I am afraid Jen Rubin's comment re Republicans' being permanent careerists is a bit kind. I think they have all sold their souls for fame, power, and money. They may fear trump's retribution, but only for what they personally have to lose, not for who or what he is.
The BIG news is that Don Bacon, R NE, is the first Republican member of Congress to ask for Hegseth's removal from office.Bacon is the chair of a House Armed Services subcommittee and one of just a handful of House Republicans in districts that Kamala Harris carried last year. He first made his comments to Politico. https://www.axios.com/2025/04/21/don-bacon-pete-hegseth-signal
That’s what I’ve been saying. If you’re so afraid, resign and let somebody else do their job who’s brave. And call out who it is exactly that is threatening your life if that’s what it is. It’s your own party people not anybody else. So don’t try to sugarcoat it by making people think it’s Someone other than your own party or Maga people! Oh wait, that’s the same thing! I don’t think it’s refreshing or brave that Murkowski said anything. She should step up to the plate like many of the Democrats have. And start voting with the Dems.
Oh I don’t forget. In fact that’s why I’m saying, if you’re that afraid, quit. And call them out for who they are. I understand the fear but if we don’t call it out and face down this threat, we’re done for anyway.
Finally, A Country Attacked By Communists, That Is Worth Saving
William Richtsmeier, MD, PhD, 148 Swanswick Lane, Springfield Center, NY, 13468
I am a retired physician. I spent my professional life, telling patients and their families the truth while working to minimize pain and suffering. I’m really tired of the lying by my elected officials, especially the current president. I was unhappy with the meek response that the US initially gave to the Ukrainian people when they were first attacked by Russia. Ukraine is a peaceful nation, who gave up it’s nuclear weapons after the fall of the Soviet Union. At first they didn’t have much to defend themselves with except courage. Now I am angry about the way they are being treated by the lying, greedy, selfish behavior of the combined, tyrannical forces of Trump with his cruel vice president, his lying White House Staff and, of course, by Vladimir Putin. I am particularly disgusted about the way Trump is constantly lying about the cause and conduct of the war to the citizens of America and the world. This lying is a tactic used by Hitler and Stalin, who knew that if you tell a lie enough times, people will begin to believe it. Trump’s lying is also used as a means to devalue the people of Ukraine and to convince us that it is OK for Putin to carry out his aggression especially against the non-combative citizens of Ukraine. Trump isn’t as aggressive towards Ukraine as he is against immigrants but saying that Ukraine’s president doesn’t appreciate the help of the US is clearly a way of demeaning them. Chaos is another trick of fascists that Trump uses. He creates the situation of how can we as a nation be concerned about far away Ukraine when, at the same time, we are loosing our retirement, health care, education, a safe environment, international respect and in some cases, co-workers, neighbors and/or family members?
My father served in the Medical Corp in WWII as a newly graduated physician. Starting in Normandy, in charge of a “Collecting Company” (the forerunner of the Mash Unit), he traveled east towards Belgium where he barely missed being involved in the massacre at Malmedy and eventually crossed the Ludendorff (AKA Remagen) Bridge, leading his men across under fire, the day it was taken. He saw a lot of bad things. Near the war’s end while stationed in Northern Germany, he was able to visit Buchenwald Death Camp within a few days of it’s liberation. There, he saw and photographed the stacks of naked, starved bodies of people who were murdered on the orders of a tyrant dictator. This lying psychopath ordered even the people’s names erased who he blamed for his country’s punishment. He wanted it to appear as if they never existed, while he invaded neighboring countries.
When I was very young, my older brother discovered my Dad’s photos from his time in Europe, then stored in our attic. One of the photos I was able to see, was of a small building inside Buchenwald. The building had a window on the side facing the camera. Below the window is a pile of naked, starved, dead bodies and on the window, was a Christmas wreath. (A similar photo can be seen in Wikipedia’s chapter on “Buchenwald concentration camp”). Even as an 8 year old boy, the horribly twisted thinking of that society was clearly evident by allowing those two images to be in the same visual field. It’s as if it was then Ok to celebrate Christ’s birthday and stack up dead bodies as if they were firewood and not the remains of humans they murdered. Trump’s mind twisted lying is part of his effort to convince us that the Ukrainian people do not deserve our help and concern. Seeing the photos of the death and destruction of their country is to be viewed as OK…what they deserve - (as if) they started it!
