“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it -- always.”
simon rosenberg has been keeping me sane since early 2022. i somehow got hooked up with his stuff (not yet hopium chronicles) before the midterms and he kept me making calls and postcarding and making my friends canvass in MI and making me make my aunt in PA vote D.
Ta, Marcie. My hope is more personal, although I appreciate that Biden is President, Harris is VP, and Democrats are FIRED UP to keep it that way. Early tomorrow, beloved fiancé Meccalopolis and I pick up our marriage license and will marry on the 15th of next month. Our lives are blessed.
Chief Political Hack Roberts' opinion in Trump v. US finally ties together all of the conservative threads for a unitary executive together, and exposes all of the shitty opinions decriminalizing briberby and interfering in an official act, and protecting authoritarian elements in the US by Political Hacks Alito and Thomas for what they are. A concerted effort by the Court to overthrow our democracy from within.
The ultimate core power of the President of the United States is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. All other powers of the President derive from this constitutional requirement. Biden can now use his expanded powers to arrest and try Roberts, Thomas and Alito for sedition, and Thomas and Alito for bribery.
All we have to do is get Biden re-elected. And then -- assuming the makeup of the USSC doesn't change too much and these last few bullshit decisions don't get reversed, allowing us to feel like democracy has a chance again -- get a another Democrat re-elected every four years after that. We are only in trouble if at any time in the next few hundred years a conservative manages to be elected President. Easy-peasy lemon squeezy, and all that.
Did anyone hear Elie Mystal on Sirius Progress (Zirlina Maxwell's show) this morning. He has some serious anger going on, the way we all feel probably, and had a list of things that could be done. It starts with expanding the court and not funding the Supreme Court in the way they are accustomed. Wonder if anyone at the national level is even trying to come up with a way to counteract the 6 out of control people that have responsibility for tanking our democracy-after 250 years?
The USSC also needs some rules. Ethics rules. Legal rules. Like “no more bribing Clarence Thomas,” and “no, decisions cannot be made based on the words of fifth-century witchfinders from England.”
oh yeah and serious ethics oversight by a harda$$ group that will not be afraid to step in do what is necessary to make the court become reputable again.
We also need serious guardrails on the SC. It doesn't matter how many people are on the court if they can do whatever they want and face no restrictions from anyone.
Got a call yesterday. It was labeled "survey research." I thought to myself "well, I'm in a swing state, lets give this a whirl.
Started out ok, although my researcher brain raised a few flags. Then there was a question "Do you think it is in America's interest to support Israel against Hamas or not in America's interest..." I told the caller that that was a false choice and I would not answer the question.
The next question started "Did you know that Jackie Rosen believes in abortion through the 9th month and up to birth?" At which point I said that it was now clear who he was working for and I was not interested in supporting their efforts and hung up.
Dang, a chance to be part of a 2024 election poll and I just couldn't stomach it.
I told him that his choices were a false choice and a poorly worded survey, but when he started with the anti-abortion BS I just couldn't deal w/him anymore
We want universal healthcare, affordable housing, job opportunities, good education, social programs that serve us all especially the poor, clear air water food environment. Basic rights many other countries have had for years.
What the right wants - nothing for anyone else, to imprison or kill those they disagree with or don't like, they are every ist, ism and phobe known, they are hate and evil.
The supremely corrupt court rwnjs showed the liberal women exactly what they think of them every day and have dismantled every protection they get their hands on. They had no business taking up the fucking moron's case. They did it for Project 2025.
Whether they are true believers or craven greedy assholes, we all know the RW justices (I want to call them the six foolish souls) are being well paid and well cared for to dismantle the New Deal and set POC, other religions, and females back on their heels and down on their knees. To them, we've gone Too Far. To us, we haven't gone far enough.
We must help to convince millions of would-be voters about what is truly at stake in this election. And we must somehow help them to register to vote, confirm their registrations, gather their IDs, and help them to prepare for the act of voting, which might be incredibly difficult in many of these states. And that's just one election, but it's THE election of this century (so far).
This is not a game for those who would voluntarily take their pieces off the board. We must support D candidates, Pro Publica, the Mark Elias Group, and I'm sure you could name others who are fighting for us every day. We must also support the people who keep us informed about all the news we need to hear (Heather Cox Richardson's Letters from an American, Wonkette, Jeff Tiedrich's Everyone is Entitled to My Opinion, Liz Dye of Law and Chaos, Evan's The Moral High Ground, Stephen Robinson's The Play Typer Guy, Crip Dyke's substack, and numerous other talented communicators, I just listed a few off the top of my head).
