You reach fruitlessly for descriptions of Kevin McCarthy’s recent dive off the high board of political hackdom, but they are inadequate: hypocrite, coward, craven simpering perfidious deceitful dissembler, throbbing treasonous prevaricating poltroon…
Liz Cheney. Wow. The name Cheney resurrects nightmares of the Bush years, and yet she is apparently on the side of angels...right now. McConnell and McCarthy seem in disarray, and that is all to the good. But I am loathe to declare even partial victory in the face of Republican victories in local elections, which would nullify progress in restoring democracy if fully realized. The Mcs are in hot water, but does that mean they are losing the fight for the soul of America? A real question, truly wondering.
I could not agree more. Back during my coming of age — the mid to late ‘60’s at Cal — my older sister and I, both attending there, took different routes. She became more of a conservative Republican than our parents and I became more of a liberal and registered with the Democratic Party when I turned voting age. These 50+ years later — during the many years in between when our sisterly relationship was often on ice — our political inclinations are back in synch and in alignment re the issues that Lucian writes about so expertly.
Red-faced Democrats and their like-minded allies are desperately finger-pointing and gesticulating apoplectically at House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's tape-recorded telephone conversations with Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney in the days following the January 6 insurrection, in which McCarthy tells Cheney that he is going to tell Donald Trump that he needs to resign for the good of the country. Where have we heard that before, because we know what happened afterward… McCarthy's testosterone evaporates faster than sizzling water drops on a hot frying pan. Of course McCarthy lied about what he said he was going to do; and of course Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell never directly confronted Trump with his actions, either. McCarthy basically gave the same speech as McConnell gave the week after the insurrection; and yet the next thing we see is a photo of Trump and McCarthy standing together smiling for the camera. The fact that McConnell and McCarthy are cowardly hypocrites is replicated time and again throughout Republicanland. With them, it's all crickets; even the whimpering of a cowering dog would show more spunk and spine then these two so-called 'leaders'. The moral collapse of American Republicanism could not be more complete, nor more starkly rendered in the public square. McCarthy's denials of his statement of intent were soap bubble thin when he gave them; and every one of us knew that he was lying about it, over and over again. That's really not the issue here. The real issue is whether we, the voters, have sufficient self-respect in ourselves and what we believe to be the proper way for elected officials to act, that we would vote against these guys out of office in a New York minute. It isn't the McCarthy's and the McConnell's failures of character that are at issue, it's ours. My suggestion would be that we gather up a thousand or so Ukrainian refugees and put them on speaking tours around the country to remind people of what patriotism and courage are supposed to be like. For starters, I would put one of these refugees on every street corner in Kevin McCarthy's congressional district and the same in every town and city in Kentucky, and tell everyone who will listen what it's like to have your country blown up under your feet by the likes of Vladimir Putin and his army of barbarians, with the silence and assent of McCarthy, McConnell, and every single one of the Republican political class in America.
The backlash will come. America is a slow burn, but the fire will come and the Republicans will get the boot and if they try to jam the election, then revolution will; come. Yes, it can happen here. Most Americans are decent and they will act, grudgingly but they will.
Reminds me of the brave journalists who “exposed” Der Fuhrer before he came to power — and later paid with their lives for it — to an electorate that didn’t care what their beloved Leader had done, or would do.
They (McCarthy and McConnell, et al) should be in terror of the people who vote for Trump because the same people attacked their 'place of business' on the reported 'say-so' of that man, who isn't the worth the lead of the bullet to shoot him with.
Those people are literally the bottom dregs of society-not necessarily poor people (although many of them are) but they're the 'true believers' that any con man or strong man needs to stay in power. Hitler and others did.
I don't know what kind of word to describe them with but it's not going to be a pretty sounding one. They're the ones who are also driving this pandemic-because they don't believe in science or vaccines and they're the ones who were the majority of deaths last year because they were not vaccinated.
We have all suffered from them and Trump-but the people who voted for Trump have always been there, just like they'll be there for the next fool.
The Republican Party has no other option than to pander to them because that's who they appeal to-and Trump takes full advantage of it.
And don't forget the rich enablers who are fully aware of who Trump is and don't care. They avoided his rallies and tweets but voted for him to pass the tax reform giveaway bill plus more deregulation. They contributed money behind this awful guy to protect their special interests. Don't put it all on the trailer trash. They don't have enough money to elect him. They are the window dressing for the Trump's nonelitist act. Kevin McCarthy is no better than a common ward heeler who kow tows to his ward boss.