My father’s personal photos of the war, emphasized by a trip to visit these sites with my Dad and my brothers are etched in my mind to preserve the image of how one man’s thirst for power can create so much evil through the lie-disordered thinking caused in a society that feels they have been taken advantage of. Another current example of this disordered thinking is hearing that Trump thinks he should receive the Nobel Peace Prize for forcing Ukraine to surrender.
Putin is the same evil tyrant and Trump’s supporting him in taking any of Ukraine is a reflection of his ethical depravity and a complete failure as leader of the free world. Putin is smarter than Hitler and locally hides his cruelty in frozen Russia but not so well to most of the free world who can see the truth. Truth is a key ingredient in a fair and free society which is hard to come by these days, especially from Trump. It is especially important in a society like ours where a large portion of it feels it has been cheated and so easily convinced that his lies are true.
Back when Hitler threatened Eurasia, isolationist America (after an embarrassingly lengthy pause, reversed by an attack on us by another disordered thinking society) stepped up to help save a world threatened by power hungry people. Early in the war, President Rosevelt invented “Lend Lease” to be able to help Britain. This was done by not greedily demanding a “quid pro quo” such as “We’ll lend you ships if we can have private financial control of the British/Scotch/Irish Gin/Whisky Buisness” (or a similarly greedy deal like that).
As a college student during the Vietnam War, I watched America try to “save” a country from Communism. A country whose population had no concept of democracy. That poorly understood civil war eventually failed, as did our other attempts to enforce democracy on Iraq, and Afghanistan as the poor citizens of these countries had no broad concept of self rule and corruption ran rampant. Thousands of American lives and billions of American dollars have been sacrificed with minimal benefit to the quality of life of the poor citizens we tried to democratize.
We are now presented with the horrible situation in Ukraine, where the citizens of that country are already a democracy! They have been invaded by a tyrannical, fake “President”. A tyrant who is under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for Crimes Against Humanity. It’s hard for me to imagine the stress Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the citizens of Ukraine are currently under, knowing that their future is to be decided by two selfish and greedy, lying, narcissistic character disordered fascists. They ignore court decisions and the will of the people of Ukraine, while desiring more power and both acting like members of the political party that ruled Germany in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Now, even our new new “Trumplican” Vice President, extols the virtues of fascist philosophy while visiting Germany. This insult to the German people reminded me of my father’s photos, demonstrating the disordered thinking that allowed all the evil caused by greed, tribalism, and cruelty propagated through the disregard of the rule of law. Here we should take note that the selfish “America First” slogan that Trump likes so much is not new. That slogan (implying that we are somehow disadvantaged) along with the lies (initially about Jews and other groups), causing this “cheating” was popular among Republicans in the late 1930s and early 40s which helped support the fascist movement of Hitler and his Natzis by keeping America out of Hitler’s invasion of Europe as long as it did. Today, it is the emigrants that get the blame for the terrible state of our country.
I know we have spent a lot of money on the war in Ukraine, but those people deserve our help with money and equipment. We should have given them more aggressive weapons to begin with and saved the lives of thousands of Ukrainians. Where did we get the idea that Ukraine could win by fighting a defensive war against a country with long-range offensive weaponry and an enormous population?
Back in the late 1700’s our “First Americans” may not have won their “War of Independence” from a tyrant king if it had not been for the help of the French Government. At some point we may be able to recover from the current greedy, tribal, mind-twisted damage currently being done by our government. But, if we don’t help the people of Ukraine now, they will soon be swallowed up by soldiers following the orders of an ex-KGB agent. They will lose their country, their language and their heritage. We must insist that Ukraine remains a sovereign country with the choice to join NATO by continuing to give to them all the help they need for their freedom and recovery. No “quid pro quo” for private theft of their precious metals, lest we become one of the greedy, selfish, tribalistic, power-hungry nations that started this mess. Surly they will need to pay us back. But over time, as they rebuild their country, so savagely crippled.
