The last two paragraphs of Today's Edition should be copied and shared as widely as possible. Particularly this:
"If we can talk to one another about those problems, we have a much greater chance of solving them. If we can’t even talk, what hope can we offer to our children and grandchildren that we will make progress toward solutions?"
I have saved those two paragraphs as a daily reminder to stay engaged despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Thank you, thank you Robert, for all you do to keep us informed and engaged.
Robert, I’m saddened that you have had to remove people over the situation in Israel. The discourse in our country has become so poisoned that I've found that the online communities built around the wise words of you, Dr. Richardson, and others have become sanctuaries for civil discussion. To learn that, even here, that type of dialogue can turn ugly is disappointing. That said, please keep doing what you do. You’re more balanced and level-headed than I or, I suspect, many of us can hope to be. We have to be able to talk to each other, and I thank you for providing a forum to do that.
I agree, that it is sad and outrageous that Robert's words "..resulted in unwarranted personal attacks by a handful of (now) former readers of the newsletter." Those former readers must not have been long-time subscribers to see and know how Robert has always kept to a steady and balanced writing on current events.
Indeed the GOP is a failed state, with Trump as its warlord and its upper reaches filled with traitors.
Also, expecting any of these people to "come around" and act for the country and engage Democrats in a "bipartisan" effort to save the House is a fool's errand. Calling any of them "moderates" is a misuse of the language. They are ALL people who voted for Trump and spent 2016-2020 voting for everything he put forward, and every minute of 2021 to the present voting against everything Biden proposed. The so-called "moderates" are more accurately seen as small and medium-sized gargoyles as opposed to the big gargoyles in the Fweedumb Kawkuss. There is not one of them with the courage of any conviction, who has the inner strength to take an action that will put them on the outs for the rest of their lives with the people they have spent their lives with. They are all cowards. Wasting time, effort and thought expecting anything worthwhile from any of them is a complete waste of energy.
I for the most part agree with what you wrote, but I believe that Democrats should have supported Emmer so to begin a turning-of-the-tide away from the present congressional dysfunction back towards an America where we celebrate our diversity and find our magic in the middle quashing the “no compromise pledge,” and its derivative partisan stalemate -- congressional dysfunction.
Instead of playing into the hands (worse yet acting complicit therewith) of those continuing that dysfunctional state of being, couldn’t we have squelched the conundrum of dysfunction by merely getting the House back up and running saving the pursuit our ideological objectives for a more reasonable moment in time?
Isn’t this an exigent moment in our American timeline demanding a triage plan of sort --stop the bleeding before it’s too late!
“...and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden...” (vintage Joni M.)
Dock, I believe that Hakeem may have tried signaling that by suggesting that Dems would support someone who was not an election denier and who would allow up or down votes on legislation with broad bipartisan support. It's possible that was still a bridge too far for Emmer, but maybe it set the stage for someone who is respected by both of the three sides [sic]. Any such person will surely suffer slings and arrows, but may earn a legacy of having saved the House from imploding.
Whether or not Don Bacon is the candidate himself, he is certainly the most influential of those Republicans who would support a bipartisan coalition. He proposed the idea even before the marathon balloting that brought us Kevin McCarthy in January. And on more than one occasion in the last three weeks he has publicly endorsed it.
Last week Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA) confirmed that there are active conversations happening right now with Republicans about a bipartisan solution. But Leader Jeffries has been very clear that the issue is not about any particular individual. It's about the need to have a rules change so that legislation with majority support can come to the floor for a vote:
"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"
"Our preference is to re-open the House in a bipartisan way, so we can govern in an enlightened way."
Although the press has characterized this as demanding concessions, it is not. It's a plain recognition that the House is not dysfunctional because of the Speaker's name. It's dysfunctional because of how Republicans are running it. Without re-structuring, Democratic support for any Republican would be nothing more than just endorsing the failed Republican leadership.
Jerry, thank you for such a thoughtful comment. The election of Johnson as speaker--which I presume happened after you commented--is making me pessimistic about the possibility of any bipartisanship.
Yes, I posted it just before Johnson was elected. I was not expecting this at all, especially because there had been such strong opposition to Jim Jordan from Mr. Bacon. That he went along with this feels like a betrayal of all he's been saying for the last couple weeks.
This is a very sad day. And it will be a harder year for all of us than it might have otherwise been. If only . . .
Thanks, Michael. I was hoping for a much different outcome. We'll certainly see, but I don't think we're gonna like it. I hope the upcoming election brings a few Republicans to their senses, but after today's unanimous vote, I have my doubts.
I agree that Hakeem made mention of same, but it also was laced in asks (important things but IMO secondary to stopping the bleeding). It seems to me that Emmer was an opportunity to begin quelling the present no compromise dysfunction.
Unfortunately, it's necessary in this winner take all environment. Any cooperation by Democrats without concessions by Republicans would be short-lived and make future reconciliation less likely. I'm no expert, but I don't think Emmer was the right guy. As others have said, maybe Don Bacon.
I am concerned about Mike Johnson. I sense that he's charismatic enough to neutralize some of the fringe elements, but he's likely to continue to push us to the brink. If he loses, maybe this will break the fever and open the door to Hakeem's overture.
I hear you. That written, IMO, cooperation free of concession ould be a sign of good faith to the more reasonably-minded Reps who might well thereafter see the benefit of placing country over party as we quell the bigoted authoritarian to autocratic pursuits of the past perfidious pulpit and his soldiers of sedition…
I remain confident that we'll get there. Unfortunately the buffoon of whom you so alliteratively speak still has his tentacles in the base of the Republican't Party. His insatiable need for attention, fealty, and self-preservation has cost our nation so much and will continue to do so for many years. Until a few of them can break free of his gravity, we're all subject to the tidal effects.
I was about to email Robert to suggest that enough Democrats should vote present for Emmer to be elected when he quit the race. If that had happened, Emmer’s tenure would almost certainly have been short and rocky, and the extremist Republicans would have deposed him or made life impossible. But perhaps a few things could have got done..
