I don’t have very much sympathy for the Senate needing to “work weekends” if that’s what it takes to move the remaining 11 promotions. Maybe Graham and company would have less time to spew lies on Fox and Sunday mornings news shows.
Ukraine is NOT, unfortunately, a member of any alliance the US is party to. That's actually one (of many) the reasons Putin has done what he's done. He most emphatically does NOT want Ukraine to join NATO. You're otherwise good here.
Robert, you don’t need to keep posting the same thing over and over again. It’s really annoying and distracting when people are trying to read these comments. You’re not the only person whose voice needs to be heard here.
No sympathy here. You apparently have no other life since you are happy to stay on here and repeat your same complaints over and over to plug up the discussion. I’d like to see you blocked completely so others comments would be more accessible to readers. Please, #JayKuo, can that be done?
Barbara, I have no idea why you’re replying to me about this but I think you meant to reply to Robert who is the one posting the same comment (with minor changes) incessantly. I have blocked him so I do not get his replies and I’m not responding to any of the nonsense he’s spewing. The reason why I reported it to Jay is because this user does this everywhere he goes; he cuts and pastes his comments under dozens and dozens of other comments, as if what he has to say is the most important thing in the world. I also reported it directly to Substack.
That’s what I thought, but I just wanted to be sure. I would never have reported him if he didn’t do this all the time everywhere he goes. It’s been a real problem in other Substack newsletters as well.
It seems the media is finally starting to report on the fascist level of crazy coming from the MAGA wing. Last night on Hannity the orange one said he would be a dictator on "Day One." Hannity, of course, gave him the opportunity to walk back the comment. He took it by saying he would only be a dictator on day one and after that everything would return to "normal." I don't think I've ever heard of a dictator only doing it for one day and then giving it up.
And, by the way, one of the positions Tuberville is still holding open is the US Northern Command. The Northern Command is responsible for military operations WITHIN the United States; for example, an invasion of the country. Gee, no need to worry about trump installing a MAGA loyalist in there huh?
I could be wrong but I think the actual word Hannity used was "abuse" and Trump said he'd only abuse the one power on day one. Even if he had ever been truthful in the past or could be trusted to speak the truth as to the future, he openly stated he'd Abuse power on day one to that one end of political retaliation. He did not say he wouldn't abuse it for other purposes throughout the rest of his reign. It is so shocking to hear him openly state he'd abuse power at all, for any duration, that it needs to be front and center in some political ad.
One day is sufficient to suspend the Constitution on grounds of some cobbled-up "national emergency", and get yourself appointed President-For-Life. Page one of the dictator's handbook - it's been done over and over in many countries. Compliant Congress, police and military, and a bunch of Brownshirts equivalents (Proud Boys and their like) - et voila! Democracy gone, and you and I are in deep doo-doo. Because we are, in that case, enemies of the state. The state, of course, being one Donald J. Trump. Just like Schickelgruber did, he has told us what he intends. They didn't listen to him - will we listen now?
Amazing geography discovery. I live only a couple of dozen miles from our southern border with Guatemala. Now that I know it’s a short drive, I’ve started my vacation planning this morning. No need to hang around to watch the college football championship playoffs, with Auburn not making the list.
It’s understandable that not too bright Tommy is having problems with his geography, he’s had a tough time locating the border between Alabama and Florida.
Yes, Tuberville is an unlikely mover and shaker. In fact, he seems perfectly designed to be a tool of someone else's plans. The whole stunt never made sense at face value. Plenty of grist there for conspiracy-minded thinking.
Sometimes I think they're just daring us to call out what seems kinda obvious: they're preparing for a bureaucratic coup. Enter Russell Vought and his merry home-schooled mediocrities.
And yet the media continues to repeat that the holds have been in order to force the military to change their abortion travel policy. The media in general needs to stop taking the GOP surface explanation for everything on faith.
