438 Comments

Thank you, Joyce. This is disturbing as well as unifying. We're all so exhausted, but we must continue to support each other.

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I will be soon exercising my 1st amendment rights in front of the White House at Lafayette Park and I expect to be arrested at some point. Park Service has traditionally held sacrosanct 1st amendment rights but this will like be tested repeatedly.

I also want to express that I will no longer criticize Biden and issues surrounding the democrat. We need to unite no time for shooting each other.

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(From "Donald's Vanity Tantrums")

The Citizen Kane Movie of Tomorrow: Citizen Trump

February 17, 2024

The classic movie Citizen Kane directed, produced, and starred in by Orson Welles will one day in the future, have a remake only this time the main pseudo-fictional character will be Donald Trump. The movie scene will open with a very bloated relic of his former self; uneven orange-smeared makeup slobbed across his face in bed. His overgrown blond hair is found similar to the muss of Boris Johnson’s now showing gray roots from lack of up-to-date hair dye. He periodically wakes from a semi-conscious state at his future dilapidated Mar-a-Lago residence (for lack of having sufficient funds to upkeep the property due to previous constant litigation and losses.) He looks around demanding more Kentucky Fried Chicken wings as low paid personal rush in another bucket and his last word is not “Rosebud” as in the movie Citizen Kane but:

“Stormy.” And the ex 45th president of the United States expires. The camera fades to black then opens at Le Club in the early disco 1970s, a members-only Manhattan nightclub in the East 50s, where models, fashionistas and a variety of Eurotrash (including his wife) went to be seen.

“The government has just filed suit against our company,” said Trump, “saying we discriminated against Blacks. What do you think we should do?”

The Roy Cohn obedient ass-kisser to Senator Joe McCarthy hearings accusing entertainment personalities of being communists shoots back, “Tell them to go to hell and fight the thing in court and let them prove you discriminated against them.”

Roy Cohn has become Trump’s go-to lawyer and fixer.

Cohn admonishes the young Trump to 1. Never settle. Never surrender. 2. Counter-attack, counter-sue immediately. 3. No matter what happens, no matter how deep into the shit you get, claim victory and never admit defeat.

These lessons were found to be the essential attributes of his future self.

And so it was.

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If Trump is in the movie, they’ll have to use a wide-angle lens! ‼️

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Clever Citizen Kane maga metaphor. That's a wow Bill.

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Coming from one of my staunchest critics, I accept. My book is filled with such stories it’s only 15 bucks. Trump once came to my city of Hartford wanting to build a casino. Our governor at the time, Lowell Wieker teamed with my then friend and mayor Carrie Saxon Perry to prevent him as a deal was being worked out for slot profits to go to our Native First Peoples and he exclaimed as he left town, “They don’t look like Indians to me.”

I had a plan to toss a book over the White House fence and scream “Here Trump read my book.” As I was being video taped so it would go viral online and I would get my long awaited CNN interview after getting out of jail. Which would get me my modest 200,000 sales so I could build my animal rescue farm. That is all I want in life. Nothing more.

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I very much support animal & bird rescues. Update: The OWL 🦉that flew into the dinning room of a Virginia living room last week to perch on the top of a Christmas Tree has been carefully gathered & released into Blue Sky. Actually, Bryan. : --- )

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Nice story.

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Very good! However, Trump more closely resembles Auric Goldfinger in the movie version of Ian Flemings novel "Goldfinger!"

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The Apprentice movie (2024) was awesome. Wasn't it? I hope Jetemy Strong wins an Academy Award. He was brilliant. IMHO.

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Dec 22
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Oh, Trump had KFC available at his buffet, too. Not just Old MacDonald.

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Support Amazon workers and don’t buy from Amazon.

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Bill, yes. I ought to have dropped Amazon & prime long ago. I will check to be sure I’m completely out of that nonunion door with hopes that its overworked world wide staff wins.

As for unity among Democrats: another huge yes yes.

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Support local and stop billionaires.

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1 year Amazon free - here

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Please explain how that helps the workers. I'm a union person and dislike Bezos and support the workers but I'm not sure how it helps to boycott a company.

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Of course Amazon doesn't give a damn about the workers. But Bezos cares deeply about his money. Strikes of retailers work only because customers who care stop buying the retailer's product. This and only this will bring Bezos to the bargaining table.

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I read that he purposely burns out his workers by overwork only to replace them. An endless supply.

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Barbara, I donno. I’m not a social reformer. I just write songs about inequalities in life.

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On a roll Bill.

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Interestingly we discussed this today - what I’ll do this time. During SCOTUS Bush v Gore I was at the Court every day finding a group with whom to stand, walk, speak, protest. I wasn’t arrested. And now have less mobility. Still I’m thinking…

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Your spirit is enough.

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Oh in spirit, Bill, I’m in Lafayette Park, going round the Capitol holding signs, different ones daily if the GOP is not questioning and refusing the nominees first then all the other nonsense the tush-kissers promote. It’s with no voting representation, there’s no one who “hears” me. Or the 700k people who live here.