IMO, such a pure display by Democrats of placing country above party could have triggered a trickle of reasonably-minded Republicans to join forces with Democrats eventually obliterating the extremism of the Trumpstafarian far right. In other words reasonable minds on both sides of the aisle emasculating the bigots of that relatively smaller extreme faction whenever necessary normalizing Congress insuring that reasonableness outweighs extremism. These are fragile precarious times — no time to play politics…
I've suggested a more radical approach: For Democrats to appeal to sane Republicans (though I'm not sure there are any of those) to leave the sinking ship and become Democrats. But no one else thinks that could happen.
I'm not giving up hope on this scenario. Unfortunately, this is how the sausage is made.
With stakes as high as they are with Israel, Ukraine, and our government remaining open all hanging in the balance, it would be best (IMO) if McHenry would offer to shepherd those issues in a bipartisan manner, under a short term Speaker pro tem authorization. Then they can get back to sausagemaking.
I too was hoping that Democrats would offer a hand in this, since Emmer is not an election denier, and I believe he even voted for the marriage equality act at the end of last year. However, what Bob Morgan has written makes sense. It’s a fool’s errand for Democrats to throw themselves behind someone who will not make any compromises with them, and that seems to be the case here. And this is a disastrous situation for this country and the American people.
There’s a monster in the House, isn’t there? His election as Speaker seems to me opportunity lost (understatement). It is the perpetuation of circular dysfunction.
Supporting Emmer could have offered an opportunity to break the vicious dysfunction cycle. Winning over just a few reasonably minded Republicans by showing a willingness to place country over party had the potential to break the circular cycle of dysfunction, allowing those reasonably minded Republicans to save face while still moving further in the direction of reasonableness.
The after-the-fact declarations by several Democratic of truly deplorable acts by Republican election deniers, etc. undeniably has merit, as election deniers are in fact deplorable and worse. But, given that Democrats sat back and let it happen, for them to now (after the fact) rant, rave, and attempt to place all the blame for tapping such an antiAmerican as Speaker on Reps strikes me as demonstrably disingenuous and politically performative. They could have prevented allowing a lying election denier being in the hole merely two places back from stepping up to the plate. IMO, we / they sadly chose politics over country — didn’t they?
When the House is on fire and at risk of burning down, that is not the time to squabble over whether the firefighters’ uniforms are to be blue or red. The better idea is to douse the flames, put out the fire and save the House, perhaps the community more generally — don’t you think..? 🇺🇸♾
TCinLA, I agree that there seems little chance of a bipartisan agreement as long as Republicans are taking their direction from DJT, the central terrorist prepared to do whatever it takes to upend our democracy and eventually pardon himself and carry out his crusade of “retribution.” As I see it, the only way forward is for a large enough portion of the elected Republicans and their constituents step boldly forward to abandon Trump as their “warlord.”
Concurrently, I wonder about the Democrats options and would like to see Dock Hooks proposed option become a reality. I watched a video of folks waiting outside of a NY courtroom yesterday wondering and correctly surmising that it had to be about Trump who eventually emerged to offer a few minutes of his nonsense (which wasn’t too audible). I was thinking that an aspect of his comments was to ditch Emmers.
I remain convinced that our country is not going to go forward (at least the House isn’t) until Trump is forced to leave the stage and Republicans start a rebuilding process. But, the most pressing questions for me are, “What happens when the 21 days remaining pass? What is plan B for avoiding a shutdown and getting the support needed for our country and global conflicts?”
As for Israel or just about any other aspect of our national and global mess, some way, some how we must get beyond the impasse to listen, have conversations and create a path forward.
Exactly! And I believe Trump took credit for digging him. It has to stop. I want to start a national chant “Look him up” along with a few of his cohort in the House. Like I asked, where is Plan B when the clock runs out?
Hello Robert and All. I am always moved when Robert writes about receiving anger for how he writes about something. I do understand the feeling of utter helplessness in a situation and feeling not heard by another person. It can be awful. But, Freedom of speech, to my mind and heart, require the thought, heart and skill to not attempt to murder someone else’s soul or to abandon them. It’s not a free-for-all where people can annihilate each other without care or hope of empathetic understanding. Situations such as wars or wanton attacks or invasions will never be resolved by fevered attacks at other people’s attempt to explain their take on a situation. Empathy with a viewpoint, in my mind, harms no one and creates a starting place for solutions. I can totally appreciate Robert’s struggle (and the struggle of all leadership and media) to language the situation in Gaza. And for me, as the world struggles with utter pain, rage and a burning desire to make something change and end the pain, I try to keep in mind that, at the mercy of all the angry and powerful people in control, there are civilians from all backgrounds being harmed and killed. All backgrounds, some of which we don’t even imagine because we seem to need us versus them to help spur us on to action. I don’t know about my fellow readers, but I find myself afraid more and more to share my thoughts on a tough topic and it’s not a good feeling to be afraid. I want to be made to think by people I trust. Whether I like their take on a topic or not, I can listen if I know they are thoughtful and reasonable. Even sometimes if they are not just to honor their struggles to connect. I trust Robert, Heather, Joyce, Liz Cheney and so many of you. I want to read your opinions and drink of your knowledge on topics. You give me courage to have a voice. And I am glad we can have them here, together. I need thoughtful writers such a Robert to share their take on issues that I am learning about and considering. It’s up to me to not become rigid in my own stance and belief and never to become a blind follower of anyone or anything. When my chosen news writers work hard to find ways to impart the news, I appreciate the courage they model in doing so. And the offer we always get to debate and not harm each other.
The people we all read everyday give us balanced and accurate insights to allow us to have informed opinions which unfortunately is not the case for most Americans
Excellent, Amy! I fully embrace your comment, "I want to be made to think by people I trust." That's what I like so much about Robert's newsletter and this community. Even the discordant views expressed by some are usually thoughtful and thought-provoking.
Thank you, Robert, for your relentless reports about all subjects happening in our nation and in the Middle East. I am still trying to find my cousins in Israel but am not getting any help from the State Dept at this time. So I have to wait as they are focused on getting Americans out of Gaza and Israel.
In my opinion, Hamas was not counting on taking people as hostages who were not Israeli. They had no idea they were kidnapping people from, I believe, 30 nations. This puts a lot of pressure on them now. I learned today that there are something like 5 other terrorist groups within Iran. They lack the backing that Hamas and Hezbollah have, but they do exist and therefore, they are seen as yet another threat.
