Thank you, Robert, for this weekend update. I have been busy with something for 24 hours and was thrilled to have a news update. I wish there was some way to let E. Jean Carroll know we are all with her. What a brave woman. Great to hear the exciting Fulton County news!
For anyone willing to help with postcards, I believe PostcardsToVoters.org is about to launch a combo postcard for two school board elections in PA. Oh boy, the school board stuff has gotten so scary, so I am thrilled to be able to help on those and hope others may have time too since deadline to mail is Tuesday, I think, so they make it there before the May 16th PA elections. Hopefully they will launch early Saturday!
To help, text “join” to Abby the text bot at 484-275-2229 or email join@TonytheDemocrat.org. If you already joined, just text Abby the Bot. All you need are some postcards and stamps.
Trump really damned himself when he let his only appearance at the trial be that video. As thoroughly horrid as you know he is, seeing him in all his horridness like that was really shocking, even to me.
Thanks, Robert, for the shorter comments on the several stories you listed tonight. And for "permission" to skip them altogether if needed. We need to find ways to help support each other emotionally and psychologically during the coming 18 months. It is not going to be an easy road. However, thanks to you and your daily column, I think I will be surviving it all much better than I had anticipated several months ago before I found out about you. Wishing you a lovely weekend with your delightful editor. See you on Monday.
I finally heard someone clarify the truth about rape that totally negates Trump's ignorant defense that "E. Jean Carroll is not my type." I've been very surprised it has taken so long. The common response on television shows to Trump's declaration, is that he pointed to Ms. Carroll in a photo and identified her as his ex wife Marla Maples, therefore he was contradicting his statement that he didn't find Ms. Carroll attractive. That is certainly a fact worth pointing out to the jury.
But I hope that one of the experts who testified, explained why Trump's statement denying any attraction to the plaintiff was a red herring.
A female lawyer on Chris Hayes' show tonight finally stated that rape is a crime of aggression, violence and domination that has nothing to do with whether or not the victim is attractive to the perpetrator. That has been very obvious to anyone who pays attention to the news. No woman was spared from being sexually assaulted because she wasn't attractive. In fact, there have been news stories about young men who have raped old women. They did it because rape is a crime of domination and violence that has nothing to do with sexual attraction.
Speaking of one party rule, all of the recent laws passed by the red states have been very negative in nature. Life is difficult enough as it is and they just seem intent on making life more difficult for a lot of people, women in particular. Absolute power corrupts that's for sure. The Supreme Court is a prime example. .And yet I wonder what would happen if there was no such thing as a Republican Party. It seems to me we'd have a pretty good country, but would bad actors gain dominance and spoil everything? Even good guys can become bad with no checks and balances. I bet if there had been no WWII a lot of German citizens would have lived out their lives as butchers and bakers and farmers, etc., and never hurt a single person, but under the Nazi regime as SS men and so forth they had absolute power. They could shoot people for no reason at all and had no fear of any kind of repercussions so they became monsters. Imagine if Trump had that kind of power. There is no question in my mind that g he would imprison or worse every single critic, including all the comedians that make fun of him on TV. Yet he has maybe 30% of the population that would vote i him in tomorrow if they couls d. Some of them are extremely fanatic like the hate groups, The MAGA crowd as a whole will vote for him again. That is what we are up against. But we have Robert and others like him to bolster our resolve to keep fighting the good fight as they point out all the transgressions and under handed shenanigans across the country as the GOP struggle to hang on to and gain power by whatever means are necessary.
Tricia Cotham is a storyline / character I almost entirely forgot about. She originally ran on codifying Roe in NC and then backs this bill. Not that I'm necessarily shocked by anything self serving hypocrites do, it's just so odd to switch positions so drastically like that. Her constituents and all of NC are losers because of her actions. It makes me even more upset that gerrymandering in NC allows for this to even be a possibility. The GOP is really doubling down on dumb policy ideas. Their only ideas for governing recently involve punishing certain groups of people and they call themselves the party of small government.... The irony.
The big winner, if our government ultimately defaults on its debts could be China.
China has been campaigning to make its currency, the Yuan, into an international currency, like the Dollar, for settling financial obligations. If the US defaults, the Yuan will begin to look better in relation to the Dollar, maybe, to some, preferable.
Republicans should be demanded to explain whether their objective is to enhance China’s status (or maybe accused of the same?).