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what I would say was REALLY even more unbelievable (and which happened, probably a few minutes after you posted this entry) is that McCarthy, in the face of the tape, is actually doubling down on the first lie he told after the brief period in which he wasn't lying. which is to say that he lied DESPITE the evidence of the tape, blaming the "corporate media" for trying to take our minds off the REALPROBLEM, which is how the Democrats are wrecking the country. I said that I "would" find it unbelievable, but then I took a minute or so to figure out why anyone would say anything so completely stupid, then realized the basis for McCarthy's double (or is it triple? quadruple??) lie, and it's still a tad early to figure out if he's right or not. it's that base. he took his cue from TFF, who is able to say the most outrageous shit and be believed. but, as you quite deftly explain, TFF is NOT a regular politician. consequently, the normal politician stuff doesn't quite apply to him. where I hope McCarthy is wrong about is in thinking that what applies to TFF does NOT apply to him. but I said "hope." what's doesn't help is something I realized all too well today, when I had my streaming off and cable on--to watch, god help me, MTG's insistence on her own dementia--is that both CNN and MSNBC seem to have already determined that it might as well be a year from now, after a crushing democratic defeat. they're both discussing the battle for which republican is going to end up being Speaker. say it enough times and people will start assuming it's a done deal and maybe not vote. I thought they were partisan on OUR side. what's the deal with this? and finally, is it still sort of a rule that one doesn't wear brown shoes with a blue suit or am I as hopelessly out of date about this as well as everything else?
I ask myself that same question, every time I see the photo evidence. I’m actually old enough to be hopelessly out of date on pretty much everything, but I still sneer, as though it were white shoes after Labor Day. 😉😂
Honestly, only one thing matters: was it covered in the Bakersfield newspaper, and did his constituents see it, and do they care. If they vote him out of office, some other greasy Republican House member elsewhere in the country, hopefully not from California, will take his place.
And what kind of people vote for these guys?…deplorableus rectumites.
Bravo….and even that phrase bestows more dignity than any of them deserve!
Liz Cheney. Wow. The name Cheney resurrects nightmares of the Bush years, and yet she is apparently on the side of angels...right now. McConnell and McCarthy seem in disarray, and that is all to the good. But I am loathe to declare even partial victory in the face of Republican victories in local elections, which would nullify progress in restoring democracy if fully realized. The Mcs are in hot water, but does that mean they are losing the fight for the soul of America? A real question, truly wondering.
I could not agree more. Back during my coming of age — the mid to late ‘60’s at Cal — my older sister and I, both attending there, took different routes. She became more of a conservative Republican than our parents and I became more of a liberal and registered with the Democratic Party when I turned voting age. These 50+ years later — during the many years in between when our sisterly relationship was often on ice — our political inclinations are back in synch and in alignment re the issues that Lucian writes about so expertly.
Oh, good for you and for her. 🎉💕
McCarthy doesn't even know how to match shoes with his suit. Possibly metaphorical.
Possibly his upbringing. Bakersfield.
[Sorry ted keyes. I’ll admit it. I’m a snob sometimes.]
if I'd read all the prior posts, I wouldn't have asked, since you got there first.
Red-faced Democrats and their like-minded allies are desperately finger-pointing and gesticulating apoplectically at House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's tape-recorded telephone conversations with Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney in the days following the January 6 insurrection, in which McCarthy tells Cheney that he is going to tell Donald Trump that he needs to resign for the good of the country. Where have we heard that before, because we know what happened afterward… McCarthy's testosterone evaporates faster than sizzling water drops on a hot frying pan. Of course McCarthy lied about what he said he was going to do; and of course Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell never directly confronted Trump with his actions, either. McCarthy basically gave the same speech as McConnell gave the week after the insurrection; and yet the next thing we see is a photo of Trump and McCarthy standing together smiling for the camera. The fact that McConnell and McCarthy are cowardly hypocrites is replicated time and again throughout Republicanland. With them, it's all crickets; even the whimpering of a cowering dog would show more spunk and spine then these two so-called 'leaders'. The moral collapse of American Republicanism could not be more complete, nor more starkly rendered in the public square. McCarthy's denials of his statement of intent were soap bubble thin when he gave them; and every one of us knew that he was lying about it, over and over again. That's really not the issue here. The real issue is whether we, the voters, have sufficient self-respect in ourselves and what we believe to be the proper way for elected officials to act, that we would vote against these guys out of office in a New York minute. It isn't the McCarthy's and the McConnell's failures of character that are at issue, it's ours. My suggestion would be that we gather up a thousand or so Ukrainian refugees and put them on speaking tours around the country to remind people of what patriotism and courage are supposed to be like. For starters, I would put one of these refugees on every street corner in Kevin McCarthy's congressional district and the same in every town and city in Kentucky, and tell everyone who will listen what it's like to have your country blown up under your feet by the likes of Vladimir Putin and his army of barbarians, with the silence and assent of McCarthy, McConnell, and every single one of the Republican political class in America.