I like the precautions Biden and Blinken are taking. They want the Palestinians to be fed and their welfare considered as they are innocent. When I read that the Israeli military wanted the UN chief to resign, it angered me. He’s calling for peace and they are calling for retaliation. Like the 4th graders in Congress, (you will have to excuse me but...) they are all MEN! Nothing will calm these angry storms unless a level-headed person(s) step in.
First, about your statement that Hamas kidnapped people from 30 nations: Some of the kidnapped may have single citizenship, for example Thai and other workers (Nepalese, for another possible example). But others hold dual citizenship: people who emigrated to Israel, took Israeli citizenship, yet retained citizenship from their countries of origin.
Second, I take a far less favorable view than you do of prominent UN officials. Their fine-sounding calls to end the bloodshed does not take into account –ignores, actually – important consequences of such actions. Calls for ending the bombardment, or calling off an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza, amount to calls to let Hamas fighters survive – even as Hamas is still launching rockets into Israel. It privileges Hamas and Gazan welfare over Israeli lives. It vastly increases the possibility of future wars, since Hamas will surely rearm and resume their program of trying to kill Israelis. Whether intentionally or an inability to consider the consequences of their prescriptions, those UN officials are privileging Hamas interests over Israeli interests.
Michael, I respect your views. I don’t agree entirely what you are saying. The UN officials jobs are to protect Israelis and the Palestinians who have been displaced. Plus, they are looking out for other countries nearby. If it were not the UN, the United States, France, and other countries, many many more people would be killed on all sides. A lot was learned from our retaliations against Iraq which was NOT the country we should have gone after. We caused lost lives and lost many of our soldiers in the course of 20 years. Is that worth it? Having Israel hold back gives them time to fully access information, check their secret data, cameras, or spy equipment. The US has similar surveillance items to help out. I am not saying that Hamas should not be eliminated. They should but right now, kid gloves are needed to get the hostages out to safety.
Should or is anyone trying to create a collaboration for peace and address the continuing clear and present danger of Iran with their support of terrorist groups as well as their work to achieve an atomic/nuclear bomb?
Thank you, Robert, for having the courage to discuss the Israel-Hamas war. It's time we call for a ceasefire and stop the hideous and terrifying slaughter of innocent people on both sides of the border in Gaza. We need to engage in serious diplomacy that will stop the slaughter of civilians and set up some safeguards that will protect the rights of all people to live in peace. The US must become "the adult" in the room and start a conversation with others about how to create a peaceful resolution to this horror.
From my reading, there is much activity going on behind the scenes that’s not really being reported in the press. That’s why these four hostages were released recently. That’s not enough, of course. As for the secretary general of the UN, he does need to resign; just my humble opinion. His comments were not just unfortunate, but disgusting.
The UN has never liked the U.S. (or Israel). I live 20 blocks north of it. I'd like our prime, on the water, real estate back now. They can go to Brussels and contend with the ISIS sleeper cells.
The secretary general could have made a statement that didn’t sound something like “Israel asked for this.” He needs to think a little more before he opens his mouth.
Robert, I feel for you, between having to wrestle with the dreadful task of writing about what's going on in the Middle East *and* the nonsense from the GOP. It's not fun to read about most of what's going on, and it must be worse to have to write about it.
I find myself wishing Trump would blow an artery--coronary or brain--I don't care, just as long as he falls down and doesn't get up, and then fighting myself because I do want to see him convicted and imprisoned because I think the country needs to see what we didn't get to see with Nixon.
Last night Jen Taub, a lawyer who is one of Mary Trump's "Nerd Avengers" said that on a scale of 1-10, Meadows' turning on Trump was an 11, which had Mary--who for anyone who doesn't know, hates her uncle--lighting up.
Robert, the vast majority of us are always grateful to you for digesting the previous day's most important events. May your coffee always be excellent, and may the gods ever smile upon you and your Managing Editor.
I second everything in this statement. I don’t understand the attacks on Robert and I never have. I find his newsletter to be the sanest moment in my morning. When I wake up and read it with my morning coffee or tea, I know I am going to get accurate information and well thought out opinions from someone whose heart always seems to be in the right place.
I will offer here a no doubt unpopular opinion: as an historian, I can say clearly that Israel was founded in the 20thC as a colonial state, whether one finds its founding justified or not. The continued extension of settlements in the West Bank instantiates that foundational principle. The US should have spoken out about settlements and cut off aid. It would now have more credibility. I wish the US would listen to Israeli peace movements rather than Netanyahu’s right wing government. Our media delivers such an impoverished picture of the issues (except for the PBS Newshour which is doing a good job I think). International media outlets provide far more nuance about the situation as well as attention to the incredible anger of many in Israel about the venality and incompetence of Netanyahu’s regime even as all condemn the brutality of Hamas.
I guess this “historian“ doesn’t realize that Jews are indigenous to an area once known as Judea. I am not Jewish and I’m not a historian, but I got a decent education.
The region has been a crossroads of multiple culture for centuries. It is true that the creation of the state of Israel displaced people who were living there. I am not arguing that Jews did not live there. I am saying that the political formation was colonial, and it had been preceded by decades of organized immigration to shore it up.
Your statement that “the political formation of Israel was colonial” is tendentious, *ahistorical* nonsense. The nation of Israel was established in lands Mandated by the UN to Britain. Jews living in the British-mandated areas had emigrated there in ways somewhat similar to emigration to the United States. Zionism was not colonialism – what was the colonial power?
A UN resolution (1947 or 1948) attempted to partition the British mandated area into Jewish and Arab areas. When the British withdrew (1948) and Jews declared the state of Israel in their areas, Arab armies from all surrounding nations (plus Iraq) invaded, with the express intention of wiping out Israel. They lost, and an armistice was imposed.
There is no colonialism in any of this – only Jewish people fighting for their lives.
Thanks for engaging. These things are fraught. I study colonialism. The very nature of a mandate is itself colonial. And the very idea and practice of a country like Britain dividing up other lands is itself colonial. At the establishment of Israel, some 700 000 people were forced out of their homes and made to leave, and their property was expropriated. That surely is a colonial moment?
Both *Jews* and Arabs either left their homes or were forced out. That was not ‘colonial’ on either side.
