Today, President Joe Biden held an event in the Rose Garden at the White House to celebrate the lower drug costs possible thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed without any Republican votes in either the House or the Senate. Phasing in over the next few years, the measure will cap the out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs at $2000 a year and make vaccinations free for seniors on Medicare. If the price of drugs rises faster than inflation, drug companies will have to rebate the difference to Medicare. And Biden noted that today, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that the premium for Medicare Part B, which pays for doctor visits, will decrease this year.
wow. insomnia paid off. What a difference in administration makes. Trump's help to Puerto Rico was to throw paper towels into a crowd. Biden, who is opposed to just about everything DeSantis does, calls and assures him that help will be forthcoming.
I cannot tell you how thrilled I am about the cap on drug costs. I have a chronic health problem that, before the miracle of a fully-covered drug, cost me well upward of $6000/year on top of premiums and other drugs.
I hope you are off to get some rest. Looking forward to being in the cheering crowd at USM, Portland next month!
“In the Rose Garden today, Biden assured people that his administration ‘is on alert and in action to help the people of Florida.’ Biden approved DeSantis’s request for emergency assistance as soon as he received it, sent in federal assistance before the storm hit, and spoke with the mayors of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, the areas most likely to be in the storm’s path.”
These are the actions of a real president -- one who governs for all people.
It's true ...transparent goodness is twisted by twisted people
The Q48ers even think that the Biden in office is an imposter! There is a wide swath of people who now have Capgras syndrome and don't believe Biden is even Biden. Total madness. They were quoted in NYtimes or WP, I forget which.
Jeri, of course you're correct. However, the ingrates would never have voted for Biden, even if he gave them a ton of gold and jewels. Still, anyone on the fence - legacy Republicans or others who don't buy the Democrats' policies but are uncomfortable with the current state of affairs - will see the contrast between the disgusting, toxic behavior of the current right wing and the humane, decent Democratic policies, and that just might swing the pendulum in the direction of reviving democracy. Maybe we can defy midterm malaise - we NEED to.
I agree. While I understand the angst, I'm glad for the contrast, and at least it will help to remember that decency is what we should insist on. We've had too many years of cruelty and depravity.
While religious beliefs can inspire people to be compassionate toward others, the same set of beliefs can also be used to justify cruelty toward others. Why the heck should doing the right thing be only because a person believes in some deity? Besides, when a deity is used to justify doing one thing, it gives credence to those beliefs, which also gives credence for some to use those same beliefs used to make women second class citizens. Doing the right thing, being compassionate, being humble, and accepting even celebrating differences, doesn't have to be because of a directive from a deity. In fact, it would be better if it weren't.
I am trying to understand your motivation for replying to my comment. Do you expect me be swayed to your misunderstanding?
Indeed, so called religious beliefs/cultists exhibit every sort of behavior except love.
The love that consumes me is a faith in a love that is beyond our capacity to fully comprehend…that is why faith is a requirement. Faith is not based upon the conventional wisdom that is the source of your confusion.
Faith is a trust in the wisdom of GOD’s love.
GOD is love and only love.
Everything else that is not loving is not of GOD.
GOD is not a deity construct of human imagination/definition HE is only love.
GOD’s Love is not demanded, it is freely given even to the undeserving which is every human except One.
Lovely read this am, LFAA and comments here. Positive notes on what the Biden-Harris Administration is doing for Americans in the critical areas affecting their lives and Joyful Noise raised by some who have kept hope for this democracy. Refreshing. Facts and praise without paens to "the other side." Ah, peace and celebration. Can almost imagine what we'd get as news were the House and Senate firmly in the hands of We The People. I wax a little today in the shadows.
Maybe my sense of good comes as we had first cold night, house closed up ready for whatever comes, and we're warm, surrounded by fall beauty and a stack of books. Stay well. Continue to enjoy your posts.
A place that I hold more dear than you can imagine is facing a storm surge of 8 to 12 feet and winds of 140 mph from Hurricane Ian. It's Little Gasparilla Island on the northwestern edge of Charlotte Harbor, north of Fort Myers. Oh the memories that spring from that tiny spit of land, memories spanning decades. Every glorious trip there with family and friends reminded me of the Old Florida of my so-distant past, a past before Disney triggered a tsunami of development and tourists.
The one solace tonight is that I know the federal and state government will do everything possible to help Florida residents. (At least DeSantis took Biden's call.) Let's hope that this unfolding tragedy will awake climate-change skeptics to the existential threat of global warming. Yes, hurricanes have always posed a serious threat, but now they're so much more fearsome.
Michael, it is a wonderful place. Let us hope it survives this massive storm.
I have the same feelings about " old Florida" as you do and get glimpses of it on the less traveled roads once in awhile ( between the ubiquitous housing construction!)
And, yes, DeSantis took Biden's call but he has yet to mention or thank him or FEMA or anything other than " other states" helping and Florida's own first responders.
Most people have taken the preparation seriously. All we can do now is hunker down and go through it. Hopefully the good preparation will help keep our human injury low and damage manageable.
DeSantis and those like him will never acknowledge the help of the federal government. It's a reflection of their startling lack of basic human values.
I am not quite as gracious as our president, although I am very proud of him. I would wish for an extremely small but powerful storm with two eyes, one for Mar a Lago and the other for the Tallahassee governor's office..
Thanks for personalizing the storm for me, Michael, as I consider all (er, most) who post here friends. I know little first-hand about Florida, being a humid-hating Californian, but now you've brought home to me the beauty of a special little place and its people, and I feel far less detached. I'll pray for the people of Florida, yes, even DeSantis. God knows, he needs it.
Hi MaryB of Pasadena, I'm a humid-hating Californian too who never had the slightest wish to be in Florida, no matter what I heard about the turquoise waters and colorful marine life. Now that Trump lives there, and the people seem to support the likes of De Santis, I'm happy to be 3000 miles away! Joe Biden is a man of dignity and class. He sees himself as the President of the UNITED States of America representing ALL the people, whether they voted for him or not. He is a True Patriot! Most of the people and especially the land don't base their lives on who's President or Governor. They base their lives on family, friends and the land, the weather! The way I see it, President Biden wants to make life better for All people, and the land better for All to live upon. I just don't understand people who twist and politicize any of it! For DeSantis to not even show a shred of gratitude for the generosity of our President is despicable!
I have been in Florida once on the east coast and once was enough. I did enjoy visiting my cousin and spending time with her and her husband. But we were not impressed by what we saw. And oh yes, the airline charter company who helped DeSantis out is based here in Hillsboro, Oregon, although they have an office in Florida.
Thank you for sharing this jewel with us and for including the link. I sincerely hope that it survives Ian. I have friends who have decided to ride out the hurricane in Tampa. My thoughts and fears are with them.
Looks like an absolutely beautiful place. Hoping for the best for your beloved island and for Sanibel, Captiva and all of the vulnerable communities facing this storm.
Its beautiful, Michael but sure looks very very vulnerable to any storm surge and so do the areas around it. At this time the residents have to be really worried.
"Disinformation seems to be the hallmark of the midterm campaign." That is spot on.
Tonight we watched the first debate between candidates in the third congressional district of Washington, which is up for grabs and is being contested by Marie Gleusenkamp Perez (D) and Joe Kent (R). Kent is the MAGA candidate who ousted Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler after she committed the (im)mortal sin of voting to impeach former President Trump after the January 6 riot.
Marie is very much a newcomer to running for national office and comes off as unpolished but authentic. I was surprised to see that Kent is an extremely slick fast talker. He appears on the Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson shows. He seems so bright and competent if you don't recognize the lies and partisanship in his fluid presentation. He's a formidable opponent.