They do, but unless they are writing an op-ed, they also have to be very mindful of the line between fact and conjecture, no matter how blatantly obvious that conjecture might be. What is really sad - if it turns out to be the case - is the apparent lack of interest the media appears to take in investigating the possibilities to see if they can find evidence to back up some of the obvious conjectures.
I think they should look into the staff members who have been advising Tuberville. Rick Wilson knows some of them and says they are “Bannonites”—meaning they are agents of chaos. That is concerning, but no one has looked into this. I doubt Tuberville would have come up with this and stayed with it on his own. And he talks often about how “we didn’t get what we wanted.” Who is the “we”?
I agree it's imperative to maintain and in some cases introduce truth and careful sourcing and wording in news articles. Writing that some potential side effects or outcomes of taking or not taking an action are x, y and z should not be treated as forbidden in legitimate reporting. If that were the case, no one could write that car manufacturers should replace a certain questionable safety feature because one possible side effect of that would be increased injuries and deaths. One side effect of holding up military appointments is in fact delay, which if extended until after the Presidential election, would allow the President during that term to fill them. If it's Trump (as Tuberville seems to believe) then Trump would benefit in that way from Tuberville's actions. All simply facts.
Or, remember the young woman who spoke to a school board claiming Scholastic books exposes children to literature that grooms them as lifetime consumers of porn? She works for a company competing for the contract. The article I read never said she was full of bs and her motives highly suspect, but simply stating both facts is often enough to allow readers to form their own conjectures. As always, sticking to facts (remaining openings would be available for the next President to fill, Trump has a history of seating people without adhering to the rules, and he's openly stated an intention of filling important government positions with loyalists), being careful to note when something doesn't have direct proof or does have possible additional explanations and so forth, is good reporting. Parroting facile paint job explanations even as they become more and more unlikely over time is not.
Yes. This makes sense. I do think, though, that there is a difference between making predictions about possible or likely consequences (ie., regardless of Tuberville's motives, here is what the impact of his actions is likely to be) as opposed to making assumptions about what seems like a probable motive for why he is doing it. That is the part where his motives really only matter - in terms of being reported as news - if there is evidence to back up the statement, and the motivation points to a bigger purpose that deserves investigation or monitoring.
Schumer will not let these go unfulfilled. Poor babies, those Senators might have to work a couple of weekends? I think they should not be allowed to leave on Christmas break until all 11 have been approved.
My concern is that, if I am correct, Tuberville can block these promotions also especially if he decides they’re too “woke”by not answering questions about the abortion issue the way he wants.
I believe they could be confirmed by a roll call vote, that would require 60 votes - the Dems, 3 independents and 9 Republicans. it is hard for to imagine the whole GOP voting against them. The GOP is supposed to be the stand-up-for-the-military, national security party.
Tuberville’s stand has been very unpopular nationally. And if you marry that with how unpopular the GOP position on abortion is, they will be shooting themselves in the foot to vote against these - but then, the GOP has had LOTS of practice doing that the last few years.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a couple heads of military branches have been confirmed on a roll call vote. that bodes well.
and we'll be glad to have them if this all goes sideways. the Right abuses minority right privileges, without a doubt, but they're an important democratic safeguard as we found out during the (hopefully only) Trump administration.
If by chance Trump is elected, every Democrat in the Senate should become a Tuberville, blocking every Trump appointment for the entirety of his time in office, thereby frustrating his attempt to undermine democracy.
Perhaps Liz Cheney’s hypothesis might still hold. If these positions are held open until the elections Trump would, if he won, fill the highest positions in the military with loyalists who would back a coup
He already has a plan by Eastman for Martial Law. And he's currently speaking publicly of rounding up his enemies which includes Republicans, Journalists, Democrats of course, and anyone else who disagreed with him. This is what Gen. Miley objected to when he said the Military swears a Oath to defend the Constitution not the President and why Trump considers him a traitor.
She is not the only one with that hypothesis. I have been reading it in several Substacks for a while. However, I think she has some inside information that gives it even more credibility given who she is. She must have her people who tell her things.