Arab authorities urged Arabs in likely areas of fighting to leave – the idea being that they would return after Jews had been eliminated. That’s well-known. It’s true that there also were cases in which Israeli forces drove Arabs out of their villages, mostly from perceived military necessity: Arabs in their villages were armed, and Israeli forces could not afford to have them behind the front lines, attacking from the rear. See “O. Jerusalem” (a great read, incidentally).
Less well publicized was the elimination of Jews (!) from the West Bank. Those areas had had many thriving Jewish communities. Hebron is an outstanding example. Arab-conducted pogroms in 1929 and during the 1930s eliminated many Jews; the process was completed in the 1948-1949 War.
There was removal of Jews as well as Arabs. It was horrible – on both sides.
And then - less well publicized but very real – around 700,000 or 800,000 Jews were *forced out of* Arab nations, most becoming refugees within Israel’s borders. They were *absorbed and integrated* into Israeli society, not locked up to fester in Refugee Camps.
There is nothing about the “settlers” that approaches the viciousness and depravity of Hamas. I lay a lot of the blame for this on Netanyahu for sure, but it does not excuse what happened on October 7. I used the term Judea because that is it’s name from antiquity, and other Jewish historians (non-orthodox) have used it. I’m not arguing that other peoples did not live in that region, but Jews have as much of a right to be there as anyone, particularly after their near extermination.
Thank you for being an ally Janet, and for engaging in actual facts. Jews don't "occupy" the land, it was always ours. Like I said, we would welcome you back to NYC with open arms any time. :)
There’s a great article that the writer, Ben Cohen, linked to in his newsletter, and I didn’t bookmark it. So I lost the link and deleted the article after reading it. It very simply explains this misunderstanding that leads people to see the establishment of Israel as a “colonial“ state. I don’t need to tell you that it’s the furthest thing from that. if I can find this piece of writing in the next day or so, I’ll post it under one of your comments.
I’m not a history expert on the Middle East, but I’ve had enough Jewish friends in my lifetime, including one who was the child of Holocaust survivors, to know a few things. (We went through a year of breast cancer treatment together back in the Denver area, and that’s how I met her, but she did not survive.) It’s very simple: I just do not understand how you can call a group of people “settlers” or “occupiers” who were forced out of their homeland, creating a diaspora that has lasted through many centuries and generations. That was the reason that the British created the state of Israel after World War II. The goal was to put an end to this constant forced migration. On another note, if Lauren Boebert wins the election next year, I’m definitely coming back to New York. 😂
Your comment is true but what people forget is a part of the historical issues was and is the quality of the leadership of the Palestinian people and the how leaders managed the conflicts and their association with known terrorists.
Thank you for the kind shout-out, Robert. Covering this moment in history has been difficult beyond description and I so appreciate all you do to keep us informed. I’m humbled, too, by your praise of what I wrote--I figure there are loads of people writing what they perceive to be the “facts.” I’m opting, instead, to advocate for unity at all costs. Without it were sunk.
Thank you again, Robert, for giving us another excellent newsletter under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. I want to strongly endorse your suggestion that readers look at Jessica Craven's Chop Wood Carry Water October issue from yesterday. I also found her comments about the Middle East excellent and I really was glad I watched the video available by clicking on the red letters referring to difficulty talking about the situation in the Middle East.
I would also like to encourage readers, even if they don't read the entire issue, to scroll down to the section entitled Chop Wood Save the Planet. I am also very troubled by the discrepancy between my own great concern about the urgency of the issue of climate change and the apparent low position it seems to occupy on the radar screen of important issues that I see in so many people I personally interact with. I do do things like use the climate action app daily and am writing letters with Vote Forward which emphasize climate action as important in choosing candidates. But I agree that it is also important to not shy away from opportunities to include important climate information as well as concern about the climate in our ordinary conversations. I hope I myself can do this more frequently.
How can I read today’s Hubbell post without thinking of Jack Bailey’s godawful TV soap staple “Queen for a Day”? Indeed, Congress as dominated by the GOP has all the kitsch melodrama of the sob-fest confessional prize show, only “Queen” featured prizes contestants could keep. It’s enough to make one want a bath.
Robert, you do not want readers who huff and puff because they don’t like the way you expressed a thought; I am sure that Jill and the girls would agree that yours is a forum for ❤️🩹 healing. Let the disgruntled sulk until they get over themselves and the pain outweighs the pleasure. That’s how this works.
I’m amazed how many attorneys have violated the laws of this country to support Trump. Ellis, Giuliani, Eastman, Cohen, Powell, and Chesebro to name a few. They all created and pedaled the false statements that the election was stolen and Trump won which as we are finding out now they all knew was false. It was an orchestrated con on the American voters. What’s interesting with all the attorney spokespeople admitting the election claims were all lies, the Republicans in the House we’re still nominating mostly candidates who were election deniers and voted against the certification of the election. So what we have is the election was stolen advocates and voices admitting it was not true and Republicans supporting and electing the election deniers in the House for Speaker with the understanding they must support Trump. What is wrong with this picture? My biggest fear is voters are not paying enough attention to the fact that MAGA spokespeople lied to them consistently and asked them to donate money under false pretenses for a total fabricated lie. Talk about betrayal
We appreciate and rely on your daily email. I am very sorry and disturbed to hear you have received personal attacks about information / opinions you have shared. We hope you know thousands of people value all that you do and the sacrifices you make to help keep us informed!
This tweet links to a Business' Insider article which is behind a paywall, but apparently describes Powell as claiming her plea was coerced, conspiracy theory, etc.
Don't stop talking, Robert. Many of us here depend on your balanced reporting.
The last two paragraphs of Today's Edition should be copied and shared as widely as possible. Particularly this:
"If we can talk to one another about those problems, we have a much greater chance of solving them. If we can’t even talk, what hope can we offer to our children and grandchildren that we will make progress toward solutions?"
Thank you, Robert!
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I have saved those two paragraphs as a daily reminder to stay engaged despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Thank you, thank you Robert, for all you do to keep us informed and engaged.
Robert, I’m saddened that you have had to remove people over the situation in Israel. The discourse in our country has become so poisoned that I've found that the online communities built around the wise words of you, Dr. Richardson, and others have become sanctuaries for civil discussion. To learn that, even here, that type of dialogue can turn ugly is disappointing. That said, please keep doing what you do. You’re more balanced and level-headed than I or, I suspect, many of us can hope to be. We have to be able to talk to each other, and I thank you for providing a forum to do that.
