Thanks for including the audio link for FDR's 3-15-1941 Lend Lease Speech. I listened to the whole thing (it's well worth the 13 minute time investment) and was stunned to see how closely his insights from 82 years ago parallel our current geopolitical situation. Soon after, history graphically demonstrated to all Americans what happens when authoritarians and dictators are let off the leash. What is past is prologue?
Ten or fifteen years ago, if someone told me that I would agree with, much less rally to, the words of Bill Kristol, I would not have believed them and probably punched them in the nose! Since writing the morning comments, he has articulated my thoughts and hopes for the country very well. Today’s post was inspiring; I hope the President takes his advice.
Bill Kristol, you might agree that it's much easier for a president to set out foreign policy principles to the public four months after he's reelected than six months before. FDR picked a good time for his speech, didn't he? The conventional wisdom, though, is that election campaigns need to be focused on domestic issues. Ukraine will be part of Biden's pitch, but not the top.
Re the cheap shot - would somebody tell me why HRC is speaking publicly about Trump? What purpose does it serve except her own needs for relevance and attention? She's not credible to the swing voters in the swing states who didn't vote for her in 2016 yet voted for Biden in 2020 and we need to vote for Biden again, so she's hurting Biden's cause. She should STFU.
I chuckled and lamented all at once when you wrote this bit of history and advice:
"As it happens, President Roosevelt gave this speech at the 1941 White House Correspondents Dinner, which took place four days after the Lend Lease vote. This year’s White House Correspondents Dinner is Saturday. But I wouldn’t follow FDR’s example in this respect. Biden, I suspect, should speak directly to the nation. From the Oval Office. Or perhaps from the FDR Memorial, which includes a quotation from his Lend Lease speech."
In fact, FDR was speaking to the nation when he spoke to the press at the WH Correspondents Dinner, because more people read newspapers in those days. In fact, more people probably could read back then. And radio news wasn't polluted and overrun by right wing pundits reinterpreting the meaning and parsing every clause to distort and belittle.
This is what Trump does: He projects his ills on to his opponent. (Psychologists say this is a coping mechanism common among narcissists.) And his followers take it up. Their reasons are ridiculous, like "Democrats want to turn the US into a communist state." Please write more to counter these ridiculous views.
"This means using this moment to broaden the anti-Trump coalition. This is the time to bring home to all Nikki Haley supporters, to all Reagan Republicans, to all those in any party who love liberty and loathe tyranny, that Trump is not with them. Indeed, that he is against them."
Those who support "Nikki Haley [...], to all Reagan Republicans, to all those in any party who love liberty and loathe tyranny," are most likely already aware that Trump [sic] is the wrong person, period... full stop. If they don't, then I'm not so sure anything said will beat home that point. Those who fit this demographic are, imo, too lazy to educate themselves further on the catastrophe that awaits us if Trump [sic] is returned to the Oval Office [turns head and spits three times between index and middle fingers].
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"drink deep from that well of sludge,"
I prefer to think of it as a Kool-Aid faux crystal punchbowl with a yuge orange turd floating in it.
I remember reading a profile of McCarthy that noted that he was not seen as particularly bright in his hometown, but a "nice guy". Don't know about the "nice guy", but I do agree with the not bright part.
He doesn't remember Hillary's concession speech to her supporters? There were tears from many of them. It was shown on broadcasts.
Off topic, but I’m a little sad the Bulwark hasn’t commented on what’s happening in the nation of Georgia. It looks like a big deal, and not good news for Putin.
There is no way that anyone but Trump (on the defense side) wants Trump to testify at his current trial. I am sure that the prosecution would LOVE to have Trump testify. He will make their case for them, if they give him a chance, because he is actually THAT stupid.
People like to paint Trump as some sort of brilliant player of the legal system.. and he may actually have been one at one time (though I give credit to his lawyers more than him, TBH). But he isn't any more. He is far too concerned with and busy with playing to the political rather than the legal aspects of all of this... and satiating his narcissism (which isn't actually possible). It is more about finding lawyers who are willing to do stupid things and make inane/farcicial arguments and embarass themselves in public, than anything else.
At the least, I expect him to be found guilty of the lesser charge of falsifying business records. Not sure if they will manage to get him for the felony.
And I fully expect that the jury will give far more credence to Cohen's testimony than Trump's defense wants/hopes. I would tend to believe the liar that worked for the bigger liar, myself.
Trump may have actually been smart at one point. But he has decompensated to the point that he no longer is.
Johnson admitted that it was receiving the intelligence with Biden that actually made him realize how dangerous the situation was without the reinforcements need from the US. That's what changed his mind on bringing the bill to the House. And we can thank Biden for having a number of meetings with him so that he could understand the dire situation for Ukraine. Terri Quint
We should start a new categorization of politicians that have no backbone whatsoever. The Jellyfish Club. I nominate Kevin McCarthy as the first member of The Jellyfish Club. May he ever float in peace.
Following the NYT comments on the Trump trial it seems like Blanche's opening statement is weak, just making claims the Trump did nothing wrong, but not alluding to any evidence that would prove such.
Thanks for including the audio link for FDR's 3-15-1941 Lend Lease Speech. I listened to the whole thing (it's well worth the 13 minute time investment) and was stunned to see how closely his insights from 82 years ago parallel our current geopolitical situation. Soon after, history graphically demonstrated to all Americans what happens when authoritarians and dictators are let off the leash. What is past is prologue?
Ten or fifteen years ago, if someone told me that I would agree with, much less rally to, the words of Bill Kristol, I would not have believed them and probably punched them in the nose! Since writing the morning comments, he has articulated my thoughts and hopes for the country very well. Today’s post was inspiring; I hope the President takes his advice.
