Just have to tell you how grateful we are that you and Thom do what you do so well. Been at it a long time along with Louise, Sue, and the rest of the brilliant "gang". You all definitely know how to "shoot" straight. 💥🤠
I just watched information coming from an ordinary Canadian and a Danish MP explaining that they will never trust America again.
I think many of US feel exactly the same.
I never liked that talk about "we have to take our country back". It always seemed to insult the diversity of this nation---everyone's entitled to their opinion and so on.
BUT, people of intelligence that have empathy: WE HAVE TO TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK FROM THIS IDIOTIC MAGA PARTY THAT HAS NO MORAL COMPASS.
Big "Hands Off" demonstration April 5th, sure hope you can join one!
USA veteran here, Frau Katze. I'm soooo sorry about this MAGA Cult and their Dear Leader.
I want you to know how grateful we are that our closest ally has always contributed their blood and money when we agreed on the cause. Even those that knew Trump is a psychopath, did not expect the ridiculous 51st state remarks. We HEAR you and feel you.
Of course, Trump has been placed above the law, but a better case can be made that Trump is a
"threat to public safety", as the Constitution requires, for suspending habeas corpus. His wanton disassembly of federal agencies, even those charged with protecting public safety, such as FEMA and NOAA, are proof enough.
This Supreme Court unanimously rejected Colorado’s attempt to keep donvict off the ballot for reasons articulated in the 14th Amendment. It also accepted and codified the Nixon Doctrine: “If the president does it, it’s not illegal”. The glacial pace of American jurisprudence assures that any allegation of crime will spend years wending its way through the courts, however rapidly the crime was committed. And it may never have its day in court, depending on the integrity or somnolence of the AG. Couple theses realities with a corrupt, dysfunctional political system and the path to fascism is paved.
Thank you Tom for this insightful slice of history and for creating a piece that slices right thru the heart and soul of where we are. It is funny in a way, but yet incredibly sad and realistic!
I pray that John Roberts along with possibly Amy Comey Barrett (long shot) will have the guts to side with the liberals and hold the rule of law!
It's pretty sad that my hopes are based on the court which provided Trump with the incredible immunity that has aided his power hungry authoritarian grab! I usually have so much to say, but reading your piece as I begin my day of endless "to do" tasks filled with continual pushback on this administrations constant assault on our human rights, civil rights and first amendment freedoms and rights! which have pretty much left me speechless!
Just a reminder: Before it was a movie, it was a brilliant novel by Jimmy Breslin. What we're living through now was described by Mencken a century ago.
Last week some Congressional Republicans objected to US NATO policy, Besides Mike Rogers and Roger Wicker, many other Congressional Replublicans have called out Trump on national security. Mike Turner R Ohio and many others in essence call Trump a liar re Putin and Ukraine.
What do Rogers, Wicker and Turner say this week?
We only need a few to have shared government -- without Trump/Vance.
Besides national security, consituents and donors have to be pissed about Musk/DOGE. The entire cattle industry is in panic and so should about 20 Republican senators and dozens of House members in cow country. Every car dealer and the big three should be pissed about Trump's Tesla infrormercial. Everyone whon receives any govenment benefit od any kind should be concerned. Anyone who does business with Canada and Mexico.
Almost everyone in America should be pissed about the Trump Regime, Musk and his acne faced hit squad.
But he still has the same popularity rating as he always had, because people rationalize and make excuses.
Remember that evangelical, was it Billy Haggard?, that was caught having sex with a pool boy, his followers rationalized, forgave him and he back again.
Sweet Jesus, forgive me, I have sinned before your eyes, I confess to the errors of my dark heart, forgive me (and let me continue to grift these suckers)
"...if the Republicans on that Court are going to continue their deference to Trump."
IF?
Sensei, Sensei, Sensei. Tisk, tisk, tisk.
Time for the teacher to learn from his student and this student, in the spirit of Forrest Gump, admonishes you that "stupid is, as stupid does." And stoopid M.F.'s are the most dangerous people in the Milky Way. I ain't talking about no candy bar, Brudda.
Yes, hope has a uncanny way of flickering when intellect says otherwise. As Dante notes in The Inferno, existence without hope is the very definition of Hell - the sign on Dante's gates of Hell reads: "Abandon hope all ye who enter."
So we must not despair - keep that "thing with feathers" fluttering.
