Jordan, Tuberville, and Paul are traitors and have no business being in Congress. All 3 are/were election deniers and anti-democracy agitators. Per Liz Cheney, Jordan was at key meetings where the January 6 insurrection was planned. Tuberville and Paul ignore warnings from American officials and continue to threaten US security due to their opposition to diplomatic and military promotions and positions. They are among the worst of the worst, and it's appalling that they are given so much power and "respect" by their GOP colleagues.
Don't forget, traitor tuberville was at the "meeting" on Jan 5th, with all of trump's top treasonous minions. He's the Manchurian Candidate, in my opinion.
Look, if having traitors, sell-outs, misogynists, homophobes, liars, cheats, con-men, child-traffickers, and all and all despicable people is the price to be paid for the GOP to be able to suppress women's rights, rewrite history, squash the LGBTQ+ movement and turn America into an autocracy, then they are more than willing to make you pay it...
“The thinnest of silver linings” - well said. I am holding onto that and building from it. Sending good energy to the many healers on the ground, the caretakers, the peaceful warriors. ...And I think we are so fortunate to have a president like Biden right now, a man of empathy (who calls out the hate), intelligence, and wisdom with regard to foreign affairs. He also demonstrates that a person can account for past mistakes and do better as a result. This is huge!
The pressure on certain people in congress and in the senate must be mounting (I hope). If Tuberville continues to refuse the military appointments, they must find a way around him. We can’t have NO leadership at such a fraught moment. I wrote to my congressman (a republican who fancies himself a deep supporter of the military) to urge him to connect with his democratic colleagues to find a good speaker (NOT Jim Jordan, obviously). So, between the senate and the congress, we have to push every button there is to push. Two ground wars in Europe and no ambassadors to the Middle East countries where things are heating up?? Are you kidding me? It’s enough to make me pull each and every hair out of my head!
Seema The only way around Tuberville, and Paul, is them not getting re-elected. They will never actually put America first, nor will they ever succumb to any pressure. No petition, polls, TV campaigns, postcards or phone calls will do it. And of course McConnell will not do anything about it, either. Silence and inaction is complicity.
Ultimately, the GOP keeping positions opened and hurting America is their strategy which will pay hugely of Biden is defeated.
I don't understand why or even if there's something Majority Leader Schumer can do, and of so, why it hasn't been done already. Though it's rare he sees the urgency of anything and doesn't move at the speed of sloth no matter the situation.
Sadly, given Kentucky, Paul is in his seat as long as he wants to be. Here's hoping that's not the case with Tuberville...but, it is Alabama, after all.
Very enlightening and informative, and somewhat maddening, given three weeks later (from that writing) and still no action in the Senate. If not now, when?? Sigh.
Everyone gives Tuberville (aka Florida’s third Senator) way too much credit as an obstructive genius. This is a guy that didn’t know the first thing about the federal government and needed the three branches of government explained to him after being elected. As a former Auburn University football coach in a football crazy state, he was the pre-selected winner of a beauty contest.
Tuberville basically does as he’s told, shows up as directed, and voices the script he’s handed by the far-right, Trumpian anti-abortion wing of the Republican Party. He undoubtedly believes in what he’s doing, so no risk of him going off script. Even though Alabama is pro-military, they’re even more anti-abortion. He probably has the safest seat in the Senate as Senator-for-life (no pun intended) from Alabama.
Be grateful you have a voting Representative.* If a military supporter, they should work with your Senators to stop the nonsense of a few who a) are traitors and b) endangering all of us.
*DC resident and voter. Our plight continues with a hostile House.
Thanks! When I moved her in 1978, I had no idea! My Ohio public schools hadn’t mentioned it. I’ve chosen to stay because I love being here and can at least go to lots of demonstrations. Most frustrating: reaching out to even good “blue” Senators gets returns of constituents come first. Shouldn’t we be considered everyone’s constituent?
I wish! There are so many senators I’d like to call and “politely request” that they jump in a lake! But the demonstrations are important too. Don’t stop. I used to live in Alexandria and I’ve learned so much by being in the streets.
