Let's hope we have our day in November. Sending ICE into the airports is, I fear, the start of massive intimidation tactics that they will no doubt use during the midterms.
Not a single reporter has bothered to ask Tom Holman 'what are these people going to do once they get to the airport? What kind of training did they receive about how to handle lines, operate the scanners, process the tickets, manage the gray trays filled with laptops, metal, shoes...all in time for a passenger to catch a flight?'
Massive, pile-on klusterphlucks dead ahead. Danger, Will Robinson. Danger.
90% of news journalists have been increasingly in GOP pockets since Reagan ended the Fairness Doc. We have NOT had fact & evidence based analysis since that time. IF we had, everyone would NOT think that the parties are the same. They would have been shown the fascists steps the GOP had been taking. (Hint: Hitler's first step in 1933 was to take over the newspapers.). The news media never emphasized T's background, but dug up or focussed on any misstep by HRC & Harris.
People: be confident, courageous and know your rights! Be proud of your role in our prodemocracy movement and be peaceful in our March this Saturday: No Kings 3!!!
I'm thinking that the airlines, which are impacted by the high cost of jet fuel, will not be very happy when people start cancelling their travel plans because of the ICE agents at the doors.
I read that ICE will check people's ID's before they enter the airport. What happens if not
everyone is carrying a passport?
How does all of this help TSA move the lines faster? It does't. It will just cause more chaos.
Maybe it doesn’t matter to you, but this is a personal trip planned long ago and it’s an important trip for me, and I don’t have thousands to lose as you apparently do do. And my canceling won’t make one bit of difference at this point, the money has been paid and the airlines will just keep it. A very callous remark on your part.
I no longer travel by choice, and I'm pretty sure you haven't seen my bank account. But I have put everything on the line for my democracy and the environment. That's where I'm coming from, so enjoy your carefree trip. Say hi to ICE for me.
That is an incredibly obnoxious comment for you to make - not having any knowledge about this person's circumstances. Judging others in this way is very pompous of you and self-righteous. For her to be on this substack means she IS interested in our democracy.
I, personally, would not have anything to do with air travel overseen by armed ICE thugs and would reschedule any plans in protest. But, as I said, we all have our own priorities. Best wishes.
"Trump and MAGA are focused on the wrong things. Republicans splurge on wars and tax cuts for the rich, while scrimping on items critical for average Americans, such as healthcare coverage." Voters must fully understand this observation concisely stating Trump and MAGA governing principles. Also must stop election interference by Trump.
Why do you think this is just THIS GOP admin that brought us here? This was visible with Reagan. He established the trickle down approach and deregulation which have been damaging everyone EXCEPT THE RICH. Did the news media tell you this? NO. Because Reagan also ended the Fairness Doc. The news journalists STOPPED focussing on facts and evidence in their political analyses. They reported "sides" based on opinions & beliefs. They stopped highlighting DEM successes. Dems reduced the deficit in every one of their terms since Reagan. Unfortunately, the GOP had increased the debt substantially in every single one of their terms - leaving crises that the Dem presidents had to try to resolve! The housing & loan crash - caused by deregulation - still haunts us today, because its purpose was to benefit the rich. Unsurprisingly, they bought up numerous properties that regular citizens had owned. Now, their private equity firms continue their profit as they charge more and more for rent or for homes.
The voters will have their say in November, as they have in times past.
"Sending ICE into the airports..."
That would not be necessary if the Democrats would fully fund DHS. Up until now, Jen really hasn't bothered to discuss the topic. Besides, what if sending ICE agents to airports actually helps reduce wait times for customers? What will be your attitude then?
"Trump: No DHS funding until Democrats ‘vote with Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act’
President Donald Trump Sunday ordered Republicans to refuse any deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unless Democrats agree to pass the SAVE America Act.
Trump described the anti-voting bill as more important than funding DHS itself, even as the agency remains partially shut down and security operations are strained."
Looks to me like Trump's the problem - as per usual.
""Trump: No DHS funding until Democrats ‘vote with Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act’"
Stupid move on Trump's part. Still, we're into what, 40 days or so into this partial shutdown and I'm not sure if Jen has even mentioned it...there must be a reason.
"Trump described the anti-voting bill as more important than funding DHS itself..."
It's not an "anti-voting bill", "Jim Crow 2.0/3.0/whatever", or a "voter suppression" bill. It is, however, poorly written and needs to be seriously overhauled. It should be strictly focused on voter ID and proof of citizenship, both of which are overwhelmingly supported by Americans. Nothing more, nothing less. But even that will be opposed by practically all Democrats in Congress.
"Maybe because non-citizen voting is not a problem to begin with."
If even one non-citizen is on some state's voter roll, that is a problem and should be addressed. Whether it should be included in this particular piece of legislation is another matter.
More and more, you are proving that you are a GOP believer.... Your stubbornness in regards to facts proves it. LESS THAN 200 VOTES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO HAVE A PROBLEM. Electronic votes can produce paper copies. This is done after every election. 55 times the GOP sued to prove there was a problem in the 2020 election. 55 times they lost.
A change to Voter ID should be done over a period of time. Not 9 months before an election. Of course this is about controlling the vote and not about reform. That would require Congress working together towards a fair solution. Kind of like Immigration?
"A change to Voter ID should be done over a period of time. Not 9 months before an election."
I agree. But even if the bill was limited to photo ID and proof of citizenship the day after an election or the first day of a new session, Democrats in Congress would still be opposed to it.
"Of course this is about controlling the vote and not about reform."
