;)
The Conversation -- October 27, 2023
Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "There are no moderate Republicans in the House of Representatives. Oh, no doubt some members are privately appalled by the views of Mike Johnson, the new speaker. But what ... matters is what they do -- and every single one of them went along with the selection of a radical extremist.... Johnson's extremism, and that of the party that chose him, goes beyond rejecting democracy and trying to turn back the clock on decades of social progress. He has also espoused a startlingly reactionary economic agenda.... [Johnson's policy proposals call] for the evisceration of the U.S. social safety net -- not just programs for the poor, but also policies that form the bedrock of financial stability for the American middle class.... [Under Johnson's policies,] we would become a vastly crueler and less secure nation, with far more sheer misery.... The G.O.P. has gone full-on extremist, on economic as well as social issues. The question now is whether the American public will notice." Thanks to Ken W. for the link. See also his commentary below. ~~~
~~~ Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "The far-right extremism and open contempt for democracy that marks much of modern Republicanism is not an aberration.... And while Trump may, for either legal or political reasons, eventually leave the scene, there's no reason to think the Republican Party will revert to a state where the Mike Johnsons are back on the sidelines." ~~~
~~~ Marie: As to Krugman's point, that the American public may not notice, he's right. We have been living for decades on the promises of the 20th century: the expansion of the social safety net, of public higher education, and of civil rights for minorities and women. But that entire time, the right has been fighting tooth-and-nail against the liberal trend that began during FDR's long presidency and expanded up through the 1960s & even 1970s. But beginning with the election of Reagan, the trend slowly reversed. It has been thanks to Democrats that the federal government and some state governments have managed to stave off -- and effectively mask -- right-wing excesses. People keep voting for Republicans either because they are selfish SOBs themselves or because they don't believe those nice Christiany Republican politicians would leave them without the rights and benefits they have enjoyed all or most of their lives. I am old enough (and white enough!) that I will probably survive the worst Republican efforts to ruin my life, but that is not true for the next generations. Those of us in my generation who wanted to leave at least our part of the world a better place have failed.
Jennifer Peltz of the AP: "... Donald Trump is set to testify Nov. 6 in the civil business fraud case against him, following testimony from his three eldest children, state lawyers said Friday. It was already expected that the ex-president and sons Donald Jr. and Eric would testify. The timing became clear Friday, when the judge ruled that daughter Ivanka Trump also must take the stand.... Ivanka Trump was dismissed as a defendant months ago. Defense attorneys and her lawyer contended that she shouldn't have to testify, noting that she moved out of New York and left her Trump Organization job in 2017. The state's lawyers argued that [she] ... has relevant information. Judge Arthur Engoron sided with the state, citing documents showing that Ivanka Trump continued to have ties to some businesses in New York and still owns Manhattan apartments."
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Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "Ever since Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana assumed office on Wednesday, a question has been on Democrats' minds: Could the elevation of Mr. Johnson, who worked in league with... Donald J. Trump in trying to undermine the 2020 election results, allow him to succeed in 2024 where he failed the last time? The speakership, which is second in line to the presidency, comes with broad powers over the functioning of the House. And Mr. Johnson, a constitutional lawyer whose stature in his party has grown with his election to the top post, could try again to interfere. But there are several reasons that Mr. Johnson's new job alone would not allow him special powers to overturn the will of the voters unilaterally. Here's how it works." Main arguments against: (1) Kamala Harris will be the veep who oversees the electoral vote count; (2) the Electoral Count Reform Act has tightened restrictions against any attempt to repeat Mike's 2020 trick; (3) hey, Mike may not be speaker on January 6, 2025.
Michael Luciano of Mediaite: "Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said mass shootings happen because of 'the human heart' -- not guns. The newly-elected leader of the House of Representatives gave an hourlong interview to Sean Hannity on Thursday in which he told the Fox News host that his worldview is, 'go pick up a Bible.' In that vein, Johnson offered his prayers in the wake of Wednesday's mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, which left 18 people dead.... 'It's not guns, it's not the weapons. At the end of the day, we have to protect the right of the citizens to protect themselves and that's the Second Amendment. And that's why our party stands so strongly for that.'"
