Thanks, Robert, for not looking away. Your level and straight forward account makes it possible for me to stomach the sickening bile coming from Pete Hegseth and the cowardly House Republicans.
I know I must sound like an old ‘broken’ LP record stuck repeatedly playing the same song endlessly (well, I am old), but I say once again that for too many years now SHAME is not a Republican ‘value.’ Merriam Webster defines shame as “ a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety”, and “a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute.” Ever since the time of that grade ‘B’ California actor who captured their toxic white male cowboy hearts, Republicans abandoned whatever internal moral compass functioned to guide their lives. It is as if they have undergone bizarre psychological surgery excising their morality centers, and as a result absolutely cannot FEEL shame, or guilt, or disgrace, etc. By the same token, they cannot feel cowardice, though they are clearly cowards. Republicans continue to operate as business as usual, emotionally anesthetized to the reality of their own psychopathology. WOW! that’s a lot…sorry for the rant.
“Pete Hegseth” is an empty vessel into which Pete Hegseth has poured the persona of a no-nonsense plain-talking patriot who is not afraid to go for the jugular. So so attractive to people like Trump and MAGA, who couldn’t recognize an empty suit if it killed them. Could kill a lot of people in the process though.
We need to begin a list of Joni Ernst-types who seemingly have abandoned their oath to the Constitution and exchanged it for a Daniel Webster deal with the devil. While T…p has promised ‘retribution’ we can promise to reveal the infidelity to the Constitution by Ernst and any others who exchange “the right thing to do” with their fealty to a criminal president who is merely a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Regarding Hegseth, few have mentioned how he will interact with the leaders of the military forces, all four star generals or admirals, and all which hold a rank far superior to the former junior officer who will soon be their “boss”. For the guy who could not name the countries in SEATO, he’s going to largely fake it in his new job and take down the greatness that is embodied in our military.
old Captain Kirk Star Trek episode, The Day of the Dove.
Both humans and Klingons have been lured to a planet by a formless entity that feeds on hatred and has set about to fashion them into a permanent food supply for itself.
Kirk and the Klingons make the entity go away by LAUGHING AT IT!!
I’ll need to spend most of my time at the gym from now on to have any hope of surviving the constant anger and fury I expect to feel. This is not like me at all but they drive us to it with their incessant fascist madness. It seems like so many Americans have lost their minds. I grew up in the 70s and 80s and some things were pretty bad but people had not taken all leave of common sense. This SecDef confirmation would not have happened back then. Indeed, nor would the defeat of the incumbent party with a stellar economic performance have happened either. I feel like a dinosaur. I don’t understand people anymore.
Shame on Senator Ernst! And her posted email address on her senate page is returning “not a monitored email account.” Shame! I served from 1974 thru 2008 in the US Army and lived the sexual predation of the early years, the bias against women throughout. I lived, taught and modeled the integrity, commitment and dignity required of an officer, I spent 4 years as the first female commander of the 345th Combat Support Hospital. Senator Ernst has sold out the sailors, soldiers and marines who serve by even considering confirming Mr. Hegseth as Sec Defense. Her capitulation to the MAGA pressure reflects poorly on her body work in support of women in the service. The fact that her caving to pressure may have allowed other senators to feel ok to vote yes should haunt her for all her days. Shame.
I have nothing to say. A sickening display and not unexpected. We must take the House in the midterms. I am going to focus on working on getting a Democratic govern elected in New Jersey. And I already tending not to support Mikie Sherrill , as she will leave a House seat exposed. And there is alot of MAGA pressure on my district, NJ11 , for a GOP grab of that seat. I am focusing things I hope to be able to influence.
Upon request from Robert Hubbell, I would like to briefly suggest a couple of links for readers to endure these shocking Senate hearings. I have not felt so powerless and deflated regarding the Hegseth abomination, and his manifest unfitness for any higher office within the DoD, since immediately after November 5th. I could not even place exactly why, save for a steep decline in our national security and international reputation, evasive denial, and triggering personal conduct. Pam Bondi's answers aren't much better right now. So I think it helps me cope a little to support others with these sharply-observed links.
