But First, Three Really Bad Jokes September 17, 2023 JOKE #1 – George Santos: it’s so fun to read his resume. JOKE #2 – Moralizer and, at 36, soon-to-be grandmother Lauren Boebert: at the theater. (Bush ethics czar wonders: what was in that vape?) JOKE #3 – Medal-of-Freedom recipient (a joke all by itself), subpoena defier, and former wrestling coach Jim Jordan: never said the election was stolen and never knew about the sexual abuse. There have been so many competent, honorable, admirable Republicans at every level of government over the course of our history, not least among them Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney. It was once the “Grand Old Party.” Now, led by a megalomaniacal pathological liar out for “vengeance” and “retribution” — an authoritarian who admires Putin and exchanges love letters with Kim — it has entirely lost its way and its soul. “No joke,” as our President would say. Speaking of whom . . . Last week’s speech on Bidenomics. Critics will point to his delivery, which can be less than perfect. But people who care about their well-being will focus on the substance: what he’s delivered. And on the stark contrast with MAGA-nomics. Does the nation need a demagogue with the rhetorical skills to incite a violent assault on the Capitol? Or a lifelong policy wonk who’s assembled an Administration that’s fighting for everybody, not just the rich and powerful? BONUS Wall Street Journal blows a major hole in Trump’s boasts about his trade policies. Maybe Mr. Trump should start giving out campaign hats that say “Make Vietnam Great Again.” . . . If Mr. Trump’s goal was to nudge businesses to friendlier locales, a better U.S. policy was to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement that excluded China. But Mr. Trump rejected that deal. The Pacific pact would have boosted trade among a dozen countries, including Vietnam, while offering companies an incentive to set up shop in those places. This approach would have avoided the collateral damage from Mr. Trump’s blunderbuss tariffs, . . . Mr. Trump’s answer, as usual, is to quintuple down in a second term. A universal 10% tariff would “raise taxes on American consumers by more than $300 billion a year—a tax increase rivaling the ones proposed by President Biden,” the Tax Foundation says. Including expected retaliation, it would “shrink the U.S. economy by 1.1 percent and threaten more than 825,000 U.S. jobs.” Slapping 10% tariffs on everything made by Vietnam, South Korea and other U.S. partners would have the effect of abandoning them to China’s economic sphere, which is the opposite of America’s geostrategic interests. Have a great week!
Mitt Tells All September 14, 2023 It’s so sad — and scary — to see the once-Grand Old Party publicly support an authoritarian leader they privately despise . . . . . . and reject decent, civil, capable, patriotic conservatives like Liz Cheney and Mitt Romney. Here is the Mitt Romney excerpt everyone is reading. It’s not just reproductive rights, climate, guns, or or tax breaks for the rich that are on the ballot next year — though, with much else, they are. As more and more are coming to realize, DEMOCRACY ITSELF is on the ballot. A nation governed by our Constitution and the rule of law. Trump calls for the termination of the Constitution in Truth Social post. Trump was right. By now, he really could walk down Fifth Avenue shooting people and his base would still support him. As would most elected Republicans in Washington and around the country. He promises to be their “vengeance.” Their “retribution.” In case you can help, please click here.
It’s Not Calisthenics September 13, 2023September 11, 2023 AGE New Hampshire Governor John Sununu has long predicted that neither Trump nor Biden will be on the 2024 ballot. With Trump, I think that could well be true. Not least because the gears are now in motion to bring the matter of his eligibility — rather, his non-eligibility — all the way to the Supreme Court. I wouldn’t be too quick to assume five Justices will want their names forever linked with the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, destroyer of democracy. With Biden, Andrew Sullivan is among those who applaud the President but hope he passes the torch. Of course, the President was too old the last time, too, yet won — and has done a terrific job. There have been the sandbag stumbles that get seized upon and in his second term there will be more. But it’s not a job of it’s not of jump rope or calisthenics; and it’s not just Joe we’ll be re-hiring, it’s also the 4,000 competent, vigorous younger people he’s appointed, 1,200 of whom required Senate confirmation. Yes, he’s an old guy; but an old guy with young women and men advising him, based on whose advice he makes wise decisions. Should the President and First Lady decide it’s in the country’s best interest to pass the torch, Gavin Newsom is among the many strong candidates primary voters could choose among. But take a few minutes to watch his perspective on that. He’s all in for Biden, and thinks we should be too. BINGE In case you have Hulu, consider Never Let Him Go. I knew nothing about it — my favorite way to watch something I have reason to think will be good — and wound up bingeing straight through all four. BONUS Per my recent book-banning post . . . THE PONTIFF’S MITRE You probably saw on social media that the President went yachting with the Pope. But did you know the Pontiff’s hat blew off? I’m not making this up; I read it on the Internet. And did you know that before anyone could stop him, the President went over the rail, walked across the water to retrieve it, picked it up, then walked back and returned it? The “main stream media” barely covered this, lest they be accused of being in the tank for Biden; Fox headlined it: “Biden Can’t Swim.”