Scott Lemieux in LG&$: Mike Johnson says the way to reduce school shootings is to ban abortion and gay sex.
And the Lord Hath Anointed His Servant Michael. Sarah Posner of MSNBC: "In her nominating speech for [Mike] Johnson, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., invoked the biblical story of God commanding Samuel to anoint David king. Stefanik quoted from 1 Samuel 16:7, according to which God told Samuel that he looked not at appearances, but 'at the heart.' Johnson, who Stefanik said 'epitomizes what it means to be a servant leader,' was the choice, she implied, of Republicans who were following God's direction in choosing him. Between the Bible talk and Johnson's record, Republicans have made abundantly clear that they have emerged from the uncertainty and chaos of the last few weeks with one clear mission: to run a Christian nationalist House." Posner outlines Mike's professional career as a virulent anti-gay, anti-abortion, Trump-loving Christian nationalist fighting the principle of separation of church and state.
Dinosaur with a Gavel. Liz Skalka & Paul Blumenthal of the Huffington Post: Speaker Mike Johnson's "close ties to a leader of the creationist movement and his past legal work -- on behalf of the Ark Encounter creationist theme park, where children can learn that dinosaurs were passengers on Noah's Ark -- seem to suggest that he's also personally aligned with these beliefs. 'The Ark Encounter is one way to bring people to this recognition of the truth, that what we read in the Bible are actual historical events,' Johnson said in a 2021 interview with Ark Encounter founder Ken Ham while guest-hosting the radio show of Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, an evangelical activist group."
Yes But the House Is Back in Business! Michael Luciano of Mediaite: "Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) read a lengthy and scathing censure resolution aimed at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). On Thursday, Greene introduced a resolution to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who is Palestinian American for 'leading an anti-American and anti-Semitic insurrection.'... Hours later, Balint read her own resolution -- which she actually first introduced in July ... [which deliniatied] a litany of offenses[']"
As Jesus Would Say, "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing":
Alexander Bolton of the Hill: "Several senators seen as vulnerable in next year’s elections voted Wednesday for a controversial amendment to defend the gun rights of veterans who are in the Department of Veterans' Affairs fiduciary program. Sens. Joe Mancin (D-W.Va.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) all backed the amendment.... The amendment ... would prevent veterans from losing their right to purchase or own firearms when they receive help to manage their Department of Veterans Affairs benefits.... The amendment, sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), was adopted by a vote of 53 to 45.... 'Let me put a finer point on it. One third of the veterans we're talking about in this category are diagnosed schizophrenics. This amendment allows for every single one of them to have their gun rights restored,' [Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.] said." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Hours after the Senate vote, an Army reservist with mental health issues who reportedly was hearing voices and was hospitalized for erratic behavior allegedly shot dead at least 18 people and wounded 13 others. At this writing (6:15 am ET), the alleged gunman is still at large.
Alan Feuer & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors have quietly withdrawn a subpoena seeking records from ... Donald J. Trump's 2020 campaign as part of their investigation into whether Mr. Trump's political and fund-raising operations committed any crimes as he sought to stay in power after he lost the election, according to two people familiar with the matter. The decision this week by the office of the special counsel, Jack Smith, to effectively kill the subpoena to the Trump campaign came on the heels of the withdrawal of a similar subpoena to Save America, the political action committee that was formed by Mr. Trump's aides shortly after he lost the race in 2020. The rescission of the subpoenas to Donald J. Trump for President Inc. and Save America was an indication that Mr. Smith';s office was slowing down or even closing its monthslong inquiry into whether Mr. Trump's political operation broke any laws by citing baseless claims of election fraud to raise money."