Donald Trump could become the hero of the Ukraine war. He just needs to ask our war powers through his Trumplican congress to push the Russian Forces into retreat and then call a truce. It would require taking the war to Russia and indirectly threaten its people. Putin doesn’t want a war on his soil. It would endanger some of our servicemen (and women - if there are any of them left). I fear that Trump is motivated by knowing that he and his “Trumplicans” will take the money intended for Ukraine for themselves making it seam as if “we” (meaning “they”) deserve it. If Trump abandons Ukraine, I will never forget this travesty propagated by his lies and the free world will never forgive Donald Trump for his propagation of disordered thinking through lying, alignment with Putin and his uncaring disregard for the democratic people of Ukraine. We must not allow it to proceed … we are not such a selfish people. We must: Make America Tell the Truth Again.
Thank you for taking the time and effort to eloquently spell out what is right and wrong, truth and lies. I see you are not afraid to say who and where you are. Would that our spineless Congress had a bit of your courage and candor.
Thank you for spending your professional life telling your patients the truth while attempting to minimize their pain and suffering.
I appreciate both your father's service and your recognition that the Ukrainian people desperately need our help. But here we are with President bone spurs, grifter and conman extraordinaire. Let us successfully thwart his efforts to become America's dictator.
My own father managed to escape actual combat during WW II because he was a very young engineering student who was allowed to continue his studies and ended up contributing a great deal to developing desalination methods critical to our naval operations. Even after that, he served in the forces that occupied Japan. On the other hand, my uncle, 12-15 years my father's senior, was among the troops that landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day who witnessed so many of his compatriots being slaughtered. He was never able to talk to me about that day. I wish he could have but understand why that was impossible for him.
I have this image whenever I think of the GOP senators. They are children standing at the edge of water afraid to jump. I want them to all hold hands and jump together. It’s what they have to do to get past their fear. Jump together! Go GOP! Jump in! The water’s not that bad.
“Please So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is...fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.’’ FDR
‘’We’re all afraid.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski
Senator, there are two ways to deal with fear. You can continue to cower, or you can straighten up and strike back at it. How is it that at least some Republicans — Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger — can maintain their integrity even if it means losing their jobs, while the rest of you sit quietly in fear of offending Trump? Trump is a man-made, not a natural disaster. He can be defeated if the rest of you stood up and returned to your party’s original principles under leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower. People keep telling you to grow a spine. You wouldn’t have to if you remembered how to use the one you were born with.
The problem with the GOP is not the careerism - that is a generic human issue - but it's turning slowly but surely into a fascist movement. People like Paul Krugman have been warning us of this for years now - he has even predicted the emergence of a leader with a personality cult, the way all authoritarian regimes get born. This reality must be faced openly, for otherwise it would seem that the only true problem would be some Trump and/or Musk - that naive picture is dangerously wrong. You get rid of Trump and tomorrow someone else will emerge to follow his footsteps. There is a deep political, social, economical and moral crisis in the US - we have a country where 3 individuals possess almost 50% of total wealth, a country with most incarcerated people among minimally developed countries in the world, a country that openly supports a genocide in Gaza and engages in international terrorism on regular basis (bombing of Yemen say, an independent country not in the war with the US), a country without free health insurance (simply unimaginable in most democratic countries), the list is endless. The arrival of fascism at its door is not an accident, it has been a long time in the making - and it will get only worse, if not faced by us all.
Rumeysa Osturk should find a great civil rights attorney and sue for damages the government caused. She could get one appointed to her case if she isn’t able to afford one. Being a graduate student is tough sometimes and is hard to make ends meet.
As for Lisa Murkowski, she and other Republicans will have to grow a spine.
I believe, like many, that the assault on Hispanic and Muslims is a real thing but also a tactic to draw attention away from the economy and DOGE. DOGE is doing irreparable damage. The 2026 vote is being attacked already. There are slimy goings on to make sure no Democrat or Independent can win. Remember when tRump thanked Musk for his win. Many are questioning whether that Oligarch might have done something. There is evidence that 2024 WAS stolen. (FOR REAL, not like Orange Demons claims in 2020.) I hope Douche scum isn't destroying that evidence.
