Unless something changes drastically, we are well on the path to a complete dictatorship of indefinite duration, but I hope that somehow We the People can rally and pressure our Congress critters to do the right thing and legally put an end to this completely unqualified and lawless regime.
" [When,] in that drive to power, they will commit so many high crimes and unutterable treasons, to add to those already committed, that simple self-preservation demands they can never allow a transfer of power to anyone who might hold them accountable. "
And if the Senate passes the reconciliation bill with the provision allowing Trump and his Cabinet to ignore preliminary injunctions and temporary restraining orders issued by federal courts, we will never have another election. Two weeks before early voting begins — in the earliest voting state — Trump will call some emergency and cancel our mid-term elections. No federal court will be able to step in to stop him.
Not enough. JD who is a pretender of much then takes over. The House and Senate are fools to support all of this. And will continue. Who among them will have the courage to speak to power? Certainly none of the Cabinet. Can they earn nothing in the private sector?
JD was in the Corps 4 years and left a Corporal. He was even overseas for a while. It did not seem like the USMC thought much of him or his skills.
Years earlier than when Vance was serving, I was made a Sergeant after 2 years and a couple of months after getting back from being out of country for 9 months. I was promised the world to stay. He has people fooled except for Trump who took him in because he knew he could push him around.
I left for one other person who is still with me after 54 years. I would make the same decisions again.
It's too that his wife seems to be literally with him at all times. The speculation is that it keeps him from drinking. I think she needs to feed him answers and protocols. Said seriously because he seems to be like an angry deer in the headlights - he can express anger but can't make sense like with Zelenskyy and his clothing.
I agree, we are already there! Because we have two maga houses of Congress who are, for the most part, sycophants they do NOTHING, nor do they see a problem. The only recourse I see is our judiciary (local, state & federal) to hold the line or file charges of contempt. So far & for the most part they have called out the regime on its lawlessness. I do support personal activism in addition…writing, calls, public protests and VOTING in EVERY SINGLE ELECTION.
Like many people here who complain about their reps not listening, we have senator Fetterman who is losing it and the other is a MAGA millionaire who spews the party line. Our house members are MAGA as well. I have taken to writing to the extreme court justices demanding action to stop the felon-in-chief.
They are NOT all MAGA. What they are are terrified. Self serving, gutless, spineless, power hungry wannabees. Susan Collins is the perfect example. She used to be a moderate and still would like to be but she worked hard to be Chair of Appropriations and isn't smart enough to see the writing on the wall and retire before we vote her out in 2026!
I am fairly certain that I state “with some exceptions” when referring to the GOP magas. If I didn’t, I apologize. However, there are not enough exceptions to make a difference. Sadly.
The end of our democracy is here already because the extreme court has crowned a king.
Let us know how you feel/think about the country in a few months when all YOUR rights and liberties are no longer guaranteed or in jeopardy under the rule of a king.
We the People can and should do more than pressure Congress. This kind of abuse of executive power is why our Constitution reserved particular powers to the people. The Fifth Amendment emphasizes that "No person" can be prosecuted for any "infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury." The grand jury should refuse to indict.
Use this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress. Reach out to your own, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
How do you think my emailing Debbie Dingell and Elissa Slotkin helps? Truly. It is, sadly, beyond pointless. Only action is going to save us, including general strikes and refusal somehow to pay taxes to the fascist mafia who took over our government.
Yes! Tubby and Britt here in Alabama! Daily calls and emails are going to get me in trouble sooner or later and are ineffective anyway. Already had the police follow me very closely because they don't like my bumper stickers. I am not even close to giving up, but some leadership would sure be nice.
whether you believe your action will save us or not, it will HELP if you register your opinion. It is calculated that for everyone who bothers to write to their members of Congress there are so many more that are concerned but do not bother to write. Right now Congress has the power to change this course, to stand up to what is happening. General Strikes help too. But let me ask you, how likely is THAT ? And How likely is a mass movement to refuse to pay taxes? And if so, where is the movement?
I can tell you from recent experience that IRS computer-generated letters are being mailed to tell taxpayers that they owe penalties and interest for 2024. My CPA said that most of them are turning out to be erroneous, but still mandate a reply and payment from taxpayers. I spent over 3 hours on hold (one call) with the IRS this week, trying to find out how they calculated my "penalties", only to be told that they sent a second letter stating that my case was on hold and under a 15-week review by actual humans. I still haven't received that second letter which was supposedly mailed on May 12th. I suspect that DOGE installed some crazy AI program to generate more of these letters, and now the reduced IRS staff is having to waste time reviewing the b.s. cases, instead of working on REAL cases of taxpayer fraud and keeping phone lines open for taxpayers who have REAL issues. It's ridiculous that we have to put up with this shit, due to the indiscriminate actions (and cover-ups) of our own government's "management". We should all stop sending our money to the Treasury, ignore the IRS threats, and make them come after it. They couldn't possibly deal with that kind of fallout and a general strike.
Not paying taxes is not something, most people, are willing to take the consequences on. However, since Doge and the administration have fired a gazillion IRS employees perhaps now would be a good time to revolt, eh?
No Dictators...No Kings!!!! ...and actual lawyers who have gone AWOL from a legal profession
in which honesty and character is becoming impossible to secure. And to top it off....SUDDENLY every woman speaking for Trump or the Republican Party is wearing a cross!!!! I guess they think it will protect them from a sad ending when they, as we all stand before a HOLY GOD!!! One can see that they are NOT true believers, if they were, they would be shaking in their shoes as they use their vocation to salvage thieves and robbers!!!! What has happened....what is happening daily is that we are numb from shock that we, the great citizens of THE United Stated of America have bought "The Snake Oil" and many seem to like it!!! SHOCKING!!! Or...has it been a steady decline for 20 plus years.....???? ....You know , "The Frog in the Kettle" story....
