First, congratulations on your grandchildren's baptisms. A great even to celebrate during the pandemic.
And thank you for passing along the suggestion for how to thank the officers who protected the government on January 6th. I've got some nice US flag stamps to go on the envelopes.
(I'm thinking that perhaps reminding Sens. Manchin and Synema of how things were on January 6th might make them see voting rights in a better light.)
As for Republicans and Covid--as Paul Krugman pointed out, we do not let people have the freedom to drive drunk, and requring masks in public is no more a violation of personal liberty than DUI laws. People like Greg Abbott reverse the wisdom of the old spiritual. Their motto has become, Let my people die. Antoher reason the Republican Party is in a death spiral.
I didn't feel up to the task of coming up with the counterpoint to David Halberstam's iconic phrase. And, i was thinking something much worse than what you suggested, so I thought the better of it and opted to leave it to the readers' imaginations!
Thank you for keeping hope alive in the sludge of daily congressional affairs. Your sense of indignant pluck in calling out the usual suspects in Congress is pitch-perfect. In many cases, I think “manliness” posture is indeed the issue, including Marjorie Taylor Greene. Your suggestion of thank you letters to the Capitol officers is excellent, and I will follow up.
Again, am I wrong in believing that whatever gets passed before the 2022 election will get reversed by the success of the voting restrictions being forced by red state GOP right now? If their shenanigans succeed in making it hard for Democrats to vote, and if they can cheat to achieve victory to regain what they fairly lost in 2020, and use procedural rules to keep Democrats from using the filibuster to stop them, can't they reverse whatever "watered down" bill Manchin allows the Democrats to pass now? I think the existential battle will be in 2022 and whether Democrats can stay in power with a watered down bill to protect voting rights. I think the heart of the battle will be determined by whether scruples can overcome dirty tricks - because Democrats just are no good at dirty tricks.
You may be right--, but not about 2022. Biden will still be president and can veto any legislation passed by a republican controlled Congress. The real danger occurs in 2024.
Thank you for the addresses of the U. S. Capitol Policemen who guarded our Capitol and our elected officials who were performing their duties to certify the electoral process in the transition of power. It is a privilege to write and thank them as a grateful citizen of the country they have served so long and so well, never more valiantly than on January 6, 2021, a truly "infamous day in our nation's history."
Having read and considered the following: " It turns out that the Maricopa County audit is being paid for by a handful of private citizens who claim that Trump won the 2020 elections. So, who are those private citizens? Answer: Michael Flynn, Sidney Powell, and the former CEO of Overstock.com," from your post, is there anyone among us stupid enough as to be unable to predict the result? Like so much of the shocks we have absorbed about the electorate that was persuaded to adore the previous president by his being a surprisingly successful political celebrity apprentice, this is but one more knee to the neck of our great Constitution. Let's not spend too much time on it and hope the media doesn't either.
You have a good point, Steve. But the audit is consuming the right wing media. When the audit announces that Trump won in Maricopa County, that will be validation for the conspiracy theory wing of the GOP. So, as much as I wish we could ignore it, I fear we cannot. Noting that it was paid for by a confessed felon, an attorney who will likely be disciplined by the Court in Michigan, a man who urged Trump to impose martial law in states he lost helps to delegitimize the "audit" for the rest of America.
Point taken. You are correct that we must fight the ignorance that is the right wing media and its sheep. Exposing the backers of "The Big Lie" will always be a way to neutralize the effect of it. With every passing day, I believe that those who have the courage, as part of the left and center of the Fourth Estate, are going to save our butts.
Robert, do you think the lawsuits against Powell and Flynn can be used in some way to attack the ridiculously compromised results of the Arizona audit?
As suggested, wrote a note to each of the 4 police officers who testified before Congressional Committee re Jan 6th. Forwarded the suggestion to 4 others, I hope they get a thousand notes which will still not be enough thanks for their service and bravery!
First, congratulations on your grandchildren's baptisms. A great even to celebrate during the pandemic.
And thank you for passing along the suggestion for how to thank the officers who protected the government on January 6th. I've got some nice US flag stamps to go on the envelopes.
(I'm thinking that perhaps reminding Sens. Manchin and Synema of how things were on January 6th might make them see voting rights in a better light.)