The backlash will come. America is a slow burn, but the fire will come and the Republicans will get the boot and if they try to jam the election, then revolution will; come. Yes, it can happen here. Most Americans are decent and they will act, grudgingly but they will.
I have very serious doubts about that. The pandemic has shown me a lot of people are not decent or caring people.
True enough, Mary, but I think it's safe to say that, by far, most of those people are registered R's.
How true!
I would love to think this might be so.
You nail it so perfectly.
But it won’t make a dent in their support.
Reminds me of the brave journalists who “exposed” Der Fuhrer before he came to power — and later paid with their lives for it — to an electorate that didn’t care what their beloved Leader had done, or would do.
The facts were irrelevant.
They followed him to the bitter, bitter end…
It wasn’t that most Germans didn’t care what Hitler did; they APPROVED of it! Same with tRump’s supporters.
Lucian's Grandpa might agree with this.
We are lucky as hell that there weren't enough Germans left to fight.
Standing next to a Sherman tank at the museum in Arnhem a few weeks ago it was obvious that it might have scratched a Tiger!
And:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_von_Ossietzky
See, e.g.,
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Gerlich
When you have power, there is no need for morality or scruples or shame.
Remember Former:
No empathy for others
No personal integrity
74,000,000 voted for this subhuman.
Just when you think it can't get any worse....
They (McCarthy and McConnell, et al) should be in terror of the people who vote for Trump because the same people attacked their 'place of business' on the reported 'say-so' of that man, who isn't the worth the lead of the bullet to shoot him with.
Those people are literally the bottom dregs of society-not necessarily poor people (although many of them are) but they're the 'true believers' that any con man or strong man needs to stay in power. Hitler and others did.
I don't know what kind of word to describe them with but it's not going to be a pretty sounding one. They're the ones who are also driving this pandemic-because they don't believe in science or vaccines and they're the ones who were the majority of deaths last year because they were not vaccinated.
We have all suffered from them and Trump-but the people who voted for Trump have always been there, just like they'll be there for the next fool.
The Republican Party has no other option than to pander to them because that's who they appeal to-and Trump takes full advantage of it.
Former enrolled this scum with his birther nonsense, never forget.
And don't forget the rich enablers who are fully aware of who Trump is and don't care. They avoided his rallies and tweets but voted for him to pass the tax reform giveaway bill plus more deregulation. They contributed money behind this awful guy to protect their special interests. Don't put it all on the trailer trash. They don't have enough money to elect him. They are the window dressing for the Trump's nonelitist act. Kevin McCarthy is no better than a common ward heeler who kow tows to his ward boss.
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Especially love this one! So much poo de poulet!
what I would say was REALLY even more unbelievable (and which happened, probably a few minutes after you posted this entry) is that McCarthy, in the face of the tape, is actually doubling down on the first lie he told after the brief period in which he wasn't lying. which is to say that he lied DESPITE the evidence of the tape, blaming the "corporate media" for trying to take our minds off the REALPROBLEM, which is how the Democrats are wrecking the country. I said that I "would" find it unbelievable, but then I took a minute or so to figure out why anyone would say anything so completely stupid, then realized the basis for McCarthy's double (or is it triple? quadruple??) lie, and it's still a tad early to figure out if he's right or not. it's that base. he took his cue from TFF, who is able to say the most outrageous shit and be believed. but, as you quite deftly explain, TFF is NOT a regular politician. consequently, the normal politician stuff doesn't quite apply to him. where I hope McCarthy is wrong about is in thinking that what applies to TFF does NOT apply to him. but I said "hope." what's doesn't help is something I realized all too well today, when I had my streaming off and cable on--to watch, god help me, MTG's insistence on her own dementia--is that both CNN and MSNBC seem to have already determined that it might as well be a year from now, after a crushing democratic defeat. they're both discussing the battle for which republican is going to end up being Speaker. say it enough times and people will start assuming it's a done deal and maybe not vote. I thought they were partisan on OUR side. what's the deal with this? and finally, is it still sort of a rule that one doesn't wear brown shoes with a blue suit or am I as hopelessly out of date about this as well as everything else?
I ask myself that same question, every time I see the photo evidence. I’m actually old enough to be hopelessly out of date on pretty much everything, but I still sneer, as though it were white shoes after Labor Day. 😉😂
Remember when Former castigated Spicey for his gray suit on election day!
Slippery-lipped c#%k-sucking gutless shit-bird quislings. I could go on.
Honestly, only one thing matters: was it covered in the Bakersfield newspaper, and did his constituents see it, and do they care. If they vote him out of office, some other greasy Republican House member elsewhere in the country, hopefully not from California, will take his place.