All these years later, I'm still trying to wrap my head around how GOP voters can be so obsessed about keeping on a budget and creating a lean and mean federal government grounded in sound business principles when Democrats are in power, yet when Republicans are in charge they cannot implement enough tax cuts to deprive even a leaner and meaner government of necessary operating revenue and don't mind spending like drunken sailors on causes that are near and dear to their own hearts.
Exhibit A: Congressional investigations. They cost money. They expend valuable work time. And said time and money are utilized better elsewhere for the taxpayers footing the bill than on a vengeance-based agenda grounded in the flimsiest of rationales: just because we can. Bonus take: they are an embarrassment in the eyes of outsiders who still view American prestige as something earned rather than something declared, and who are not interested in seeing us air our dirty laundry for political purposes instead of being a leader in important international affairs (see Exhibit B: Ukraine).
Somebody please connect the dots for me on how and why Republican voters both support this hypocritical agenda, rather gleefully in fact, and turn a willful blind eye toward the gross and obvious amount of cognitive dissonance involved. My BS detector has broken from all of the stress and strain, and frankly I lack both the talent and the patience anymore to understand how so many adults can position themselves to be like little children trying to convince their parents that some other kid always is the one who started the playground fight.
I'm pretty sure Kevin isn't going to be the Speaker, which is going to make watching him realize he sold his soul for nothing the only good part of a potential GOP House majority.
Silly me, I was thinking Putin's timetable was to hang on until January 2025 when America switches sides and allies with him against Ukraine, and there remained still about 800 days left for Ukraine to save itself. But Kevin McCarthy has just told Putin he won't have to wait that long... Next January, the US Congress will be on his team.
To call this what it is, infamous, is utterly insufficient to the perfidy.
I think Catherine Rampell is right about the risk of worldwide economic catastrophe if the GOP manages to throw the US into default in a debt-ceiling standoff. Look what Liz Truss' tax cut proposal did to the UK economy, and this would be a much bigger deal.
Regarding Durham fail and how deep is the deep state, I think it's appropriate to bring up this joke again...and apologies for those of you who've heard it before.
2 MAGAs get in a fatal car accident. They then find themselves at the pearly gates and St. Peter and one of the MAGA's call out to St. Pete...."Hey, sir, before we get started here....do you mind if we ask God a question?" St. Pete rolls his eyes and replies..."Yes...yes...of course....this happens all of the time...just make it quick". The MAGA shouts out "God....who really won the 2020 election?" God responds very loudly "Joe Biden". The MAGA looks at the other MAGA and exclaims "Man....this deep state goes all the way to the top!"
Yep...there's no end to the conspiracies and the Deep State roster always has more room to add another person to it....and that's probably Durham at this point.
There's an enduring misconception that MAGAts are struggling working class voters, and while that's true for some, the average income for this group is higher than the average income of Democratic voters.
When they post comments on social media and other places about inflation and high gas prices, they are not struggling to make ends meet - they are upset that it's eating into their disposable income. Many are small business owners. They look at where the stock market was during the trump years (thank you Obama), and give him all the credit.
What a rude surprise it will be if the GOP retakes the House and perhaps the Senate. All the GOP will do is exacerbate everything, including fomenting a world-wide recession. The market will react to that, and they will be faced with their 401K's and stock portfolios taking a huge hit.
We often talk about what will bring them to their senses, and this is exactly what will. Not those MAGAts in it for the racism and armed militia wannabe's but for enough of the somewhat moderate voters who have never understood that the GOP are not good stewards of our economy.
I don't want the GOP to retake the House, but if they do, this might be exactly what reshapes our elections in 2024.
Trump was not wrong about the "crime of the century" concerning Federal law agencies..it is unfortunate that a large number of agents in the FBI and Secret Service drank the Kool-Aid of Trumpism and support the Sessionist-in-Chief.
Well, I'm just thrilled to know that McCarthy, fool that he is has just signaled to Putin that he only has to persist a little while longer and that Ukraine is on his calendar for collapsing. Vlad doesn't need to drop nukes, he can just wait.