Krasnov being a corrupt being is happy to spread his disease nation and worldwide. Lawlessness is the stamp of dictators and cults. No doubt that movies and theater will make scripts soon to be watched by the prosperous while the poor take the brunt of the consequences. Buffoons one and all especially the judges participating in the proceedings. One wonders what they think God is thinking of it all.
And now major law firms are rolling belly up to beg favors from the rapey felon mafia boss. We can’t count on the legacy media to feature the corruption dominating this maladministration, or report truth. And in addition it seems a majority of corporate executives are also boot lickers salivating over those tax cuts promised by P2025 as well as deregulation on steroids. So what is left for this country-government by the fascists, for the stupids and of the fascist stupids.
"nd while this screw-up is pretty bad, it’s mild compared to the legal disaster that played out before a three-judge panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit yesterday."
First who is on the three judge panel, what are their proclivities, I heard some of the conversation on the radio, and it sure sounded like they were leaning towards Trump.
They haven't ruled I assume, as I've heard nothing of it.
But if the court is mostly conservative, I expect them to rule for Trump, if they don't then Bondi will appeal to SCOTUS, and I am 99% assured SCOTUS willl take it up and rule for Trump, If the court rules against Trump and the plaintiff appeals, SCOTUS will kill it on the Shadow Docket.
We should not be surprised--we witnessed Trump's selection of cabinet appointments to be incompetent or willing to ignore their expertise in favor of acceding to all of Trump's dictates. Our Senators should not have voted for any of them (except maybe Rubio, who is having a spiritual confrontation with his current assignments).
" It’d be funny if it weren’t so dangerous." I find that I frequently tune into the absurdity of how "bad" our government has become--it's like spiritual giggles from a level on which what occurs on earth is not our eternal destiny.
This event amplifies the incompetence of the Trump Clowncar Cabinet. It is not that one couldn't anticipate this sort of egregious protocol lapse that FoxNews minions claimed was proof of the administration's openness and competence - Say wha...?
It brings to mind something my Gunny drilled into our heads during OCS; "Tattoos are permanent evidence of a temporary lapse in judgment." Hegseth is covered in serial judgment-lapse evidence. That is apparently why, based on his own comments, his military career ended after 10 years.
Thom's tale reminds me of a project I led for Clinton's NSA. I was assigned a security officer who followed me around all day. My team of University researchers had to fly into DC to meet in an underground, lead-shielded room at a DC military base for face2face chats - no internet communication. I guess the lead walls were to deflect satellite spying??? We were not plotting attacks or anything like that. We were just developing a screening protocol for a particular type of assignment.
Another project that comes to mind was so secret that I had to write my technical report in a secure basement office at the Pentagon with a 24/7 armed guard at the door. The final report was eyes-only JCS. It never left the Pentagon, although, I like to kid that it probably wound up in Trump's Mar a Lago bathroom. LOL
On that Jeff Goldberg thing, being in on the conversation with Hegseth et al. I don't think it was a mistake, or incompetence. They just aren't going to invite a journalist from a publication that Trump considers public enemy no. 1 in on a conversation, on a public line yet.
Trump is generally not taken serious, though he should be, because he is always blustering about "like you have never seen", he has threatened Iran, the Houti's and almost everyone else with destruction like you have never seen.
What better way to convince your adversary that you mean business, than having a hostile Journalist, "accidentally" included in the call over a non secure line (how often does that happen). IMHO this was all on purpose to send a message to Iran and the Houti's that this is not Trump's hyperbole and they better pay attention.
We want to, we need to, see incompetence, it is salve for the soul, but I am not so easily deceived, the regime is run by monsters, unconscionable, psychopathic monsters, but they are not idiots.
Am watching reality, or a Netflix fictional movie?
Just have to tell you how grateful we are that you and Thom do what you do so well. Been at it a long time along with Louise, Sue, and the rest of the brilliant "gang". You all definitely know how to "shoot" straight. 💥🤠
The Americans who voted for this . . . person, did not want an intelligent man.
They merely wanted an ultra-vile racist.
Now that he's in office, he's like a dangling, sweater thread that Putin is gonna pull till not even the cuffs of America's sweater are left.
46 months to go: It gets so much worse.
It's like being awake during heart surgery. Except in this operation, he's removing the nation's heart w/ no plans to put it back.
I just watched information coming from an ordinary Canadian and a Danish MP explaining that they will never trust America again.
I think many of US feel exactly the same.