Jen and Norm, have you considered having an audio version available for subscribers who have some visually challenging days? Ability to see the print varies. As you know, Heather Cox Richardson has an audio version of her articles the day following her articles, and there are many days when the audio version is needed as well as convenient.
I rather wish it wasn’t Murkowski taking heat for that quote, as she’s been brave enough under Trump with her votes that she attracted then withstood an inter-party senate challenger. It is the senate cowards who support Trump publicly but privately hate him who are the most to blame.
Jen we will overcome, be petrified, Axios. A third global recession in 20 years looms. If the new tariffs work out to an average of 29%, per Evercore, then U.S. importers would have to pay about $1 trillion in tariffs per year, or $7,300 per household."
Only white children at the WH 🥚 roll. My. My. The House is literally and socially White, Caucasian, the Master Race.
****
tRump says he'd excited to go to Pope Francis funeral. Excited?! Does he think the crowds are for him. I hope those attending give tRump a silent treatment, turn their backs.** No photo ops for PINO! It's about Pope Francis.
murkowski made her "I'm afraid" statement wearing a demure pale blue sweatshirt, not her power suits, so that she'd look like a poor little woman with no resources. Shame.
I am afraid Jen Rubin's comment re Republicans' being permanent careerists is a bit kind. I think they have all sold their souls for fame, power, and money. They may fear trump's retribution, but only for what they personally have to lose, not for who or what he is.
The BIG news is that Don Bacon, R NE, is the first Republican member of Congress to ask for Hegseth's removal from office.Bacon is the chair of a House Armed Services subcommittee and one of just a handful of House Republicans in districts that Kamala Harris carried last year. He first made his comments to Politico. https://www.axios.com/2025/04/21/don-bacon-pete-hegseth-signal
Hopefully, this is the start of the Feathers of Hope scenario. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/
Where do the others on the committees stand? Meanwhile there is pushback on tariffs, on Musk and his Muskovites, by Congressional Republicans.
What exactly is Lisa Murkowski afraid of? NOT GETTING A PAY CHECK!!!??
Maybe she should do what the rest of the people with courage do, RESIGN IN PROTEST!!!
Or she could be really brave become an independent and caucus with the democrats
Let's start a postcard barrage suggesting that to her.
That’s what I’ve been saying. If you’re so afraid, resign and let somebody else do their job who’s brave. And call out who it is exactly that is threatening your life if that’s what it is. It’s your own party people not anybody else. So don’t try to sugarcoat it by making people think it’s Someone other than your own party or Maga people! Oh wait, that’s the same thing! I don’t think it’s refreshing or brave that Murkowski said anything. She should step up to the plate like many of the Democrats have. And start voting with the Dems.
the magas are violent don't forget, witness J6 and Pa gov fire...
Oh I don’t forget. In fact that’s why I’m saying, if you’re that afraid, quit. And call them out for who they are. I understand the fear but if we don’t call it out and face down this threat, we’re done for anyway.
true...
No it's up to us. You get more with honey than vinegar. Show them they have our support in exchange.
Daniel, I would say it but I would say it much more nicely than I did on this comment platform!
What do you do with the proud boy types ?
March 22, 2025
Finally, A Country Attacked By Communists, That Is Worth Saving
William Richtsmeier, MD, PhD, 148 Swanswick Lane, Springfield Center, NY, 13468
I am a retired physician. I spent my professional life, telling patients and their families the truth while working to minimize pain and suffering. I’m really tired of the lying by my elected officials, especially the current president. I was unhappy with the meek response that the US initially gave to the Ukrainian people when they were first attacked by Russia. Ukraine is a peaceful nation, who gave up it’s nuclear weapons after the fall of the Soviet Union. At first they didn’t have much to defend themselves with except courage. Now I am angry about the way they are being treated by the lying, greedy, selfish behavior of the combined, tyrannical forces of Trump with his cruel vice president, his lying White House Staff and, of course, by Vladimir Putin. I am particularly disgusted about the way Trump is constantly lying about the cause and conduct of the war to the citizens of America and the world. This lying is a tactic used by Hitler and Stalin, who knew that if you tell a lie enough times, people will begin to believe it. Trump’s lying is also used as a means to devalue the people of Ukraine and to convince us that it is OK for Putin to carry out his aggression especially against the non-combative citizens of Ukraine. Trump isn’t as aggressive towards Ukraine as he is against immigrants but saying that Ukraine’s president doesn’t appreciate the help of the US is clearly a way of demeaning them. Chaos is another trick of fascists that Trump uses. He creates the situation of how can we as a nation be concerned about far away Ukraine when, at the same time, we are loosing our retirement, health care, education, a safe environment, international respect and in some cases, co-workers, neighbors and/or family members?