Photo ID and proof of citizenship is about keeping non-citizens from voting, and most Americans agree with that.
"Americans deserve better."
Absolutely. We can start by having our parties select better candidates. Next would be forcing Congress to put forward an amendment putting term limits on themselves.
Real ID required me to bring multiple documents to prove who I am. Asking someone who is 78 to find and produce a birth certificate, a marriage certificate, a change back to my birth name is ridiculous. ALL of my early documentation was lost. So, you want me to travel and hope those early town halls STILL have my records? You want women of any age to have to follow the trail of their documents. They are working, have children & responsibilities, but THEY should bear the burden of this "Save Act?" FOR WHAT PURPOSE WHEN LESS THAN 200 VOTES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO HAVE A PROBLEM? There are millions of women in this position. What about those who were adopted or are transgender. FUNNY HOW IT will not impact white men.
Because that's what political parties do - they attach unpopular or not-well-thought-out things to otherwise meaningful and useful legislation. Both parties do this on a recurring basis. It shows their cowardice when they won't submit something as a stand-alone item because they know it won't pass.
"And why shouldn't ICE and BCP follow basic law enforcement rules?"
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "basic law enforcement". There are instances, even down to the local level, where governments decide how or what laws to enforce more aggressively than others. We see state and local governments acting as "sanctuaries", refusing to cooperate with the Feds on ICE detainers. One would think that an illegal immigrant, once charged with a local or state crime and incarcerated, would be handed over to ICE for deportation but that is obviously not the case. In quite a few instances this refusal to cooperate has resulted in dire consequences for US citizens.
Democrats have offered to fund all but ICE and BCP, but it was rejected. And yes, things get added to legislation, but Trump has really changed the stakes now if he keeps insisting that another bill be passed too - one that Democrats want no part of and that he thinks Republicans should abolish the filibuster over. How long will Thune hold out on that one?
"Basic law enforcement" such as not wearing masks, having identification on their uniforms, turning on body cams, and needing lawful warrants, not something they sign themselves.
AGAIN, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF VOTER FRAUD IN THIS COUNTRY. Less than 200 votes have been found to have a problem in any national election for years. These results have been validated even by the Heritage Society which IS behind this administration. We ALL have had to provide evidence that we are citizens in any city, county or town we live in. Why isn't it obvious to you that the requirement for WOMEN to show their change of names from birth is a ploy to prevent women from voting? THERE IS NOTHING TO "SAVE". The Heritage Society, (with Thiel as one of the writers) produced P2025. Read it and recognize that one of their goals is to put women and POC back in "their places" - in their homes having babies or in the fields picking crops.
Yay? I guess? But the masked, armed, unidentified, poorly-trained, law-breaking goons will still be out doing Stephen Miller's evil will, so there's that.
"But the masked, armed, unidentified, poorly-trained, law-breaking goons..."
They don't answer to Stephen Miller. They don't even answer to Tom Holman. They answer to Todd Lyons, the Acting Director since March. I'm not sure who is the interim leader of DHS is until confirmation of Markwayne Mullin is resolved.
Hmm. I think you do NOT belong here OR you still think mainstream media is telling you all of the facts. At best, they tell half-truths. The dems have offered 7 TIMES to fund all of DHS, EXCEPT FOR ICE, because ICE is NOT acting legally. They have asked for several changes in what ICE agents have been allowed to do BEFORE they will also fund ICE (judicial warrants, no masks, court hearings, etc) These requests are actually ALREADY in our laws. This admin has chosen NOT to follow them. Do you think it's ok for this admin not to follow our laws?
GOP MOC finally took the idea to T, and TRUMP SAID NO.
Why are you so confident that voting will be definitely possible for everyone? Do you think the SAVE ACT is proper? IT's NOT. Fraud in voting, (even proven by the T-friendly Heritage Society) is NOT happening. No more than 200 votes have been shown to be improperly cast. Are you aware that all votes from machines can be counted by the paper ballots that can be processed from them? That has been done multiple times and was used in the 55 court cases after T did not win in 2020. T and the GOP lost ALL of those cases.
Are you aware of the illegal redistricting done in GOP controlled states for many years? Voter suppression is why the GOP has been able to control these states.
I spent twenty years in the airlines as a ground operations supervisor. I was security trained. Your comment is ignorant. ICE has no purpose at airports. Anything they are qualified to do the airport police are already doing.
"I suggest that commenters here do themselves a favor and let Hal wield his slings and arrows in a vacuum."
Norm, no one is being forced to respond to any comment I make. And as long as posters (regardless of their views) can have an honest and civil back-and-forth discussion, that should be the goal. Agree or not...respond or not...that is always your call.
Thank you for this clarity. Thousands of Americans with vast experience in the Middle East knew this was the consequence of attacking Iran. Trump is incapable of learning from other people-- on anything, except cruelty and greed.
He will step on anyone, anything, anytime to add to his and his sons' and son-in law's billions. That's what he knows and all he cares about. I hope the MAGA-enthralled folks are beginning to realize this. Everything stems from his grifting: the cruelty, bigotry, and mismanagement (the latter a kind term). And it's working for him. Will there ever be a reckoning? Well, there was Nuremberg. I recommend the newest version of that story starring Russell Crowe and Rami Malik. It should be a cautionary tale, but only if people are smart enough to see the signs.
Please understand that EVERY GOP MOC & in this administration is to blame. T is the "figurehead". The rest chose NOT to stop him. They and the white male billionaires want to make POC, women and children into workers for them.
