I have encouraged my Republican representative Ken Buck to break away and persuade enough Rs to vote Hakeem Jeffries in as Speaker. Buck wants the R speaker candidates, Scalise and Jordan, to acknowledge that the 2020 election was not stolen. They have equivocated; Jeffries obviously checks that box. Buck seems to be shopping for a media gig so maybe he's got nothing to lose. His remarks are not popular in CO 4 which is deeply conservative. We'll see what happens. Country before party? Country before career? Who knows?
I echo and appreciate Robert’s call to action and also the need to make contact with each other and our voters and neighbors and do a lot of listening to others. I’m out door-knocking in my town almost every day now as we have some pivotal local and county elections. Our voters are wanting to talk and visit more than usual and everyone is sad, scared and edgy. Sometimes door knocking gets a bad rap but I have heard more gratitude for our visits than ever, this fall. For better or worse, Democrats are an extended family and our members need to know we’re together and that there is hope in our participation, together. One voter asked if I was soliciting. I said no I’m bringing information for our upcoming elections. She said, “but that’s soliciting” and I said actually it’s not and that this work keeps our Democracy going. She decided to come outside, and we talked for 1/2 hour and ended up hugging as I left. Doing this work helps me know deeply in my heart that I’m not soliciting. My own poor heart really wants to connect and be part of something good and better. I’m so grateful to all of you who do this work all over the country. And to leaders such as Robert who keep elevating it day by day for all of us.
As Robert poiints out, "There is only one path forward: a bipartisan governing coalition." But that doesn't mean Hakeem Jeffries wants to be Speaker while Republicans continue to hold the majority. Let me suggest that we follow Mr. Jeffries leadership as to exactly what it does mean.
On the PBS Newshour Thursday night, when asked whether he was suggesting that 5 Republicans should join Democrats to make him Speaker, Leader Jeffries replied:
"No, this shouldn't be about any one particular individual's aspirations to lead either House Democrats or House Republicans. This is about what is good for the American people. . . .
We've got to find a way to come together, restructure the House in a bipartisan way, designed to allow for common sense things to come to the floor, receive an up or down vote . . ."
In other words, the priority here is to protect and defend the integrity of the House of Representatives against MAGA extremists who've repeatedly demonstrated that they have no interest in governing. As former Speaker McCarthy observed, they "want to burn the whole place down."
Hakeem Jeffries is bringing out the hoses and raising the ladders. Putting out the fire is every bit as important as electing a consensus Speaker.
I wonder whether people who voted for these Republicans understand the danger they put our country and the world in for not approving military and diplomatic appointments. I think that the American people should pick a different Day of Rage to protest against Tuberville, Rand and Cruz. There should be rage specifically about military and diplomatic appointments, and the Republican members of the house for blocking military aid to our allies. Not to threaten, but a peaceful protest calling for their removal. I am currently not in the USA, but I still feel my blood boil over their harming of the country and planet.
Just for the historical record, since I am an historian of World War II, 6,000 bombs dropped on Gaza, an area smaller than Washington DC, over the past five days is the equivalent of all the area bombing attacks carried out on Berlin between 1942-45 (which is why the photographs look like they do). I doubt the 500 children and 280+ women who have died in the bombing as of Thursday afternoon are likely to be "Hamas militants." The "Law of War" can be described by the Old Testament rule (written by a Jewish theologian) "An eye for an eye." It's not "A head for an eye."
This is proportionately heavier bombing than the United States carried out in the Christmas Bombing of Hanoi in 1972.
If Biden and his administration are actually serious about defending "the law of war," they have already fallen behind in the responsibility they have undertaken.