Oh thank you for the smile! I’ve never been sure if demonstrations are more for solidarity of us or a statement or both. Maybe Taylor Swift has the best idea: Boyer reg at concerts.
"There is a faction of less-extreme Republicans, numbering in the dozens, who may refuse to elevate someone as radical and controversial as Jordan to Speaker, fearing voter reprisals in their more moderate, purple districts next November."
I find it so discouraging that "less-extreme Republicans'" calculus is "will I get voted out" rather than "is giving an extremist traitor more power the wrong thing to do"
Let us also remember that on Monday, Jack Smith will be arguing for some type of "gag order" before Judge Shutkan in DC regarding Defendant tRump's continuing assaults on the US justice system, including attacking those who carry out their legal duties in the courts. Now, we can surmise that whatever restraints that the Judge may impose upon "Mr tRump", it will be largely pro forma and unenforceable, as the only recourse to repeated transgressions would be (1) a contempt of court citation, and (2) jailing, and the latter just won't happen. tRump can in fact challenge or appeal a putative gag order on 1st Amendment prior restraint grounds, as part of his well-established delay-delay-delay tactics when in court, but unlikely in the long run to prevail.
Bottom line: tRump will continue to run amok whilst "campaigning", and the criminal justice system will continue to bear the burden of his outbursts.
I can’t ❤️ this because he’s wreaking more havoc and the lies are eaten up. Have all my coreligionists via AIPAC or others spoken out against what tRump said about Israel?
Thank you, Jay. Once again you offer hopeful remarks at a moment when hope is elusive.
I just have two comments in response:
1) I believe the "less extreme Republicans, numbering in the dozens" are not refusing to back Jim Jordan for Speaker because they fear voter reprisal in their purple districts. They were elected in those districts because they are less extreme. Momentum is growing for a bipartisan coalition to elect a moderate Republican Speaker. These less extreme Republicans are potential allies in this effort precisely Because they reject MAGA extremism.
2) Regarding the tragedy in Israel, the evacuation and ground invasion will inevitably be a catastrophe of monstrous proportion. At this point, we can only hope that what follows will be the great opportunity that you hint at today.
I'm reminded of the outstanding example of the families of Black victims at the 2015 church shootings. While condemning Dylan Roof's actions they offered forgiveness. Obviously, this is not really analagous in any way, except that we know violence met with violence leads to only to more violence. Forgiveness nourishes peace.
Imagine if following the destruction and misery, a massive influx of food and medical supplies along with economic development aid were undertaken. Imagine new schools and hospitals, infrastructure projects like roads and seaport facilities. How long would terrorist organizations hold sway when the Jewish State becomes the benefactor rather than the enemy?
I've been around long enough to know that this is asking too much at this moment of profound grief and anger. But I've also been around long enough to see that what's been done again and again leads only to more of the same. The far right in Israel, with their claim to all land from the river to the sea, will never succeed in driving Palestinians out of their homeland any more than Palestinians will succeed in driving Jews from theirs.
At some point, there's only mutual destruction or mutual co-existence. Far better that the superior force, the one with a claim to moral authority as the chosen people of HaShem, having taken their vengeance choose forgiveness, reconstruction and peace. The effect would be monumental and history altering.
This takes a bit of explaining. The swing district GOP House members very much fear being primaries from the right and losing before they even get to face a general election. That’s what’s keeping them up. If the MAGA forces get angry, they will replace them with an extremist (who would likely lose in the general)
In general that's true, Jay. But in many of these purple districts, particularly in Don Bacon's Omaha district, MAGA forces are not dominant. Mr. Bacon is relatively safe, as is Mike Gallagher in Wisconsin and Brian Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania.
Jay, really? More extreme candidates would lose in purple districts? I want to think this yet I look at local governance and school boards moving more to the right. G-d help us all if the House moves farther right.
