disciplined delivery. I am grateful to her and Kinzinger. But they are not heroes and I would never vote for them.
Jul 15, 2022·edited Jul 15, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
With regard to the loss of Secret Service text messages ...
Coincidence - a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.
“Without apparent causal connection;” to believe all, most, or many (?) Secret Service text messages from January 5 th and 6 th went missing after requested by the inspector general’s office. Those messages resided and were backed up in multiple locations and regulations require their retention. This is so far beyond mere coincidence that it stretches credibility beyond the breaking point. Time for a thorough house cleaning of detritus at the Secret Service and some serious reforms and new leadership. Shameful that we should be asked to accept “oops” as a credible explanation.
Jul 15, 2022·edited Jul 15, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Let's not forget the National Guard - despite repeated calls, it took hours for the National Guard to respond on Jan 6th. One of the commanding officers in charge of the National Guard at the time was General Charles Flynn, Michael Flynn's brother.
The corruption of the Secret Service and National Guard are additional spokes in the wheel of trump's (and, I suggest, Putin's) attempted coup.
I would think one reason Pence refused to get in the car was fear for his own safety, not an unreasonable fear at the time. He is not a hero for doing his constitutionally required duty, even under duress. The officer who steered the mob away from the VP acted heroically.
Thank you for perfectly expressing my views on Pence’s performance on January 6th. Where was he, where were any of the players in this sordid cesspool of an attempted coup from November 7th to January 6th, up until today? They were silent, until some felt pushed to protect themselves. Pence did check around to see if there was a way he could change the outcome, including advice from former VP Dan Quayle. (He also went to Hungary and spoke at the CPAC meeting hosted by Orban; I mention this in case anyone thinks he is a great defender of democracy). Pence, Cheney and Kinzinger did, and are doing what they took an oath to do: uphold the Constitution. Would I count on them and their policies to make this country a better place for all? Not on my life!
He "complied with the Rule of Law." Mike Pence did the right thing in a high stakes moment but so do many or even most of us in our daily lives and more mundane work. He also failed to block the plotting or expose it. No hero there.
Hi, I totally agree with you on this. At the least, if Pence wasn’t acting out of concern for the Country, he had the good sense to save his own life and legacy. That’s what I can credit him for, and cringe if he takes that and runs with it as a false hero for President. The whole gang of deceitful handlers to Trump should be barred from holding public office ever again. We could do that if the DOJ would begin prosecuting them for the contempt and obstruction they deserve. In a perfect world. I wish we had access to those magical devices in Men in Black that could release us all from the trauma of these past 7 years of fighting Trumptom with a flick of a flash! It’s exhausting, but as the Jan 6th committee has relentlessly discovered and uncovered , so,so,so worthwhile to expose them for who they are.
Jul 15, 2022·edited Jul 15, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
I am beyond angry that Texas AG Paxton has filed a suit against the Biden administration for it's enforcement reminder about the EMTALA. I wrote about the EMTALA in yesterday’s comments to that day’s Newsletter edition. Robert has referred to those comments in today’s Newsletter. They were written before Texas filed suit to block HHS enforcement of EMTALA provisions requiring emergency medical care including if necessary abortions in life-threatening medical crises.
I have written letters to my federal Congressional Representatives and Senators, President Biden, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, and also as a letter to the editor of our local paper. All of those communications point out that the recent HHS enforcement reminder on the EMTALA reflects no new rules, changes, or enforcement mechanisms to legislation originally passed in 1986 and enforced as federal law since then. It is also entirely consistent with present Texas anti-abortion restrictions that also provide exceptions for medical emergencies for patients who may require abortion care when their life is at risk without that care.
I have requested of Biden and Secretary Becerra that HHS conduct EMTALA compliance audits of medical facilities and hospitals to ensure they have written guidelines and training programs for affected emergency treatment staff in place. Both of those are EMTALA requirements. If those are found deficient, appropriate enforcement actions should be taken.
The following is the text of my letter to the editor of our local paper. I urge others to write similar letters to their own local papers and also communicate the need for HHS EMTALA compliance audits to appropriate legislators, the White House, and Secretary Becerra. No woman should be denied essential medical care in a life-threatening emergency. The idea of withholding such care is in my view beyond cruel and becomes medical terrorism.