Kent's misdirections included blaming President Biden and Speaker Pelosi for inflation that is caused by emerging from a pandemic, disrupted worldwide supply chains and cost increases of energy and food brought about by Russia's war on Ukraine. Kent blamed the president for increasing the price of insulin when he's helped reduce it. He blamed Democrats for America's not achieving energy independence when President Biden has tapped the energy reserve to reduce oil prices while trying to move us toward a sustainable future that will take time to achieve. He promoted "America First" isolationism over our helping Ukraine defend itself, which protects Europe and its democratic economies. As Bannon says, Kent "flooded the zone with BS" recognizable by anyone not enthralled by Republican talking points.
Instead of getting sucked into the undertow of his lies and potential rebuttals, Ms. Perez differentiated herself and called out Kent's extremism, including his advocating national legislation to ban abortions, his threats to Medicare and Social Security, his calls to halt immigration and his advocating tearing down effective government rather than reaching across the aisle. She was also able to land some zingers.
This race has found national attention as seen in this in-depth article by Michelle Goldberg of The New York Times. With that publication, Ms. Perez has received a flood of contributions. (I don't work for her campaign.)
Kent's ingratiating himself to white nationalists was called out in this article in The Bulwark, a publication of never-Trumpers. That well-written take-down includes a video of Kent debasing himself with a white nationalist student interviewer. Here's that link:
Jeri, please don’t believe in the omnipotence of evil. Goebbels may have been a fine propagandist, but he and his wife ended up poisoning their children and committing suicide. When I was a kid, we had an encyclopedia that I, having no life, would leaf through. In the article on Hitler it noted that his motto was “Divide and conquer” (sounds like something Republicans might say), but that he was defeated by nations that learned to unite and conquer. An example for us.
Indeed it is an example. I have held the belief for quite some time that the divide in this country has been manufactured, from without and within, to get us to where we are at this moment in time. The manipulation of "information" on social media and into what passes for mainstream media is truly Orwellian.
We have certainly been lambasted by misfortune after misfortune with still more to come. Nationwide are there any signs that the R. party has put forth any effort leading to the health and welfare of this great nation? Nothing comes readily to mind, except they perhaps stand for nothing.
The "common good" is commonly inconvenient for Republicans' plutocratic patron's plutocratic agendas. Obligingly, Republicans do whatever they can to clear that obstacle.
Having attended more than 20 grade schools and two high schools I spent an inordinate amount of time battling bullies in all grades. I swear they all grew up to be republicans
'Boebert Warns That Cancelling Student Debt Could Lead to Rampant Education'
'WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Representative Lauren Boebert blasted President Biden’s student-loan-forgiveness program, claiming that it would lead to “rampant education.”
“This proposal is maybe the most reckless ever set forth by a President,” she said. “It will lead to rampant education and wonton [sic] learning.” (Satire,NewYorker)
Thank you for this post. That kind of race is being played out in so many places - my district's contest for state rep is similar: a well-versed Democrat fighting a T**** supporter and Big Lie proponent. It's been impossible to get the R supporters to see the fallacy in their beliefs: they say they want a 'conversation' but then can't agree on basic facts about the 2020 election. Sigh.
Having had a chance to marinate my thoughts on last night's debate between Marie and Slick Joe Kent, I think we who are influencers can point out the contradictions. Kent tossed out a red herring about wanting to reach across the aisle in Congress. But he also said more than once that he wants to be elected as a check against "Sleepy" Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi. So, is it reach out or obstruct? You can't have it both ways. And we know the Republican track record going back at least to Gingrich's contract on America.
I am also noticing a consistent disinformation strategy of preemptively blaming Democrats for how Republicans plan to rule with an iron, authoritarian fist. Vaccine and mask mandates during a pandemic became an assault on rights -- alleged by the party that plans a national ban on abortion and wants to censor teachers and ban books from libraries so that we can't think about our nation's history.
And here's a twist I hadn't heard, because I appreciate the miracle of modern vaccine technology. Trumpists, or maybe it's really Bannonites, are characterizing mRNA vaccines as "experimental gene therapy" and touting some purportedly unreleased database of side-effects. As I understand it, a vaccine introduces a molecule that helps our immune system recognize a pathogen. How you create that molecule seems beside the point and is certainly not a way to modify your genes, especially if mapping and replicating a pathogen's genetic struct lets you quickly catch up with mutations. Then Slick Joe managed to cram in the allegation that the U.S. government somehow funded vaccine research in the Chinese lab to create a dangerous pathogen and unleash it on the world's population for authoritarian control. Not in so many words, of course, but he's preaching to a base that has been marinating in these conspiracy theories so they swallow plastic -- his fabrication of something that isn't there but has a taste they expect. And he's mobilizing their fear to build fury against public servants like Anthony Fauci. That, of course, shifts our gaze away from the corrupt Republican power elite.
Here's one of his doozies. He blames Wall Street and Black Rock and defense contractors for funding Democrats. The layering of that message includes, of course, a dog whisper of anti-Semitism because Black Rock's CEO is Jewish, isn't he? Wait a minute! It's dark money that's funding the GOP as it aims to privatize Medicare and Social Security. And "America First" wants to let Putin and other authoritarians destroy the Western alliance. So that now, helping Ukraine defend itself and contain Russia is not in our national and economic interest? It's a blizzard of BS that also included multiple references to the antifa bogeymen.
I'm taking a lesson from Marie, who noted that Kent is talking about the past but she is talking about the future and what we need to do to provide more support for blue collar and rural Americans.
Good grief...How does Mr. Kent hold his head up and face an actual adult after such a ridiculous and humiliating interview by, as Tim Miller rather generously put it, "a racist brat"???
Gary S. Thank you. I have just recently learned of this race and hope you don't mind that I shared some of your news with subscribers on TC's, 'Thats Another Fine Mess'. Link below.
Thank you, Gary. You provided the needed info about the race, the candidates and reasons to contribute to Marie Gleusenkamp Perez's (D) campaign. I included most of your comment and the links, which you also provided. You are a vital source for the BLUE WAVE.
We are watching this one with interest and will make a donation if we haven't already. I am glad Ms. Perez was able to point out Kent's nonsense. He is truly awful.
Well-put. After Michelle Goldberg’s piece in The Times, I gave Ms. Gleuesencamp Perez some $$—more than I usually do to individual House candidates. This is a race where Democrats can flip a seat. I hope others will contribute, too.
Too bad the hurricane doesn't barrel through Tallahassee and take out the (occupied) Governor's Mansion. Turn it into kindling. DeSantis needs a little "the cruelty is the point" aimed between those lying used car dealer's eyes.
I keep asking why the flight from Texas had to stop in Florida and the Carolinas rather than flying straight to Massachusetts - have yet to hear a response that scratches more than a surface view ... also, why it cost $12,500 per immigrant ... is that what it costs to fly across the country these days ...?
My understanding is that DeSantis was trying to game the Florida law:
"The Florida state budget that authorized $12 million for moving migrants specified that 'unauthorized aliens' were to be flown from 'this state': Florida."
That is, the Florida law states that, to qualify to use the money, migrants have to be flown FROM Florida. But the people on the plane originated in Texas. So DeSantis thought that by "touching down" in Florida he could get by on the pretext that the migrants were flown from Florida. Any legitimate prosecutor would blow a plane-sized hole in that argument. He will likely lose the lawsuits.
