The whole Nat-C crowd (yes, I'm taking up Scott's suggestion) just makes me sad because the positions are so extreme meaning the disagreements just come off as extremeley stupid; or would be if so many people weren't self-marooned in that world. Surely if you're saying it's just Muslims who are ruining this country or if it's Muslims and Jews together, the fact you're even having that debate is the real trouble?
I know lots of countries have a far-right group of vile, racist haters these days and America's only special in that we let one of them into the Oval Office, but seriously, America: what the hell?
Maybe I'm just a soft-hearted old fool for still being bothered by this and feeling even a bit of sympathy. I console myself by remembering that's how I keep from turning into them. Which feels important these days. But even so: America, what the actual *hell*?
I don't know if this counts as happy news in this context, but the Onion's bit of satire this morning at least made me smile: https://tinyurl.com/2t2f7y3b
Are the vaccine "mandates" really so heavy handed? The mandates were NOT created to to require everyone to get one, period. The were instituted to protect those that may pass through your space. If you don't want to expose your child to protections, don't expose your unprotected to others. Not everyone can get some vaccines for specific medical conditions due to other medical conditions. To fail to vaccinate a child who CAN be vaccinated who has direct exposure to a child who cannot could be tantamount to murder! The mandate results in protection of everyone, including those who can't be vaccinated. Polio, measles, whooping cough and small pox amongst a host of other childhood diseases became things of the past BECAUSE of such mandates. How did we let the country become so stupid?
A good rule of thumb for Democrats is, don't lift a finger to help Republicans out of their own mess. Make them own it. All of it. Yes, it means people might get hurt. but a lot of those people probably voted for Trump and this congress. They will have to learn the hard way.
If you offer any solutions, extract a price Republicans won't pay. Like raising taxes on the rich to pay for health care for everyone else.
It is not a bad day to read that Russell Vought just shot himself in the foot. His hoof ‘n mouth disease statement will get back to who ever hates Vought and has Felon Trump’s ear, or rather, DonOld will hear it firsthand. Didn’t take him too long to get rid of Elon, and obliterate his political chances. I guess we can say that in NatCon, the dog caught the car. Now what! Again, thanks Bulwark for making my day.
I love all my Bulwark children equally but I especially care for Andrew Egger. It is so reassuring for me to see Christians against Christian nationalism. Proof that there are more than dozens of us!
Here is the latest news from CNN. This may not be fully relevant to this article, but I find it extraordinary, even for a Republican. What, if anything, does this mean? The President is not saying the scandal is a hoax, he is saying that the Democrats' demand that the details be revealed is a hoax. In what sense could that be a "hoax"? Meaning false, or deceptive. Why makes that demand false or deceptive? Words seem to have no meaning to Speaker Johnson.
QUOTE:
House Speaker Johnson defends Trump calling Epstein saga a "hoax"
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended President Donald Trump’s comments calling the efforts to release the Jeffrey Epstein files a “hoax,” arguing that the president is being “misrepresented.”
“What Trump is referring to is the hoax that the Democrats are using to try to attack him,” he said.
“It’s been misrepresented. He’s not saying that what Epstein did is a hoax. It’s a terrible, unspeakable evil. He believes that himself,” he added.
Democrats, Johnson said, are “doing it for political purposes. Not everybody, but a lot of them, and that’s what the president’s frustrated about.”
Echoing the president, Johnson said that the Democrats are “creating a hoax” and that Trump “has clean hands. He wants all the records out.”
Asked whether Trump should meet with Epstein abuse victims, Johnson said, “I suspect he probably will.”
Johnson also said he doesn’t expect that GOP Rep. Thomas Massie will succeed in obtaining enough signatures for his discharge petition, the mechanism Massie is using to force a House vote on his bill to release all the Epstein files. That push, he said, “has been mooted.”
“He is actively working against his team almost daily now and, and seems to enjoy that role. So he is, you know, deciding his own fate,” Johnson said when asked if he’d support Massie’s reelection bid.
Regarding JVL’s second footnote on Hammer’s comment about wanting America to be dominated by a “Hebrew Bible rooted and centric Christianity” that term seems like a sort of dog-whistle for Protestant Christianity, since the Catholic Church uses the older Septuagint instead of the later developed Hebrew Bible.
