The stuff McCarthy has allowed to date while deplorable has caused no real damage. Kicking Swalwell and Schiff off the intelligence committee, booting Omar from the foreign relations committee, elevating Republican goons to the oversight committee and giving Tucker J6 tapes that he can cherry pick poses no existential risk to the nation. But he surely realizes he has a tiger by the tail. What's his plan when that tiger insists on taking the country over the cliff on the debt ceiling. Does he think that at that point he will be able to reason with the tiger? No chance. He's given these people a taste of blood. They're going to want more. Kissing MTG"s ass didn't stop her from making a fool out of herself and his conference at the State of the Union. We haven't seen anything yet.
Am curious as to why Amanda Carpenter refers to Carlson's latest J6 programming products as "specials*. What, exactly, is *special* about them? Just more of the same ordinary, everyday product from Carlson & Fox Fertilizer, Inc. Nothing new, innovative or special here.
"He adds that the goal is not to “convince the other side” but to “defeat, humiliate, and demoralize” his opponents."
When Adam Serwer says, "the cruelty is the point", you don't expect someone to flat out cop to it.
I respect Buttons for her principled stand here (admittedly I'd never heard of her before now). In fact, I encourage everyone to read her resignation letter as it gives a fairly accurate summation of where people like me stand on this issue.
I don't know everything about where she is on other issues; she claims to be a pro-choice atheist who has always voted Democrat. I am all of that plus someone who still feels comfortable calling themselves a "progressive" (albeit these days not without some disclaimers). She also claims to have transsexuals as friends (which I entirely believe), which appears to have been the breaking point for her with regard to Walsh's statements.
Regardless, her article nicely illustrates how someone of a liberal disposition, who not only tolerates but cares about people with gender dysphoria and their well-being, can espouse what are often lazily portrayed as "anti-trans" views. She is correct to note how a cultural studies ideology is currently masquerading as actual medical science, typically given cover by intransigent and often unhinged outrage on the left. And she is spot on in calling out Walsh for for fueling this outrage and providing it legitimacy.
I am gratified to see that she has now experienced the difference between compassionate and sensible scrutiny of an important issue, and the right-wing bigotry with which it sometimes finds itself in functional alignment.
"The elderly President" has done a great job. I think the media (all stripes) need to quit ragging on him and support what he has done to bring order into the chaos that king Trump left. Save your speculation about when he's going to die.
Imagine if the fable of The Emperor's New Clothes were to occur today. When the brave little truth teller blurts out the emperor is in fact naked, instead of freeing the crowd to acknowledge that truth, he'd be berated as "fake news" and he and his entire family would be hunted to the ends of the earth by the crowd as evil "woke" traitors.
I'm finishing up a unit on the Civil Rights movement and I always show the video "A Class Divided". The Daily Wire story reminded me of how easily people will abuse their power and punch down when given a license to do so. Why is tolerance so hard for some people?
Yes I saw all of that. I don’t need more evidence of an insurrection—most reasonable people realize that’s what it was. But there is this seemingly bizarre behavior by Capitol Police which should be addressed. The others responding here to my post are speculating about why the police acted the way they did. But we still don’t know why police would casually escort insurrectionists around. That can’t possibly be SOP. Were these sympathizers? I don’t know. But it looks bizarre and deserves a serious review.
It all feels a bit too much like MSNBC. We have happy talk about how profoundly stupid these people are- total buffoons but I'm paying attention to a new tact taken by Michael Steele.
It seems to me that he is saying that there was an opportunity to blow the platform these guys are building all to Hell BUT even though we comfort ourselves in seeing the red wave fail to materialize, they still won the midterm election in the house and that's very bad news. These people want the insurrection and are coming for you.
Something right along those lines and the question really is "when are the never Trumpers and the democrats going to actually wade into a fight? MAGA world likely never have watched the Jan 6th committee, and they likely believe Dark Carlson. If all they watch is FOX and FOX doesn't report on any of this crap, they really will destroy the republic and that's what they actually want.
The opposition needs to buy advertising on FOX and pound the video of Jan 6th. If FOX won't sell the time, sue the MF's for large sums of money. Start now. Pound them.