My letter to the editor:
Providing Medical Care in Life-threatening Emergencies Is Not a Crime
Regardless of anyone's view on the issue of abortion, it should be understood that even Texas SB8 anti-abortion legislation provides exceptions for cases in which an abortion would save the pregnant patient’s life or prevent “substantial impairment of major bodily function."
Providing essential medical care in cases of a life-threatening emergency is what the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) passed by Congress in 1986 mandates. The recent enforcement reminder sent by HHS to medical facilities introduced no new rules or enforcement mechanisms, it was a reminder of the provisions in existing federal law passed and in place since 1986.
The lawsuit filed this week by Texas AG, Paxton, against the Biden administration is ill-advised and demonstrates the cruelty toward women's healthcare rights by the current Abbott administration. Gubernatorial and Attorney General political campaigns promoting the denial of emergency and essential medical care to women in life-threatening medical emergencies seem to be a poor campaign strategy. Most women are unlikely to find such a campaign plank other than cruel.
EMTALA is not abortion on demand. It is the provision of essential medical care in emergency life-threatening situations narrowly defined in the EMTALA law. It is also entirely consistent with the provisions of Texas present abortion restrictions in SB8.
Jul 15, 2022·edited Jul 15, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
As an aside to my campaign on enforcement of and compliance with EMTALA provisions, I offer my continued wishes for the recovery of Robert and his editor from Covid. I completely understand his struggle with his continuing efforts of working while trying to recover. I also recently contracted a case of the new Covid variant following an essential airplane journey. Without recounting all the circumstances it was my first encounter with a case of Covid after being extremely careful about observing all public health guidance and cautions including vaccinations and boosters. It required the appropriate treatments and medications and recovery time to shake it. I am fortunate I was able to do so and attribute that recovery both to the treatments and earlier vaccinations and boosters. Covid is a serious disease and the current resurgence of the latest variant should not be taken lightly. We are not yet post Covid and everyone should take the appropriate measures to protect themselves and their families.
Sending more than "thoughts and prayers" for your complete recovery from that monster that is COVID, Robert. It is quite the albatross! Still, your posts remain clear and compelling. Thank you.
On November 22, 1963 the Secret Service failed in numerous ways which contributed to the assassination of JFK. For instance Dallas as was the entire southern US antagonistic toward JFK; yet they allowed him to travel in an open vehicle below high rises with open windows and no law enforcement armed security spotters on rooftops. The list of dereliction of duty goes on to the point that JFK would have had better security if a troop of Boy Scouts had provided it. Sorry, Boy Scouts, I don’t mean to tarnish your image. It is so derelict that conspiracy to assassinate must include the SS. SS? That rings familiar. So why should we hesitate to consider that the Secret Service had a hand in the January 6th attempted Coup d’ etat? They attempted already to tarnish Ms Hutchinson’s testimony and now missing texts! OMG! Sounds like a secretary who leaned over to answer the phone and erased eighteen minutes of potentially incriminating evidence on her boss, Richard Nixon. How flimsy can excuses get? Sorry I asked that. Wait and see.
This letter was one of your most powerful. I can only imagine what we have to look forward to once you emerge from the energy drain of Covid. Thank you for continuing to provide us with your letter during your illness. You could have taken a bunch of time off and we would have respected that. You are one tough and focused dude.
And a special thanks to your wife for all she does.
"Anyone who fails to see that this moment is unlike any in the last hundred years must look up from their smartphone and spreadsheets to engage in a few moments of reflection. The January 6th hearings are extraordinary. The ruling in Dobbs is extraordinary. The confluence of the “concealed carry” ruling in Bruen with mass killings in Buffalo, Uvalde, and Highland Park is extraordinary. The dissolution of the separation of church and state in Bremerton is extraordinary. The effort of GOP legislators to turn women into fugitives is extraordinary."
And now, will all this stir the population to vote? That's up to us isn't it?
So now the Fugitive Slave Act has been reborn. Ken Paxton will be offering bounties for the return of any Texas women who go to NM or IL for an ectopic pregnancy abortion. If voters aren't scared to death about a return to the 1850s and the treatment of women as second class citizens, they should start listening to something other than FOX for a change. And vote Blue in November.
