If there is no center, and progressives are now the minority, which both appear to be true, the Constitution is dead, the rule of law is gone, and we are close to a return of lex talionis, in which all of us will lose, but the idea, and the ideals, that were “the United States of America” will permanently die except as a footnote in future history books, probably written by AI. My grandson will face this, I likely won’t at 77, in ill health, pushing myself too hard still, and utterly disgusted at the apparent majority of Americans, beaten by the morbidly rich into ignorance, bigotry, cruelty, polarization. Having spent my functional life entirely in the 29th century, I cannot leave the horror show that passes for life now quickly enough. Even with a great family, friends, a comfortable life all things considered, and the blessing of living in Northern California. I guess I am too empathetic, and see the misery of billions of fellow humans, not millions or thousands, as unconscionable and unbearably tragic. My life will be shorter from my suffering for other people and my inability to do all but a trivial amount to be of help.
Seems a lot of Senators and Congressmen and women get real comfortable with their jobs, and somehow along the way forget exactly what that job is when it comes to standing up for the people who voted them into office . The big money and dark money and getting re-elected becomes more powerful than what’s best for the American people. Then they try to convince everyone how much good they’ve done for everyone. They tell their lies over and over until it sounds like the truth,even to themselves.
Though I have railed against Tillis since he has been my Senator, I have always had a glimmer of hope that he might come forth as a decent man. He has done so on some occasions, and yes he has folded on most things. Notable exception being Ukraine. His worst mistake so far was Hegseth of which I remind him every time Hegseth screws up which has been a lot. The term he is finishing was a gift, he was going down hard in 2020 but the democrat couldn't keep it in his pants and blew the election. The Jan 6 vote was unforgivable, but we are all capable of redemption and it is never too late to do the right thing. He can do some good in the next 18 months particularly now that he has no reason not to be a reliable voice. In short Mr. Kristol he did not deserve this trashing especially from you who ran right to trump at the drop of a bomb.
"And it’s been a choice for the Supreme Court of the United States, which under the leadership of another decent man, Chief Justice John Roberts"
Bill, decent men don't rule in favor of Citizen's United. There was never any question as to what that ruling was about. Fuck whatever bullshit old-school Republican "constitutional" justification you can conjure for it; we know exactly where that ruling was going, and we knew it at the time.
As for Thillis: lol @ expecting Republicans to step up and be moderate. If you were going to do that, you'd switch to being a Democrat, no matter how conservative you'd be. I know because I've done the math. I thought about running for office as a Republican. If you're a serious person, it is impossible. Tillis' only saving grace is that he isn't a new guy, he's been in for a long time. But as I've intimated above--the Republican party has been a cesspit for evil, stupidity, and weakness for a long time. The only reason they have any power at all is because they've convinced people (and it still lingers, stupidly, weakly, in people at the Bulwark) that "being Republican" is who they are.
We're going to destroy that in people. "Identifying" your SELF with a political party is the gayest, weakest shit I've ever heard.
Surely, Tillis is TACO2, always with the bluster but consistently chickening out. Now, he leaves with his tail between his legs, giving the Orange Caligula another scalp in his quiver. His tirade on the Senate floor is classic too little, (WAY) too late. His legacy is Hegseth, Bondi, Patel, RFK, Jr.-a truly miserable resume' for the chicken from NC. May your future lobbying result in as much failure as your Senate role did.
Thom Tillis is a coward and an opportunistic one at that. He confessed when he said now, after announcing his retirement, he could speak his mind and “call balls and strikes”.
Tillis is a coward amongst cowards. He is in fine company in the Senate: Collins, Murkowsk are two of the most prominent. Many Republicans fit the bill and not a few Democrats. Craven, feckless politicians beholden to everything but decency, truth, common sense, and an America that needs a future that includes hope and inclusion and decency and an opportunity to not only lead the world, but to lead ourselves.
The House is also full of cowards. Men and women who know better, who admit behind closed doors that they are doing the wrong thing but do it anyway out of fear of losing an election or not being able to stand up the the most craven man to ever lead this country.
Tillis doesn’t deserve anything for speaking a few words of truth on the Senate floor. He is complicit in the horror that is now the United States government.
Now the question will move to what replaces him. Hate and fear and greed and lies or something else? When will America tire of the former and finally move on?
The center right is not holding because of closed partisan primaries. Republican politicians that care about institutions know that over half the registered Republican voters hate the institutions and want to burn it all down. Moderate Republican have responded by switching to Independent registration, taking themselves out of the only elections that matter in most districts - the primary. End closed partisan primaries do like WA and CA and go open top two primary or open ranked choice.
