President Biden spoke to reporters today after his meeting with House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about raising the debt ceiling. “I just finished, I thought, a productive meeting with the congressional leadership about the path forward to make sure America does not default—I emphasize does
Prof. Richardson, I especially appreciate your explanation of the status of the debt ceiling. Thank you for clarifying. I understand that Pres. Biden can invoke the 14th Amendment, but he didn't necessarily want to, and now I understand why...litigation. As for the double whammy that came on Tuesday, E. Jean Carroll's victory and the DOJ indictment of Santos, it was a good day for justice. Thank you for your work.
A good day and watch number 45 double down on everything and become more extreme. E. Jean Carroll may ( some might not like this comparison but only see this as a metaphor) be the Rosa Parks of Democracy by having the courage to stand up to the perpetual personal threats by the MAGA crowd for her actions to expose the truth on a man who would take down our Democracy for his personal gain. Thanks Heather!
What a stark contrast between the eminently and consistently reasonable approach to governance from Biden and the rantings of a former President found by a Civil jury to have committed sexual assault. By any reasonable standards it should be inconceivable that Trump and his acolytes should ever get anywhere near the White House again. But for a significant proportion of the US population reason has leapt out of the window in a kind of collective madness. Why? Is there something in the water causing it?!?
Tax the rich, to death, if possible. Eliminate the debt ceiling. Raise discretionary spending (i.e., pass Biden's second infrastructure bill). Pass the voting rights legislation. End Republican voter suppression nationwide. End gerrymandering. Reconstitute the *supreme court* (I would put *supreme court* in miniprint). Pass the equal rights amendment. End the Electoral College. End *citizens united*. End Republican treason against the United States of America. Eliminate or revise the Senate.
I have a sneaky feeling Santos will not resign even if convicted. He is simply that audacious. And McCarthy has demonstrated he is weak. If he asked Santos to resign upon being found guilty and Santos simply said no he’d just say ‘ok, well I tried’.
I lived through the Cuban missile crisis. JFK assassination plus others, the Vietnam War and Water Gate. They all seemed traumatic but did not seem to set a new low standard. Americans overall placed a check on misbehavior and crime, and a much higher bar on what we expected. Republicans too stepped up and agreed that those were all situations that were not acceptable.
But not today. We seem to be living in a new age of depravity and chaos where the aggressors claim victimhood, and the victims can’t find refuge or justice in spite of an occasional court decision like Carroll vs Trump.
I am massively relieved the jury found Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation. It means nothing to his followers (paraphrasing) - he could rape a woman on Fifth Avenue and not lose a vote. Rape is baked in to the Republican agenda of suppressing women.
But it's a small start on justice. E. Jean Carroll is a heroine.
Sexual abuse is always a dominance/power issue…Trump basically hates/fears women and his behavior is internally consistent. E Jean Carroll, bless her heart took on this vile man and this time truth dominated! Thanks to Heather for her coverage..but very special thanks to EJean Carroll and those jurors…whose lives and well being are apparently at risk…judging from the judges own cautions to them to stay anonymous….
Thank you, Dr. Richardson for this uplifting update. Thank goodness for President Biden. This is what a REAL President looks like. Standing firm, America will pay its debts. What a sad state our judiciary is in, thanks to anti-law Mitch McConnell. I never thought I'd live to see the day when invoking the Constitution of the United States of America could result in "worries that invoking it to solve this manufactured crisis will involve lengthy litigation." implying the outcome might be to revoke the Constitution. SHAME on any judge who would find for the "retrumplicans" by denying, in this instance, an amendment that has stood as the law of the land for 155 years. And Article 6 which has been the law for 236 years. Do these judges so hate democracy that they will do anything for the authoritarians who put them in office. How can such disreputable people look in the mirror. Shame.
He added that he wants the wealthiest Americans and corporations to “start to pay some of their fair share.”
Restart, that is. Theodore Roosevelt and others pushed back on the lawlessness and irresponsibility of 19th Century "Robber Barons", and somehow the World kept turning.
In fact, government connecting power of the powerful to responsibilities to the public appears to have produced multifaceted paths of improvement for the preponderance of US Citizens. Why would the public ever agree to drift back to the bad old days of the "Gilded Age"? I thought my high school history book was telling me that we had outgrown all that.
May we all be as strong as E. Jean Carroll and if we are lucky enough to have daughters or granddaughters raise them to be as strong too. Even if the orange mobster appeals and doesn't pay (as is his habit), it will always go down in the record books that he was bested by a strong woman! We will raise a glass to her tonight!
Trump has not learned a thing. He stated that he was not given the opportunity to speak in his defense. That is after the judge gave him two extra days to appear and speak if he so chose. So, he is still liying, or he is incapable of learning, or both. I am more concerned about the GA efforts attempting to stop DA Willis from pursuing indictments re: false electors.
"...but McCarthy told the CNN reporters that anyone found guilty of a crime should resign."
C'mon Heather! That was before The Kevster knew Georgio would be convicted. I seem to remember McCarthy opposing Trump on 6 January for about 11 seconds too. Trust me, if Santos is convicted, McCarthy will disappear once again, pray that it goes away--and try desperately to ram through a bunch of crap legislation before Santos is forced out. Guaranteed. The GOP is that desperate, that derelict, that pathetic and that fraudulent.