I agree, that it is sad and outrageous that Robert's words "..resulted in unwarranted personal attacks by a handful of (now) former readers of the newsletter." Those former readers must not have been long-time subscribers to see and know how Robert has always kept to a steady and balanced writing on current events.
Indeed the GOP is a failed state, with Trump as its warlord and its upper reaches filled with traitors.
Also, expecting any of these people to "come around" and act for the country and engage Democrats in a "bipartisan" effort to save the House is a fool's errand. Calling any of them "moderates" is a misuse of the language. They are ALL people who voted for Trump and spent 2016-2020 voting for everything he put forward, and every minute of 2021 to the present voting against everything Biden proposed. The so-called "moderates" are more accurately seen as small and medium-sized gargoyles as opposed to the big gargoyles in the Fweedumb Kawkuss. There is not one of them with the courage of any conviction, who has the inner strength to take an action that will put them on the outs for the rest of their lives with the people they have spent their lives with. They are all cowards. Wasting time, effort and thought expecting anything worthwhile from any of them is a complete waste of energy.
I for the most part agree with what you wrote, but I believe that Democrats should have supported Emmer so to begin a turning-of-the-tide away from the present congressional dysfunction back towards an America where we celebrate our diversity and find our magic in the middle quashing the “no compromise pledge,” and its derivative partisan stalemate -- congressional dysfunction.
Instead of playing into the hands (worse yet acting complicit therewith) of those continuing that dysfunctional state of being, couldn’t we have squelched the conundrum of dysfunction by merely getting the House back up and running saving the pursuit our ideological objectives for a more reasonable moment in time?
Isn’t this an exigent moment in our American timeline demanding a triage plan of sort --stop the bleeding before it’s too late!
“...and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden...” (vintage Joni M.)
Dock, I believe that Hakeem may have tried signaling that by suggesting that Dems would support someone who was not an election denier and who would allow up or down votes on legislation with broad bipartisan support. It's possible that was still a bridge too far for Emmer, but maybe it set the stage for someone who is respected by both of the three sides [sic]. Any such person will surely suffer slings and arrows, but may earn a legacy of having saved the House from imploding.
Don Bacon of Nebraska
Thank you David.
Whether or not Don Bacon is the candidate himself, he is certainly the most influential of those Republicans who would support a bipartisan coalition. He proposed the idea even before the marathon balloting that brought us Kevin McCarthy in January. And on more than one occasion in the last three weeks he has publicly endorsed it.
Last week Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA) confirmed that there are active conversations happening right now with Republicans about a bipartisan solution. But Leader Jeffries has been very clear that the issue is not about any particular individual. It's about the need to have a rules change so that legislation with majority support can come to the floor for a vote:
"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"
"Our preference is to re-open the House in a bipartisan way, so we can govern in an enlightened way."
Although the press has characterized this as demanding concessions, it is not. It's a plain recognition that the House is not dysfunctional because of the Speaker's name. It's dysfunctional because of how Republicans are running it. Without re-structuring, Democratic support for any Republican would be nothing more than just endorsing the failed Republican leadership.
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Jerry, thank you for such a thoughtful comment. The election of Johnson as speaker--which I presume happened after you commented--is making me pessimistic about the possibility of any bipartisanship.
Thanks, David.
Yes, I posted it just before Johnson was elected. I was not expecting this at all, especially because there had been such strong opposition to Jim Jordan from Mr. Bacon. That he went along with this feels like a betrayal of all he's been saying for the last couple weeks.
This is a very sad day. And it will be a harder year for all of us than it might have otherwise been. If only . . .
Bob,
I’m writing this long after you posted. The Republicans chose Rep. Mike Johnson, an apparently affable *election denier*. We’ll see how it works out.
Thanks, Michael. I was hoping for a much different outcome. We'll certainly see, but I don't think we're gonna like it. I hope the upcoming election brings a few Republicans to their senses, but after today's unanimous vote, I have my doubts.
I agree that Hakeem made mention of same, but it also was laced in asks (important things but IMO secondary to stopping the bleeding). It seems to me that Emmer was an opportunity to begin quelling the present no compromise dysfunction.
Unfortunately, it's necessary in this winner take all environment. Any cooperation by Democrats without concessions by Republicans would be short-lived and make future reconciliation less likely. I'm no expert, but I don't think Emmer was the right guy. As others have said, maybe Don Bacon.
I am concerned about Mike Johnson. I sense that he's charismatic enough to neutralize some of the fringe elements, but he's likely to continue to push us to the brink. If he loses, maybe this will break the fever and open the door to Hakeem's overture.
I hear you. That written, IMO, cooperation free of concession ould be a sign of good faith to the more reasonably-minded Reps who might well thereafter see the benefit of placing country over party as we quell the bigoted authoritarian to autocratic pursuits of the past perfidious pulpit and his soldiers of sedition…
I remain confident that we'll get there. Unfortunately the buffoon of whom you so alliteratively speak still has his tentacles in the base of the Republican't Party. His insatiable need for attention, fealty, and self-preservation has cost our nation so much and will continue to do so for many years. Until a few of them can break free of his gravity, we're all subject to the tidal effects.
I was about to email Robert to suggest that enough Democrats should vote present for Emmer to be elected when he quit the race. If that had happened, Emmer’s tenure would almost certainly have been short and rocky, and the extremist Republicans would have deposed him or made life impossible. But perhaps a few things could have got done..
IMO, such a pure display by Democrats of placing country above party could have triggered a trickle of reasonably-minded Republicans to join forces with Democrats eventually obliterating the extremism of the Trumpstafarian far right. In other words reasonable minds on both sides of the aisle emasculating the bigots of that relatively smaller extreme faction whenever necessary normalizing Congress insuring that reasonableness outweighs extremism. These are fragile precarious times — no time to play politics…
I've suggested a more radical approach: For Democrats to appeal to sane Republicans (though I'm not sure there are any of those) to leave the sinking ship and become Democrats. But no one else thinks that could happen.
I'm not giving up hope on this scenario. Unfortunately, this is how the sausage is made.
With stakes as high as they are with Israel, Ukraine, and our government remaining open all hanging in the balance, it would be best (IMO) if McHenry would offer to shepherd those issues in a bipartisan manner, under a short term Speaker pro tem authorization. Then they can get back to sausagemaking.