My father served in the Medical Corp in WWII as a newly graduated physician. Starting in Normandy, in charge of a “Collecting Company” (the forerunner of the Mash Unit), he traveled east towards Belgium where he barely missed being involved in the massacre at Malmedy and eventually crossed the Ludendorff (AKA Remagen) Bridge, leading his men across under fire, the day it was taken. He saw a lot of bad things. Near the war’s end while stationed in Northern Germany, he was able to visit Buchenwald Death Camp within a few days of it’s liberation. There, he saw and photographed the stacks of naked, starved bodies of people who were murdered on the orders of a tyrant dictator. This lying psychopath ordered even the people’s names erased who he blamed for his country’s punishment. He wanted it to appear as if they never existed, while he invaded neighboring countries.
When I was very young, my older brother discovered my Dad’s photos from his time in Europe, then stored in our attic. One of the photos I was able to see, was of a small building inside Buchenwald. The building had a window on the side facing the camera. Below the window is a pile of naked, starved, dead bodies and on the window, was a Christmas wreath. (A similar photo can be seen in Wikipedia’s chapter on “Buchenwald concentration camp”). Even as an 8 year old boy, the horribly twisted thinking of that society was clearly evident by allowing those two images to be in the same visual field. It’s as if it was then Ok to celebrate Christ’s birthday and stack up dead bodies as if they were firewood and not the remains of humans they murdered. Trump’s mind twisted lying is part of his effort to convince us that the Ukrainian people do not deserve our help and concern. Seeing the photos of the death and destruction of their country is to be viewed as OK…what they deserve - (as if) they started it!
My father’s personal photos of the war, emphasized by a trip to visit these sites with my Dad and my brothers are etched in my mind to preserve the image of how one man’s thirst for power can create so much evil through the lie-disordered thinking caused in a society that feels they have been taken advantage of. Another current example of this disordered thinking is hearing that Trump thinks he should receive the Nobel Peace Prize for forcing Ukraine to surrender.
Putin is the same evil tyrant and Trump’s supporting him in taking any of Ukraine is a reflection of his ethical depravity and a complete failure as leader of the free world. Putin is smarter than Hitler and locally hides his cruelty in frozen Russia but not so well to most of the free world who can see the truth. Truth is a key ingredient in a fair and free society which is hard to come by these days, especially from Trump. It is especially important in a society like ours where a large portion of it feels it has been cheated and so easily convinced that his lies are true.
Back when Hitler threatened Eurasia, isolationist America (after an embarrassingly lengthy pause, reversed by an attack on us by another disordered thinking society) stepped up to help save a world threatened by power hungry people. Early in the war, President Rosevelt invented “Lend Lease” to be able to help Britain. This was done by not greedily demanding a “quid pro quo” such as “We’ll lend you ships if we can have private financial control of the British/Scotch/Irish Gin/Whisky Buisness” (or a similarly greedy deal like that).
As a college student during the Vietnam War, I watched America try to “save” a country from Communism. A country whose population had no concept of democracy. That poorly understood civil war eventually failed, as did our other attempts to enforce democracy on Iraq, and Afghanistan as the poor citizens of these countries had no broad concept of self rule and corruption ran rampant. Thousands of American lives and billions of American dollars have been sacrificed with minimal benefit to the quality of life of the poor citizens we tried to democratize.