The Trump Show Will Not Be Televised. Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A federal judicial panel has turned down a bid to allow live television coverage of two historic criminal trials of ... Donald Trump scheduled for next year. Without apparent dissent, a committee that handles potential changes to the federal courts' criminal rules concluded Thursday that it had no ability to alter the existing ban on broadcasting federal criminal trials. Thirty-eight Democratic House members and some media outlets had requested that the rules be changed or an exception be created to allow Trump's looming federal trials to be televised. 'We have an absolute rule,' said the panel's secretary, or 'reporter,' Duke Law Professor Sara Sun Beale. 'We have no authority to authorize exceptions to an across-the-board, straight rule.' The head of the Advisory Committee on Criminal Rules, U.S. District Judge James Dever, also said the glacial pace federal law prescribes for amending federal court rules means that, even if the panel approved a change, it wouldn't take effect until 2026 or 2027....
"Media outlets have asked the judge assigned to the Washington trial, Tanya Chutkan, to allow TV broadcasting of the trial notwithstanding the current rules. Chutkan has ordered prosecutors to respond to the requests by next week. She has not solicited a response from Trump's attorneys, although Trump has said he supports 'transparency' in the court cases he is facing." MB: I'm not sure about this, but it seems to me that with the stroke of a pen, CJ John Roberts could allow cameras in the Trump courtroom. If not, the Supremes, en masse, could do so. But I suppose they're afraid that any exceptions would ultimately lead to the public being able to watch the Supremes themselves picking their noses. And as the edifice of the Supreme Court building and the elevated bench itself testify, the Supremes are above us all.
Annals of Journalism or Something:
All that access journalism apologia Maggie Haberman did for Trump during his administration, soft-selling Republican insanity, explaining away Trump's hate and bigotry and unhinged madness, boy, that really paid off for her. pic.twitter.com/i77oUxDZZr
— Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) October 26, 2023
~~~ Marie: Is there a Himelick Manoover for chocking? X tweet via Anne Laurie of Balloon Juice.
The committee's investigation is clear: The person who loaned Justice Thomas $267,000 provided numerous documents indicating that a substantial portion of that debt was never repaid.... If Justice Thomas disputes that conclusion, he has an obligation to provide proof to the committee. Carefully worded statements from high-priced lawyers are not a substitute for facts. -- Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), statement to Ruth Marcus ~~~
~~~ Show Us the Money. Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post: A Senate committee found that Clarence Thomas failed to pay off a $267K loan for the purchase of a luxury motor home and that the lender forgave the principal. But his lawyer says, "'The loan was never forgiven.... The Thomases made all payments to [lender & friend Anthony] Welters on a regular basis until the terms of the agreement were satisfied in full.'... Thomas -- with his multiple failures to disclose his wife's employment, his receipt of free private plane travel and tuition payments made on behalf of his grandnephew -- has forfeited the benefit of the doubt.... Let's see the canceled checks.... [According to the committee report,] there seems to be no record that the Thomases ever repaid any of the loan principal."
Lydia DePillis of the New York Times: "The United States economy surged in the third quarter as a strong job market and falling inflation gave consumers the confidence to spend freely on goods and services. Gross domestic product, the primary measure of economic output, grew at a 4.9 percent annualized rate from July through September, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. The pace exceeded forecasts and was the strongest showing since late 2021, defying predictions of a slowdown prompted by the Federal Reserve's interest rate increases. The acceleration was made possible in part by slowing inflation, which lifted purchasing power even as wage growth weakened, and a job market that has shown renewed vigor over the past three months. Although the growth rate is an initial estimate that may be revised..., it's a far cry from the recession that many had forecast at this time last year, before economists realized that Americans had piled up enough savings to power spending as the Fed moved to make borrowing more expensive." (Also linked yesterday.)
