I remember when I was in HS the Iranian hostage crisis. Every night all the news channels blared "AMERICANS HELD HOSTAGE, DAY (whatever)." This, of course, helped elect Reagan; we all know how that turned out. Now the media is absent, not from covering the war; they're all over that. They are absent from reporting the truth, and calling out the lies. The other day I saw a "detailed" report from the WSJ about how the removal of McCarthy is the fault of the democrats. Then a report on MSNBC on how even if the money we "released" is only for humanitarian use, it still frees up money Iran can use to supply terrorists. ZERO push back from the shows anchor. What a bunch of crap.
We need the media to be screaming: " American Military and Department of State HELD HOSTAGE at this critical time by republicans!! Every. Single. Day.
I live in Lauren Boebert’s district, and I know people who would absolutely vote against their best interests just because of their hatred of Democrats, people of color, etc. And some of them just enjoy watching the shit show; it’s entertainment for their small minds.
Hi Chris, I don't even know who Mike Bost is, I'm sorry to say. But he sounds useless, like little Lauren. In any case, she is in hot water here. She never had any Democratic support and has turned off traditional Republicans and most Independents. Her early polling numbers are not good, and her opponent is raking in a lot of money and is FINALLY getting help from the DNC. I feel hope that she will be gone by the end of next year. She won by only 540 votes in the last election.
Plus, the money cannot be sent to Iran to spend for any purpose including humanitarian things. The money can only be spent outside of Iran directly to humanitarian organizations who can purchase food, medicines and other necessities then send into Iran.
Correcting myself: the money cannot be sent to Iran, period. It only will be spent outside of Iran.
This is still a part of January 6th, a slow moving coup, breaking down our institutions , and holding military positions hostage until if Trump is re-elected, to put loyalists in their place and end Democracy. I wrote Senator Padilla and encouraged him to fight harder! He wrote back to me and a few days later Schumer was able to fill one position! Everyone, please write your Senators!
Colby Boss I have maintained for some time there is a coordinated effort underway from many many factions to make the Biden administration look ineffectual. Republicants: Tuberville Rand Gaetz McCarthy TFG et al. Mexico allowing migrants to travel through their county to compound troubles at our southern border. The media on the Right not vetting nor investigating lies. I could go on for an hour!
Exactly. Today most Republicans in our government are eager to defend tRump and mostly to pro-Putin in order to fight Democrats thus overlooking our national security intentionally (i.e. Rand Paul holding up diplomat confirmation and Tommy Tuberville getting complete blockade of our military nominees). Republican Party nowadays is just Guardian Of Putin, GOP!!!!
I just want to cry. The amount of ridiculousness in the House & senate (part 3 of your piece), the unimaginable amount of hate and willingness to destroy life around the world just wears me down. The ability of the right wing to spread lies and the apparent unwillingness of news outlets to scream out the truth is infuriating. But I’m still grateful of the writers bringing good if devastating information to me. Thank you Jay.
I go back and forth between, which one to despair about. My parent are in Ukraine. My younger cousin and a whole bunch of my parents' friends are in Israel. So it's like.... which one am I going to obsess about today.
The party who applauds antisemitism also support Israel. Irony? They don't want any more help to go to Zelenskyy, but is fine with sending it to Netanyahu. Double standard?
Yesterday, I asked the question: will this situation encourage the Republicans to put a leash on Tuberville? I guess I'm just a little slow on the uptake, because based on Jay's report today, it seems obvious that Tuberville's unconscionable disruption is very useful to the Republicans, by making it way harder than it has to be for Biden to do his job. Even though I understand it all on an intellectual level, I just can't wrap my mind around the extraordinary lack of integrity and moral fiber it takes to use this entire horrific event as a pawn in their unfettered quest for power.
it's appalling that one man holds so much power... and the irony that he's doing this because he wants more control over women's bodies. It's appalling that this stalemate has gone on for so long and he can't seem to see ( or doesn't care about) the harm he's doing to this country. The chaos is too much, somehow it needs to stop.
He will not backdown. The treasonous idiocy is worth it to the GOP: if Biden loses in 2024, the GOP gets to fill every branch with RW appartchiks. And if they win the Senate, they'll change the rules on appointments with a "carve out."
Biden’s competence. Republicans spending time on impeachment investigations, voting out their Speaker, backing a traitor as their presidential candidate, banning books, ...
What *doesn’t* make Republicans look bad?
Nothing. Because it’s not just looks. Republicans ARE bad.
I just happen to believe the opposite of EVERYTHING republicans say. And try to imagine what it would look like if the orange traitor was in charge. We are in a serious crisis right now and I am glad that we have President Biden and his experience to navigate. We HAVE to do our part and vote!
It must be hard for these extremists to choose between anti-Semitism or Islamophobia. Given their xenophobia and racism, neither side matters to them except for how they can use it.😡
At this point with the House not functioning so there’s nothing to work on budget-wise, the Senate could prioritize moving these critical ones along the slow way. Hoping to fix broken Senators is foolish
“but what is needed above all is for Tuberville and Rand to relent and release their holds.”