One eye-opening article is Robert Reich's from yesterday. I did not expect he would post his own experience of a confirmation hearing, but it is surprisingly revealing and quite logical. It manages to reset how lay people view the process (or at least it did for me):
The other you have likely read, but I highlight it again: Josh Marshall's brief memo yesterday, speaking about seeing the obvious as obvious. More precisely, it is his recognition that the senate has complete GOP control now. There are authors citing that the Senate has the slimmest of majorities. That may be true historically -- and is efficacious and true in the House, where votes must now be negotiated -- but the Senate majority retains ironclad capacity to rubber stamp candidates.
Marshall clearly helps to manage what we should be expecting. I think part of my current pain was thinking all these weeks that, maybe, we had a chance some terrible nominations might tank (Gabbard still could). That expectation may not have been helpful psychologically to those of us who support competence, accuracy and the rule of law.
Added today: I also recommend Jay Kuo's rundown of the "Hegseth Horror" as an articulate critique of that hearing in light of the challenges ahead:
"By late January 2021, prosecuting Trump was the highest and most urgent priority of the DOJ." Should have been, clearly was not and that will be a blot on the records of both Garland and President Biden.
"With the capitulation of Senator Joni Ernst—a sexual abuse survivor and combat veteran—it appears that a nominee credibly accused of sexual abuse who opposes women in combat roles in the military will be confirmed as Secretary of Defense." I have wondered throughout the Trump era in politics what would motivate any woman, let alone one who has survived sexual abuse, to support Felon47. I now add to that wondering what would persuade a Lt. Colonel in the United States Army and a United States Senator to change her stated position - what sort of threat, promise, bribe or other argument would be effective? Possibly even more than the Felon himself the capitulation of people like Sen. Ernst has upended the idea of respect for the rule of law and the institution of government.
Right now John Tower is spinning in his grave. Not that I really had much use for him, but if the Senate had the balls to reject his appointment as Secretary of Defense, it says a lot about those clowns now that Hegseth will probably make it. Can't wait for the first scandal to hit!
Thanks, Robert, for not looking away. Your level and straight forward account makes it possible for me to stomach the sickening bile coming from Pete Hegseth and the cowardly House Republicans.
I know I must sound like an old ‘broken’ LP record stuck repeatedly playing the same song endlessly (well, I am old), but I say once again that for too many years now SHAME is not a Republican ‘value.’ Merriam Webster defines shame as “ a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety”, and “a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute.” Ever since the time of that grade ‘B’ California actor who captured their toxic white male cowboy hearts, Republicans abandoned whatever internal moral compass functioned to guide their lives. It is as if they have undergone bizarre psychological surgery excising their morality centers, and as a result absolutely cannot FEEL shame, or guilt, or disgrace, etc. By the same token, they cannot feel cowardice, though they are clearly cowards. Republicans continue to operate as business as usual, emotionally anesthetized to the reality of their own psychopathology. WOW! that’s a lot…sorry for the rant.
After the inauguration, it will be the desecration of America by Americans.
“her everlasting shame”? Joni Ernst has no shame, only ambition. And no soul.
see my rant…
“Pete Hegseth” is an empty vessel into which Pete Hegseth has poured the persona of a no-nonsense plain-talking patriot who is not afraid to go for the jugular. So so attractive to people like Trump and MAGA, who couldn’t recognize an empty suit if it killed them. Could kill a lot of people in the process though.
We need to begin a list of Joni Ernst-types who seemingly have abandoned their oath to the Constitution and exchanged it for a Daniel Webster deal with the devil. While T…p has promised ‘retribution’ we can promise to reveal the infidelity to the Constitution by Ernst and any others who exchange “the right thing to do” with their fealty to a criminal president who is merely a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Regarding Hegseth, few have mentioned how he will interact with the leaders of the military forces, all four star generals or admirals, and all which hold a rank far superior to the former junior officer who will soon be their “boss”. For the guy who could not name the countries in SEATO, he’s going to largely fake it in his new job and take down the greatness that is embodied in our military.
Billionaires are screwing US.
MAGA = Megamillionaires Are Gouging Americans
I love the photo of the witch head nebula!
old Captain Kirk Star Trek episode, The Day of the Dove.
Both humans and Klingons have been lured to a planet by a formless entity that feeds on hatred and has set about to fashion them into a permanent food supply for itself.