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I'm right there with you 🙏🏽

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Thank you.

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I am interested in the origin of names and yours interests me as it seems to bear witness to your goals or vice versa. In German eisen is iron and I know todt means dead but can Eisenstodt perhaps translate as 'standing firm'? One of my favorite names of all times was proclaimed by the sleazy, oh-so-suave suitor to Sophia Loren in a movie. "I'm from Bagnocavallo!" which to my first-year Italian student ear translated as "I'm a proud resident of Horsebath!" I almost choked on my popcorn.

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The Dems and Biden have been doing quadruple flips and triple salchows on the skating rink of U.S. politics, while the GOP/Trump folks are messing up the ice with their double runner skates and clownish antics. Yes guess who gets the attention and praise? What more are the Dems supposed to do? Go out to the midwest and rural areas and talk to 45 people at a time to try to convince them to see things the other way? Is that efficent? Is that a worthwhile use of time? We have a lot of stupid voters out there, who can't see the better skaters. Maybe when the GOP's hot air has melted the ice, the stupid ones will get smarter. (When you go with a metaphor, you gotta stick with it LOL.)

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Thannk you Bill. Great decision regarding President Biden. History will definitely vindicate him. A genuinely caring human being.

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Thank you Bill.

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Really? you think? I mean the criticism worked so well. Need bail money try 1-800 must

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I don’t believe Trump won. I believe Harris won. The data shows the election was hacked in the swing states.

This is an excellent video summary of the Smart Elections data findings, for those that may be having difficulty wrapping their head around it:

Watch on your computer with the volume on.

https://youtu.be/fF22jp2VBJg?

Question: WHAT can be done about it?

—> Suggestion: Have a HAND RECOUNT in the swing states.

<OR>

—> Have a REVOTE by paper ballot in the swing states.

Romania had a REVOTE due to Russian election interference. We should too!

Contact Biden, Harris, the DOJ & your representatives.

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Even if Donald Trump has been elected, he has not been inaugurated. He is not President.

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Biden is President until noon on Jan 20. One president at a time.

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He will never be my president. I stand in solidarity to a POTUS who adheres to the rule of law and the tenets of our Constitution something Donald Trump is diametrically opposed to. I, too, believe he cheated in this last election. When has he ever NOT cheated anyway?Regardless of whether he cheated or not, he is coming into office to destroy our democracy and to impose his will on anyone he deems to have slighted him no matter how small that action may be. He is evil and history will show that he and his cult are the most corrupt group to ever infiltrate our government,imho.

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Apparently, Elon Musk is the de-facto, acting president. 😔

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Really?

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Yes, 'The Mump Regime' (Hat tip Tim Snyder) just did a Face Plant. Margins get even tinier through April. Nothing gets through the Senate through 1/20/25 NOON then new order shakes ou until 3/14/25. Disciplined Dems & vulnerable R's helped - helped a lot.

Primaried? One has already survived a maga attack & now has the necessary political antigens.

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You can believe whatever you want, but, without solid evidence, it means nothing. Trump claimed voter fraud in 2016 and 2020. But he never provided the “evidence” he said would prove it. It was all lies.

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The evidence would be realized in a hand recount of the swing states. Watch the video to the end.

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No, if there were irregularities in the count, the states would recount. I think a few did that. Others took their time to validate the count. Another “hand count” is not going to change the outcome. The issue in this election was that (1) Dem/independents/moderate Republicans decided to sit out the vote rather than save the republic. (2) Others who did vote chose the price of eggs over the republic. Trump won the popular vote because of (1) and the electoral college because of (2).

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A case can be made that more importantly, Russian psy ops contributed to the Trump campaign, at least "in kind" and that is a violation of our sovereignty and that everything needs to be put on hold until it's evaluated. IMHO this is a national emergency.

In September, DOJ asserted that Sergey Kiriyenko had created some 30 internet domains to spread Russian disinformation, including on Elon Musk’s X which was formerly known as Twitter. In October, the Wall Street Journal disclosed that Musk had been in contact with Kiriyenko and Vladimir Putin which Dmitry Peskov affirmed.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergey_Kiriyenko

Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin said he had interfered in U.S. elections and would continue doing so in future, We have interfered (in U.S. elections), we are interfering and we will continue to interfere. Carefully, accurately, surgically and in our own way, as we know how to do." https://www.reuters.com/world/us/russias-prigozhin-admits-interfering-us-elections-2022-11-07/ What does Musk know and if he does know, when did he know it?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_interference_in_the_2024_United_States_elections

Did Musk violate both state and federal election law? In Pa, the penalty can be 7 years in a workhouse.

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We understand that Trump and Musk are proving to be above the law. I also think we should understand that some of their strategies might be coming from Putin himself, the master and taking over a country and subjugating it. Americans living in the US can be looking at East Germany, and Russia to have an understanding of what is in store in life. Ways around the silencing will be using VPNs, and perhaps using platforms that are not in the US control for messaging, and emailing. I have both a gmail and a non-US email account. That is in case I need it. I am in the US now, but won't be when Trump takes office, but I will come back and forth, so we shall see. I have family here that needs my support right now.