Pretty sure that was reported here on Heather's letter - or maybe on Robert B. Hubbell's - or maybe it was TCinLA - I guess I should go find the source - but honestly, I am so far behind on my own work, it is not a high priority for me - and isn't that just the way with these games? Who has time to track down the truth? Maybe George or TC know...?
Right, and you can bet that much of that money will be routed back to DeSatan. You scratch my back; I'll scratch yours. That's how it has worked in politics for decades.
Hmmm ... another interesting fact ... the airline company Vertol Systems Inc. is based in ... wait for it ..., Oregon .... I was thinking maybe drugs or some kind of contraband in the cargo hold ... now, I am thinking weapons and ammunition ...?
... eliciting this response from Annie D. Stratton:
"Good detail, Kathleen. I read Heather and the news, too. BTW, another interesting detail is that the aviation company is headquartered in Oregon (my home state). Somehow the logistics of DeSantis in Florida hiring a company from Oregon to fly to Texas, and then fly the refugees to New England makes my mind bend. There are the legal absurdities of this, but also the absurdity behind the kind of thinking that comes up with a scheme like this... and thinks somehow he has made a point about something."
So now, I wonder which view is true - or maybe, neither, or both ...? How deep does the camouflage go in this web of deception - and, regardless of where Veritol is based, I still wonder why they had to stop in the Carolinas after Florida, where a momentary touchdown might give the impression these immigrants from Texas were being flown from Florida to justify the (very expensive) bill to Florida taxpayers ...?
Oh, just asking ... should we just turn our heads and leave this one alone (until it blows up in our faces?)
Thanks to all Florida taxpayers for paying for the rescue of the Venezuelan Immigrants from the shit- hole Abbot state of Texas. Now they are in Massachusetts where people care about others! Kinda backfired on T hating Rs.
it seems you may have meant thanks to all the good neighbors in Massachusetts for their outpowering of love towards the Venezuelan immigrants, Eh!?
The absolutely incontrovertible lesson given to us here is:
That premeditated act of hate’s ravishment upon the innocent Venezuelan's that was inspired by the enslaved minions of the Great Deceiver was itself annihilation by Love’s blessed American Patriot neighbors…Love always vanquishes evil…
Florida makes sense as our governor attempts to justify spending $$$ in the state budget. NC 🤔
“ The Florida Legislature earlier this year approved $12 million from the state's budget for a program to "facilitate the transport of unauthorized aliens from this state," according to the language in the budget.”
Now here is love of neighbor by a real American Patriot who is most concerned by the maggot bullies’ reprehensible willingness to cause innocents’ suffering.
The aftermath of Hurricane Ian will be a test to see if DeSantis can do more than posture and pull political stunts. Kudos to Biden for reaching out to him. That is what mature leadership does in a crisis. (TFG would have let an opposition party governor who had bad-mouthed him flap in the wind, literally.)
"Disinformation seems to be the hallmark of the midterm campaign." Republicans know the truth, on just about any issue, is not their friend; hide it, dress it up to look like something it isn't, or just flat-out run from it.
I picked up 8 free Covid home test kits from CVS yesterday. Just showed them my Medicare card and done. Thank you, President Biden.
Lastly, thank you HCR, for all of it. You're the first place I go to every day.
You can bet that in the aftermath, if there are any failings or mistakes on the part of the State of Florida, Biden will get the blame. That's how Republicans roll.
Indeed! Whatever the problem, collective or individual, it’s someone else’s fault. That is the core guiding principle of the current GOP and the MAGA Mob.
Exactly, they couldn’t succeed as they do unless so many buy the hatred at the core of the cult. Boggles the mind that a major political party is so blatantly cruel with only the thinnest veneer of legitimacy. Where have we seen this before? Nazi playbook, 100%, spewed by Rupert’s propaganda machine ad nauseam.
The Women's March in Washington Oct 7-9 is going to make every Repub on a ballot anywhere 💩 their pants! They have seriously underestimated the fury they unleashed!
I'm glad Biden is out here touting facts supported by numbers. This as opposed to playing head games with misinformation/lying. President Biden is also getting out ahead of this storm landing in Florida. I'm glad that he is in direct communication with DeSantis. This was a point of contention in a press conference with LaPierre. Thank you for keeping us informed Dr. Richardson.
Speaking of getting ahead of things Bill, per usharbors.com High Tide in Tampa Bay is around 4.03 am on 9/28 at around 2.8 feet. wfla.com has a " real time wobble tracker" with good graphics. UPDATED: Per NBC 9/28 at 8:07 am EDT, the Ian Max Gusts registered 155 mph. Per WFLA, Hillsborough County, TAMPA, Florida schools have been converted to Shelter Centers & Freeway Tolls have been suspended. Ian has made Landfall & is doing another NE right turn over Land (NNE-9 mph) & will reach the North Eastern Coast of FL.
Thank you Professor Richardson for showing us ways President Biden and his administration continue to govern and demonstrate that the real work of the government, the commitments and legislation, make a difference to every citizen, no matter their party. Too bad the followers of TFG and other repubs are more interested in voting against almost anything they didn’t create. Democrats must make sure that all citizens know that their legislation and commitment work for all of them. Today’s NYT podcast “The Daily” reports “Why Fewer American Children are Living in Poverty.” Tax policies and benefits, over time, not necessarily direct welfare, have significantly reduced Child Poverty. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily/id1200361736?i=1000580641064
Government for the People works. Shout it from the rooftops and compare TFG’s tax breaks for the wealthy with Democratic policies that make real change in the lives of our citizens. Our tax dollars at work. And look what we must continue, the promises to our children and future generations for clean energy, a sustainable environment and policies, improved education and health care, infrastructure, equality and respect for human rights. Peace, ETC! My postcards reminding voters to vote are ready to mail. Dems must increase the majority. And continue the real work of our Democracy.
Positive Ads on tv and radio and social media; billboards, flyers, and door-to-door "selling" of everything Biden said--by people who are ready and able to engage in a real conversation in the right language.
Biden's got it all right -- but it's in the Rose Garden of the WH and not out on the streets and airwaves where it's needed. Dems have more to run on than abortion--put the money and resources into it.
I can't help but think that if times were different and the GOP extremists were in charge and this hurricane were to devastate a Blue State, would they respond so openly and quickly to help us? I feel their sense of cruelty would prevail and they would use a natural disaster against us.
Would they use this as an opportunity to "own us" ?
How different is this to the very real plan to charge women with murder if they obtain an abortion or sunset Social Security and other programs?
I recently got into a conversation with a Senior about the reality of the Republican initiative to sunset Social Security and was told, " that's all just talk". I find it frightening that the GOP have bamboozled the Seniors to vote against their own survival.
Yet, here we are.
Be safe. Be well. Sending positive thoughts to my Florida friends.
If it’s all “just talk,” why would the repubs do it? What’s the advantage to them of merely talking about such a thing? Calling it just talk makes no sense.
The talk does not make sense, but if you remember that cruelty is the thing with the RepubliQan party, then it all does. Sadly, those in the cult of tfg cannot get past being deliberately cruel. It is fun for them.
That is how she and others I have listened to brush it off. These seniors live in the world of that won't happen to me, maybe you but not me. It's become more clear to me that they live in a bubble and will cover their ears when it is anything detrimental to them.
Repealing Roe was just talk for a long time too. Changes to Social Security, such as privatization during George W., have been in the air for a long time so I take their current rhetoric about damaging/destroying the program as the gospel. If they get in power and have enough representatives who think it is a good idea they will destroy a wonderful program. Remember all the votes to try and repeal the Affordable Care Act?