WE MUST DO SOMETHING!!! THE SOONER THE BETTER!!!! ....THE WORLD IS WATCHING IE enemies as well as friends!!!!
They are going after democratic officials . First a judge in Wisconsin, now a member of Congress, while a convicted felon occupies the WH and is out for revenge.
Garland seemingly slow-walked the naming of Jack Smith, so I hold him to account. But you are absolutely correct about McConnell and the Rep Senators who voted to acquit when they had the chance (or chances, as it happened.) They'll live and die in infamy.
Jack Smith was not available immediately because he had responsibilities with the International Criminal Court at The Hague. I expect there may have been a certain amount of discussion and negotiation to convince Smith to resign from his position at The Hague and return to the U.S.
Yes, there was a lag between Biden's inauguration in January 2021 and the appointment of Smith as Special Counsel in November 2022 but, from other sources, I read at the time that Smith was wrapping up a case at The Hague before resigning and accepting appointment as Special Counsel. I also believe it likely there was preparatory work already under way at Justice in preparation for Smith to arrive and take up his duties with the DOJ.
"On May 7, 2018, Smith was named to a four-year term as chief prosecutor for the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, investigating war crimes in the Kosovo War. During his time as the chief prosecutor, he brought charges against several individuals, including Salih Mustafa and the sitting President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi. He took up the post on September 11, 2018, and was appointed to a second term on May 8, 2022, before stepping down on November 18, 2022.
On November 18, 2022, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith special counsel to oversee the criminal investigations into Donald Trump's actions regarding the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack, and Trump's handling and storage of government records, including classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Smith_(lawyer)
But Judith, it didn't need to be Jack Smith, did it? I used to be on Twitter just to follow folks like Lawrence Tribe, Garland's law prof. I recall Tribe openly wondering for months and months why Garland was silent about investigating Jan 6. Tribe at first appeared certain that things were going on behind the scenes, but became more and more impatient with Garland's slow approach as time wore on. And here we are.
Exactly so. People are mad at Garland because he did the exact opposite of what is being done right now. We can’t have it both ways y’all. The fault lies strictly with McConnell and his lapdog republicans who failed completely in their constitutional duty.
Not true. Garland took too much time to investigate and secure the indictment(s) based on his paranoia--albeit not unreasonable--that were he not to dot every "i" and cross every "t," then the administration would be open to the charge of weaponizing/politicizing DOJ. The problem is that would have happened regardless; so, in Garland's (and Biden's) zeal to appear non-partisan and apolitical in the matter of the U.S. vs DJT, he/they shot themselves and the American body politic in both feet, with the result that we now have the White (Supremacist) House hellbent on accomplishing exactly what Biden/Garland claimed they were dedicated to avoiding.
So, yes, of course, McConnell should have could have voted to convict the cowardly insurrectionist and yes of course the SCOTUS could have should have kept the American horror off the state's ballots, but what did we really expect? That McConnell and the redcoats on that bench would betray their Dear Leader?
So, it really did boil down to Biden/Garland as the court of last resort to save the sinking ship with all means necessary, but rather than risk drowning, they stood on the dock studiously studying the situation. I'm afraid it's on them (and that is said without having to look in the rear-view mirror, as many, many of us saw that coming in real time).
Imagine if Biden had named a pit bull like Preet Bahara as Attorney General. The felon would be in jail and we wouldn't be facing the end of democracy in the United States.
No, I think that Garland should have immediately started the investigation of the first assault on our Capitol since the war of 1812—and that was British troops. This was an insurrection instigated by Trump, and called for urgency and swift justice. His stalling was a gift to Trump, who easily ran out the clock.
I agree with you on McConnell and the gutless GOP senators.
You're all forgetting that the J6 Congressional Investigation prohibited a lot of moves that the DOJ (Garland) would have otherwise normally made, due to jurisdiction and the deposition of witnesses. It's not proper for a POTUS to direct the AG or DOJ to investigate, either, and no one should have expected Biden to twist Garland's arm when the DOJ is supposed to be independent of politics. Like someone else wrote, we can't have it both ways.
Partly true, but oversimplified. The DOJ is independent, meaning the president should not direct its investigations, so true. But as our nation’s top law enforcement official, Garland should have started investigating immediately, and without a special prosecutor.
The Congressional inquiry into January 6 gathered evidence, but it did NOT prohibit the DOJ from acting. The DOJ had its own investigative processes and constraints but was still able to pursue cases independently.
Where does Christopher Wray figure into this, when the FBI initially balked because they didn't want to open a can of worms by investigating a sitting POS... I mean, POTUS? And the cabinet members who sued and sued so as not to be deposed by DOJ or the special investigator? It was a circle f*ck all around, TC. I just can't see how starting an investigation earlier would have made any difference, especially after the impeachment was thwarted by republican lickspittles.
Wray doesn't figure into it because it wasn't his call. It was Garland's call, who had full, independent authority to use all Justice Department resources to investigate, not just the FBI.
Yes. It is beyond belief. I have a book in my car written by Maria Ressa, How to Stand Up to a Dictator: Fight for Our Future. I heard her speak briefly twice. She’s soft spoken but she has an iron will when standing up for journalists’ rights to free expression. In the Phillipines, she was indicted and found guilty of cyberlibel by the government regime of Dictator Duterte for a law that was made four years after she wrote the article ( it was reprinted to correct a typo-so it was obviously a set up by the government is my belief.). If I really allow myself to just dwell on all of this, I could just panic. Listening to Joyce Vance’s words and those of you on this Substack keep me calm and hopeful there is a way to fight and to strengthen our Democracy.