We are now presented with the horrible situation in Ukraine, where the citizens of that country are already a democracy! They have been invaded by a tyrannical, fake “President”. A tyrant who is under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for Crimes Against Humanity. It’s hard for me to imagine the stress Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the citizens of Ukraine are currently under, knowing that their future is to be decided by two selfish and greedy, lying, narcissistic character disordered fascists. They ignore court decisions and the will of the people of Ukraine, while desiring more power and both acting like members of the political party that ruled Germany in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Now, even our new new “Trumplican” Vice President, extols the virtues of fascist philosophy while visiting Germany. This insult to the German people reminded me of my father’s photos, demonstrating the disordered thinking that allowed all the evil caused by greed, tribalism, and cruelty propagated through the disregard of the rule of law. Here we should take note that the selfish “America First” slogan that Trump likes so much is not new. That slogan (implying that we are somehow disadvantaged) along with the lies (initially about Jews and other groups), causing this “cheating” was popular among Republicans in the late 1930s and early 40s which helped support the fascist movement of Hitler and his Natzis by keeping America out of Hitler’s invasion of Europe as long as it did. Today, it is the emigrants that get the blame for the terrible state of our country.
I know we have spent a lot of money on the war in Ukraine, but those people deserve our help with money and equipment. We should have given them more aggressive weapons to begin with and saved the lives of thousands of Ukrainians. Where did we get the idea that Ukraine could win by fighting a defensive war against a country with long-range offensive weaponry and an enormous population?
Back in the late 1700’s our “First Americans” may not have won their “War of Independence” from a tyrant king if it had not been for the help of the French Government. At some point we may be able to recover from the current greedy, tribal, mind-twisted damage currently being done by our government. But, if we don’t help the people of Ukraine now, they will soon be swallowed up by soldiers following the orders of an ex-KGB agent. They will lose their country, their language and their heritage. We must insist that Ukraine remains a sovereign country with the choice to join NATO by continuing to give to them all the help they need for their freedom and recovery. No “quid pro quo” for private theft of their precious metals, lest we become one of the greedy, selfish, tribalistic, power-hungry nations that started this mess. Surly they will need to pay us back. But over time, as they rebuild their country, so savagely crippled.
Donald Trump could become the hero of the Ukraine war. He just needs to ask our war powers through his Trumplican congress to push the Russian Forces into retreat and then call a truce. It would require taking the war to Russia and indirectly threaten its people. Putin doesn’t want a war on his soil. It would endanger some of our servicemen (and women - if there are any of them left). I fear that Trump is motivated by knowing that he and his “Trumplicans” will take the money intended for Ukraine for themselves making it seam as if “we” (meaning “they”) deserve it. If Trump abandons Ukraine, I will never forget this travesty propagated by his lies and the free world will never forgive Donald Trump for his propagation of disordered thinking through lying, alignment with Putin and his uncaring disregard for the democratic people of Ukraine. We must not allow it to proceed … we are not such a selfish people. We must: Make America Tell the Truth Again.
Thank you for taking the time and effort to eloquently spell out what is right and wrong, truth and lies. I see you are not afraid to say who and where you are. Would that our spineless Congress had a bit of your courage and candor.
Dr. Richmeyer, likewise if he wanted to be a hero, he'd have supported Medicare for All and appropriated the Biden child tax credit as his own.
Thank you for spending your professional life telling your patients the truth while attempting to minimize their pain and suffering.
I appreciate both your father's service and your recognition that the Ukrainian people desperately need our help. But here we are with President bone spurs, grifter and conman extraordinaire. Let us successfully thwart his efforts to become America's dictator.
My own father managed to escape actual combat during WW II because he was a very young engineering student who was allowed to continue his studies and ended up contributing a great deal to developing desalination methods critical to our naval operations. Even after that, he served in the forces that occupied Japan. On the other hand, my uncle, 12-15 years my father's senior, was among the troops that landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day who witnessed so many of his compatriots being slaughtered. He was never able to talk to me about that day. I wish he could have but understand why that was impossible for him.
Very well said!
I have this image whenever I think of the GOP senators. They are children standing at the edge of water afraid to jump. I want them to all hold hands and jump together. It’s what they have to do to get past their fear. Jump together! Go GOP! Jump in! The water’s not that bad.
just a few sharks.....
