72 Comments

“Legal contortionist”! Wonderful description!

Ukraine is on all of our minds. If not, it should be. We need to fight for democracy with the same fervor that their citizens and leaders are doing. Politics as cynical show biz power ploys is sickening.

Expand full comment

Do we have the fortitude, we used to

Expand full comment

Robert, you are such a wonderful find. Thank you for giving us the links to important information that many of us would not ever know. You are sunshine on a cloudy day.

Expand full comment

Thanks again for that shout-out last night Bob. I had a record 24 hours of subscribers at TAFM - nearly 200 total, and 50 paid. Biggest jump since TAFM has existed. It wasn't all from here, but sure was a bunch from here. Now I really have to be on my toes and bring the A-game.

Expand full comment

Don’t change a thing, or run out of kitties

Expand full comment

I agree 100% Jeri!

Expand full comment

Congratulations on your growing success.

Expand full comment

Your mess is doing fine.

Expand full comment

OMG! Trump called

The insurrectionists “trashy”!!! What did he want - a lot

of Prada wearing male fashion models who would look good at one of Ivanka’s lawn parties? To me this little anecdote says it all!!! I am amazed and grossed out while also chortling with snarky laughter. Will Trump campaign on a platform of promising free upscale couture so his followers can show up to riots looking good and he can be proud of how they look? Steve Bannon looks pretty trashy to me. And just imagine how trashy Trump will look in his orange jump suit. Thank you, Robert, for highlighting this. Endless fun for late night comics and cartoonists! It hasn’t been this good since “cofveve”. We all need a good laugh in grim times.

Expand full comment

Oooh- maybe Ivanka could dress them? And she could call her new line “Coup Couture: When you plan to storm the Capitol but don’t want to look trashy doing it”

Expand full comment

How about "coupture"?

Expand full comment

Omg Sheila! That’s hilarious!!😂

Expand full comment

Couldn't resist 🙃

Expand full comment

Look at Bannon...he stinks figuratively and mentally!

Expand full comment

I hope our MSM changes course and decides that “entertainment news” is not what we need now. Guess I can dream on. The power that chump gave the wannabe Nazis was more addictive than any predicted. Rupert will continue to portray Dems as evil and repubs as patriotic freedom loving Christian’s. The most hogwash that the country has ever seen, even in the pro-Nazi 30’s.

Expand full comment

We are hosting a German high school exchange student this year, and last night we watched "All the President's Men" with him (probably the 20th time for me). Watergate looks like a garden party compared to 1/6. Back around 2001, I had the pleasure of interviewing Robert Redford for an HBR article and I asked him how he was able to release the movie so soon after Nixon resigned (less than 2 years). He told me a long story about developing the script and ended by saying something like this: "So now, after doing my bit as a citizen journalist, how do you think it feels to have Rupert Murdoch take over so much of the media?" We are paying daily for that takeover.

I wonder what Redford would do with the 1/6 committee script.

Expand full comment

Rupert was brought in by Ronnie to do just that. Or did Rupert use the turd actor for his own purposes. From WaPo, Feb 1981 I think “At a dinner last month in Washington honoring Mr. Murdoch for his work on behalf of Mr. Reagan, Representative Jack Kemp, a New York republican, said, ‘Rupert Murdoch used the editorial page, the front page, and every other page necessary to elect Ronald Reagan president.’” And we will pay with our democracy unless we pitch his arse out.

Expand full comment

"Just give me five dead voters; give me, you know, an example of illegals voting. Just give me a very small snapshot that I can take and champion."

Some very tasty words for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. May the wheels of Justice result in an indictment and trial of "Senator" Graham's this coming year! ;-))

W/r/t the Santos story - kudos to the North Shore Leader. Before I chastise the main media, I wonder whether The NY Times staff (metro or general) were aware of the story but chose not to further investigate Santos unless Santos was elected to the congressional seat. We have to keep in mind that the mainstream media does not have infinite resources and so they need to pick and choose carefully where to focus their resources. Just sayin'....

We have much to be thankful for and a whole lot to look forward to in 2023, including the indictment of Trump, Graham and others. But there is one thing I want most: The complete defeat of Russian forces in the Ukraine and end of the Putin regime.

Expand full comment

Maybe they could put their money into their product instead of shareholders and CEOs, or perhaps political “friends.”

Expand full comment

If you have not seen the clip of Rep Raskin completely taking down Rep Massie after Massie asks about Ray Epps's transcripts, you really need to. From Sept 21, 2022, here at 50:50.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S66NWcSccwE

" You guys are trying to make this poor schmuck who showed up to your protest into something a lot bigger than he is. Ok, he's just trying to survive, and he's on your side. You don't have many voters left, you might want to try to hang onto them without demonizing and vilifying your own people. That's the Donald Trump way. Sell everybody else down the road- unless you can get a pardon. Some people are still hanging around waiting for their pardon. " "And now you guys are doing it to this poor Ray Epps- leave that guy alone, whoever he is."