Out camping this weekend but popped in to say, "Thanks for being here with us even when your own life was in upheaval!" Stay healthy and safe, hope you are fully recovered from Covid, and get some rest this weekend. 👍💜
I am aghast that others - most certainly always men - deem it their purview to decide the reproductive choices of women. Men, who probably flush away (I’m trying to be discreet) how many potential baby- making sperm on a daily basis, get to decide when a woman can end a pregnancy? A woman is fertile for a very finite period of time each month. Men...well, you’re always on task.
Robert: As a resident of the red state of FL, I acknowledge you for your informative, well-written, and upbeat emails which I read daily. Through our local Indivisible chapter and the Charlotte County Dems, we work to keep our members informed, including by writing letters to the editor.
Your most recent article about our Governor inspired me to submit the following Letter to the Editor to the Charlotte SUN and Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Please know your words have an impact.
Bill Welsch, Punta Gorda, FL
One-Party Rule Bad for Floridians
According to a piece reported at the News Opinion Website Talking Points Memo, the Florida state legislature has moved to allow Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials to hide their travel records from the public.
In recent weeks, the Republican-controlled Florida legislature passed a number of new voting restrictions to state election law, including tweaking the state’s “resign to run” provision, paving the way for DeSantis to serve as governor as he campaigns for the White House.
Given the numerous issues our state is facing, the work of the Governor hardly seems like a part-time job.
These are the kinds of disgraceful things that happen in a state like ours where Republicans hold a super majority. They are essentially free to do whatever they want whether the rest of us agree with it or not. We are seeing the same abuses of power with issues like gun safety and women’s health choices in which our elected officials continue to vote against the interests of the majority.
As we approach the 2024 elections, it’s past time for average Floridians to say enough is enough and select others to represent them.
Representative Cotham was no doubt promised to have her district highly gerrymandered in the next election, so that she would not be run out of town by her current constituents. And during the election, most of her support came from GQP PACS. Not sure how the Dems let that go by. There is no excuse for what she did to her district, our state, and possibly even the US House. If she wanted fame, she got it. But for all the wrong reasons. How tragic that a woman who knows better, and who was unequivocal in telling the N.C. legislature a few years ago to stay out of a woman’s right to choose, has now joined the enemy and sold other women down the river. How many pieces of silver did that take????? Can’t imagine a thirst for some puny state power that would make someone betray her own principles. She just aided and abetted the patriarchy…….again.
Some things to remember. In 2020 Republications in part ran their campaign blaming Democrats for inflation and high prices. The current job numbers indicate that the economy is stronger than ever and more people are working at higher wages. The Wall Street journal this week after reviewing corporate earnings indicated a major cause of inflation is price gouging by corporations. Living in NC I am appalled at the legislators passing a 12 week abortion law but based on local feedback and outrage that decision should have political ,consequences in 2024. That’s my point which is we sometimes need a longer term view and not a transactional view of what is happening because the voters of this country everyday have many reasons to reject the racists and obstructive views of Republicans and lots of reasons to continue the great job Democrats are doing for everyone.
NC maps will be redrawn later this year, thanks to our new state Supreme Court. I will watch with interest to see what the map around Cotham’s residence looks like.
NC also passed an increase in vouchers out of committee this week. I went to speak against it at the hearing. The usual stuff about giving parents choice and being accountable to parents (but not to the taxpayers footing the bill)… Most of our voucher schools are religious and many use a biblically based curriculum, supported by all taxpayers. Both the voucher bill and the abortion ban threaten what little we have left of the separation of church and state.
“Happy and Glorious,” are the surely aspirational words that greeted King Charles and the thousands of others who are participating in the beautifully planned and executed coronation pageant that I am watching this morning. It is both interesting and, I believe, quite significant that this high state event is taking place in a place of worship, in the unembarrassed context of a religious service. The King has promised and stated that he understands his role and responsibility are to serve and not to be served, all in accordance with law. Would that all those having governance responsibilities throughout the world have the same understanding and make the same commitment. I submit that that is the formula, if sincerely followed by executives, judges and legislators, that will enable most if not all people to live happy and glorious lives.
Curious minds are enquiring: what caused (or was the pay-off) for the defection of Rep. Tricia Cotham (NC 112th) to the Republican party? In so doing, she handed a veto-proof super-majority to the Republicans which is a pretty valuable ($$$) change of heart. As Robert pointed out, Cotham campaigned (and won) as an advocate for reproductive liberty in a Democratic district. Does she want to start sending other women to jail or the hospital?
Thank you as always, Robert, for taking press wisdom with a grain of salt. I am wondering today why the South slips back into its retrogressive mode over and over again. Conventional wisdom says poverty, but the idiot millionaires in Congress refute that connection.
