Donald Trump, a man without any religious faith or moral principle, addressed an evangelical religious convocation called “Faith and Freedom” in Tennessee. He used the occasion to ridicule the Republicans who did not support his attempt to demolish the rule of law and the Constitution so he could have a second term in office. He is a very sore loser.
NASHVILLE — Former president Donald Trump used an evangelical conference here to ridicule former vice president Mike Pence for upholding the Constitution on Jan. 6, 2021, choosing an audience that represents Pence’s political base as a venue to attempt to undermine him.
“Mike Pence had a chance to be great. He had a chance to be historic,” Trump said in his first remarks about his onetime governing partner amid Jan. 6 committee hearings revealing the intense pressure Pence withstood in deciding to go forward with his constitutional role certifying the election.
“Mike did not have the courage to act.” He added: “Mike was afraid of whatever he was afraid of.”
Trump also referred to Pence, who did not attend the conference, as a “human conveyor belt” for his role in moving the election process forward, saying that he had considered labeling him as a “robot.”
Trump’s own aides have testified they told the president it would not be constitutional for Pence to move to overturn the election.
Trump also attacked Adam Kinzinger, calling him a crybaby. Kinzinger responded far too generously on Twitter.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
It’s so cute how much you guys miss him and how hard you work to keep him around.
Which is good, because if the Democrats don’t get busy and start fulfilling at least some of their campaign promises, you’re going to get 4 more years of him (or someone very much like him or worse). Personally I’m still waiting for that $600 he owes us all.
Now, you have a few possible responses to this post. You can rant and rave and call me a Trump troll and Putin pet (which you know, in the bottom of your hearts is a lazy and false diversion). You can ignore me. Or – and here’s something that might actually be useful – you can think about what I’m saying and get on the Democrats to get their act in gear. Because when exactly what I’ve predicted comes true, that doesn’t make it my fault. I don’t control the future, I only read it from obvious signs.
Happy Juneteenth, y’all, and happy Father’s Day to anyone who has acted in any dad capacity!
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Dienne,
You write ridiculous comments. While Trump was president and endangering the country, you advised us to stop talking about him. Now that the 1/6 Commission is holding public hearings, having interviewed over 1,000 people, you mock me for paying attention to Trump’s attempt to overturn the election and force Pence to give him a second term.
Let me clear about this:
1. The 1/6 hearings matter. Concerned citizens, editorial boards, constitutional lawyers, etc. are paying close attention
2. An attempt to overturn a free election is dangerous and consequential, even if you don’t think so.
3. The man who tried to destroy our Constitution is the dominant figure in the Republican Party. Most of those he has endorsed—who echo the Big Lie—have won re-election.
4. You really think no one should ever speak Trump’s name or write about him. What world do you live in?
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Thank you, Dr. Ravitch!!! Exactly so!!!
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I’m reading OpEds putting out the idea of NOT prosecuting Trump, for fear of violent protests.
While I understand the points made, I have to disagree.
In a very fundamental sense; Trump and his followers are bullies. You don’t placate this mentality. It’s seen as a sign of weakness. We’ve seen this since kindergarten and it only gets worse as people grow and become stronger/more cunning.
I’m hoping to see him and his cronies prosecuted to the full extent of the law. And sent to jail. If and when the fallout occurs: prosecute and jail the perpetrators.
Trump’s still out there, pushing his BS. The Texas Republican Party has officially endorsed his Big Lie. This is not going to go away. If anything; it’s going to grow, regardless of what action is taken against him.
I’d rather see Trump as a jailed martyr than a free instigator.
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I’m with you, Gitapik. If Trump’s actions are not criminal, what is?
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Trump’s doubling down. Classic stance. “Waddya gonna do about it?”. It would be pathetic if it wasn’t so dangerous.
Classic response is to actually DO something about it. As forcefully as possible. We can’t back down, now. We’ve come too far.
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I reluctantly read the Times article which questions the indictment process. Hate to say it; but they have a point. Teflon Don…haven’t we heard that term before, in NYC?
Heard a lawyer saying a conviction is not a sure thing, but she thinks these J6 hearings will convince enough people to keep him out of office.
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gitapik,
The NYT always questions the wisdom of prosecuting a Republican like Trump no matter how much evidence there is.
But when it came to John Durham’s recent prosecution of a Democrat, every article in the NYT for months informed the readers that there was overwhelming evidence of guilt and amplified the message that the Democrat was rightfully prosecuted. Only a few websites like Empty Wheel that very few people read presented the real facts.
It took the jury only a few hours to come back with a not guilty verdict on a Democrat who was being prosecuted in case that the NYT had amplified for months as practically being slam dunk for guilty. The prosecution was ridiculous – but NYT readers had been informed that the sketchy evidence was instead overwhelming proof of guilt.
There is an extreme double standard at the NYT. Trump could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, and the reporting in the NYT would still be about how there just wasn’t enough evidence to know whether he committed a crime. But when it comes to Democrats like “she who may not be named”, the NYT always amplifies the false narrative the right wing pushes that prosecution is necessary because the Dems definitely committed serious crimes.