It All Comes Down To This September 12, 2023September 11, 2023 Trump Is Explaining Exactly How Wild And Extreme His Second Term Would Be In case you can help, click here.
Must Watch, Must Read, And The Immigration Solution September 11, 2023September 10, 2023 One guy is running out of megalomania and to avoid prison. The other, to build a brighter world and save democracy. BIDEN: MUST WATCH Chris Coons makes the case. Six minutes. As do these quick spots: The Economy, Reproductive Rights, and The War. TRUMP: MUST READ Democracy’s Assassins Always Have Accomplices The greatest threat to our democracy comes not from demagogues like Mr. Trump or even from extremist followers like those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 but rather from the ordinary politicians, many of them inside the Capitol that day, who protect and enable him. . . . Unfortunately, today’s Republican Party more closely resembles the French right of the 1930s than the Spanish right of the early 1980s. Since the 2020 election, Republican leaders have enabled authoritarianism at four decisive moments . . . BONUS Michael Bloomberg: How Biden and Congress Should Fix the Immigration Crisis in Our Cities . . . The number of people seeking asylum at the southern border increased under President Donald Trump and has grown further under President Biden. The partial border wall has done nothing to slow the flow. Both parties created the problem, and both parties must work together to fix it. Most importantly, he argues, we should let asylum seekers work while they await resolution of their applications. The current system is insane, and too many Republicans like it that way (as described last week), because it’s a potent election issue. Have a great week!
Two Films And A Suit September 9, 2023September 8, 2023 Red, White, and Royal Blue is yours free if you have Amazon Prime. Fun. Not free, especially if you like popcorn — and not exactly fun, but ten stars out of ten — is Oppenheimer, which you’ve probably already seen but that I just saw yesterday. So worth the time. As you may have read, CREW is suing in Colorado to keep Trump off the ballot: Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, also known as the Disqualification Clause, bars any person from holding federal or state office who took an “oath…to support the Constitution of the United States” and then has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” On January 20, 2017, Donald Trump stood before the nation and took an oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” After losing the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump violated that oath by recruiting, inciting and encouraging a violent mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021 in a futile attempt to remain in office. “If the very fabric of our democracy is to hold, we must ensure that the Constitution is enforced and the same people who attacked our democratic system not be put in charge of it,” CREW President Noah Bookbinder said. . . . . . . [L]ast year CREW represented residents of New Mexico who sued to remove county commissioner Couy Griffin from office, the only successful case to be brought under Section 3 since 1869. The judge in that case determined January 6th was an insurrection under the Constitution and that someone who helped to incite it–even if not personally violent–had engaged in insurrection and was disqualified from office. “Spending 19 years as a state legislator and serving in leadership gave me the opportunity to work across the aisle and to always work to protect the freedoms our Constitution has given us as citizens,” said former [Republican] Colorado Senate Majority leader Norma Anderson. “I am proud to continue that work by bringing this lawsuit . . . ” “In my decade of service in the House of Representatives, I certified multiple presidential elections and saw firsthand the importance of ethics, the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power in our democracy,” said former Republican member of Congress Claudine Schneider. “This lawsuit is crucial to protecting and fortifying those fundamental democratic values, and I’m honored to be a part of it.” While the stakes surrounding Donald Trump’s disqualification in Colorado are greater than in the Griffin case, the law and many underlying facts are the same. Based on its laws, the calendar, and our courageous set of plaintiffs and witnesses, Colorado is a good venue to bring this first case, but it will not be the last. “As a longtime Republican who voted for him, I believe Donald Trump disqualified himself from running in 2024 by spreading lies, vilifying election workers, and fomenting an attack on the Capitol,” said conservative columnist for the Denver Post and Republican activist Krista Kafer. “Those who by force and by falsehood subvert democracy are unfit to participate in it. That’s why I am part of this lawsuit to prevent an insurrectionist from appearing on Colorado’s ballot.” I think CREW will win; and that when it gets to the Supreme Court, at least five Justices will vote to affirm. Those who say the Court shouldn’t decide whether he can be president, the people should, may be forgetting that the people did, by a margin of 7 million; but that he refused to accept their verdict and, instead, conspired to overthrow it. Why do they think he would accept it this time? Those who say knocking Trump off the ballot will make it harder for Democrats next year are probably right — but we’ll just have to win anyway. And I think we will. Have a great weekend!