I don't think we can survive until January (when the new Congress would be seated--a lot can happen between November and January and it will all be terrible). The fact that there are absolutely no limits to the mayhem and horrors this maladministration perpetrates because the minions in Congress refuse to protect anyone but themselves means we are essentially powerless. I want to see Dems in Congress be willing to get arrested, be willing to engage in far more public altercations with the fascists in their midst. We now have a media system that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Felon and his spawn and the Dems are locked out. Expressing "concern" and going on NPR is not nearly enough. But the Dems persist in acting as if this is a normal political system, when it patently is not.
NO, DEM MOC are NOT to blame for what is happening. Voters ARE. THEY elected a MAJORITY of GOP MOC in BOTH the House & Senate. The dems have NOT controlled a single vote. In Nov of 2024, many millions of voters chose NOT to vote for Harris DESPITE THE CLEAR DANGER TO OUR DEMOCRACY. They let a bigoted, liar who speaks in word salads and does NOT think that ANY LAW applies to him. There was zero excuse for NOT knowing what a 2nd T presidency would mean. Astonishingly, there were people who knew who he was, who didn't vote or voted 3rd party anyway.
Our responsibility is, at the very least, to vote for 1 of the 2 main candidates. They are the ONLY choices. POC when they first had the right to vote asked themselves the question: which of the 2 candidates is least likely to make their lives more difficult.
Very well said, Linda. At the moment, the Congress has all but ceased to exist. And yet there are some brilliant men and women in there who are being kept powerless.
What is hard to understand about the fact that the GOP have had full control of both houses of Congress? Since Gingrich, the GOP have forced all the members of the House to vote as told or be replaced. CONGRESS has not "ceased to exist". McConnell did a lot of damage while leading the Senate especially during Obama's presidency. Thune is no better.
Some Democratic members of congress already have been arrested trying to inspect ICE sites.
The Democrats in congress, along with Governors and state Attorney's General, HAVE been fighting back hard, with thousands of lawsuits and new laws. Washington State just banned ALL law enforcement from wearing masks.
And the rightwing billionaire-owned corporate media won't give Democrats a platform. Hell, the fascist fuckers refused to broadcast an important speech warning about authoritarianism by Joe Biden WHILE HE WAS PRESIDENT because it was "too divisive." The same people that breathlessly publish or broadcast every word fart out of Donnie Dumpster's mouth. So unless George Soros buys a major Network, there will be no fair and balanced news except here and on various Substacks by the real reporters who have left corporate media.
And I get that people are concerned, but don't get this "we won't survive" or "they won't let us vote." The proper attitude for freedom-loving Americans is "don't even THINK about getting between me and my vote!"
Personally, I find it mind-numbing to try to figure out what he was thinking at any second. He's so ignorant but convinced of his intelligence, it's staggering.
This is clearly the most dangerous and damaging distraction to the coverup of the Epstein files yet. Only a truly demented and evil mind could have conceived of such an action.
Don the Con manages to make George W. Bush, who made a career out of ill-advised foreign adventures, look like Lincoln and Washington combined.
And the lesson of Vietnam wasn't new. America didn't "lose" the war in the classical sense. Rather, the American public was just getting sick of fighting a war that seemed to have no end.
The reason it wasn't new can be traced back to George Washington! In the entire war, he fought 9 battles and lost 6 of them. So how come we don't sing "God Save the King"? Several reasons:
1. Washington won when his back was to the wall and he absolutely needed a win
2. But after every defeat, he managed to get his army out intact and able to fight again.
So after Yorktown in 1781, Britain looked at the situation
1. The war had been going on for 6 years and was no closer to being won than in 1775.
2. Britain controlled many big cities, but couldn't control the vast contryside, where most people lived.
3. The war was never especially popular with Parliament and the British public
4. It was draining the treasury
5. With France and Spain allied with the US, the entire empire was at risk of raids from their navies.
6. And on the positive side, Britain was really establishing themselves in India, so they had bigger fish to fry.
So while Britain didn't actually "lose", it just became not worth their trouble to continue fighting in a perpetual stalemate.
Sounds a lot like Vietnam, only this time we played the part of Britain. And that's how Iran will probably turn out-- they'll both outlast us, and we'll have unacceptable consequences by continuing. Only Don the Con is too stupid to realize it.
Very good analogy. Washington made plenty of mistakes, but he didn't make the same mistake twice. We also owe a massive debt to France for their critical assistance at Yorktown, sometimes called the last medieval siege.
I've heard a saying: "Fools don't learn from their mistakes, so they make the same ones again and again. Wise people learn from their mistakes, so they will not make the same one twice. Very wise people study the mistakes of others, so they can avoid making them entirely.
I've seen Lafayette's grave in Paris. It has the American flag on it. He wanted to lie in American soil, and I understand that this was arranged for his burial.
Not to mention Vietnam's population has more than doubled since 1968 yet even with a flood of of 'illegal' immigrants US population is headed toward world wide numeric irrelevance. Land of the free and home of the billionaires.
The stooges include the general officers that he ensured are stocked with loyalists. Blame goes on them too. They took an oath to obey the Constitution, which they violated. They've agreed to commit war crimes. What else might they be capable of if Trump says "jump?"
Jennifer you mentioned Trump's "ignorance," "Stupidity," but you left off his dominant charaistic... His delusional mind. Trump grasp on reality is non-existent. Plus there are 77,000,000 people who believe this 36 times a felon, pedeofile is better than Clinton or Harris.
