Tonight, all eyes are turned toward Russia. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the volatile head of the Wagner Group, claims to be leading his troops from Ukraine into Russia. The Russian government is calling it a coup attempt. The Wagner Group, a private mercenary organization, has been fighting in Ukraine for Russia. No one knows for certain where this is heading as I’m writing Friday evening. But there is no doubt most people, whether they will admit it publicly or not, are relieved that Joe Biden, surrounded by competent advisers, is at our country’s helm at this moment. The idea that we could wake up in the middle of the night to a Trump tweet changing the course of world history for the worse if he were in power is all too real.
Joyce, Would you explain the “Espionage Act”? I thought Trump is being charged under the Espionage Act but that does not mean he’s being charged with actual espionage. That’s confusing legal stuff. (Personally I have always thought he was (is..?) a foreign agent.). Anyway, the Espionage Act vis à vis Trump has confused a lot of us. Thx!
How will Republican voters react to a candidate who admitted he kept classified documents he wasn’t entitled to? If they are watching or listening to far-right conservative propaganda talk radio or TV shows like Fox & NewsMax, they won’t know the truth, and will instead be told that President Biden is the most corrupt president ever, that donald won the 2020 election, and that they should send money to donald’s legal defense fund because if the deep state is coming for donald, they are coming for them too. You can’t make this shit up. Seriously. As for Russia, totally agree with you. Thank you Joyce for summarizing the news of the day for me. Glad to be in this together with you. Peace.
I agree that Republican voters, through the brainwashing they are getting (willingly), will go the wrong way. Just yesterday, in a modest neighborhood crawfish feed, I heard arguments from local "conservatives" that just dripped with hate, regret, and all the Fox/Newsmax/OAN tripe we all know about. It's so scary. They are truly drinking the kool-aid.
Regretfully they are. They are sick with DJT’s poison. We are sick and tired of the on-going circus, propaganda and gaslighting. Can we find a way to heal ourselves?
I’ll start by supporting people who stand for democracy, writing postcards and posting “truth” reports on social media.
The MAGA cult has been completely indoctrinated not to believe anything negative about their leader, even were Trump to admit to his crimes. They'll just think he was coerced into confessing.
Prigozhin seems like a madman to me, while Putin is a calculating, cold-hearted fascist. Heaven help us all if either "P" man prevails. If Trump reenters his czardom, he will dance to a Russian strongman's tune regardless. He must not! I cannot imagine a world with the three of them playing—literally— Russian roulette.
I agree. We are looking at the typical way that a dictator goes down, with a military coup and then the people get a new dictator to replace the old one, who is now a member of the military. I am following some of this on Meduza. Here is their link.
If you look at what is being said, Prigozhin has downed 3 Russian helicopters. I wondered whether he was suffering from PTSD, because of the attack of his men he claims by Russian missile, but there is a lot that is calculated about what he is doing. I can imagine that he is sick of dealing with the corruption in the military since he is apparently on the front line. Right now, Trump or anyone else replacing Biden seems far off compared to what is going on in Russia. I am grateful that Biden is at the helm here. Putin did not count on Biden doing such a great job of supporting Ukraine and rallying support around Ukraine that things would play themselves out like this. His goals of glory seem further and further away, and some people must realize that. Prigozhin has been going around Russia telling his story, where he has been blatantly criticizing the military leadership. It seems that someone's head is going to roll in all of this. It could be his, but perhaps it will be that of the military leadership first. Also, the FSB is their own branch of the military to enforce what the spies there do, but both the regular Russian and the FSB militaries could decide to join with Prigozhin. We shall see. It is a tense night.
A true conflagration could be brewing. Although we here are not invulnerable, thank heavens the orange puppet is not in office and we are "far (relatively) from the madding crowd."
Hope, you express my sentiments exactly. They have already but will continue ruthlessly if Trump gets back to the world stage. The only good news is that I think he is in worse health than everyone wants to say of another candidate, I. E., the current occupant.
With Putin and Prigozhin, I only see someone getting assassinated. Putin’s days are coming to an end, but another cold-hearted power-hungry person will take his place. As for Robertson, I feel he was a cold-hearted revengeful evangelical who also loved power. Trying times! Thank goodness we have Jack Smith and his team.
