If you haven't seen it, watch Rep Jamaal Bowman D-NY16 , who is also an educator, take his outrage regarding the lack of safe gun legislation into the hallways outside of the House floor. "They're all cowards! They won't do anything to save the lives of our children. Cowards," Bowman said to reporters assembled outside the House chamber. "They're gutless."
Gun nutter Rep Thomas Massie R-KY was very ineffective in trying to verbally spar with Rep Bowman, and asked him to "calm down".
No, Rep Bowman. You are doing your job in representing us. Do NOT "calm down".
We must all stay outraged and move to make legislative change that will protect our children.
One potentially very effective tactic is to pick up the phone and call your Congressperson and Senators, even if they are Republican and presumptively opposed to taking the actions needed. If you need scripting help, check out 'Chop Wood, Carry Water' on Substack. If you're comfortable using your own words, call. Daily. Until effective action is taken. Even the dullest GOP placeholder can be scared by an overwhelming volume of calls.
Called all three of mine yesterday. Only Congresswoman Dingell had a person answering the phone (called DC offices). Had a good conversation, and he said he would put a mark on the list to ban assault rifles. Felt a little hollow, i have to admit. Left voice messages for 2 senators. Will call each week to repeat my demand.
Same with my two Senators, although I have from time to time gotten a live response at Hawley's office. Sen. Schmitt doesn't seem to have figured out how to be a Senator yet. My Congresswoman gets a lot of opinions "passed along" to her; it remains to be seen what the impact will be but we'll keep trying.
I am absolutely IN LOVE with Jamaal Bowman. I want - him to be awarded for speaking his outrage, for verbally assaulting that coward Massie. I would bow down to Bowman, but my religion forbids that action. That clip should be played on every available site, every hour of every day. BRAVO !
Comment from last night even more relevant tonight:
As Sarah Jones put it in the PoliticsUSA substack email this morning:
At every turn, the conservative movement is putting women and children in their crosshairs, enabling mass shootings in schools and domestic violence attackers to be armed with guns, at the same time as they are inciting their supporters to threaten violence against people with whom they disagree. It has gotten so bad it is now identifiable as a voluntary violation of morals.
Moral depravity: “A state of voluntary violation of morals, values, customs, or manners leading to an aberrant style of personality commonly known as antisocial psychopathy." "Antisocial psychopathy"
That certainly describes congresswoman Potato Face.
interesting point: I frequently use the word "depravity" or "depraved" to describe conduct like inaction of the face of the ongoing slaughter of our children. I get regular pushback from a handful of readers who say that it is unfair to describe that activity as "depraved." I disagree, and will continue to say that adults who refuse to protect children from mass killings are depraved, no matter the reason for inaction.
Depraved is the least of what they are. Wussies who worry about use of the word should go subscribe to the Wussie Substack, because this is the Wong Foo King Substack.
I never thought Tommy Tuberville was the brightest bulb in the senate, but he "has blocked the promotions of dozens of senior military officers because the Department of Defense grants women in the military the ability to travel to a state that permits abortion if they are stationed in a state that prohibits it." This seems like a good way to gain notoriety, and look stupid, and alienate large swathes of the military writ large and simultaneously, most women. I'd very much like CNN and MSNBC to feature Tuberville frequently talking about anything.
And we had thought North Carolina might make a nice place to retire. Oh well. The same states who thwarted Medicaid Expansion. See how well that's done for the state's underserved/minority populations. Sponsors of Jim Crow legislation would have been proud.
And yet so many people I know are moving to NC, TX, and FL for the cheaper housing costs, perceived lower cost of living, etc. I will live in a shack first.
The people who are moving have made their savings elsewhere, and now will spend them where they aren't taxed so much. It's understandable but also shows how the states have structured themselves to offer little help to the poor, the under-educated or the unfortunate.
I live in Colorado and feel the same. I have downsized several times now and with each change, I have enjoyed more time outside, meeting more people at local gathering places or to go for walks, etc. It is a difficult decision for many as they are also moving to be closer to family members who already moved to these states. Anyway….
I can understand that. Thankfully, I have no family members who have moved --or wish to move--South. But yes, living smaller and simpler has made our lives easier and less expensive.
Florida is now nearly unaffordable. High housing costs, property and auto insurance 3 times the national average, threats of hurricanes causing inestimable damage, inflation here higher than other states… I could go on and on.
I recall that he was unable to correctly name the 3 branches of the federal government after his election to the Senate.. I’ve forgotten his exact answer so I won’t try to repeat it!
Calling Senator Tuberville a "bulb" of any wattage is an upgrade for him. With all due respect to the Coach, he's more like a living version of Mr. Potato Head. Many may recall that Coach Tuberville was one of the politicians Trump contacted in the middle of the January 6 insurrection while trying to encourage Senators to stop the certification of the presidential election.
His opponent was a very qualified person, except in one category. Name recognition. Alabama, and anyone who was remotely connected to or affiliated with Auburn in that football crazy state, which is a huge percentage of the residents there, knew who he was. And, "hey, he helped our team win large numbers of games, championships, etc., so we rule in the game of football, so I can't wait to see what he does in the Senate," is probably more of why he won that seat than anything else.
No. Tuberville ran against Democrat Doug Jones in 2020, a former U.S. Attorney who successfully prosecuted two Ku Klux Klan members and indicted a domestic terrorist who was one of the FBI's 10 most wanted criminals.
But Alabama was (and is) a deep red state, so all the Coach had to do was kneel in front of the altar of Trump and remind everyone that Senator Jones voted to impeach the former president. Doug Jones won his seat in a 2017 special election while running against Roy Moore, a Republican so damaged by sexual assault scandals which included inappropriate behavior towards young girls, that he lost even in deep red Alabama. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/03/politics/tommy-tuberville-wins-alabama-senate/index.html
It occurs to me that the only logical solution to Tuberville's intransigence is a national abortion ban. Good luck with that. It'll be a very effective strategy for being a permanent minority party. Which then follows that it will be a party controlled by the hard right wing nuts like MTG, Gym Jordan, and Tucker Carlson as their Rasputin (curious last name, no?).