There's only one poll that matters. That's in the US Senate and the number is 67. That's how many votes are needed to convict in an impeachment trial. Will Senate Trump Toadies ever fear for their jobs? If not it doesn't matter if the Monster's public approval is zero. He won't change. He won't become human and won't voluntarily leave office. If a miracle happened and the Toady Butt Lickers voted to convict, which Federal force would have the actual job of physically removing the Monster from the WH in handcuffs? I have a dream.
We better make sure democrats win big in November and we better find the right candidate for the White House in 2028 as a imagine we will still be doing Israel’s bidding in Iran at that time.
"Voters’ anger may well rise as they learn more about Trump’s stupidity and Republicans’ refusal to challenge him." Here's the real question - Haven't voters learned enough already to be angry? What, in fact, are many voters learning about what's going on? What kind of news coverage are huge numbers of Americans getting? My worst fear is that many, many Americans are effectively blind to the real state of affairs, because they chose news sources that intentionally keep them blind.
I know someone in the Midwest who watches, guess what, and told me recently that DJT needed to go to war to keep Iran from bombing us with a nuclear bomb. She believed it because you-know-what-station keeps repeating it.
Yikes. This is clearly the logjam that we are up against. This poor deluded soul hasn't learned that Iran does not (yet) possess a missile capabile of the distance to deliver such a bomb to us. Faux Noise should be labeled a domestic terrorist organization for the lies and propaganda that they dish out.
About a year ago, a co-member of Indivisible and I created a boycott list of Fox advertisers. (Yes, I held my nose and watched the show for several days to find out who was advertising.) That would need to be updated, but a coherent and massive boycott of those advertisers would hobble Fox. The question is, who will organize it? Like any other boycott, there needs to be significant participation or it goes nowhere, which was our experience. Not enough #s.
Well, unlike the stations that Brendan Carr is threatening, a new FCC could use the continuing lies broadcast by Fox following their $787 million judgement for deliberately lying as evidence that the Network is irredeemable and a threat to national security and pull their license. But we have to make it to 2029.
tRump will always claim he made the right decisions and throw any convenient underling under the bus. He has fired all the expertise our government has spent years hiring. He isn't just incompetent - he is anti-competent and a lousy, expensive future awaits us. Edit: changed 'hustling' to 'just'. Damnable spellcheck!
Unfortunately, this war is very much alive. It may well be taken from Trump's incomptent hands, to be managed by Netanyahu the war criminal, and the powers that be in Iran and the other countries that have now become involved.
Hi Steve, I know. Because of him schoolgirls are dead and I'm sure the Israeli one does not care. This conflict and its consequences are very far from over
My comment tried to emphasize that drump is an absolute failure and ranks amongst the lowest despicable creatures ever to have spend time on this planet.
Thanks for the new word, "pusillanimous". Love it. I need to find ways to use it and work it into my vocab. But seriously, this debacle reminds me of his buddy Putin's "special military operation" (not war!) during which he was going to take over Ukraine in three days. Who coulda known the Ukrainians wouldn't welcome him with open arms? This is what happend when someone starts a war, ignoring all intelligence briefing, based on a feeling in his bones (spurs).
I am very concerned about the free rein given Russia in Ukraine. Neither Russia nor China are bearing any costs of this war. I am very concerned as well that there continues further inflammation of antisemitism. Burning medical/fire trucks in London is but the latest manifestation of the endless hate/blaming.
Let's hope we have our day in November. Sending ICE into the airports is, I fear, the start of massive intimidation tactics that they will no doubt use during the midterms.
Not a single reporter has bothered to ask Tom Holman 'what are these people going to do once they get to the airport? What kind of training did they receive about how to handle lines, operate the scanners, process the tickets, manage the gray trays filled with laptops, metal, shoes...all in time for a passenger to catch a flight?'
Massive, pile-on klusterphlucks dead ahead. Danger, Will Robinson. Danger.
90% of news journalists have been increasingly in GOP pockets since Reagan ended the Fairness Doc. We have NOT had fact & evidence based analysis since that time. IF we had, everyone would NOT think that the parties are the same. They would have been shown the fascists steps the GOP had been taking. (Hint: Hitler's first step in 1933 was to take over the newspapers.). The news media never emphasized T's background, but dug up or focussed on any misstep by HRC & Harris.
Don't forget how they endlessly criticized Biden.
shoot ticket agents who are toooo slow ?
People: be confident, courageous and know your rights! Be proud of your role in our prodemocracy movement and be peaceful in our March this Saturday: No Kings 3!!!
And only vote for dems who can win any race from town officials to Congress in Nov.
Peaceful, but determined, loud, and clear. It will be good to be able to actually see each other, learn who your unseen friends are.
Damn straight.
We must NOT be intimidated. I will be poll working for the first time ever in central Wisconsin.
I'm thinking that the airlines, which are impacted by the high cost of jet fuel, will not be very happy when people start cancelling their travel plans because of the ICE agents at the doors.
I read that ICE will check people's ID's before they enter the airport. What happens if not
everyone is carrying a passport?
How does all of this help TSA move the lines faster? It does't. It will just cause more chaos.
BECAUSE TRUMP IS THE KING OF CHAOS
"How does all of this help TSA move the lines faster? It does't. It will just cause more chaos."
Maybe TSA shouldn't exist:
"20 US airports don’t have TSA. Passengers there are not seeing long lines"
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/21/us/airports-without-tsa
I’m flying Thursday. Was supposed to be a fun trip!
Cancel in protest.
I’ll lose a lot of money.