I know today's Newsletter was about the Republican debacle in Washington. However, I have a different story to share for those who are interested. My mother's maiden name was Zlotky. Her grandfather's family immigrated from a little town on the Polish/Russian border that is currently in Russia. The only Zlotkys that we know of are all in America. There are none in that town. I want to believe that they all got out before World War II but I fear that was not the case. My Grandfather Zlotky refused to raise his children as Jews because of the abuse and bullying he had endured growing up in the only Orthodox Jewish family (at the time) in Fremont, Nebraska. Toward the end of her life my mother shared with me that my grandfather did not have a high school diploma because he had been expelled a few weeks before he was due to graduate after he threw a desk at his teacher. She said he had been physically and verbally bullied and abused so much that he snapped. It was a secret in her, our, family because of the perceived shame he brought on himself, but she didn't want to go to her own grave without having shared that story. He was a gentle, loving, funny man who loved to play the violin, golf and spoke fluent Yiddish. Out of fear of how his own children might be treated, he made a painful choice not to put them through what he had endured. Because he married outside of his faith he was no longer considered a member of his family, but my mom said he reconciled with his father shortly before he died and had secretly been in contact with his mother all along. My mother and my uncle never met their Jewish grandparents. Since the Jewish faith is passed through women in Jewish families and my grandfather had married outside the faith, my mother and her brother were not considered to be Jewish. The point of this story is that hatred and abuse of Jews is something they have suffered in every country, every generation, every area of society, and yet, they have persevered and thrived, much to the disappointment of those who have sought to wipe them out. The present slaughter in Israel is yet another chapter in a colossal tome of atrocities that the Jewish people have had to endure. I don't know enough about the political and human tragedies that have just taken place in Israel to speak intelligently to that point. I do know that we should all reach out to our Jewish neighbors, friends, business acquaintances, anyone we know who is Jewish and let them know we are thinking of them and we stand with them. Full disclosure: all of this information is anecdotal and given to me by my mother, therefore, it is possible that some of it is inaccurate, but I doubt that it is. I also know that many Muslims and their families have also suffered terrible abuses, but that is a story for someone else to tell. Thanks for letting me share, William Carlton
I know that getting a Speaker in place is very serious business, and the clock is ticking toward another government shutdown, which may have disastrous effects both at home and with regard to Ukraine and Israel. However, sometimes having a good laugh helps ease the stress, and this comic article will make you laugh:
You wrote: " I urge everyone to recognize that many Americans are feeling additional anxiety, anger, and fear, even if they have not been touched directly by the terror attack and war in Israel and Gaza." Thank you for this. Empathy is is vital to the resilience of community. Empathy is one small defense against terrorism in our own communities.
Let's not lose sight that this speaker crisis was caused by Gaetz who was encouraged by Trump to ouster McCarthy, and that the inability of the Republicans to unite behind someone is in part because Trump endorses Jordan, who is totally unfit for a number of reasons, including his role in January 6 and election denial. The Trump- Bannon aim is to have a dysfunctional, chaos in Congress. This includes Tuberville, Cruz and Rand in the Senate. It is important to inoculate the public against the claim that this crisis is Biden's fault.
By the way, let's remind the taxpayers that each of these congress people are getting paid $174,000 plus benefits and given office expenses, etc.
Many people in the world are hurting today and as pictures are being released of the horror in Israel and the suffering families and friends are feeling now it is the time for all people to come together to provide help and support so badly needed in this time of horror. What we don’t need is a former guy attacking our president and even having a voice in the discussions and all voters need once again to see and hear that it is now and always will be about him and never about us or those who are courageously fighting to protect our freedom and safety. How much more depravity do we need to see and hear before we ALL agree he is not fit to hold any office. We need to come together especially Republicans and now is that time
I pray that the good citizens of Ohio and Virginia realize that making a good, sound choice in favor of reasonable candidates is good policy at local levels as well as on a national level. None of us, none, is well served by egregious gerrymandering. Don't elect the firebrands of either stripe. Think hard about the candidates and imagine them, if you can, looking out for the best interests of all, repeat all, of their constituents on a bipartisan basis.
There is actually a second path forward. Six Republican congressmen from New York have called for the House to expel George Santos. Without looking it up, I bet that most or all of them are in districts that Biden carried in 2020. There are over a dozen more Republicans in such districts. All of those Republicans must be mortally afraid of the 2024 elections. If five of them were willing to admit that the Republican Party is doomed—that it is no longer a party—and become Democrats, then Hakeem Jeffries would become Speaker. It would take courage for them to do that, because they would certainly face challenges in Democratic primaries next year, but perhaps some of them are willing to risk it. I certainly hope that Democrats are trying to entice them, behind the scenes.
The irony and contradiction in terms of a political party opposed to government should be evident to all. No one should be surprised that a party that refuses to recognize the results of an election is unable to conduct an election to select a Speaker. We should be unsurprised by their inability to govern. Stop sending Republicans anywhere to govern. They are clearly incapable of it.
I have encouraged my Republican representative Ken Buck to break away and persuade enough Rs to vote Hakeem Jeffries in as Speaker. Buck wants the R speaker candidates, Scalise and Jordan, to acknowledge that the 2020 election was not stolen. They have equivocated; Jeffries obviously checks that box. Buck seems to be shopping for a media gig so maybe he's got nothing to lose. His remarks are not popular in CO 4 which is deeply conservative. We'll see what happens. Country before party? Country before career? Who knows?