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Got a point there, NYC. The Times is not always the most credible/objective of sources. We’ve seen that in more than a few instances, over the years.
But the roadblocks to successful prosecution that were mentioned are similar to those of others I’ve read. “Intent”…that’s the key word, here. To me and many; it’s pretty obvious. But not necessarily to the letter of the law. The absolute last thing we need is another, “I was exonerated”.
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How nice it would be, Dienne, if your buddy Putin and Jabba the Trump and Trumpanzees generally would just go away if we didn’t look at them. Poof! Like magic!
But guess what, some of us take seriously matters like having had a U.S. president who was Putin’s dog and had a long history of laundering money for Russian mobsters, Trump’s attempting to destroy NATO and withholding of aid to Ukraine, the vast disinformation campaign that Russian intelligence ran on behalf of Trump in the run-up to the 2016 election, Trump’s attempt to steal the 2020 election, the current ongoing set up for a repeat performance of that attempt, and the widespread campaign of rape and murder of civilians in Ukraine.
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Dienne has been writing here since about 2018 that no inr should pay attention to Trump. Ignore him and he will go away!
If I thought that were true, I would have never mentioned his name.
Sadly, reality exists, whether I acknowledge it or not.
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Should my relatives and would our ancestors want us to stop saying “Never Forget?”
Or stop analyzing how one person in another democracy got control of all three branches of government and censored media and teaching and then dismantled a government AND killed six million people?
Should we stop reading history books on an array of topics because it’s old news and we can’t possibly learn from it?
Should we stop talking about the most person was in the most powerful seat on the planet who can marshal billions of dollars and access the most remarkable scientific expertise around the world tell the masses that science is fake – – and allows a million Americans to die and hospitalized?
Would you stop investigating your PTO treasurer who steals fund raising funds or the city alderperson who takes a bribe (that’s front page news and whoops up everyone)?
Should we look the other way when a person admits to grabbing women and saying ‘they asked for it’ and ‘let you?’
Should we stop talking about a man who ridiculed a disabled reporter and chastised a female reporter in the work place when and normalized verbal abuse?
Should we stop talking about a man sworn to uphold the Constitution states there’s good on both sides when one side are self-proclaimed proud White supremacists and racists?
Utterly Outrageous to suggest “y’all” stop talking.
CRIMES have been committed. FACTS are still ignored. LIES are admitted to and more unveiled every day.
You can stop talking about it.
This man committed crimes and attacked our Constitution and humanity. He is still perpetuating lies.
We will scream it from the mountaintops. Televise it. Speak truth. Put it on billboards – and guess what – – – – TEACH IT IN OUR CLASSROOMS! Video and audio and pictures and admissions are not subjective. They are facts, current events, and will be in history books.
It may take a generation of kids to look into their parents and grandparents eyes and ask, “What did you do?” – – – – and when you are asked,
suppose you’ll have to admit you advocated we stop talking about it.
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Teach the Truth!!!
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Well said. Dienne will answer, I closed my eyes and pretended it went away.
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Dienne:
“If you allow immunity for attempts at unconstitutional of power, which is what a coup is, then you are inviting it again in the future.” –Rep. Jamie Ruskin, interview with NBC News, today
Ofc, this is obvious enough to thinking persons.
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cx: “for attempts at unconstitutional seizure of power”
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dienne77,
Does it matter whether you are a paid Putin troll or a right wing racist Republican or just one of the useful idiots who help them grab power?
You constantly tell us that THEY are not to blame for this, but that AOC and the squad and the rest of the Democrats are at fault because they haven’t already managed to solve the problems that folks like YOU caused.
And yes, anyone who sat here in 2016 telling us that it made no difference to them whether we had a progressive Supreme Court or a far right Supreme Court is to blame. Without those folks helping to scapegoat the Dems for not solving the problems the Republicans they refuse to criticize cause, our Supreme Court would have a large progressive majority.
So no, I won’t blame AOC and the squad for not being able to immediately fix the issues that the right wing Republicans and Trump – who you lecture us not to criticize – caused.
Everyone who voted to prevent a Democrat from filling an open Supreme Court seat and voted to prevent a Democrat from filling the next 2 open seats is to blame far more than AOC .
Your vote against the Democrats have made things worse but that isn’t stopping you from continuing to vote against the democrats to make things even worse.
Your vote against the Dems make things worse, and ypu continue to vote to make things worse. Our votes for Dems make things better, even if they don’t solve all the problems that YOU caused when you got exactly what you wanted and defeated the Dems so that Trump could make the Supreme Court complicit in the right wing takeover of our country.
What kind of progressive says “I would rather have far right Republicans who will demonize trans children for the rest of their lives and imprison progressives controlling our country than a Democrat who doesn’t achieve all of my progressive desires in 2 years and only makes things a little better.
