197 Comments

I did not watch the Town Hall but an article came across my newsfeed that tRump mocked E. Jean and got big laugh. That bothers me on a very deep level.

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I watched part of it - it was an abomination from start to finish. Lies, and more lies, and rudeness throughout, with the tfg constantly talking over Kaitlan Connell, whose biggest mistake was to constantly address him with 'Mr. President'!!! He is NOT the president! Insane to give this monster that kind of platform like CNN did!

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Much as I dislike the fact when applied to Trump, an ex-President is indeed addressed as "Mr. President" as I did when I met former President Truman.

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We can all agree he doesn’t deserve to be referred to that way.

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founding

Maybe when he’s in jail (devoutly to be hoped), we can just call him by his prison ID.

Hey, you, #12345! (Yes, the 45 is in there!)

Or Mr. Convict

Or President Felon

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Not according to Miss Manners: Nevertheless, the rule is that titles pertaining to an office that only one person occupies at a time are not used after retirement. A former president can use a previously-held, non-unique title, as the first one did by reverting to Gen. Washington in retirement, or the plain citizen's title of "Mr." The third president preferred to be known as Mr. Jefferson rather than Gov. Jefferson. https://www.uexpress.com/life/miss-manners/2003/12/02

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I think I underestimated your...maturity! :)

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Kaitlin Collins

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That is insane and a hug faux pas !

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Another cause of action for E Jean to sue on! This sorry excuse for a man is a walking disaster!

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She should sue him again. Maybe he is trying to get her to do it.

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I think he's going to be looking for grounds to sue her, even though his stupid lawsuits never fly. But I think Trump was just doing what he does - spread hate, verbally attack his "enemies," and feeling sorry for himself.

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What’s wrong with CNN suppoting his platform anyway?????

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It would be helpful to refresh the collective memory of what exactly is his platform.

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CNN hand-picled the audience...Trump supporters and some undecideds.

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I agree. How dare they mock this very brave woman who won in court!

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Either CNN got duped or they duped themselves. The format was designed for Trump to steal the show and treat his minions to a long rally rant. I wonder if the Democratic Party will get equal time.

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The scary thing is that the Republican Party is literally full of traitors. I don't say that lightly. The roles that Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz and Jim Jordan played on the 6th is despicable. Also Lindsay Grahmm and Justice and Ginny Thomas. There are DOZENS MORE. What has happened to the GOP. Even my mother feels that something was fraudulent about the election. She doesn't need facts. She just feels it in her bones and Fox keeps the flame alive. America is sick and this will not end easily.

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Russia and its efforts to destabilize America is part of the GOP corruption.

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I pray every day the US intelligence gatherers will find some piece of evidence that directly links Russia/Putin to Trump and the others.

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founding

I’ll be happy when jack smith finds the missing human link between Trump campaign and Stop the Steal operatives and the Proud boys and their comrades.

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It's a very big part, especially with Facebook, Twitter and Tik Tok being loaded with propaganda.

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Traitors. Say it loud.

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They've sold their souls for votes, and no doubt have lined their pockets with grift. They've learned to act irrationally to get attention. They are little more than cardboard cutouts of the offices they hold. Sprinkle a good helping of misogyny over all of them, too.

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The GOP has morphed into a radical right wing insurgency with no respect for democracy, voting rights, the constitution and the rule of law. Shame on CNN for granting TFG a forum to spread his hatred, they needed a second moderator there to rein him in. On the other hand maybe TFG hung himself last night.

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Agree. I thought that Kaitlan Collins actually did a pretty good job. I don't know why CNN let him pack the audience. None of us in this group were represented. It was all MAGA people who were there to hoot cheer when he glorified his rape, and made heroes of the hang Mike Pence crowd. "I took what I took and it gets declassified when I think of it" according to DJT. He is a clown to most of us, but to his fans he is superman. It is very tough to control him. You have to admit that before you can start to run against him. We are relying on the justice department to disqualify him from running. It really is that simple. Republicans could have done that by convicting him in the Senate. They didn't do that. Why? It's BECAUSE THEY ARE DOWN WITH IT. They are ALL IN! That is the Republican Party that we have. We (those of us who love America) have to use our pens and our voices to knock this down. Convince as many people as you can that he is not qualified to be President. The nation will not survive another 4 years of Trump. We have to stop this.