I really don't understand why no one seems to be held to account for an illegal scheme that tried to keep tfg in office after he had lost. It's just the low level minions who attacked the Capitol (and even then, I think their sentences have mostly been too lenient). Why are the people who signed fake elector certificates not in jail? Why are the lawyers who plotted this undemocratic thing not disbarred and in jail? Why are the congresspeople who helped, or gave tours on J5, now empowered in the House and not in jail?Why has Mike Flynn, for instance, not been recalled to active duty so he can be court martialed for his sedition? Why the hell is Bannon out and about, still able to flap his gums and spew poison? Just so disheartening...
The contrast between Senate and House Republicans is striking. The House R's are a boiling pot of excrement. When Senate Republicans push back on some of the insanity, it's an important inflection point. The ads for 2024 write themselves. And keep in mind there was no 2022 red wave. If Kevin McCarthy actually had character and intelligence, I would worry.
To be fair to the non-MAGA GOP, it’s hard to get too worked up about a war in Europe, or attempted coups in DC, when there are immigrants and trans kids to demonize. The Paul Ryans are going to keep voting R, and the John Boltons will keep voting for any non-Trump R.
And they don’t need get their hands dirty by physically eradicating trans folks. Given the suicide statistics, if they can make things as miserable as possible for faceless trans people and their families, the problem might take care of itself. On this front, there’s certainly room to improve at The Bulwark, which seems too often to throw trans folks under the bus in burnishing its anti-Woke bona fides. (It was refreshing to hear it acknowledged in one of the podcasts yesterday that there are, in fact, kids who know they’re trans and families and health professionals who want to support them; and that the GOP’s anti-trans agenda causes damage beyond merely infringing on the 1st Amendment.)
The good news is that in 20 years, the GOPs trans bashing will be as toxic as gay bashing is today. The bad news is that it will take 20 years, that they will try to preserve as much as possible by putting a religious wrapper around it, and that immigrant bashing will stay evergreen.
This is so depressing and scary which the new Republican party is so extremely gone to support kooks, freaks and insurrectionist and downright liars. What happened to sanity, honesty and love of of truth and the Constitution and American values that many former Republican used to preach these values. What a shame.
The stuff McCarthy has allowed to date while deplorable has caused no real damage. Kicking Swalwell and Schiff off the intelligence committee, booting Omar from the foreign relations committee, elevating Republican goons to the oversight committee and giving Tucker J6 tapes that he can cherry pick poses no existential risk to the nation. But he surely realizes he has a tiger by the tail. What's his plan when that tiger insists on taking the country over the cliff on the debt ceiling. Does he think that at that point he will be able to reason with the tiger? No chance. He's given these people a taste of blood. They're going to want more. Kissing MTG"s ass didn't stop her from making a fool out of herself and his conference at the State of the Union. We haven't seen anything yet.
Re: An Amanda Carpenter line in her piece titled, "How Kevin McCarthy and Tucker Carlson Surrendered to MAGA":
Author: "...Apparently, like his friends at Fox, McCarthy thinks he can play his audience for fools..."
'Nuff said!
Who aren’t I helping, Charlie? Mona?
Am curious as to why Amanda Carpenter refers to Carlson's latest J6 programming products as "specials*. What, exactly, is *special* about them? Just more of the same ordinary, everyday product from Carlson & Fox Fertilizer, Inc. Nothing new, innovative or special here.
Regarding the love fest between Kevin and MTG, we shall see. I remember Clinton saying he never had sex with that woman.
"He adds that the goal is not to “convince the other side” but to “defeat, humiliate, and demoralize” his opponents."
When Adam Serwer says, "the cruelty is the point", you don't expect someone to flat out cop to it.
I respect Buttons for her principled stand here (admittedly I'd never heard of her before now). In fact, I encourage everyone to read her resignation letter as it gives a fairly accurate summation of where people like me stand on this issue.
I don't know everything about where she is on other issues; she claims to be a pro-choice atheist who has always voted Democrat. I am all of that plus someone who still feels comfortable calling themselves a "progressive" (albeit these days not without some disclaimers). She also claims to have transsexuals as friends (which I entirely believe), which appears to have been the breaking point for her with regard to Walsh's statements.
Regardless, her article nicely illustrates how someone of a liberal disposition, who not only tolerates but cares about people with gender dysphoria and their well-being, can espouse what are often lazily portrayed as "anti-trans" views. She is correct to note how a cultural studies ideology is currently masquerading as actual medical science, typically given cover by intransigent and often unhinged outrage on the left. And she is spot on in calling out Walsh for for fueling this outrage and providing it legitimacy.