Given a choice between a little more progressive and A LOT more right wing, who picks the “a lot more right wing”? Not progressives. Right wingers do.
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My question is to what extent have each of us – as civic participants – followed up with our elected officials? What can we say about civic participation culture in the USA? Anyone can complain, but it’s harder and more heavy lifting to constantly follow up and form intentional, systemized watchdog constituent groups who keep their politicians on their toes or send them to the electoral guillotine. Does anyhone read legislation? Watch CSPAN? Write letters make phone calls, sign petitions, initiative petitions? Is it part of your family dinner table culture? This is not directed to anyone in particular, but I think it respectfully merits a discussion. We’d be acting like children if we think our jobs are done once we pull that lever.
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Never thought of being concerned about treasonous behavior “cute.” Gotta admit, that’s not a word I ever would have associated with the national/international tragedy we are living through.
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I have been a regular visitor to Dr Ravitch’s site, and she addresses many issues with care and concern. I am deeply troubled by what took place on January 6, and it is even more disturbing that Trump places himself, erroneously, knowingly, and narcissistically ahead of the nation. His cowardice, divisiveness, and treachery toward the United States, its Constitution, its democratic processes, and all Americans should be a forceful wake up call to everyone. I know some who voted for him in 2016 because they were looking for change, which was what he promised. After Trump was sworn in, the mask quickly came off and his true colors became visible. This is one of the reasons he won in 2016, and lost in 2020. People became fed up with his nastiness, his lack of ethics, morals, and integrity, and realized the true danger Trump posed to the nation.
I first began to read Dr Ravitch’s postings many years ago, and she provides understanding and compassion and common sense approaches to real problems our nation faces. It has always been a privilege to be welcome into this forum, and I will continue to be thankful to read her posts, and responses that are healthy, well intentioned, and relevant.
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Dear Steve B,
Thank you for your comment.
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Trump delivered on his promise for “change”. Ending democracy is “change”.
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I see no absolutely no reason why we should not continue to criticize Trump and Putin and at the same time criticize the Democrats for not being the party that they promise to be, should be, and need to be for the ordinary working class persons.
There is a presence of intellectual laziness when we have to think that any one of those excludes the other. Critical thinking requires looking at all issues, all players, all aspects, and seeing them for that they really are. I see no reason why in this post there has to be this “Dienne-Diane” tension. I just don’t get it.
I also think we need to be civic participants in getting our party of choice to change for the structurally changed better!
Ask yourself, “How many hours a week do I put in with my advocacy? How much money do I donate to this and that cause? What organization do I faithfully volunteer for? How willing am I to acquire new advocacy skills? How mature am I willing to be to realize the change does not happen overnight and that relentless persistence is always a virtue and pragmatic? To what extent have I taught issues and advocacy to my kids and grandchildren?”
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Correction:
I also think we need to be civic participants in getting our party of improve for the structurally changed better!
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Correction (I am a LOUSY typist!) . . .
I also think we need to be civic participants in getting the party of our choice to improve for the structurally changed better!
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Each of the four paragraphs above address very separate issues, yet conflate them in a way that does not address any of the questions posed.
Curious. Do you do all those things all the time? Do you think your friend does? I see a lot of complaining, but that is quite a different animal than advocacy. Are you asking the right questions? In this day and age? I think not. And you, as all Americans seemingly do these days, don’t make a distinction between politics with governing. Again, these are two different, but related, issues. How do you separate and explain them when one party refuses to acknowledge a difference? How do you engage with individuals in a party who are not interested in governing in the first place? And who is greater threat? Those duplicitous Democrats who are just like Republicans? Or so I am supposed to believe if I am to believe the uninformed tripe produced by your friend. (Just what is your definition of critical thinking? Is that what you call your friend’s rants? After the 2016 election, I addressed this exact issue, about how people should engage in congressional advocacy. It takes a lot of work, time and effort. Most importantly, it takes a sober assessment of reality.
Years ago, I used to occasionally give a talk to high school students that began with, “I’m sure your teacher provided you with lots of information about how a bill becomes a law. That being said, today I’d like to talk to you how an issue becomes a bill and then maybe a law and why that isn’t the end of the process.” Teachers of government who have never worked in government and/or politics are, in my experience, the least informed about the realities of the process. I have yet to meet one who can briefly explain the appropriations process, much less why it matters to the functioning (or disfunction) of Congress. They know theoretically how a bill becomes a law, but not the reality, Few have an understanding how it gets to that point. The Schoolhouse Rock version has nothing to do with reality.
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Good to hear from you, Robert Rendo. It’s been too long. I agree. In my opinion, we spend too much time fighting each other about our political affiliations instead of fighting the true problem, our corporate overlords with their fingers in both parties’ pies.
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Thank you, LeftCoastTeacher. I agree with you. Seek the truth on all levels, don’t politicize it, and eye on the prize.
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Robert-
AIPAC is defeating the progressives in the primaries. There needs to be a drilling down on the funders of AIPAC and pressure applied.