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Yes they are all in whether they are true believers of the divine T***, or along for the ride because they can keep their seat. Only a handful are willing to call him out. A vocal, aggressive and violent minority wants to impose their will on all of us. We have seen this before in the 1920’s and 30’s.

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This didn't go down at all. 'Santos is a garden-variety con man.' Joyce wrote. I couldn't even open my mouth for that. Well, maybe I opened my mouth in astonishment. George Santos is an extremely sick person. No performer in his 'right mind' would attempt a comparable burlesque. What is almost equally insane is how far Santos, Trump, Meadows, Gaetz, Gosar, Greene, Boebert...and the rest on a very long list have gotten in America. We voted them into office. Santos is not the only sick soul among us.

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They were always there but the GOP power structure kept them in control. When I worked for Paul Simon in the Senate ages ago, most Senators (I think just one woman?) drank together after hours but there were nutcases we put up with socially. Thereafter, the bought-and-paid-for crowd grew to protect corporate donors at all costs and 2010 flooded the zone with Tea Party crazies! Downhill since and 24 will either end our democracy or save it! Voter Reg and massive turnout of 18 to 25 on abortion/gun safety/ climate will save us-- please go to www.turnup.us/ and contribute; run by Harvard students who are amazingly effective in nonpartisan voter reg in competitive CDs; please help? It’s all on the line in 24 and CNN demonstrated it tonight!

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Ira, been there and recommended 'turnup.' Thanks for the background, a fascist Roots, American style saga. If we don't go down is '24, I don't think we'll be saved either. The young ones are crucial -- but not enough. There is too much dead meat on the couch and the rest are frozen with worry. We need overall galvanizing a.k.a. ORGANIZING!

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Fern: thank you for your important support of www.turnup.us/ as the new young voters will have enormous impact on close CDs and key Senate races based nonpartisan on abortion rights, gun safety and climate change. Proof is the recent Wisconsin victory for Supreme Ct Judge by 11% Abe virtually every WI election is usually decided by 1%; youth voting was up over 200% and carried the day!

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I think we can collectively be held to account for ill attention to detail. Some of those you mentioned are likely truly supported by the majority of their electorate, another scary imponderable.

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Yes, Just Sayin', I was including voters among the 'sick souls'.

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I have no doubt Marge could have her seat for life.

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Santos is following the Steve Bannon playbook all the way to the bank. Think is they got Bannon.

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Bannon actually has money though

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"Sick" people act without logic or calculation. Santos is a grifter. He's a criminal, not mentally ill.

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Where does that definition of "sick" come from? Some (many?) people with diagnosable mental illnesses are very capable of acting with logic and calculation. People with mental "disorders" certainly can, as anyone who's ever lived with (or been) an alcoholic or an addict can testify.There's very little doubt in my mind that "sick" and "garden-variety con man" are *not* mutually exclusive.

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Might he be both, Marycat2021? I'm not offering an excuse, simply expanding on the description of the man.

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He's definitely a pathological liar

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No. Sociopathy is not a mental illness. Mentally ill people cannot plot and carry out financial and other crimes. Blaming mental illness is giving an excuse to this amoral, sociopath asshole.

This is the problem, and has been. People simply cannot process that evil is real, and they prefer the comfort of believing that rotten people are merely ill.

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May 11, 2023·edited May 11, 2023

To quote you, MaryCat2021

'Sociopathy is not a mental illness. Mentally ill people cannot plot and carry out financial and other crimes.'

I did not understand the basis of your opinion and checked with several sources to reflect better on your response.

‘Antisocial personality disorder, sometimes called sociopathy, is a mental health condition in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others. People with antisocial personality disorder tend to purposely make others angry or upset and manipulate or treat others harshly or with cruel indifference. They lack remorse or do not regret their behavior ___Mayo Clinic

‘People with antisocial personality disorder often violate the law, becoming criminals.’ ___Mayo Clinic

I am not a diagnostician, however, George Santos' behavior is abnormal.

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That's actually not true

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I am dying to know who put up the bail! Half a million is a lot even for George to manufacture. update: out of thin air. I should have said. A lot for even George to manufacture out of thin air.

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Three (3) unkown persons put up the cost of the bond.