I appreciate your synopsis of the reader, or more specifically, listener, responses to your request for feedback on the audio version of your letter. I am one who listens and am only now, responding.
I highly value being able to hear you read your letters. Decency, calm, clarity, intelligence, experience, specificity, and hope are a few of the many qualities which your voice, demeanor and delivery convey. I'm grateful that you offer us readers the audio version of your letters
Tik Tok is highly popular with young people. I fear there will be a backlash from them in the 2024 election against Democrats if President Biden and the Congress ban Tik Tok from the United States in general and not just on government devices. While Tik Tok is owned by a Chinese corporation it certainly isn't unique in being a monopoly taking advantage of money-making algorithms which are contributing to poorer emotional health of its young users. Congress and the executive branch should regulate and monitor these algorithms for the greater well being of all their users. Social media could be used in more positive ways -- for consensus building, understanding each other and appreciating different perspectives rather than creating confirmation biased bubbles and dividing us.
I don't think the US is going to ban TikTok. That would take too much action and forethought. And you are right; whatever evils exist at TikTok are also present in Twitter, Facebook, Google--but we blithely accept that spying. the only difference is who is spying on us.
I'm glad you feel the US is not going to ban TikTok. Yes, we need to address the "espionage" from all sources like Mr. Musk, for example, of spreading conspiracy theories, using confirmation bias techniques to divide us and using negative algorithms to make us hate based on their greed rather than the well being of the People. My dream is that a more Perfect Union would be one that measures its success by a Well Being Index and the well being of all the People!
Our Democratic leaders and campaign chiefs would be better served by flooding TikTok with videos of outrage at gun violence. Outrage at totalitarian suppression of reproductive rights. Outrage at corporate welfare. Outrage at opposition to Climate Crisis solutions.
There is too much focus on "old media". Young people and lots more live on their phones!
We need a youth brigade version of the Lincoln Project who know how to develop quick graphic capsules addressing all the depravity coming out of the GOP maw.
Jessica Craven has some wonderful videos on TikTok and the’re getting lots of views. The Democratic Party has some good videos on TikTok. Yesterday I found some videos created by a Holocaust survivor (they were actually created by her grandson). She even answers questions about her life then. TikTok is doing some good. I hope it isn’t banned.
I trust that they'll prioritize protection of their reproductive freedom, and the freedom of their LGBTQ and minority friends. TicTock's ties to China are a security threat.
I wouldn't count on it. I believe the security threat argument won't hold water with them. Perhaps they'll find a third party candidate. They live on their phones and spend hours each day on TikTok. No one is showing them any proof that TikTok is dangerous. Someone needs to have an alternative for them to go to - a TikTok lookalike run by an American company.
We need a better solution than just shutting down TikTok without giving young people any alternative. Yes, China is THE major threat for the US. And social media isn't the only issue. They are buying up apartment buildings and then using AI to extract the highest rent the market will bear. Whose paying attention to that! I was at the Nimitz Foundation dinner with the guest speaker General Jack Keane, the former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, a brilliant man with a great sense of humor. He said we were in our most serious challenge since WWII. China is the major threat. Cyberattacks on the US electric grid and then on the banking/financial systems are two ways. So, I'm not saying TikTok isn't a potential threat; I'm saying we need to meet the needs of young people AND handle the threat. I sick of the OR solutions like taking away how millions of young people communicate with friends.
GenZ mobilized on TikTok to get Biden elected. People of all ages mobilized thru TikTok to reserve tickets to shitler's rallies so that they had an over inflated sense of how many would actually show up. The LGBTQIA+ folks have a huge community. 10s of thousands of businesses have been started through TikTok. New musicians, artists, singers, actors have been discovered via TikTok. It is a community like any other, not unlike Substack.
It gets exhausting trying to explain this to people who have never even used it. So even the liberal among us start to sound like people who only watch Faux News, when you're just repeating what the NYTs, WSJ, MSNBC, etc. say about platforms (or anything). We would literally have to live off of the grid to not have other countries spying on us and stealing our data (and vice versa I might add, the U.S. does the same thing).
Anyone that thinks anything is private these days is wild to me. And you know who has China & middle Eastern countries invested in their companies? Meta (Facebook, IG, WhatsApp), Twitter (why did the government allow that sale to go through when they knew where Musk was getting his money from?), etc. Focusing on TikTok is just another "oooh squirrel look over here to see what we don't want you to see while you're looking away."
I read an article that this Tic-Toc business is a Republican trap for Biden. If he doesn’t ban it they will say he is soft on China. If he does, it will piss off all the young voters. Damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. I think we need to find a better solution.
I appreciate your hopeful take on this. I truly hope that you''re right and that the 2022 election was a prologue for 2024. But I'm concerned that the Trumpist party's gerrymandering, voter suppression, appointing officials willing to subvert elections and stacking of judges and justices may overrule the popular vote in 2024. I hope very much that I am wrong. If the worst comes to pass, we may find ourselves in a position similar to other countries that have slid into authoritarian rule. We would have our American version of that, which is hard to imagine at the moment. May I be wrong.
We should worry about an attempt to overturn the 2024 election. they are planning to do so. But 2022 suggests that the bad actors are a small minority and that most people accept the results of elections, even when they lose.
Gerrymandering is another subject. it will take a decade and another census to make progress. But we have to be dedicated for the long term.