Remember when the GOP had principles about Russia? APparently they have come up with new ones and will happily publicize them. .
RE: the NYT, I think their mistake there (and one Bennet is missing, though I do enjoy the Lexington column in The Economist) is that they released, willingly and wittingly, the call of a sitting US Senator for the machinery of state to unleash terror on the protesters. While we all agree the destruction of property wasn't the right response, the protests in and of themselves were to the literal decades of mistreatment American minorities, and especially African-Americans, have suffered because White Americans aren't entirely OK with the idea of everyone receiving equal treatment before the law (and lets not kid ourselves here, the "tough on crime" policy framework was as much rooted in racial backlash as it was sincere desire to combat crime). The fact that the NYTs, the "paper of record", would publish such an inflammatory op-ed, especially one from someone who should know better, showed a serious lack of judgement on their part. All the more so given the timing.
Separately, FWIW, I don't want the NYTs to be Mother Jones on steroids, I just want them to not only hire their journalists from East Coast schools or the Oberlins of the world. Diversity of origin is as important for a paper like that as diversity of any other demographic factor
I'm not sure anything illustrates the severity of our right wing media problem as well as the Durham probe. It was created, out of thin air, due to nothing but baseless accusations, propagated entirely by the rightwing media, where Republican politicians get and perfect their talking points. For years, right wingers have been saying "Durham is coming," and, wait until the Durham probe ends, you'll see. And this end with a whimper was foreseeable to anyone willing to take an objective view, because the probe shouldn't have even existed to begin with.
The fact that these juries were able to quickly and roundly reject the accusations in the case of the Clinton campaign lawyer and in Danchenko's case leaves me optimistic that if Trump were to go on trial for whatever he might be charged with in DC, it wouldn't be impossible to assemble a jury that might convict. DC is about 80%-90% Democrat. The MAGA cult lacks roots there, so finding the one incorrigible idiot to hang the jury might be unlikely.
The skin-darkening tactic against Mandela Barnes, employed by Ron Johnson and the PACs aligned with him, is no surprise at all. From the beginning their ads have utilized no lack of subtle racism in trying to scare the bejeezle out of anyone undecided who might vote for the Scary Black Man. As opposed to, say, running on Johnson's 12-year track record as a U.S. Senator, telling us about all of the good things that he has done for Wisconsin during that time, and why he deserves a third term representing us at taxpayer expense.
The former is everywhere in pro-Johnson advertisements. The latter is nowhere to be found. It is the ultimate political "look, squirrel!" effort, redirecting so much attention away from Johnson's agenda and his own track record, and getting away with it. And it absolutely boggles the mind how a campaign run solely on attack ads and creating ill will stands to triumph in the end despite the utter lack of a message telling us what Johnson intends to do for us over the next six years -- which is the only thing that will matter from the day after the election onward if he wins.
Heaping shame on lazy voters who both fall for the tactics and fail to see with a critical eye how they are being played in the process.
Just read Mr, Linker's piece and Anton's. Anton incredibly alarming, indeed Naziesque seems, at minimum, accurate. Anton's distortions, assertions gone overboard abound. "Trump Derangement Syndrome?" did he miss the criminality, attempted blackmail, bullying, incompetence, personality disorder? I need a drink. Thanks Mr. Sykes
They didn't darken Barnes' face because they are racists, they just want voters to be terrified of black people, and not feel bad about using N-words. In other words, the fact that they are racists had nothing to do with it, any more than personal animosity of the enforcer is why he smashes your kneecaps. Sure, he hates you, but the assault is just on a strictly business basis.
All these years later, I'm still trying to wrap my head around how GOP voters can be so obsessed about keeping on a budget and creating a lean and mean federal government grounded in sound business principles when Democrats are in power, yet when Republicans are in charge they cannot implement enough tax cuts to deprive even a leaner and meaner government of necessary operating revenue and don't mind spending like drunken sailors on causes that are near and dear to their own hearts.