That's because they are rooting for Armageddon and causing WW2 is fine with them especially with fighting in Palestine. Never vote anyone into Office that's looking forward to the end of the World is my Motto.
I'm just confused as to where all this resolve was when he left Ole Miss. “They’ll have to carry me out of here in a pine box,” and he was off and gone to Auburn two days later.
Is he holding the 11 as a continuation of the coup? This seems like the most obvious explanation. This feels very similar to McConnell/Garland. In hindsight, it sure seems like McConnell KNEW trump was going to win in 2016 - because he knew the type of rule-breaking, immoral POS trump is and likely knew some of the likely illegal stuff he had up his sleeve. This Tuberville situation feels exactly like that - they know something ELSE is in the works. They know it, so no need to concede. Letting the 425 go is just to appease the masses so we drop our guard. But still keeping the TOP folks from being seated, why?
Please, someone tell me how/why we don't need to worry about this and/or what we can do about it? Because in hindsight, we should've protested at the capital the day McConnell refused to even take a vote on Garland.
These holds on the 11 were suggested as an off-ramp by Sen. Jodi Ernst, I believe. It was a way for Tuberville to “save face” and pretend he was still fighting. I’ll be curious to see how Schumer handles it from here. But Tuberville has lost the war, and this final battle hopefully shouldn’t amount to much. Schumer’s staff no doubt is strategizing about it now.
I personally would like Schumer to go ahead with the new rules, because that will prevent more of these obstructionist assholes, like Paul Rand and Ted Cruz who have been blocking diplomatic appointments, sorely needed right now, from going through.
So much has happened, so much is happening on a nearly daily basis, yet one gets the sense that the furies are just warming up, that these months stretch out before us like some desert march into the unknown.....
So, we must take huge breaths, discard superficial disagreements and unify for democracy and against the onslaught of crazy that ia sure to unfold.
I stand with all of you.
#democracystrong
P.s. Jay, our recent era would make quite the musical....
I don’t have very much sympathy for the Senate needing to “work weekends” if that’s what it takes to move the remaining 11 promotions. Maybe Graham and company would have less time to spew lies on Fox and Sunday mornings news shows.
They need to find out what weekend Tommay has plans and then require him to stay and vote.
Bingo.
Ukraine is NOT, unfortunately, a member of any alliance the US is party to. That's actually one (of many) the reasons Putin has done what he's done. He most emphatically does NOT want Ukraine to join NATO. You're otherwise good here.
And Liz Cheney is right about his reasoning for the holds.
We certainly should be on the lookout for any Trump enablers now.
Even more so than we have been.
That, and "Coach" Cretin really is dumber than a bag of rocks...to think that this moron thumped good-guy Dem Doug Jones...SAD!
I think she is right about that too
Robert, you don’t need to keep posting the same thing over and over again. It’s really annoying and distracting when people are trying to read these comments. You’re not the only person whose voice needs to be heard here.
No sympathy here. You apparently have no other life since you are happy to stay on here and repeat your same complaints over and over to plug up the discussion. I’d like to see you blocked completely so others comments would be more accessible to readers. Please, #JayKuo, can that be done?
Barbara, I have no idea why you’re replying to me about this but I think you meant to reply to Robert who is the one posting the same comment (with minor changes) incessantly. I have blocked him so I do not get his replies and I’m not responding to any of the nonsense he’s spewing. The reason why I reported it to Jay is because this user does this everywhere he goes; he cuts and pastes his comments under dozens and dozens of other comments, as if what he has to say is the most important thing in the world. I also reported it directly to Substack.
I’m sorry, Janet. I meant to reply to RW.
That’s what I thought, but I just wanted to be sure. I would never have reported him if he didn’t do this all the time everywhere he goes. It’s been a real problem in other Substack newsletters as well.
I’m sorry. I was trying to reply to RW...and agree with you.