I agree with Greg- teachers need to teach that if you don’t fight for democracy, you lose it. Based on voting patterns, a lot of young people get it.
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Dienne77,
“if the Democrats don’t get busy and start fulfilling at least some of their campaign promises, you’re going to get 4 more years of him (or someone very much like him or worse).”
Dienne77, after reading the previous extremely ignorant comment, I’m not even sure you are an American citizen and live in the United States. In fact, I suspect you have an offshore account where Putin pays you bribes for making comments like the one quoted above.
Campaign promises are not a guarantee and never have been unless one party overwhelming controls both houses of Congress, has a president in the White House, and a majority of justices in the Supreme Court.
Politifact keeps a campaign promise tracker on US presdients.
Biden has kept 17 of his campaign promises
Compromised with Congress on FOUR to get something instead of nothing
Broke ONE promise
Another 23 of his campaign promises are stalled, probably in Congress thanks to the Fascist Republican Party using tricks, lies, and the filibuster to block them
And 45 of Biden’s promises are in the works. That means Biden is still working to deliver on those 45 promises.
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/biden-promise-tracker/?ruling=true
It’s apparent to me that President Biden is doing his job. The US President is not a brutal dictator like rasPutin that does whatever he wants and has his enemies assassinated or sent to Siberia, the kind of total power Traitor Trump still wants to have.
Without cooperation from Congress and even the US Supreme Court, any US president might fail to deliver on their campaign promises.
I also think it is fair to reveal the results of Traitor Trump’s campaign promise tracker.
Ha! Trump broke 55 of his campaign promises vs Biden’s ONE.
And I think that is worth repeating.
Trump broke fifty-five (55) of his campaign promises.
Biden has only broken one of his campaign promises.
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/
I could be wrong. Maybe Dienne77 isn’t being bribed by rasPutin or Traitor Trump. Maybe Dienne77 is just a hateful and willingly infantile and ignorant individual like all of Trump’s MAGA fascist supporters are.
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Lloyd, I’m surprised at you. Sometimes I don’t agree with what you write but, most of the time, I find your comments every useful, important & from a wealth of experience & p.o.v. that some of us (myself, for sure) haven’t been privy to. (Military service; I was in Volunteers in Service to America for over a year, in FL, working with Haitian refugee resettlement/child advocacy, but that doesn’t even come close.) Anyway, I’m telling you as I’m telling all the readers & commenters here: I KNOW Dienne.
Personally. I have known her for many years, & she is FAR from ignorant (much the opposite), NOT an it45 fan (in fact, I know she writes what she writes to voice her opinion that she does NOT want to see an it47) &, most assuredly, NOT a Putin/Russian “troll.”
Her comments are cautionary.
There is absolutely NO question that it45 is, well, an it: not a human: no heart, no brain, no soul, no empathy. The move that MUST be next is prosecution & imprisonment for its attempt to overthrow the U.S. Government.
Merrick Garland & the D.O.J. have to get this done. (&, I had mentioned that, thus far, ISFAIC,
M G. is yet another Obama (dis) appointmen, worse, maybe, than Arne Dunkin.) & these are but TWO of the odious things that came from just the Obama Presidency.
& then, don’t get me started on the DINOs & the DNC (& how did Tom Perez work out rather than Keith Ellison, & how the DNC attempted to undermine Bernie’s early wins in Iowa–oh, wait a minute, the DNC INSISTED–until they couldn’t anymore–that Buttigieg won).
The rest of my comments aren’t specifically addressed to you, Lloyd, but for the sake of economy, I’m just finishing up here.
One commenter wrote, in response to Dienne’s comments, something about AOC & The Squad as of Dienne had written something derogatory about them (she hadn’t, & she didn’t even mention them).
Anyway, I could go on & on, but what Dienne IS saying (& correct me if I’m wrong, Dienne)–& Robert Rendo says the same, & I agree–we have to get the Dems on OUR side. NO piddling around w/Wall Street, no deals. I KNOW Biden is trying, but he–& the Senate & why-the-hell is Pelosi & whoever else backing that 🤬Cuellar–jave to do MORE. Still calling for Medicare for All, are we? How about Medicare as it’s been? Did you know that Medicare for seniors (as originally intended) is being slowly, quietly dismantled? (& NOT by the GOP alone) Just ask the people at Social Security Works.
I’m a huge fan of “think globally, act locally,” &, right now, I’m putting my energy (whatever’s left) in working to keep our Dem Congressman in office: he’s running against a real right-wing, “take back our schools”–among other things–nut. I’m also volunteering for our State Rep, a really good guy (sped teacher & consultant!) who introduced a vaccine bill which he w/drew, because he’d received threats (“I know where you & your family live.”) Just like Adam Kinzinger.
& this Rep. is running against a GOP who’s a school board member who wants to determine what teachers teach & who wants them armed. Last Wed. afternoon (hottest day of the year/hottest part of the day), I stood outside an Early Voting Center passing out sample Dem ballots.