I echo and appreciate Robert’s call to action and also the need to make contact with each other and our voters and neighbors and do a lot of listening to others. I’m out door-knocking in my town almost every day now as we have some pivotal local and county elections. Our voters are wanting to talk and visit more than usual and everyone is sad, scared and edgy. Sometimes door knocking gets a bad rap but I have heard more gratitude for our visits than ever, this fall. For better or worse, Democrats are an extended family and our members need to know we’re together and that there is hope in our participation, together. One voter asked if I was soliciting. I said no I’m bringing information for our upcoming elections. She said, “but that’s soliciting” and I said actually it’s not and that this work keeps our Democracy going. She decided to come outside, and we talked for 1/2 hour and ended up hugging as I left. Doing this work helps me know deeply in my heart that I’m not soliciting. My own poor heart really wants to connect and be part of something good and better. I’m so grateful to all of you who do this work all over the country. And to leaders such as Robert who keep elevating it day by day for all of us.
As Robert poiints out, "There is only one path forward: a bipartisan governing coalition." But that doesn't mean Hakeem Jeffries wants to be Speaker while Republicans continue to hold the majority. Let me suggest that we follow Mr. Jeffries leadership as to exactly what it does mean.
On the PBS Newshour Thursday night, when asked whether he was suggesting that 5 Republicans should join Democrats to make him Speaker, Leader Jeffries replied:
"No, this shouldn't be about any one particular individual's aspirations to lead either House Democrats or House Republicans. This is about what is good for the American people. . . .
We've got to find a way to come together, restructure the House in a bipartisan way, designed to allow for common sense things to come to the floor, receive an up or down vote . . ."
In other words, the priority here is to protect and defend the integrity of the House of Representatives against MAGA extremists who've repeatedly demonstrated that they have no interest in governing. As former Speaker McCarthy observed, they "want to burn the whole place down."
Hakeem Jeffries is bringing out the hoses and raising the ladders. Putting out the fire is every bit as important as electing a consensus Speaker.
(Learn more here: https://jerryweiss.substack.com/p/putting-out-the-fire)
.
I wonder whether people who voted for these Republicans understand the danger they put our country and the world in for not approving military and diplomatic appointments. I think that the American people should pick a different Day of Rage to protest against Tuberville, Rand and Cruz. There should be rage specifically about military and diplomatic appointments, and the Republican members of the house for blocking military aid to our allies. Not to threaten, but a peaceful protest calling for their removal. I am currently not in the USA, but I still feel my blood boil over their harming of the country and planet.
Just for the historical record, since I am an historian of World War II, 6,000 bombs dropped on Gaza, an area smaller than Washington DC, over the past five days is the equivalent of all the area bombing attacks carried out on Berlin between 1942-45 (which is why the photographs look like they do). I doubt the 500 children and 280+ women who have died in the bombing as of Thursday afternoon are likely to be "Hamas militants." The "Law of War" can be described by the Old Testament rule (written by a Jewish theologian) "An eye for an eye." It's not "A head for an eye."
This is proportionately heavier bombing than the United States carried out in the Christmas Bombing of Hanoi in 1972.
If Biden and his administration are actually serious about defending "the law of war," they have already fallen behind in the responsibility they have undertaken.