I assume that you can see by some of his replies that he’s absolutely off-the-wall and could use the assistance of a mental health professional.
This is a nonsense excuse. I have reported you to the administrator. I’ve seen you do this everywhere you post.
Apparently, you’re the one who doesn’t have a life. Have a good day and goodbye.
You need to change your listing from top first to chronological to find your post easier.
He was holding out hoping Trump won giving him the ability to quickly fill those positions with loyalists. Note the positions he held on to.
I think that’s also part of this. I don’t think he’s capable of thinking that up on his own, however; I think someone else must have suggested it.
Yes. Like Trump, ie, Bannon, Miller Patel, Stone et al.
Sack of rocks comes to mind regarding Tuberville.
It seems the media is finally starting to report on the fascist level of crazy coming from the MAGA wing. Last night on Hannity the orange one said he would be a dictator on "Day One." Hannity, of course, gave him the opportunity to walk back the comment. He took it by saying he would only be a dictator on day one and after that everything would return to "normal." I don't think I've ever heard of a dictator only doing it for one day and then giving it up.
And, by the way, one of the positions Tuberville is still holding open is the US Northern Command. The Northern Command is responsible for military operations WITHIN the United States; for example, an invasion of the country. Gee, no need to worry about trump installing a MAGA loyalist in there huh?
I could be wrong but I think the actual word Hannity used was "abuse" and Trump said he'd only abuse the one power on day one. Even if he had ever been truthful in the past or could be trusted to speak the truth as to the future, he openly stated he'd Abuse power on day one to that one end of political retaliation. He did not say he wouldn't abuse it for other purposes throughout the rest of his reign. It is so shocking to hear him openly state he'd abuse power at all, for any duration, that it needs to be front and center in some political ad.
Hannity is there to smooth things over, and so he uses words like "abuse."
And really, only one day of being a dictator can do a lot of damage.
Especially if you use it to invoke the Insurrection Act!
One day is sufficient to suspend the Constitution on grounds of some cobbled-up "national emergency", and get yourself appointed President-For-Life. Page one of the dictator's handbook - it's been done over and over in many countries. Compliant Congress, police and military, and a bunch of Brownshirts equivalents (Proud Boys and their like) - et voila! Democracy gone, and you and I are in deep doo-doo. Because we are, in that case, enemies of the state. The state, of course, being one Donald J. Trump. Just like Schickelgruber did, he has told us what he intends. They didn't listen to him - will we listen now?
Amazing geography discovery. I live only a couple of dozen miles from our southern border with Guatemala. Now that I know it’s a short drive, I’ve started my vacation planning this morning. No need to hang around to watch the college football championship playoffs, with Auburn not making the list.
It’s understandable that not too bright Tommy is having problems with his geography, he’s had a tough time locating the border between Alabama and Florida.
Right???
...and he had trouble with the 3 branches of government. 🤣
He’s an idiot just like most on the Right.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Maybe I am giving Tommy too much credit, but might his intent be to leave these positions vacant so trump can appoint some loyalists?
Yes, Tuberville is an unlikely mover and shaker. In fact, he seems perfectly designed to be a tool of someone else's plans. The whole stunt never made sense at face value. Plenty of grist there for conspiracy-minded thinking.
My thoughts as well
Sometimes I think they're just daring us to call out what seems kinda obvious: they're preparing for a bureaucratic coup. Enter Russell Vought and his merry home-schooled mediocrities.
Please don’t post multiples of the same comment on this page. Once is enough! Thank you.
We have talked about this very possibility many many times on Jay's page before.
And yet the media continues to repeat that the holds have been in order to force the military to change their abortion travel policy. The media in general needs to stop taking the GOP surface explanation for everything on faith.
They do, but unless they are writing an op-ed, they also have to be very mindful of the line between fact and conjecture, no matter how blatantly obvious that conjecture might be. What is really sad - if it turns out to be the case - is the apparent lack of interest the media appears to take in investigating the possibilities to see if they can find evidence to back up some of the obvious conjectures.