No
???
I too was hoping that Democrats would offer a hand in this, since Emmer is not an election denier, and I believe he even voted for the marriage equality act at the end of last year. However, what Bob Morgan has written makes sense. It’s a fool’s errand for Democrats to throw themselves behind someone who will not make any compromises with them, and that seems to be the case here. And this is a disastrous situation for this country and the American people.
There’s a monster in the House, isn’t there? His election as Speaker seems to me opportunity lost (understatement). It is the perpetuation of circular dysfunction.
Supporting Emmer could have offered an opportunity to break the vicious dysfunction cycle. Winning over just a few reasonably minded Republicans by showing a willingness to place country over party had the potential to break the circular cycle of dysfunction, allowing those reasonably minded Republicans to save face while still moving further in the direction of reasonableness.
The after-the-fact declarations by several Democratic of truly deplorable acts by Republican election deniers, etc. undeniably has merit, as election deniers are in fact deplorable and worse. But, given that Democrats sat back and let it happen, for them to now (after the fact) rant, rave, and attempt to place all the blame for tapping such an antiAmerican as Speaker on Reps strikes me as demonstrably disingenuous and politically performative. They could have prevented allowing a lying election denier being in the hole merely two places back from stepping up to the plate. IMO, we / they sadly chose politics over country — didn’t they?
When the House is on fire and at risk of burning down, that is not the time to squabble over whether the firefighters’ uniforms are to be blue or red. The better idea is to douse the flames, put out the fire and save the House, perhaps the community more generally — don’t you think..? 🇺🇸♾
TCinLA, I agree that there seems little chance of a bipartisan agreement as long as Republicans are taking their direction from DJT, the central terrorist prepared to do whatever it takes to upend our democracy and eventually pardon himself and carry out his crusade of “retribution.” As I see it, the only way forward is for a large enough portion of the elected Republicans and their constituents step boldly forward to abandon Trump as their “warlord.”
Concurrently, I wonder about the Democrats options and would like to see Dock Hooks proposed option become a reality. I watched a video of folks waiting outside of a NY courtroom yesterday wondering and correctly surmising that it had to be about Trump who eventually emerged to offer a few minutes of his nonsense (which wasn’t too audible). I was thinking that an aspect of his comments was to ditch Emmers.
I remain convinced that our country is not going to go forward (at least the House isn’t) until Trump is forced to leave the stage and Republicans start a rebuilding process. But, the most pressing questions for me are, “What happens when the 21 days remaining pass? What is plan B for avoiding a shutdown and getting the support needed for our country and global conflicts?”
As for Israel or just about any other aspect of our national and global mess, some way, some how we must get beyond the impasse to listen, have conversations and create a path forward.
Nobody got a chance to support him since he was gone hours before the vote would have been scheduled.
Exactly! And I believe Trump took credit for digging him. It has to stop. I want to start a national chant “Look him up” along with a few of his cohort in the House. Like I asked, where is Plan B when the clock runs out?
Hello Robert and All. I am always moved when Robert writes about receiving anger for how he writes about something. I do understand the feeling of utter helplessness in a situation and feeling not heard by another person. It can be awful. But, Freedom of speech, to my mind and heart, require the thought, heart and skill to not attempt to murder someone else’s soul or to abandon them. It’s not a free-for-all where people can annihilate each other without care or hope of empathetic understanding. Situations such as wars or wanton attacks or invasions will never be resolved by fevered attacks at other people’s attempt to explain their take on a situation. Empathy with a viewpoint, in my mind, harms no one and creates a starting place for solutions. I can totally appreciate Robert’s struggle (and the struggle of all leadership and media) to language the situation in Gaza. And for me, as the world struggles with utter pain, rage and a burning desire to make something change and end the pain, I try to keep in mind that, at the mercy of all the angry and powerful people in control, there are civilians from all backgrounds being harmed and killed. All backgrounds, some of which we don’t even imagine because we seem to need us versus them to help spur us on to action. I don’t know about my fellow readers, but I find myself afraid more and more to share my thoughts on a tough topic and it’s not a good feeling to be afraid. I want to be made to think by people I trust. Whether I like their take on a topic or not, I can listen if I know they are thoughtful and reasonable. Even sometimes if they are not just to honor their struggles to connect. I trust Robert, Heather, Joyce, Liz Cheney and so many of you. I want to read your opinions and drink of your knowledge on topics. You give me courage to have a voice. And I am glad we can have them here, together. I need thoughtful writers such a Robert to share their take on issues that I am learning about and considering. It’s up to me to not become rigid in my own stance and belief and never to become a blind follower of anyone or anything. When my chosen news writers work hard to find ways to impart the news, I appreciate the courage they model in doing so. And the offer we always get to debate and not harm each other.
The people we all read everyday give us balanced and accurate insights to allow us to have informed opinions which unfortunately is not the case for most Americans
Excellent, Amy! I fully embrace your comment, "I want to be made to think by people I trust." That's what I like so much about Robert's newsletter and this community. Even the discordant views expressed by some are usually thoughtful and thought-provoking.
Thank you, Robert, for your relentless reports about all subjects happening in our nation and in the Middle East. I am still trying to find my cousins in Israel but am not getting any help from the State Dept at this time. So I have to wait as they are focused on getting Americans out of Gaza and Israel.
In my opinion, Hamas was not counting on taking people as hostages who were not Israeli. They had no idea they were kidnapping people from, I believe, 30 nations. This puts a lot of pressure on them now. I learned today that there are something like 5 other terrorist groups within Iran. They lack the backing that Hamas and Hezbollah have, but they do exist and therefore, they are seen as yet another threat.
I like the precautions Biden and Blinken are taking. They want the Palestinians to be fed and their welfare considered as they are innocent. When I read that the Israeli military wanted the UN chief to resign, it angered me. He’s calling for peace and they are calling for retaliation. Like the 4th graders in Congress, (you will have to excuse me but...) they are all MEN! Nothing will calm these angry storms unless a level-headed person(s) step in.
Exactly which is why we need more woman in government all over the world.
AMEN!
Marlene,
Two observations about your post —
First, about your statement that Hamas kidnapped people from 30 nations: Some of the kidnapped may have single citizenship, for example Thai and other workers (Nepalese, for another possible example). But others hold dual citizenship: people who emigrated to Israel, took Israeli citizenship, yet retained citizenship from their countries of origin.