I never liked that talk about "we have to take our country back". It always seemed to insult the diversity of this nation---everyone's entitled to their opinion and so on.
BUT, people of intelligence that have empathy: WE HAVE TO TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK FROM THIS IDIOTIC MAGA PARTY THAT HAS NO MORAL COMPASS.
Big "Hands Off" demonstration April 5th, sure hope you can join one!
Trump is nutsy koo koo and Constitutionally is not "America."
Hitler was nutsy koo koo,
Canadian here. Pretty angry about the orange clown 🤡.
USA veteran here, Frau Katze. I'm soooo sorry about this MAGA Cult and their Dear Leader.
I want you to know how grateful we are that our closest ally has always contributed their blood and money when we agreed on the cause. Even those that knew Trump is a psychopath, did not expect the ridiculous 51st state remarks. We HEAR you and feel you.
Thank you.
Of course, Trump has been placed above the law, but a better case can be made that Trump is a
"threat to public safety", as the Constitution requires, for suspending habeas corpus. His wanton disassembly of federal agencies, even those charged with protecting public safety, such as FEMA and NOAA, are proof enough.
This Supreme Court unanimously rejected Colorado’s attempt to keep donvict off the ballot for reasons articulated in the 14th Amendment. It also accepted and codified the Nixon Doctrine: “If the president does it, it’s not illegal”. The glacial pace of American jurisprudence assures that any allegation of crime will spend years wending its way through the courts, however rapidly the crime was committed. And it may never have its day in court, depending on the integrity or somnolence of the AG. Couple theses realities with a corrupt, dysfunctional political system and the path to fascism is paved.
It was a miscaarriage of justice. But it left open the Congressional option. Read Feathers of Hope.
I wish your analysis wasn't so correct. But it is; I feel that we are doomed.
Thank you Tom for this insightful slice of history and for creating a piece that slices right thru the heart and soul of where we are. It is funny in a way, but yet incredibly sad and realistic!
I pray that John Roberts along with possibly Amy Comey Barrett (long shot) will have the guts to side with the liberals and hold the rule of law!
It's pretty sad that my hopes are based on the court which provided Trump with the incredible immunity that has aided his power hungry authoritarian grab! I usually have so much to say, but reading your piece as I begin my day of endless "to do" tasks filled with continual pushback on this administrations constant assault on our human rights, civil rights and first amendment freedoms and rights! which have pretty much left me speechless!
Read Feathers of Hope. More than one way....
Just a reminder: Before it was a movie, it was a brilliant novel by Jimmy Breslin. What we're living through now was described by Mencken a century ago.
Name of the novel?
I'm pretty confident the title was The Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight.
I have to see if it is on "On Demand with Dish" or Net flix.
National security.
Last week some Congressional Republicans objected to US NATO policy, Besides Mike Rogers and Roger Wicker, many other Congressional Replublicans have called out Trump on national security. Mike Turner R Ohio and many others in essence call Trump a liar re Putin and Ukraine.
What do Rogers, Wicker and Turner say this week?
We only need a few to have shared government -- without Trump/Vance.
Besides national security, consituents and donors have to be pissed about Musk/DOGE. The entire cattle industry is in panic and so should about 20 Republican senators and dozens of House members in cow country. Every car dealer and the big three should be pissed about Trump's Tesla infrormercial. Everyone whon receives any govenment benefit od any kind should be concerned. Anyone who does business with Canada and Mexico.
Feathers of Hope. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/
Almost everyone in America should be pissed about the Trump Regime, Musk and his acne faced hit squad.
But he still has the same popularity rating as he always had, because people rationalize and make excuses.
Remember that evangelical, was it Billy Haggard?, that was caught having sex with a pool boy, his followers rationalized, forgave him and he back again.
Sweet Jesus, forgive me, I have sinned before your eyes, I confess to the errors of my dark heart, forgive me (and let me continue to grift these suckers)
Funny when people decide to use forgiveness like a spigot that they can selectively turn on and off depending on for whom it's for.
Forever grateful for your life's work, Thom.
Who could have imagined, if nitwits like General Hegseth, (yeah, I know,) are put in charge of the sewer clowns, incomprehensible stuff would happen.
"...if the Republicans on that Court are going to continue their deference to Trump."
IF?
Sensei, Sensei, Sensei. Tisk, tisk, tisk.
Time for the teacher to learn from his student and this student, in the spirit of Forrest Gump, admonishes you that "stupid is, as stupid does." And stoopid M.F.'s are the most dangerous people in the Milky Way. I ain't talking about no candy bar, Brudda.