I think they should look into the staff members who have been advising Tuberville. Rick Wilson knows some of them and says they are “Bannonites”—meaning they are agents of chaos. That is concerning, but no one has looked into this. I doubt Tuberville would have come up with this and stayed with it on his own. And he talks often about how “we didn’t get what we wanted.” Who is the “we”?
That would be a great project for an investigative reporter who wants to make a splash. It could be a step towards a Pulitzer, à la David Fahrenthold.
Of course, they may just find that the “we” is merely the chorus of extra voices in Tuberville’s otherwise mushy brain...
I agree it's imperative to maintain and in some cases introduce truth and careful sourcing and wording in news articles. Writing that some potential side effects or outcomes of taking or not taking an action are x, y and z should not be treated as forbidden in legitimate reporting. If that were the case, no one could write that car manufacturers should replace a certain questionable safety feature because one possible side effect of that would be increased injuries and deaths. One side effect of holding up military appointments is in fact delay, which if extended until after the Presidential election, would allow the President during that term to fill them. If it's Trump (as Tuberville seems to believe) then Trump would benefit in that way from Tuberville's actions. All simply facts.
Or, remember the young woman who spoke to a school board claiming Scholastic books exposes children to literature that grooms them as lifetime consumers of porn? She works for a company competing for the contract. The article I read never said she was full of bs and her motives highly suspect, but simply stating both facts is often enough to allow readers to form their own conjectures. As always, sticking to facts (remaining openings would be available for the next President to fill, Trump has a history of seating people without adhering to the rules, and he's openly stated an intention of filling important government positions with loyalists), being careful to note when something doesn't have direct proof or does have possible additional explanations and so forth, is good reporting. Parroting facile paint job explanations even as they become more and more unlikely over time is not.
Yes. This makes sense. I do think, though, that there is a difference between making predictions about possible or likely consequences (ie., regardless of Tuberville's motives, here is what the impact of his actions is likely to be) as opposed to making assumptions about what seems like a probable motive for why he is doing it. That is the part where his motives really only matter - in terms of being reported as news - if there is evidence to back up the statement, and the motivation points to a bigger purpose that deserves investigation or monitoring.
kathleen wiener, I have been wondering the same thing. A very scary prospect and not out of the realm of possibility.
Schumer will not let these go unfulfilled. Poor babies, those Senators might have to work a couple of weekends? I think they should not be allowed to leave on Christmas break until all 11 have been approved.
My concern is that, if I am correct, Tuberville can block these promotions also especially if he decides they’re too “woke”by not answering questions about the abortion issue the way he wants.
I believe they could be confirmed by a roll call vote, that would require 60 votes - the Dems, 3 independents and 9 Republicans. it is hard for to imagine the whole GOP voting against them. The GOP is supposed to be the stand-up-for-the-military, national security party.
Tuberville’s stand has been very unpopular nationally. And if you marry that with how unpopular the GOP position on abortion is, they will be shooting themselves in the foot to vote against these - but then, the GOP has had LOTS of practice doing that the last few years.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a couple heads of military branches have been confirmed on a roll call vote. that bodes well.
Supreme Court justices lied about Roe v Wade. So lying is the new normal on Earth 2. Let the high level nominees proceed according to Earth 2 rules.
Agreed. Let 'em earn their salaries for once, and live the way average Americans have to on THEIR weekends--(i.e. work!)
*coughcough* Roger Stone *coughcough*
Most def!
I do wish that the workaround had occurred. The filibuster and unanimous consent tools are both minority rule cudgels.
Absolutely correct
and we'll be glad to have them if this all goes sideways. the Right abuses minority right privileges, without a doubt, but they're an important democratic safeguard as we found out during the (hopefully only) Trump administration.
I agree, and think they should go ahead with this. Tyranny of the minority is becoming a thing with the Republicans.