I’m in Texas and going to New Mexico for a vacation in a few weeks with my 2 daughters, son and his girlfriend. I can see the day coming when we could be required to have a negative pregnancy test to leave the state.
On my 70th birthday today, I was hoping for a little ray of hope for my country.
Having realized, on my retirement, that I would never be able to afford medical care in the United States, I will visit my family when I can and remain in a country with a modest social safety net.
Jul 15, 2022·edited Jul 15, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Happy Birthday, Rosalind! I turned 70 two days ago (July 13th), and assure you there are little rays of hope everywhere in the states. They just don't make national headlines because they don't sell newspapers. Even before the J6 hearings, good folks started signing up to run for school boards and county commissions and state offices. And many more good folks are writing postcards, going door-to-door, and meeting in small groups to figure out small ways to bring back democracy. I've lived here in Michigan's rural Republican country for 40 years, and have never before seen all Democratic candidate slots filled, or felt this recognition that we country folk are being abused and refused by slick oil funded cons and fake christians and their ilk. I am feeling an awakening, maybe even enough to command that healthcare be affordable for all.
Happy birthday, Rosalind! and thank you for being a reader from Wiesbaden, Germany. Let us hear your perspective on events in the US whenever the mood moves you!
Jul 15, 2022·edited Jul 15, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Hope and pray for a complete COVID recovery Robert. Since I have an immune disorder, I still mask up in public places. Yesterday, standing in line at the grocery check out, the woman in front of me glanced at my masked faced, then turned to the clerk and said, "Isn't it wonderful that we don't have to wear masks anymore! FREEDOM!" Then she looked back at me with a sort of sneer. Good thing she couldn't see MY face
Jill and I went to an angel's game about six weeks ago. In a stadium of about 35,000 people I think we were the only two wearing masks. It's a game of chance; for most people it will be mild. But for the people who get seriously ill, it doesn't matter that it is mild for others.
Wish I could agree that headlines are information, nothing more, nothing less. Rupert Murdoch and William Randolph Hurst both knew that they could be the ”Alpha dogs” of journalism and influence issues of the day. Rupert has been at it for most of his miserable life and wreaked havoc around the world. But, thanks to both and their clones, the scent of alpha dogs is now suspect by discerning citizens. Sadly, more journalism follows their lead and leaves us floundering. But discerning we must be. Are there enough of us?
My point is that the headlines should be information for you, nothing more, nothing less. I realize that they influence public opinion. If I had a nickel for every time someone said to me, "I didn't read the article but I saw the headline," I could start my own newspaper.
So sorry you have Covid rebound!! That is happening quite a bit with the medication! We need your fight and encouragement to stay ENGAGED! So many are capitulating! We just don’t get it!!! Stay strong and healthy!!
My daughter and I both went on paxlovid, which seemed to be effective in immediately lessening symptoms and reducing the viral load. However, we both experienced a rebound infection at day 8. Our doctor says that he sees relatively few rebound infections and was quite surprised that had happened to both of us. We were both in isolation when the rebound infections occurred, so I don't think there's any chance that we reinfected one another. Still, if I had to do it all over again, I would take Paxilovid. The first infection was like a bad flu and the second infection was like a bad cold. Although I don't want to over interpret my experience, it felt as though Paxil did was helpful in reducing symptoms and shortening the initial period of infectiousness.
Thanks for the analysis of your response to Paxlovid, and so glad it helped stave off serious symptoms . As a nurse, folks ask my opinion and, besides directing them to talk to their doctor, I find that reports of real life experiences are helpful. I also recommend my Irish mother's hot toddy with tea, honey, whiskey & lemon to be very therapeutic!
In my own case I was prescribed both Paxlovid and a monoclonal anti-body infusion. Here in Texas, there is a team of two nurses and a medic (EMT) team members that actually come to your home to administer the infusion. It only takes about five minutes total for the infusion but they stay with you for an hour to make certain you do not have an adverse reaction to it. My physician said they have had good results using the combination of both. After first testing positive within 24 hours I had started the 5 day course of Paxlovid (2x per day) and received the infusion. I did isolate for 10 days but tested negative after the first week. No relapse.