A Thousand Cuts is a good documentary about the amazing courage of Maria Ressa. The courage of her and other compatriots paid off. She is free and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
I wish Netanyahu and Trump would join him. ( In my heart and eyes, Trump is killing all the people who are starving to death in the world and cannot receive and all the people who will die of AIDS because he has cut out all the aid.)
Alina Habba, US Attorney. What a disgraceful appointment. And we know damn well who made the decision to charge a member of Congress, so where do we go from here? I am quickly running out of words for the banana republic we see unfolding before us.
And more glaringly and women of color! After watching the base debacle of the President of So. Africa yesterday in the Oval Office I KNOW this arrest was race related.
Of course the arrest of the Congresswoman was race-related. Given 3 equally involved representatives to choose from, Habba passed over the petite 80 year old and the skinny white Cuban-American dude, to charge the youngish, heavy-set black woman. In short, she is Donald Trump's nightmare of a threatening woman in a position of authority. Fortunately, I doubt a Newark jury would fall into the same cliched trap.
You're right that she's willing to do whatever it takes to fit in but I don't consider her "a woman of color". She doesn't look either African American or Hispanic, the two groups most prejudice is aimed at. Her parents were born in Iraq and emigrated to the U.S. in 1980 to escape the repressive regime that took over then.
I recall Habba as a pretty, totally silent, lawyer who sat with Trump’s lawyers in several cases. As for professional qualifications, I recall no mention at that time.
Habba's main qualification is that she looks like all the other women in Trump world -- plumped lips, filled cheeks, long hair, false eyelashes and heavy foundation. It's his "type"
I recall her as an amateur in the courtroom but loyal and tough, fighting for her client as best she could. Trump wants loyalty and grit. Being pretty, or sexy, is required for women. Every one of his cabinet members was chosen for those same attributes; competence is not required.
It is really weird that the first prerequisite of any woman on Trump's “team” looks like every other woman on that team. Barbies, with either blond or brown hair. That’s all.
Agree completely and its important to remember the information Joyce gave us regarding the fact that at most, she is only interim. Everyone who lives in that district should be afraid of this second-rate, at best, choice.
Every Saturday is spent at rallies protesting against these criminals. A reminder that on June14th, it is Donny Convict’s 79th birthday and he has planned a big bash in the streets of DC. Millions of us in almost every city in the US and in Europe, will be in the streets on the day that has been dubbed “NO KINGS DAY”. The Don won’t be happy. He may, for shits and giggles, call for martial law. We have to fight with those legislators who are rightfully performing heir jobs in protecting justice, even if we are presently being ruled by the cruelest people in our nation. WE, THE PEOPLE, will stand together for justice. Do Not Give Up! Do Not Give In!
I watched the interaction that day on TV. I never once saw any of the representatives put a hand on any of ICE. I saw them all trying to protect eachother from getting hurt. I saw ICE doing all the shoving and pushing and grabbing. There hopefully is lots of video to prove this. These maniacs are sick people. The constant mean revenge makes me sick to read and watch.
Me too…never saw anything like that. They are flat out making things up. I have to say they don’t seem to be as proficient as Putin. So far, no one has fallen out of a window. Personally, I’d never get in a tall building with any of them, especially Marco, who just keeps reminding me of Dorian Gray. Is he using bleach to become whiter?
Joyce — I really really appreciate you writing this up and helping us understand. I have an AUSA in my family and I worry no end that they might be forced to support spurious charges such as this in their district.
The GOP is going to do anything that Trump wants. Passage of the Big Beautiful Bill by the House, with so many items that are included to strip people of power or recourse in the courts, has all of us, I daresay, in a state of disbelief. Calling members of Congress, protesting, etc., appears to have no effect. Trump is right out in the open, blatantly doing corrupt things, and no one is stopping him, which is terrifying. The only thing keeping me with any sense of hope is my Substack memberships and seeing others that also see Trump, his administration, and the GOP for who they are: Grifters who are after power, prestige, and wealth.
Not one mention of that provision on the mainstream media news tonight! Not one word from NBC nightly news! It astonishes me! If it eventually becomes Law, we're done! If the courts are nullified, it's over. I also read somewhere about the big beautiful bill containing provisions to remove the ability to obtain federal deposit insurance from banks, or something to that effect. I haven't read about it again so I hope it didn't get into the bill that was passed.
MY VIEWS ARE POWERFUL AND UNKIND TO TRUMP: I’M NOT DETERRED BY DEPARTMENT OF INJUSTICE INTIMIDATION
At 91 should I be fearing a knock on the door, perhaps by a warrantless Justice Department official?
I continue to post on the NYT and the Substacks of Heather Cox Richardson, Joyce Vance, Paul Krugman, and James Fallows. As a former Foreign Service Officer, a top debt credit expert, and a professor from age 58 to 80, I’ve had boots on the ground in diverse areas including the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.
I have written that I consider Trump’s bromance with Putin and his ignoring Ukrainian sovereignty traitorous. I have written that Netanyahu’s sustained blitzkrieg to kill and wound Gazans, starve 2,000,000 people, destroy much of Gaza’s infrastructure, and remove Gazans from Gaza is both brutal and unconscionable.
I have described how Trump with Chainsaw Musk have been destroying the protective institutions of the U. S. government. Also, I have piggybacked on Paul Krugman’s Substacks to illustrate how Trump’s cockamamie tariff blitzkriegs have weaken domestic and global trust and confidence in federal finances. I also discuss the importance of character in any fiscal transaction.
I sharply criticized the Biden administration and now the Trump administration for not insisting on ample food, water, and medical supplies for Gazans and for resupplying the Israeli Defense Forces with bombs and other lethal weapons.
Regarding Trump and his extraordinary efforts to bring Afrikaners to the United States as ‘refugees,’ I describe that this is an international aspect of his ‘white savior’ mantra. Long-time apartheid was akin to slavery in the United States. Trump seems to be echoing the words of John Calhoun, the 1830s South Carolina zealot, who was famous on the ‘slavery issue.’