Most of us probably remember Hurricane Sandy. Gov. Christie surely remembers. Republicans are insufferable hypocrites.
The evil that pervades the Republican Party is inexcusable. Democrats make a mistake every time they treat the Republicans as normal. Democrats must find ways to punish bad behavior. If good is to prevail, evil must be eradicated.
The majority of people, including those in Florida, are good people and they should not suffer because of a relatively few evil politicians who put themselves, their party, and their wealthy doners ahead of the good of the country.
If anything doesn't go perfectly in the aftermath recovery, I won't be surprised when Republicans, and particularly DeSatan, blame it all on Biden. They can't help themselves. It's always about scoring political points by "owning the Libs."
Anyone on the forum that is over 50 simply must subscribe to the AARP website and get their information from it. I trust the AARP website more than just about any other that comes to mind.
I find their website to be factual, timely, non-partisan and informative. And helpful: I do the Staying Sharp exercises and testing as well.
I don't think it is good karma to wish bad stuff on anybody. But if Mar A Lago is consumed by a storm surge, I will not be tearing up. On the other hand, maybe we should be concerned that it houses a few more stolen documents "belonging to the American people" (phrase used by the Appellate Court over turning the Loose Cannons order).
But seriously, please think good thoughts for Florida - a state that we so easily demonize. This storm may be worse than anything we have seen in our adult lifetimes - we would/should not wish that on anyone. Let's take the high road on this one.
"In the middle of the night, while hurricane winds reached epic proportion, a bolt of lightening struck with such great force totally destroying Mar a Lago. No lives were known to be lost, though an orange stain was noticed where once the inner sanctum of the former resident was known to reside. Florida insurers, when interviewed, stated that the property would likely not be rebuilt, citing 'Acts of God,' a standard clause that nullifies usual coverage for Floridians." The news story I'd like to see this week. My "I keep my cake and eat it" dream.
Wow, thank you Bill! For us Floridians taking the political "slings and arrows" is child's play compared to facing this monster storm-- over which we have absolutely no control !!
So much is happening right now with the hurricane being at the top of the list. Gosh, I sure wish that force of nature would envelope just DeSantis and his evil crew and carry them to places unknown. Biden is such a mensch; doesn’t hesitate to make certain the state gets the help it needs. Although, I wouldn’t want DeSantis and his ilk handling the money, however. No telling where those millions will end up! Fabulous news about Medicare which will give financial relief to so many and lots of them are in Florida. My best wishes to those in the Sunshine State while they ride out this storm. Please, stay safe!
TY, Marlene! We are getting excellent hurricane coverage, pinpointing what is coming and when. Tonight will be the worst for us here in Central FL. South Gulf Coast getting clobbered by the worst of it now.
Republican Lies have traction. People are clamoring for the next political hit job
Democrats need what I’m calling “The Quick Response Team”, an instant ad production team that corrects and dispels the lie in real time. A 15 second spot, with rational and calm voice over; showing video of the lie and then the reality. These ads should run during national news hours, just as the breathless Nora ODonnells delivers them. A truth squad in real time
If we have to pay up front to buy the space, the media will gain the profits, but they’ll be exposed for their agenda
It's just a thought experiment but what if the governors of New York and Massachusetts responded to Abbott and DeSantis by shipping paroled prisoners who used guns in their crimes to Texas and Florida? The result of my experiment: "Abbott and DiSantis" ought to be a Democratic catch phrase! Just by itself, it made me laugh.
wow. insomnia paid off. What a difference in administration makes. Trump's help to Puerto Rico was to throw paper towels into a crowd. Biden, who is opposed to just about everything DeSantis does, calls and assures him that help will be forthcoming.
I cannot tell you how thrilled I am about the cap on drug costs. I have a chronic health problem that, before the miracle of a fully-covered drug, cost me well upward of $6000/year on top of premiums and other drugs.
I hope you are off to get some rest. Looking forward to being in the cheering crowd at USM, Portland next month!
“In the Rose Garden today, Biden assured people that his administration ‘is on alert and in action to help the people of Florida.’ Biden approved DeSantis’s request for emergency assistance as soon as he received it, sent in federal assistance before the storm hit, and spoke with the mayors of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, the areas most likely to be in the storm’s path.”
These are the actions of a real president -- one who governs for all people.
Indeed, Rowshan. Biden is killing Republicans with kindness!
And they will repay him with the worst vitriol that they can muster, and they are expert at the cruelest, most twisted blather imaginable.
Jeri
It's true ...transparent goodness is twisted by twisted people
The Q48ers even think that the Biden in office is an imposter! There is a wide swath of people who now have Capgras syndrome and don't believe Biden is even Biden. Total madness. They were quoted in NYtimes or WP, I forget which.
Jeri, of course you're correct. However, the ingrates would never have voted for Biden, even if he gave them a ton of gold and jewels. Still, anyone on the fence - legacy Republicans or others who don't buy the Democrats' policies but are uncomfortable with the current state of affairs - will see the contrast between the disgusting, toxic behavior of the current right wing and the humane, decent Democratic policies, and that just might swing the pendulum in the direction of reviving democracy. Maybe we can defy midterm malaise - we NEED to.
Doesn’t hurt to hope.
🙏
I agree. While I understand the angst, I'm glad for the contrast, and at least it will help to remember that decency is what we should insist on. We've had too many years of cruelty and depravity.
Regrettably, you are right, Jeri 😢
Provided they can recognise that fact!
They will spin it to fit their agenda: whatever good stems from the left is translated by the right as machiavellian and politically motivated. 🤬
Well put, Rose!
Thanks, Rowshan. Your posts are ALWAYS well put 😊
You’re too kind, Rose.
Rowshan Nemazee
This is a beautiful lesson of Love! A Love story to inspire us!
It is here we see the love of a Christian man, even the love of another man deceived into slavery of the gop’s evil hate.
President Biden is the blessing America needs to save American democratic governance in the ideals of our Founding Fathers.
Truly President Biden loves his neighbor the American citizen, and all people of the world as a Christian man as his faith assures him he is loved.
Matthew 5:43-48
Beautifully put, George, beautifully put!
While religious beliefs can inspire people to be compassionate toward others, the same set of beliefs can also be used to justify cruelty toward others. Why the heck should doing the right thing be only because a person believes in some deity? Besides, when a deity is used to justify doing one thing, it gives credence to those beliefs, which also gives credence for some to use those same beliefs used to make women second class citizens. Doing the right thing, being compassionate, being humble, and accepting even celebrating differences, doesn't have to be because of a directive from a deity. In fact, it would be better if it weren't.
J. Noi
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to reply to your comment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC10VWDTzmU
We all believe in something, Eh!?
I am trying to understand your motivation for replying to my comment. Do you expect me be swayed to your misunderstanding?
Indeed, so called religious beliefs/cultists exhibit every sort of behavior except love.
The love that consumes me is a faith in a love that is beyond our capacity to fully comprehend…that is why faith is a requirement. Faith is not based upon the conventional wisdom that is the source of your confusion.
Faith is a trust in the wisdom of GOD’s love.
GOD is love and only love.
Everything else that is not loving is not of GOD.
GOD is not a deity construct of human imagination/definition HE is only love.
GOD’s Love is not demanded, it is freely given even to the undeserving which is every human except One.
Off topic: Our poor Ducks, George!