"Manchin kills any chance of reconciliation bill."
It is truly remarkable that a single Senator, who claims to be a Democrat, from a state with less than 1% of the US population and that generates .38% of the total US GDP can determine the economic and political fate of our Country. Manchin has done more to hurt Joe Biden and the democratic agenda than Republicans could have ever done.
This is a point that bears repeating and amplification. Criminalizing abortion effects both men and women. Obviously, the injury to autonomy and personhood of women is worse, but men are the fathers enforced birth pregnancies. The societal ramifications will be much greater than it appears.
Robert your unfortunate rebound is a stark reminder to all you us that COVID related viruses are not gone and we need to still be diligent in our everyday lives. It feels like everyday we become aware of the depth of the corruption and cancer of the Trump administration as evidenced by the latest story of the Secret Service. I don’t know all the facts but missing text messages and a VP who refused to get in the Secret Service car looks and feels suspicious. I am also frustrated and sadden by the story of the 10 year old child who was raped and went to Indiana for an abortion and how anti abortion Republicans vilified the poor child, the attending physician and leading Republican lawmakers like Jim Jordan and propagandist like Tucker Carlson spread lies about the entire situation without any impunity. Two startlingly facts stare us in the face. State Republicans will ratchet up anti abortion rhetoric and actions as we get closer to the mid term elections to feed their base and there is nothing we can do about it and a host of other issues unless we own the Senate and the House. One thing I just learned about polling is that because of caller ID technology pollsters are getting less phone conversation polling data and are increasingly relying on social media questioning and interviews whose accuracy is not as reliable. There are many dishonest polling responses in part because the trust factor on surveys is very low. I am feeling a small tidal wave of frustration building among potential voters across all demographics and it’s up to us to harvest it.
I agree that polling manipulation is real. I am aware of some people who make any point to pick up their landline to answer surveys. They do so because they want to overweight the democratic perspective, so we have to assume that the same thing is happening on the republican side
Thank you for calling out journalists who go for the easy, sloppy, story on gas prices, inflation, and polls. Shame on them for missing one of the most important moments in modern history- the reoccurrence of Fascist thought and action to suppress democracy and free will, civil rights, and the law. The “‘secret service” has become just that; service to an unjust tyrant that hates losing and is willing to bring down an entire democracy and country to satisfy his ego. Sound familiar? Germany 1931. Thank God Pence had the insight to resist getting in the car. I have much more respect for him now than ever before. Bravo to the embarrassed former Trump groupies who testified that it was an armed rebellion to deny the peaceful transfer of power. WAKE UP print media. You are missing THE STORY!
While I commend Mike Pence for his non-compliance with Trump’s wishes to assist in over turning the 2020 election on January 6, 2021. I do not join with former White House Counsel Cippolone in recommending Pence for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. There are hundreds of millions of Americans who each day manage to discharge their assigned tasks, observe basic civic responsibilities, and comply with the Rule of Law. Certainly we have a right to expect at least that much from the Vice President of the United States. It is my feeling that too many are delivering plaudits for quite little in terms of service to country during the January 6 Committee hearings when far more should have been expected of them during their service to the whims and corruption of Donald Trump. Let’s hold back applause for those who could and should have done far more a long time before now.
Totally agree. Add Liz Cheney to this list of Americans who have simply done the right thing. That does not make them heroes. Don't get me wrong, I admire Liz for her courage and her steady disciplined delivery. I am grateful to her and Kinzinger. But they are not heroes and I would never vote for them.
With regard to the loss of Secret Service text messages ...
Coincidence - a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.
“Without apparent causal connection;” to believe all, most, or many (?) Secret Service text messages from January 5 th and 6 th went missing after requested by the inspector general’s office. Those messages resided and were backed up in multiple locations and regulations require their retention. This is so far beyond mere coincidence that it stretches credibility beyond the breaking point. Time for a thorough house cleaning of detritus at the Secret Service and some serious reforms and new leadership. Shameful that we should be asked to accept “oops” as a credible explanation.