IF THERE IS A KNOCK ON THE DOOR BECAUSE OF MY STATED PROFESSIONAL OPINIONS, I SHALL RESIST LEGALLY. I HAVE TAUGHT THE CONSTITUTION AND FERVENTLY UPHOLD IT.
Thank you, Joyce, for your voice of expertise. I don’t expect anything like this out of the regime. What I did notice, they dropped charges against a man and then charged a woman. Same as the Wisconsin Judge. Trump hates and fears educated woman of stature. He cannot stand their fierceness in any position, but especially the law. I appreciate all you do to help us understand. I do fear we are sliding down the precipice of authoritarianism.
Since Alina Habba seems to be a freelance provisional federal attorney, perhaps she’ll try to transfer this case to Judge Cannon’s courtroom … where she’ll be quite welcome.
We should call as many Republican senators as we can and demand they REJECT this bill because:
“If you’re in the top 20% of Americans you’re going to get roughly a 3.7% INCREASE in your after tax income from these tax cuts.
But if you are in the bottom 20% you actually LOSE $800. Why do you lose $800? You get a very small tax cut and get a very large cut in medicaid & these other benefits that affect the 20% disproportionately.
This ia a highly regressive bill that essentially favors the wealthy, doesn’t do much for the middle class & hurts the poor.
If we simply eliminated the tax cuts for people making over $500,000/yr it would save $1.1 TRILLION. That happens to be just slightly more than the medicaid cuts & the food stamp cuts or the SNAP cuts put together.
👉 So if we simply ELIMINATED these tax cuts, we could ELIMINATE these budget cuts on these poor people and end up in a budget point of view in the same place.”
~ MSNBC
Also this bill will ADD over $4 trillion to the debt.
One question: where is HER legal team? All we hear about is Ms Alina's BS, who is as bad or worse than Bondi. Her lawyers need to show the videos, clearly and concisely. Hire good people and get it done.
I think Ms Vance answered that. “McIver is very capably represented by my Obama administration U.S. Attorney colleague in New Jersey, Paul Fishman. Fishman called the decision to charge her “spectacularly inappropriate.” In comments to NBC News, he sketched what the Congresswoman’s defense might look like: “She went to Delaney Hall to do her job. As a member of Congress, she has the right and responsibility to see how ICE is treating detainees. Rather than facilitating that inspection, ICE agents chose to escalate what should have been a peaceful situation into chaos. This prosecution is an attempt to shift the blame for ICE’s behavior to Congresswoman McIver.”
You're right. I read it, then overlooked it, forgot it, whatever. That's what happens when you read and post things at almost midnight. Thanks for clarifying, answering, pointing out my oversight.
It really does seem more and more that the Brown Shirts have taken over! A Congressional Representative arrested by ICE for investigating ICE detentions!?!? Outrageous!
How many of Trump’s opponents will he lock up before America says ”Enough!” Enough of this anti-American rhetoric, this anti-American behavior, this anti-American leadership?
Trump depends for his popularity on low-information voters, and we’ve got to remind them again and again that this is not America, this is not democratic, this is not the “bright shining city on the hill” that Republicans and Democrats have long preached of. This is selfish, this is inhumane, this is a repudiation of all we hold dear. We must stop this autocrat. 7468.
Thank you for this explanation, Joyce. I follow you daily and I’m so grateful for you keeping us a apprised of the important things happening across the country. You are one of the few people that I trust to be honest with good judgment.
Unless something changes drastically, we are well on the path to a complete dictatorship of indefinite duration, but I hope that somehow We the People can rally and pressure our Congress critters to do the right thing and legally put an end to this completely unqualified and lawless regime.
We are already in a dictatorship. The question is can we get out of it and how?
" [When,] in that drive to power, they will commit so many high crimes and unutterable treasons, to add to those already committed, that simple self-preservation demands they can never allow a transfer of power to anyone who might hold them accountable. "
And if the Senate passes the reconciliation bill with the provision allowing Trump and his Cabinet to ignore preliminary injunctions and temporary restraining orders issued by federal courts, we will never have another election. Two weeks before early voting begins — in the earliest voting state — Trump will call some emergency and cancel our mid-term elections. No federal court will be able to step in to stop him.
Vash:
Keep feeding Trump cheeseburgers,
Not enough. JD who is a pretender of much then takes over. The House and Senate are fools to support all of this. And will continue. Who among them will have the courage to speak to power? Certainly none of the Cabinet. Can they earn nothing in the private sector?
Joan:
JD was in the Corps 4 years and left a Corporal. He was even overseas for a while. It did not seem like the USMC thought much of him or his skills.
Years earlier than when Vance was serving, I was made a Sergeant after 2 years and a couple of months after getting back from being out of country for 9 months. I was promised the world to stay. He has people fooled except for Trump who took him in because he knew he could push him around.
I left for one other person who is still with me after 54 years. I would make the same decisions again.
It's too that his wife seems to be literally with him at all times. The speculation is that it keeps him from drinking. I think she needs to feed him answers and protocols. Said seriously because he seems to be like an angry deer in the headlights - he can express anger but can't make sense like with Zelenskyy and his clothing.
Some of us learn by exposure. It is doubtful JD can. Perfect for Trump. A weight on us.
Probably not, they seem vastly ignorant.
Joan S. - see what Ruth Sheets wrote. Ignorant they are; lacking common sense. Makeup? They use it well!
Joan, oh, you think Fox Not Nearly News wouldnpt hire them back! Ahhh!
Chuckling. Oh no doubt tho' Hegseth had a "feh" time slot and am not sure how he'd fare plus he has a trillion (ok .. exaggeration!) kids to support.
ARE!