“The prospect leads me to wonder how Republican voters would react to a candidate who admitted he kept classified documents he wasn’t entitled to. There have been no rules where Trump is concerned. Might this be a bridge too far even for the cultish support he has enjoyed the benefit of for so long?”
My own thoughts are inclined to believe that the Republican voters in question are so imbibed with the Trumpian brew of winning at all costs that they will overlook nearly any crime that does not result in actual direct violence on the part of Trump himself.
This would be well in keeping with the apparent presence of what appears to be the current Americanized version of the Fuehrer Prinzip (Leadership Principle) that seems to have suffused the Republican Party in general.
The only genuinely sure means of denying Trump and by extension dissuading any other Republican acolytes from carrying on his repugnant torch of greed, hate, and self-indulgent autocratic behaviors and policies is for him to be soundly convicted and with the greatest determination possible by a jury trial.
Followed up closely by a resounding Democratic Party victory in Government in both the House of Congress and the White House.
This is surely and truly an All Hands On Deck Situation.
Thank you Joyce for tonight’s observations. It is so unsettling. I see Trump as the petty bully child whose only skill is selling himself to adoring crowds in need of his brand of illusion... while picking their pockets to pay for his troubles. You would think last week’s fraud, when he boasted the crowd’s meals were on him and leaving before paying the bill, would have opened some eyes. He behaves like a man assured he will never suffer because someone has his back. I would like to know more about what is happening with his gang... including donors, and Bannon, Manafort, Stone, Flynn... will they be tried on Jan 6 participation? So much is on Jack Smith’s plate. There is so much to learn and context is essential. You provide that for us.
You actually reminded me of why I am salty about the democratic party letting us down during the 40 years they held the majority in congress...no passing ERA, no codifiyng voting rights or abortion rights, slow on appointing federal judges? Just holding us hostage to vote for them to keep the republicans from taking the rights they should have enshrined all along! Well obviously dem voters stopped voting out of frustration, and gerrymandering and republicans kept their promises. Hillary said trump judges would overturn Roe...but she was just being hysterical right. Well the joke is on us...now the liberal media is all about Joe being old...3 years older than trump. And Hunter. So sick of the gaslighting. Thanks to Joyce I'm still mostly sane! 😉
Agree. Of all these I am most angry with DemParty for not educating/promoting action (voting) in State elections. Midterms. State constitutions were here before the US Constitution was ever written. States still hold a LOT of power. A populist national majority means little compared to 2 senators per state + electoral college + redistricting (gerrymandering.) The DemParty has also gotten ridiculously lazy in their assumptions that all Blacks and Hispanics will love them no matter what. Wake up Dems!
Dems in each state have only themselves to blame for not gaining and keeping statehouses. And the DNC has been close to worthless for the 50+ years I’ve been paying attention to it. Dems got complacent. And it’s hard to hold a coalition party together at any time—a coalition stays home if they feel slighted. We have met the enemy, and it is us.
Wagner’s Mercenaries are imbedded in many places (Africa among others) and could be redirected to Russia to fight there with those in place already; sorry cannot source but have seen impressive chart of same. War for hire must be profitable. Cannot imagine Putin cornered; what a night, absolutely. 🥺And thank our lucky stars for our dear level headed “sleepy Joe” at the helm this day. We only get the security of one at a time now. 🌍🕊️
What many of us were and are looking for last night was Putin. How may Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, weaken Putin? 'The long-running feud between Mr. Prigozhin and the Russian military over the war in Ukraine has now escalated into an open confrontation, setting up the biggest challenge to Mr. Putin’s authority since he launched his invasion of Ukraine 16 months ago.'
'Videos circulating widely on social media showed that military and national guard armored vehicles had been deployed in Moscow and the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, near the front line in Ukraine where Mr. Prigozhin’s fighters had been operating.' (NYTimes)
As for Trump, justice appears to be close at hand.. 'Jack Smith, the special counsel, has asked a federal judge to move back the start of the trial of former President Donald J. Trump and his co-defendant, Walt Nauta, in the classified documents case from August to Dec. 11, according to a Justice Department filing made public late Friday.'