Let's not forget the National Guard - despite repeated calls, it took hours for the National Guard to respond on Jan 6th. One of the commanding officers in charge of the National Guard at the time was General Charles Flynn, Michael Flynn's brother.
The corruption of the Secret Service and National Guard are additional spokes in the wheel of trump's (and, I suggest, Putin's) attempted coup.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/12/06/jan-6-generals-lied-ex-dc-guard-official-523777
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/21/politics/michael-flynn-brother-capitol-hill-riot/index.html)
I agree. I’ve thought that all along.
I would think one reason Pence refused to get in the car was fear for his own safety, not an unreasonable fear at the time. He is not a hero for doing his constitutionally required duty, even under duress. The officer who steered the mob away from the VP acted heroically.
Agree.
Agree 100%. Thank You Bruce.
Thank you for perfectly expressing my views on Pence’s performance on January 6th. Where was he, where were any of the players in this sordid cesspool of an attempted coup from November 7th to January 6th, up until today? They were silent, until some felt pushed to protect themselves. Pence did check around to see if there was a way he could change the outcome, including advice from former VP Dan Quayle. (He also went to Hungary and spoke at the CPAC meeting hosted by Orban; I mention this in case anyone thinks he is a great defender of democracy). Pence, Cheney and Kinzinger did, and are doing what they took an oath to do: uphold the Constitution. Would I count on them and their policies to make this country a better place for all? Not on my life!
He "complied with the Rule of Law." Mike Pence did the right thing in a high stakes moment but so do many or even most of us in our daily lives and more mundane work. He also failed to block the plotting or expose it. No hero there.
Thanks, Bruce, and I hadn’t heard Former WH Counsel had recommended Pence.
Cippolone is smart at playing the game…
Hi, I totally agree with you on this. At the least, if Pence wasn’t acting out of concern for the Country, he had the good sense to save his own life and legacy. That’s what I can credit him for, and cringe if he takes that and runs with it as a false hero for President. The whole gang of deceitful handlers to Trump should be barred from holding public office ever again. We could do that if the DOJ would begin prosecuting them for the contempt and obstruction they deserve. In a perfect world. I wish we had access to those magical devices in Men in Black that could release us all from the trauma of these past 7 years of fighting Trumptom with a flick of a flash! It’s exhausting, but as the Jan 6th committee has relentlessly discovered and uncovered , so,so,so worthwhile to expose them for who they are.
I am beyond angry that Texas AG Paxton has filed a suit against the Biden administration for it's enforcement reminder about the EMTALA. I wrote about the EMTALA in yesterday’s comments to that day’s Newsletter edition. Robert has referred to those comments in today’s Newsletter. They were written before Texas filed suit to block HHS enforcement of EMTALA provisions requiring emergency medical care including if necessary abortions in life-threatening medical crises.
I have written letters to my federal Congressional Representatives and Senators, President Biden, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, and also as a letter to the editor of our local paper. All of those communications point out that the recent HHS enforcement reminder on the EMTALA reflects no new rules, changes, or enforcement mechanisms to legislation originally passed in 1986 and enforced as federal law since then. It is also entirely consistent with present Texas anti-abortion restrictions that also provide exceptions for medical emergencies for patients who may require abortion care when their life is at risk without that care.
I have requested of Biden and Secretary Becerra that HHS conduct EMTALA compliance audits of medical facilities and hospitals to ensure they have written guidelines and training programs for affected emergency treatment staff in place. Both of those are EMTALA requirements. If those are found deficient, appropriate enforcement actions should be taken.
The following is the text of my letter to the editor of our local paper. I urge others to write similar letters to their own local papers and also communicate the need for HHS EMTALA compliance audits to appropriate legislators, the White House, and Secretary Becerra. No woman should be denied essential medical care in a life-threatening emergency. The idea of withholding such care is in my view beyond cruel and becomes medical terrorism.
My letter to the editor:
Providing Medical Care in Life-threatening Emergencies Is Not a Crime
Regardless of anyone's view on the issue of abortion, it should be understood that even Texas SB8 anti-abortion legislation provides exceptions for cases in which an abortion would save the pregnant patient’s life or prevent “substantial impairment of major bodily function."