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I agree. Russia, China, Iran, and probably others interfered. But was that interference sufficient to change the outcome of the election? I doubt it. I think the GOP committed the worst acts of interference in suppressing, voter registration "cleanups", mis- and disinformation, intimidation, and simple outright lying about anything and everything from the "Biden is demented" lies to "Kamala is communist". The GOP is devoid of dignity, integrity, and morals. They did this to their own country which is far worse than anything a foreign government/org could do.

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it was a national emergency on Jan 6th

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What he's done on X could be treason?

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Thank you for this excellent information. There should NOT be a transfer of “power.” The election was obviously rigged (at least in the swing states). Biden should demand a hand recount.

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They didn’t recount because the margin was slightly wider which was done on purpose. The voting data in the swing states is so obviously an algorithmic hack that doesn’t make sense it warrants President Biden using his executive order to demand a hand recount at least in those 7 swing states. Then we would know if Harris really won the election and I think she did.

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The data doesn’t make sense.

“Trump wins 100% of swing states + Florida. He wins each state outide the margin of a mandatory recount. He flips 6 of the 7 swing states from the previous year's party winner.” From the SMART Elections Data Team.

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Trump did not win 100% of the popular vote in seven swing states. He won 100% of the delegate votes in the electoral college because the swing states follow the rule of “winner takes all” for the delegates (48 states do this) - an issue I’d like to see changed to proportional division of the votes. https://usafacts.org/visualizations/electoral-college-states-representation/

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Watch the video.

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@ Linda Wallers: All that stuff about "price of eggs" is pretext. It only took a few votes in the swing states to tip the election, from 1-2%.

Compound this by the threats to public safety. Propaganda was that war would erupt if Trump lost. Burned ballots. Intimidated poll workers. Bomb scares.

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Dan, did you watch the video put out by SmartElections.US? Don’t you think the data looks highly indicative of an algorithmic hack?

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I don't know what evidence the FBI has accumulated. I'm disappointed that they haven't come forward. I've seen similar stuff. These "experts" need to be qualified and if there is opposition, it needs to be heard. I can't believe that the Harris people were not all over this. The standard is preponderence of the evidence.

IMHO the state officials should have addressed the inconsistencies on a case by case basis. How, for example did a lesbian win the senate race by a wide margin in WI and Harris lose? Same with MI, AZ. In NC many "single shot" ballots.

That kind of stuff should at least generate recounts. Doesn't mean that it's c;ear the rfesult would be any different. In 2020 Trump GOT recounts in key states and lost worse after the recounts.

That said, must also consider that there were actual physical and some psychological threats to keep voters from the polls.

IMHO the Russian admissions, standing alone, require a full scale query.

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Curious. Did you vote for Trump?

If anyone cares about our election process, I think we should all support Smart Elections.

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What bothers me are the surpising yes votes down ballot for women's rights & other democracy rights for states but the top vote oddly was tfg? Essentially voting against yourself? It boggles the mind..

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It’s because it was hacked in the swing states. Read Stephen Spoonamore’s Substack newsletters

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No, it's not. Please stop the conspiracy nonsense. Stop being that person. Elections are not secure ONLY when your candidate wins. If you questioned the stop the steal idiots, you're now being a hypocrite. Please stop.

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Thank you Marlo

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Well shit. That sounds kinda convincing. I almost can't believe I am saying this, because it makes me feel like the kind of person I hate - an election denying MAGGOT. But I have always believed there is a fundamental difference between Republicans and Democrats and that in summation the Dems are the good guys and the Republicans are the bad guys. Just look at party platform, policy, anything and it's clear who has the back of ordinary citizens and who doesn't. So, if there was cheating going on, which party is more likely to be doing so?

That said - if there is something to this, what next? How is this brought to the attention of the greater press and our leadership? Is it not too late?

If there is something to this, how come Joyce or Heather or Rachel have not jumped on it?

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because it's BS. Don't become a stop the steal conspiratorial mouth breather like the other side. They had "convincing evidence" too. How did that work out. It's a pathetic and failed attempt to rile people up over absolutely nothing because nothing will change.

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There are so-called "free elections" in plenty of other countries, which are absolutely rigged. You're right, this won't change what we have to deal with here now, after Harris conceded, but it would be insane to assume T and his backers would play fair. They cheat at everything, they know how to do it, and they brag about it. "I don't need any more votes" "We have a little secret." Then he stopped campaigning. In July. That's a confession. I don't have any theories on how they did it, and it won't get investigated now, but don't insult people who question whether or not Trump-Putin-Musk cheat and lie. They do.

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Did you read the data provided by Smart Elections? If not, you should.

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Yeah I get it. However - knowing what we know about Republicans, why would they not try to cheat with election algorithms if there were a way to do so? So then it becomes - is it even possible to do so.