So, anyway, I’ve written too much.
Work for good, strong Dem (& NOT DINO) candidates who WILL get us the gun legislation we need, who WILL fund the people, not the Pentagon, who WILL fund green initiatives & not the fossil fuel industry & who WILL protect our Social Security System & keep it intact. Help send Mr. Smith to Washington & make that your priority.
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AOC and the squad are Democrats. Unlike certain folks here, they have always known that they have to disempower the Republicans – and not the Democrats – to get progressive legislation.
Ignoring the good things Biden has done that we would not have if Trump had been re-elected is inexcusable, but that is exactly what certain folks on here do. They not only ignore those ways that we are better off, but they also intentionally ignore that the main thing blocking getting more progressive legislation is the Republicans! Instead they try to scapegoat the Democrats and demand we all shut up if we are ever criticizing Republicans.
Why did these folks change the subject of this post? Because it was criticizing the man Republicans show fealty to. Why does that bother them so much that they have to change the subject to scapegoat the Dems for the problems with this country?
Instead of continuing to go backward as we did during the 4 years of Trump, this country has taken tiny steps forward. If that isn’t fast enough for them, the answer is to vote in a lot more democrats, not demonize them and demand that all criticism of Republicans be ended because it’s all the Dems fault.
And if the Dem-haters on here (and remember, AOC and the squad are Dems) aren’t represented by progressive Dems, that’s on them. Maybe they should have thought about that when they had a chance to have a Supreme Court that repealed Citizens United and instead told us that they had no problem with a right wing Republican appointing Supreme Court Justices because that was not important to them.
If AOC could defeat one of the most powerful Democrats in a primary, then there is no reason other progressives can’t do the same – except for the fact that they aren’t making a very good case to the people who vote for them. It’s hard for all Democrats, especially progressive Dems, to win because of all of the right wing propaganda out there demonizing Dems as socialists who are teaching kids to be trans.
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I cannot agree with all that Lloywd says here. and now Greg is declaring Dinene ot be my “friend”. I guess Greg knows everything about everyone. I wish I would be that way. Ahhh, the omnipotence of it all.
That said, I agree with much of what Chaya says. I can attest that I have disagreed with Dienne from time to time (and I had well mentioned that in this blog long ago) and have let her know about it, albeit not in this forum. I have never hesitated to do so. But I have also listened to and learned from her mindset as well. She is not a Putin supporter, nor is she a troll. I’m really not into cancel culture. But I speak just for myself.
I am in touch with people at Social Security Works, an advocacy organization that aims to protect this public common, much like NPE protects public schools. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a Democrat and daughter of Robert Kennedy, wants to enact legislation that would create an auto-IRA, arranging 10% of our SS tax to go into a private fund handled by Wall Street. If it does well, we get a bigger SS allowance; if it does not do well, we get a smaller one. Either way, the investment firms STILL get their bloated management fees. AND, it’s a way to gradually hand over PUBLIC tax dollars and SS to Wall Street. to which I say NO THANK YOU. Social Security Works was invited to that very round table, which was bipartisan and, yes, had Democrats on it who support this bill. Kennedy Townsend was told that Social Security Works not only would not be attending that round table, but that it would do everything in its fiber to fight it, expand and strengthen this public common by lifting the SS tax income cap.
And Kennedy Townsend is a famous Democrat, who is helping to get this bill passed. She was shocked at Social Security Works’s response, and so be it.
So yes, it is important that we scrutinize our own party.
I don’t see the Democrats or Biden addressing Louis DeJoy, who is still pulling too much wool over everyone’s eyes:
“DeJoy and his wife currently have $30-70 million dollars invested in companies related to the USPS.[59] He plans to further slow down first-class mail delivery, reduce post office hours, and raise postage prices–which would impact voters, families, and small businesses in several states.[60] With the mostly Trump-appointed USPS board of governors behind him, he said when asked how much longer he intended to stay postmaster general, he said: “A long time, get used to me.”[58]
In 2022, DeJoy flouted instructions by the Joe Biden administration to electrify the USPS fleet. Instead, DeJoy put in a $11.3 billion order to renew the existing USPS fleet with mostly gasoline-powered vehicles.[61][62] The EPA criticized the USPS for the order, pointing to the environmental costs of the fleet ($900 million of damage over 20 years), the low fuel efficiency, and the short-sightedness of making a long-term investment in gasoline-powered vehicles.[62][63] In response to the backlash, DeJoy signaled that the USPS may add more electric trucks to the order.[64]”
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Robert,
This blog has been critical of Democrats when they deserve criticism. I can’t count the number of times I criticized Obama and Biden for supporting privatization and reckless testing. I have also criticized Biden for forgetting his promise to jettison high stakes testing. I oppose privatization of all public programs.
But Dienne has claimed for years, even while Trump was president, that we should ignore him. I don’t agree. He continues to radicalize the Republican base and continues to be a danger to democracy. It is unreasonable if not insane to pretend he doesn’t exist.