Providing essential medical care in cases of a life-threatening emergency is what the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) passed by Congress in 1986 mandates. The recent enforcement reminder sent by HHS to medical facilities introduced no new rules or enforcement mechanisms, it was a reminder of the provisions in existing federal law passed and in place since 1986.
The lawsuit filed this week by Texas AG, Paxton, against the Biden administration is ill-advised and demonstrates the cruelty toward women's healthcare rights by the current Abbott administration. Gubernatorial and Attorney General political campaigns promoting the denial of emergency and essential medical care to women in life-threatening medical emergencies seem to be a poor campaign strategy. Most women are unlikely to find such a campaign plank other than cruel.
EMTALA is not abortion on demand. It is the provision of essential medical care in emergency life-threatening situations narrowly defined in the EMTALA law. It is also entirely consistent with the provisions of Texas present abortion restrictions in SB8.
As an aside to my campaign on enforcement of and compliance with EMTALA provisions, I offer my continued wishes for the recovery of Robert and his editor from Covid. I completely understand his struggle with his continuing efforts of working while trying to recover. I also recently contracted a case of the new Covid variant following an essential airplane journey. Without recounting all the circumstances it was my first encounter with a case of Covid after being extremely careful about observing all public health guidance and cautions including vaccinations and boosters. It required the appropriate treatments and medications and recovery time to shake it. I am fortunate I was able to do so and attribute that recovery both to the treatments and earlier vaccinations and boosters. Covid is a serious disease and the current resurgence of the latest variant should not be taken lightly. We are not yet post Covid and everyone should take the appropriate measures to protect themselves and their families.
Thanks, Bruce. I appreciate you keeping on top of this issue. And I appreciate receiving a copy of your letter to the editor. Keep us posted.
Sending more than "thoughts and prayers" for your complete recovery from that monster that is COVID, Robert. It is quite the albatross! Still, your posts remain clear and compelling. Thank you.
On November 22, 1963 the Secret Service failed in numerous ways which contributed to the assassination of JFK. For instance Dallas as was the entire southern US antagonistic toward JFK; yet they allowed him to travel in an open vehicle below high rises with open windows and no law enforcement armed security spotters on rooftops. The list of dereliction of duty goes on to the point that JFK would have had better security if a troop of Boy Scouts had provided it. Sorry, Boy Scouts, I don’t mean to tarnish your image. It is so derelict that conspiracy to assassinate must include the SS. SS? That rings familiar. So why should we hesitate to consider that the Secret Service had a hand in the January 6th attempted Coup d’ etat? They attempted already to tarnish Ms Hutchinson’s testimony and now missing texts! OMG! Sounds like a secretary who leaned over to answer the phone and erased eighteen minutes of potentially incriminating evidence on her boss, Richard Nixon. How flimsy can excuses get? Sorry I asked that. Wait and see.
Ah, yes! Who can forget the "Rose Mary stretch"? No one believed it at the time and it was one of the turning points in public opinion over Watergate.
There are a lot of beers being held right now in answer to your 'how flimsy' question.
Robert,
This letter was one of your most powerful. I can only imagine what we have to look forward to once you emerge from the energy drain of Covid. Thank you for continuing to provide us with your letter during your illness. You could have taken a bunch of time off and we would have respected that. You are one tough and focused dude.
And a special thanks to your wife for all she does.
This paragraph bears repeating:
"Anyone who fails to see that this moment is unlike any in the last hundred years must look up from their smartphone and spreadsheets to engage in a few moments of reflection. The January 6th hearings are extraordinary. The ruling in Dobbs is extraordinary. The confluence of the “concealed carry” ruling in Bruen with mass killings in Buffalo, Uvalde, and Highland Park is extraordinary. The dissolution of the separation of church and state in Bremerton is extraordinary. The effort of GOP legislators to turn women into fugitives is extraordinary."
And now, will all this stir the population to vote? That's up to us isn't it?
So now the Fugitive Slave Act has been reborn. Ken Paxton will be offering bounties for the return of any Texas women who go to NM or IL for an ectopic pregnancy abortion. If voters aren't scared to death about a return to the 1850s and the treatment of women as second class citizens, they should start listening to something other than FOX for a change. And vote Blue in November.
