2020 Political Chatter

[climbgdh]

Without social media, he disappears.

The world can only hope.......

[vertical_doug]

Stimulus checks are inflationary according to the big chief L. Summers who very recently said they were a big mistake. It is nice that the post Georgia runoff lets the town criers claim Dow records are in response to forthcoming help for workers but Wall Street money poured into the two republicans right up to the end.

Without question, the rally is responding to expectations of additional (fiscal) stimulus. This is the 'now'.

Larry Summers is commenting on the long term. He is probably right and the overheating speculative nature of the current market is probably already sowing its own seeds of destruction.

Wall Street money supporting the republicans is not about stimulus, it is about taxation and regulation. They see democrats as more likely to regulate and tax their income streams hence in selfish interest support the GOP. Loeffler received a huge amount of money if NYSE/ICE where she worked and her husband is chairman. Ken Griffin is also a supporter. She is on committees with oversight on their businesses, and it is obvious why they prefer her.

[ldamelio]

Without social media, he disappears.

I hope so. My concern is that his lack of access to social media will only inflame the psychopathology. My hope and belief is that there are enough checks and balances in our government and the military to keep him from doing more damage on the way out. The next 11 days can't pass quickly enough.

[monadnocky]

...The next 11 days can't pass quickly enough.

I'm not drinking this month, but I'm making an exception on the 20th, one that I will absolutely not regret.

[ides1056]

If I broke into the Capitol Building I would expect to be shot. I have no sympathy for the woman who was.

[colker]

I'm not drinking this month, but I'm making an exception on the 20th, one that I will absolutely not regret.

I suggest single malt, pure, no ice.

[Todd Amunrud]

This video puts fear into my heart. This insurrection isn’t over yet. Impeachment needs to happen.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/09/us/of...deo/index.html

[DJB]

https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/chris-99178053752

Another video that shows not all was goofy costumes and smiling podium carriers.

Re systemic racism- the book "Broken Heart of America" by Walter Johnson is tough to read but speaks clearly of a system that was broken from the start. It uses the City of St. Louis as prism to view the expansion of Europeans into the west at the expense of the Native Americans and then the central role St. Louis plaid in the creation and sustainment of the system that enslaved and brutalized people, extending right through Michael Brown and Ferguson. OOF.

Politico today had an article about the MAGA folks turning on Trump. Chickens coming home to roost, leopards eating faces etc...

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link...9-2457c0193b6c

This link is to a PDF that my daughter shared with me about a way to think about systemic racism and introduce the topic to an audience that might not be receptive at first.

To me, clearly, the President should be expelled from office and the people (especially politicians who chose political ambition over the truth) who offer shelter and support for the ideas that encouraged the mob to march have lost all credibility with me, probably forever.

[vertical_doug]

From Jay Nordlinger in the national review (The mob was not a bunch of goombahs)


In 2006, I was interviewing Michael Chertoff, who was then the secretary of homeland security. I’m pretty sure we were talking about Richard Reid, the “shoe bomber.” In 2001, he tried to detonate a shoe bomb on a flight from Paris to Miami. The bomb did not go off. People considered Reid a pathetic, almost goofy figure. They laughed at him.

But only because the bomb didn’t go off. If it had, he would have been remembered in history as a monster. A spectacular mass-murderer.

Chertoff told me that he had worked as a U.S. attorney in New Jersey. He had dealt with a lot of bad guys — a lot of murderers and would-be murderers. Let me paraphrase what he said:

“You know, none of them is very smart. They’re all kind of goombahs. But when they succeed, they are considered evil geniuses. No they’re not, they’re just lucky. When the same type of person does not succeed — he’s thought of as a pathetic schlub. Even worthy of pity.”

I have had many occasions to think of this over the years.

• This morning, Luke Russert (son of Tim) had a tweet that brought me up short. He wrote about the presidential succession: after the president, the vice president; the speaker of the House; and the president pro tempore of the Senate. All of them came close to being physically harmed on Wednesday, Russert wrote. The rioters had “operable bombs, killed an officer,” etc.

This is very serious business.

• As I see it, Donald Trump sicced a mob on Mike Pence (and others). What will this do to the vice president’s view of Trump? It would take a Shakespeare to explore the question, I think.

• In Michigan, a bunch of thugs plotted to kidnap the governor, Gretchen Whitmer. They wanted to “try” her and then — what would the sentence have been? Sure, they failed, so now they’re just a bunch of frisky dudes, concerned about pandemic policies.

But if they had not failed . . .

[gregl]

But if they had not failed . . .