Kirk and the Klingons make the entity go away by LAUGHING AT IT!!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0708427/
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8iyn3s
I’ll need to spend most of my time at the gym from now on to have any hope of surviving the constant anger and fury I expect to feel. This is not like me at all but they drive us to it with their incessant fascist madness. It seems like so many Americans have lost their minds. I grew up in the 70s and 80s and some things were pretty bad but people had not taken all leave of common sense. This SecDef confirmation would not have happened back then. Indeed, nor would the defeat of the incumbent party with a stellar economic performance have happened either. I feel like a dinosaur. I don’t understand people anymore.
Shame on Senator Ernst! And her posted email address on her senate page is returning “not a monitored email account.” Shame! I served from 1974 thru 2008 in the US Army and lived the sexual predation of the early years, the bias against women throughout. I lived, taught and modeled the integrity, commitment and dignity required of an officer, I spent 4 years as the first female commander of the 345th Combat Support Hospital. Senator Ernst has sold out the sailors, soldiers and marines who serve by even considering confirming Mr. Hegseth as Sec Defense. Her capitulation to the MAGA pressure reflects poorly on her body work in support of women in the service. The fact that her caving to pressure may have allowed other senators to feel ok to vote yes should haunt her for all her days. Shame.
I am so angry about the SecDef nomination. Hopping mad. Furious. Why can’t we stop this??? Arggghgggghhhhhh
I have nothing to say. A sickening display and not unexpected. We must take the House in the midterms. I am going to focus on working on getting a Democratic govern elected in New Jersey. And I already tending not to support Mikie Sherrill , as she will leave a House seat exposed. And there is alot of MAGA pressure on my district, NJ11 , for a GOP grab of that seat. I am focusing things I hope to be able to influence.
Upon request from Robert Hubbell, I would like to briefly suggest a couple of links for readers to endure these shocking Senate hearings. I have not felt so powerless and deflated regarding the Hegseth abomination, and his manifest unfitness for any higher office within the DoD, since immediately after November 5th. I could not even place exactly why, save for a steep decline in our national security and international reputation, evasive denial, and triggering personal conduct. Pam Bondi's answers aren't much better right now. So I think it helps me cope a little to support others with these sharply-observed links.
One eye-opening article is Robert Reich's from yesterday. I did not expect he would post his own experience of a confirmation hearing, but it is surprisingly revealing and quite logical. It manages to reset how lay people view the process (or at least it did for me):
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/how-to-prepare-for-a-senate-confirmation
The other you have likely read, but I highlight it again: Josh Marshall's brief memo yesterday, speaking about seeing the obvious as obvious. More precisely, it is his recognition that the senate has complete GOP control now. There are authors citing that the Senate has the slimmest of majorities. That may be true historically -- and is efficacious and true in the House, where votes must now be negotiated -- but the Senate majority retains ironclad capacity to rubber stamp candidates.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/thinking-about-the-confirmations
Marshall clearly helps to manage what we should be expecting. I think part of my current pain was thinking all these weeks that, maybe, we had a chance some terrible nominations might tank (Gabbard still could). That expectation may not have been helpful psychologically to those of us who support competence, accuracy and the rule of law.
Added today: I also recommend Jay Kuo's rundown of the "Hegseth Horror" as an articulate critique of that hearing in light of the challenges ahead:
https://statuskuo.substack.com/p/the-hegseth-horror-show
Thanks for reading, and for continuing to put out this work in the darkest of circumstances.
"By late January 2021, prosecuting Trump was the highest and most urgent priority of the DOJ." Should have been, clearly was not and that will be a blot on the records of both Garland and President Biden.
"With the capitulation of Senator Joni Ernst—a sexual abuse survivor and combat veteran—it appears that a nominee credibly accused of sexual abuse who opposes women in combat roles in the military will be confirmed as Secretary of Defense." I have wondered throughout the Trump era in politics what would motivate any woman, let alone one who has survived sexual abuse, to support Felon47. I now add to that wondering what would persuade a Lt. Colonel in the United States Army and a United States Senator to change her stated position - what sort of threat, promise, bribe or other argument would be effective? Possibly even more than the Felon himself the capitulation of people like Sen. Ernst has upended the idea of respect for the rule of law and the institution of government.
Right now John Tower is spinning in his grave. Not that I really had much use for him, but if the Senate had the balls to reject his appointment as Secretary of Defense, it says a lot about those clowns now that Hegseth will probably make it. Can't wait for the first scandal to hit!