Bill, my sister says that all the time with a considerable hope.
I agree, we are already there! Because we have two maga houses of Congress who are, for the most part, sycophants they do NOTHING, nor do they see a problem. The only recourse I see is our judiciary (local, state & federal) to hold the line or file charges of contempt. So far & for the most part they have called out the regime on its lawlessness. I do support personal activism in addition…writing, calls, public protests and VOTING in EVERY SINGLE ELECTION.
Like many people here who complain about their reps not listening, we have senator Fetterman who is losing it and the other is a MAGA millionaire who spews the party line. Our house members are MAGA as well. I have taken to writing to the extreme court justices demanding action to stop the felon-in-chief.
They are NOT all MAGA. What they are are terrified. Self serving, gutless, spineless, power hungry wannabees. Susan Collins is the perfect example. She used to be a moderate and still would like to be but she worked hard to be Chair of Appropriations and isn't smart enough to see the writing on the wall and retire before we vote her out in 2026!
I am fairly certain that I state “with some exceptions” when referring to the GOP magas. If I didn’t, I apologize. However, there are not enough exceptions to make a difference. Sadly.
The end of our democracy is here already because the extreme court has crowned a king.
THERE certainly was a dictatorship under BIDEN. It was the pandemic and then using the DOJ to go after TRUMP and conservatives.
Delusional
Let us know how you feel/think about the country in a few months when all YOUR rights and liberties are no longer guaranteed or in jeopardy under the rule of a king.
You don’t believe a word of what you say its ALL virtue signaling.
My proof? Lets put 25,000 in an escrow account. If your rights and liberties are gone you get the 25K if not in 4 years I get the money.
Of course you won’t take the bet. Its all bullshit.
Yeah, it is all b.s.
We the People can and should do more than pressure Congress. This kind of abuse of executive power is why our Constitution reserved particular powers to the people. The Fifth Amendment emphasizes that "No person" can be prosecuted for any "infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury." The grand jury should refuse to indict.
From Megan Rothery:
Use this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress. Reach out to your own, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit
How do you think my emailing Debbie Dingell and Elissa Slotkin helps? Truly. It is, sadly, beyond pointless. Only action is going to save us, including general strikes and refusal somehow to pay taxes to the fascist mafia who took over our government.
Yes! Tubby and Britt here in Alabama! Daily calls and emails are going to get me in trouble sooner or later and are ineffective anyway. Already had the police follow me very closely because they don't like my bumper stickers. I am not even close to giving up, but some leadership would sure be nice.
whether you believe your action will save us or not, it will HELP if you register your opinion. It is calculated that for everyone who bothers to write to their members of Congress there are so many more that are concerned but do not bother to write. Right now Congress has the power to change this course, to stand up to what is happening. General Strikes help too. But let me ask you, how likely is THAT ? And How likely is a mass movement to refuse to pay taxes? And if so, where is the movement?
Very likely once they cut Medicaid and Medicare!
I can tell you from recent experience that IRS computer-generated letters are being mailed to tell taxpayers that they owe penalties and interest for 2024. My CPA said that most of them are turning out to be erroneous, but still mandate a reply and payment from taxpayers. I spent over 3 hours on hold (one call) with the IRS this week, trying to find out how they calculated my "penalties", only to be told that they sent a second letter stating that my case was on hold and under a 15-week review by actual humans. I still haven't received that second letter which was supposedly mailed on May 12th. I suspect that DOGE installed some crazy AI program to generate more of these letters, and now the reduced IRS staff is having to waste time reviewing the b.s. cases, instead of working on REAL cases of taxpayer fraud and keeping phone lines open for taxpayers who have REAL issues. It's ridiculous that we have to put up with this shit, due to the indiscriminate actions (and cover-ups) of our own government's "management". We should all stop sending our money to the Treasury, ignore the IRS threats, and make them come after it. They couldn't possibly deal with that kind of fallout and a general strike.
Not paying taxes is not something, most people, are willing to take the consequences on. However, since Doge and the administration have fired a gazillion IRS employees perhaps now would be a good time to revolt, eh?
Agree. I’m in your district.
see my above.
I call the offices of Elissa and Debbie frequently. I have met them both, in person. It is frustrating, but I will continue.
JustRaven,
No Dictators...No Kings!!!! ...and actual lawyers who have gone AWOL from a legal profession
in which honesty and character is becoming impossible to secure. And to top it off....SUDDENLY every woman speaking for Trump or the Republican Party is wearing a cross!!!! I guess they think it will protect them from a sad ending when they, as we all stand before a HOLY GOD!!! One can see that they are NOT true believers, if they were, they would be shaking in their shoes as they use their vocation to salvage thieves and robbers!!!! What has happened....what is happening daily is that we are numb from shock that we, the great citizens of THE United Stated of America have bought "The Snake Oil" and many seem to like it!!! SHOCKING!!! Or...has it been a steady decline for 20 plus years.....???? ....You know , "The Frog in the Kettle" story....
WE MUST DO SOMETHING!!! THE SOONER THE BETTER!!!! ....THE WORLD IS WATCHING IE enemies as well as friends!!!!
Exactly what they TOLD us they wanted :-/
Where is YOUR POST calling BIDEN a dictator for using the DOJ to prosecute TRUMP?
LOL!
They are going after democratic officials . First a judge in Wisconsin, now a member of Congress, while a convicted felon occupies the WH and is out for revenge.
I just wished that convicted felon had been put in prison before the elections!
We have Merrick Garland to thank for that. I completely despise that man more than I could ever fully express.
So you think that Garland should have immediately indicted and tried Trump?
That wasn't going to happen.
I blame McConnell and every gutless, spineless GOO senator who voted not to impeach Trump.