Expand full comment

Thanks for the link!

Expand full comment

Rep Raskin is a master at the art of the takedown. Love that guy!

Expand full comment

I do too Lynell !

Expand full comment

WOW! That whole link was incredible, long but really great. Raskin eviscerates the Repubs. I wish him such good vibes for his unfortunate medical issue. He is such an excellent representative for us.

Expand full comment

He really is. the best ! Yes, the link is very long. The part about Ray Epps starts at 50:50

Expand full comment

As someone who has been closely involved in organizing and managing shipments of medical supplies to benefit Ukrainian refugees and those internally displaced inside Ukraine, I echo your admiration and support for the courage and resiliency of the Ukrainian people. I regularly point out to others that the Ukrainians struggle with Russia is not their battle alone. Their struggle is our struggle as well. They are on the front line of the battle of democracy over autocracy, a battle for a civil and lawful society over genocidal cruelty and chaos. The Ukrainian cause is our cause as well.

Thank you for speaking powerfully to that reality.

Expand full comment

We also donated this month for Ukrainian support through Lutheran World Relief.  LWR is well-run and has a long history of helping people in need. 

Expand full comment

It is no secret that trump knew practically nothing about the mechanics of how the United States Government functioned. Given this fact who was the mastermind behind the chess game of owning those key positions he needed to for his coup?

My bet. Stephen Miller. "Miller popped up during the midterm elections earlier this year, running ads trying to convince white Americans that President Joe Biden's administration is out to get them. As The Washington Post has reported, his America First Legal is targeting set-aside and anti-discrimination programs in court and cherry-picking judges. His group helped kill the part of the 2021 American Rescue Plan..."

Here is the complete article:

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/stephen-miller-crusade-help-white-men-working-rcna61538#:~:text=Opinion-,Stephen%20Miller%20is%20on%20a%20crusade%20to%20help%20white%20men.%20And%20it%E2%80%99s%20working.,-Look%20at%20who

Expand full comment

This jumps out of the MSNBC article (thank you for the link) -->> "There are clear advantages to being a white man in America. The Reflective Democracy Campaign reported last year that 91% of sheriffs, 76% of governors, 72% of elected prosecutors, 67% of U.S. senators, 63% of county officials, 60% of statewide officials and 58% of the U.S. House were white men. In Fortune 500 companies, 86% of CEOs are white men, SHRM reported." <<--

Expand full comment

...and it's very likely that there will be global starvation due to what Russia is doing to Ukraine, since it exported massive amounts of grain across the planet before the War. Add in the devastation to farmlands by Russia's attacks. Those attacks have resulted in destruction of Ukraine's infrastructure and it's ability to create fertilizer. Those damages will impede planting in the spring. Ukraine was in essence the breadbasket of the world, but it can no longer be such until Putin's gone. That regeneration of Ukraine's ability to grow grains will take a long time.

Expand full comment

Despite all—well, much—that is happening, I wish all who may read this, and their friends and families, a happy and healthy 2023.

Expand full comment

I was watching the exchange of Jamie Raskin with Massey and then Gaetz. Every democrat should and continue to show this outrage of a GOP who wants to rewrite history.

It is this type of outrage that should have happened way before Hitler took power. It’s the unwillingness to stop the small lies that lead to the bigger lies that lead to a civil war that’s not yet become an armed conflict but could lead to it. How fragile our democracy has become. Democracy today is not a sturdy and strong athlete running the marathon but an open heart surgery patient.

Thanks Robert…keep ringing the bells and lighting the lanterns of the Old North Church…

Expand full comment

In a recent discussions with friends and acquaintances the consensus of the opinions were they did to read any of the J6th report, relied heavily on the media interpretation and the new revelations while interesting only confirms their view that Trump was “ guilty as hell” and many Republicans were co-conspirators. The opinion was unanimous that Trump and Meadows and a host of others need to be prosecuted and convicted to send a message to others that their behaviors were illegal and not acceptable. The biggest benefit from J6th would be that it will never ever happen again. The George Santos saga is testimony that Republicans will never police their own members and Democrats are the only ones who will have to hold them accountable

Expand full comment

Mr. Hubble, Thanks for writing an excellent summation of the Jan. 6th committee's parting submissions. Fantastic work by a committed group. Our fingers are crossed that "Mafia Don's" efforts to INCITE have lead democracy supporters to new INSIGHTS that will inspire Special Counsel Jack Smith to recommend law makers INDICT Trump.

Expand full comment

Robert

Thank you for a remarkable year of hard work (and your managing editor)

I have a request ---- I have been saving your newsletters for my grandchildren age 9, 7 and 2. Having these accounts of this period will be an invaluable addition to any course on history, politics and insurrections. So ---- as if you didn't have enough to do ----- I'd like to suggest that you publish them in a book. Certainly it would be a sellout to your readers

Happy New Year --- Derek

Expand full comment

When I retire! Oh, wait! I am retired! I will think on it.

Expand full comment