Well imagined and expressed. I have the same hopes. Israel and the Palestinians need brave, visionary, breakout leaders like Rabin (or Sadat) and Mandela - and movements to survive them, regardless how or when they meet their demise.
"Mutual co-existence" has taken a perhaps fatal blow the past several days, and now we read that the Israeli government is shipping 10,000 rifles to settlers in the West Bank, as reports of several dozen Palestinian deaths already in the Occupied Territories at the hands of gangs of settlers. It will get much worse before it gets better, if at all.
Bibi would sell his own mother to keep himself out of jail. He should be removed pdq from his position as he'll create more chaos and misery for everybody.
"While we work, urge and pray for an end to these wars, the senseless violence and brutality can lead to greater moral clarity, urgency and unity for those who are fighting for liberal, humanitarian, and democratic values."
Yes. The alternative, particularly with Putin backed Iran threatening to escalate, together with the election in Poland, the gas-line sabotage in Estonia, the shifting alliances in the Gulf States, our own governance problems, the growth of an extreme right-wing movement in Germany, oh, hell, the list goes on.
We are looking at a powder keg, and should things escalate, the extreme dark side is World War III. Sadly, escalations happen quickly and uncontrollably. This has been brewing in the Middle East since 1948, and unfortunately there has been far too much of the "fiddle, dee, dees" by latter-day Scarlett O'Haras around the world.
As a student of history, I cannot understand how those in positions of authority cannot understand this and realize the urgency.
Republicans seem to have a binary sort of on/off switch. A great deal of the time they don't want the government to do ANYTHING, especially if it involves regulating business. That flips 180° when there is trouble that requires sound leadership, because of course if the apple cart were to be upset it could be bad for… business.
Barack Obama left office with the country running pretty smoothly and all trimmed up to keep doing so without much input from Washington politicians. It all made Donald Trump look pretty good at first, since he could sit in his highchair flinging Tweet (X?) bombs and convince his supporters that he was "running the country." The task of his circle of advisers and staff was largely to prevent him from doing something as idiotic as his intellect and temperament would normally dictate. His true inability to lead stood out starkly as the pandemic began to unfold and as informed, timely pronouncements were needed from the president. As bad as the pandemic was, something much worse might well have happened that would've been truly catastrophic for the nation with such an unsteady hand on the tiller.
That Congress now mirrors this binary circumstance, in which Republican elected officials merely needed to be good performers on the campaign stage rather than capable statesmen/stateswomen, has stripped the United States of any real pediment of leadership at the national level. If the international situation deteriorates much further, we could find ourselves in genuinely dire straits.
I can add nothing to what this wonderful community of people has already said. I find myself these days holding my breath wondering when the next shoe will drop. I’ll take the thinnest of silver linings and hope humans will start behaving less like primitive savages and more like people who can find common ground. Thank you Jay. 🙏
We are certainly within a "Two paths diverge..." moment, wherein the next weeks, if not days, will charter a global course that will have profound repurcussions for time immemorial.
May we all echo and channel the words of our president, and lend our collective effort and light to a peace devoid of hate.
Any silver lining will do at this point, Jay. And thank you for posting that clip of “Dark Brandon.” I love when President Biden gets riled up in his speeches. Four more years, absolutely!
Jordan, Tuberville, and Paul are traitors and have no business being in Congress. All 3 are/were election deniers and anti-democracy agitators. Per Liz Cheney, Jordan was at key meetings where the January 6 insurrection was planned. Tuberville and Paul ignore warnings from American officials and continue to threaten US security due to their opposition to diplomatic and military promotions and positions. They are among the worst of the worst, and it's appalling that they are given so much power and "respect" by their GOP colleagues.
Or are they, through greed or ignorance, pandering to Putin's long game?
Christina, yes, let's add greed, ignorance, and pandering to Putin and Trump to our descriptions of those traitors!
Don't forget, traitor tuberville was at the "meeting" on Jan 5th, with all of trump's top treasonous minions. He's the Manchurian Candidate, in my opinion.