Garland seemingly slow-walked the naming of Jack Smith, so I hold him to account. But you are absolutely correct about McConnell and the Rep Senators who voted to acquit when they had the chance (or chances, as it happened.) They'll live and die in infamy.
And they continue to support this hypocrisy and illegal administration.
Jack Smith was not available immediately because he had responsibilities with the International Criminal Court at The Hague. I expect there may have been a certain amount of discussion and negotiation to convince Smith to resign from his position at The Hague and return to the U.S.
Yes, there was a lag between Biden's inauguration in January 2021 and the appointment of Smith as Special Counsel in November 2022 but, from other sources, I read at the time that Smith was wrapping up a case at The Hague before resigning and accepting appointment as Special Counsel. I also believe it likely there was preparatory work already under way at Justice in preparation for Smith to arrive and take up his duties with the DOJ.
"On May 7, 2018, Smith was named to a four-year term as chief prosecutor for the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, investigating war crimes in the Kosovo War. During his time as the chief prosecutor, he brought charges against several individuals, including Salih Mustafa and the sitting President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi. He took up the post on September 11, 2018, and was appointed to a second term on May 8, 2022, before stepping down on November 18, 2022.
On November 18, 2022, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith special counsel to oversee the criminal investigations into Donald Trump's actions regarding the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack, and Trump's handling and storage of government records, including classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Smith_(lawyer)
But Judith, it didn't need to be Jack Smith, did it? I used to be on Twitter just to follow folks like Lawrence Tribe, Garland's law prof. I recall Tribe openly wondering for months and months why Garland was silent about investigating Jan 6. Tribe at first appeared certain that things were going on behind the scenes, but became more and more impatient with Garland's slow approach as time wore on. And here we are.
Exactly so. People are mad at Garland because he did the exact opposite of what is being done right now. We can’t have it both ways y’all. The fault lies strictly with McConnell and his lapdog republicans who failed completely in their constitutional duty.
Not true. Garland took too much time to investigate and secure the indictment(s) based on his paranoia--albeit not unreasonable--that were he not to dot every "i" and cross every "t," then the administration would be open to the charge of weaponizing/politicizing DOJ. The problem is that would have happened regardless; so, in Garland's (and Biden's) zeal to appear non-partisan and apolitical in the matter of the U.S. vs DJT, he/they shot themselves and the American body politic in both feet, with the result that we now have the White (Supremacist) House hellbent on accomplishing exactly what Biden/Garland claimed they were dedicated to avoiding.
So, yes, of course, McConnell should have could have voted to convict the cowardly insurrectionist and yes of course the SCOTUS could have should have kept the American horror off the state's ballots, but what did we really expect? That McConnell and the redcoats on that bench would betray their Dear Leader?
So, it really did boil down to Biden/Garland as the court of last resort to save the sinking ship with all means necessary, but rather than risk drowning, they stood on the dock studiously studying the situation. I'm afraid it's on them (and that is said without having to look in the rear-view mirror, as many, many of us saw that coming in real time).
Imagine if Biden had named a pit bull like Preet Bahara as Attorney General. The felon would be in jail and we wouldn't be facing the end of democracy in the United States.
Biden naming Garland is what got us here.
The Supreme Court has to be right there @ the top supporting trump!
No, I think that Garland should have immediately started the investigation of the first assault on our Capitol since the war of 1812—and that was British troops. This was an insurrection instigated by Trump, and called for urgency and swift justice. His stalling was a gift to Trump, who easily ran out the clock.
I agree with you on McConnell and the gutless GOP senators.
I’m with you. Those spineless Senators could — and should — have stopped him.
You're all forgetting that the J6 Congressional Investigation prohibited a lot of moves that the DOJ (Garland) would have otherwise normally made, due to jurisdiction and the deposition of witnesses. It's not proper for a POTUS to direct the AG or DOJ to investigate, either, and no one should have expected Biden to twist Garland's arm when the DOJ is supposed to be independent of politics. Like someone else wrote, we can't have it both ways.
Partly true, but oversimplified. The DOJ is independent, meaning the president should not direct its investigations, so true. But as our nation’s top law enforcement official, Garland should have started investigating immediately, and without a special prosecutor.
The Congressional inquiry into January 6 gathered evidence, but it did NOT prohibit the DOJ from acting. The DOJ had its own investigative processes and constraints but was still able to pursue cases independently.
Where does Christopher Wray figure into this, when the FBI initially balked because they didn't want to open a can of worms by investigating a sitting POS... I mean, POTUS? And the cabinet members who sued and sued so as not to be deposed by DOJ or the special investigator? It was a circle f*ck all around, TC. I just can't see how starting an investigation earlier would have made any difference, especially after the impeachment was thwarted by republican lickspittles.
Wray doesn't figure into it because it wasn't his call. It was Garland's call, who had full, independent authority to use all Justice Department resources to investigate, not just the FBI.
He (Trump) is Home Grown and should be deported without due process and locked up...forever.
Yes. It is beyond belief. I have a book in my car written by Maria Ressa, How to Stand Up to a Dictator: Fight for Our Future. I heard her speak briefly twice. She’s soft spoken but she has an iron will when standing up for journalists’ rights to free expression. In the Phillipines, she was indicted and found guilty of cyberlibel by the government regime of Dictator Duterte for a law that was made four years after she wrote the article ( it was reprinted to correct a typo-so it was obviously a set up by the government is my belief.). If I really allow myself to just dwell on all of this, I could just panic. Listening to Joyce Vance’s words and those of you on this Substack keep me calm and hopeful there is a way to fight and to strengthen our Democracy.
A Thousand Cuts is a good documentary about the amazing courage of Maria Ressa. The courage of her and other compatriots paid off. She is free and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/a-thousand-cuts/
Duterte is imprisoned at The Hague awaiting trial for crimes against humanity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte
I wish Netanyahu and Trump would join him. ( In my heart and eyes, Trump is killing all the people who are starving to death in the world and cannot receive and all the people who will die of AIDS because he has cut out all the aid.)
