9 Comments

I so appreciate your message today. Part of the reason the current political atmosphere seems unusually toxic is that is is the first time that many readers have been so deeply involved in the political outcomes. Governing is hard, as you have stated, and all of us who care must bear our fair share of the burden of anxiety and care that being a citizen entails. Great message, and the news goes on.

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What you said.

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Sep 22, 2021Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

I was amazed to discover that Manchin owns coal processing facilities. Really? Isn't this a clear conflict of interests? How did we allow chair the energy committee? Has our oversight committee gone blind, deaf and well, dumb. This is the dumbest set up I have yet to hear of . . . well, no, remember eight years ago? Are we sure Manchin is even a democrat? Is there a name for Democrat in name only, DINO? His actions and philosophy belong in the age of DINOsaurs for certain!

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Don't worry. Manchin's coal companies are in a blind trust, where his son runs the companies. I mean, that's totally legit, right? It's not like they talk about business at famly dinners. Kinda like Trump claiming that he wasn't benefitting his businesses because Don Jr. and Eric were running them. It is insulting that Manchin thinks his fig leaf covers the obvious conflict of interest. Whatever we call Manchin, he behavior seems so conflicted that the word "corrupt" is appropriate.

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Sep 22, 2021Liked by Robert B. Hubbell

Will Republicans really shut down the government? I suppose, because it has worked so well for them in the past. And THAT by the way is what Democrats need to say: Republicans shut down the government. Republicans threatened national security. Republicans stopped the child tax credit. (Not sure that would be wholly accurate.) Republicans threw your state and local budgets into crisis by cutting off federal dollars, etc., etc. etc.

Very briefly on the Border Patrol: Long been an agency on the right wing of the US government, it got worse under the fascist former president. And it takes a long time to root out such tendencies and change matters. I don't really expect "immigration activists" to accept that, but it would be nice if they wouldn't savage the Biden administration and make it look like there's no difference from what's-his-name's time.

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I agree with you. The Border Patrol has a demonstrated history of tolerating bad actors who use the job to reinforce their white nationalist tendencies. The Border Patrol (and their union) has tolerated and protected these bad actors. Obviously, that is not true of all Border Patrol agents, but tolerating the bad actors smears everyone. And you are right. it is not Biden's fault, even though it is his responsibility.

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Thanks for the thoughts about our neighbors in New Hampshire. The "Live Free or Die" state apparently wants to take it's motto literally. And we thought New England was safe...

Time to support Hassan!!!

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Nice one. I read about Manchin’s duplicity in many places and Judd Leggum summed it up clearly. Your own newsletter does a great job of that, too, Robert.

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Extremely frustrating.

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