Presidential Election 2024
Will Weissert & Holly Ramer of the AP: "For months, Dean Phillips has been calling for a Democratic primary challenge to President Joe Biden. He's drawn no public interest from governors, lawmakers, and other would-be alternatives. On Friday, the Minnesota congressman will finally enter the race himself. The 54-year-old Phillips has scheduled a campaign announcement Friday morning at the New Hampshire statehouse in Concord.... As speculation picked up this week about the New Hampshire event, Biden planned to head next week to Phillips' home state for an official event and fundraiser.... New Hampshire primary challenges have a history of wounding incumbent presidents.... [New Hampshire's] influence on Democrats was curtailed this year by changes engineered by the DNC at Biden's behest. A new Democratic calendar has South Carolina leading off presidential primary voting on Feb. 3 and Nevada going three days later. New Hampshire has refused to comply, citing state laws saying its primary must go first, and plans a primary before South Carolina's. The DNC could, in turn, strip the state of its nominating delegates." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I got a robocall last night inviting me to Phillips' announcement. It would take me 10 or 15 minutes to get there. I won't be going. But, you know, good luck. Three cheers for democracy and all that. (If Phillips wins in New Hampshire & the party "strips the state of its delegates," that would be something of a Pyrrhic victory for both Phillips AND democracy.)
Summer Concepcion of NBC News: "A Colorado judge on Wednesday denied the latest attempt by ... Donald Trump to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to remove him from the state's 2024 ballot because of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. The decision comes just days before a trial on Trump's eligibility for the ballot is expected to begin." (Also linked yesterday.)
Maxine Joselow of the Washington Post: "The listing agent [of Fox 'News' host Bret Baier], Daniel Heider of TTR Sotheby's International Realty, confirmed to The Washington Post that 86 solar panels were installed last year on a portion of the 16,250-square-foot French chateau-style home. This comes as Baier -- who hosts the highest-rated cable news program in its time slot -- has used his platform to amplify criticism of action on climate change, including the adoption of solar and other clean energy sources. Some prominent conservatives -- including Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine -- have also privately embraced solar while pushing back against climate initiatives aimed at speeding the transition away from fossil fuels. Despite their climate stances, all three men appear to have accepted a market reality: Solar panels increasingly make economic sense, especially for those who can afford the upfront costs.... Baier's show, 'Special Report,' has consistently misled the public about climate change, according to a 2021 analysis by Media Matters...."
Say, maybe you need a business consultant. Tip o' the Day: this will work out very well for you if you're a CEO; if not, a chorus of McKinsey "experts" may serenade you with "Hit the Road, Jack."
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Georgia. Emily Cochrane & Rick Rojas of the New York Times: "Republicans in Georgia violated a landmark civil rights law in drawing voting maps that diluted the power of Black voters, a federal judge in Atlanta ruled on Thursday, ordering that new maps must be drawn in time for the 2024 elections. Judge Steve C. Jones of the Northern District of Georgia demanded that the state's legislature move swiftly to sketch out congressional and General Assembly districts that provide an equitable level of representation for Black residents, who make up more than a third of the state's population. In the ruling, Judge Jones wrote that the court 'will not allow another election cycle on redistricting plans' that had been found to be unlawful. Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, responded on Thursday by calling a special session of the Georgia General Assembly that will begin on Nov. 29, giving lawmakers 10 days to meet a Dec. 8 deadline set by Judge Jones." The NPR story is here; thanks to Ken W. for the link. MB: I'm no fan of Kemp, but he could have been a much worse governor than he has turned out to be.
Maine. Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "Representative Jared Golden of Maine, a centrist Democrat, called for a ban on assault weapons Thursday afternoon, reversing a long-held stance after 18 people were killed in a mass shooting in Lewiston.... Mr. Golden, a Marine Corps veteran, has repeatedly broken with his party to oppose legislation that would ban assault weapons, a policy that Democrats have repeatedly tried and failed to revive in the nearly two decades since it lapsed.... That position, Mr. Golden said on Thursday, reflected in part 'a false confidence that our community was above this, and that we could be in full control, among many other misjudgments.'... Standing by him at a news conference, Senator Susan Collins, a centrist Republican, declined to back a ban on assault weapons." Politico's story is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Which raises the question: which is dumber? (1) a legislator who believes every American should own an assault weapon until a lunatic wipes out his own constituents with an assault rifle, or (2) a legislator who believes every American should own an assault weapon even after a lunatic wipes out her own constituents with an assault rifle? Anyone with ordinary intelligence and a teensy bit of knowledge should be able to figure out that ordinary citizens should not have access to weapons of war. Anyone who holds elective office, no matter his IQ, who hasn't figured that out should be drummed out of office & relegated to a job that requires no decision-making. Mass-murder advocates wear me out.