Thank you, Robert, for this weekend update. I have been busy with something for 24 hours and was thrilled to have a news update. I wish there was some way to let E. Jean Carroll know we are all with her. What a brave woman. Great to hear the exciting Fulton County news!
For anyone willing to help with postcards, I believe PostcardsToVoters.org is about to launch a combo postcard for two school board elections in PA. Oh boy, the school board stuff has gotten so scary, so I am thrilled to be able to help on those and hope others may have time too since deadline to mail is Tuesday, I think, so they make it there before the May 16th PA elections. Hopefully they will launch early Saturday!
To help, text “join” to Abby the text bot at 484-275-2229 or email join@TonytheDemocrat.org. If you already joined, just text Abby the Bot. All you need are some postcards and stamps.
Trump really damned himself when he let his only appearance at the trial be that video. As thoroughly horrid as you know he is, seeing him in all his horridness like that was really shocking, even to me.
Thanks, Robert, for the shorter comments on the several stories you listed tonight. And for "permission" to skip them altogether if needed. We need to find ways to help support each other emotionally and psychologically during the coming 18 months. It is not going to be an easy road. However, thanks to you and your daily column, I think I will be surviving it all much better than I had anticipated several months ago before I found out about you. Wishing you a lovely weekend with your delightful editor. See you on Monday.
I finally heard someone clarify the truth about rape that totally negates Trump's ignorant defense that "E. Jean Carroll is not my type." I've been very surprised it has taken so long. The common response on television shows to Trump's declaration, is that he pointed to Ms. Carroll in a photo and identified her as his ex wife Marla Maples, therefore he was contradicting his statement that he didn't find Ms. Carroll attractive. That is certainly a fact worth pointing out to the jury.
But I hope that one of the experts who testified, explained why Trump's statement denying any attraction to the plaintiff was a red herring.
A female lawyer on Chris Hayes' show tonight finally stated that rape is a crime of aggression, violence and domination that has nothing to do with whether or not the victim is attractive to the perpetrator. That has been very obvious to anyone who pays attention to the news. No woman was spared from being sexually assaulted because she wasn't attractive. In fact, there have been news stories about young men who have raped old women. They did it because rape is a crime of domination and violence that has nothing to do with sexual attraction.
Speaking of one party rule, all of the recent laws passed by the red states have been very negative in nature. Life is difficult enough as it is and they just seem intent on making life more difficult for a lot of people, women in particular. Absolute power corrupts that's for sure. The Supreme Court is a prime example. .And yet I wonder what would happen if there was no such thing as a Republican Party. It seems to me we'd have a pretty good country, but would bad actors gain dominance and spoil everything? Even good guys can become bad with no checks and balances. I bet if there had been no WWII a lot of German citizens would have lived out their lives as butchers and bakers and farmers, etc., and never hurt a single person, but under the Nazi regime as SS men and so forth they had absolute power. They could shoot people for no reason at all and had no fear of any kind of repercussions so they became monsters. Imagine if Trump had that kind of power. There is no question in my mind that g he would imprison or worse every single critic, including all the comedians that make fun of him on TV. Yet he has maybe 30% of the population that would vote i him in tomorrow if they couls d. Some of them are extremely fanatic like the hate groups, The MAGA crowd as a whole will vote for him again. That is what we are up against. But we have Robert and others like him to bolster our resolve to keep fighting the good fight as they point out all the transgressions and under handed shenanigans across the country as the GOP struggle to hang on to and gain power by whatever means are necessary.
Tricia Cotham is a storyline / character I almost entirely forgot about. She originally ran on codifying Roe in NC and then backs this bill. Not that I'm necessarily shocked by anything self serving hypocrites do, it's just so odd to switch positions so drastically like that. Her constituents and all of NC are losers because of her actions. It makes me even more upset that gerrymandering in NC allows for this to even be a possibility. The GOP is really doubling down on dumb policy ideas. Their only ideas for governing recently involve punishing certain groups of people and they call themselves the party of small government.... The irony.
The big winner, if our government ultimately defaults on its debts could be China.
China has been campaigning to make its currency, the Yuan, into an international currency, like the Dollar, for settling financial obligations. If the US defaults, the Yuan will begin to look better in relation to the Dollar, maybe, to some, preferable.
Republicans should be demanded to explain whether their objective is to enhance China’s status (or maybe accused of the same?).