What is “the center” exactly? Great ideas, but wrapped in a foundation of racism, misogyny and culturalism. Perhaps it is not holding because of that flawed foundation. How can the foundation of the great ideas of our founding fathers co-exist within the culture of racism, misogyny, etc.? It can’t.
Decent men? They live and breathe (perhaps unbeknownst to them) that racism, misogyny and culturalism. Unless these “decent men” can open their eyes and realistically see themselves, “the center” implodes.
Much as I respect Bill, anyone calling Tillis “decent” should re-acquaint themselves with his record-including in federal court-when he was NC’s state house Speaker.
Elon Musk is roaring back into the fray. He'll be primarying those who voted for this Very Bad Bloated Bill if it's "the last thing he'd does on this earth." Well, assuming he has not yet relocated to Mars, that sounds interesting. He has already mucked around in at least one gigantic election.
There hasn't been anyone but cowards and opportunists since Cheney left. "Institutionalists" just seem like the sibling who wants to keep peace even though Mom and Dad are abusive drug users. Maybe Tillis is admitting what he is made of, or more generously, trying to open a door for a Democrat.
Well observed as always Bill and Andrew. Thom Tillis and his ilk always make me think of that Biblical admonition about gaining the world and losing your soul. And at the end of this sordid process, he (and they) seem to have neither. But Bill, I must challenge you on on one statement: You said we will have to endure what Trump and his minions are subjecting us to for another 3.5 years, and I truly believe this is incorrect. I think we need to endure it only for another 1.5, until the Dems take back the House and, I now believe, even the Senate. For the 2 years following that, we will need to endure investigations, impeachments, stasis at the Federal level and Trump's daily meltdowns (which could actually be kind of fun). . .Not exactly what we want, but a lot better than what we've got. I'm especially looking forward to Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi's testimony when the House convenes an investigation into everything the immigrants have suffered in detention.
If there is no center, and progressives are now the minority, which both appear to be true, the Constitution is dead, the rule of law is gone, and we are close to a return of lex talionis, in which all of us will lose, but the idea, and the ideals, that were “the United States of America” will permanently die except as a footnote in future history books, probably written by AI. My grandson will face this, I likely won’t at 77, in ill health, pushing myself too hard still, and utterly disgusted at the apparent majority of Americans, beaten by the morbidly rich into ignorance, bigotry, cruelty, polarization. Having spent my functional life entirely in the 29th century, I cannot leave the horror show that passes for life now quickly enough. Even with a great family, friends, a comfortable life all things considered, and the blessing of living in Northern California. I guess I am too empathetic, and see the misery of billions of fellow humans, not millions or thousands, as unconscionable and unbearably tragic. My life will be shorter from my suffering for other people and my inability to do all but a trivial amount to be of help.
He wanted to avoid a final showdown with Trump. Nobody knows how that would go.
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.”
Yeats never seemed so prescient.
William you know your Yeats
and you know your country.
Thank you
for your inspiring clarity.
We shall defend
and build the center.
It shall hold.
Seems a lot of Senators and Congressmen and women get real comfortable with their jobs, and somehow along the way forget exactly what that job is when it comes to standing up for the people who voted them into office . The big money and dark money and getting re-elected becomes more powerful than what’s best for the American people. Then they try to convince everyone how much good they’ve done for everyone. They tell their lies over and over until it sounds like the truth,even to themselves.
Though I have railed against Tillis since he has been my Senator, I have always had a glimmer of hope that he might come forth as a decent man. He has done so on some occasions, and yes he has folded on most things. Notable exception being Ukraine. His worst mistake so far was Hegseth of which I remind him every time Hegseth screws up which has been a lot. The term he is finishing was a gift, he was going down hard in 2020 but the democrat couldn't keep it in his pants and blew the election. The Jan 6 vote was unforgivable, but we are all capable of redemption and it is never too late to do the right thing. He can do some good in the next 18 months particularly now that he has no reason not to be a reliable voice. In short Mr. Kristol he did not deserve this trashing especially from you who ran right to trump at the drop of a bomb.
"And it’s been a choice for the Supreme Court of the United States, which under the leadership of another decent man, Chief Justice John Roberts"
Bill, decent men don't rule in favor of Citizen's United. There was never any question as to what that ruling was about. Fuck whatever bullshit old-school Republican "constitutional" justification you can conjure for it; we know exactly where that ruling was going, and we knew it at the time.