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Diane,
I am not hung up on Dienne. Just am not!
I did maintain on this post that we should continue to criticize Putin and Trump. I have no issues with that.
Dienne is Dienne, and we are each ourselves. That what makes for interesting and rich learning. I’m okay with all. I don’t feel anyone big has been critical enough of Randi Weingarten and Michael Mulgrew, but I do notice you have allowed readers comments on Randi freely. Hardly anything is published on this blog about the corruptions of Michael Mulgrew and his direct role in facilitating the privatization of Medicare for over 250,000 NYC retirees, one of whom is your own partner.
All is fair in the land of Ravitchian blogs. I just wish people would stop attacking each other and critique the issues at hand. I tend mostly to shy away from sentences that start with “You . . . .”.
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Robert,
I am on my partner’s heath care plan, which is at risk of being privatized. We are strongly opposed to it. It could not have happened without Mulgrew’s support. Privatization is sold with bells and whistles, but many people will be stunned when they are denied service. The profit is crucial.
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Robert, Dienne went into moderation when she wrote that the Ukrainians are Nazis. Sorry, but that’s Putin propaganda.
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And yes, Diane, I stand with you on your views of Biden. I oppose privatization of public schools as well.
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Generalize and defeat all GOP- yes.
No, to the generalization of all Dems. Drill down on those who fund the defeat of progressive candidates e.g. AIPAC.
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I mostly read you for your condescension, Dienne, which is an unmitigated delight–kind of like being a teacher, you know?
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Trump, of course, worships only a) Mammon and b) Trump. And as is usually the case when he speaks, his speech this time was full of tells that he is about as religious as are, say, parasitic wasp larvae. For example, at one point in his speech, he was going on in his typical way about how Socialists want to destroy America and hate our values, including “our belief in God.” Then he said that one thing he could really tell about this crowd [the one he was speaking to], “You really like God.”
This is not how a believer speaks, of course. No believer says, “You know, I like God” for the same reason that believers don’t say, “Great haircut, God.” LMAO. But Trump is just too bizarre (and too stupid) to know that.
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Saying “I like God” is beyond stupid. Saying “You really like God” is treating God as a buddy.
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ofc; the statement reveals that religion is not something that Trump knows ANYTHING about or has ANY but the most MINIMAL experience of.
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But the FSM does have a great haircut! Praise his noodly appendages, Ramen!
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I’m agnostic about God, but I really like a permutation of the word.
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Permuted God
Permuted “God”
Is what I love
A muted dog
Is God above
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Dog so loved the world that he sent his only begotten pup
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Rover and Honey
Honey and Rover
In Garden of Eden
Romping in clover
And doggedly breedin’
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I Can Already Hear the Miranda Rap —
🤪 🤪 🤪
“The Rubber Room Where It Happened”
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LOL!!!
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Many of us on this blog are old enough to remember when Ronald Reagan was still president and denying on camera that he knew anything about any arms for hostages deal with Iran. Now, here’s the bizarre thing: at the time, EVERYONE knew that Reagan was lying, including the large number of Republican politicians and pundits who were saying loudly and often that he was innocent. Everyone knew.
Same thing with Trump’s defrauding the United States by pushing what he knew to be a Big Lie, his collusion to obstruct what is arguably the most important proceeding of our government, and his MANY simultaneous conspiracies to overturn, seditiously, the 2020 election. EVERYONE KNOWS.
If Merrick Garland doesn’t indict this seditious criminal, then the very idea of equal justice under law in this country is an utter joke.
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And now, ofc, enough time has passed that everyone agrees, even the most conservative of columnists who were writing in that era and are still alive and working. Yeah, of course Reagan knew about the arms for hostages deal. Yeah, of course he was in on it. Yeah, Trump is guilty of fraud and collusion to obstruct a government proceeding and seditious conspiracy.
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Question: what’s the difference between a President and a King?
Answer: A King can be held accountable.
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Sadly, this seems to be so.
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Allowing Reagan to violate the constitution so egregiously was an aspect of the Cold War. The politics of the Cold War was such that violation of the constitution was considered patriotic by a large part of the electorate
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That overlooking of violations of the Constitution and the law by the presidents was initiated by Pres Ford in pardoning Nixon.
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Extended, perhaps, but not initiated. The CIA meddled in the Italian elections post WWII, a violation of the constitution for sure. Going back into more distant history, tolerance of Jackson’s refusal to honor Marshall’s Supreme Court decision in Cherokee Nation v Georgia was most assuredly an offense that should have removed him from office (albeit that removal would have caused the dissolution of the Union). In more recent years, the falsification of WMDs in Iraq was surely in need of investigation. The list goes on, but pales by comparison to other countries in history.
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There is no justice system nor equal justice. There is a legal system that works well for those with a lot of $$$ and crushes those without that jack.