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That's not a valid argument. This is EXACTLY what they said after 2020. "Knowing what we know about the Democrats, why would they not try to cheat..." It's a complete and utter waste of time and is a pathetic distraction from the real problems: trump's plans to implement Project 2025, schedule F non-loyalists, horrific nominations to run nearly every agency, Elonald Mump basically running things. But sure, let's spend time on nonsense. If you do that, you're no better than the losers we mocked in 2020. What? They're stupid, so making fun of them is okay? We're smart, so obviously our "evidence" is more meaningful??? The height of elitist mindset that contributed to our loss in November. What's next? A "protest" in DC on January 6th, 2025? Pathetic. People need to grow up and figure out how to nominate candidates that have a chance of winning elections with a message that actually resonates with the voters, not spinning our wheels on nothingness.

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Read the articles of Smart Elections, Tin Foil Matt and Dire Warnings before you comment. It’s shocking. Only an algorithmic hack could explain it.

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I wonder if they are afraid of his retribution. He just caused Canada’s Prime Minister to resign with his nasty antics.

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Well Marlo it doesn't seem so, but the timing is interesting. I would hope that the orange sub-human shite pile doesn't have that kind of influence.

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You know, we made fun of the stop the steal idiots for 4 years. They had "video evidence" and all kinds of "proof". They had over 60 LOSING court cases and one very minor signature related win in PA (IIRC). Please stop; don't become what you have mocked and ridiculed. The election is over, Kamala conceded, and sadly, trump won and we have president elect Elonald Mump. Stop wasting your time and energy and making this even more of a mockery filled with nonsense and false hope.

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I watched the YouTube video and it made me sick! I was absolutely convinced the election was rigged, and this proves what I and others thought. This is probably where Musk spent his money. Sickening. Thank you for sending it. How do we prevent it from happening again?

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I truly wish this would matter, but it doesn't. Those in power are marching us right off the cliff to hell and there is nothing any of us posting on here can do about it.

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Which is the Party weaponizing government?🖕Yes, Lois Lerner went too far.🤔Once exposed, she and her practices stopped.⚖️My erstwhile Party just keeps on going with its nattering nabobs of narcissism -- Reps Jordan, Greene, Boebert, Comer as well as Senators Cruz, Lee, Cotton et too many al. -- bereft of conscience, apparently unburdened by accountability.🤬How do these people look in a mirror and not shudder?😱

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7259852498906025984/

It makes this conservative (i.e., me) sick in the stomach and hobbled in the soul.🤢One piece of good news for me.✌🏽Had someone told me when I was twenty-four that forty-four years later I would attain new heroes, I would have been politely skeptical.😊 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuVIJlSDOs0 If that person had gone on to say many of those new heroes would be younger, one almost young enough to be a grand-child, I would have referred him or her to a sanitarium.❤️

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The IRS investigated nonprofit groups on both the left and the right with regard to whether they were engaging in political activity that nonprofits, by law, are not permitted to engage in since they are protected from federal taxes. The far right got in a snit about it because they feel they have the right to engage in political activity and they are extensively so engaged. How dare the IRS notice! Then they tried to get Ms. Lerner of the IRS canned, because she followed the law and supervised those carrying out some of these investigations. As she says, she did nothing wrong.

There is a very long article from Politico laying some of this out:

https://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/lois-lerner-breaks-silence-irs-scandal-111181

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Thank you, again I have read half of the article, enough to realize that you are quite correct. What concerns me is that, with my memory jogged, I recall coming to question my fellow Republicans because the report of the I.R.S. did not indicate, at least to me, whether 'key-words' like "progressive", etc. had also been tested. Yet I forgot all of that.

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Thank you, Nevoustrumpezpas, for the article. I will read it. I had the (mis-)impression that many more right-wing organizations were being investigated, reflecting a political bias. Of course, I have been wrong before and could be again in this case.

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That was Willliam Safire, who wrote speeches for Nixon's use. However it was the very felonious Vice President under Nixon, Spiro T. Agnew, who used Safire's phrase.

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Yes. I was using that phrase as a spin-off.

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Trump and his minions have no respect for the law

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Trump has used the weaknesses in our Justice system, including the defense frequent strategy of delay-delay-delay, to drag his own civil cases out over years, until those trying to Sue him in civil

proceedings ran out of $$$ or interest. Look at how long the criminal cases were delayed, with the exception of a few (2?) Judges who ran disciplined proceedings.

McConnell weakened our Judicial system further by manipulating Congressional procedures to deny Obama a Supreme Court placement; he then proceeded to push through a conservative, politicized majority of Justices. And here we are…Trump not being held accountable….but the man who shot the insurance CEO will be arraigned as a “terrorist” - because he killed a capitalist, not just a “regular” person on the street!

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My sentiments exactly. There shouldn't be any more arrests until Trump is held accountable. It's hard to believe he has lied, cheated and stolen his way for 78 years. He isn't smart, people thinks he is because he puts up a good front.

All of the misinformation he is throwing out, I think is just to keep the media focused on him.

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People think he’s smart bc like all else they believe he tells them he is. Or they equate making money with intelligence even tho he’s lost more repeatedly. Or they are desperate to believe because they need justification.