And that's the only thing that matters.
Maybe it doesn’t matter to you, but this is a personal trip planned long ago and it’s an important trip for me, and I don’t have thousands to lose as you apparently do do. And my canceling won’t make one bit of difference at this point, the money has been paid and the airlines will just keep it. A very callous remark on your part.
I no longer travel by choice, and I'm pretty sure you haven't seen my bank account. But I have put everything on the line for my democracy and the environment. That's where I'm coming from, so enjoy your carefree trip. Say hi to ICE for me.
That is an incredibly obnoxious comment for you to make - not having any knowledge about this person's circumstances. Judging others in this way is very pompous of you and self-righteous. For her to be on this substack means she IS interested in our democracy.
I, personally, would not have anything to do with air travel overseen by armed ICE thugs and would reschedule any plans in protest. But, as I said, we all have our own priorities. Best wishes.
"Trump and MAGA are focused on the wrong things. Republicans splurge on wars and tax cuts for the rich, while scrimping on items critical for average Americans, such as healthcare coverage." Voters must fully understand this observation concisely stating Trump and MAGA governing principles. Also must stop election interference by Trump.
Why do you think this is just THIS GOP admin that brought us here? This was visible with Reagan. He established the trickle down approach and deregulation which have been damaging everyone EXCEPT THE RICH. Did the news media tell you this? NO. Because Reagan also ended the Fairness Doc. The news journalists STOPPED focussing on facts and evidence in their political analyses. They reported "sides" based on opinions & beliefs. They stopped highlighting DEM successes. Dems reduced the deficit in every one of their terms since Reagan. Unfortunately, the GOP had increased the debt substantially in every single one of their terms - leaving crises that the Dem presidents had to try to resolve! The housing & loan crash - caused by deregulation - still haunts us today, because its purpose was to benefit the rich. Unsurprisingly, they bought up numerous properties that regular citizens had owned. Now, their private equity firms continue their profit as they charge more and more for rent or for homes.
also we are fighting stupidity and racism...
"Let's hope we have our day in November."
The voters will have their say in November, as they have in times past.
"Sending ICE into the airports..."
That would not be necessary if the Democrats would fully fund DHS. Up until now, Jen really hasn't bothered to discuss the topic. Besides, what if sending ICE agents to airports actually helps reduce wait times for customers? What will be your attitude then?
"Trump: No DHS funding until Democrats ‘vote with Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act’
President Donald Trump Sunday ordered Republicans to refuse any deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unless Democrats agree to pass the SAVE America Act.
Trump described the anti-voting bill as more important than funding DHS itself, even as the agency remains partially shut down and security operations are strained."
Looks to me like Trump's the problem - as per usual.
""Trump: No DHS funding until Democrats ‘vote with Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act’"
Stupid move on Trump's part. Still, we're into what, 40 days or so into this partial shutdown and I'm not sure if Jen has even mentioned it...there must be a reason.
"Trump described the anti-voting bill as more important than funding DHS itself..."
It's not an "anti-voting bill", "Jim Crow 2.0/3.0/whatever", or a "voter suppression" bill. It is, however, poorly written and needs to be seriously overhauled. It should be strictly focused on voter ID and proof of citizenship, both of which are overwhelmingly supported by Americans. Nothing more, nothing less. But even that will be opposed by practically all Democrats in Congress.
Maybe because non-citizen voting is not a problem to begin with.
You have to have a premise to make an argument.
"Maybe because non-citizen voting is not a problem to begin with."
If even one non-citizen is on some state's voter roll, that is a problem and should be addressed. Whether it should be included in this particular piece of legislation is another matter.
More and more, you are proving that you are a GOP believer.... Your stubbornness in regards to facts proves it. LESS THAN 200 VOTES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO HAVE A PROBLEM. Electronic votes can produce paper copies. This is done after every election. 55 times the GOP sued to prove there was a problem in the 2020 election. 55 times they lost.
A change to Voter ID should be done over a period of time. Not 9 months before an election. Of course this is about controlling the vote and not about reform. That would require Congress working together towards a fair solution. Kind of like Immigration?
Americans deserve better.
"A change to Voter ID should be done over a period of time. Not 9 months before an election."
I agree. But even if the bill was limited to photo ID and proof of citizenship the day after an election or the first day of a new session, Democrats in Congress would still be opposed to it.
"Of course this is about controlling the vote and not about reform."
Photo ID and proof of citizenship is about keeping non-citizens from voting, and most Americans agree with that.
"Americans deserve better."
Absolutely. We can start by having our parties select better candidates. Next would be forcing Congress to put forward an amendment putting term limits on themselves.
Hal, agree there is much work at all levels that need to be done.
I do believe a plan that is fair would pass by both houses in the future.
And then could be adopted by the States.
I do agree that term limits on Congress and the SCOTUS are long overdue. Also, more realistic benefits that are given to those that serve.
They should not be significantly better than what the average US Citizen would receive.
Americans deserve better.
Real ID required me to bring multiple documents to prove who I am. Asking someone who is 78 to find and produce a birth certificate, a marriage certificate, a change back to my birth name is ridiculous. ALL of my early documentation was lost. So, you want me to travel and hope those early town halls STILL have my records? You want women of any age to have to follow the trail of their documents. They are working, have children & responsibilities, but THEY should bear the burden of this "Save Act?" FOR WHAT PURPOSE WHEN LESS THAN 200 VOTES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO HAVE A PROBLEM? There are millions of women in this position. What about those who were adopted or are transgender. FUNNY HOW IT will not impact white men.