I want to hope but believe we can't let down our guard and must resist the bad actors that are empowered. They are striking real blows at the foundations of democracy as evidenced by their passing laws that were unthinkable in modern times until tfg was sworn into office. We thought SCOTUS would not overturn the right to abortion that had been established as precedent for almost 50 years, but they did it. We elected a trifecta in our federal government in 2020, and even after the example of the January 6 coup attempt, we couldn't muster senatorial votes to set aside the filibuster and guarantee free and fair elections. So now, the forces of insurrection have been let loose in red state legislatures.
Sorry to be so wordy, Robert. I would love to read your thoughts on what we can do to combat the medusa that has been unleashed.
Gary, your description is very appropriate. It is as though the fox has gotten into the coup and we are in a frenzy. We have to take actions and remain focused on a positive outcome.
I love Robert's post the next day where he encourages us to cultivate hope in the face of the darkness and alerts us to Amanda Ripley's latest essay where she defines "hope = goals + road map + willpower."
Now Robert, this is a key point - “It will take a decade and another census” to overcome the gerrymandering. In the meantime, how do we win back these heavily gerrymandered Republican legislatures? With all your (our) optimism with get out the vote efforts can we expect to overcome those supermajorities?
I wonder what it will take for Americans to take to the streets the way the citizens of France (for a mere two year raise to the retirement age!) and the Israeli people have when their leader shows his authoritarian colors? When will students go on strike for their safety, not to mention for book banning and gender wars? When will women have had enough for forcing them to give birth and endanger their lives? When will we have had enough of the firing of principals who allow a class to see Michelangelo’s “David,” a statue that people travel from all over the world to see?
Thank you for the hope, Robert. The NC gun law repeal opens the door for all kinds of misery, but I can’t see that it is much worse than Kevin McCarthy’s heartlessness. I argue weekly with a friend of mine about gun ownership. I refuse to participate, and if that results in demise, then that counts as my vote.
I recently found a way to shut down a gun nut. He was going on and I interrupted and said "You know, it's going to be much easier for me to shoot and kill you than for you to do it. I've already killed people in a war, so I'm past getting sick and upset seeing a dead body. You on the other hand will start blubbering, which will make it much easier to blow your head off." He shut the hell up fast - they don't like hearing the idea that they might not be the only ones shooting. I haven't touched a gun in 50+ years since I came back from that war, but there's days I can reconsider that decision with these nuts.
Reminds me of a post I saw somewhere (sorry, I passed by it quickly), from a man who shot his beloved dog, just to see if he had what it took to shoot a stranger. I couldn’t even respond to such idiocy, but I fear his ilk is around every corner these days.
Not one of the Republicans will go for gun regulation until it is one of their children killed. Most of us from older generations had some fun times in school. It is so sad children and parents have to deal with this everyday their child is in the classroom. How about the republican parents of those lost in massacres form a coalition and ‘fight like hell’ ( we all know who said that). I am continuously grateful I never wanted to have children.
Let's see--"intentionally cruel and gleefully anti-democratic." Well, that's way beyond being "Badly out of step with the sentiments of the American people." That's Fascism, with a capital "F." And the illegitimate Clarence Thomas and his traitor wife Ginny are beyond the pale. These two psychopaths, and the rest of the "unelected" right-wing court, are domestic enemies of the American people and should be treated as such by what's left of the legislators in congress who still embrace the principles of democracy as established by the Constitution. That includes expanding the court as a strategy to disempower them, of course, but more extreme measures are probably necessary. And as for bringing Trump to justice--I'm wondering if Jack Smith even exists. If he does, he needs to be part of "shifting tide" soon, along with We, the People, as we not only "shift" with the tide, but rise up with metaphorical pitchforks in hands and hold the GOP accountable for its "now identifiable violation of morals," as TCinLA puts it.
WTF! How is it that the orange idiot is not indicted simply with the f’i n g RECORDINGS ALONE! What more evidence do they need. How can a lawyer defend this. Plus, just on having classified documents he is most likely selling to Russia, China, and North Korea?
It is my thought he is a serious flight risk. He had his plane updated and has been using it to fly to his ‘whine sessions’ in different states. I wonder if he is ‘vetting’ these countries to see who will give him the best deal to take him in when this all implodes, which I WISH would happen soon!
I am genuinely curious about the actual process by which Republicans get their talking points. I imagine daily morning emails that say things like: "In response to the Nashville school shooting, respond: 'We need to get the facts' or 'The problem is mental health.'" Or is there a training camp they go to that is more generalized? "If it's about Trump, say: 'I didn't see it' and if it's about anyone else in the party 'I haven't heard anything about that.'"
Also, that comment by Rep. Tim Burchett in Tennessee was stunning. He said they aren't going to "fix school shootings" and his solution is to homeschool his daughter. What??? I suppose if you have the resources to homeschool, there is no need to worry about anyone else's kids getting gunned down.
Could there be a more conspicuous exposure of the Righties lack of morals and compassion--not to mention the will and spine to DO SOMETHING about it? But, no, of course not. Rep. Burchett might just as well have shrugged and said, "...not my circus; not my elephants."
One likely source for their talking points is the American Legislative Executive Council (A.L.E.C.), a RW bill mill (They provide the atrocious bills we keep seeing.) They have myriad talking points about many subjects. Here's a link to their agenda regarding education (browse around on the link to see an overview of many other issues they're interfering with.) https://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_%26_Education
Can you do a deep dive into what happened in NY in 2022 as it doesn't square with your opening analysis? Of course, NY R's are not like DeSantis, but yet they are creeping into NY, creating a fertile ground for more extreme R's to run. NY moving to the purple column seems to be lost on many.
Party dysfunction. Democrats had it in the bag, and then started fighting amongst themselves--provoke by a crappy redistricting map imposed on them because of their overreach in proposing gerrymandered maps that favored Democrats. Democrats will retake those seats in 2024.