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“No justice, Just us”
“Just us” reigns
Throughout the Land
“Justice” feigns
With offered hand
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Pence did use his chance to be “historic” and will be forever known as the VP who saved the Constitution. Trump, the complete opposite of Pence, the man of Faith, certainly did not lend credibility to a conference claiming Faith.
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Well said!
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Pence will be known as the savior of the constitution only if the constitution can yet be saved.
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Seen on line, penned by a savant:
Pence didn’t do the right thing.
Pence just didn’t do the wrong thing.
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The correct headline- “Pence’s Actions Saved Him From a Trial for Treason/Sedition”
How about it, Diane?
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Good point. I saw a funny meme related to this. Where people posted things like “I drove by 4 banks today and didn’t rob any of them. I deserve lots of praise!” Because that’s pretty much what Pence did.
But what is most frightening to me is that Pence DID do something unusual for a Republican. If powerful and influential people were robbing banks and they punished anyone who didn’t join them in robbing banks, then driving by 4 banks without robbing any of them is brave.
We live in very dangerous times when there a so many lawbreaking folks in power that people that obey the law are considered “brave”.
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Trump’s role as a mob boss is underrated in my opinion. He strokes the ego of those who would use violence, then tries to give the appearance he had nothing to do with any of it.
Today, in an interview on Face the Nation, Representative Zoe Lofgren revealed that she and Representative Adam Kinzinger have received death threats. Kinzinger and his wife are parents of a five-month old baby. Trump’s goons attacking a senior citizen and a baby.
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Nailed it, Christine. Trump’s M.O. is PRECISELY that of the mob boss.
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Here’s Michael Cohen on the topic:
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Riddle me, riddle me, riddle me this . . .
Who am I?
I am. . . .
From New York
In the construction/building trades
I. . . .
Launder money for mobsters
Evade taxes
Do lots and lots and lots of big cash deals
Brag constantly about my wealth and my genius
Have the “best” of everything
Keep my tax returns and sources of income very, very secret
Have a violent temper
Have a thing for junk food
Demand loyalty oaths from subordinates, and if they
don’t deliver, get rid of them
Thrive on obsequiousness from those around me
Am constantly paranoid about betrayal
Constantly ridicule others
Constantly make up belittling nicknames and think that this is extraordinarily funny
Gesticulate a lot
Have two expressions: 1. utter rage and 2. smirk
Am casually and profoundly racist
Am extraordinarily narcissistic
Have a comb-over
Wear expensive, dapper suits
Am a serial abuser of women
Mangle the language
Am a blowhard
Cannot utter a sustained, coherent thought
Conduct business out of my “club”
Constantly complain about “fake news”
Am surrounded by dirty lawyers
Am subject to lots of investigations that don’t stick
Maintain plausible deniability
Brag about how they will never catch up to me
Figured it out yet?
Gotti. John Gotti.
And, ofc, that other Dapper Don, Don Cheeto “Littlefingers” Trumpbalone
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Yes, I’ve been saying the same, Bob. Mostly Teflon Don, though.
Seemingly (& thus far) gets away w/everything: nothing sticks,
just like John Gotti.
Until it did.
Merrick Garland has GOT to make it happen, make this stick.
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Yes! Exactly! Never a direct inculpatory threat always implied. The Loser to Mike Pence: “If you don’t destroy American democracy then I won’t ‘like’ you anymore…”.
Or to Marie Yovanovitch saying she will “go through some bad things” after not immediately hanging the Traitor’s pic in the embassy.
And to think this is the same mendacious Putin puppet installing treasonous secretaries of state all over the country RIGHT NOW to destroy our election system.
Yet sadly our AG thinks it looks bad to prosecute anyone in the Kremlin Russia RepubliQan Hate Cult. The Barbarians are at the gate Merrick – maybe time to put your sandwich down.
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Amen
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Recently, Lindsay Graham said- what I liked about trump was that we were all afraid of him, including me.
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We need the rapture – anyone who still believes Trump’s lies and says they’re a Christian will be taken to meet their maker. Something to pray for.
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We all knew that the anti-woman religious would not stop at overturn of Roe. They, in tandem, are manipulating internet search results to steer abortion clinic searches to fake clinics and misinformation. The reality and fear is that searches can be used to take women’s personal information to enforce abortion criminalization.
There’s no prohibition against rape against women in the Bible’s 10 Commandments because women were seen as men’s property.
Women who vote Republican are stupid.
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Ask and ye shall receive:
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The primary motivation for me to pay attention to this blog are the writings of Diane Ravitch on elementary and secondary education in the past 13 years or so. I knew of her reputation in the early 90s, respected but vehemently disagreed with many of her conclusions about future policy, but there was never a doubt about the quality of her analysis of past policy. I lost complete touch with her writings until about 2009. What has impressed me consistently is her ability to look dispassionately at facts and actual experience to admit past viewpoints that history has proven to be in error and documented (and continues to document) each of them. It is not the break with the past the impresses me, it is her vision for the future which would be nothing without her understanding of politics, policy, and governing. One area where I think she and I agree completely is on the essential role public education plays to maintain a widespread sense of and respect for democratic-republican decision-making by broad swaths of an affected population to create a responsive governing and policy-making function. Any policy or lack thereof that strays from or weakens that role essentially undermines the concept of democratic-republican governing. I do not think many of the commentators agree with or understand this. But that’s what I come from.