'In their filing, prosecutors said the additional time would be needed to obtain security clearances for defense lawyers and deal with the procedures around classified evidence. It would also give defense lawyers more time to review the volumes of materials prosecutors have turned over to them, the filing said.'
Jack Smith looks to be prepared. 'Mr. Smith’s team also provided the defense lawyers with its first estimate of the number of witnesses — 84 — who might be called to testify. The judge presiding over Mr. Trump’s initial hearing requested the list to impose a restriction against the former president discussing the case with them, to prevent witness tampering.' (NYTimes)
Personally, I hope trump holds out hoping DOJ will tire of him & let him off the hook with a slap on the wrist. If that were to happen, forget about there being ANY justice left in the country. He needs to serve time, imho, a minimum of 5 yrs for the documents; a minimum of 6-10 yrs for inciting a coup; and 5-10 for election interference & whatever else can be thrown at him in GA & across the country. If he doesn't get at least some serious prison time, what will keep the Republicans & their white supremacists, racists, whatever from continuing to LIE & Cheat their way with our elections? What would be the lesson to those who get away with attacking the Capital on 1/6? If there is no heavy duty payment for all these crimes, just hand over the keys and say adios because our nation will be done. imho. carry on.
Bill, I agree with you that we MUST be diligent in holding TFG responsible "Do the crime do the time" We must not let him weasle out of this like he has in his past. I do feel his "base" will cause some trouble, but that should not alter the fact that Smith needs to hold him guilty as charged.
He's never seeing the inside of a prison. I've said it since day one. As a NYer we told everyone who he is/was, but we are just a bunch of liberal snowflakes.
Seems snowflakes are tougher in NY. Hang in there. Here in my dumbass home state of TX, I have to have an Armadillo snowflake flak jacket on at all times. Never give up, Erica.
I shudder to think of Tfg anywhere near the whitehouse. And so glad to have an adult “in the room” surrounded by other adults.sometimes do think he could choose his words a bit better at times.
Joyce I hate to say this but nothing will change Trump supporters.they read and hear what they want to and nothing is going to change their minds that he’s “the man” they have blinders on where he is concerned. Just hope that we don’t have a rerun of 3dr party voters that don’t realize what their “protest” votes really mean. How are the chickens ? I miss hearing about them.
Jamelle Bouie had an excellent column the other day about the Rs sticking with their horrorshow, no matter what (link below). A brief excerpt:
"Most things in life, and especially a basic respect for democracy and the rule of law, have to be cultivated. What is striking about the Republican Party is the extent to which it has, for decades now, cultivated the opposite — a highly instrumental view of our political system, in which rules and laws are legitimate only insofar as they allow for the acquisition and concentration of power in Republican hands.
Most Republicans won’t condemn Trump. There are his millions of ultra-loyal voters, yes. And there are the challenges associated with breaking from the consensus of your political party, yes. But there is also the reality that Trump is the apotheosis of a propensity for lawlessness within the Republican Party. He is what the party and its most prominent figures have been building toward for nearly half a century. ..."
Yes to your comments, pts. Isn't it just infuriating how Republicans claim to family values, small government, etc, but their actions are exactly the opposite of their words? That tfg has any support at all is proof that the Republican party is a cult and has been since the 1960's.
I will always remember how I shuddered on election night 2016 when he first entered the White House. We cannot allow it to happen in 2024. We are learning the true mean of democracy requires citizen participation. Never has there been a stronger call to action than the potential of TFG and Rs return to the WH or regaining the both houses of Congress!!
The No Label party is trouble. Very well-funded. Built up their own cult following. I must confess here on Joyce's lovely site that I feel as much disgust of Bernie Sanders as I do Trump. Bernie doesn't get enough criticism for helping to elect DJT. MANY of my highly educated Progressive friends sat out the election -- did not vote at all -- "in protest" of Hillary. These people need to be held to account as much as those who voted *for* Trump. You can't have it both ways.
I can't stand the Bernie people. Either they never looked up his voting record in the senate or they don't care because "he says good stuff." Not to mention his inability to get stuff done in VT that he wants to scale for the country. I truly don't get it.