I’m in Texas and going to New Mexico for a vacation in a few weeks with my 2 daughters, son and his girlfriend. I can see the day coming when we could be required to have a negative pregnancy test to leave the state.
Tell ‘‘em you’re going to Florida, then drive North instead
On my 70th birthday today, I was hoping for a little ray of hope for my country.
Having realized, on my retirement, that I would never be able to afford medical care in the United States, I will visit my family when I can and remain in a country with a modest social safety net.
Wiesbaden, Germany.
Happy Birthday, Rosalind! I turned 70 two days ago (July 13th), and assure you there are little rays of hope everywhere in the states. They just don't make national headlines because they don't sell newspapers. Even before the J6 hearings, good folks started signing up to run for school boards and county commissions and state offices. And many more good folks are writing postcards, going door-to-door, and meeting in small groups to figure out small ways to bring back democracy. I've lived here in Michigan's rural Republican country for 40 years, and have never before seen all Democratic candidate slots filled, or felt this recognition that we country folk are being abused and refused by slick oil funded cons and fake christians and their ilk. I am feeling an awakening, maybe even enough to command that healthcare be affordable for all.
Thank you for this, MaryPat! The ground up is more secure than pie in the sky.
Happy Birthday to you too...
Hey, MaryPat! I read you folks in Michigan got abortion care on the ballot. Good on you!
Thanks for the great news! I hadn't seen that yet. It bodes so well for the elections, too!
"The total turned in is the largest the state has ever seen in its history of ballot drives."
"https://truthout.org/articles/reproductive-freedom-organizers-in-michigan-put-right-to-abortion-on-the-ballot/?amp=
Thanks for the link, MaryPat. I couldn't remember how I found out about it, so had nothing to send you. You Michiganders rock!
Happy birthday, Rosalind! and thank you for being a reader from Wiesbaden, Germany. Let us hear your perspective on events in the US whenever the mood moves you!
Thank you, Robert! It was the best birthday celebration I've ever had.
Happy Birthday, Rosalind! (alles Gute zum Geburtstag!)
Thanks, Lynell! It was a wonderful gathering of people who welcomed me in July of 2013 and who are still the ground of my circle of friends.
Hope and pray for a complete COVID recovery Robert. Since I have an immune disorder, I still mask up in public places. Yesterday, standing in line at the grocery check out, the woman in front of me glanced at my masked faced, then turned to the clerk and said, "Isn't it wonderful that we don't have to wear masks anymore! FREEDOM!" Then she looked back at me with a sort of sneer. Good thing she couldn't see MY face
Jill and I went to an angel's game about six weeks ago. In a stadium of about 35,000 people I think we were the only two wearing masks. It's a game of chance; for most people it will be mild. But for the people who get seriously ill, it doesn't matter that it is mild for others.
100%
Sorry you had to go through that, we K95 maskup
in public still always (inside and out) as we have a child with a compromised immune system. We mask up to protect him and others like him.
Good for you for taking the precautions to protect your child. It's not easy or convenient, but I believe in masking now more than ever.
Outstanding synopsis of the most significant and massively important news—news that is currently unfolding at a pace I can barely manage to follow.
Wish I could agree that headlines are information, nothing more, nothing less. Rupert Murdoch and William Randolph Hurst both knew that they could be the ”Alpha dogs” of journalism and influence issues of the day. Rupert has been at it for most of his miserable life and wreaked havoc around the world. But, thanks to both and their clones, the scent of alpha dogs is now suspect by discerning citizens. Sadly, more journalism follows their lead and leaves us floundering. But discerning we must be. Are there enough of us?
My point is that the headlines should be information for you, nothing more, nothing less. I realize that they influence public opinion. If I had a nickel for every time someone said to me, "I didn't read the article but I saw the headline," I could start my own newspaper.
So sorry you have Covid rebound!! That is happening quite a bit with the medication! We need your fight and encouragement to stay ENGAGED! So many are capitulating! We just don’t get it!!! Stay strong and healthy!!
Nancy; what medication are you referring to?
Paxlovid? (Anti-viral).