Hope Lindsay
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS927US927&q=photo+of+oregon+ducks+losing+season&tbm=isch&chips=q:photo+of+oregon+ducks+losing+season,online_chips:georgia+bulldogs:QK-8edIjj1I%3D&usg=AI4_-kRUamniQ292JIy9uoIF_G6b_ZBUHA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwih45WN0rj6AhUmMDQIHaQOBwUQgIoDKAF6BAgDEBU&biw=1536&bih=722&dpr=1.25
No matter how badly he is treated by the Republican party! President Biden is a decent human! I am proud to call him my President!
Lovely read this am, LFAA and comments here. Positive notes on what the Biden-Harris Administration is doing for Americans in the critical areas affecting their lives and Joyful Noise raised by some who have kept hope for this democracy. Refreshing. Facts and praise without paens to "the other side." Ah, peace and celebration. Can almost imagine what we'd get as news were the House and Senate firmly in the hands of We The People. I wax a little today in the shadows.
Fred WI
Thanks
Big smile of relief for, "We The People" believers, Eh!?
That half empty glass can now be glimpsed, "... For now we see through a glass, darkly ..." as half full and filling, Eh!?
Scotch or ale in my half helps.
Fred WI
The Balvenie Portwood Twenty-one year old scotch...way beyond smooth!
More precious than gold!
I raise my glass to you sir...
https://pbexpressliquor.com/products/the-balvenie-portwood-21-year-old-scotch-whisky?gclid=CjwKCAjw4c-ZBhAEEiwAZ105RdUHm4tuqrnU4ej7HPSm04_lS31BP-3sMHI4IwpBcb2IuDTxM0TNsBoC5gIQAvD_BwE
My oh my!
How comforting that would be, Fred!
Maybe my sense of good comes as we had first cold night, house closed up ready for whatever comes, and we're warm, surrounded by fall beauty and a stack of books. Stay well. Continue to enjoy your posts.
Solange,
That's our President Joe Biden...that's love of the people in this country....that's what leadership looks lik.e
Exactly, Emily.
I'm happy for you about the cap on drug costs.
Yes!
A place that I hold more dear than you can imagine is facing a storm surge of 8 to 12 feet and winds of 140 mph from Hurricane Ian. It's Little Gasparilla Island on the northwestern edge of Charlotte Harbor, north of Fort Myers. Oh the memories that spring from that tiny spit of land, memories spanning decades. Every glorious trip there with family and friends reminded me of the Old Florida of my so-distant past, a past before Disney triggered a tsunami of development and tourists.
The one solace tonight is that I know the federal and state government will do everything possible to help Florida residents. (At least DeSantis took Biden's call.) Let's hope that this unfolding tragedy will awake climate-change skeptics to the existential threat of global warming. Yes, hurricanes have always posed a serious threat, but now they're so much more fearsome.
As for that tiny spit of land, see it here (lower right corner): https://www.therondavel.net/the-island/where-is-little-gasparilla-island/
Michael, it is a wonderful place. Let us hope it survives this massive storm.
I have the same feelings about " old Florida" as you do and get glimpses of it on the less traveled roads once in awhile ( between the ubiquitous housing construction!)
And, yes, DeSantis took Biden's call but he has yet to mention or thank him or FEMA or anything other than " other states" helping and Florida's own first responders.
Most people have taken the preparation seriously. All we can do now is hunker down and go through it. Hopefully the good preparation will help keep our human injury low and damage manageable.
DeSantis and those like him will never acknowledge the help of the federal government. It's a reflection of their startling lack of basic human values.
I am not quite as gracious as our president, although I am very proud of him. I would wish for an extremely small but powerful storm with two eyes, one for Mar a Lago and the other for the Tallahassee governor's office..
Thanks for personalizing the storm for me, Michael, as I consider all (er, most) who post here friends. I know little first-hand about Florida, being a humid-hating Californian, but now you've brought home to me the beauty of a special little place and its people, and I feel far less detached. I'll pray for the people of Florida, yes, even DeSantis. God knows, he needs it.
Hi MaryB of Pasadena, I'm a humid-hating Californian too who never had the slightest wish to be in Florida, no matter what I heard about the turquoise waters and colorful marine life. Now that Trump lives there, and the people seem to support the likes of De Santis, I'm happy to be 3000 miles away! Joe Biden is a man of dignity and class. He sees himself as the President of the UNITED States of America representing ALL the people, whether they voted for him or not. He is a True Patriot! Most of the people and especially the land don't base their lives on who's President or Governor. They base their lives on family, friends and the land, the weather! The way I see it, President Biden wants to make life better for All people, and the land better for All to live upon. I just don't understand people who twist and politicize any of it! For DeSantis to not even show a shred of gratitude for the generosity of our President is despicable!
I have been in Florida once on the east coast and once was enough. I did enjoy visiting my cousin and spending time with her and her husband. But we were not impressed by what we saw. And oh yes, the airline charter company who helped DeSantis out is based here in Hillsboro, Oregon, although they have an office in Florida.
God save LGI. 🙏🏻
Praying for your precious spot and for all Floridians, Michael.
Thank you for saying what so many of us feel about the Disneyfication of Florida. Sadly, the Old Florida is nothing but a memory now...
Not everyone has such memories and yet it is sad to know they are now distant.
Thank you for sharing this jewel with us and for including the link. I sincerely hope that it survives Ian. I have friends who have decided to ride out the hurricane in Tampa. My thoughts and fears are with them.
Looks like an absolutely beautiful place. Hoping for the best for your beloved island and for Sanibel, Captiva and all of the vulnerable communities facing this storm.
HOPE! For the beautiful Captiva, too.
Oh Michael, you moved my concern for Florida from general to very specific. May this special place survive and if needed, be restored.
Its beautiful, Michael but sure looks very very vulnerable to any storm surge and so do the areas around it. At this time the residents have to be really worried.
"Disinformation seems to be the hallmark of the midterm campaign." That is spot on.
Tonight we watched the first debate between candidates in the third congressional district of Washington, which is up for grabs and is being contested by Marie Gleusenkamp Perez (D) and Joe Kent (R). Kent is the MAGA candidate who ousted Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler after she committed the (im)mortal sin of voting to impeach former President Trump after the January 6 riot.
Marie is very much a newcomer to running for national office and comes off as unpolished but authentic. I was surprised to see that Kent is an extremely slick fast talker. He appears on the Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson shows. He seems so bright and competent if you don't recognize the lies and partisanship in his fluid presentation. He's a formidable opponent.
Kent's misdirections included blaming President Biden and Speaker Pelosi for inflation that is caused by emerging from a pandemic, disrupted worldwide supply chains and cost increases of energy and food brought about by Russia's war on Ukraine. Kent blamed the president for increasing the price of insulin when he's helped reduce it. He blamed Democrats for America's not achieving energy independence when President Biden has tapped the energy reserve to reduce oil prices while trying to move us toward a sustainable future that will take time to achieve. He promoted "America First" isolationism over our helping Ukraine defend itself, which protects Europe and its democratic economies. As Bannon says, Kent "flooded the zone with BS" recognizable by anyone not enthralled by Republican talking points.
Instead of getting sucked into the undertow of his lies and potential rebuttals, Ms. Perez differentiated herself and called out Kent's extremism, including his advocating national legislation to ban abortions, his threats to Medicare and Social Security, his calls to halt immigration and his advocating tearing down effective government rather than reaching across the aisle. She was also able to land some zingers.