Umm, I'm a constituent of Bernie's and a retiree who's getting poorer by the day. Perhaps I am myopic, but he was the main proponent for community health centers where I get very good medical care. He's fought long and hard for reducing the costs of medications. Most of all, he advocates for affordable housing, especially for seniors, but for all population groups. He has always answered my emails which advocate for one thing or another. There must be some reason he gets voted into office term after term. His only sin that I know of is owning a vacation home valued at $1,000,000+ He's hardly a greedy oligarch.
Thank you for saying this! Back in the day, I admired a lot about Bernie, but his dogged pursuit of the nomination and fracturing of the progressive voting bloc has since soured me on him. You are absolutely correct that HE contributed greatly to DJT's election. I wish he would just friggin' retire already.
When the indictment was handed down by Jack Smith, my 28 year old son said, “it will never result in Trump facing consequences.” I said he was wrong but then the piece came out about DOJ slow-walking J6--of course, wasn’t it plain to us all? Then trial was set in FL jurisdiction, then Aileen Cannon. Now it’s Ft. Pierce, ruby red Trump country.
So in the same way we all had great hopes that Mueller had things in hand, we should believe Jack Smith has it in hand? Little wonder we’re down to discussing plea deals that will disappear Trump’s fire hose of treachery--poof!
The problem is that we’ve been starved for some accountability...for all the blatant lies, nepotism, corruption, Putin-pleasing reversals of norms and attacks on allies. Instead of Marjorie Taylor Greene being censured, it’s Adam Schiff. That’s the upside down political environment we’re in. The “rule of law” seems in grave doubt.
Any plea deal should include the defendant’s inability to hold any public office. It is, after all, an espionage case.
Joyce, Would you explain the “Espionage Act”? I thought Trump is being charged under the Espionage Act but that does not mean he’s being charged with actual espionage. That’s confusing legal stuff. (Personally I have always thought he was (is..?) a foreign agent.). Anyway, the Espionage Act vis à vis Trump has confused a lot of us. Thx!
How will Republican voters react to a candidate who admitted he kept classified documents he wasn’t entitled to? If they are watching or listening to far-right conservative propaganda talk radio or TV shows like Fox & NewsMax, they won’t know the truth, and will instead be told that President Biden is the most corrupt president ever, that donald won the 2020 election, and that they should send money to donald’s legal defense fund because if the deep state is coming for donald, they are coming for them too. You can’t make this shit up. Seriously. As for Russia, totally agree with you. Thank you Joyce for summarizing the news of the day for me. Glad to be in this together with you. Peace.
I agree that Republican voters, through the brainwashing they are getting (willingly), will go the wrong way. Just yesterday, in a modest neighborhood crawfish feed, I heard arguments from local "conservatives" that just dripped with hate, regret, and all the Fox/Newsmax/OAN tripe we all know about. It's so scary. They are truly drinking the kool-aid.
Regretfully they are. They are sick with DJT’s poison. We are sick and tired of the on-going circus, propaganda and gaslighting. Can we find a way to heal ourselves?
I’ll start by supporting people who stand for democracy, writing postcards and posting “truth” reports on social media.
Agree 100%, tragically.
The MAGA cult has been completely indoctrinated not to believe anything negative about their leader, even were Trump to admit to his crimes. They'll just think he was coerced into confessing.
Were Trump be enticed to a plea deal, my guess is his "admission" would be spun as a kind of wink wink put up job.
Prigozhin seems like a madman to me, while Putin is a calculating, cold-hearted fascist. Heaven help us all if either "P" man prevails. If Trump reenters his czardom, he will dance to a Russian strongman's tune regardless. He must not! I cannot imagine a world with the three of them playing—literally— Russian roulette.
Absolutely, chilling! Let’s hope the blue tsunami reactivates!💙 Cannot imagine a world without the blue, taking care of our freedom again!