I actually want them to drown themselves. But that's just me.
perhaps they have, the midterms will tell
“Please So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is...fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.’’ FDR
‘’We’re all afraid.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski
Senator, there are two ways to deal with fear. You can continue to cower, or you can straighten up and strike back at it. How is it that at least some Republicans — Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger — can maintain their integrity even if it means losing their jobs, while the rest of you sit quietly in fear of offending Trump? Trump is a man-made, not a natural disaster. He can be defeated if the rest of you stood up and returned to your party’s original principles under leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower. People keep telling you to grow a spine. You wouldn’t have to if you remembered how to use the one you were born with.
"Man made disaster". That's a key point. Thank you, Ignatz.
The problem with the GOP is not the careerism - that is a generic human issue - but it's turning slowly but surely into a fascist movement. People like Paul Krugman have been warning us of this for years now - he has even predicted the emergence of a leader with a personality cult, the way all authoritarian regimes get born. This reality must be faced openly, for otherwise it would seem that the only true problem would be some Trump and/or Musk - that naive picture is dangerously wrong. You get rid of Trump and tomorrow someone else will emerge to follow his footsteps. There is a deep political, social, economical and moral crisis in the US - we have a country where 3 individuals possess almost 50% of total wealth, a country with most incarcerated people among minimally developed countries in the world, a country that openly supports a genocide in Gaza and engages in international terrorism on regular basis (bombing of Yemen say, an independent country not in the war with the US), a country without free health insurance (simply unimaginable in most democratic countries), the list is endless. The arrival of fascism at its door is not an accident, it has been a long time in the making - and it will get only worse, if not faced by us all.
It's not about economics. It's cultural.
Oh I believe it is both and more - how could there one explanation, one reason behind complex phenomena?
"The government can't throw you into a detention facility because it doesn't like what you're saying"? That's what the American government is doing!
Rumeysa Osturk should find a great civil rights attorney and sue for damages the government caused. She could get one appointed to her case if she isn’t able to afford one. Being a graduate student is tough sometimes and is hard to make ends meet.
As for Lisa Murkowski, she and other Republicans will have to grow a spine.
I believe, like many, that the assault on Hispanic and Muslims is a real thing but also a tactic to draw attention away from the economy and DOGE. DOGE is doing irreparable damage. The 2026 vote is being attacked already. There are slimy goings on to make sure no Democrat or Independent can win. Remember when tRump thanked Musk for his win. Many are questioning whether that Oligarch might have done something. There is evidence that 2024 WAS stolen. (FOR REAL, not like Orange Demons claims in 2020.) I hope Douche scum isn't destroying that evidence.
Jen and Norm, have you considered having an audio version available for subscribers who have some visually challenging days? Ability to see the print varies. As you know, Heather Cox Richardson has an audio version of her articles the day following her articles, and there are many days when the audio version is needed as well as convenient.
Second the motion...am hearing.impaired and are so very grateful for the transcriptions!
Would miss out on such valuable and heart lifting words. Helps me , at 90,.to keep on fighting these fascist snollygosters .!
This should be shared far and wide. AFRAID indeed! 🤯
I rather wish it wasn’t Murkowski taking heat for that quote, as she’s been brave enough under Trump with her votes that she attracted then withstood an inter-party senate challenger. It is the senate cowards who support Trump publicly but privately hate him who are the most to blame.
Jen we will overcome, be petrified, Axios. A third global recession in 20 years looms. If the new tariffs work out to an average of 29%, per Evercore, then U.S. importers would have to pay about $1 trillion in tariffs per year, or $7,300 per household."
Only white children at the WH 🥚 roll. My. My. The House is literally and socially White, Caucasian, the Master Race.
****
tRump says he'd excited to go to Pope Francis funeral. Excited?! Does he think the crowds are for him. I hope those attending give tRump a silent treatment, turn their backs.** No photo ops for PINO! It's about Pope Francis.
murkowski made her "I'm afraid" statement wearing a demure pale blue sweatshirt, not her power suits, so that she'd look like a poor little woman with no resources. Shame.
Sorry Jenn. Don't lay the cowardly careeism at the feet of only the GOP. The DEms need to own it too!!