He is holding those last positions for Project 2025 as dumpster has loyalists in place !!🤬🤬
If by chance Trump is elected, every Democrat in the Senate should become a Tuberville, blocking every Trump appointment for the entirety of his time in office, thereby frustrating his attempt to undermine democracy.
Trump will operate through “acting” officers who are accountable to no one and not approved by any body. It’s really quite scary to consider.
Then let's TALK ABOUT THAT! Too many people are still fairly naive to what may be coming.
Trump is not going to waste time with appointments through the senate, Just look at his last two years as president.
Exactly. Trump had temporary acting position filled with syncophants who he dismissed at whim. He didn't go through Congress Review.
Won’t work, see below
Sorry above. Trump won’t follow any normal procedures
Perhaps Liz Cheney’s hypothesis might still hold. If these positions are held open until the elections Trump would, if he won, fill the highest positions in the military with loyalists who would back a coup
He already has a plan by Eastman for Martial Law. And he's currently speaking publicly of rounding up his enemies which includes Republicans, Journalists, Democrats of course, and anyone else who disagreed with him. This is what Gen. Miley objected to when he said the Military swears a Oath to defend the Constitution not the President and why Trump considers him a traitor.
That is what makes Miley just the opposite. He is a hero!
She is not the only one with that hypothesis. I have been reading it in several Substacks for a while. However, I think she has some inside information that gives it even more credibility given who she is. She must have her people who tell her things.
Tuberville is a religious zealot. For him, the ends justify the means. That seems to be the rule across the board for the Christian nationalists.
That's because they are rooting for Armageddon and causing WW2 is fine with them especially with fighting in Palestine. Never vote anyone into Office that's looking forward to the end of the World is my Motto.
I'm just confused as to where all this resolve was when he left Ole Miss. “They’ll have to carry me out of here in a pine box,” and he was off and gone to Auburn two days later.
$$$$$$$$
Is he holding the 11 as a continuation of the coup? This seems like the most obvious explanation. This feels very similar to McConnell/Garland. In hindsight, it sure seems like McConnell KNEW trump was going to win in 2016 - because he knew the type of rule-breaking, immoral POS trump is and likely knew some of the likely illegal stuff he had up his sleeve. This Tuberville situation feels exactly like that - they know something ELSE is in the works. They know it, so no need to concede. Letting the 425 go is just to appease the masses so we drop our guard. But still keeping the TOP folks from being seated, why?
Please, someone tell me how/why we don't need to worry about this and/or what we can do about it? Because in hindsight, we should've protested at the capital the day McConnell refused to even take a vote on Garland.
These holds on the 11 were suggested as an off-ramp by Sen. Jodi Ernst, I believe. It was a way for Tuberville to “save face” and pretend he was still fighting. I’ll be curious to see how Schumer handles it from here. But Tuberville has lost the war, and this final battle hopefully shouldn’t amount to much. Schumer’s staff no doubt is strategizing about it now.
Ah. Thanks for that insight. That does help squelch my fears. :)
Personally, I hope Schumer now calls a vote for each of the 11 positions.
I personally would like Schumer to go ahead with the new rules, because that will prevent more of these obstructionist assholes, like Paul Rand and Ted Cruz who have been blocking diplomatic appointments, sorely needed right now, from going through.
What an ignorant doofus-serving drumpf at the nation’s expense. Let’s all hope that the Democrats remind everyone of his little charade. 🙄
Now do Rand Paul and his holds on diplomatic posts, and aren't Ted Cruz and JD Vance holding up appointments? Senate rules are crazy!
So much has happened, so much is happening on a nearly daily basis, yet one gets the sense that the furies are just warming up, that these months stretch out before us like some desert march into the unknown.....
So, we must take huge breaths, discard superficial disagreements and unify for democracy and against the onslaught of crazy that ia sure to unfold.
I stand with all of you.
#democracystrong
P.s. Jay, our recent era would make quite the musical....
Springtime for Hitler and Germany! 🤣
(The Producers)