Maryland. Justin Jouvenal & Omari Daniels of the Washington Post: "A man who allegedly shot and killed a Maryland judge hours after the jurist awarded custody of the man's children to his estranged wife was found dead Thursday after a week-long search that spanned multiple states, authorities announced. Searchers discovered the body of Pedro Argote, 49, in a heavily wooded area of Washington County, about 10 miles from where Argote allegedly opened fire on Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson in the driveway of his Hagerstown, Md., home on Oct. 19. Argote's Mercedes-Benz SUV was found over the weekend by a member of the public about a mile from where he was found dead. Washington County Sheriff Brian K. Albert said at a news conference Thursday that he would not comment before Argote's body is examined on when or how Argote died." The AP's story is here.
Virginia. Meltdown. Teo Armus & Hadley Green of the Washington Post: "... the statue of [Robert E. Lee] that once stood in Charlottesville — the one that prompted the deadly 'Unite the Right' rally in 2017 -- [has been] cut into fragments and dropped into a furnace.... On Saturday [Charlottesville's Black history] museum went ahead with its plan in secret at [a] small Southern foundry outside Virginia, in a town and state The Washington Post agreed not to name because of participants' fears of violence.... Swords Into Plowshares ... will turn bronze ingots made from molten Lee into a new piece of public artwork to be displayed in Charlottesville." Includes video clips of the foundry workers doing the deed.
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Israel/Palestine. The New York Times' live updates of developments Friday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "The United States carried out airstrikes on targets linked to Iran in eastern Syria early Friday, striking facilities used by Iran's own forces, U.S. officials said, in an effort to ward off more attacks on American forces in the region. The Biden administration has redoubled U.S. military resources in the region to deter Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq from engaging in a regional war following Hamas's Oct. 7 surprise attack into southern Israel. The U.S. strikes were in retaliation for nearly daily attacks against U.S. forces over the past 10 days and were an escalation from targeting the militias in Iraq and Syria that Tehran helps to arm, train and equip. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said in a statement that the airstrikes were 'narrowly tailored strikes in self-defense,' and that they 'do not constitute a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict.'... Nineteen U.S. troops based in Iraq and Syria have suffered traumatic brain injuries after rocket and drone attacks from Iran-backed militants last week, the Pentagon said on Thursday....
"Israel's military said early Friday that it had carried out 'targeted raids' into the Gaza Strip over the past day, as the country's political and military leaders remained divided about how, when and even whether to invade the coastal enclave.... The United Nations General Assembly is set to vote Friday on a nonbinding resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire. The humanitarian crisis for Gaza's population of two million is spiraling under Israeli bombardment, and supplies of fuel, food and water are nearing depletion."
CNN's live updates are here.
News Ledes
CNN: "An intensive manhunt is still underway for a suspect in Wednesday's shooting rampage at a bowling alley and a restaurant that left at least 18 dead and 13 injured in Lewiston, Maine, according to authorities. Robert Card, 40, is facing an arrest warrant for eight counts of murder and should be considered armed and dangerous, police said. He is a certified firearms instructor and a member of the US Army Reserves, according to law enforcement. Police are urging residents to shelter in place and report any suspicious activity to authorities. Lewiston is the state's second-largest city and is located about 36 miles north of Portland. The rampage in Maine is the deadliest US mass shooting since the Uvalde school massacre. It adds to a grim docket of 566 such incidents, where four or more people are shot excluding the shooter, across the country this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive." This is a liveblog.