Please post your favorites to follow, and please post links to those who are trying to harness us to communicate with voters far and wide about what's happening this year. It's going to be rough, but those of us who are able should do what we can to help. I'm still angry, I'm still afraid, but if I don't do something now, if I don't speak up, how could I look at myself in the mirror ever again?
The federalist society has been hard at work for decades and we are seeing their results.
Join Indivisible.org (started by congressional staffers) and other organizations like them. I don't have one in my immediate area because I live in red heehaw hell and may not be safe for me.
I guess they haven't realized that Chump will have no need for a Supreme Court to help him out because he's going to be the sum total of law in America.
Another reason to be hopeful: DJT as president (past and *gasp* future) may have some level of legal immunity for his dastardly deeds ... but his accomplices won't necessarily enjoy that projection and may still be liable to prosecution. As Giuliani, Bannon, Stone, Dubinsky, Manafort, Kilimnik, Flynn, Gates, Cohen, Papadopoulos, and so so many others* can attest, Trump can get away with corruption but his cronies are vulnerable. *Wow, it's a really really long list, not even counting the civil frauds.
Someone wiser than I once advised me that when the final outcome is truly unknowable, you might as well hold the belief that gives your heart ease.
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it -- always.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
This isn't *quite* a reason to be hopeful, but it did get a chuckle out of me:
"America has room for only ONE King... and it's ME." -- Stephen King, re the SCOTUS decision
OK, going out to hang myself in the garage now.
simon rosenberg has been keeping me sane since early 2022. i somehow got hooked up with his stuff (not yet hopium chronicles) before the midterms and he kept me making calls and postcarding and making my friends canvass in MI and making me make my aunt in PA vote D.
i really really need his hopium right now.
To quote from the Hopium Chronicles, I'd rather be us than them!
Ta, Marcie. My hope is more personal, although I appreciate that Biden is President, Harris is VP, and Democrats are FIRED UP to keep it that way. Early tomorrow, beloved fiancé Meccalopolis and I pick up our marriage license and will marry on the 15th of next month. Our lives are blessed.
Congratulations!
I think this should become the unofficial Wonkette anthem for people celebrating relationships- Jason Isbell's "MOLOTOV."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV1r1PnE9Ws
Chorus:
I broke a promise to myself
To ride the throttle 'til wheels came off
Burn out like a Molotov in the night sky
I broke a promise to myself
Made a couple to a brown eyed girl
Who rode with me through the mean ol' world
Never say die
https://substack.com/@paulomatic/note/c-60781791?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=edsu
Seriously? That's great! Congratulations Z AND M.
Chief Political Hack Roberts' opinion in Trump v. US finally ties together all of the conservative threads for a unitary executive together, and exposes all of the shitty opinions decriminalizing briberby and interfering in an official act, and protecting authoritarian elements in the US by Political Hacks Alito and Thomas for what they are. A concerted effort by the Court to overthrow our democracy from within.
The ultimate core power of the President of the United States is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. All other powers of the President derive from this constitutional requirement. Biden can now use his expanded powers to arrest and try Roberts, Thomas and Alito for sedition, and Thomas and Alito for bribery.
All we have to do is get Biden re-elected. And then -- assuming the makeup of the USSC doesn't change too much and these last few bullshit decisions don't get reversed, allowing us to feel like democracy has a chance again -- get a another Democrat re-elected every four years after that. We are only in trouble if at any time in the next few hundred years a conservative manages to be elected President. Easy-peasy lemon squeezy, and all that.
Did anyone hear Elie Mystal on Sirius Progress (Zirlina Maxwell's show) this morning. He has some serious anger going on, the way we all feel probably, and had a list of things that could be done. It starts with expanding the court and not funding the Supreme Court in the way they are accustomed. Wonder if anyone at the national level is even trying to come up with a way to counteract the 6 out of control people that have responsibility for tanking our democracy-after 250 years?
The USSC also needs some rules. Ethics rules. Legal rules. Like “no more bribing Clarence Thomas,” and “no, decisions cannot be made based on the words of fifth-century witchfinders from England.”
oh yeah and serious ethics oversight by a harda$$ group that will not be afraid to step in do what is necessary to make the court become reputable again.