But why bring other legislation into it at all? And why shouldn't ICE and BCP follow basic law enforcement rules?
"But why bring other legislation into it at all?"
Because that's what political parties do - they attach unpopular or not-well-thought-out things to otherwise meaningful and useful legislation. Both parties do this on a recurring basis. It shows their cowardice when they won't submit something as a stand-alone item because they know it won't pass.
"And why shouldn't ICE and BCP follow basic law enforcement rules?"
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "basic law enforcement". There are instances, even down to the local level, where governments decide how or what laws to enforce more aggressively than others. We see state and local governments acting as "sanctuaries", refusing to cooperate with the Feds on ICE detainers. One would think that an illegal immigrant, once charged with a local or state crime and incarcerated, would be handed over to ICE for deportation but that is obviously not the case. In quite a few instances this refusal to cooperate has resulted in dire consequences for US citizens.
Democrats have offered to fund all but ICE and BCP, but it was rejected. And yes, things get added to legislation, but Trump has really changed the stakes now if he keeps insisting that another bill be passed too - one that Democrats want no part of and that he thinks Republicans should abolish the filibuster over. How long will Thune hold out on that one?
"Basic law enforcement" such as not wearing masks, having identification on their uniforms, turning on body cams, and needing lawful warrants, not something they sign themselves.
https://time.com/7358586/government-shutdown-democrat-demands-ice/
AGAIN, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF VOTER FRAUD IN THIS COUNTRY. Less than 200 votes have been found to have a problem in any national election for years. These results have been validated even by the Heritage Society which IS behind this administration. We ALL have had to provide evidence that we are citizens in any city, county or town we live in. Why isn't it obvious to you that the requirement for WOMEN to show their change of names from birth is a ploy to prevent women from voting? THERE IS NOTHING TO "SAVE". The Heritage Society, (with Thiel as one of the writers) produced P2025. Read it and recognize that one of their goals is to put women and POC back in "their places" - in their homes having babies or in the fields picking crops.
Yay? I guess? But the masked, armed, unidentified, poorly-trained, law-breaking goons will still be out doing Stephen Miller's evil will, so there's that.
"But the masked, armed, unidentified, poorly-trained, law-breaking goons..."
They don't answer to Stephen Miller. They don't even answer to Tom Holman. They answer to Todd Lyons, the Acting Director since March. I'm not sure who is the interim leader of DHS is until confirmation of Markwayne Mullin is resolved.
Ya think?
Hmm. I think you do NOT belong here OR you still think mainstream media is telling you all of the facts. At best, they tell half-truths. The dems have offered 7 TIMES to fund all of DHS, EXCEPT FOR ICE, because ICE is NOT acting legally. They have asked for several changes in what ICE agents have been allowed to do BEFORE they will also fund ICE (judicial warrants, no masks, court hearings, etc) These requests are actually ALREADY in our laws. This admin has chosen NOT to follow them. Do you think it's ok for this admin not to follow our laws?
GOP MOC finally took the idea to T, and TRUMP SAID NO.
Why are you so confident that voting will be definitely possible for everyone? Do you think the SAVE ACT is proper? IT's NOT. Fraud in voting, (even proven by the T-friendly Heritage Society) is NOT happening. No more than 200 votes have been shown to be improperly cast. Are you aware that all votes from machines can be counted by the paper ballots that can be processed from them? That has been done multiple times and was used in the 55 court cases after T did not win in 2020. T and the GOP lost ALL of those cases.
Are you aware of the illegal redistricting done in GOP controlled states for many years? Voter suppression is why the GOP has been able to control these states.
"Hmm. I think you do NOT belong here..."
Agree with my views or not. Respond or not. That is your decision. But I will never tell you or anyone else that "you do NOT belong here...".
I spent twenty years in the airlines as a ground operations supervisor. I was security trained. Your comment is ignorant. ICE has no purpose at airports. Anything they are qualified to do the airport police are already doing.
I suggest that commenters here do themselves a favor and let Hal wield his slings and arrows in a vacuum.
"I suggest that commenters here do themselves a favor and let Hal wield his slings and arrows in a vacuum."
Norm, no one is being forced to respond to any comment I make. And as long as posters (regardless of their views) can have an honest and civil back-and-forth discussion, that should be the goal. Agree or not...respond or not...that is always your call.
They will not intimidate me. Nor should anyone feel that. We have the power to kick these GOP assholes out.
Thank you for this clarity. Thousands of Americans with vast experience in the Middle East knew this was the consequence of attacking Iran. Trump is incapable of learning from other people-- on anything, except cruelty and greed.
Anyone with half a brain knew that.
Now Trump wants to "pause" attacks while he "negotiates" (IOW, solicits bribes).
TACOs, anyone?
Insider information, anyone?
Yep. And right on cue, the markets are way up, based on Trump's statements about negotiations -- which the Iranians say aren't happening.
Who you gonna believe?
He will step on anyone, anything, anytime to add to his and his sons' and son-in law's billions. That's what he knows and all he cares about. I hope the MAGA-enthralled folks are beginning to realize this. Everything stems from his grifting: the cruelty, bigotry, and mismanagement (the latter a kind term). And it's working for him. Will there ever be a reckoning? Well, there was Nuremberg. I recommend the newest version of that story starring Russell Crowe and Rami Malik. It should be a cautionary tale, but only if people are smart enough to see the signs.
Please understand that EVERY GOP MOC & in this administration is to blame. T is the "figurehead". The rest chose NOT to stop him. They and the white male billionaires want to make POC, women and children into workers for them.