It is ludicrous that any single Senator wields that level of power. If they have a legitimate interest that they want leverage to support, they should have to convince others to join them. A single person should not be able to block.
The rules are rewritten every few years, so that's a nonsensical statement. Plus, we actually need to be careful, because the same rules that are currently in our way can also protect us when our (liberal) side needs them.
I am really glad that the joint statement included the following:
"All of us recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, and support equal measures of justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike. But make no mistake: Hamas does not represent those aspirations, and it offers nothing for the Palestinian people other than more terror and bloodshed."
Way too many people simply assume that Palestinians universally support Hamas, or worse ARE all Hamas, and that this justifies attacking all of them. Nothing justifies either side from attacking civilians. The cutting off of power, water, food, fuel will do nothing but create support for Hamas among Palestinians where is should be excoriated by them. Thus justifying further attacks on them. It is a widening gyre that has to be stopped before the rough beast devours all of us.
Has Israel actually put into action the cutting off of electricity and water? I know they have said they would. But have they?
Let’s all put aside or simply forget the unending violence, murdering, and depravities heaped on Palestine to eliminate them from the apartheid Israel!!
Of course when Hamas won an election in Gaza the so-called lover of democracy, the United States of America, spat the dummy. Democracy yes but only if the vote goes the ‘right’ way.
I remember when I was in HS the Iranian hostage crisis. Every night all the news channels blared "AMERICANS HELD HOSTAGE, DAY (whatever)." This, of course, helped elect Reagan; we all know how that turned out. Now the media is absent, not from covering the war; they're all over that. They are absent from reporting the truth, and calling out the lies. The other day I saw a "detailed" report from the WSJ about how the removal of McCarthy is the fault of the democrats. Then a report on MSNBC on how even if the money we "released" is only for humanitarian use, it still frees up money Iran can use to supply terrorists. ZERO push back from the shows anchor. What a bunch of crap.
We need the media to be screaming: " American Military and Department of State HELD HOSTAGE at this critical time by republicans!! Every. Single. Day.
“how the removal of McCarthy is the fault of the democrats.”
It’s just another version of “Look what you made me do!” The Republicans favorite we’re-the-real-victims,-nothing-we-do-is-our-fault excuse.
According to Republicans they never have any agency at all.
And they could never get away with all this BS if the voting public who elects these misfits and traitors had enough brain cells to know better.
Many of them do know better. But they don’t care.
Because it’s vastly more important to them to cause problems for others than to improve things for themselves.
I live in Lauren Boebert’s district, and I know people who would absolutely vote against their best interests just because of their hatred of Democrats, people of color, etc. And some of them just enjoy watching the shit show; it’s entertainment for their small minds.
I'm so sorry you have Boebert; I have Mike Bost, a coked-up, rubber stamp
Hi Chris, I don't even know who Mike Bost is, I'm sorry to say. But he sounds useless, like little Lauren. In any case, she is in hot water here. She never had any Democratic support and has turned off traditional Republicans and most Independents. Her early polling numbers are not good, and her opponent is raking in a lot of money and is FINALLY getting help from the DNC. I feel hope that she will be gone by the end of next year. She won by only 540 votes in the last election.
“it still frees up money Iran can use to supply terrorists.”
That lie assumes Iran is spending money on humanitarian things now. It has never done so.
Plus, the money cannot be sent to Iran to spend for any purpose including humanitarian things. The money can only be spent outside of Iran directly to humanitarian organizations who can purchase food, medicines and other necessities then send into Iran.
Correcting myself: the money cannot be sent to Iran, period. It only will be spent outside of Iran.
YES!!!
💯
This is still a part of January 6th, a slow moving coup, breaking down our institutions , and holding military positions hostage until if Trump is re-elected, to put loyalists in their place and end Democracy. I wrote Senator Padilla and encouraged him to fight harder! He wrote back to me and a few days later Schumer was able to fill one position! Everyone, please write your Senators!
Colby Boss I have maintained for some time there is a coordinated effort underway from many many factions to make the Biden administration look ineffectual. Republicants: Tuberville Rand Gaetz McCarthy TFG et al. Mexico allowing migrants to travel through their county to compound troubles at our southern border. The media on the Right not vetting nor investigating lies. I could go on for an hour!
This needs to be clearly and loudly articulated-especially at election time! The GOP ARE DOMESTIC TERRORISTS! Vote. Them. Out.
Exactly. Today most Republicans in our government are eager to defend tRump and mostly to pro-Putin in order to fight Democrats thus overlooking our national security intentionally (i.e. Rand Paul holding up diplomat confirmation and Tommy Tuberville getting complete blockade of our military nominees). Republican Party nowadays is just Guardian Of Putin, GOP!!!!
I just want to cry. The amount of ridiculousness in the House & senate (part 3 of your piece), the unimaginable amount of hate and willingness to destroy life around the world just wears me down. The ability of the right wing to spread lies and the apparent unwillingness of news outlets to scream out the truth is infuriating. But I’m still grateful of the writers bringing good if devastating information to me. Thank you Jay.