Expand and pack the court - it’s the only way
We also need serious guardrails on the SC. It doesn't matter how many people are on the court if they can do whatever they want and face no restrictions from anyone.
Got a call yesterday. It was labeled "survey research." I thought to myself "well, I'm in a swing state, lets give this a whirl.
Started out ok, although my researcher brain raised a few flags. Then there was a question "Do you think it is in America's interest to support Israel against Hamas or not in America's interest..." I told the caller that that was a false choice and I would not answer the question.
The next question started "Did you know that Jackie Rosen believes in abortion through the 9th month and up to birth?" At which point I said that it was now clear who he was working for and I was not interested in supporting their efforts and hung up.
Dang, a chance to be part of a 2024 election poll and I just couldn't stomach it.
I used to be a republican (in name only), I used to enjoy playing with those republican surveys and listen to them splutter.
I told him that his choices were a false choice and a poorly worded survey, but when he started with the anti-abortion BS I just couldn't deal w/him anymore
Merci, Marcie!
Damn, I needed that. Thank you.
It is july 2 2024 and rush limbaugh is still dead.
And while PRIDE may be over, it still stands for:
Pat
Robertson
Is
Dead
Everybody
A celebration we can all get behind!
We are realists while the right is fucking crazy.
We want universal healthcare, affordable housing, job opportunities, good education, social programs that serve us all especially the poor, clear air water food environment. Basic rights many other countries have had for years.
What the right wants - nothing for anyone else, to imprison or kill those they disagree with or don't like, they are every ist, ism and phobe known, they are hate and evil.
The supremely corrupt court rwnjs showed the liberal women exactly what they think of them every day and have dismantled every protection they get their hands on. They had no business taking up the fucking moron's case. They did it for Project 2025.
Whether they are true believers or craven greedy assholes, we all know the RW justices (I want to call them the six foolish souls) are being well paid and well cared for to dismantle the New Deal and set POC, other religions, and females back on their heels and down on their knees. To them, we've gone Too Far. To us, we haven't gone far enough.
We must help to convince millions of would-be voters about what is truly at stake in this election. And we must somehow help them to register to vote, confirm their registrations, gather their IDs, and help them to prepare for the act of voting, which might be incredibly difficult in many of these states. And that's just one election, but it's THE election of this century (so far).
This is not a game for those who would voluntarily take their pieces off the board. We must support D candidates, Pro Publica, the Mark Elias Group, and I'm sure you could name others who are fighting for us every day. We must also support the people who keep us informed about all the news we need to hear (Heather Cox Richardson's Letters from an American, Wonkette, Jeff Tiedrich's Everyone is Entitled to My Opinion, Liz Dye of Law and Chaos, Evan's The Moral High Ground, Stephen Robinson's The Play Typer Guy, Crip Dyke's substack, and numerous other talented communicators, I just listed a few off the top of my head).
Please post your favorites to follow, and please post links to those who are trying to harness us to communicate with voters far and wide about what's happening this year. It's going to be rough, but those of us who are able should do what we can to help. I'm still angry, I'm still afraid, but if I don't do something now, if I don't speak up, how could I look at myself in the mirror ever again?
The federalist society has been hard at work for decades and we are seeing their results.
Join Indivisible.org (started by congressional staffers) and other organizations like them. I don't have one in my immediate area because I live in red heehaw hell and may not be safe for me.
I guess they haven't realized that Chump will have no need for a Supreme Court to help him out because he's going to be the sum total of law in America.
Another reason to be hopeful: DJT as president (past and *gasp* future) may have some level of legal immunity for his dastardly deeds ... but his accomplices won't necessarily enjoy that projection and may still be liable to prosecution. As Giuliani, Bannon, Stone, Dubinsky, Manafort, Kilimnik, Flynn, Gates, Cohen, Papadopoulos, and so so many others* can attest, Trump can get away with corruption but his cronies are vulnerable. *Wow, it's a really really long list, not even counting the civil frauds.
But he can give them all pardons. (Signed) gloomy gus
Only if we let him back into office.
True, and he'll probably be more confident to issue all the pardons he can this time. Drat, my 4th holiday just got a little dimmer. ;)
You don't just give 'em away, either. They are gold!
When Jared was handling them, they were 2M. I assume Chump got 1.5M and Jared got .5M as an administrative fee.
Oh, Marcie, thank you so much for this post. The last 24 hours have sucked real bad.
MARCIE, THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!