I don't think we can survive until January (when the new Congress would be seated--a lot can happen between November and January and it will all be terrible). The fact that there are absolutely no limits to the mayhem and horrors this maladministration perpetrates because the minions in Congress refuse to protect anyone but themselves means we are essentially powerless. I want to see Dems in Congress be willing to get arrested, be willing to engage in far more public altercations with the fascists in their midst. We now have a media system that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Felon and his spawn and the Dems are locked out. Expressing "concern" and going on NPR is not nearly enough. But the Dems persist in acting as if this is a normal political system, when it patently is not.
I agree. As Thomas Jefferson once said, "when tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty."
This will make a great sign!
NO, DEM MOC are NOT to blame for what is happening. Voters ARE. THEY elected a MAJORITY of GOP MOC in BOTH the House & Senate. The dems have NOT controlled a single vote. In Nov of 2024, many millions of voters chose NOT to vote for Harris DESPITE THE CLEAR DANGER TO OUR DEMOCRACY. They let a bigoted, liar who speaks in word salads and does NOT think that ANY LAW applies to him. There was zero excuse for NOT knowing what a 2nd T presidency would mean. Astonishingly, there were people who knew who he was, who didn't vote or voted 3rd party anyway.
Our responsibility is, at the very least, to vote for 1 of the 2 main candidates. They are the ONLY choices. POC when they first had the right to vote asked themselves the question: which of the 2 candidates is least likely to make their lives more difficult.
Very well said, Linda. At the moment, the Congress has all but ceased to exist. And yet there are some brilliant men and women in there who are being kept powerless.
What is hard to understand about the fact that the GOP have had full control of both houses of Congress? Since Gingrich, the GOP have forced all the members of the House to vote as told or be replaced. CONGRESS has not "ceased to exist". McConnell did a lot of damage while leading the Senate especially during Obama's presidency. Thune is no better.
Some Democratic members of congress already have been arrested trying to inspect ICE sites.
The Democrats in congress, along with Governors and state Attorney's General, HAVE been fighting back hard, with thousands of lawsuits and new laws. Washington State just banned ALL law enforcement from wearing masks.
And the rightwing billionaire-owned corporate media won't give Democrats a platform. Hell, the fascist fuckers refused to broadcast an important speech warning about authoritarianism by Joe Biden WHILE HE WAS PRESIDENT because it was "too divisive." The same people that breathlessly publish or broadcast every word fart out of Donnie Dumpster's mouth. So unless George Soros buys a major Network, there will be no fair and balanced news except here and on various Substacks by the real reporters who have left corporate media.
And I get that people are concerned, but don't get this "we won't survive" or "they won't let us vote." The proper attitude for freedom-loving Americans is "don't even THINK about getting between me and my vote!"
"I will not guess what went through this man's mind."
I will. NOTHING. And the void increases every day...
Personally, I find it mind-numbing to try to figure out what he was thinking at any second. He's so ignorant but convinced of his intelligence, it's staggering.
He thought about his next golf outing. That’s my guess
Or his next excursion. To Cuba, maybe.
Not the fog of war - the blur of panic.
This is clearly the most dangerous and damaging distraction to the coverup of the Epstein files yet. Only a truly demented and evil mind could have conceived of such an action.
Don the Con manages to make George W. Bush, who made a career out of ill-advised foreign adventures, look like Lincoln and Washington combined.
And the lesson of Vietnam wasn't new. America didn't "lose" the war in the classical sense. Rather, the American public was just getting sick of fighting a war that seemed to have no end.
The reason it wasn't new can be traced back to George Washington! In the entire war, he fought 9 battles and lost 6 of them. So how come we don't sing "God Save the King"? Several reasons:
1. Washington won when his back was to the wall and he absolutely needed a win
2. But after every defeat, he managed to get his army out intact and able to fight again.
So after Yorktown in 1781, Britain looked at the situation
1. The war had been going on for 6 years and was no closer to being won than in 1775.
2. Britain controlled many big cities, but couldn't control the vast contryside, where most people lived.
3. The war was never especially popular with Parliament and the British public
4. It was draining the treasury
5. With France and Spain allied with the US, the entire empire was at risk of raids from their navies.
6. And on the positive side, Britain was really establishing themselves in India, so they had bigger fish to fry.
So while Britain didn't actually "lose", it just became not worth their trouble to continue fighting in a perpetual stalemate.
Sounds a lot like Vietnam, only this time we played the part of Britain. And that's how Iran will probably turn out-- they'll both outlast us, and we'll have unacceptable consequences by continuing. Only Don the Con is too stupid to realize it.
Very good analogy. Washington made plenty of mistakes, but he didn't make the same mistake twice. We also owe a massive debt to France for their critical assistance at Yorktown, sometimes called the last medieval siege.
I've heard a saying: "Fools don't learn from their mistakes, so they make the same ones again and again. Wise people learn from their mistakes, so they will not make the same one twice. Very wise people study the mistakes of others, so they can avoid making them entirely.
Love that saying! Thanks for posting it.
I've seen Lafayette's grave in Paris. It has the American flag on it. He wanted to lie in American soil, and I understand that this was arranged for his burial.
Not to mention Vietnam's population has more than doubled since 1968 yet even with a flood of of 'illegal' immigrants US population is headed toward world wide numeric irrelevance. Land of the free and home of the billionaires.