Look, if having traitors, sell-outs, misogynists, homophobes, liars, cheats, con-men, child-traffickers, and all and all despicable people is the price to be paid for the GOP to be able to suppress women's rights, rewrite history, squash the LGBTQ+ movement and turn America into an autocracy, then they are more than willing to make you pay it...
“The thinnest of silver linings” - well said. I am holding onto that and building from it. Sending good energy to the many healers on the ground, the caretakers, the peaceful warriors. ...And I think we are so fortunate to have a president like Biden right now, a man of empathy (who calls out the hate), intelligence, and wisdom with regard to foreign affairs. He also demonstrates that a person can account for past mistakes and do better as a result. This is huge!
💯
The pressure on certain people in congress and in the senate must be mounting (I hope). If Tuberville continues to refuse the military appointments, they must find a way around him. We can’t have NO leadership at such a fraught moment. I wrote to my congressman (a republican who fancies himself a deep supporter of the military) to urge him to connect with his democratic colleagues to find a good speaker (NOT Jim Jordan, obviously). So, between the senate and the congress, we have to push every button there is to push. Two ground wars in Europe and no ambassadors to the Middle East countries where things are heating up?? Are you kidding me? It’s enough to make me pull each and every hair out of my head!
Seema The only way around Tuberville, and Paul, is them not getting re-elected. They will never actually put America first, nor will they ever succumb to any pressure. No petition, polls, TV campaigns, postcards or phone calls will do it. And of course McConnell will not do anything about it, either. Silence and inaction is complicity.
Ultimately, the GOP keeping positions opened and hurting America is their strategy which will pay hugely of Biden is defeated.
I don't understand why or even if there's something Majority Leader Schumer can do, and of so, why it hasn't been done already. Though it's rare he sees the urgency of anything and doesn't move at the speed of sloth no matter the situation.
Sadly, given Kentucky, Paul is in his seat as long as he wants to be. Here's hoping that's not the case with Tuberville...but, it is Alabama, after all.
I wrote a piece in The Big Picture explaining why Schumer isn’t able to
end the hold. I hope you are a subscriber! https://open.substack.com/pub/thinkbigpicture/p/mccarthy-tuberville-gaetz-gop-minority?r=1zr8b&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Very enlightening and informative, and somewhat maddening, given three weeks later (from that writing) and still no action in the Senate. If not now, when?? Sigh.
Indeed I am...thank you!
Everyone gives Tuberville (aka Florida’s third Senator) way too much credit as an obstructive genius. This is a guy that didn’t know the first thing about the federal government and needed the three branches of government explained to him after being elected. As a former Auburn University football coach in a football crazy state, he was the pre-selected winner of a beauty contest.
Tuberville basically does as he’s told, shows up as directed, and voices the script he’s handed by the far-right, Trumpian anti-abortion wing of the Republican Party. He undoubtedly believes in what he’s doing, so no risk of him going off script. Even though Alabama is pro-military, they’re even more anti-abortion. He probably has the safest seat in the Senate as Senator-for-life (no pun intended) from Alabama.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/11/13/alabama-senator-elect-tommy-tuberville-botches-historical-facts/6283806002/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/13/us/tommy-tuberville-fact-check.html
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/15/politics/tommy-tuberville-inauguration/index.html
Be grateful you have a voting Representative.* If a military supporter, they should work with your Senators to stop the nonsense of a few who a) are traitors and b) endangering all of us.
*DC resident and voter. Our plight continues with a hostile House.
I understand. Living in DC at a time like this must be hugely frustrating! I certainly would vote to make it a state.
Thanks! When I moved her in 1978, I had no idea! My Ohio public schools hadn’t mentioned it. I’ve chosen to stay because I love being here and can at least go to lots of demonstrations. Most frustrating: reaching out to even good “blue” Senators gets returns of constituents come first. Shouldn’t we be considered everyone’s constituent?
I wish! There are so many senators I’d like to call and “politely request” that they jump in a lake! But the demonstrations are important too. Don’t stop. I used to live in Alexandria and I’ve learned so much by being in the streets.