WhaaatTF? I knew about FL and ID and KY and senator football, but not NC and MO. So, sheriffs in NC have no say in who gets a gun permit. Seriously?!? Presumably the sheriffs will subsequently organize a walk-out until the situation is reversed... HA! ... at least they should! And children don't need permits to carry in MO?!?!?!? Children without supervision; children, at any age to one degree or another, who specialize in playground taunts, shoving, snitching - they can carry a gun. And guns in church - who says Amen to that?
Saint Whitehouse, bless 'im! Dogged, under the radar, determinedly digging deep, with a twinkle in his eye in tv interviews. The series of his speeches on YouTube is alarming as well as heartening.
And NOT under the radar is Rep Bowman, former principal - NO he will NOT calm down. Neither should we.
Robert, the last Republican president who was a decent human being was Dwight Eisenhower. Ever since Barry Goldwater high-jacked the party to gain the 1964 presidential nomination, the GOP has morphed into a right-wing machine, animated by punishing the American people for our desire to have an egalitarian society based on human well-being (think FDR's Four Freedoms and Second Bill of Rights).
The ultra right wingers have been longing to tear down everything that FDR accomplished from the day that FDR's reforms and social safety net programs were signed into law. Barry Goldwater was merely the vanguard of their destructive plans.
Assuming the validity of your argument that the Republican Party is pursuing self-defeating policies over the long term, the Democrats must, I emphasize must, do a much better job than we have consistently done in candidate selection and support of those who are well organized, articulate, and clearly understand the difference between actions and a world view that promotes the public interest, including protection of individual rights, and greedy self interest, including the interests of one’s economic or religious cohort. In short, I think we all recognize that criticism is legitimate and necessary but not enough to win elections.
There are days when I want to take a half dozen raw eggs and throw them against the back of the garage, something my mother let me do when I was a frustrated teenager and when eggs were a heck of a lot cheaper. Now, I write letters to voters and donate what I can. I'm also buoyed by the comments of readers of this forum, and by Robert's level-headed take on the mess we're working hard to get through. It seems unbelievable that a once proud and honorable party could produce such idiots and promote such vile policies. Maybe I should raise chickens, like Joyce Vance.
There is so much in today’s letter that nothing would be off-topic. But I want to return to the Waco rally and the image of Trump’s arrival. Some of my fellow Jews reject parallels to Hitler, but how can anyone watch that rally and not think of the similarities? Keep in mind one fact: The audience. Hitler succeeded not because of himself but because he promised leadership to Brown Shirts who enthusiastically followed. Perhaps if there is room for hope it is that the polls seem to show that despite the rallies, Trump’s appeal is shrinking. But it is important to keep our eye in the ball here. The audience. Not just Trump.
Re Alvin Bragg: I hope and pray that the one-month grand jury hiatus will give DOJ and Georgia time TO ACT. Come on DOJ and Georgia. Do something. This is not a law school exercise. You have our justice system in your hands. You will go down in infamy if you don’t act.
This morning I watched The Americanization of Emily with Julie Andrews and James Garner. I flinched at his line that at least we haven't come up with a Hitler or Mussolini. I've always admired him and am relieved that he left us (2014) before the Orange wanna-be Mussolini came on the political scene. I miss him though I never met him.
If you haven't seen it, watch Rep Jamaal Bowman D-NY16 , who is also an educator, take his outrage regarding the lack of safe gun legislation into the hallways outside of the House floor. "They're all cowards! They won't do anything to save the lives of our children. Cowards," Bowman said to reporters assembled outside the House chamber. "They're gutless."
Gun nutter Rep Thomas Massie R-KY was very ineffective in trying to verbally spar with Rep Bowman, and asked him to "calm down".
No, Rep Bowman. You are doing your job in representing us. Do NOT "calm down".
We must all stay outraged and move to make legislative change that will protect our children.
https://www.google.com/search?q=jamaal+bowman+thomas+massie&sxsrf=APwXEdeHyFHo2j98tCI2jetz4-HVlx6P7g:1680169850342&source=lnms&tbm=vid&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjw4924sIP-AhW-L1kFHXoiDK8Q0pQJegQIBBAG&biw=1440&bih=732&dpr=1#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:65bec2bd,vid:1redJqsoFL8
One potentially very effective tactic is to pick up the phone and call your Congressperson and Senators, even if they are Republican and presumptively opposed to taking the actions needed. If you need scripting help, check out 'Chop Wood, Carry Water' on Substack. If you're comfortable using your own words, call. Daily. Until effective action is taken. Even the dullest GOP placeholder can be scared by an overwhelming volume of calls.
Called all three of mine yesterday. Only Congresswoman Dingell had a person answering the phone (called DC offices). Had a good conversation, and he said he would put a mark on the list to ban assault rifles. Felt a little hollow, i have to admit. Left voice messages for 2 senators. Will call each week to repeat my demand.
Same with my two Senators, although I have from time to time gotten a live response at Hawley's office. Sen. Schmitt doesn't seem to have figured out how to be a Senator yet. My Congresswoman gets a lot of opinions "passed along" to her; it remains to be seen what the impact will be but we'll keep trying.
Called mine too but I luckily live in CA where we have Democratic (sane) people in office.
Absolutely Dave! Thank you for the plug here. Jessica Craven's "Chop Wood Carry Water" is a gem! She makes it so easy to take action daily.
Here are her scripts for calling our congress people regarding the need to end school shootings. https://chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com/p/chop-wood-carry-water-327
I am absolutely IN LOVE with Jamaal Bowman. I want - him to be awarded for speaking his outrage, for verbally assaulting that coward Massie. I would bow down to Bowman, but my religion forbids that action. That clip should be played on every available site, every hour of every day. BRAVO !
Yes. I just saw a clip of him laying into Sen. Schmitt. Impassioned!
Comment from last night even more relevant tonight:
As Sarah Jones put it in the PoliticsUSA substack email this morning:
At every turn, the conservative movement is putting women and children in their crosshairs, enabling mass shootings in schools and domestic violence attackers to be armed with guns, at the same time as they are inciting their supporters to threaten violence against people with whom they disagree. It has gotten so bad it is now identifiable as a voluntary violation of morals.