Which raises the perennial question of, what place, if any, is there for Catholics in this Christian Nationalist project?
I’ve always seen this as a sort of Achilles heel in the American Christian Nationalist project, since any attempt at it will likely fail without the support of the Catholic Church (seeing that it is the largest, most organized, and best funded denomination in America), but at the same time, many of the people in the movement can’t stop intimating that while Jews *might* have a place in such an America, Catholics won’t.
My two age 20s daughters receive tax credits. One daughter's insurance will increase from $2400/year to $9600. The other daughters insurance will cost even more.
They would lose insurance except we have the means to help them stay insured. Nonetheless this will be a huge price shock for millions! Over 24 million people enrolled in and received premium subsidies for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace for the 2025 coverage year.
Back in the 60s and 70s (I'm 75, so first-person narrative here), there were protests with emotion, issues to fight for that seemed essential and speakers like Mario Savio that spoke with eloquence and conviction. Much was intensely felt and effective (more or less), even if the shine has come off a bit. Once the Vietnam war started to wind down and the voting rights act passed and it seemed like we had "won" the fight against racism and an ill-conceived war, the air came out of the balloon. I have a distinct memory of a speaker at a rally (his name has long since exited my memory) at the tail end of the movement. He tried every thing. Loud, earnest and filled with profanity. All the normal protest ingredients. He bombed. Completely. It was a painful experience for all of us.
This piece is actually hopeful, because it implies that the MAGA movement is subject to the same forces of political gravity. Like Seinfield, its a show about nothing, but not as funny.
Bari Weiss has parlayed her neo-insurgent media presence into a take over of CBS.
Team Bulwark must now take the reins of MSNBC!
Excellent reporting as always, Andrew especially.
The whole Nat-C crowd (yes, I'm taking up Scott's suggestion) just makes me sad because the positions are so extreme meaning the disagreements just come off as extremeley stupid; or would be if so many people weren't self-marooned in that world. Surely if you're saying it's just Muslims who are ruining this country or if it's Muslims and Jews together, the fact you're even having that debate is the real trouble?
I know lots of countries have a far-right group of vile, racist haters these days and America's only special in that we let one of them into the Oval Office, but seriously, America: what the hell?
Maybe I'm just a soft-hearted old fool for still being bothered by this and feeling even a bit of sympathy. I console myself by remembering that's how I keep from turning into them. Which feels important these days. But even so: America, what the actual *hell*?
I don't know if this counts as happy news in this context, but the Onion's bit of satire this morning at least made me smile: https://tinyurl.com/2t2f7y3b
Are the vaccine "mandates" really so heavy handed? The mandates were NOT created to to require everyone to get one, period. The were instituted to protect those that may pass through your space. If you don't want to expose your child to protections, don't expose your unprotected to others. Not everyone can get some vaccines for specific medical conditions due to other medical conditions. To fail to vaccinate a child who CAN be vaccinated who has direct exposure to a child who cannot could be tantamount to murder! The mandate results in protection of everyone, including those who can't be vaccinated. Polio, measles, whooping cough and small pox amongst a host of other childhood diseases became things of the past BECAUSE of such mandates. How did we let the country become so stupid?
Trump always puts black men at Housing and Urban Development. To the racist in chief, black=urban.
I agree with your statement about
Can’t we just call them “Nat-Cs”?
Couldn't agree more. Now, how do we make sure Chuck Schumer gets the memo to allow the Waterloo, and then doesn't capitulate like a complete weakling?
Whodathunkit ; 40 years of complete disagreement with Bill and now I find myself in agreement…forward republicans to your Waterloo…
When our politics are beyond parody:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGdkBe3kf-M
OK, that's just mean. :-)
A good rule of thumb for Democrats is, don't lift a finger to help Republicans out of their own mess. Make them own it. All of it. Yes, it means people might get hurt. but a lot of those people probably voted for Trump and this congress. They will have to learn the hard way.
If you offer any solutions, extract a price Republicans won't pay. Like raising taxes on the rich to pay for health care for everyone else.
Make 'em touch the stove.
The gop is trump, his whims and follies. That's it. These people are fooling themselves.