Out camping this weekend but popped in to say, "Thanks for being here with us even when your own life was in upheaval!" Stay healthy and safe, hope you are fully recovered from Covid, and get some rest this weekend. 👍💜
I am aghast that others - most certainly always men - deem it their purview to decide the reproductive choices of women. Men, who probably flush away (I’m trying to be discreet) how many potential baby- making sperm on a daily basis, get to decide when a woman can end a pregnancy? A woman is fertile for a very finite period of time each month. Men...well, you’re always on task.
Robert: As a resident of the red state of FL, I acknowledge you for your informative, well-written, and upbeat emails which I read daily. Through our local Indivisible chapter and the Charlotte County Dems, we work to keep our members informed, including by writing letters to the editor.
Your most recent article about our Governor inspired me to submit the following Letter to the Editor to the Charlotte SUN and Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Please know your words have an impact.
Bill Welsch, Punta Gorda, FL
One-Party Rule Bad for Floridians
According to a piece reported at the News Opinion Website Talking Points Memo, the Florida state legislature has moved to allow Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials to hide their travel records from the public.
In recent weeks, the Republican-controlled Florida legislature passed a number of new voting restrictions to state election law, including tweaking the state’s “resign to run” provision, paving the way for DeSantis to serve as governor as he campaigns for the White House.
Given the numerous issues our state is facing, the work of the Governor hardly seems like a part-time job.
These are the kinds of disgraceful things that happen in a state like ours where Republicans hold a super majority. They are essentially free to do whatever they want whether the rest of us agree with it or not. We are seeing the same abuses of power with issues like gun safety and women’s health choices in which our elected officials continue to vote against the interests of the majority.
As we approach the 2024 elections, it’s past time for average Floridians to say enough is enough and select others to represent them.
Representative Cotham was no doubt promised to have her district highly gerrymandered in the next election, so that she would not be run out of town by her current constituents. And during the election, most of her support came from GQP PACS. Not sure how the Dems let that go by. There is no excuse for what she did to her district, our state, and possibly even the US House. If she wanted fame, she got it. But for all the wrong reasons. How tragic that a woman who knows better, and who was unequivocal in telling the N.C. legislature a few years ago to stay out of a woman’s right to choose, has now joined the enemy and sold other women down the river. How many pieces of silver did that take????? Can’t imagine a thirst for some puny state power that would make someone betray her own principles. She just aided and abetted the patriarchy…….again.
Some things to remember. In 2020 Republications in part ran their campaign blaming Democrats for inflation and high prices. The current job numbers indicate that the economy is stronger than ever and more people are working at higher wages. The Wall Street journal this week after reviewing corporate earnings indicated a major cause of inflation is price gouging by corporations. Living in NC I am appalled at the legislators passing a 12 week abortion law but based on local feedback and outrage that decision should have political ,consequences in 2024. That’s my point which is we sometimes need a longer term view and not a transactional view of what is happening because the voters of this country everyday have many reasons to reject the racists and obstructive views of Republicans and lots of reasons to continue the great job Democrats are doing for everyone.
NC maps will be redrawn later this year, thanks to our new state Supreme Court. I will watch with interest to see what the map around Cotham’s residence looks like.
NC also passed an increase in vouchers out of committee this week. I went to speak against it at the hearing. The usual stuff about giving parents choice and being accountable to parents (but not to the taxpayers footing the bill)… Most of our voucher schools are religious and many use a biblically based curriculum, supported by all taxpayers. Both the voucher bill and the abortion ban threaten what little we have left of the separation of church and state.
“Happy and Glorious,” are the surely aspirational words that greeted King Charles and the thousands of others who are participating in the beautifully planned and executed coronation pageant that I am watching this morning. It is both interesting and, I believe, quite significant that this high state event is taking place in a place of worship, in the unembarrassed context of a religious service. The King has promised and stated that he understands his role and responsibility are to serve and not to be served, all in accordance with law. Would that all those having governance responsibilities throughout the world have the same understanding and make the same commitment. I submit that that is the formula, if sincerely followed by executives, judges and legislators, that will enable most if not all people to live happy and glorious lives.
Curious minds are enquiring: what caused (or was the pay-off) for the defection of Rep. Tricia Cotham (NC 112th) to the Republican party? In so doing, she handed a veto-proof super-majority to the Republicans which is a pretty valuable ($$$) change of heart. As Robert pointed out, Cotham campaigned (and won) as an advocate for reproductive liberty in a Democratic district. Does she want to start sending other women to jail or the hospital?
Thank you as always, Robert, for taking press wisdom with a grain of salt. I am wondering today why the South slips back into its retrogressive mode over and over again. Conventional wisdom says poverty, but the idiot millionaires in Congress refute that connection.