Moral depravity: “A state of voluntary violation of morals, values, customs, or manners leading to an aberrant style of personality commonly known as antisocial psychopathy." "Antisocial psychopathy"
That certainly describes congresswoman Potato Face.
interesting point: I frequently use the word "depravity" or "depraved" to describe conduct like inaction of the face of the ongoing slaughter of our children. I get regular pushback from a handful of readers who say that it is unfair to describe that activity as "depraved." I disagree, and will continue to say that adults who refuse to protect children from mass killings are depraved, no matter the reason for inaction.
Depraved is the least of what they are. Wussies who worry about use of the word should go subscribe to the Wussie Substack, because this is the Wong Foo King Substack.
It is depraved. Not sure why the pushback on the use of an adult, Websters Dictionary word to accurately describe the actions of another.
From Websters Dictionary:
depraved
adjective
de·praved di-ˈprāvd
Synonyms of depraved
: marked by corruption or evil
a depraved attack
especially : PERVERTED
the work of depraved minds
Or maybe they could choose from one of these synonyms:
corrupt
debased
debauched
decadent
degenerate
degraded
demoralized
dissipated
dissolute
perverted
reprobate
sick
warped
"Antisocial psychopathy"
Let's not dress this up. They are Fascist bullies.
Hold up, the largest group that voted for Walker in GA? White women...
I never thought Tommy Tuberville was the brightest bulb in the senate, but he "has blocked the promotions of dozens of senior military officers because the Department of Defense grants women in the military the ability to travel to a state that permits abortion if they are stationed in a state that prohibits it." This seems like a good way to gain notoriety, and look stupid, and alienate large swathes of the military writ large and simultaneously, most women. I'd very much like CNN and MSNBC to feature Tuberville frequently talking about anything.
much like they did with Hershel Walker.
North Carolina’s most moronic
And we had thought North Carolina might make a nice place to retire. Oh well. The same states who thwarted Medicaid Expansion. See how well that's done for the state's underserved/minority populations. Sponsors of Jim Crow legislation would have been proud.
And yet so many people I know are moving to NC, TX, and FL for the cheaper housing costs, perceived lower cost of living, etc. I will live in a shack first.
I live here, in Asheville, NC. We are not even a democracy anymore. Although, we did turn NC blue for Obama. I’ll never forget that night!
From afar, Asheville looks like Austin surrounded by the rest of Texas
The people who are moving have made their savings elsewhere, and now will spend them where they aren't taxed so much. It's understandable but also shows how the states have structured themselves to offer little help to the poor, the under-educated or the unfortunate.
Umm-hmm...lower cost housing, until they have to replace EVERYTHING they own when that house gets destroyed from a tornado or a hurricane, or a flood.
I live in the "high cost of living" Northeast and yeah, the costs of heating, gas, energy and food are higher...but I wouldn't live anywhere else.
I live in Colorado and feel the same. I have downsized several times now and with each change, I have enjoyed more time outside, meeting more people at local gathering places or to go for walks, etc. It is a difficult decision for many as they are also moving to be closer to family members who already moved to these states. Anyway….
I can understand that. Thankfully, I have no family members who have moved --or wish to move--South. But yes, living smaller and simpler has made our lives easier and less expensive.
Florida is now nearly unaffordable. High housing costs, property and auto insurance 3 times the national average, threats of hurricanes causing inestimable damage, inflation here higher than other states… I could go on and on.
Right on, LH!!!
My impression is that NC is purple and certain parts of NC--the research triangle area, and Asheville, have a lot of people like us.
My problem with retiring there would be the summer weather--very hot and humid.
Alabama. He used to coach the Auburn football team which is his apparent qualification for his current job.
I recall that he was unable to correctly name the 3 branches of the federal government after his election to the Senate.. I’ve forgotten his exact answer so I won’t try to repeat it!
He’s a putz
Calling Senator Tuberville a "bulb" of any wattage is an upgrade for him. With all due respect to the Coach, he's more like a living version of Mr. Potato Head. Many may recall that Coach Tuberville was one of the politicians Trump contacted in the middle of the January 6 insurrection while trying to encourage Senators to stop the certification of the presidential election.
Tuberville had to cut the call short in order to move to a safer location. Translation of that call: I support your attempt to overthrow our government but I can't talk now because your more violent supporters are storming this building and trying to attack politicians so I need to run and hide to save my life. https://www.al.com/politics/2022/07/donald-trump-call-to-strongest-supporter-tommy-tuberville-makes-appearance-at-jan-6-committee-hearing.html
It’s a sad comment on the senate that a lunk like Tuberville even gets a seat. Was his competition so awful ?
His opponent was a very qualified person, except in one category. Name recognition. Alabama, and anyone who was remotely connected to or affiliated with Auburn in that football crazy state, which is a huge percentage of the residents there, knew who he was. And, "hey, he helped our team win large numbers of games, championships, etc., so we rule in the game of football, so I can't wait to see what he does in the Senate," is probably more of why he won that seat than anything else.
No. Tuberville ran against Democrat Doug Jones in 2020, a former U.S. Attorney who successfully prosecuted two Ku Klux Klan members and indicted a domestic terrorist who was one of the FBI's 10 most wanted criminals.
But Alabama was (and is) a deep red state, so all the Coach had to do was kneel in front of the altar of Trump and remind everyone that Senator Jones voted to impeach the former president. Doug Jones won his seat in a 2017 special election while running against Roy Moore, a Republican so damaged by sexual assault scandals which included inappropriate behavior towards young girls, that he lost even in deep red Alabama. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/03/politics/tommy-tuberville-wins-alabama-senate/index.html
Especially sad that Jones failed to win over the electorate. The electorate clearly chose a football over a law book.