Yahya Sinwar was the Hamas leader of the October 7 attack.
I think her last name is Ressa. And yes, it's a very good book and well worth reading.
You are right! Thank you. Typo. I don’t see a way to edit. I wasn’t allowed that option.
Press the 3 dots … to the right of your name to bring up the edit option.
It's about scaring people.
Alina Habba, US Attorney. What a disgraceful appointment. And we know damn well who made the decision to charge a member of Congress, so where do we go from here? I am quickly running out of words for the banana republic we see unfolding before us.
And more glaringly and women of color! After watching the base debacle of the President of So. Africa yesterday in the Oval Office I KNOW this arrest was race related.
Of course the arrest of the Congresswoman was race-related. Given 3 equally involved representatives to choose from, Habba passed over the petite 80 year old and the skinny white Cuban-American dude, to charge the youngish, heavy-set black woman. In short, she is Donald Trump's nightmare of a threatening woman in a position of authority. Fortunately, I doubt a Newark jury would fall into the same cliched trap.
Habba is also a woman of color! She is willing to do whatever it takes to fit in. Congresswoman McIver was doing her job!
You're right that she's willing to do whatever it takes to fit in but I don't consider her "a woman of color". She doesn't look either African American or Hispanic, the two groups most prejudice is aimed at. Her parents were born in Iraq and emigrated to the U.S. in 1980 to escape the repressive regime that took over then.
LOL!
She's another joke. "I'd rather be pretty than smart". Being pretty isn't a qualification for her job.
Notice that Trump seems drawn to the pretty ones. The dumber, the better.
I recall Habba as a pretty, totally silent, lawyer who sat with Trump’s lawyers in several cases. As for professional qualifications, I recall no mention at that time.
Habba's main qualification is that she looks like all the other women in Trump world -- plumped lips, filled cheeks, long hair, false eyelashes and heavy foundation. It's his "type"
I recall her as an amateur in the courtroom but loyal and tough, fighting for her client as best she could. Trump wants loyalty and grit. Being pretty, or sexy, is required for women. Every one of his cabinet members was chosen for those same attributes; competence is not required.
It is really weird that the first prerequisite of any woman on Trump's “team” looks like every other woman on that team. Barbies, with either blond or brown hair. That’s all.
Patty Your recollection of Habba in the courtroom is far more accurate than mine. Warm thanks for the correction.
Agree completely and its important to remember the information Joyce gave us regarding the fact that at most, she is only interim. Everyone who lives in that district should be afraid of this second-rate, at best, choice.
Every Saturday is spent at rallies protesting against these criminals. A reminder that on June14th, it is Donny Convict’s 79th birthday and he has planned a big bash in the streets of DC. Millions of us in almost every city in the US and in Europe, will be in the streets on the day that has been dubbed “NO KINGS DAY”. The Don won’t be happy. He may, for shits and giggles, call for martial law. We have to fight with those legislators who are rightfully performing heir jobs in protecting justice, even if we are presently being ruled by the cruelest people in our nation. WE, THE PEOPLE, will stand together for justice. Do Not Give Up! Do Not Give In!
Marlene, I have my signs ready to go for the 14th.
Excellent!! I am. Going to sharpen my tools a bit.
We plan on protesting that day.
Brava! Here are links for people to find actions and even meet like-minded folks near them:
https://indivisible.org/
No Kings on June 14:
https://www.nokings.org/
We are ready to raise our voices! Joining forces to literally rain on Drumpf's parade.
I watched the interaction that day on TV. I never once saw any of the representatives put a hand on any of ICE. I saw them all trying to protect eachother from getting hurt. I saw ICE doing all the shoving and pushing and grabbing. There hopefully is lots of video to prove this. These maniacs are sick people. The constant mean revenge makes me sick to read and watch.
Me too…never saw anything like that. They are flat out making things up. I have to say they don’t seem to be as proficient as Putin. So far, no one has fallen out of a window. Personally, I’d never get in a tall building with any of them, especially Marco, who just keeps reminding me of Dorian Gray. Is he using bleach to become whiter?
Joyce — I really really appreciate you writing this up and helping us understand. I have an AUSA in my family and I worry no end that they might be forced to support spurious charges such as this in their district.
The GOP is going to do anything that Trump wants. Passage of the Big Beautiful Bill by the House, with so many items that are included to strip people of power or recourse in the courts, has all of us, I daresay, in a state of disbelief. Calling members of Congress, protesting, etc., appears to have no effect. Trump is right out in the open, blatantly doing corrupt things, and no one is stopping him, which is terrifying. The only thing keeping me with any sense of hope is my Substack memberships and seeing others that also see Trump, his administration, and the GOP for who they are: Grifters who are after power, prestige, and wealth.
Although I don't think they are getting any prestige, but don’t seem to care. We are the laughingstock of the planet.
And limiting judges contempt charges in new bill.
Not one mention of that provision on the mainstream media news tonight! Not one word from NBC nightly news! It astonishes me! If it eventually becomes Law, we're done! If the courts are nullified, it's over. I also read somewhere about the big beautiful bill containing provisions to remove the ability to obtain federal deposit insurance from banks, or something to that effect. I haven't read about it again so I hope it didn't get into the bill that was passed.
So awful! But haven’t seen that in any mainstream media.
MY VIEWS ARE POWERFUL AND UNKIND TO TRUMP: I’M NOT DETERRED BY DEPARTMENT OF INJUSTICE INTIMIDATION
At 91 should I be fearing a knock on the door, perhaps by a warrantless Justice Department official?