New York Times: "The extent of the destruction [of Mexico's Pacific coast] left by Hurricane Otis, which turned a once popular tourist destination into a scene of chaos, only started to come into view [Thursday] morning. More than two dozen people were killed and three were missing after the storm made landfall in the early hours of Wednesday with an intensity that shocked forecasters and government officials. Thousands of military officers, medical teams and government officials confronted a devastated Guerrero State on Thursday. Communication and power systems remained largely off in much of the state, making the scope of the hurricane's toll difficult to ascertain." ~~~
~~~ AP: "Survivors of the Category 5 storm that killed at least 27 people and devastated Mexico's resort city of Acapulco are getting desperate amid a slow government response worrying that the focus will remain on repairing infrastructure for the city's economic engine of tourism instead of helping the neediest. Despite hopes of incoming aid by many in Acapulco, the coastal city of 1 million once known for its beachside glamour was still in a state of complete chaos by the end of Thursday."
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Reader Comments (15)
Enough already. How many more examples of Clarence Thomas’ egregious ethical and moral failings do we need before something is done, that something being to kick this crook off the court. He is a disgrace. And that $267,000 wasn’t a “loan”, it was a bribe, a chit, a reminder to Crooked Clarence—just like all the fancy trips and private jet rides—that if and when the holder of that chit has business before the court, and it could be of a very tangential nature, his industry or fellow travelers on the road of the rich and connected need a friend on the court that helps them all, Clarence had better pony up and do what he’s been paid to do.
The arrogance, the greed, the self-serving “I deserve this” mindset of Thomas, and Alito as well, are all of a piece with the efforts by so many on the right—including the newly minted Squeaker—to hollow out the most important institutions of democracy and the rule of law.
He pisses on the nation, and laughs at our inability to do anything about it.
How many more “loans” don’t we know about?
A fucking disgrace.
Anent Mike Johnson, our new Speaker of the House:
Isn't it his hero, Mr. Reagan, who said there are no more terrifying words in the English language than "I am from the government and I'm here to pray for you?"
No pebble left unturned
The Party of Traitors doesn’t just turn over stones looking to scarf up every scintilla of advantage in their quest for absolute power and control, they overturn teeny pebbles as well.
The sweeping, multi-generational attack on democracy, governmental agencies, and the rule of law, culminating with unstoppable control of the Supreme Court that had its genesis in the nefarious, but wildly influential and successful Powell Memo, continues apace. The mere fact that a bigoted Christian nationalist now holds the Speaker’s gavel and that a corrupt demagogue became president, tried to steal an election, and is his party’s hero stamps QED on that assertion.
For decades, the right has steadily advanced its cause, like cancer cells taking over, weakening and sickening the body politic. WNYC’s On the Media podcast recently produced, in conjunction with Pro Publica, an extensively researched three part series on one of the most prolific field generals in the right’s assault on democracy, the Federalist Society’s bulldog and chief schemer, Leonard Leo .
And kids, if you think you knew about this guy, wait til you here this. Leo has been in the trenches working to make sure far right ideology is supported by hidden billionaires whose interests are promoted as long as they fund the Federalist takeover of the court system and reward politicians who fall in line to provide the legislative muscle for the various assaults, skirmishes, and outright full scale battles for control of the country. And it doesn’t matter if they represent a small, and increasingly smaller percentage of American voters, they have the money and they own judges and politicians.
Not content to merely own the Supreme Court, Leo and his fellow weasels went to work to buy up State and federal judges as well. He even picks staff members for newly elected PoT politicians. “Here’s someone I SUGGEST you hire”, a someone Leo trusts to steer that pol in the “right direction”.
This mindset of total control has leeched into traitor bloodstreams all across the country. Let me give you an example.
In Kentucky, the PoT controlled legislature and the PoT AG are not happy. Very occasionally, they don’t win a court case. This pisses them off no end. Most challenges to new laws (like total abortion bans, banning LGBTQ anything, or stuff like additions to voter requirements designed to disenfranchise certain voters, eg) go to the Franklin circuit court. This upsets the state PoT leaders because in their view, too many Democrats (five or six) live in that region.
So…here comes the legislature with a new bill saying they can decide to move cases to other, more “friendly” courts any time they want.