This race has found national attention as seen in this in-depth article by Michelle Goldberg of The New York Times. With that publication, Ms. Perez has received a flood of contributions. (I don't work for her campaign.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/24/opinion/house-republican-elections.html?smid=url-share
Here's Ms. Perez's website: https://marieforcongress.com/
Kent's ingratiating himself to white nationalists was called out in this article in The Bulwark, a publication of never-Trumpers. That well-written take-down includes a video of Kent debasing himself with a white nationalist student interviewer. Here's that link:
https://www.thebulwark.com/maga-candidate-begs-for-absolution-from-hitler-youth/
We live in strange times, but we can't afford to give ground when democracy is at stake.
Thank you for this. R campaigns in Texas only know how to lie with Goebbels finesse, well-practiced and often with a smidge of truth,
Jeri, please don’t believe in the omnipotence of evil. Goebbels may have been a fine propagandist, but he and his wife ended up poisoning their children and committing suicide. When I was a kid, we had an encyclopedia that I, having no life, would leaf through. In the article on Hitler it noted that his motto was “Divide and conquer” (sounds like something Republicans might say), but that he was defeated by nations that learned to unite and conquer. An example for us.
Indeed it is an example. I have held the belief for quite some time that the divide in this country has been manufactured, from without and within, to get us to where we are at this moment in time. The manipulation of "information" on social media and into what passes for mainstream media is truly Orwellian.
Morning, Ally!
Morning, Lynell!!
We have certainly been lambasted by misfortune after misfortune with still more to come. Nationwide are there any signs that the R. party has put forth any effort leading to the health and welfare of this great nation? Nothing comes readily to mind, except they perhaps stand for nothing.
The "common good" is commonly inconvenient for Republicans' plutocratic patron's plutocratic agendas. Obligingly, Republicans do whatever they can to clear that obstacle.
Having attended more than 20 grade schools and two high schools I spent an inordinate amount of time battling bullies in all grades. I swear they all grew up to be republicans
'Boebert Warns That Cancelling Student Debt Could Lead to Rampant Education'
'WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Representative Lauren Boebert blasted President Biden’s student-loan-forgiveness program, claiming that it would lead to “rampant education.”
“This proposal is maybe the most reckless ever set forth by a President,” she said. “It will lead to rampant education and wonton [sic] learning.” (Satire,NewYorker)
Oh, goodness Fern...thank you for that piece from the Borowitz Report. It gave me a great belly chuckle!
Thanks again Fern! I am loving Borowitz's book, "Profiles in Ignorance!"
😚
Thank you for this post. That kind of race is being played out in so many places - my district's contest for state rep is similar: a well-versed Democrat fighting a T**** supporter and Big Lie proponent. It's been impossible to get the R supporters to see the fallacy in their beliefs: they say they want a 'conversation' but then can't agree on basic facts about the 2020 election. Sigh.
And apparently Mastriano is sinking …
Having had a chance to marinate my thoughts on last night's debate between Marie and Slick Joe Kent, I think we who are influencers can point out the contradictions. Kent tossed out a red herring about wanting to reach across the aisle in Congress. But he also said more than once that he wants to be elected as a check against "Sleepy" Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi. So, is it reach out or obstruct? You can't have it both ways. And we know the Republican track record going back at least to Gingrich's contract on America.
I am also noticing a consistent disinformation strategy of preemptively blaming Democrats for how Republicans plan to rule with an iron, authoritarian fist. Vaccine and mask mandates during a pandemic became an assault on rights -- alleged by the party that plans a national ban on abortion and wants to censor teachers and ban books from libraries so that we can't think about our nation's history.
And here's a twist I hadn't heard, because I appreciate the miracle of modern vaccine technology. Trumpists, or maybe it's really Bannonites, are characterizing mRNA vaccines as "experimental gene therapy" and touting some purportedly unreleased database of side-effects. As I understand it, a vaccine introduces a molecule that helps our immune system recognize a pathogen. How you create that molecule seems beside the point and is certainly not a way to modify your genes, especially if mapping and replicating a pathogen's genetic struct lets you quickly catch up with mutations. Then Slick Joe managed to cram in the allegation that the U.S. government somehow funded vaccine research in the Chinese lab to create a dangerous pathogen and unleash it on the world's population for authoritarian control. Not in so many words, of course, but he's preaching to a base that has been marinating in these conspiracy theories so they swallow plastic -- his fabrication of something that isn't there but has a taste they expect. And he's mobilizing their fear to build fury against public servants like Anthony Fauci. That, of course, shifts our gaze away from the corrupt Republican power elite.
Here's one of his doozies. He blames Wall Street and Black Rock and defense contractors for funding Democrats. The layering of that message includes, of course, a dog whisper of anti-Semitism because Black Rock's CEO is Jewish, isn't he? Wait a minute! It's dark money that's funding the GOP as it aims to privatize Medicare and Social Security. And "America First" wants to let Putin and other authoritarians destroy the Western alliance. So that now, helping Ukraine defend itself and contain Russia is not in our national and economic interest? It's a blizzard of BS that also included multiple references to the antifa bogeymen.
I'm taking a lesson from Marie, who noted that Kent is talking about the past but she is talking about the future and what we need to do to provide more support for blue collar and rural Americans.
Good grief...How does Mr. Kent hold his head up and face an actual adult after such a ridiculous and humiliating interview by, as Tim Miller rather generously put it, "a racist brat"???
Tim Miller is a wonderful journalist and is often seen as a contributor on MSNBC. I don’t always agree with him but I like him.
When one has no value system, one is not capable of shame nor can recognize feelings of humiliation
However, being dumb enough to go on record like this provides great fodder for campaign ads
Thank you!
May Marie trump and trounce Joe.
👋 👋 👋 👋 👋 👋 👋
Thanks for this report.
I will donate to Perez.
Gary S. Thank you. I have just recently learned of this race and hope you don't mind that I shared some of your news with subscribers on TC's, 'Thats Another Fine Mess'. Link below.
https://tcinla757.substack.com/
Thank you, Fern!
Thank you, Gary. You provided the needed info about the race, the candidates and reasons to contribute to Marie Gleusenkamp Perez's (D) campaign. I included most of your comment and the links, which you also provided. You are a vital source for the BLUE WAVE.
We are all in it together. Winning each House seat is crucial.
Wowsers on the Bulwark piece
Contributed. Thank You for the connect.
We are watching this one with interest and will make a donation if we haven't already. I am glad Ms. Perez was able to point out Kent's nonsense. He is truly awful.
Well-put. After Michelle Goldberg’s piece in The Times, I gave Ms. Gleuesencamp Perez some $$—more than I usually do to individual House candidates. This is a race where Democrats can flip a seat. I hope others will contribute, too.
Too bad the hurricane doesn't barrel through Tallahassee and take out the (occupied) Governor's Mansion. Turn it into kindling. DeSantis needs a little "the cruelty is the point" aimed between those lying used car dealer's eyes.
I keep asking why the flight from Texas had to stop in Florida and the Carolinas rather than flying straight to Massachusetts - have yet to hear a response that scratches more than a surface view ... also, why it cost $12,500 per immigrant ... is that what it costs to fly across the country these days ...?
My understanding is that DeSantis was trying to game the Florida law:
"The Florida state budget that authorized $12 million for moving migrants specified that 'unauthorized aliens' were to be flown from 'this state': Florida."
That is, the Florida law states that, to qualify to use the money, migrants have to be flown FROM Florida. But the people on the plane originated in Texas. So DeSantis thought that by "touching down" in Florida he could get by on the pretext that the migrants were flown from Florida. Any legitimate prosecutor would blow a plane-sized hole in that argument. He will likely lose the lawsuits.
Gail H
Praying De unsaintly and all his maggoted minions are sued into complete insolvency!
Ok, so why stops in the Carolinas? Maybe a bit of pick up-drop off action?