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And they are hoodwinked again…

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I used to think he was stupid. I still do, in the sense that those with no o curiosity are stupid. In that sense he certainly is.

He isn't though, perhaps the better word is cunning.

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Yes. No curiosity which means no questions to delve deeper, or in facilitation language is “tell me more” in a and “yes, and” to get to more information.

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His national persona as a business genius was fabricated by “The Apprentice” show creator. New Yorkers knew better. He has not won many states in his home area.

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Don't forget the Extreme Court, who dragged out the J6 prosecution for a year with delay. The corruption is profound.

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Read Joyce Vance: Civil Discourse- “The Cheney’s” and report back, please.

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I find it very telling that 38 Republicans stood up against Mumps (Musk & Trump) directive in the House two days in a row. While these two wanted to shut our government down forcing federal servants and the military to suffer without a paycheck, their idea was thwarted. Having seen that, there are over 200 R’s who are clearly MAGA who sit in the House and who knows how many numbskulls are in the Senate. We must remind ourselves that there is a smidgen of an advantage that the R’s have over the Dems., just a teensy bit. WE are the people of this nation. WE can either sit back and wait for the trifecta to hurt us, our families, our acquaintances, our children, our friends, our gardeners, our housekeepers, our employees OR WE can be proactive and not stand for the BS this horrid admin will dish out! I am refusing to be silent and I hope everyone else is too. Oh and the R’s modus operandi has always been to instill fear into all of us. Joyce gives us the hard cold facts. Things will be ugly, as one knows, but we must not be defeated because together, we are a force to be reckoned with.

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Yes, there will be a lot of damage done in the next two years but my hope lies in the midterms. Some people don't change unless they experience rock bottom so I am hoping that these MAGA non-critical thinkers wake up after waking up to no more SS checks and realizing there's food scarcity because all the fruit pickers, dairy and meat-packing plant workers that were deported have caused these food producers to declare bankruptcy and all imported food will cost 20% more. Yeah, go ahead and wave those trump flags around....

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Brava! Spot-on. Nicely articulated. Hopefully, they will F*up so bad (and the Dems/Progressives get the right messaging out in an avalanche of media) that in the midterms a Blue Wave takes over both houses.🙏🙏

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Always thank you for speaking up and now for “Mumps” - contagious without a vaccination medically; and contagious with silence.

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The Mumps. I like that!

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Local newspapers, start with them. Attend school board meetings, city council meetings, county, etc. These entities (most) have made Zoom available to most who can’t attend but want to be a good partner in speaking out. They have to hear from the public.

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Marlene, where do you make the most noise? I don’t use twitter, Bluesky is us. My FB friends are all on the same page. So I’m curious.

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I hope Biden gives Liz a pardon to shut the madness down. She sure doesn’t deserve this.

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She has said she doesn't want any pardon because she shouldn't need one. That's healthy.

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Ditto House Representative Adam Schiff who was the Trump 1.0 Impeachment prosector now Senator Schiff. Don't say "Senator Elect" as Adam is serving out Dianne Feinstein Senate Term now.

Adam is in a stronger legal position as we Californians enjoy an express Right of Privacy in our State CA Constitution upon which CA Appellate Courts are empowering new torts to fit the new wrongs in 2024 into the years ahead.

A statutory maxim in California law (sanfran, LA or in the Sierras) is the maxim for every wrong there is a remedy.

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California also has anti-SLAPP suit legislation which turns the tables on nuisance lawsuits. Might come to bear in some circumstances..:-)

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Yes and over 30 years of expanding fact circumstances in CA case law.

The CCC, California Constitution Center is a valuable source:

https://www.law.berkeley.edu ....

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This would be a good thing to have on a national level.

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Yes, but there are other litigation tools such as Motion to Dismiss in federal court per Rule ... FRCP 12(b)(6).

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I agree with Liz Cheney. If I were her I couldn't wait to be arrested and shout, bring it on!!

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Sophia Demas and Erica, if she is arrested, who can help her? How could her father help her?

We are entering a period when laws and our constitution are under siege and our three branches of government are on the side of a would be dictator and his cronies.

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There is a coalition of attorneys that have outlined over 200 lawsuits in anticipation of mump’s shenanigans. Remember that trump brought over 60 lawsuits against the election proceedings and lost all but one. The courts still have a pulse….

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Daddy Cheney won’t let that happen. As much as he’s an old codger, he can bury Musk & Trump.

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Jessica Tarlov said in the interview with Katie Couric spoke out against pardons. This article gives the foundational reasons why. To me, they are a subliminal admission to guilt......Maggots will exploit that for sure. US constitutional law is about to be put to the biggest test ever.

Democrats seem to be getting over election shock now.....citizens from all walks of life are gearing up to resist Trumpageddon.

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I think U.S. Constitutional Law has been put the biggest test for the past 8 years. Regretfully, the Supreme Court has not, in any way been our friend. Chief John Roberts has turned this country on its head with immunity for a man who has no moral compass and only his ego to guide him with the advice Roy Cohn gave him, “Never admit wrong, never surrender, never say you lost, etc.