I continue to post on the NYT and the Substacks of Heather Cox Richardson, Joyce Vance, Paul Krugman, and James Fallows. As a former Foreign Service Officer, a top debt credit expert, and a professor from age 58 to 80, I’ve had boots on the ground in diverse areas including the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.
I have written that I consider Trump’s bromance with Putin and his ignoring Ukrainian sovereignty traitorous. I have written that Netanyahu’s sustained blitzkrieg to kill and wound Gazans, starve 2,000,000 people, destroy much of Gaza’s infrastructure, and remove Gazans from Gaza is both brutal and unconscionable.
I have described how Trump with Chainsaw Musk have been destroying the protective institutions of the U. S. government. Also, I have piggybacked on Paul Krugman’s Substacks to illustrate how Trump’s cockamamie tariff blitzkriegs have weaken domestic and global trust and confidence in federal finances. I also discuss the importance of character in any fiscal transaction.
I sharply criticized the Biden administration and now the Trump administration for not insisting on ample food, water, and medical supplies for Gazans and for resupplying the Israeli Defense Forces with bombs and other lethal weapons.
Regarding Trump and his extraordinary efforts to bring Afrikaners to the United States as ‘refugees,’ I describe that this is an international aspect of his ‘white savior’ mantra. Long-time apartheid was akin to slavery in the United States. Trump seems to be echoing the words of John Calhoun, the 1830s South Carolina zealot, who was famous on the ‘slavery issue.’
IF THERE IS A KNOCK ON THE DOOR BECAUSE OF MY STATED PROFESSIONAL OPINIONS, I SHALL RESIST LEGALLY. I HAVE TAUGHT THE CONSTITUTION AND FERVENTLY UPHOLD IT.
You rock, Keith.
SCS We both Rock Around the Clock! At 91 I still take no crap.
Keithh - happy to "hear" your voice again. It has been awhile. Your outstanding decades of experience are of great value to the rest of us. Thank you
Thank you, Joyce, for your voice of expertise. I don’t expect anything like this out of the regime. What I did notice, they dropped charges against a man and then charged a woman. Same as the Wisconsin Judge. Trump hates and fears educated woman of stature. He cannot stand their fierceness in any position, but especially the law. I appreciate all you do to help us understand. I do fear we are sliding down the precipice of authoritarianism.
Who’s next? Why don’t we all stay away from third floor windows.
Since Alina Habba seems to be a freelance provisional federal attorney, perhaps she’ll try to transfer this case to Judge Cannon’s courtroom … where she’ll be quite welcome.
Both are part of today's episodes of the WH Keystone Cops....
We should call as many Republican senators as we can and demand they REJECT this bill because:
“If you’re in the top 20% of Americans you’re going to get roughly a 3.7% INCREASE in your after tax income from these tax cuts.
But if you are in the bottom 20% you actually LOSE $800. Why do you lose $800? You get a very small tax cut and get a very large cut in medicaid & these other benefits that affect the 20% disproportionately.
This ia a highly regressive bill that essentially favors the wealthy, doesn’t do much for the middle class & hurts the poor.
If we simply eliminated the tax cuts for people making over $500,000/yr it would save $1.1 TRILLION. That happens to be just slightly more than the medicaid cuts & the food stamp cuts or the SNAP cuts put together.
👉 So if we simply ELIMINATED these tax cuts, we could ELIMINATE these budget cuts on these poor people and end up in a budget point of view in the same place.”
~ MSNBC
Also this bill will ADD over $4 trillion to the debt.
i called (202-224-3121}:
Senator Jonn Fetterman - not in until 9 am
Senator Veronica Klinefelt
Senator Rand Paul
senator Bennet
Senator Cassidy (R La)
Senator Collins (ME)
Senator Susan Collins
Senator Gary Peters
senator grassley - lines busy
Senator Hawley
Senator Himes
senator reed
senator tillis
senator Warner
senator Wicker
Can the Congresswoman request that state or local law enforcement press charges against the ICE agents for assaulting her?
One question: where is HER legal team? All we hear about is Ms Alina's BS, who is as bad or worse than Bondi. Her lawyers need to show the videos, clearly and concisely. Hire good people and get it done.
I think Ms Vance answered that. “McIver is very capably represented by my Obama administration U.S. Attorney colleague in New Jersey, Paul Fishman. Fishman called the decision to charge her “spectacularly inappropriate.” In comments to NBC News, he sketched what the Congresswoman’s defense might look like: “She went to Delaney Hall to do her job. As a member of Congress, she has the right and responsibility to see how ICE is treating detainees. Rather than facilitating that inspection, ICE agents chose to escalate what should have been a peaceful situation into chaos. This prosecution is an attempt to shift the blame for ICE’s behavior to Congresswoman McIver.”
You're right. I read it, then overlooked it, forgot it, whatever. That's what happens when you read and post things at almost midnight. Thanks for clarifying, answering, pointing out my oversight.
It really does seem more and more that the Brown Shirts have taken over! A Congressional Representative arrested by ICE for investigating ICE detentions!?!? Outrageous!
How many of Trump’s opponents will he lock up before America says ”Enough!” Enough of this anti-American rhetoric, this anti-American behavior, this anti-American leadership?
Trump depends for his popularity on low-information voters, and we’ve got to remind them again and again that this is not America, this is not democratic, this is not the “bright shining city on the hill” that Republicans and Democrats have long preached of. This is selfish, this is inhumane, this is a repudiation of all we hold dear. We must stop this autocrat. 7468.
Brown shirts seem to be blue suits! Notice how they all wear blue suits? Except Goebbels, I mean Miller, who always wears grey or black. Perfect.
Don't forget the red neckties, also part of the uniform.
Thank you for this explanation, Joyce. I follow you daily and I’m so grateful for you keeping us a apprised of the important things happening across the country. You are one of the few people that I trust to be honest with good judgment.