What about Boebert and Marjorie Three Names? EmbarrASSments!
It mystifies how either made it to Congress. Loving guns and Trump qualifies you for one of the highest elected positions in the country? I despair
It occurs to me that the only logical solution to Tuberville's intransigence is a national abortion ban. Good luck with that. It'll be a very effective strategy for being a permanent minority party. Which then follows that it will be a party controlled by the hard right wing nuts like MTG, Gym Jordan, and Tucker Carlson as their Rasputin (curious last name, no?).
I appreciate your synopsis of the reader, or more specifically, listener, responses to your request for feedback on the audio version of your letter. I am one who listens and am only now, responding.
I highly value being able to hear you read your letters. Decency, calm, clarity, intelligence, experience, specificity, and hope are a few of the many qualities which your voice, demeanor and delivery convey. I'm grateful that you offer us readers the audio version of your letters
I agree Pam! Robert creates an important human connection with many of us that listen to him read "Today's Edition".
Beautifully stated, Pam. I totally agree with your sentiments about listening to Robert.
thanks for the feedback. Pam. I appreciate your kind words
Tik Tok is highly popular with young people. I fear there will be a backlash from them in the 2024 election against Democrats if President Biden and the Congress ban Tik Tok from the United States in general and not just on government devices. While Tik Tok is owned by a Chinese corporation it certainly isn't unique in being a monopoly taking advantage of money-making algorithms which are contributing to poorer emotional health of its young users. Congress and the executive branch should regulate and monitor these algorithms for the greater well being of all their users. Social media could be used in more positive ways -- for consensus building, understanding each other and appreciating different perspectives rather than creating confirmation biased bubbles and dividing us.
I don't think the US is going to ban TikTok. That would take too much action and forethought. And you are right; whatever evils exist at TikTok are also present in Twitter, Facebook, Google--but we blithely accept that spying. the only difference is who is spying on us.
I'm glad you feel the US is not going to ban TikTok. Yes, we need to address the "espionage" from all sources like Mr. Musk, for example, of spreading conspiracy theories, using confirmation bias techniques to divide us and using negative algorithms to make us hate based on their greed rather than the well being of the People. My dream is that a more Perfect Union would be one that measures its success by a Well Being Index and the well being of all the People!
Our Democratic leaders and campaign chiefs would be better served by flooding TikTok with videos of outrage at gun violence. Outrage at totalitarian suppression of reproductive rights. Outrage at corporate welfare. Outrage at opposition to Climate Crisis solutions.
There is too much focus on "old media". Young people and lots more live on their phones!
I'm not on TikTok, but flooding it with outrage videos sounds like a good strategy to me.
We need a youth brigade version of the Lincoln Project who know how to develop quick graphic capsules addressing all the depravity coming out of the GOP maw.
Already being done...the platform is literally what helped Biden get elected. NOT, despite what he says, Schmidt. GenZ.
Jessica Craven has some wonderful videos on TikTok and the’re getting lots of views. The Democratic Party has some good videos on TikTok. Yesterday I found some videos created by a Holocaust survivor (they were actually created by her grandson). She even answers questions about her life then. TikTok is doing some good. I hope it isn’t banned.
GenZ is already doing that
I trust that they'll prioritize protection of their reproductive freedom, and the freedom of their LGBTQ and minority friends. TicTock's ties to China are a security threat.
I wouldn't count on it. I believe the security threat argument won't hold water with them. Perhaps they'll find a third party candidate. They live on their phones and spend hours each day on TikTok. No one is showing them any proof that TikTok is dangerous. Someone needs to have an alternative for them to go to - a TikTok lookalike run by an American company.
Cathy, this is an excellent discussion of the security risks with TikTok. I think we all need to take it more seriously.
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2023/03/27/should-the-u-s-fear-tiktok
We need a better solution than just shutting down TikTok without giving young people any alternative. Yes, China is THE major threat for the US. And social media isn't the only issue. They are buying up apartment buildings and then using AI to extract the highest rent the market will bear. Whose paying attention to that! I was at the Nimitz Foundation dinner with the guest speaker General Jack Keane, the former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, a brilliant man with a great sense of humor. He said we were in our most serious challenge since WWII. China is the major threat. Cyberattacks on the US electric grid and then on the banking/financial systems are two ways. So, I'm not saying TikTok isn't a potential threat; I'm saying we need to meet the needs of young people AND handle the threat. I sick of the OR solutions like taking away how millions of young people communicate with friends.
GenZ mobilized on TikTok to get Biden elected. People of all ages mobilized thru TikTok to reserve tickets to shitler's rallies so that they had an over inflated sense of how many would actually show up. The LGBTQIA+ folks have a huge community. 10s of thousands of businesses have been started through TikTok. New musicians, artists, singers, actors have been discovered via TikTok. It is a community like any other, not unlike Substack.
It gets exhausting trying to explain this to people who have never even used it. So even the liberal among us start to sound like people who only watch Faux News, when you're just repeating what the NYTs, WSJ, MSNBC, etc. say about platforms (or anything). We would literally have to live off of the grid to not have other countries spying on us and stealing our data (and vice versa I might add, the U.S. does the same thing).
Anyone that thinks anything is private these days is wild to me. And you know who has China & middle Eastern countries invested in their companies? Meta (Facebook, IG, WhatsApp), Twitter (why did the government allow that sale to go through when they knew where Musk was getting his money from?), etc. Focusing on TikTok is just another "oooh squirrel look over here to see what we don't want you to see while you're looking away."
Marvelous Erica! You say it so well! Thank you.
I read an article that this Tic-Toc business is a Republican trap for Biden. If he doesn’t ban it they will say he is soft on China. If he does, it will piss off all the young voters. Damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. I think we need to find a better solution.
Yes. Feels like a political trap! President Biden needs to find another way to show he's not soft on China.