As for Republicans and Covid--as Paul Krugman pointed out, we do not let people have the freedom to drive drunk, and requring masks in public is no more a violation of personal liberty than DUI laws. People like Greg Abbott reverse the wisdom of the old spiritual. Their motto has become, Let my people die. Antoher reason the Republican Party is in a death spiral.
Have a good weekend.
Thanks! We are busy but blessed!
"Think of the GOP’s best and brightest . . . only the opposite." The right phrase then must be "the GOP's worst and the dimmest."
I didn't feel up to the task of coming up with the counterpoint to David Halberstam's iconic phrase. And, i was thinking something much worse than what you suggested, so I thought the better of it and opted to leave it to the readers' imaginations!
Thank you for keeping hope alive in the sludge of daily congressional affairs. Your sense of indignant pluck in calling out the usual suspects in Congress is pitch-perfect. In many cases, I think “manliness” posture is indeed the issue, including Marjorie Taylor Greene. Your suggestion of thank you letters to the Capitol officers is excellent, and I will follow up.
Thanks, Jim. They are like Colonel Vindman; they are being punished for being patriots.
Again, am I wrong in believing that whatever gets passed before the 2022 election will get reversed by the success of the voting restrictions being forced by red state GOP right now? If their shenanigans succeed in making it hard for Democrats to vote, and if they can cheat to achieve victory to regain what they fairly lost in 2020, and use procedural rules to keep Democrats from using the filibuster to stop them, can't they reverse whatever "watered down" bill Manchin allows the Democrats to pass now? I think the existential battle will be in 2022 and whether Democrats can stay in power with a watered down bill to protect voting rights. I think the heart of the battle will be determined by whether scruples can overcome dirty tricks - because Democrats just are no good at dirty tricks.
You may be right--, but not about 2022. Biden will still be president and can veto any legislation passed by a republican controlled Congress. The real danger occurs in 2024.
Good. You're right. Thanks!! I feel better assured now. :-)
So appreciate the address for the Capitol police officers. I’ve been thinking of doing this and this will be very helpful
Thanks for doing your part!
Thank you for the addresses of the U. S. Capitol Policemen who guarded our Capitol and our elected officials who were performing their duties to certify the electoral process in the transition of power. It is a privilege to write and thank them as a grateful citizen of the country they have served so long and so well, never more valiantly than on January 6, 2021, a truly "infamous day in our nation's history."
Having read and considered the following: " It turns out that the Maricopa County audit is being paid for by a handful of private citizens who claim that Trump won the 2020 elections. So, who are those private citizens? Answer: Michael Flynn, Sidney Powell, and the former CEO of Overstock.com," from your post, is there anyone among us stupid enough as to be unable to predict the result? Like so much of the shocks we have absorbed about the electorate that was persuaded to adore the previous president by his being a surprisingly successful political celebrity apprentice, this is but one more knee to the neck of our great Constitution. Let's not spend too much time on it and hope the media doesn't either.
You have a good point, Steve. But the audit is consuming the right wing media. When the audit announces that Trump won in Maricopa County, that will be validation for the conspiracy theory wing of the GOP. So, as much as I wish we could ignore it, I fear we cannot. Noting that it was paid for by a confessed felon, an attorney who will likely be disciplined by the Court in Michigan, a man who urged Trump to impose martial law in states he lost helps to delegitimize the "audit" for the rest of America.
Point taken. You are correct that we must fight the ignorance that is the right wing media and its sheep. Exposing the backers of "The Big Lie" will always be a way to neutralize the effect of it. With every passing day, I believe that those who have the courage, as part of the left and center of the Fourth Estate, are going to save our butts.
Robert, do you think the lawsuits against Powell and Flynn can be used in some way to attack the ridiculously compromised results of the Arizona audit?
As suggested, wrote a note to each of the 4 police officers who testified before Congressional Committee re Jan 6th. Forwarded the suggestion to 4 others, I hope they get a thousand notes which will still not be enough thanks for their service and bravery!
Here is a link to send postcards to stop the Newsome recall: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfKUjcFFnhmFok9PgD2RYq5lUgbq9ZFTsEqVuGJlM-LXit2Nw/viewform