Bill Kristol, you might agree that it's much easier for a president to set out foreign policy principles to the public four months after he's reelected than six months before. FDR picked a good time for his speech, didn't he? The conventional wisdom, though, is that election campaigns need to be focused on domestic issues. Ukraine will be part of Biden's pitch, but not the top.
Re the cheap shot - would somebody tell me why HRC is speaking publicly about Trump? What purpose does it serve except her own needs for relevance and attention? She's not credible to the swing voters in the swing states who didn't vote for her in 2016 yet voted for Biden in 2020 and we need to vote for Biden again, so she's hurting Biden's cause. She should STFU.
I chuckled and lamented all at once when you wrote this bit of history and advice:
"As it happens, President Roosevelt gave this speech at the 1941 White House Correspondents Dinner, which took place four days after the Lend Lease vote. This year’s White House Correspondents Dinner is Saturday. But I wouldn’t follow FDR’s example in this respect. Biden, I suspect, should speak directly to the nation. From the Oval Office. Or perhaps from the FDR Memorial, which includes a quotation from his Lend Lease speech."
In fact, FDR was speaking to the nation when he spoke to the press at the WH Correspondents Dinner, because more people read newspapers in those days. In fact, more people probably could read back then. And radio news wasn't polluted and overrun by right wing pundits reinterpreting the meaning and parsing every clause to distort and belittle.
Bill, my conservative friend who voted for Haley already knows Trump is a danger. But in order to keep his conscience clear after supporting him in 2020, he needs to tell himself - and his gurus in right-wing talk radio provide all the talking points he needs - that Biden is the greater danger. A recent AP-NORC Center poll found that Trump supporters are now saying the Democrats are a threat to Democracy (https://apnews.com/article/democracy-2024-election-trump-biden-poll-39309519c8473175c25ab5a305e629ba?link_id=1&can_id=58852f62e041d5b01a86985c4a51df6b&source=email-three-ways-to-diffuse-the-tension-8&email_referrer=email_2287612&email_subject=can-we-reduce-our-fear-around-the-election).
This is what Trump does: He projects his ills on to his opponent. (Psychologists say this is a coping mechanism common among narcissists.) And his followers take it up. Their reasons are ridiculous, like "Democrats want to turn the US into a communist state." Please write more to counter these ridiculous views.
I had to look up "polycule" to fully appreciate Tim's piece on Mike Johnson this morning. Totally worth the trouble!
Lots of “Cheap Shots” material for today. I particularly liked Matt Taibbi’s meltdown. He did not have a good weekend.
"This means using this moment to broaden the anti-Trump coalition. This is the time to bring home to all Nikki Haley supporters, to all Reagan Republicans, to all those in any party who love liberty and loathe tyranny, that Trump is not with them. Indeed, that he is against them."
Those who support "Nikki Haley [...], to all Reagan Republicans, to all those in any party who love liberty and loathe tyranny," are most likely already aware that Trump [sic] is the wrong person, period... full stop. If they don't, then I'm not so sure anything said will beat home that point. Those who fit this demographic are, imo, too lazy to educate themselves further on the catastrophe that awaits us if Trump [sic] is returned to the Oval Office [turns head and spits three times between index and middle fingers].
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"drink deep from that well of sludge,"
I prefer to think of it as a Kool-Aid faux crystal punchbowl with a yuge orange turd floating in it.
fnord
Kevin McCarthy, providing validity to the theorem that a creature that walks, talks, and looks like a duck is in fact a duck.
I remember reading a profile of McCarthy that noted that he was not seen as particularly bright in his hometown, but a "nice guy". Don't know about the "nice guy", but I do agree with the not bright part.
He doesn't remember Hillary's concession speech to her supporters? There were tears from many of them. It was shown on broadcasts.
Off topic, but I’m a little sad the Bulwark hasn’t commented on what’s happening in the nation of Georgia. It looks like a big deal, and not good news for Putin.
WRT Wehle's article:
There is no way that anyone but Trump (on the defense side) wants Trump to testify at his current trial. I am sure that the prosecution would LOVE to have Trump testify. He will make their case for them, if they give him a chance, because he is actually THAT stupid.
People like to paint Trump as some sort of brilliant player of the legal system.. and he may actually have been one at one time (though I give credit to his lawyers more than him, TBH). But he isn't any more. He is far too concerned with and busy with playing to the political rather than the legal aspects of all of this... and satiating his narcissism (which isn't actually possible). It is more about finding lawyers who are willing to do stupid things and make inane/farcicial arguments and embarass themselves in public, than anything else.
At the least, I expect him to be found guilty of the lesser charge of falsifying business records. Not sure if they will manage to get him for the felony.
And I fully expect that the jury will give far more credence to Cohen's testimony than Trump's defense wants/hopes. I would tend to believe the liar that worked for the bigger liar, myself.
Trump may have actually been smart at one point. But he has decompensated to the point that he no longer is.
Johnson admitted that it was receiving the intelligence with Biden that actually made him realize how dangerous the situation was without the reinforcements need from the US. That's what changed his mind on bringing the bill to the House. And we can thank Biden for having a number of meetings with him so that he could understand the dire situation for Ukraine. Terri Quint
We should start a new categorization of politicians that have no backbone whatsoever. The Jellyfish Club. I nominate Kevin McCarthy as the first member of The Jellyfish Club. May he ever float in peace.
Following the NYT comments on the Trump trial it seems like Blanche's opening statement is weak, just making claims the Trump did nothing wrong, but not alluding to any evidence that would prove such.