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Guarantee they are major donors to the Party as it would be pretty hard for him to cast votes from jail thereby removing Kevin’s majority as four other crazies want a default because they refuse to agree with Biden on any deal! Santos is the key vote! What a disgraceful political party!

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Good deduction on the possible bond donors as they probaly had to put up only10% of a 500K bond or perhaps 20% down for high risk Devolder Santos or whoever he is. My comment was properly corrected by Erica in Comments below. Perp must post at least 20% to bond in Federal Court; thank you Erica. :)

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I think he will soon disappear somewhere in South America; he can’t accept years in prison!

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my guess is back to Brazil, unless they took possession of his passport.

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Except, isn’t he wanted on fraud charges in Brazil? Defrauding an elderly person, I think.

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They did take his passport.

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They took both of his passports. Remember that he's a citizen of Brazil as well as of the U.S. (Read of plural passports in some article earlier today, maybe WaPo).

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They did take his passport.

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Or accept service of amended criminal counts on Case # CR 23 197 or 2nd amended counts or ....

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Fed is at least 20% and sometimes it can be more given the charges

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So Santos's vote was bought and paid for by the GOP. "Santos you vote our way or else you are going to jail." But of course Santos is always going to vote with the GOP. He already knows where his bread is buttered. That is why he choose to go with the Republican party. He is a grifter as much as they are.

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Heh. Wonder if the fly will flee? Might keep the names of the 'persons' out of the news.

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Harlan The Fascist Oligarch Crow????

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I was thinking along those lines. Half a million is daunting to most of us, but to the likes of Crow (and Thiel, and the Mercers, and the surviving Koch brother, et al.) it's just chump change.

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Santos is already under threat of being extradited to Brazil for check fraud so he needs an extended stay in some island nation without an extradition treaty.

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No longer. Today he made a deal regarding the Brazilian charges in return for not being prosecuted. https://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/george-santos-inks-deal-to-avoid-prosecution-in-18094999.php

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or did you intend "wonder where the flea will fly?"

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I think Santos is too full of himself to do so!

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I actually don't think he's full of himself. I think he's a pathological liar. He's not at all charismatic, and he's pretty stupid. I wouldn't be surprised if his IQ was below average. Depends on if the people who bailed him out could or would actually cause harm.

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The usual suspects, no doubt, of the Harlan Crow ilk.

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You can guarantee FedSoc was at least part of it. For the average citizen they don't allow only one person to put up that much money. The theory is one person you might run out on, multiple people you won't. But those people are not like you and I.

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Maybe Harlan Crowe?

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I heard on the news that the names of where that money came from is not disclosed.

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There are hundreds of reporters (tabloids, journos, etc.) working on that right now.

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What CNN did was unforgivable, giving air time to a traitor. I did not see this and will not watch it. Why listen to more hate and lies. Everyone it is much easier to save democracy through our own hard work than going to war, but we need to look at the numbers and we are making progress. Yesterday, the New York Public Library had the Annual Robert Silver lecture honoring the cofounder of the New York Review of Books. The guest lecturer Sherilyn Infill who has worked for voters rights her whole career. I would urge all to see if they can get this online. One issue that came up was do we need to have another constructional convention. Her answer was this is not the time because you could not predict the results, rather use the whole constitution that we have, specifically the 14th amendment. Democracy will only go down if we don’t engage. Thanks Joyce for your incredible clarity!

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I don’t listen to tfg speak. It’s too negative, degrading and a huge putdown of America which is embarrassing.

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The only ones who want an Article V second constitutional convention (which like the first one could "go anywhere") is the Far Right, which is gathering votes from state legislatures to call a convention.

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May 11, 2023·edited May 11, 2023

CNN, seems the new Fox in the hen house on steroids.

I'm wondering, if the people who bought Santos, can be charged.

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Chris Licht is under orders from WBD bozo David Zaslav, taking orders from major stockholder John Malone, to "turn CNN back to the center" (i.e., attract Republicans). They're also mired in 3rd place in the ratings and in danger of droping to #4 behind NewsMax. So they did the jeff Zucker 2016 Play and brought on Trump "for the ratings."

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Great question. Maybe Harlan Crowe?

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May 11, 2023Liked by Joyce Vance

Can wire fraud be used extensively to fight the lying in furtherance of grift? Seems like a rich vein

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You know most of the more notorious criminals were taken down by RICO, right?