I don't know. I was unaware of those stops.
Pretty sure that was reported here on Heather's letter - or maybe on Robert B. Hubbell's - or maybe it was TCinLA - I guess I should go find the source - but honestly, I am so far behind on my own work, it is not a high priority for me - and isn't that just the way with these games? Who has time to track down the truth? Maybe George or TC know...?
Kathleen Allen
FOLLOW THE MONEY...
Especially to and from Vertol Systems inc.
https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-paid-aviation-company-615000-transport-migrants-marthas-vineyard-2022-9
Right, and you can bet that much of that money will be routed back to DeSatan. You scratch my back; I'll scratch yours. That's how it has worked in politics for decades.
ChipsPOV
DeSatan ...
WOW!
EXCELLENT!
BRAVO!
Hmmm ... another interesting fact ... the airline company Vertol Systems Inc. is based in ... wait for it ..., Oregon .... I was thinking maybe drugs or some kind of contraband in the cargo hold ... now, I am thinking weapons and ammunition ...?
Kathleen Allen
It seems the 12 employees @ Vertol are located everywhere BUT OREGON!
https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/people/?currentCompany=%5B%2216083859%22%5D&origin=COMPANY_PAGE_CANNED_SEARCH&sid=x%3BC
Strange...typical repulselican B. S. Eh!?
Kathleen Allen
AND!
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/investigations/10-investigates/records-aviation-companys-gop-as-migrant-flights/67-ea9c7e37-1130-4887-b076-22a3db1ccdf9#:~:text=Documents%20show%20James%20Montgomerie%20is,a%20Florida%20business%20in%202021.
SO!
Wait for it!
Vertol IS NOT an Oregon co. it is a company registered in Florida land of DeSatan!
Hmm - interesting ... I posted these links from this blog on Rubert B. Hubbell's Substack letter:
"Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis paid an aviation company $615,000 to transport migrants by plane to Martha's Vineyard
https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-paid-aviation-company-615000-transport-migrants-marthas-vineyard-2022-9"
*****
"DeSantis' migrant flights grabbed headlines -- and now face legal scrutiny as questions swirl
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/desantis-migrant-flights-grabbed-headlines-now-face-legal/story?id=90390333"
... eliciting this response from Annie D. Stratton:
"Good detail, Kathleen. I read Heather and the news, too. BTW, another interesting detail is that the aviation company is headquartered in Oregon (my home state). Somehow the logistics of DeSantis in Florida hiring a company from Oregon to fly to Texas, and then fly the refugees to New England makes my mind bend. There are the legal absurdities of this, but also the absurdity behind the kind of thinking that comes up with a scheme like this... and thinks somehow he has made a point about something."
So now, I wonder which view is true - or maybe, neither, or both ...? How deep does the camouflage go in this web of deception - and, regardless of where Veritol is based, I still wonder why they had to stop in the Carolinas after Florida, where a momentary touchdown might give the impression these immigrants from Texas were being flown from Florida to justify the (very expensive) bill to Florida taxpayers ...?
Oh, just asking ... should we just turn our heads and leave this one alone (until it blows up in our faces?)
I am sensing Iran-Contra 2nd generation - or is it 3rd ... or 4th ... or ...?
Thanks to all Florida taxpayers for paying for the rescue of the Venezuelan Immigrants from the shit- hole Abbot state of Texas. Now they are in Massachusetts where people care about others! Kinda backfired on T hating Rs.
HALE IRWIN - VT
it seems you may have meant thanks to all the good neighbors in Massachusetts for their outpowering of love towards the Venezuelan immigrants, Eh!?
The absolutely incontrovertible lesson given to us here is:
That premeditated act of hate’s ravishment upon the innocent Venezuelan's that was inspired by the enslaved minions of the Great Deceiver was itself annihilation by Love’s blessed American Patriot neighbors…Love always vanquishes evil…
Florida makes sense as our governor attempts to justify spending $$$ in the state budget. NC 🤔
“ The Florida Legislature earlier this year approved $12 million from the state's budget for a program to "facilitate the transport of unauthorized aliens from this state," according to the language in the budget.”
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/desantis-migrant-flights-grabbed-headlines-now-face-legal/story?id=90390333
Great article about the source of funds....
attempted like
I'm happy enough that the hurricane is speeding towards Clearwater, the home of the most corrupt 'religion' that the world has ever seen.
Oh yeah, right. Wipe them out!
My 71 year old sister sits for terminal geriatrics in Clearwater. May god whisper to you in your dreams.
I said that out loud last night.
Love your adjectives, they fit him and other wannabes, like the evil trio in Texas. Chump was the catalyst for evil shedding shame and becoming proud.
TCinLA
Now here is love of neighbor by a real American Patriot who is most concerned by the maggot bullies’ reprehensible willingness to cause innocents’ suffering.
Feeling the sincere power of your love!
The aftermath of Hurricane Ian will be a test to see if DeSantis can do more than posture and pull political stunts. Kudos to Biden for reaching out to him. That is what mature leadership does in a crisis. (TFG would have let an opposition party governor who had bad-mouthed him flap in the wind, literally.)
"Disinformation seems to be the hallmark of the midterm campaign." Republicans know the truth, on just about any issue, is not their friend; hide it, dress it up to look like something it isn't, or just flat-out run from it.
I picked up 8 free Covid home test kits from CVS yesterday. Just showed them my Medicare card and done. Thank you, President Biden.
Lastly, thank you HCR, for all of it. You're the first place I go to every day.
That is EXACTLY what Trump did do. He withheld aid from hurricane damaged Puerto Rico and fire ravaged California.
You can bet that in the aftermath, if there are any failings or mistakes on the part of the State of Florida, Biden will get the blame. That's how Republicans roll.
Indeed! Whatever the problem, collective or individual, it’s someone else’s fault. That is the core guiding principle of the current GOP and the MAGA Mob.
The republican party is a death cult and those who continue to justify its cruelty by their votes are just as brutish and guilty.
I read: the RepubliCON mafia.
How is it any different from a mafia, except for being paid for with my taxes?
Exactly, they couldn’t succeed as they do unless so many buy the hatred at the core of the cult. Boggles the mind that a major political party is so blatantly cruel with only the thinnest veneer of legitimacy. Where have we seen this before? Nazi playbook, 100%, spewed by Rupert’s propaganda machine ad nauseam.
Deborah Carroll
How/why could any Woman support the maggot repiglicans!?
The Women's March in Washington Oct 7-9 is going to make every Repub on a ballot anywhere 💩 their pants! They have seriously underestimated the fury they unleashed!
Cheryl P.
WONDERFUL!
All of you Loving Women Patriots are going to WHACK those repiglicans’ teeny weeny pee-pees’ real hard, Eh!?
Send them packing back from the slimy muck chocked swamps they came from after their Whacking!
AND
I ain't just a quacking!
GOOD!
I'm glad Biden is out here touting facts supported by numbers. This as opposed to playing head games with misinformation/lying. President Biden is also getting out ahead of this storm landing in Florida. I'm glad that he is in direct communication with DeSantis. This was a point of contention in a press conference with LaPierre. Thank you for keeping us informed Dr. Richardson.
Speaking of getting ahead of things Bill, per usharbors.com High Tide in Tampa Bay is around 4.03 am on 9/28 at around 2.8 feet. wfla.com has a " real time wobble tracker" with good graphics. UPDATED: Per NBC 9/28 at 8:07 am EDT, the Ian Max Gusts registered 155 mph. Per WFLA, Hillsborough County, TAMPA, Florida schools have been converted to Shelter Centers & Freeway Tolls have been suspended. Ian has made Landfall & is doing another NE right turn over Land (NNE-9 mph) & will reach the North Eastern Coast of FL.