Evil incarnate: https://youtu.be/UgQGJjQq4uk?si=NgQdxhofQAdMlbz7
As for Thillis: lol @ expecting Republicans to step up and be moderate. If you were going to do that, you'd switch to being a Democrat, no matter how conservative you'd be. I know because I've done the math. I thought about running for office as a Republican. If you're a serious person, it is impossible. Tillis' only saving grace is that he isn't a new guy, he's been in for a long time. But as I've intimated above--the Republican party has been a cesspit for evil, stupidity, and weakness for a long time. The only reason they have any power at all is because they've convinced people (and it still lingers, stupidly, weakly, in people at the Bulwark) that "being Republican" is who they are.
We're going to destroy that in people. "Identifying" your SELF with a political party is the gayest, weakest shit I've ever heard.
Surely, Tillis is TACO2, always with the bluster but consistently chickening out. Now, he leaves with his tail between his legs, giving the Orange Caligula another scalp in his quiver. His tirade on the Senate floor is classic too little, (WAY) too late. His legacy is Hegseth, Bondi, Patel, RFK, Jr.-a truly miserable resume' for the chicken from NC. May your future lobbying result in as much failure as your Senate role did.
If Roy Cooper is elected Senator in 2026, that is a good outcome.
Thom Tillis is a coward and an opportunistic one at that. He confessed when he said now, after announcing his retirement, he could speak his mind and “call balls and strikes”.
Tillis is a coward amongst cowards. He is in fine company in the Senate: Collins, Murkowsk are two of the most prominent. Many Republicans fit the bill and not a few Democrats. Craven, feckless politicians beholden to everything but decency, truth, common sense, and an America that needs a future that includes hope and inclusion and decency and an opportunity to not only lead the world, but to lead ourselves.
The House is also full of cowards. Men and women who know better, who admit behind closed doors that they are doing the wrong thing but do it anyway out of fear of losing an election or not being able to stand up the the most craven man to ever lead this country.
Tillis doesn’t deserve anything for speaking a few words of truth on the Senate floor. He is complicit in the horror that is now the United States government.
Now the question will move to what replaces him. Hate and fear and greed and lies or something else? When will America tire of the former and finally move on?
The center right is not holding because of closed partisan primaries. Republican politicians that care about institutions know that over half the registered Republican voters hate the institutions and want to burn it all down. Moderate Republican have responded by switching to Independent registration, taking themselves out of the only elections that matter in most districts - the primary. End closed partisan primaries do like WA and CA and go open top two primary or open ranked choice.
What is “the center” exactly? Great ideas, but wrapped in a foundation of racism, misogyny and culturalism. Perhaps it is not holding because of that flawed foundation. How can the foundation of the great ideas of our founding fathers co-exist within the culture of racism, misogyny, etc.? It can’t.
Decent men? They live and breathe (perhaps unbeknownst to them) that racism, misogyny and culturalism. Unless these “decent men” can open their eyes and realistically see themselves, “the center” implodes.
Much as I respect Bill, anyone calling Tillis “decent” should re-acquaint themselves with his record-including in federal court-when he was NC’s state house Speaker.
Elon Musk is roaring back into the fray. He'll be primarying those who voted for this Very Bad Bloated Bill if it's "the last thing he'd does on this earth." Well, assuming he has not yet relocated to Mars, that sounds interesting. He has already mucked around in at least one gigantic election.
There hasn't been anyone but cowards and opportunists since Cheney left. "Institutionalists" just seem like the sibling who wants to keep peace even though Mom and Dad are abusive drug users. Maybe Tillis is admitting what he is made of, or more generously, trying to open a door for a Democrat.
Well observed as always Bill and Andrew. Thom Tillis and his ilk always make me think of that Biblical admonition about gaining the world and losing your soul. And at the end of this sordid process, he (and they) seem to have neither. But Bill, I must challenge you on on one statement: You said we will have to endure what Trump and his minions are subjecting us to for another 3.5 years, and I truly believe this is incorrect. I think we need to endure it only for another 1.5, until the Dems take back the House and, I now believe, even the Senate. For the 2 years following that, we will need to endure investigations, impeachments, stasis at the Federal level and Trump's daily meltdowns (which could actually be kind of fun). . .Not exactly what we want, but a lot better than what we've got. I'm especially looking forward to Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi's testimony when the House convenes an investigation into everything the immigrants have suffered in detention.
(Edited to correct typos.)