Oh thank you for the smile! I’ve never been sure if demonstrations are more for solidarity of us or a statement or both. Maybe Taylor Swift has the best idea: Boyer reg at concerts.
"There is a faction of less-extreme Republicans, numbering in the dozens, who may refuse to elevate someone as radical and controversial as Jordan to Speaker, fearing voter reprisals in their more moderate, purple districts next November."
I find it so discouraging that "less-extreme Republicans'" calculus is "will I get voted out" rather than "is giving an extremist traitor more power the wrong thing to do"
This is where we are, sadly
Let us also remember that on Monday, Jack Smith will be arguing for some type of "gag order" before Judge Shutkan in DC regarding Defendant tRump's continuing assaults on the US justice system, including attacking those who carry out their legal duties in the courts. Now, we can surmise that whatever restraints that the Judge may impose upon "Mr tRump", it will be largely pro forma and unenforceable, as the only recourse to repeated transgressions would be (1) a contempt of court citation, and (2) jailing, and the latter just won't happen. tRump can in fact challenge or appeal a putative gag order on 1st Amendment prior restraint grounds, as part of his well-established delay-delay-delay tactics when in court, but unlikely in the long run to prevail.
Bottom line: tRump will continue to run amok whilst "campaigning", and the criminal justice system will continue to bear the burden of his outbursts.
I can’t ❤️ this because he’s wreaking more havoc and the lies are eaten up. Have all my coreligionists via AIPAC or others spoken out against what tRump said about Israel?
4 more years! We are so fortunate to have Pres. Biden.
Thank you, Jay. Once again you offer hopeful remarks at a moment when hope is elusive.
I just have two comments in response:
1) I believe the "less extreme Republicans, numbering in the dozens" are not refusing to back Jim Jordan for Speaker because they fear voter reprisal in their purple districts. They were elected in those districts because they are less extreme. Momentum is growing for a bipartisan coalition to elect a moderate Republican Speaker. These less extreme Republicans are potential allies in this effort precisely Because they reject MAGA extremism.
2) Regarding the tragedy in Israel, the evacuation and ground invasion will inevitably be a catastrophe of monstrous proportion. At this point, we can only hope that what follows will be the great opportunity that you hint at today.
I'm reminded of the outstanding example of the families of Black victims at the 2015 church shootings. While condemning Dylan Roof's actions they offered forgiveness. Obviously, this is not really analagous in any way, except that we know violence met with violence leads to only to more violence. Forgiveness nourishes peace.
Imagine if following the destruction and misery, a massive influx of food and medical supplies along with economic development aid were undertaken. Imagine new schools and hospitals, infrastructure projects like roads and seaport facilities. How long would terrorist organizations hold sway when the Jewish State becomes the benefactor rather than the enemy?
I've been around long enough to know that this is asking too much at this moment of profound grief and anger. But I've also been around long enough to see that what's been done again and again leads only to more of the same. The far right in Israel, with their claim to all land from the river to the sea, will never succeed in driving Palestinians out of their homeland any more than Palestinians will succeed in driving Jews from theirs.
At some point, there's only mutual destruction or mutual co-existence. Far better that the superior force, the one with a claim to moral authority as the chosen people of HaShem, having taken their vengeance choose forgiveness, reconstruction and peace. The effect would be monumental and history altering.
.
This takes a bit of explaining. The swing district GOP House members very much fear being primaries from the right and losing before they even get to face a general election. That’s what’s keeping them up. If the MAGA forces get angry, they will replace them with an extremist (who would likely lose in the general)
In general that's true, Jay. But in many of these purple districts, particularly in Don Bacon's Omaha district, MAGA forces are not dominant. Mr. Bacon is relatively safe, as is Mike Gallagher in Wisconsin and Brian Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania.
.
Jay, really? More extreme candidates would lose in purple districts? I want to think this yet I look at local governance and school boards moving more to the right. G-d help us all if the House moves farther right.