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A total frontal attack on integrity, truth and justice. With no moral or ethical guidelines comes opportunity, if you are constantly "in the moment." Sooner or later the unjust will make errors......you must then react quickly and with determination

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Yes but that already happened and so far Trump skates away from his errors, because of the inept Merrick Garland at DOJ and the 6 on the SCOTUS.

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Thats right...the Garland effect has been so destructive top-down.

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janinsanfran, I totally agree that Liz Cheney should not need a pardon. Reality says that she needs to be protected from the people who will be inthe White House on inauguration day. Who could protect her at this point is Joe Biden. I believe every Democrat and the two Republicans on the January 6 committee should be pardoned. This isn’t quite pride goeth before a fall; it is more like exercising common sense at an extremely dangerous and unprecedented time in our nation’s history.

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I hope that Biden DOES NOT issue pardons for the Jan 6 Committee members! Here is why. Let Trump turn his dogs at “his” DOJ on these Committee members.It will not only show their corrupt and authoritarian nature, they will also cause a Constitutional crises when they have to defend violating the Constitution which states in black & white the role of Congress and the Committee process. We will then know with out any doubt that felon Trump along with his fellow seditionists intends to not only violate violate the Constitution but would - as he said he would - put the Constitution aside and do what he wishes. Will it matter? To more than half of the country, it will matter, but it would remain to see if they would do anything about it or not!

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Dec 22Edited

But they are not only going after the Jan. 6 committee members! They are going after many of the witnesses too, like Cassidy Hutchinson, & others who will not be protected by Constitutional amendments. These people need to be given pardons, so that they don't go bankrupt having to hire lawyers.

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I really believe that you are missing the larger point. There is only one way for Trump and his enablers and hit men to go after any member of Congress or any witness that they as members of Congress lawfully performing their lawful and Constitutionally authorised duties in the line of Congressional inquiries, and that is to “openly violate the Constitution of the United States”. I am not saying that they may not try to do this anyway, but what I am saying is that if they did, then they will have openly violated not only the Constitution but their sacred oath of office. To have President Biden “protect” then with a pardon is playing into the hands of Trump and his gang. These members of Congress and witnesses that they called to testify are “already protected” by the law and the Constitution. If you think they need a pardon, then you must not think much of the Constitution!

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I agree but the issue if there's no recounting in swing states is that once Donald is president the DOJ will change and the law will not be respected.

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Everyone on the Jan 6 committee, and those were the impeachment managers.

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As Joyce points out, she will not need a pardon.

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And to accept a pardon is to accept the responsibility of guilt. What is she guilty of? (This question isn't directed at you, Reality Seeker.)

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Whether she "needs" one or not, the norms are gone. While the Speech and Debate clause held for Graham, who is to say it will "hold" for Liz Cheney when 6 of the SCOTUS justices are corrupt? Roe should have held. Presidential immunity for the Felon should never have been taken up by the Court, but it was and it was given to him. Take a "pocket pardon" which was talked about after the Felon's term which she can keep quiet until she needs to pull it out and slap it in front of them. I don't trust that how it was, how it is supposed to be, how our laws say it must be... will be.

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She may not want one. I believe she’d like to take trump on.

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Liz may not accept an offer of a pardon? Stay tuned!

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The biggest thing I see here is that Trump’s supporters will cheer on revenge prosecutions, even the good evangelicals, because that’s why they elected him. They don’t care if what he does is illegal. The GOP doesn’t care and they look to Elon Musk for what’s next. Who helped Musk buy the election with Twitter? The Saudi’s? They’re not a Christian country. These are the people who screamed about Sharia law being carried out by Democrats.

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Let's go back almost ten years to the Republican Benghazi investigation - two years, millions of tax payer dollars and it landed with a thud. The Republicans use this crap over and over to attack, harass and slander people. Their attack on Hunter Biden was particularly vile. Trump has promised retribution. Bannon has promised it. We need to believe them. Republicans have no integrity. They're salivating over going after Liz Cheney. They hate her because next to her they are small, pathetic people. I despise them more than Trump because he's nuts but they know better.

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They will go after her as they went after the Biden’s. And how did that turn out? I’m looking forward to her and her legal team emasculating Comer Pyle and Gym Jordan in front of the Faux “news” crowd.

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I worry about the people who don't have Liz Cheney's resources.

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I’m watching for a GoFundMe to get started!

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Lawyers love GoFundMe’s. Guess who ends up with all the little people’s money?

This is a flood of money being burned because of persecutorial prosecution. The country loses, the lawyers win.

No thanks.

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Exactly! The witnesses like Cassidy Hutchinson & Brad Raffensberger & others who might go bankrupt having to hire lawyers to defend them.

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Daniel, FOX won’t show or reference pro-Cheney clips. They cut and paste and run the lies that spew forth from the GOP. That’s why you see Repugnants standing up at the Capitol and reading every lie. They know their comments will be shown on FOX without clips of any rebuttal or fact-checking. It’s a well-practiced performance.