I agree. We are looking at the typical way that a dictator goes down, with a military coup and then the people get a new dictator to replace the old one, who is now a member of the military. I am following some of this on Meduza. Here is their link.
https://meduza.io/en/live/2023/06/23/yevgeny-prigozhin-s-coup?utm_source=email&utm_medium=briefly&utm_campaign=2023-06-24
If you look at what is being said, Prigozhin has downed 3 Russian helicopters. I wondered whether he was suffering from PTSD, because of the attack of his men he claims by Russian missile, but there is a lot that is calculated about what he is doing. I can imagine that he is sick of dealing with the corruption in the military since he is apparently on the front line. Right now, Trump or anyone else replacing Biden seems far off compared to what is going on in Russia. I am grateful that Biden is at the helm here. Putin did not count on Biden doing such a great job of supporting Ukraine and rallying support around Ukraine that things would play themselves out like this. His goals of glory seem further and further away, and some people must realize that. Prigozhin has been going around Russia telling his story, where he has been blatantly criticizing the military leadership. It seems that someone's head is going to roll in all of this. It could be his, but perhaps it will be that of the military leadership first. Also, the FSB is their own branch of the military to enforce what the spies there do, but both the regular Russian and the FSB militaries could decide to join with Prigozhin. We shall see. It is a tense night.
Thank you, Linda, for your references.
Add to that three a few more; Netanyahu, the Saudi Crown Prince, Turkey’s Erdogan, etc.
A true conflagration could be brewing. Although we here are not invulnerable, thank heavens the orange puppet is not in office and we are "far (relatively) from the madding crowd."
Did you ever notice that he looks a lot like Nosferatu? https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b74e11d41
👍
Definitely ghoulish.
Hope, you express my sentiments exactly. They have already but will continue ruthlessly if Trump gets back to the world stage. The only good news is that I think he is in worse health than everyone wants to say of another candidate, I. E., the current occupant.
With Putin and Prigozhin, I only see someone getting assassinated. Putin’s days are coming to an end, but another cold-hearted power-hungry person will take his place. As for Robertson, I feel he was a cold-hearted revengeful evangelical who also loved power. Trying times! Thank goodness we have Jack Smith and his team.
So glad we have Joe Biden and Jack Smith and the many courageous men and women among us seeking to protect democracy.
Absolutely!
With regard to the following concerns:
“The prospect leads me to wonder how Republican voters would react to a candidate who admitted he kept classified documents he wasn’t entitled to. There have been no rules where Trump is concerned. Might this be a bridge too far even for the cultish support he has enjoyed the benefit of for so long?”
My own thoughts are inclined to believe that the Republican voters in question are so imbibed with the Trumpian brew of winning at all costs that they will overlook nearly any crime that does not result in actual direct violence on the part of Trump himself.
This would be well in keeping with the apparent presence of what appears to be the current Americanized version of the Fuehrer Prinzip (Leadership Principle) that seems to have suffused the Republican Party in general.
The only genuinely sure means of denying Trump and by extension dissuading any other Republican acolytes from carrying on his repugnant torch of greed, hate, and self-indulgent autocratic behaviors and policies is for him to be soundly convicted and with the greatest determination possible by a jury trial.
Followed up closely by a resounding Democratic Party victory in Government in both the House of Congress and the White House.
This is surely and truly an All Hands On Deck Situation.
Thank you Joyce for tonight’s observations. It is so unsettling. I see Trump as the petty bully child whose only skill is selling himself to adoring crowds in need of his brand of illusion... while picking their pockets to pay for his troubles. You would think last week’s fraud, when he boasted the crowd’s meals were on him and leaving before paying the bill, would have opened some eyes. He behaves like a man assured he will never suffer because someone has his back. I would like to know more about what is happening with his gang... including donors, and Bannon, Manafort, Stone, Flynn... will they be tried on Jan 6 participation? So much is on Jack Smith’s plate. There is so much to learn and context is essential. You provide that for us.