Prof. Richardson, I especially appreciate your explanation of the status of the debt ceiling. Thank you for clarifying. I understand that Pres. Biden can invoke the 14th Amendment, but he didn't necessarily want to, and now I understand why...litigation. As for the double whammy that came on Tuesday, E. Jean Carroll's victory and the DOJ indictment of Santos, it was a good day for justice. Thank you for your work.
A good day and watch number 45 double down on everything and become more extreme. E. Jean Carroll may ( some might not like this comparison but only see this as a metaphor) be the Rosa Parks of Democracy by having the courage to stand up to the perpetual personal threats by the MAGA crowd for her actions to expose the truth on a man who would take down our Democracy for his personal gain. Thanks Heather!
Startled By Words:
“Trump’s strongest legacy will always be violence as an extension of our democratic processes.” Juliette Kayyem, National Security Advisor.
It should be noted that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was also at the meeting with Biden.
What a stark contrast between the eminently and consistently reasonable approach to governance from Biden and the rantings of a former President found by a Civil jury to have committed sexual assault. By any reasonable standards it should be inconceivable that Trump and his acolytes should ever get anywhere near the White House again. But for a significant proportion of the US population reason has leapt out of the window in a kind of collective madness. Why? Is there something in the water causing it?!?
Tax the rich, to death, if possible. Eliminate the debt ceiling. Raise discretionary spending (i.e., pass Biden's second infrastructure bill). Pass the voting rights legislation. End Republican voter suppression nationwide. End gerrymandering. Reconstitute the *supreme court* (I would put *supreme court* in miniprint). Pass the equal rights amendment. End the Electoral College. End *citizens united*. End Republican treason against the United States of America. Eliminate or revise the Senate.
I have a sneaky feeling Santos will not resign even if convicted. He is simply that audacious. And McCarthy has demonstrated he is weak. If he asked Santos to resign upon being found guilty and Santos simply said no he’d just say ‘ok, well I tried’.
I lived through the Cuban missile crisis. JFK assassination plus others, the Vietnam War and Water Gate. They all seemed traumatic but did not seem to set a new low standard. Americans overall placed a check on misbehavior and crime, and a much higher bar on what we expected. Republicans too stepped up and agreed that those were all situations that were not acceptable.
But not today. We seem to be living in a new age of depravity and chaos where the aggressors claim victimhood, and the victims can’t find refuge or justice in spite of an occasional court decision like Carroll vs Trump.
I am massively relieved the jury found Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation. It means nothing to his followers (paraphrasing) - he could rape a woman on Fifth Avenue and not lose a vote. Rape is baked in to the Republican agenda of suppressing women.
But it's a small start on justice. E. Jean Carroll is a heroine.
Sexual abuse is always a dominance/power issue…Trump basically hates/fears women and his behavior is internally consistent. E Jean Carroll, bless her heart took on this vile man and this time truth dominated! Thanks to Heather for her coverage..but very special thanks to EJean Carroll and those jurors…whose lives and well being are apparently at risk…judging from the judges own cautions to them to stay anonymous….
Thank you, Dr. Richardson for this uplifting update. Thank goodness for President Biden. This is what a REAL President looks like. Standing firm, America will pay its debts. What a sad state our judiciary is in, thanks to anti-law Mitch McConnell. I never thought I'd live to see the day when invoking the Constitution of the United States of America could result in "worries that invoking it to solve this manufactured crisis will involve lengthy litigation." implying the outcome might be to revoke the Constitution. SHAME on any judge who would find for the "retrumplicans" by denying, in this instance, an amendment that has stood as the law of the land for 155 years. And Article 6 which has been the law for 236 years. Do these judges so hate democracy that they will do anything for the authoritarians who put them in office. How can such disreputable people look in the mirror. Shame.
He added that he wants the wealthiest Americans and corporations to “start to pay some of their fair share.”
Restart, that is. Theodore Roosevelt and others pushed back on the lawlessness and irresponsibility of 19th Century "Robber Barons", and somehow the World kept turning.
In fact, government connecting power of the powerful to responsibilities to the public appears to have produced multifaceted paths of improvement for the preponderance of US Citizens. Why would the public ever agree to drift back to the bad old days of the "Gilded Age"? I thought my high school history book was telling me that we had outgrown all that.
May we all be as strong as E. Jean Carroll and if we are lucky enough to have daughters or granddaughters raise them to be as strong too. Even if the orange mobster appeals and doesn't pay (as is his habit), it will always go down in the record books that he was bested by a strong woman! We will raise a glass to her tonight!
Trump has not learned a thing. He stated that he was not given the opportunity to speak in his defense. That is after the judge gave him two extra days to appear and speak if he so chose. So, he is still liying, or he is incapable of learning, or both. I am more concerned about the GA efforts attempting to stop DA Willis from pursuing indictments re: false electors.
"...but McCarthy told the CNN reporters that anyone found guilty of a crime should resign."
C'mon Heather! That was before The Kevster knew Georgio would be convicted. I seem to remember McCarthy opposing Trump on 6 January for about 11 seconds too. Trust me, if Santos is convicted, McCarthy will disappear once again, pray that it goes away--and try desperately to ram through a bunch of crap legislation before Santos is forced out. Guaranteed. The GOP is that desperate, that derelict, that pathetic and that fraudulent.
Republican politicians not condemning shooters is a crime against humanity. That lack of condemnation is seen by some as approval.