Second, I take a far less favorable view than you do of prominent UN officials. Their fine-sounding calls to end the bloodshed does not take into account –ignores, actually – important consequences of such actions. Calls for ending the bombardment, or calling off an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza, amount to calls to let Hamas fighters survive – even as Hamas is still launching rockets into Israel. It privileges Hamas and Gazan welfare over Israeli lives. It vastly increases the possibility of future wars, since Hamas will surely rearm and resume their program of trying to kill Israelis. Whether intentionally or an inability to consider the consequences of their prescriptions, those UN officials are privileging Hamas interests over Israeli interests.
Michael, I respect your views. I don’t agree entirely what you are saying. The UN officials jobs are to protect Israelis and the Palestinians who have been displaced. Plus, they are looking out for other countries nearby. If it were not the UN, the United States, France, and other countries, many many more people would be killed on all sides. A lot was learned from our retaliations against Iraq which was NOT the country we should have gone after. We caused lost lives and lost many of our soldiers in the course of 20 years. Is that worth it? Having Israel hold back gives them time to fully access information, check their secret data, cameras, or spy equipment. The US has similar surveillance items to help out. I am not saying that Hamas should not be eliminated. They should but right now, kid gloves are needed to get the hostages out to safety.
Should or is anyone trying to create a collaboration for peace and address the continuing clear and present danger of Iran with their support of terrorist groups as well as their work to achieve an atomic/nuclear bomb?
Yes. So many of us depend on your balanced reporting. It is a tight rope walk.
Thank you, Robert, for having the courage to discuss the Israel-Hamas war. It's time we call for a ceasefire and stop the hideous and terrifying slaughter of innocent people on both sides of the border in Gaza. We need to engage in serious diplomacy that will stop the slaughter of civilians and set up some safeguards that will protect the rights of all people to live in peace. The US must become "the adult" in the room and start a conversation with others about how to create a peaceful resolution to this horror.
It’s time to call for the hostages to be returned
From my reading, there is much activity going on behind the scenes that’s not really being reported in the press. That’s why these four hostages were released recently. That’s not enough, of course. As for the secretary general of the UN, he does need to resign; just my humble opinion. His comments were not just unfortunate, but disgusting.
The UN has never liked the U.S. (or Israel). I live 20 blocks north of it. I'd like our prime, on the water, real estate back now. They can go to Brussels and contend with the ISIS sleeper cells.
The secretary general could have made a statement that didn’t sound something like “Israel asked for this.” He needs to think a little more before he opens his mouth.
Please see my remarks, above, about Marlene’s similar sentiments to yours.
Robert, I feel for you, between having to wrestle with the dreadful task of writing about what's going on in the Middle East *and* the nonsense from the GOP. It's not fun to read about most of what's going on, and it must be worse to have to write about it.
I find myself wishing Trump would blow an artery--coronary or brain--I don't care, just as long as he falls down and doesn't get up, and then fighting myself because I do want to see him convicted and imprisoned because I think the country needs to see what we didn't get to see with Nixon.
Last night Jen Taub, a lawyer who is one of Mary Trump's "Nerd Avengers" said that on a scale of 1-10, Meadows' turning on Trump was an 11, which had Mary--who for anyone who doesn't know, hates her uncle--lighting up.
Robert, the vast majority of us are always grateful to you for digesting the previous day's most important events. May your coffee always be excellent, and may the gods ever smile upon you and your Managing Editor.
I second everything in this statement. I don’t understand the attacks on Robert and I never have. I find his newsletter to be the sanest moment in my morning. When I wake up and read it with my morning coffee or tea, I know I am going to get accurate information and well thought out opinions from someone whose heart always seems to be in the right place.
Thank you Janet for elaborating so thoughtfully on my comment.
I will offer here a no doubt unpopular opinion: as an historian, I can say clearly that Israel was founded in the 20thC as a colonial state, whether one finds its founding justified or not. The continued extension of settlements in the West Bank instantiates that foundational principle. The US should have spoken out about settlements and cut off aid. It would now have more credibility. I wish the US would listen to Israeli peace movements rather than Netanyahu’s right wing government. Our media delivers such an impoverished picture of the issues (except for the PBS Newshour which is doing a good job I think). International media outlets provide far more nuance about the situation as well as attention to the incredible anger of many in Israel about the venality and incompetence of Netanyahu’s regime even as all condemn the brutality of Hamas.
Your first sentence is incorrect. Therefore it leads you to incorrect conclusions.
If only your opinion was based in actual facts.
I guess this “historian“ doesn’t realize that Jews are indigenous to an area once known as Judea. I am not Jewish and I’m not a historian, but I got a decent education.
The region has been a crossroads of multiple culture for centuries. It is true that the creation of the state of Israel displaced people who were living there. I am not arguing that Jews did not live there. I am saying that the political formation was colonial, and it had been preceded by decades of organized immigration to shore it up.
Your statement that “the political formation of Israel was colonial” is tendentious, *ahistorical* nonsense. The nation of Israel was established in lands Mandated by the UN to Britain. Jews living in the British-mandated areas had emigrated there in ways somewhat similar to emigration to the United States. Zionism was not colonialism – what was the colonial power?
A UN resolution (1947 or 1948) attempted to partition the British mandated area into Jewish and Arab areas. When the British withdrew (1948) and Jews declared the state of Israel in their areas, Arab armies from all surrounding nations (plus Iraq) invaded, with the express intention of wiping out Israel. They lost, and an armistice was imposed.
There is no colonialism in any of this – only Jewish people fighting for their lives.
Thanks for engaging. These things are fraught. I study colonialism. The very nature of a mandate is itself colonial. And the very idea and practice of a country like Britain dividing up other lands is itself colonial. At the establishment of Israel, some 700 000 people were forced out of their homes and made to leave, and their property was expropriated. That surely is a colonial moment?
Both *Jews* and Arabs either left their homes or were forced out. That was not ‘colonial’ on either side.
Arab authorities urged Arabs in likely areas of fighting to leave – the idea being that they would return after Jews had been eliminated. That’s well-known. It’s true that there also were cases in which Israeli forces drove Arabs out of their villages, mostly from perceived military necessity: Arabs in their villages were armed, and Israeli forces could not afford to have them behind the front lines, attacking from the rear. See “O. Jerusalem” (a great read, incidentally).