Immigrants — They Get The Job Done September 7, 2023September 7, 2023 Yesterday’s The Daily about the 100,000+ immigrants who’ve flooded New York brought home what a human tragedy / political nightmare this all is and how skillfully the MAGA Republicans are exploiting it. Even before MAGA — way back in 2013 — Republicans blocked bipartisan Comprehensive Immigration Reform. It had passed the Senate 68-32. A wide majority in the House was on board. Obama was eager to sign. (Here is a really good narrative about what it would have achieved; its widespread conservative support; and why the House Republicans blocked it.) Had the Hastert rule not been invoked (named after later-imprisoned Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert), the bill would have become law. None of this is new. Nearly two million Irish arrived in the 1840s to escape starvation (U.S. population at the time: 20 million.) It led to formation of the Know Nothing Party (sound familiar?) — and to violence. Quoting from the previously-recommended The Hard Hat Riot: Nixon, New York City, and the Dawn of the White Working-Class Revolution: In 1850s New York City, nine in ten laborers and seven in ten domestic servants were Irish-born. The majority of the city‘s poorhouse, as in Philadelphia and Boston, were Irish as well.… In 1844 Philadelphia, a Protestant mob killed fourteen. In 1855 Louisville, an anti-Catholic riot murdered at least twenty. Still they came. By 1860, New York City’s, Irish population exceeded Dublin‘s. At least one in four New Yorkers and Bostonians was Irish born. There are those who would say that — bad as we would surely have felt for the starving Irish — we should have let them starve. We can’t solve all the world’s problems. If we allowed open borders (which we clearly do not, and which no elected Democrat advocates), we would be overwhelmed. What made it worse in the 1840s is that the U.S. was mired in a depression that lasted halfway through the decade. And yet they came, were allowed to stay, and the U.S. is arguably the better for it. House speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, both with Irish roots, likely think so. (And don’t forget: there’s no one as Irish as Barack Obama!) It’s in our interest to do more to address the conditions in countries from which people flee, so fewer do. And it’s in our interest to agree on a sensible system of legal immigration — and enforce it. Fareed Zakaria asserts this can be done: Immigration can be fixed. So why aren’t we doing it? In May, it seemed obvious that the United States was going to face an unmanageable border crisis. . . . . . . In fact, as it turned out, there was no crisis. The number of encounters with migrants at the southern border actually dropped by a third [after the COVID rule expired] . . . It seems that the Biden administration’s plan worked. It put in place a series of measures designed to deal with the impending problem, chiefly a stiff penalty for crossing the border illegally (deportation plus a five-year ban on any reentry), coupled with expanding ways to apply for legal asylum in the migrant’s home country. It was a welcome case of well-designed policy making a difference. But this success does not change the fact that the U.S. immigration system is broken. . . . The migration crisis is being exacerbated by politics on both sides. The MAGA right, of course, demonizes migrants and asylum seekers and prefers no solution because a crisis helps it politically. But the far left routinely attacks any sensible measures aimed at curbing the influx as cruel, inhumane and illegal. . . . The laws and rules around asylum must be fixed so that immigration authorities can focus on the small number of genuine asylum seekers while compelling the rest to seek other legal means of entry. At the same time, it’s important to note that the United States is facing a drastic shortfall of labor and must expand legal immigration in many areas for just that reason. We urgently need to attract the world’s best technically skilled people so that they can push forward the information and biotech revolutions that are transforming the economy and life itself. With unemployment rates around 50-year lows, it is obvious that we need more workers in many sectors of the economy, from agriculture to hospitality. If this is done in a legal and orderly manner, Americans will welcome the new workers. Biden has tried to work with Republicans on several issues, and he has even had a few successes. He should propose an immigration bill that is genuinely bipartisan and forces compromises from both sides. It would be one more strong dose of evidence that policy can triumph over populism. Amen.
From Helsinki, Finland to Mason City, Iowa September 6, 2023September 5, 2023 WHO’S THE TOUGH GUY? WHO’S THE PUPPET? Conservative columnist Max Boot: “If you want to know the differences on national security between Democrats and MAGA Republicans, it all boils down to one word: Helsinki.” Trump came to Helsinki to kowtow to Putin. Biden came to stand up to him. . . . “I’ve been doing this a long time. I don’t think NATO’s ever been stronger,” Biden said during a meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. He’s right, and he deserves a world of credit for that achievement. Biden has shown more skill at marshaling an international coalition than any U.S. president since George H.W. Bush during the 1991 Gulf War. . . . . . . The very real possibility that Trump could win back the presidency in 2024 fills U.S. allies with dread — and offers hope to U.S. enemies. John Bolton, who was Trump’s national security adviser, has said Trump came close to pulling out of NATO in 2018 and would do so if elected to another term. . . . Indeed, the very prospect that Trump could return to office encourages Putin to prolong the conflict. Dmitry Medvedev, former president of Russia and vice chairman of Putin’s security council, said in May that Trump “is a good guy but cowardly” and that “historically, it has always been easier to work with Republicans.” Medvedev acknowledged that, from the Kremlin’s perspective, “the main thing” is that Biden not win reelection. So, if you believe in making America, rather than Russia, “great again,” it’s imperative for Biden to win in 2024 . . . BOOK BANNING “Banning all books with depictions of sex acts is important because surely we don’t want our children to know about sex. But books about murder? They’re OK. Liars? No problem. Stealing? OK. Nuclear war. Not a problem. So just sex. That’s what we need to ban? Effed up.” — Thomas J. Moore, MD Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Endocrinology Boston University School of Medicine, reacting to a guest essay from a Mason City, Iowa, educator that concludes: I have a million better things to do with my time than keep kids from books. Teachers have real work to do. We already have a process in place that allows parents to ask us to reconsider books and instructional materials we make available. Our district has not had a formal challenge to a book in our libraries in over two decades, indicating that parents are not worried about what is on the shelves. I believe in parents’ rights. I want all the parents in our country to be actively making the decisions they believe are best for their children. At the same time, let’s not overlook our collective responsibility to achieve the goal of the American public education system — to ensure that every child has access to the highest quality teaching and opportunities for learning. Much of that opportunity can be found in the discoveries that await on library shelves. That’s why we must protect our public schools from the political agendas that are hobbling them. Worth reading in full. 30-Second BONUS He got to work.