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Pretty sure if you asked one of the 200million Faux viewers they would agree with all the BS that Faux is shoveling at them. And that will not change. Dems need to get on new platforms that the "average voter" (eg/ someone with a 4th grade literacy level and not yet able to discern truth from fiction) watches. The idiocracy is at the core of this takeover. Remember 30+ years ago when it seemed puzzling that Republicans were trying to take over school boards all over the US? Well, this is why. THIS was the goal all along. And it's been achieved.

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The midterms bring an opportunity to block the Executive by taking the House and Senate. 33 senate seats are up. 22 are Republican. We have to make a platform that sells to all voters. I built a starter framework with selling points. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/brainstorm-the-2028-party-platform?r=3m1bs

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We cannot wait for the midterm elections! These traitors will be fully embedded within this timeframe. If your house were on fire, would you wait to call 911? I think not. Our house is on fire now!

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I Agree. He can do a hell of a lot of damage in 2 years. Shooting down his 5 dangerous appointees should be our priority NOW.

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You are still calculating with the algorithms of the past.

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100% agree!

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You are making the assumption that we will be having mid-term elections in 2026. That is similar to what the German industrialists who supported Hitler assumed. Yet they never got the chance to "bring him into line", if he went "off the rails". Be prepared for more "surprises". If you listen to what Teflon Don says maybe you can figure out what comes next.

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You’re correct in that we aren’t sure in the 2026 elections will occur but I’m a patriot and will hope that the citizens who either did not vote or whom voted for him, will be thinking quite differently in two years and will vote for Democracy and our Constitution. If we, as citizens, hold those whom have supported the MAGA gov’t for any illegal deeds against this nation, we will all reverse the oligarch’s dangerous policies. I will not give away our freedoms without contesting/protesting, and voting in 2026.

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Well, Marcia, at least you are not sure. that is good. I too hope with you. The reason I have projected a different future is simply my understanding of history. Yes I am prepared to be surprised, but I am also prepared to be further disappointed. Marcia, you would be better served to not believe that our people will succeed. Prepare yourself!

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Remember how the Felon (that's how I have referred to him since the election, although I do capitalize the "F" because I'm respectful like that 🤣), announced you just have to vote now and you won't ever have to vote again? Yeah... not sure there will BE a 2026 mid-term. They got the WH, the House and the Senate. They are NOT going to risk giving those up.

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In this last election, more than half of the votes were for Trump. 54% of the votes were from women!

And, you think that in two years, the Democrats will easily take over the House and Senate? Dream on? Get real!

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“For Trump” votes are not applicable to House and Senate seats for midterm elections. Trump will not be on the ticket. Evidently you are not aware that the Democratic Party won control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections. The Democrats gained a net total of 41 seats from the total number of seats they had won in the 2016 elections. Control of the House will flip easily, the Senate more than likely.

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"And, you think that in two years, the Democrats will easily take over the House and Senate? Dream on? Get real!"

No one said "easily". It will depend on the Democrats organising professionally of course - but more it will depend on how chaotically and incoherently the Trumpian White House / House of Reps / Senate conduct themselves over the two years.

There is a very respectable chance that the Dems will take back either the House of Reps or the Senate - the current majorities are pretty slim, and the capacity for two years of mayhem is huge.

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Organizing here, is difficult with such a shoddy 2024 Democratic Platform. That is the point of using Buzan mind mapping, from the UK, as my post link above lays out. We can do this Ian. Want to help?

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I'd love to, but I have my hands full with local politics here in Melbourne Australia! Federal Election in April-May (no date's been announced), and the Left is nervous, rightfully.

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Ian, you say..."Democrats organising professionally, of course" I depended on that in 2024 and look what happened. We are just simply not a criminal organization, so, please, what makes you think that "professional organization" will amount to "a hill of beans". I may be repeating myself, but Dictators of the past generally don't wait two years for the next election or regular cycle. They rip the guts out of the constitutions and laws they violate and throw them in front of their howling acolytes, to devour and desecrate. There!...Get it, my friend? Everything has changed unless he is stopped, and if you are not prepared and ready for it, mentally, you will end up drowning in the coming maelstrom. Prepare yourself. Only then do we have a chance in the nearer term to avoid what the Trumuskracy have set their evil minds to. Sorry about the message, but this shit is coming down on us!!!