We should remember the lessons of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. It turned out to be the precursor to September 11, 2001. The Capitol assault that took place this week will give nefarious individuals and organizations ideas and knowledge for future attacks. One would hope the cognizant authorities are terrified by this week’s events and are redoubling the security efforts for the upcoming inauguration and future events.

Greg

[AngryScientist]

Question: rumor mill suggests trump will select Giuliani and Dershowitz for his impeachment defense team - if he winds up needing one.

Who foots the bill for those clowns?

[vertical_doug]

Question: rumor mill suggests trump will select Giuliani and Dershowitz for his impeachment defense team - if he winds up needing one.

Who foots the bill for those clowns?

Trump has $300mm in his Save America SuperPac. He can use that. Or they will just ask for donations for the Defend Trump fund.

Rumor is the 'Stop the Steal' March was really 'Save America' March and funded by Trump's SuperPac. This is the link needing establishing.

[fastupslowdown]

All kidding aside I think the United States has to have some serious discussions on how to balance domestic terrorism and the first amendment. The FBI was clearly caught off guard and the laws do not sufficiently recognize domestic terrorism as a threat. It's actually a far bigger threat than any posed by Isis or Al Qaeda. -Mike G

[fastupslowdown]

Question: rumor mill suggests trump will select Giuliani and Dershowitz for his impeachment defense team - if he winds up needing one.

Who foots the bill for those clowns?

Rudy is likely to get disbarred after January 20th. He'll need his own lawyer -Mike G

[fastupslowdown]

Trump has $300mm in his Save America SuperPac. He can use that. Or they will just ask for donations for the Defend Trump fund.

Rumor is the 'Stop the Steal' March was really 'Save America' March and funded by Trump's SuperPac. This is the link needing establishing.

After January 6th, Trump won't be getting any more donations except from the hardest core of supporters. The spigot has been turned off and without social media he's lost a great deal of his ability to communicate. Facebook and Twitter just emasculated Donald Trump. In his mind, this is probably worse than impeachment -Mike G

[bigbill]

We should remember the lessons of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. It turned out to be the precursor to September 11, 2001. The Capitol assault that took place this week will give nefarious individuals and organizations ideas and knowledge for future attacks. One would hope the cognizant authorities are terrified by this week’s events and are redoubling the security efforts for the upcoming inauguration and future events.

Greg

One of my cycling routes takes me past the trailer park where Timothy McVeigh lived with Michael Fortier who helped him plan the bombing in OK City.

[fastupslowdown]

I have very mixed views on impeachment. Trump needs to face repercussions but if impeachment is about removing him from office before January 20th that's simply not going to happen. The Senate is not in session and they there isn't likely to be a 2/3's vote. Still thinking about this. The right thing would be for Trump to resign. Nixon did but Nixon was an institutionalist , Trump is a narcissist or should I say psychopath. -Mike G

[colker]

All kidding aside I think the United States has to have some serious discussions on how to balance domestic terrorism and the first amendment. The FBI was clearly caught off guard and the laws do not sufficiently recognize domestic terrorism as a threat. It's actually a far bigger threat than any posed by Isis or Al Qaeda. -Mike G

I have been watching (other non cycling) forums and reading opinions; some of them point to a blissfull ignorance of the meaning of the word democracy. There is an assumption that democracy means whatever you decide it´s good for you and not a set of protected institutions: congress, justice, press. Another assumption is that facts and rumour are the same so that any tale of secret cabals equals facts reported by papers; the equivalency happening under the notion that papers in themselves are a secret cabal. Lastly is the notion that politicians are aliens who landed to threaten the existence of decent people; not the elected for office humans in a political system that although imperfect is still better than a tyranny. No matter how much you sympathyze w/ the tyrant.
There is an urgent need of simple political education.

[Drew]

There is an urgent need of ... education.

Across the board. Civics test to vote; basic personal finance education to graduate high school, and proof of such before anyone signs for a car loan, mortgage, or credit card.

But I digress. Won't happen in the Land of Freedom.

[colker]

I have very mixed views on impeachment. Trump needs to face repercussions but if impeachment is about removing him from office before January 20th that's simply not going to happen. The Senate is not in session and they there isn't likely to be a 2/3's vote. Still thinking about this. The right thing would be for Trump to resign. Nixon did but Nixon was an institutionalist , Trump is a narcissist or should I say psychopath. -Mike G

Whatever his psychosis is he tried to overthrow an institution, a pillar of american democracy. Impeachment is a wild bet. Otoh he should be charged and taken to court for crimes against the state.