Today’s Absolutely-Must-Read September 4, 2023 ‘Ghostbuster’ Bill Barr was the ‘Who Ya Gonna Call?’ guy for 3 treasonous GOP presidents . . . The depth and breadth of Bill Barr’s possible crimes against democracy are just now coming into clearer focus. We shouldn’t be surprised: like Ghostbusters, Bill Barr has been the “Who ya gonna call?” guy for Republican presidents committing treason for 30 years. Most people know that when the Mueller investigation was completed — documenting ten prosecutable cases of Trump personally engaging in criminal obstruction of justice and witness tampering to prevent the Mueller Report investigators from getting to the bottom of his 2016 connections to Russia — Barr buried the report for weeks while lying to the American people about its content. But what’s coming out now is far more sinister: the Trump campaign and Paul Manafort were working with Russian oligarchs Oleg Derapaska and Konstantin Kilimnik to prevent Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — who they believed was an anti-Putin hardliner — from becoming president. Their combined efforts succeeded and Barr, when he learned about it, appears to have helped cover it up. . . . . . . The CIA then alerted spies around the world that their identities had probably been compromised, apparently by the president himself. . . . And so much more. Worth reading in full! BONUS Here’s what he was like in high school.
Blowing Horns And The Hard-Hat Riot September 2, 2023 Don’t Blow Your Horn At Old People — 90 seconds. The videos tab — the ultimate self-indulgence, an old guy blowing his own horn — is now more or less complete, including the one with David Letterman before he got famous. (Thanks to my unsung web mistress, Summer Sights, for the site upgrade and much else!) And now let’s talk about that riot. “Have a great Labor Day weekend and remember this holiday is brought to you by Democrats.” So read the subject line of an email blast I got yesterday. I’ve been reading The Hardhat Riot: Nixon, New York City, and the Dawn of the White Working-Class Revolution and, boy, is it relevant 53 years later. Pro-union Democrats have done so much for the working man — overtime! worker safety! the minimum wage! unemployment insurance! weekends! Medicare! Social Security! — with Republicans fighting every bit of it. Yet we’ve badly blown getting that message across, starting more than half a century ago, as this book vividly recounts. (Read Chapter 9!) Our policies have been mostly terrific for the white working class — and deservedly so. But the “deservedly so” part has failed to take its rightful place in our rhetoric (and perhaps in our consciousnesses), so focused have we been on righting the injustices suffered by women, people of color, LGBT+ people, Native Americans, poor children, and others dealt a particularly bad hand. White working guys, who did and do so much to build our roads and skyscrapers, the McMansions of the rich and the dorm rooms of privileged college kids — the farmers and truckers and dockhands and mailmen and grocers and tradesmen without whom white collar folks like me would be totally lost — these guys have been made to feel disrespected, looked down on, and unappreciated. Rarely on purpose, but that’s how they feel, and we are guilty of allowing it to happen. Again: not with our policies, which show MUCH greater respect for working white guys and their families than Republican policies do. But with some of the things we say — and some of the things we too often forget to say. Which the Right emphasizes at every opportunity. That Trump “loves the poorly educated” is only half their formula. The other half is their constant drumbeat that we are the party of “the elites.” It’s Trump — who stiffs contractors and under-pays undocumented workers at Mar-A-Lago — it’s Princeton and Harvard Law graduates like Ted Cruz — who are true friends of the white working class. Or so they have managed to persuade millions of good people. We need to honor those workers Monday and throughout the year, letting them know — and perhaps reminding ourselves — how much we respect their skills and value their hard work, often much harder than our own. Happy Labor Day! Have a great weekend.