It is not a bad day to read that Russell Vought just shot himself in the foot. His hoof ‘n mouth disease statement will get back to who ever hates Vought and has Felon Trump’s ear, or rather, DonOld will hear it firsthand. Didn’t take him too long to get rid of Elon, and obliterate his political chances. I guess we can say that in NatCon, the dog caught the car. Now what! Again, thanks Bulwark for making my day.
I love all my Bulwark children equally but I especially care for Andrew Egger. It is so reassuring for me to see Christians against Christian nationalism. Proof that there are more than dozens of us!
Here is the latest news from CNN. This may not be fully relevant to this article, but I find it extraordinary, even for a Republican. What, if anything, does this mean? The President is not saying the scandal is a hoax, he is saying that the Democrats' demand that the details be revealed is a hoax. In what sense could that be a "hoax"? Meaning false, or deceptive. Why makes that demand false or deceptive? Words seem to have no meaning to Speaker Johnson.
QUOTE:
House Speaker Johnson defends Trump calling Epstein saga a "hoax"
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended President Donald Trump’s comments calling the efforts to release the Jeffrey Epstein files a “hoax,” arguing that the president is being “misrepresented.”
“What Trump is referring to is the hoax that the Democrats are using to try to attack him,” he said.
“It’s been misrepresented. He’s not saying that what Epstein did is a hoax. It’s a terrible, unspeakable evil. He believes that himself,” he added.
Democrats, Johnson said, are “doing it for political purposes. Not everybody, but a lot of them, and that’s what the president’s frustrated about.”
Echoing the president, Johnson said that the Democrats are “creating a hoax” and that Trump “has clean hands. He wants all the records out.”
Asked whether Trump should meet with Epstein abuse victims, Johnson said, “I suspect he probably will.”
Johnson also said he doesn’t expect that GOP Rep. Thomas Massie will succeed in obtaining enough signatures for his discharge petition, the mechanism Massie is using to force a House vote on his bill to release all the Epstein files. That push, he said, “has been mooted.”
“He is actively working against his team almost daily now and, and seems to enjoy that role. So he is, you know, deciding his own fate,” Johnson said when asked if he’d support Massie’s reelection bid.
And this man calls himself a Christian? I think there is a picture of Mike Johnson under the description of the word hypocrite and stupid.
"There is no fire! It's only his enemies blowing smoke!"
As though we weren't hearing "hoax" for the umpteenth time and didn't know precisely what it means.
Regarding JVL’s second footnote on Hammer’s comment about wanting America to be dominated by a “Hebrew Bible rooted and centric Christianity” that term seems like a sort of dog-whistle for Protestant Christianity, since the Catholic Church uses the older Septuagint instead of the later developed Hebrew Bible.
Which raises the perennial question of, what place, if any, is there for Catholics in this Christian Nationalist project?
I’ve always seen this as a sort of Achilles heel in the American Christian Nationalist project, since any attempt at it will likely fail without the support of the Catholic Church (seeing that it is the largest, most organized, and best funded denomination in America), but at the same time, many of the people in the movement can’t stop intimating that while Jews *might* have a place in such an America, Catholics won’t.
My two age 20s daughters receive tax credits. One daughter's insurance will increase from $2400/year to $9600. The other daughters insurance will cost even more.
They would lose insurance except we have the means to help them stay insured. Nonetheless this will be a huge price shock for millions! Over 24 million people enrolled in and received premium subsidies for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace for the 2025 coverage year.
Back in the 60s and 70s (I'm 75, so first-person narrative here), there were protests with emotion, issues to fight for that seemed essential and speakers like Mario Savio that spoke with eloquence and conviction. Much was intensely felt and effective (more or less), even if the shine has come off a bit. Once the Vietnam war started to wind down and the voting rights act passed and it seemed like we had "won" the fight against racism and an ill-conceived war, the air came out of the balloon. I have a distinct memory of a speaker at a rally (his name has long since exited my memory) at the tail end of the movement. He tried every thing. Loud, earnest and filled with profanity. All the normal protest ingredients. He bombed. Completely. It was a painful experience for all of us.
This piece is actually hopeful, because it implies that the MAGA movement is subject to the same forces of political gravity. Like Seinfield, its a show about nothing, but not as funny.