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🤞

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Benedict Donald 77,297,721 votes (49.9%)

Kamala Harris 75,009,338 votes (48.4%)

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“SMART Elections Drop-off factor in Election Data Raises Questions About 2024 Election Results”

Source: SMARTelections.us

“New York, New York - - As electors in each state are voting for President and Vice President today, SMART Elections, a nonpartisan organization focused on security and public oversight of U.S. elections, is releasing a comprehensive analysis of the 2024 Presidential election phenomenon commonly referred to as “drop-off”. The detailed study includes six swing and eleven non-swing states and confirms what has been widely discussed on social media, Substacks, Reddit forums and among political advocates on both the left and right: in six of the seven swing states, and in all but four of the non-swing states they examined,

There are considerably MORE votes for the Republican presidential candidate than for the next down-ballot race

The study calls this pattern “drop-off” and tracks the percentage of the drop-off and the number of votes involved, county by county, in all 17 states. The analysis for each state is available at SMARTelections.us

Drop-off: Democratic vs. Republican

By contrast, there is NO large drop-off between the Democratic presidential candidate and the next down-ballot race. On the SMART Elections Substack, they post,

“Instead, on the Democratic side, we find an opposite phenomenon. There are a large number of votes for the Democratic Senate candidate (or major down-ballot race) where there is NO vote for the Democratic presidential candidate (Harris).”

Drop-off Leaves Democrats and Republicans Both Asking Questions”

A HAND RECOUNT in the swing states would tell the truth. The election was HACKED and Harris most likely won!

We ALL need to contact President Biden who can use his executive order to have this hand recount happen.

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Joyce would have to answer this, but I believe as of December 20th, the date that was posted numerous times by those with knowledge on Bluesky was the last date to have contested the election. But I have no clue if that is correct. As it is now 12/22, I fear it's too late.

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A president can use his executive order to accomplish it. This is too glaring of obvious tampering. It MUST be done! We know Trump and Musk are criminals & will stop at nothing to win. Both have been talking to the KING of election hacking - Putin.

Maybe we should organize a march with signs saying “Election Was HACKED. We DEMAND a HAND RECOUNT in the Swing States.” The media couldn’t ignore that. How could we accomplish it?

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totally agree

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Amen to that!

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If the midterms take place

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The authoritarian turn towards politicized abuse of the legal process was clearly signaled during the revenge tour of Trumps campaign.

But legal civil rights groups have reportedly been preparing for the firehose of cases intended to harass, intimidate and punish legitimate activities by journalists, legislators, pollsters, media outlets etc.

@joycevance, l hope you will be able to turn your expert legal eye on these emerging cases and keep us updated!

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Terrifying times. But I would be very much afraid if I were t. Dick Cheney knows how to play very hard ball and t is going after his daughter. Interesting he is going after Cheney, the woman albeit Chairperson, but not the man, Adam Kinzinger.

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That is a scary observation!

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Well I think Cheney is a dangerous man for many reasons

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Thanks hadn’t heard of that. I know they are going against anyone who has criticized t. Adam, though, was also on the committee.

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Well, we all know that Trump is a piece of 💩. What a waste of tax payer dollars this investigation would be. I thought the DOGE fools were supposed to save us money.

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Not save “us” the American people money, but find ways for the “fat cats” to further line their own pockets.

Sorry….I am having a particularly cynical mood today. Listened to more news than usual.😖

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We need to make sure the money being spent on one vengeful man's revenge investigations is made public. They are expensive. Republicans spent $7 million investigating Benghazi to discredit HRC for naught. Wonder how much has already been spent by Comer to try to connect President Biden to his son's dishonesty. Reporting to the public on these investigations re evidence, findings along the way and money being spent should be mandated by Americans.

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Trudy, I picture a gigantic billboard keeping track, in real time, of tax dollars spent on performative investigations by the GOP. Wouldn’t it be loverly?!

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"My Fair Lady" reference, or typo?

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Good catch! Yes, intentional.

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That is assuming that Americans want accurate information. 89 million registered voters didn't vote; many MAGAs appear to be low-information or no-information voters, and too many MAGAs voted for Trump precisely because he spouts revenge, grievance, ignorance, and hate.

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Absolutely. How much was spent on the Comer and Jordan nonsensical investigations? That also needs to be made public.

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Wait a second...... President Musk could easily pick up the bill, as easily as oversees little Donnie changing his diaper after the morning puppy walk

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Not that he won't go after men who have wronged him, but it's telling that the three individuals most prominently in his sights currently are L Cheney, J Ann Selzer, and C Hutchison-- all women. He truly cannot stand it when women win against him, favor someone other than him, call him out when he's wrong, refuse to back down. E Jean Carroll is probably at the top of his lists, too. His sense of self is so very fragile.

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because his mommy didn't protect him from his father ?

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Not a laughing matter in the slightest of course, but it struck me that if Liz Cheney is in any way concerned about retribution, she should invite Trump to go hunting with her father. You can look it up.

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LOL

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On IG AOC stated we are fully in an oligarchy now. Mump is proving it.

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A Plutocratic plunder.

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I agree with Deb, but also wonder how we can support Liz Cheney?

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A pox on Trump.

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Now that may work. How about Avian Flu?...and some bleach?

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Maybe he refused the smallpox vaccination? If so, this could happen. (Not really)

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It is crucial to establish a defense fund for all the victims caught up in the likely authoritarian prosecutions

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I have thought the same but say we built up a huge defense fund. Would the MAGA lawyers see that as a deterrent or an invitation to file as many lawsuits as they could?

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Where are you going to come up with over $400 Billion? MINIMUM

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