The Kentucky Supreme Court gave this power grab the big ixnay. But here’s the thing. That sort of stuff goes on all the time in this country. These creeps pull out all the stops. They never stop thinking of ways to game the system for their own advantage.
Never. No pebble left unturned.
One more thought about Crooked Clarence.
He is inarguably a disgrace. What is just as disgraceful is the MSM not hammering this point home in a way that forces some action. But they don’t and won’t. Why? There is no way to Both Sides this issue. There is nothing on the Democratic side they can point to that would effectively balance an attack on CC.
Bob (Gold Bars in the Sock Drawer) Menendez? Sure. They’ll go after him, and they do. But so do other Democrats. No one on the right is going after Crooked Clarence. He’s giving them what they want: control. And owning the libs. And besides, Menendez holds nowhere near the power of a Supreme Court Justice.
So, no Both Sides, no story.
Reuters
"The United States has information that the Russian military is executing soldiers who do not follow orders related to the war with Ukraine, the White House said on Thursday."
Maybe Leo could help Vlad get his soldiers to all fall in line like he does with the GQP. Will Ted Cruz continue calling for the U.S. to be as manly as the Russian military.
Krugman on an even smaller Mikee, and Ken on Krugman:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/26/opinion/mike-johnson-republican-party.html
The fundamental difference between Republican and Democrat politicians is their view of how responsible they are for anyone but themselves.
Republicans accept the view that they are responsible only for themselves, maybe their extended families, and to some extent, their fellow tribal members. It's a philosophy that may work well enough in the limited world of private business or as a member of an organization where all share the same beliefs, but it cannot work for anyone who wishes to govern an increasingly diverse and pluralistic country. The my way or the highway approach that often falters in small family units simply cannot govern an entire nation.
Democrats are Democrats because they have an inclusive view of their responsibilities reflected in policies that encourage voting, tolerance, open-mindedness and the creation of an equitable economy.
The Right that now holds the reins in the House is not interested in governing the mass of the nation because they don't even like a much of it: Those bothersome dark-skinned people, those gays and those rational people who follow science to what are for them disagreeable conclusions about realities like climate change and vaccinations.
Who needs 'em, they think, so instead of governing, they act as saboteurs.
Maybe because Republicans are miserable people, they want everyone else to be miserable too.
I'm thinking that might be the Republican Big Tent that we've heard so much about.
Welcome, one and all, to the R's Big Tent.
A friend sends this eloquent riff on MTG.
Mike Johnson said (above) his worldview is "go pick up a bible."
For fun, I played the game this morning: open a bible (The Jerusalem Bible), point to a passage. Here's what I got: Judith 3: 6-9
"... he* went down with his forces to the seacoast, stationed garrisons in the fortified cities, and took selected men from them as auxiliaries.
7
The people of these cities and all the inhabitants of the countryside received him with garlands and dancing to the sound of timbrels.
8
But he devastated their whole territory and cut down their sacred groves, for he was allowed to destroy all the gods of the land, so that every nation might worship only Nebuchadnezzar, and all their tongues and tribes should invoke him as a god. ... "
*Holofernes, Nebuchadnezzar's burn it all down kill 'em all general of armies, #2 to the throne of the Assyrians.
THAT was theocracy in the good old time religion days. Even when the conquered people gave hosannas to the conqueror, they were toast because that's how theocracy rules.
The bible ... good as a Ouija board if you know how to read.
Open letter to Speaker Johnson:
Hi Mike,
Thank you very much for your prayers to end gun violence.
Now would you write them down, please. Inscribe your prayers on some fine manuscript paper, roll it into a scroll, tie it with a colorful ribbon, and stick it up your ass. That is the most useful and effective thing your prayers can possibly accomplish.
And let me know when you’ve done that. I have some additional suggestions for you.