“Hope” is the thing with feathers
By Emily Dickinson
“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -
I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.
Yes, hope has a uncanny way of flickering when intellect says otherwise. As Dante notes in The Inferno, existence without hope is the very definition of Hell - the sign on Dante's gates of Hell reads: "Abandon hope all ye who enter."
So we must not despair - keep that "thing with feathers" fluttering.
Plus, those of us who took probablility and statistics pretty much know what's in a box of chocolates and the odds for each option.
Krasnov being a corrupt being is happy to spread his disease nation and worldwide. Lawlessness is the stamp of dictators and cults. No doubt that movies and theater will make scripts soon to be watched by the prosperous while the poor take the brunt of the consequences. Buffoons one and all especially the judges participating in the proceedings. One wonders what they think God is thinking of it all.
Clayton I keep forgetting to use Trumps, KGB code name, Krasnov.
And now major law firms are rolling belly up to beg favors from the rapey felon mafia boss. We can’t count on the legacy media to feature the corruption dominating this maladministration, or report truth. And in addition it seems a majority of corporate executives are also boot lickers salivating over those tax cuts promised by P2025 as well as deregulation on steroids. So what is left for this country-government by the fascists, for the stupids and of the fascist stupids.
Krazynov acts more like Sgt. Schultz. "I know nothing!"
"nd while this screw-up is pretty bad, it’s mild compared to the legal disaster that played out before a three-judge panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit yesterday."
First who is on the three judge panel, what are their proclivities, I heard some of the conversation on the radio, and it sure sounded like they were leaning towards Trump.
They haven't ruled I assume, as I've heard nothing of it.
But if the court is mostly conservative, I expect them to rule for Trump, if they don't then Bondi will appeal to SCOTUS, and I am 99% assured SCOTUS willl take it up and rule for Trump, If the court rules against Trump and the plaintiff appeals, SCOTUS will kill it on the Shadow Docket.
We should not be surprised--we witnessed Trump's selection of cabinet appointments to be incompetent or willing to ignore their expertise in favor of acceding to all of Trump's dictates. Our Senators should not have voted for any of them (except maybe Rubio, who is having a spiritual confrontation with his current assignments).
" It’d be funny if it weren’t so dangerous." I find that I frequently tune into the absurdity of how "bad" our government has become--it's like spiritual giggles from a level on which what occurs on earth is not our eternal destiny.
This event amplifies the incompetence of the Trump Clowncar Cabinet. It is not that one couldn't anticipate this sort of egregious protocol lapse that FoxNews minions claimed was proof of the administration's openness and competence - Say wha...?
It brings to mind something my Gunny drilled into our heads during OCS; "Tattoos are permanent evidence of a temporary lapse in judgment." Hegseth is covered in serial judgment-lapse evidence. That is apparently why, based on his own comments, his military career ended after 10 years.
Thom's tale reminds me of a project I led for Clinton's NSA. I was assigned a security officer who followed me around all day. My team of University researchers had to fly into DC to meet in an underground, lead-shielded room at a DC military base for face2face chats - no internet communication. I guess the lead walls were to deflect satellite spying??? We were not plotting attacks or anything like that. We were just developing a screening protocol for a particular type of assignment.
Another project that comes to mind was so secret that I had to write my technical report in a secure basement office at the Pentagon with a 24/7 armed guard at the door. The final report was eyes-only JCS. It never left the Pentagon, although, I like to kid that it probably wound up in Trump's Mar a Lago bathroom. LOL
On that Jeff Goldberg thing, being in on the conversation with Hegseth et al. I don't think it was a mistake, or incompetence. They just aren't going to invite a journalist from a publication that Trump considers public enemy no. 1 in on a conversation, on a public line yet.
Trump is generally not taken serious, though he should be, because he is always blustering about "like you have never seen", he has threatened Iran, the Houti's and almost everyone else with destruction like you have never seen.
What better way to convince your adversary that you mean business, than having a hostile Journalist, "accidentally" included in the call over a non secure line (how often does that happen). IMHO this was all on purpose to send a message to Iran and the Houti's that this is not Trump's hyperbole and they better pay attention.
We want to, we need to, see incompetence, it is salve for the soul, but I am not so easily deceived, the regime is run by monsters, unconscionable, psychopathic monsters, but they are not idiots.