Less well publicized was the elimination of Jews (!) from the West Bank. Those areas had had many thriving Jewish communities. Hebron is an outstanding example. Arab-conducted pogroms in 1929 and during the 1930s eliminated many Jews; the process was completed in the 1948-1949 War.
There was removal of Jews as well as Arabs. It was horrible – on both sides.
And then - less well publicized but very real – around 700,000 or 800,000 Jews were *forced out of* Arab nations, most becoming refugees within Israel’s borders. They were *absorbed and integrated* into Israeli society, not locked up to fester in Refugee Camps.
There is nothing about the “settlers” that approaches the viciousness and depravity of Hamas. I lay a lot of the blame for this on Netanyahu for sure, but it does not excuse what happened on October 7. I used the term Judea because that is it’s name from antiquity, and other Jewish historians (non-orthodox) have used it. I’m not arguing that other peoples did not live in that region, but Jews have as much of a right to be there as anyone, particularly after their near extermination.
Thank you for being an ally Janet, and for engaging in actual facts. Jews don't "occupy" the land, it was always ours. Like I said, we would welcome you back to NYC with open arms any time. :)
There’s a great article that the writer, Ben Cohen, linked to in his newsletter, and I didn’t bookmark it. So I lost the link and deleted the article after reading it. It very simply explains this misunderstanding that leads people to see the establishment of Israel as a “colonial“ state. I don’t need to tell you that it’s the furthest thing from that. if I can find this piece of writing in the next day or so, I’ll post it under one of your comments.
I’m not a history expert on the Middle East, but I’ve had enough Jewish friends in my lifetime, including one who was the child of Holocaust survivors, to know a few things. (We went through a year of breast cancer treatment together back in the Denver area, and that’s how I met her, but she did not survive.) It’s very simple: I just do not understand how you can call a group of people “settlers” or “occupiers” who were forced out of their homeland, creating a diaspora that has lasted through many centuries and generations. That was the reason that the British created the state of Israel after World War II. The goal was to put an end to this constant forced migration. On another note, if Lauren Boebert wins the election next year, I’m definitely coming back to New York. 😂
Its not it’s..
Your comment is true but what people forget is a part of the historical issues was and is the quality of the leadership of the Palestinian people and the how leaders managed the conflicts and their association with known terrorists.
Actually, those Palestinian leaders are “known terrorists”.
Thank you for the kind shout-out, Robert. Covering this moment in history has been difficult beyond description and I so appreciate all you do to keep us informed. I’m humbled, too, by your praise of what I wrote--I figure there are loads of people writing what they perceive to be the “facts.” I’m opting, instead, to advocate for unity at all costs. Without it were sunk.
Jessica,
You are performing a great service to our country. Keep it up!
*we’re!*
Thank you again, Robert, for giving us another excellent newsletter under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. I want to strongly endorse your suggestion that readers look at Jessica Craven's Chop Wood Carry Water October issue from yesterday. I also found her comments about the Middle East excellent and I really was glad I watched the video available by clicking on the red letters referring to difficulty talking about the situation in the Middle East.
I would also like to encourage readers, even if they don't read the entire issue, to scroll down to the section entitled Chop Wood Save the Planet. I am also very troubled by the discrepancy between my own great concern about the urgency of the issue of climate change and the apparent low position it seems to occupy on the radar screen of important issues that I see in so many people I personally interact with. I do do things like use the climate action app daily and am writing letters with Vote Forward which emphasize climate action as important in choosing candidates. But I agree that it is also important to not shy away from opportunities to include important climate information as well as concern about the climate in our ordinary conversations. I hope I myself can do this more frequently.
How can I read today’s Hubbell post without thinking of Jack Bailey’s godawful TV soap staple “Queen for a Day”? Indeed, Congress as dominated by the GOP has all the kitsch melodrama of the sob-fest confessional prize show, only “Queen” featured prizes contestants could keep. It’s enough to make one want a bath.
Robert, you do not want readers who huff and puff because they don’t like the way you expressed a thought; I am sure that Jill and the girls would agree that yours is a forum for ❤️🩹 healing. Let the disgruntled sulk until they get over themselves and the pain outweighs the pleasure. That’s how this works.
This is a wonderful comment. Thanks Jim!
I’m amazed how many attorneys have violated the laws of this country to support Trump. Ellis, Giuliani, Eastman, Cohen, Powell, and Chesebro to name a few. They all created and pedaled the false statements that the election was stolen and Trump won which as we are finding out now they all knew was false. It was an orchestrated con on the American voters. What’s interesting with all the attorney spokespeople admitting the election claims were all lies, the Republicans in the House we’re still nominating mostly candidates who were election deniers and voted against the certification of the election. So what we have is the election was stolen advocates and voices admitting it was not true and Republicans supporting and electing the election deniers in the House for Speaker with the understanding they must support Trump. What is wrong with this picture? My biggest fear is voters are not paying enough attention to the fact that MAGA spokespeople lied to them consistently and asked them to donate money under false pretenses for a total fabricated lie. Talk about betrayal
We appreciate and rely on your daily email. I am very sorry and disturbed to hear you have received personal attacks about information / opinions you have shared. We hope you know thousands of people value all that you do and the sacrifices you make to help keep us informed!
Thank you, Robert.
I have no opinion on the situation in Israrel/Gaza. I'm
not learned enough to offer
any.
I am disheartened by the
brutality on both sides and
how quickly people have been to lay blame.
I do know the Middle East has rarely, if ever, known
peace, no matter the cause.
I can't imagine 2.3 million people being foricibly
detained in an area 25 miles
long and 6 miles wide. Many
of them, for their entire lives
and the conditions they are
living under today. I am praying for their relief and
freedom.
We are ALL so very lucky to
live in the country that we do.
We are free.
I'm genuinely confused -- did Sidney Powell break her plea deal already?
https://twitter.com/real_gadfly/status/1717010879370166460
This tweet links to a Business' Insider article which is behind a paywall, but apparently describes Powell as claiming her plea was coerced, conspiracy theory, etc.
I think yes. So, her guilty plea stands, but not the deal to stay out of jail. Let's hope D.A. Willis asks for prison time.