Exhibit A: Congressional investigations. They cost money. They expend valuable work time. And said time and money are utilized better elsewhere for the taxpayers footing the bill than on a vengeance-based agenda grounded in the flimsiest of rationales: just because we can. Bonus take: they are an embarrassment in the eyes of outsiders who still view American prestige as something earned rather than something declared, and who are not interested in seeing us air our dirty laundry for political purposes instead of being a leader in important international affairs (see Exhibit B: Ukraine).
Somebody please connect the dots for me on how and why Republican voters both support this hypocritical agenda, rather gleefully in fact, and turn a willful blind eye toward the gross and obvious amount of cognitive dissonance involved. My BS detector has broken from all of the stress and strain, and frankly I lack both the talent and the patience anymore to understand how so many adults can position themselves to be like little children trying to convince their parents that some other kid always is the one who started the playground fight.
I'm pretty sure Kevin isn't going to be the Speaker, which is going to make watching him realize he sold his soul for nothing the only good part of a potential GOP House majority.
ENDERAK08 FAKE POLLING OF THE ELECTORATE
Do you support or oppose decreasing military funding to Ukraine?
Support, 38%
Oppose, 57%
Unsure, 5%
Do you support or oppose defaulting on the national debt?
Support, 4%
Oppose, 90%
Unsure, 6%
Do you support or oppose cutting Social Security and Medicare?
Support, 32%
Oppose, 64%
Unsure, 4%
What political party would you prefer control Congress?
Republican, 49%
Democrat, 47%
Unsure, 4%
I love the American electorate!
Silly me, I was thinking Putin's timetable was to hang on until January 2025 when America switches sides and allies with him against Ukraine, and there remained still about 800 days left for Ukraine to save itself. But Kevin McCarthy has just told Putin he won't have to wait that long... Next January, the US Congress will be on his team.
To call this what it is, infamous, is utterly insufficient to the perfidy.
I think Catherine Rampell is right about the risk of worldwide economic catastrophe if the GOP manages to throw the US into default in a debt-ceiling standoff. Look what Liz Truss' tax cut proposal did to the UK economy, and this would be a much bigger deal.
Regarding Durham fail and how deep is the deep state, I think it's appropriate to bring up this joke again...and apologies for those of you who've heard it before.
2 MAGAs get in a fatal car accident. They then find themselves at the pearly gates and St. Peter and one of the MAGA's call out to St. Pete...."Hey, sir, before we get started here....do you mind if we ask God a question?" St. Pete rolls his eyes and replies..."Yes...yes...of course....this happens all of the time...just make it quick". The MAGA shouts out "God....who really won the 2020 election?" God responds very loudly "Joe Biden". The MAGA looks at the other MAGA and exclaims "Man....this deep state goes all the way to the top!"
Yep...there's no end to the conspiracies and the Deep State roster always has more room to add another person to it....and that's probably Durham at this point.
There's an enduring misconception that MAGAts are struggling working class voters, and while that's true for some, the average income for this group is higher than the average income of Democratic voters.
When they post comments on social media and other places about inflation and high gas prices, they are not struggling to make ends meet - they are upset that it's eating into their disposable income. Many are small business owners. They look at where the stock market was during the trump years (thank you Obama), and give him all the credit.
What a rude surprise it will be if the GOP retakes the House and perhaps the Senate. All the GOP will do is exacerbate everything, including fomenting a world-wide recession. The market will react to that, and they will be faced with their 401K's and stock portfolios taking a huge hit.
We often talk about what will bring them to their senses, and this is exactly what will. Not those MAGAts in it for the racism and armed militia wannabe's but for enough of the somewhat moderate voters who have never understood that the GOP are not good stewards of our economy.
I don't want the GOP to retake the House, but if they do, this might be exactly what reshapes our elections in 2024.
If the left makes Mitch any more white he might become invisible.
Trump was not wrong about the "crime of the century" concerning Federal law agencies..it is unfortunate that a large number of agents in the FBI and Secret Service drank the Kool-Aid of Trumpism and support the Sessionist-in-Chief.
As the Orange Jesus would say....SAD!!!