Robert,
I appreciate your hopeful take on this. I truly hope that you''re right and that the 2022 election was a prologue for 2024. But I'm concerned that the Trumpist party's gerrymandering, voter suppression, appointing officials willing to subvert elections and stacking of judges and justices may overrule the popular vote in 2024. I hope very much that I am wrong. If the worst comes to pass, we may find ourselves in a position similar to other countries that have slid into authoritarian rule. We would have our American version of that, which is hard to imagine at the moment. May I be wrong.
We should worry about an attempt to overturn the 2024 election. they are planning to do so. But 2022 suggests that the bad actors are a small minority and that most people accept the results of elections, even when they lose.
Gerrymandering is another subject. it will take a decade and another census to make progress. But we have to be dedicated for the long term.
I want to hope but believe we can't let down our guard and must resist the bad actors that are empowered. They are striking real blows at the foundations of democracy as evidenced by their passing laws that were unthinkable in modern times until tfg was sworn into office. We thought SCOTUS would not overturn the right to abortion that had been established as precedent for almost 50 years, but they did it. We elected a trifecta in our federal government in 2020, and even after the example of the January 6 coup attempt, we couldn't muster senatorial votes to set aside the filibuster and guarantee free and fair elections. So now, the forces of insurrection have been let loose in red state legislatures.
Sorry to be so wordy, Robert. I would love to read your thoughts on what we can do to combat the medusa that has been unleashed.
Gary, your description is very appropriate. It is as though the fox has gotten into the coup and we are in a frenzy. We have to take actions and remain focused on a positive outcome.
I love Robert's post the next day where he encourages us to cultivate hope in the face of the darkness and alerts us to Amanda Ripley's latest essay where she defines "hope = goals + road map + willpower."
Now Robert, this is a key point - “It will take a decade and another census” to overcome the gerrymandering. In the meantime, how do we win back these heavily gerrymandered Republican legislatures? With all your (our) optimism with get out the vote efforts can we expect to overcome those supermajorities?
I wonder what it will take for Americans to take to the streets the way the citizens of France (for a mere two year raise to the retirement age!) and the Israeli people have when their leader shows his authoritarian colors? When will students go on strike for their safety, not to mention for book banning and gender wars? When will women have had enough for forcing them to give birth and endanger their lives? When will we have had enough of the firing of principals who allow a class to see Michelangelo’s “David,” a statue that people travel from all over the world to see?
⬆︎⬆︎⬆︎
Thank you for the hope, Robert. The NC gun law repeal opens the door for all kinds of misery, but I can’t see that it is much worse than Kevin McCarthy’s heartlessness. I argue weekly with a friend of mine about gun ownership. I refuse to participate, and if that results in demise, then that counts as my vote.
I recently found a way to shut down a gun nut. He was going on and I interrupted and said "You know, it's going to be much easier for me to shoot and kill you than for you to do it. I've already killed people in a war, so I'm past getting sick and upset seeing a dead body. You on the other hand will start blubbering, which will make it much easier to blow your head off." He shut the hell up fast - they don't like hearing the idea that they might not be the only ones shooting. I haven't touched a gun in 50+ years since I came back from that war, but there's days I can reconsider that decision with these nuts.
Reminds me of a post I saw somewhere (sorry, I passed by it quickly), from a man who shot his beloved dog, just to see if he had what it took to shoot a stranger. I couldn’t even respond to such idiocy, but I fear his ilk is around every corner these days.
That is not idiocy, but psychopathy.
Not one of the Republicans will go for gun regulation until it is one of their children killed. Most of us from older generations had some fun times in school. It is so sad children and parents have to deal with this everyday their child is in the classroom. How about the republican parents of those lost in massacres form a coalition and ‘fight like hell’ ( we all know who said that). I am continuously grateful I never wanted to have children.
They don't even do it then. It becomes "god's will" when one of their kids is killed. It's a sickness.
"...they don't like hearing the idea that they might not be the only ones shooting." ✅
Tough talk, but counter-productive. Your anger is righteous; use your brain, not an inferior ballistic weapon!
Ligteral-mindedness will get you nowhere.
Let's see--"intentionally cruel and gleefully anti-democratic." Well, that's way beyond being "Badly out of step with the sentiments of the American people." That's Fascism, with a capital "F." And the illegitimate Clarence Thomas and his traitor wife Ginny are beyond the pale. These two psychopaths, and the rest of the "unelected" right-wing court, are domestic enemies of the American people and should be treated as such by what's left of the legislators in congress who still embrace the principles of democracy as established by the Constitution. That includes expanding the court as a strategy to disempower them, of course, but more extreme measures are probably necessary. And as for bringing Trump to justice--I'm wondering if Jack Smith even exists. If he does, he needs to be part of "shifting tide" soon, along with We, the People, as we not only "shift" with the tide, but rise up with metaphorical pitchforks in hands and hold the GOP accountable for its "now identifiable violation of morals," as TCinLA puts it.
WTF! How is it that the orange idiot is not indicted simply with the f’i n g RECORDINGS ALONE! What more evidence do they need. How can a lawyer defend this. Plus, just on having classified documents he is most likely selling to Russia, China, and North Korea?
It is my thought he is a serious flight risk. He had his plane updated and has been using it to fly to his ‘whine sessions’ in different states. I wonder if he is ‘vetting’ these countries to see who will give him the best deal to take him in when this all implodes, which I WISH would happen soon!
This is right: "How is it that the orange idiot is not indicted simply with the RECORDINGS ALONE!"
The investigation should have lasted the amount of time it took to listen to the audio recordings of Trump's calls to Raffensperger.
I am genuinely curious about the actual process by which Republicans get their talking points. I imagine daily morning emails that say things like: "In response to the Nashville school shooting, respond: 'We need to get the facts' or 'The problem is mental health.'" Or is there a training camp they go to that is more generalized? "If it's about Trump, say: 'I didn't see it' and if it's about anyone else in the party 'I haven't heard anything about that.'"