This is a very tough week all around.
I don't want to cry anymore. I want to scream and throw things. Things including certain people in our government holding our country hostage. UGh....
Yep, I go back and forth - today was more of a dispair day.
I go back and forth between, which one to despair about. My parent are in Ukraine. My younger cousin and a whole bunch of my parents' friends are in Israel. So it's like.... which one am I going to obsess about today.
I’m so sorry, Maria. I lack adequate words to express how impossibly difficult this must be for you.
Yes, all of this!
+1. Thank you Jay!
The party who applauds antisemitism also support Israel. Irony? They don't want any more help to go to Zelenskyy, but is fine with sending it to Netanyahu. Double standard?
The RNC actively engaging in treason.
It’s been their MO for years now. No morality, no conscience, no consideration for other human beings.
YES! This didn't just happen because of Trump. the GOP has been laying the groundwork for this for decades.
Correct, and Trump arose from all this groundwork.
Yesterday, I asked the question: will this situation encourage the Republicans to put a leash on Tuberville? I guess I'm just a little slow on the uptake, because based on Jay's report today, it seems obvious that Tuberville's unconscionable disruption is very useful to the Republicans, by making it way harder than it has to be for Biden to do his job. Even though I understand it all on an intellectual level, I just can't wrap my mind around the extraordinary lack of integrity and moral fiber it takes to use this entire horrific event as a pawn in their unfettered quest for power.
Tuberville still refuses to back down, even in this crisis. It’s appalling.
it's appalling that one man holds so much power... and the irony that he's doing this because he wants more control over women's bodies. It's appalling that this stalemate has gone on for so long and he can't seem to see ( or doesn't care about) the harm he's doing to this country. The chaos is too much, somehow it needs to stop.
He will not backdown. The treasonous idiocy is worth it to the GOP: if Biden loses in 2024, the GOP gets to fill every branch with RW appartchiks. And if they win the Senate, they'll change the rules on appointments with a "carve out."
“The right is convinced that Joe Biden doesn’t have the stamina and leadership qualities to see us through an international crisis”
On the contrary, their convinced that he does.
Which is why they are so cartoonishly desperate to try to discredit him.
You are absolutely right in my opinion, Christopher. Joe Biden’s confidence and competency makes these creeps look bad, and this terrifies them.
Biden’s competence. Republicans spending time on impeachment investigations, voting out their Speaker, backing a traitor as their presidential candidate, banning books, ...
What *doesn’t* make Republicans look bad?
Nothing. Because it’s not just looks. Republicans ARE bad.
So true
I just happen to believe the opposite of EVERYTHING republicans say. And try to imagine what it would look like if the orange traitor was in charge. We are in a serious crisis right now and I am glad that we have President Biden and his experience to navigate. We HAVE to do our part and vote!
It must be hard for these extremists to choose between anti-Semitism or Islamophobia. Given their xenophobia and racism, neither side matters to them except for how they can use it.😡
They don’t “choose”--they are led by the nose through misinformation and propaganda. The hypocrisy / conflict never sinks in.
At this point with the House not functioning so there’s nothing to work on budget-wise, the Senate could prioritize moving these critical ones along the slow way. Hoping to fix broken Senators is foolish
“but what is needed above all is for Tuberville and Rand to relent and release their holds.”
It is ludicrous that any single Senator wields that level of power. If they have a legitimate interest that they want leverage to support, they should have to convince others to join them. A single person should not be able to block.
Blame Manchin and Sinema for blocking Senate rule changes that would accomplish that.
I do.
But it’s a situation that never should have existed in the first place.
The rules are rewritten every few years, so that's a nonsensical statement. Plus, we actually need to be careful, because the same rules that are currently in our way can also protect us when our (liberal) side needs them.
I am really glad that the joint statement included the following:
"All of us recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, and support equal measures of justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike. But make no mistake: Hamas does not represent those aspirations, and it offers nothing for the Palestinian people other than more terror and bloodshed."
Way too many people simply assume that Palestinians universally support Hamas, or worse ARE all Hamas, and that this justifies attacking all of them. Nothing justifies either side from attacking civilians. The cutting off of power, water, food, fuel will do nothing but create support for Hamas among Palestinians where is should be excoriated by them. Thus justifying further attacks on them. It is a widening gyre that has to be stopped before the rough beast devours all of us.
Has Israel actually put into action the cutting off of electricity and water? I know they have said they would. But have they?
Let’s all put aside or simply forget the unending violence, murdering, and depravities heaped on Palestine to eliminate them from the apartheid Israel!!
Of course when Hamas won an election in Gaza the so-called lover of democracy, the United States of America, spat the dummy. Democracy yes but only if the vote goes the ‘right’ way.
I have a lot of fucks left to give. FRand, Ftuberville, Fmaga et al. Thank you for your continued coverage!
Thank you for keeping us informed.
“right-wing agitators, from Elon Musk to Eric Trump”
Not much of a spread there. 🙂