Well, I'm just thrilled to know that McCarthy, fool that he is has just signaled to Putin that he only has to persist a little while longer and that Ukraine is on his calendar for collapsing. Vlad doesn't need to drop nukes, he can just wait.
Remember when the GOP had principles about Russia? APparently they have come up with new ones and will happily publicize them. .
RE: the NYT, I think their mistake there (and one Bennet is missing, though I do enjoy the Lexington column in The Economist) is that they released, willingly and wittingly, the call of a sitting US Senator for the machinery of state to unleash terror on the protesters. While we all agree the destruction of property wasn't the right response, the protests in and of themselves were to the literal decades of mistreatment American minorities, and especially African-Americans, have suffered because White Americans aren't entirely OK with the idea of everyone receiving equal treatment before the law (and lets not kid ourselves here, the "tough on crime" policy framework was as much rooted in racial backlash as it was sincere desire to combat crime). The fact that the NYTs, the "paper of record", would publish such an inflammatory op-ed, especially one from someone who should know better, showed a serious lack of judgement on their part. All the more so given the timing.
Separately, FWIW, I don't want the NYTs to be Mother Jones on steroids, I just want them to not only hire their journalists from East Coast schools or the Oberlins of the world. Diversity of origin is as important for a paper like that as diversity of any other demographic factor
I'm not sure anything illustrates the severity of our right wing media problem as well as the Durham probe. It was created, out of thin air, due to nothing but baseless accusations, propagated entirely by the rightwing media, where Republican politicians get and perfect their talking points. For years, right wingers have been saying "Durham is coming," and, wait until the Durham probe ends, you'll see. And this end with a whimper was foreseeable to anyone willing to take an objective view, because the probe shouldn't have even existed to begin with.
The fact that these juries were able to quickly and roundly reject the accusations in the case of the Clinton campaign lawyer and in Danchenko's case leaves me optimistic that if Trump were to go on trial for whatever he might be charged with in DC, it wouldn't be impossible to assemble a jury that might convict. DC is about 80%-90% Democrat. The MAGA cult lacks roots there, so finding the one incorrigible idiot to hang the jury might be unlikely.
The skin-darkening tactic against Mandela Barnes, employed by Ron Johnson and the PACs aligned with him, is no surprise at all. From the beginning their ads have utilized no lack of subtle racism in trying to scare the bejeezle out of anyone undecided who might vote for the Scary Black Man. As opposed to, say, running on Johnson's 12-year track record as a U.S. Senator, telling us about all of the good things that he has done for Wisconsin during that time, and why he deserves a third term representing us at taxpayer expense.
The former is everywhere in pro-Johnson advertisements. The latter is nowhere to be found. It is the ultimate political "look, squirrel!" effort, redirecting so much attention away from Johnson's agenda and his own track record, and getting away with it. And it absolutely boggles the mind how a campaign run solely on attack ads and creating ill will stands to triumph in the end despite the utter lack of a message telling us what Johnson intends to do for us over the next six years -- which is the only thing that will matter from the day after the election onward if he wins.
Heaping shame on lazy voters who both fall for the tactics and fail to see with a critical eye how they are being played in the process.
Nancy Pelosi had proven over the years that she was not only the consumate pol, but also a highly organized administrator.
This was borne out in the recent 1-6 videos.
"My Kevin" had proven to be shambalic in all aspects of his life.
If not tragic for the country, it would be wonderful to watch him fail publicly every day.
Just read Mr, Linker's piece and Anton's. Anton incredibly alarming, indeed Naziesque seems, at minimum, accurate. Anton's distortions, assertions gone overboard abound. "Trump Derangement Syndrome?" did he miss the criminality, attempted blackmail, bullying, incompetence, personality disorder? I need a drink. Thanks Mr. Sykes
They didn't darken Barnes' face because they are racists, they just want voters to be terrified of black people, and not feel bad about using N-words. In other words, the fact that they are racists had nothing to do with it, any more than personal animosity of the enforcer is why he smashes your kneecaps. Sure, he hates you, but the assault is just on a strictly business basis.