I am gratified to see that she has now experienced the difference between compassionate and sensible scrutiny of an important issue, and the right-wing bigotry with which it sometimes finds itself in functional alignment.
"The elderly President" has done a great job. I think the media (all stripes) need to quit ragging on him and support what he has done to bring order into the chaos that king Trump left. Save your speculation about when he's going to die.
Imagine if the fable of The Emperor's New Clothes were to occur today. When the brave little truth teller blurts out the emperor is in fact naked, instead of freeing the crowd to acknowledge that truth, he'd be berated as "fake news" and he and his entire family would be hunted to the ends of the earth by the crowd as evil "woke" traitors.
I'm finishing up a unit on the Civil Rights movement and I always show the video "A Class Divided". The Daily Wire story reminded me of how easily people will abuse their power and punch down when given a license to do so. Why is tolerance so hard for some people?
I didn’t. Only read the part Charlie put in his Morning Shots. And that was more than I could stand.
Yes I saw all of that. I don’t need more evidence of an insurrection—most reasonable people realize that’s what it was. But there is this seemingly bizarre behavior by Capitol Police which should be addressed. The others responding here to my post are speculating about why the police acted the way they did. But we still don’t know why police would casually escort insurrectionists around. That can’t possibly be SOP. Were these sympathizers? I don’t know. But it looks bizarre and deserves a serious review.
It all feels a bit too much like MSNBC. We have happy talk about how profoundly stupid these people are- total buffoons but I'm paying attention to a new tact taken by Michael Steele.
It seems to me that he is saying that there was an opportunity to blow the platform these guys are building all to Hell BUT even though we comfort ourselves in seeing the red wave fail to materialize, they still won the midterm election in the house and that's very bad news. These people want the insurrection and are coming for you.
Something right along those lines and the question really is "when are the never Trumpers and the democrats going to actually wade into a fight? MAGA world likely never have watched the Jan 6th committee, and they likely believe Dark Carlson. If all they watch is FOX and FOX doesn't report on any of this crap, they really will destroy the republic and that's what they actually want.
The opposition needs to buy advertising on FOX and pound the video of Jan 6th. If FOX won't sell the time, sue the MF's for large sums of money. Start now. Pound them.
I really don't understand why no one seems to be held to account for an illegal scheme that tried to keep tfg in office after he had lost. It's just the low level minions who attacked the Capitol (and even then, I think their sentences have mostly been too lenient). Why are the people who signed fake elector certificates not in jail? Why are the lawyers who plotted this undemocratic thing not disbarred and in jail? Why are the congresspeople who helped, or gave tours on J5, now empowered in the House and not in jail?Why has Mike Flynn, for instance, not been recalled to active duty so he can be court martialed for his sedition? Why the hell is Bannon out and about, still able to flap his gums and spew poison? Just so disheartening...
The contrast between Senate and House Republicans is striking. The House R's are a boiling pot of excrement. When Senate Republicans push back on some of the insanity, it's an important inflection point. The ads for 2024 write themselves. And keep in mind there was no 2022 red wave. If Kevin McCarthy actually had character and intelligence, I would worry.
To be fair to the non-MAGA GOP, it’s hard to get too worked up about a war in Europe, or attempted coups in DC, when there are immigrants and trans kids to demonize. The Paul Ryans are going to keep voting R, and the John Boltons will keep voting for any non-Trump R.
And they don’t need get their hands dirty by physically eradicating trans folks. Given the suicide statistics, if they can make things as miserable as possible for faceless trans people and their families, the problem might take care of itself. On this front, there’s certainly room to improve at The Bulwark, which seems too often to throw trans folks under the bus in burnishing its anti-Woke bona fides. (It was refreshing to hear it acknowledged in one of the podcasts yesterday that there are, in fact, kids who know they’re trans and families and health professionals who want to support them; and that the GOP’s anti-trans agenda causes damage beyond merely infringing on the 1st Amendment.)
The good news is that in 20 years, the GOPs trans bashing will be as toxic as gay bashing is today. The bad news is that it will take 20 years, that they will try to preserve as much as possible by putting a religious wrapper around it, and that immigrant bashing will stay evergreen.
This is so depressing and scary which the new Republican party is so extremely gone to support kooks, freaks and insurrectionist and downright liars. What happened to sanity, honesty and love of of truth and the Constitution and American values that many former Republican used to preach these values. What a shame.