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Thanks for the detailed explanation of the charges against Santos. If at first you don't succeed.... I believe KARMA has arrived for him! As to TFG, I don't know how to describe my anger in what we are being forced to do again to defend democracy! Shame, shame, shame! But I am stilling willing to do it! Peace..........

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We've all heard the saying that democracy is not a spectator sport. So, yes, we must continue to defend it each and every day. Here's another for when we win in 2024: "After the victory, we all need to defend the victory."

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Lynell: this brings to mind: “Before enlightenment: haul water, carry wood. After enlightenment: haul water, carry wood.” We are in this together 💕

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🇺🇸🗳️

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Look at the RNC’s political contributions it says it all! Citizens United must be overturned!

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Great commentary as usual Joyce. I was viscerally angered by TFGs appearance on CNN tonight. I listened to the lies with clear audience approval. His rudeness and arrogance to the moderator made it seem more like reality TV.

It then struck me that clear eyed, rational, family-minded patriotic Americans viewing would be reminded as I was of the unhinged, idiotic conman that TFG is.

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As someone on Twitter noted, the town hall will remind viewers why they stood in line in 2020 to vote him out.

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Santos is a low-grade infection but that will not affect our glee in seeing his fall from grace. Thanks for the update. I’ll sleep better tonight knowing the details.

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It never ceases to amaze me what depths the Republican party has sunk to. Oh sure, there are a few, but they are keeping silent rather than draw the ire of the thugs in the party. Perhaps trump's CNN town hall will wake up DOJ to understand that he needs to be charged and soon. Every day he stays out there, is a danger to all of us. Come on, Jack Smith!! Come on Fani Willis!! Come on, Alvin Bragg!! One or ALL of you bring him to justice. Carry on.

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It’s a careful methodical process, not a desperate one to insure justice .

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I believe what has shocked me the most with regard to tfg and Mr. Santos is the lack of guardrails for conduct of politicians in our national government. A US birth certificate appears to be all that's required to run for president. Citizenship is apparently all that's required for Congress. Why are the standards of conduct so low?

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Because we're a democracy, and because the founders made the mistake of thinking only honorable people would be attracted to serve, and if dishonorables showed up, the others would get rid of them.

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I mean the founders were sort of rebels of their time...

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Fascism tries to infiltrate all belief systems to no longer believing in them. Read Timothy Snyder’s book “On Tyranny.”

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Watching that pathetic little putz (his face is longing for an introduction to a Louisville Slugger - repeatedly) crying how he's "only been here four months and I get indicted - the Biden family's been here for years..." I just wanted to plant my Size 11s in the middle of that ginormous posterior he's got. I hope he gets 30 years and does them all.

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Yes, TC, I understand your feelings about Santos/Devolder and any other names, polite or not! I was mumbling as I walked from room to room, imagining a boot to his rear end, head, or elsewhere. Letting off steam, even to myself, helps keep me from blowing up in anger and frustration. I can't hold these things in, or it will harm my health. I try to pick appropriate places, mostly alone at home, and I don't rant and rage out loud as I would never want to upset my precious feline companion, the incomparable Grace!

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Looking back on the last years (tfg's 4 plus) little Grace must be used to the steam letting!

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Did you see his "WHERE IS HUNTER" post on Twitter?

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Another great read Joyce. I awoke singing this morning . All well with the world. Did not watch tfg on CNN. He is too disturbing. We all know his rhetoric and rude retorts. Better to spend my time more constructively. And Santos is as smug as Thomas. Maybe in with the same people. That too is disturbing but as we bumble down this highway of accountability, I am sure surprises are ahead. Democracy deserves our undivided attention and getting Joaquin Jeffries into House Leadership is where I’d like to see us go. E. Jean Carroll’s entire demeanor changed yesterday after the verdict in her case. She looked 20 years younger. A miraculous metamorphosis. Thank you for keeping us updated and dedicated to the Rule of Law 🇺🇸

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Thanks, Joyce, for once again explaining what is going on with another deplorable Republican. If there were any 'moderates', if there were any Republicans with any integrity in the House or the Senate, they would be either voicing for his dismissal, at least voicing their disapproval of him, or leaving the party. I vote for leaving the Party, because there isn't a party there is only a cabal of thieves and liars.

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A lot if them are leaving.

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