Also, that comment by Rep. Tim Burchett in Tennessee was stunning. He said they aren't going to "fix school shootings" and his solution is to homeschool his daughter. What??? I suppose if you have the resources to homeschool, there is no need to worry about anyone else's kids getting gunned down.
Could there be a more conspicuous exposure of the Righties lack of morals and compassion--not to mention the will and spine to DO SOMETHING about it? But, no, of course not. Rep. Burchett might just as well have shrugged and said, "...not my circus; not my elephants."
He did shrug, though. 🤬
One likely source for their talking points is the American Legislative Executive Council (A.L.E.C.), a RW bill mill (They provide the atrocious bills we keep seeing.) They have myriad talking points about many subjects. Here's a link to their agenda regarding education (browse around on the link to see an overview of many other issues they're interfering with.) https://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_%26_Education
Thanks! I'll take a look.
This is what the rethugs retreats - they just had one - their weekly
get together breakfasts and more are for. They spit ball and
come up with operating plans.
They feel no need to be concerned for anyone else’s kids for any reason whatsoever.
Can you do a deep dive into what happened in NY in 2022 as it doesn't square with your opening analysis? Of course, NY R's are not like DeSantis, but yet they are creeping into NY, creating a fertile ground for more extreme R's to run. NY moving to the purple column seems to be lost on many.
Party dysfunction. Democrats had it in the bag, and then started fighting amongst themselves--provoke by a crappy redistricting map imposed on them because of their overreach in proposing gerrymandered maps that favored Democrats. Democrats will retake those seats in 2024.
Let’s also recall that Ronald S. Lauder threw approximately $11 million into NY elections. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/06/nyregion/ronald-lauder-zeldin-governor.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare.
His efforts reflect yet another attempt by billionaires to make mischief.
Everyone I know will never use Estée Lauder products again. And my grandmother was friends with his mom!
Seems to be steadily moving to the urban/rural divide.
WhaaatTF? I knew about FL and ID and KY and senator football, but not NC and MO. So, sheriffs in NC have no say in who gets a gun permit. Seriously?!? Presumably the sheriffs will subsequently organize a walk-out until the situation is reversed... HA! ... at least they should! And children don't need permits to carry in MO?!?!?!? Children without supervision; children, at any age to one degree or another, who specialize in playground taunts, shoving, snitching - they can carry a gun. And guns in church - who says Amen to that?
Saint Whitehouse, bless 'im! Dogged, under the radar, determinedly digging deep, with a twinkle in his eye in tv interviews. The series of his speeches on YouTube is alarming as well as heartening.
And NOT under the radar is Rep Bowman, former principal - NO he will NOT calm down. Neither should we.
Robert, the last Republican president who was a decent human being was Dwight Eisenhower. Ever since Barry Goldwater high-jacked the party to gain the 1964 presidential nomination, the GOP has morphed into a right-wing machine, animated by punishing the American people for our desire to have an egalitarian society based on human well-being (think FDR's Four Freedoms and Second Bill of Rights).
The ultra right wingers have been longing to tear down everything that FDR accomplished from the day that FDR's reforms and social safety net programs were signed into law. Barry Goldwater was merely the vanguard of their destructive plans.
This is an inspiring/uplifting book by Cass Sunstein regarding the Second Bill of Rights:https://www.abebooks.com/products/isbn/9780465083336?ref_=ps_ggl_1728658546&cm_mmc=ggl-_-COM_DSAETAFEED_Trade-_-naa-_-naa&gclid=CjwKCAjw5pShBhB_EiwAvmnNV97Hqqti8-rhB6lRUxsuQ1IDgfcB5wQej82tuV0Y_GJ8TcGcA6IMchoCymMQAvD_BwE
We came so close to achieving this! Biden seems to have remembered this platform of the Democratic Party.
Assuming the validity of your argument that the Republican Party is pursuing self-defeating policies over the long term, the Democrats must, I emphasize must, do a much better job than we have consistently done in candidate selection and support of those who are well organized, articulate, and clearly understand the difference between actions and a world view that promotes the public interest, including protection of individual rights, and greedy self interest, including the interests of one’s economic or religious cohort. In short, I think we all recognize that criticism is legitimate and necessary but not enough to win elections.
There are days when I want to take a half dozen raw eggs and throw them against the back of the garage, something my mother let me do when I was a frustrated teenager and when eggs were a heck of a lot cheaper. Now, I write letters to voters and donate what I can. I'm also buoyed by the comments of readers of this forum, and by Robert's level-headed take on the mess we're working hard to get through. It seems unbelievable that a once proud and honorable party could produce such idiots and promote such vile policies. Maybe I should raise chickens, like Joyce Vance.
There is so much in today’s letter that nothing would be off-topic. But I want to return to the Waco rally and the image of Trump’s arrival. Some of my fellow Jews reject parallels to Hitler, but how can anyone watch that rally and not think of the similarities? Keep in mind one fact: The audience. Hitler succeeded not because of himself but because he promised leadership to Brown Shirts who enthusiastically followed. Perhaps if there is room for hope it is that the polls seem to show that despite the rallies, Trump’s appeal is shrinking. But it is important to keep our eye in the ball here. The audience. Not just Trump.
Re Alvin Bragg: I hope and pray that the one-month grand jury hiatus will give DOJ and Georgia time TO ACT. Come on DOJ and Georgia. Do something. This is not a law school exercise. You have our justice system in your hands. You will go down in infamy if you don’t act.
This morning I watched The Americanization of Emily with Julie Andrews and James Garner. I flinched at his line that at least we haven't come up with a Hitler or Mussolini. I've always admired him and am relieved that he left us (2014) before the Orange wanna-be Mussolini came on the political scene. I miss him though I never met him.