I know today's Newsletter was about the Republican debacle in Washington. However, I have a different story to share for those who are interested. My mother's maiden name was Zlotky. Her grandfather's family immigrated from a little town on the Polish/Russian border that is currently in Russia. The only Zlotkys that we know of are all in America. There are none in that town. I want to believe that they all got out before World War II but I fear that was not the case. My Grandfather Zlotky refused to raise his children as Jews because of the abuse and bullying he had endured growing up in the only Orthodox Jewish family (at the time) in Fremont, Nebraska. Toward the end of her life my mother shared with me that my grandfather did not have a high school diploma because he had been expelled a few weeks before he was due to graduate after he threw a desk at his teacher. She said he had been physically and verbally bullied and abused so much that he snapped. It was a secret in her, our, family because of the perceived shame he brought on himself, but she didn't want to go to her own grave without having shared that story. He was a gentle, loving, funny man who loved to play the violin, golf and spoke fluent Yiddish. Out of fear of how his own children might be treated, he made a painful choice not to put them through what he had endured. Because he married outside of his faith he was no longer considered a member of his family, but my mom said he reconciled with his father shortly before he died and had secretly been in contact with his mother all along. My mother and my uncle never met their Jewish grandparents. Since the Jewish faith is passed through women in Jewish families and my grandfather had married outside the faith, my mother and her brother were not considered to be Jewish. The point of this story is that hatred and abuse of Jews is something they have suffered in every country, every generation, every area of society, and yet, they have persevered and thrived, much to the disappointment of those who have sought to wipe them out. The present slaughter in Israel is yet another chapter in a colossal tome of atrocities that the Jewish people have had to endure. I don't know enough about the political and human tragedies that have just taken place in Israel to speak intelligently to that point. I do know that we should all reach out to our Jewish neighbors, friends, business acquaintances, anyone we know who is Jewish and let them know we are thinking of them and we stand with them. Full disclosure: all of this information is anecdotal and given to me by my mother, therefore, it is possible that some of it is inaccurate, but I doubt that it is. I also know that many Muslims and their families have also suffered terrible abuses, but that is a story for someone else to tell. Thanks for letting me share, William Carlton
The way the republican sect is serving Russian interests it may be time to call them out as the "freedom Caucasus".
I know that getting a Speaker in place is very serious business, and the clock is ticking toward another government shutdown, which may have disastrous effects both at home and with regard to Ukraine and Israel. However, sometimes having a good laugh helps ease the stress, and this comic article will make you laugh:
https://open.substack.com/pub/grossbergerbulletin/p/republicans-nominate-pelosi-for-speaker?r=2vk1c6&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
You wrote: " I urge everyone to recognize that many Americans are feeling additional anxiety, anger, and fear, even if they have not been touched directly by the terror attack and war in Israel and Gaza." Thank you for this. Empathy is is vital to the resilience of community. Empathy is one small defense against terrorism in our own communities.
Let's not lose sight that this speaker crisis was caused by Gaetz who was encouraged by Trump to ouster McCarthy, and that the inability of the Republicans to unite behind someone is in part because Trump endorses Jordan, who is totally unfit for a number of reasons, including his role in January 6 and election denial. The Trump- Bannon aim is to have a dysfunctional, chaos in Congress. This includes Tuberville, Cruz and Rand in the Senate. It is important to inoculate the public against the claim that this crisis is Biden's fault.
By the way, let's remind the taxpayers that each of these congress people are getting paid $174,000 plus benefits and given office expenses, etc.
Many people in the world are hurting today and as pictures are being released of the horror in Israel and the suffering families and friends are feeling now it is the time for all people to come together to provide help and support so badly needed in this time of horror. What we don’t need is a former guy attacking our president and even having a voice in the discussions and all voters need once again to see and hear that it is now and always will be about him and never about us or those who are courageously fighting to protect our freedom and safety. How much more depravity do we need to see and hear before we ALL agree he is not fit to hold any office. We need to come together especially Republicans and now is that time
I pray that the good citizens of Ohio and Virginia realize that making a good, sound choice in favor of reasonable candidates is good policy at local levels as well as on a national level. None of us, none, is well served by egregious gerrymandering. Don't elect the firebrands of either stripe. Think hard about the candidates and imagine them, if you can, looking out for the best interests of all, repeat all, of their constituents on a bipartisan basis.
There is actually a second path forward. Six Republican congressmen from New York have called for the House to expel George Santos. Without looking it up, I bet that most or all of them are in districts that Biden carried in 2020. There are over a dozen more Republicans in such districts. All of those Republicans must be mortally afraid of the 2024 elections. If five of them were willing to admit that the Republican Party is doomed—that it is no longer a party—and become Democrats, then Hakeem Jeffries would become Speaker. It would take courage for them to do that, because they would certainly face challenges in Democratic primaries next year, but perhaps some of them are willing to risk it. I certainly hope that Democrats are trying to entice them, behind the scenes.
“If Republicans can agree on expanding powers for an acting speaker, they can elect a speaker.”
What a clown show! Only trouble is, the government should not be a circus…
Your assessment of the situation hits the nail on the head.
Please mention important election in Pennsylvania on November 7!!!!
The irony and contradiction in terms of a political party opposed to government should be evident to all. No one should be surprised that a party that refuses to recognize the results of an election is unable to conduct an election to select a Speaker. We should be unsurprised by their inability to govern. Stop sending Republicans anywhere to govern. They are clearly incapable of it.