You actually reminded me of why I am salty about the democratic party letting us down during the 40 years they held the majority in congress...no passing ERA, no codifiyng voting rights or abortion rights, slow on appointing federal judges? Just holding us hostage to vote for them to keep the republicans from taking the rights they should have enshrined all along! Well obviously dem voters stopped voting out of frustration, and gerrymandering and republicans kept their promises. Hillary said trump judges would overturn Roe...but she was just being hysterical right. Well the joke is on us...now the liberal media is all about Joe being old...3 years older than trump. And Hunter. So sick of the gaslighting. Thanks to Joyce I'm still mostly sane! 😉
Agree. Of all these I am most angry with DemParty for not educating/promoting action (voting) in State elections. Midterms. State constitutions were here before the US Constitution was ever written. States still hold a LOT of power. A populist national majority means little compared to 2 senators per state + electoral college + redistricting (gerrymandering.) The DemParty has also gotten ridiculously lazy in their assumptions that all Blacks and Hispanics will love them no matter what. Wake up Dems!
Dems in each state have only themselves to blame for not gaining and keeping statehouses. And the DNC has been close to worthless for the 50+ years I’ve been paying attention to it. Dems got complacent. And it’s hard to hold a coalition party together at any time—a coalition stays home if they feel slighted. We have met the enemy, and it is us.
Wagner’s Mercenaries are imbedded in many places (Africa among others) and could be redirected to Russia to fight there with those in place already; sorry cannot source but have seen impressive chart of same. War for hire must be profitable. Cannot imagine Putin cornered; what a night, absolutely. 🥺And thank our lucky stars for our dear level headed “sleepy Joe” at the helm this day. We only get the security of one at a time now. 🌍🕊️
Excellent point, Judith.
What many of us were and are looking for last night was Putin. How may Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, weaken Putin? 'The long-running feud between Mr. Prigozhin and the Russian military over the war in Ukraine has now escalated into an open confrontation, setting up the biggest challenge to Mr. Putin’s authority since he launched his invasion of Ukraine 16 months ago.'
'Videos circulating widely on social media showed that military and national guard armored vehicles had been deployed in Moscow and the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, near the front line in Ukraine where Mr. Prigozhin’s fighters had been operating.' (NYTimes)
As for Trump, justice appears to be close at hand.. 'Jack Smith, the special counsel, has asked a federal judge to move back the start of the trial of former President Donald J. Trump and his co-defendant, Walt Nauta, in the classified documents case from August to Dec. 11, according to a Justice Department filing made public late Friday.'
'In their filing, prosecutors said the additional time would be needed to obtain security clearances for defense lawyers and deal with the procedures around classified evidence. It would also give defense lawyers more time to review the volumes of materials prosecutors have turned over to them, the filing said.'
Jack Smith looks to be prepared. 'Mr. Smith’s team also provided the defense lawyers with its first estimate of the number of witnesses — 84 — who might be called to testify. The judge presiding over Mr. Trump’s initial hearing requested the list to impose a restriction against the former president discussing the case with them, to prevent witness tampering.' (NYTimes)
Smith (US) v. Trump. FINALLY!
We have quite a time before us.
Personally, I hope trump holds out hoping DOJ will tire of him & let him off the hook with a slap on the wrist. If that were to happen, forget about there being ANY justice left in the country. He needs to serve time, imho, a minimum of 5 yrs for the documents; a minimum of 6-10 yrs for inciting a coup; and 5-10 for election interference & whatever else can be thrown at him in GA & across the country. If he doesn't get at least some serious prison time, what will keep the Republicans & their white supremacists, racists, whatever from continuing to LIE & Cheat their way with our elections? What would be the lesson to those who get away with attacking the Capital on 1/6? If there is no heavy duty payment for all these crimes, just hand over the keys and say adios because our nation will be done. imho. carry on.
Bill, I agree with you that we MUST be diligent in holding TFG responsible "Do the crime do the time" We must not let him weasle out of this like he has in his past. I do feel his "base" will cause some trouble, but that should not alter the fact that Smith needs to hold him guilty as charged.
He's never seeing the inside of a prison. I've said it since day one. As a NYer we told everyone who he is/was, but we are just a bunch of liberal snowflakes.
Seems snowflakes are tougher in NY. Hang in there. Here in my dumbass home state of TX, I have to have an Armadillo snowflake flak jacket on at all times. Never give up, Erica.
What a night
I shudder to think of Tfg anywhere near the whitehouse. And so glad to have an adult “in the room” surrounded by other adults.sometimes do think he could choose his words a bit better at times.