Obama's money comes from book sales, not tax fraud, stiffing vendors, bankruptcies, and racial discrimination in renting apartments.
Thank you Professor Richardson for showing us ways President Biden and his administration continue to govern and demonstrate that the real work of the government, the commitments and legislation, make a difference to every citizen, no matter their party. Too bad the followers of TFG and other repubs are more interested in voting against almost anything they didn’t create. Democrats must make sure that all citizens know that their legislation and commitment work for all of them. Today’s NYT podcast “The Daily” reports “Why Fewer American Children are Living in Poverty.” Tax policies and benefits, over time, not necessarily direct welfare, have significantly reduced Child Poverty. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily/id1200361736?i=1000580641064
Government for the People works. Shout it from the rooftops and compare TFG’s tax breaks for the wealthy with Democratic policies that make real change in the lives of our citizens. Our tax dollars at work. And look what we must continue, the promises to our children and future generations for clean energy, a sustainable environment and policies, improved education and health care, infrastructure, equality and respect for human rights. Peace, ETC! My postcards reminding voters to vote are ready to mail. Dems must increase the majority. And continue the real work of our Democracy.
Positive Ads on tv and radio and social media; billboards, flyers, and door-to-door "selling" of everything Biden said--by people who are ready and able to engage in a real conversation in the right language.
Biden's got it all right -- but it's in the Rose Garden of the WH and not out on the streets and airwaves where it's needed. Dems have more to run on than abortion--put the money and resources into it.
Since Melania, are there now any roses in the 'Rose Garden"?
Sadly no. Everything was stripped so Trump could hang flags in exactly the same manner as Hitler.
Thank you Heather.
I can't help but think that if times were different and the GOP extremists were in charge and this hurricane were to devastate a Blue State, would they respond so openly and quickly to help us? I feel their sense of cruelty would prevail and they would use a natural disaster against us.
Would they use this as an opportunity to "own us" ?
How different is this to the very real plan to charge women with murder if they obtain an abortion or sunset Social Security and other programs?
I recently got into a conversation with a Senior about the reality of the Republican initiative to sunset Social Security and was told, " that's all just talk". I find it frightening that the GOP have bamboozled the Seniors to vote against their own survival.
Yet, here we are.
Be safe. Be well. Sending positive thoughts to my Florida friends.
If it’s all “just talk,” why would the repubs do it? What’s the advantage to them of merely talking about such a thing? Calling it just talk makes no sense.
The talk does not make sense, but if you remember that cruelty is the thing with the RepubliQan party, then it all does. Sadly, those in the cult of tfg cannot get past being deliberately cruel. It is fun for them.
That is how she and others I have listened to brush it off. These seniors live in the world of that won't happen to me, maybe you but not me. It's become more clear to me that they live in a bubble and will cover their ears when it is anything detrimental to them.
Repealing Roe was just talk for a long time too. Changes to Social Security, such as privatization during George W., have been in the air for a long time so I take their current rhetoric about damaging/destroying the program as the gospel. If they get in power and have enough representatives who think it is a good idea they will destroy a wonderful program. Remember all the votes to try and repeal the Affordable Care Act?
Judy, I agree 100% !
Most of us probably remember Hurricane Sandy. Gov. Christie surely remembers. Republicans are insufferable hypocrites.
The evil that pervades the Republican Party is inexcusable. Democrats make a mistake every time they treat the Republicans as normal. Democrats must find ways to punish bad behavior. If good is to prevail, evil must be eradicated.
The majority of people, including those in Florida, are good people and they should not suffer because of a relatively few evil politicians who put themselves, their party, and their wealthy doners ahead of the good of the country.
If anything doesn't go perfectly in the aftermath recovery, I won't be surprised when Republicans, and particularly DeSatan, blame it all on Biden. They can't help themselves. It's always about scoring political points by "owning the Libs."
"That's just talk" - this makes me sick. They will realize when it's too late.
Anyone on the forum that is over 50 simply must subscribe to the AARP website and get their information from it. I trust the AARP website more than just about any other that comes to mind.
I find their website to be factual, timely, non-partisan and informative. And helpful: I do the Staying Sharp exercises and testing as well.
I don't think it is good karma to wish bad stuff on anybody. But if Mar A Lago is consumed by a storm surge, I will not be tearing up. On the other hand, maybe we should be concerned that it houses a few more stolen documents "belonging to the American people" (phrase used by the Appellate Court over turning the Loose Cannons order).
But seriously, please think good thoughts for Florida - a state that we so easily demonize. This storm may be worse than anything we have seen in our adult lifetimes - we would/should not wish that on anyone. Let's take the high road on this one.
"In the middle of the night, while hurricane winds reached epic proportion, a bolt of lightening struck with such great force totally destroying Mar a Lago. No lives were known to be lost, though an orange stain was noticed where once the inner sanctum of the former resident was known to reside. Florida insurers, when interviewed, stated that the property would likely not be rebuilt, citing 'Acts of God,' a standard clause that nullifies usual coverage for Floridians." The news story I'd like to see this week. My "I keep my cake and eat it" dream.
Wow, thank you Bill! For us Floridians taking the political "slings and arrows" is child's play compared to facing this monster storm-- over which we have absolutely no control !!
Thanks, Bill. I’ve come through okay but Jim Cantore was in a neighbor’s primary house yard this morning in Punta Gorda. I wish harm on no one.
So much is happening right now with the hurricane being at the top of the list. Gosh, I sure wish that force of nature would envelope just DeSantis and his evil crew and carry them to places unknown. Biden is such a mensch; doesn’t hesitate to make certain the state gets the help it needs. Although, I wouldn’t want DeSantis and his ilk handling the money, however. No telling where those millions will end up! Fabulous news about Medicare which will give financial relief to so many and lots of them are in Florida. My best wishes to those in the Sunshine State while they ride out this storm. Please, stay safe!
Yes, may Floridians stay safe and may the hurricane lose some of its power.
TY, Marlene! We are getting excellent hurricane coverage, pinpointing what is coming and when. Tonight will be the worst for us here in Central FL. South Gulf Coast getting clobbered by the worst of it now.
I'm praying for all of you in Florida. Please stay safe and keep the faith.
Thank YOU, Carol, for the update! I have friends in the Keys and one in Winter Park and one more inland. Please stay safe and check in!
Republican Lies have traction. People are clamoring for the next political hit job
Democrats need what I’m calling “The Quick Response Team”, an instant ad production team that corrects and dispels the lie in real time. A 15 second spot, with rational and calm voice over; showing video of the lie and then the reality. These ads should run during national news hours, just as the breathless Nora ODonnells delivers them. A truth squad in real time
If we have to pay up front to buy the space, the media will gain the profits, but they’ll be exposed for their agenda
“The Quick Response Team” May I suggest Gov Newsom's interview with Alex Wagner last night?
It's just a thought experiment but what if the governors of New York and Massachusetts responded to Abbott and DeSantis by shipping paroled prisoners who used guns in their crimes to Texas and Florida? The result of my experiment: "Abbott and DiSantis" ought to be a Democratic catch phrase! Just by itself, it made me laugh.
I wouldn't go for that. That would unleash more terror upon children and women!
Bet that $12 million he used for a fraternity stunt would really come in handy for storm clean up.
Perhaps he might have paid the asylum seekers to help clean up the aftermath with some of it. After all they are seeking to “work”.