Thanks again,
@D in Md: It appears that Mike Johnson, who bills himself as a constitutional scholar, has studied only one teeny (and poorly-written) sentence of the Constitution: the Second Amendment. The rest of his understand of government seems to come from the Bible, especially the Old Testament, which -- as Patrick suggests above -- is mighty brutal. (Somhow Mike, who claims to be a Christian, is very little interested in all that New Testament stuff about giving all your worldly goods to the poor, caring for the sick and not showing off your fake piety.)
I seriously don't understand why most Christians call themselves Christians when the only thing they seem to get out of the New Testament is the Jesus iconography. IOW, they seem to need a tangible picture of God, but other than that, the teachings of Jesus, as related in, esp., the Gospel of Luke, are anathema to them.
Maybe this partially explains their devotion to Trump: they need a concrete image of God, and they find it easy to imagine God might look like a fat old white guy who, during his earthly sojourn, lives high above them in a 33,000 sq. ft. penthouse in the U.S.A. Trump is their totem.
Marie,
Speaking of images:
Jesus, a first century Palestinian Jew, would have certainly looked more like Yasser Arafat than Max von Sydow. Can you imagine White Christian Nationalists praying to an icon that looked like Yasser?
If they were honest, they would replace all of their icons and other images of their assorted deities -- with mirrors.
@D in Md: Quite right. I suppose Mike Johnson would consider heresy what archaeologists and medical experts have established what a real first-century Jewish man looked like. Definitely more Yasser than Max.
Trump posted a picture of him and white Jesus at his trial a couple weeks ago.
RAS,
Not just white Jesus, but white Jesus with surfer dude blond streaks. Do they have that hair highlighter spray in heaven? That must be addressed in the sequel “Heaven is Real and spray highlights too.”
But no nose ring? How about a Big Lebowski Jesus, with bathrobe and shades. I’m guessing he’s already got the sandals.
How Bad It Is
A friend texted me to say that George W. Bush would be throwing out the first pitch in tonight’s World Series opener. He was awarded that honor in a 2001 World Series game just weeks after ignoring warnings about 9/11.
Republicans constantly remind me of that Boccaccio tale about the drooling idiot who face plants into a pile of pig shit but emerges with a gold ring.
My friend opined that, compared to Trump, Johnson, Gaetz, Jordan, Greene, et al, Dubya looks like Abe Lincoln.
Maybe. If you overlook the history.
In 1988, Georgie, the Stupid Bush, who had already run an oil business (in TEXAS!) into the ground (and made a killing before the business went belly up), and who, as a coke snorting AWOL party boy, had tried to resurrect his reputation as a Jesus guy, needed a lifeline.
His name got him a choice spot in an ownership group that purchased the Texas Rangers team. And Dubya, who did absolutely nothing to deserve it, got rich off the backs of taxpayers. .
What a surprise!
He wrangled a minimum investment ante and then was given additional points by the primary partners. After the sale, Dubya took full credit for the deal, which is like a farmer taking credit for rain.
But owning the team wasn’t enough. Bush and his partners forced Arlington and Texas taxpayers to pay for a new stadium. They themselves paid nothing. When the profits started rolling in, Bush and his partners kept it all. Taxpayers got nothing. Zip.
But that wasn’t enough either. They wanted all the land around the stadium as well, for their development pals, so they took it, by eminent domain. Poor taxpayers got nothing. Dubya got their land. Bush maintained his money making ownership of a professional baseball team even as governor of Texas, and ten years after his initial investment, Dubya and his partners sold the team.
He made millions. 25 times what he originally invested.
Then he went on to wreck the world economy, allow thousands to be killed so he could go on vacation, started an illegal war that is still going on, and retired a wealthy shrub, as Molly Ivins, referred to him.
This is Republicanism in a nutshell. Incompetent, ignorant narcissists who screw taxpayers to line their own pockets, inject violence and chaos into world affairs, and play the Jesus card when called on their crimes.
But just the fact that a conniving, world wrecking, piggy-toe painting prevaricator like Dubya could be considered an Abraham Lincoln compared to the current crop of brigands and bigots says a lot.
If we don’t kick ass in 2024, we.are.fucked.