As for “friends” and “personal comments”, that really needs to be addressed. “Friends” in this case is not a pejorative. I consider people I do not know personally–Lloyd, Joel, Bob, Linda, NYCPSP, and many, many others–to be friends. I do not always agree with them, but I respect their views and they always inform mine. Others have other friends to whom they gravitate and feel the need to defend. Take that personally if you will, it was not ever intended as such. As for “personal comments”, the only ones who seem to take them personally are the ones who are asked to explain pity comments, or explain why an entire argument is moot and irrelevant because of one minor, usually off-the-cuff, comment or observation? When some ask to have this explained, this question are considered to be “personal” for some reason. Whatever you may think about NYCPSP, for example, the commentator explains and demands explanations. A bit long winded at times (doctor, heal thyself!), but always on point and too quick, in my view, to apologize. But just because some find these random outbursts with no context to be interesting and anticipated, we will have disagreements, all we ask is for those of you who retreat to “personal insult defenses” is to explain why you think what you choose to share here. I don’t think that’s “personal.”
The Weimar years, especially those leading up to January 1933 are particularly instructive for the times in which we are now living. Yes, the circumstances are quite unique, but the goal of lining up an ideological party platform with governing is incredibly revealing. The most succinct summation of this that I have read is at the German Museum of Resistance: “Even before 1933, communists, socialists, Social Democrats, and labor union members to a stand against Hitler’s ideas and aims. However, the workers’ movement did not form a united resistance front because the conflicts between communists and Social Democrats remained insurmountable. In the end, som labor union leaders even sought a compromise with the Hitler government. Many communists, Social Democrats, and labor union members were persecuted and arrested after the National Socialists took power.”
My comments above in responsive are not “personal”, but the fact that I point out that random grievances and the “obviousness” of solutions are not the formula of a political strategy. They are flailing comments that leave out many important issues, essentially ignoring reality. Foreign policy? Environmental policy? The reason our federal lawmaking function no longer works goes back to January 1995, it is not a recent phenomena. The solutions proposed assume there is a functioning system. There is not. There are only so many days on each legislative character and all the air out of essential functions like appropriations and deliberate understanding of a complex issue get lost. It is all about leadership political priorities. Under the old system, committee assignments and subcommittee work actually existed. It no longer does. Under the old system, advocacy mattered. It no longer does and it has seeped into the case management function of congressional offices. Rather than help any constituent, some are deemed more important than others.
Right now we are not in a policy fight, but one that will determine the existence of actual democratic-republican governing in the future where one faction sees the other as evil and always wrong and having factions within factions complain about individual policies. Not only are they fiddling as the Titanic goes down, they complain what will happen to furniture finish if it contacts salt water.
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Greg,
Thanks for the commentary. Informed, as usual, by your deep knowledge of Weimar Germany and the death of democracy.
Sometimes the comments make me feel like the umpire on a playground. But, so long as people are civil, try to tell the truth, and don’t spout insane conspiracy theories, I welcome them. Commenters who are detached from reality—like one who writes almost daily to claim that COVID vaccines are useless—are not welcome.
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GregB says: “all we ask is for those of you who retreat to “personal insult defenses” is to explain why you think what you choose to share here. I don’t think that’s “personal.”
Yep. Diane Ravitch mentioned commenters who spout conspiracy theories. I don’t mind that IF they are willing to defend their insane conspiracy theories with fact and reason. But when they simply whine that they are being personally insulted because someone challenges them, they should be called out. Not defended by their “friends”.
GregB, thank you for your post. As you say, “Right now we are not in a policy fight, but one that will determine the existence of actual democratic-republican governing in the future…”
AOC and the squad and Diane Ravitch understand this. They can debate policy with other Dems and criticize other Dems and yet they never act as useful idiots and help empower a Republican party that would destroy them. They never forget that while some Dems have policy disagreements, the Republicans would like to destroy them and are slowly taking over all the institutions designed to protect democracy and turning them into institutions to empower the far right.
There are some here who NEVER criticize Republicans, no matter how reprehensibly they behave. On the contrary, every single time the discussion is about something awful a Republican does, these Republican defenders instead demand we change the subject and discuss how horrible Democrats are.
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Insane conspiracy theories never have evidence or facts. Just opinion.
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Lots of typos as usual, but I meant to write, “…only so many days on the legislative calendar…” Too much discussion about Congress, priorities, and agendas leaves out the essential non-variables of time and schedules. One can only get so much done in the time allotted, and it is wasted, one doesn’t get it back. Time may be the most misunderstood political issue that matters.
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