My daughter and I both went on paxlovid, which seemed to be effective in immediately lessening symptoms and reducing the viral load. However, we both experienced a rebound infection at day 8. Our doctor says that he sees relatively few rebound infections and was quite surprised that had happened to both of us. We were both in isolation when the rebound infections occurred, so I don't think there's any chance that we reinfected one another. Still, if I had to do it all over again, I would take Paxilovid. The first infection was like a bad flu and the second infection was like a bad cold. Although I don't want to over interpret my experience, it felt as though Paxil did was helpful in reducing symptoms and shortening the initial period of infectiousness.
Thanks for the analysis of your response to Paxlovid, and so glad it helped stave off serious symptoms . As a nurse, folks ask my opinion and, besides directing them to talk to their doctor, I find that reports of real life experiences are helpful. I also recommend my Irish mother's hot toddy with tea, honey, whiskey & lemon to be very therapeutic!
In my own case I was prescribed both Paxlovid and a monoclonal anti-body infusion. Here in Texas, there is a team of two nurses and a medic (EMT) team members that actually come to your home to administer the infusion. It only takes about five minutes total for the infusion but they stay with you for an hour to make certain you do not have an adverse reaction to it. My physician said they have had good results using the combination of both. After first testing positive within 24 hours I had started the 5 day course of Paxlovid (2x per day) and received the infusion. I did isolate for 10 days but tested negative after the first week. No relapse.
Wow; I did not know they were causing rebound…
Dr. Anthony Fauci had a similar rebound from Covid after taking Paxlovid. He wrote about this last week. Readers can probably Google this article.
NIH News list on Dr. Fauci
https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/director-in-the-news
"Manchin kills any chance of reconciliation bill."
It is truly remarkable that a single Senator, who claims to be a Democrat, from a state with less than 1% of the US population and that generates .38% of the total US GDP can determine the economic and political fate of our Country. Manchin has done more to hurt Joe Biden and the democratic agenda than Republicans could have ever done.
Spot on: " Manchin has done more to hurt Joe Biden and the democratic agenda than Republicans could have ever done."
Yep...and when he says we need to "elect more Democrats" he is effectively sabotaging that as well. Voters will say we don't need more Dems like that!
Anti-Abortion rights is FORCED BIRTH. It's a men's issue as well as women's and all of society will bear the costs.
This is a point that bears repeating and amplification. Criminalizing abortion effects both men and women. Obviously, the injury to autonomy and personhood of women is worse, but men are the fathers enforced birth pregnancies. The societal ramifications will be much greater than it appears.
Robert your unfortunate rebound is a stark reminder to all you us that COVID related viruses are not gone and we need to still be diligent in our everyday lives. It feels like everyday we become aware of the depth of the corruption and cancer of the Trump administration as evidenced by the latest story of the Secret Service. I don’t know all the facts but missing text messages and a VP who refused to get in the Secret Service car looks and feels suspicious. I am also frustrated and sadden by the story of the 10 year old child who was raped and went to Indiana for an abortion and how anti abortion Republicans vilified the poor child, the attending physician and leading Republican lawmakers like Jim Jordan and propagandist like Tucker Carlson spread lies about the entire situation without any impunity. Two startlingly facts stare us in the face. State Republicans will ratchet up anti abortion rhetoric and actions as we get closer to the mid term elections to feed their base and there is nothing we can do about it and a host of other issues unless we own the Senate and the House. One thing I just learned about polling is that because of caller ID technology pollsters are getting less phone conversation polling data and are increasingly relying on social media questioning and interviews whose accuracy is not as reliable. There are many dishonest polling responses in part because the trust factor on surveys is very low. I am feeling a small tidal wave of frustration building among potential voters across all demographics and it’s up to us to harvest it.
I agree that polling manipulation is real. I am aware of some people who make any point to pick up their landline to answer surveys. They do so because they want to overweight the democratic perspective, so we have to assume that the same thing is happening on the republican side
GREAT column, Covid be damned! Love the rhetorical, and absolutely spot on, cascading paragraph of EXTRAORDINARY. Yes. Thank you.
Powerful synopsis of US current events - thank you. Calling thinking citizens of all stripes: VOTE!