Joyce I hate to say this but nothing will change Trump supporters.they read and hear what they want to and nothing is going to change their minds that he’s “the man” they have blinders on where he is concerned. Just hope that we don’t have a rerun of 3dr party voters that don’t realize what their “protest” votes really mean. How are the chickens ? I miss hearing about them.
Jamelle Bouie had an excellent column the other day about the Rs sticking with their horrorshow, no matter what (link below). A brief excerpt:
"Most things in life, and especially a basic respect for democracy and the rule of law, have to be cultivated. What is striking about the Republican Party is the extent to which it has, for decades now, cultivated the opposite — a highly instrumental view of our political system, in which rules and laws are legitimate only insofar as they allow for the acquisition and concentration of power in Republican hands.
Most Republicans won’t condemn Trump. There are his millions of ultra-loyal voters, yes. And there are the challenges associated with breaking from the consensus of your political party, yes. But there is also the reality that Trump is the apotheosis of a propensity for lawlessness within the Republican Party. He is what the party and its most prominent figures have been building toward for nearly half a century. ..."
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/13/opinion/trump-indictment-republicans.html?te=1&nl=the-morning&emc=edit_nn_20230613
Yes to your comments, pts. Isn't it just infuriating how Republicans claim to family values, small government, etc, but their actions are exactly the opposite of their words? That tfg has any support at all is proof that the Republican party is a cult and has been since the 1960's.
I will always remember how I shuddered on election night 2016 when he first entered the White House. We cannot allow it to happen in 2024. We are learning the true mean of democracy requires citizen participation. Never has there been a stronger call to action than the potential of TFG and Rs return to the WH or regaining the both houses of Congress!!
Get out the vote in 2024!
I appreciate your bringing up the danger of voting for a third party candidate. Many thanks.
The No Label party is trouble. Very well-funded. Built up their own cult following. I must confess here on Joyce's lovely site that I feel as much disgust of Bernie Sanders as I do Trump. Bernie doesn't get enough criticism for helping to elect DJT. MANY of my highly educated Progressive friends sat out the election -- did not vote at all -- "in protest" of Hillary. These people need to be held to account as much as those who voted *for* Trump. You can't have it both ways.
I can't stand the Bernie people. Either they never looked up his voting record in the senate or they don't care because "he says good stuff." Not to mention his inability to get stuff done in VT that he wants to scale for the country. I truly don't get it.
Umm, I'm a constituent of Bernie's and a retiree who's getting poorer by the day. Perhaps I am myopic, but he was the main proponent for community health centers where I get very good medical care. He's fought long and hard for reducing the costs of medications. Most of all, he advocates for affordable housing, especially for seniors, but for all population groups. He has always answered my emails which advocate for one thing or another. There must be some reason he gets voted into office term after term. His only sin that I know of is owning a vacation home valued at $1,000,000+ He's hardly a greedy oligarch.
Thank you for saying this! Back in the day, I admired a lot about Bernie, but his dogged pursuit of the nomination and fracturing of the progressive voting bloc has since soured me on him. You are absolutely correct that HE contributed greatly to DJT's election. I wish he would just friggin' retire already.
Well, yes (re retirement), but not until we have a solid Democrat majority in the Senate. Need to get there in the House as well.
Good point. Yet another reason to work hard to get out the vote!
Thanks Joyce. Clear and present dangers... appreciate your clarity.
Thinking about Russia tonight more than Donald.
When the indictment was handed down by Jack Smith, my 28 year old son said, “it will never result in Trump facing consequences.” I said he was wrong but then the piece came out about DOJ slow-walking J6--of course, wasn’t it plain to us all? Then trial was set in FL jurisdiction, then Aileen Cannon. Now it’s Ft. Pierce, ruby red Trump country.
So in the same way we all had great hopes that Mueller had things in hand, we should believe Jack Smith has it in hand? Little wonder we’re down to discussing plea deals that will disappear Trump’s fire hose of treachery--poof!
The problem is that we’ve been starved for some accountability...for all the blatant lies, nepotism, corruption, Putin-pleasing reversals of norms and attacks on allies. Instead of Marjorie Taylor Greene being censured, it’s Adam Schiff. That’s the upside down political environment we’re in. The “rule of law” seems in grave doubt.