The stooges include the general officers that he ensured are stocked with loyalists. Blame goes on them too. They took an oath to obey the Constitution, which they violated. They've agreed to commit war crimes. What else might they be capable of if Trump says "jump?"
This is not mentioned often enough!
Jennifer you mentioned Trump's "ignorance," "Stupidity," but you left off his dominant charaistic... His delusional mind. Trump grasp on reality is non-existent. Plus there are 77,000,000 people who believe this 36 times a felon, pedeofile is better than Clinton or Harris.
If they only had a penis.
with which to think
We could have another Lincoln🎶
GOOD STUFF, BUT PLEASE GET EPSTEIN BACK ON THE FRONT BURNER! Cat on the keyboard, disregard the caps lock!
The burr under the saddle.
So that's why...? No, Trump doesn't like pets. Only the human variety.
There's only one poll that matters. That's in the US Senate and the number is 67. That's how many votes are needed to convict in an impeachment trial. Will Senate Trump Toadies ever fear for their jobs? If not it doesn't matter if the Monster's public approval is zero. He won't change. He won't become human and won't voluntarily leave office. If a miracle happened and the Toady Butt Lickers voted to convict, which Federal force would have the actual job of physically removing the Monster from the WH in handcuffs? I have a dream.
The task of physical removal falls to the U.S. Secret Service. Whether or not they would follow such an order is in question at this point.
We better make sure democrats win big in November and we better find the right candidate for the White House in 2028 as a imagine we will still be doing Israel’s bidding in Iran at that time.
Boy howdy you ain't just flapping your gums.
The candidates are there.
"Voters’ anger may well rise as they learn more about Trump’s stupidity and Republicans’ refusal to challenge him." Here's the real question - Haven't voters learned enough already to be angry? What, in fact, are many voters learning about what's going on? What kind of news coverage are huge numbers of Americans getting? My worst fear is that many, many Americans are effectively blind to the real state of affairs, because they chose news sources that intentionally keep them blind.
I know someone in the Midwest who watches, guess what, and told me recently that DJT needed to go to war to keep Iran from bombing us with a nuclear bomb. She believed it because you-know-what-station keeps repeating it.
Yikes. This is clearly the logjam that we are up against. This poor deluded soul hasn't learned that Iran does not (yet) possess a missile capabile of the distance to deliver such a bomb to us. Faux Noise should be labeled a domestic terrorist organization for the lies and propaganda that they dish out.
How to de-fang Fox?
About a year ago, a co-member of Indivisible and I created a boycott list of Fox advertisers. (Yes, I held my nose and watched the show for several days to find out who was advertising.) That would need to be updated, but a coherent and massive boycott of those advertisers would hobble Fox. The question is, who will organize it? Like any other boycott, there needs to be significant participation or it goes nowhere, which was our experience. Not enough #s.
Facebook?
Someone has to organize and update it to post it anywhere ... Are you volunteering? That would be GREAT!
Well, unlike the stations that Brendan Carr is threatening, a new FCC could use the continuing lies broadcast by Fox following their $787 million judgement for deliberately lying as evidence that the Network is irredeemable and a threat to national security and pull their license. But we have to make it to 2029.
The people who voted for this will not rethink because the very capacity to do so was lacking in the first place.
Want to know what the masses are thinking? YouTube comments will tell you.
The Rs have unlimited funds for blowing stuff up - which we are very good at.
Health care? Food security? Assistance to the least of us? Unaffordable!
MAGA's priorities are clear. Death and destruction. You betcha. Promote the general Welfare? Woke commie.
In a nutshell.
tRump will always claim he made the right decisions and throw any convenient underling under the bus. He has fired all the expertise our government has spent years hiring. He isn't just incompetent - he is anti-competent and a lousy, expensive future awaits us. Edit: changed 'hustling' to 'just'. Damnable spellcheck!
Everything drump touches dies..... even drump's own chosen war with Iran.
Unfortunately, this war is very much alive. It may well be taken from Trump's incomptent hands, to be managed by Netanyahu the war criminal, and the powers that be in Iran and the other countries that have now become involved.
Hi Steve, I know. Because of him schoolgirls are dead and I'm sure the Israeli one does not care. This conflict and its consequences are very far from over
My comment tried to emphasize that drump is an absolute failure and ranks amongst the lowest despicable creatures ever to have spend time on this planet.
Perhaps you put it too subtly, or I've not had enough coffee this morning to recognize what you intended. Apologies.
Thanks for the new word, "pusillanimous". Love it. I need to find ways to use it and work it into my vocab. But seriously, this debacle reminds me of his buddy Putin's "special military operation" (not war!) during which he was going to take over Ukraine in three days. Who coulda known the Ukrainians wouldn't welcome him with open arms? This is what happend when someone starts a war, ignoring all intelligence briefing, based on a feeling in his bones (spurs).
Spiro Agnew made "pusillanimous" famous in one of his many denials of wrongdoing. He called his detractors "pusillanimous pussy-footers."
Sounds like Agnew. I would have been much too young to understand that.
The Wizard of Oz uses the word when awarding courage, ‘pusillanimous creatures’ I think is the phrase.
Sylvester the Cat.
That rings a bell!
Spewed by a pusillanimous pussy cat with - sibilance.
That was the bell it was ringing. Lol. Now I need to find one of the old cartoons.
I am very concerned about the free rein given Russia in Ukraine. Neither Russia nor China are bearing any costs of this war. I am very concerned as well that there continues further inflammation of antisemitism. Burning medical/fire trucks in London is but the latest manifestation of the endless hate/blaming.