Well imagined and expressed. I have the same hopes. Israel and the Palestinians need brave, visionary, breakout leaders like Rabin (or Sadat) and Mandela - and movements to survive them, regardless how or when they meet their demise.
Who then would they be? These visionary leaders?
"Mutual co-existence" has taken a perhaps fatal blow the past several days, and now we read that the Israeli government is shipping 10,000 rifles to settlers in the West Bank, as reports of several dozen Palestinian deaths already in the Occupied Territories at the hands of gangs of settlers. It will get much worse before it gets better, if at all.
not true.
Oh, this is horrible. This is turning into guerrilla warfare.
Bibi would sell his own mother to keep himself out of jail. He should be removed pdq from his position as he'll create more chaos and misery for everybody.
Yes, Israel deserves the best, creative, imaginative leader it can summon. Bibi the Corrupt must go ASAP.
"While we work, urge and pray for an end to these wars, the senseless violence and brutality can lead to greater moral clarity, urgency and unity for those who are fighting for liberal, humanitarian, and democratic values."
Yes. The alternative, particularly with Putin backed Iran threatening to escalate, together with the election in Poland, the gas-line sabotage in Estonia, the shifting alliances in the Gulf States, our own governance problems, the growth of an extreme right-wing movement in Germany, oh, hell, the list goes on.
We are looking at a powder keg, and should things escalate, the extreme dark side is World War III. Sadly, escalations happen quickly and uncontrollably. This has been brewing in the Middle East since 1948, and unfortunately there has been far too much of the "fiddle, dee, dees" by latter-day Scarlett O'Haras around the world.
As a student of history, I cannot understand how those in positions of authority cannot understand this and realize the urgency.
Republicans seem to have a binary sort of on/off switch. A great deal of the time they don't want the government to do ANYTHING, especially if it involves regulating business. That flips 180° when there is trouble that requires sound leadership, because of course if the apple cart were to be upset it could be bad for… business.
Barack Obama left office with the country running pretty smoothly and all trimmed up to keep doing so without much input from Washington politicians. It all made Donald Trump look pretty good at first, since he could sit in his highchair flinging Tweet (X?) bombs and convince his supporters that he was "running the country." The task of his circle of advisers and staff was largely to prevent him from doing something as idiotic as his intellect and temperament would normally dictate. His true inability to lead stood out starkly as the pandemic began to unfold and as informed, timely pronouncements were needed from the president. As bad as the pandemic was, something much worse might well have happened that would've been truly catastrophic for the nation with such an unsteady hand on the tiller.
That Congress now mirrors this binary circumstance, in which Republican elected officials merely needed to be good performers on the campaign stage rather than capable statesmen/stateswomen, has stripped the United States of any real pediment of leadership at the national level. If the international situation deteriorates much further, we could find ourselves in genuinely dire straits.
I can add nothing to what this wonderful community of people has already said. I find myself these days holding my breath wondering when the next shoe will drop. I’ll take the thinnest of silver linings and hope humans will start behaving less like primitive savages and more like people who can find common ground. Thank you Jay. 🙏
We are certainly within a "Two paths diverge..." moment, wherein the next weeks, if not days, will charter a global course that will have profound repurcussions for time immemorial.
May we all echo and channel the words of our president, and lend our collective effort and light to a peace devoid of hate.
Any silver lining will do at this point, Jay. And thank you for posting that clip of “Dark Brandon.” I love when President Biden gets riled up in his speeches. Four more years, absolutely!
Does anyone still believe that moderate Republicans are going to stand up for anything moderate?
Hard to say. They will act in their own best interest. Electing Jim Jordan does not serve them in their home districts.
"Moderate Republicans", a classic oxymoron, regrettably.
No. It's complete anathema for the GOP to actually put America first, ahead of their party.
At this point in the current geopolitical climate, I'm grateful for even the thinnest of silver linings.
Thank you for keeping us sane in this crazy world Jay. I hope you have a good week and you're so appreciated.