Thursday, May 13, 2021

"Free Thought And Debate," He Said.


Everyone needs a good laugh. So getaloada House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s note to his caucus, shortly before he orchestrated Liz Cheney’s beheading: “… [Y]ou should anticipate a vote on recalling the Conference Chair on Wednesday… And unlike the left, we embrace free thought and debate.” 

Sorry if that forced coffee out anyone’s nose. Especially those who remember when, the day after Trump’s insurrection and before he used his wind-blown finger to dig out his own spine and replace it with cotton candy, McCarthy rightly put blame directly on Trump. Now, his people refer to it as “a normal tourist visit” by “peaceful patriots.” Not kidding. By next year, it never even happened

Liz Cheney is a hero the way someone who hasn’t strangled anyone lately is. She’s nastily slandered her Democratic Congressional colleagues, voted with Trump more often than her replacement. Since long before Trump, she’s been an active participant in her party’s departure from truth.

But she did what she did knowing it’d end her leadership role and, perhaps, next year, her job. For that, she is to be admired. Still, it’s what any true conservative should have done. Placing preserving our constitutional democracy above political self-interest, she refused to acquiesce to Trump’s big lie. In today’s Trumpublican Party, integrity begets dismissal.

Before the blade fell, she said what we’ve been saying in this column as many ways as possible: no one who supports Trump can be considered conservative. With his lies and calculated divisiveness, his power-grabbing attempts to create distrust of every aspect of democracy, his ten-fold documented obstruction of justice, his love of dictators, he’s the antithesis. 

“Ignoring the lie emboldens the liar,” Cheney said to her disinterested colleagues. “… I will not sit back and watch in silence, while others lead our party down a path that abandons the rule of law and joins the former president’s crusade to undermine our democracy… Those who refuse to accept the rulings of our courts are at war with the Constitution … This is not about partisanship. This is about our duty as Americans. Attacks against our democratic process and the rule of law empower our adversaries and feed communist propaganda that American democracy is a failure ... Our election was not stolen, and America has not failed.” 

After which her audience figuratively hoed and hummed. Those who hadn’t already walked out.

As Liz’s head thudded into the basket, young Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), as despicable a being as haunts the halls of Congress (among Gaetz, Boberg, Greene, et. al., that’s something special), tweeted, “Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye Liz Cheney.” Of such stuff are Republican Representatives now made, and actual conservatives should admit it. One hopes for follow-through from those who’ve promised to form a sane conservative party; and that enough people might join to save conservatism – and America – from Trump. 

On the other hand, a self-described conservative emailed me last week. Among other things, he agreed President Biden won, the election wasn’t rigged, and that Trump has responsibility for the insurrection. Yet he’d voted for him. Yes, the insurrection happened post-election, but Trump was ginning it up long before. His rejection of Congressional oversight, his dismissive pandemic response, his claims about mail-in voting that every Washingtonian knows are false, were well-known. One assumes, therefore, this saner-than-most conservative won’t be joining any new parties.

With faces straight, Republicans decry “cancel culture.” If you need more proof of their hypocrisy, if you’re ready for another laugh (put down your coffee), the trainer whose Derby-winning horse was full of illegal drugs and is therefore disqualified from future races, went on Fox “news,” where truth and the meaning of words go to die, and called it cancel culture. (Need a napkin?)

The effectiveness of such cynical rightwing propaganda makes it hard to be optimistic, even though recent polling has shown that, among swing-state Republicans, Trump is seen unfavorably. Unsurprisingly, in a retreat with Republican leaders boosting Trump, the RNC hid the numbers. Tell us again about “Free thought and debate,” Kevin. 

Speaking of Trumpic damage to America, the Cleveland Clinic just published a paper showing that since January, over 99% of their patients requiring hospitalization had been only partially or not-at-all vaccinated. Another report stated that 82% of hospitalized patients suffered neurological symptoms, which conferred a six-fold increase in the risk of death.

Vaccines save lives. In addition to their unrequited loyalty, Republicans ought to rethink their majority refusal to be vaccinated. Trump doesn’t care if democracy or his cultists die, but we do and so should they. 
 


19 comments:

  1. Do you think that the fact Covid attacks the brain is the reason for the no vax stance alt right sociopaths preach?

    A permanent class of stupid people unable to think.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No. Anti-mask, anti-vax Trumpists were stupid before they got a virus.

      Delete
    2. Did you see how the alt right exempted themselves from the new voter suppression laws? Also, said no to Medicaid expansion.

      And while that appeared to be the end of the fight, it now appears to have been the start of a different kind of fight. NBC News reported yesterday that Mike Parson, Missouri's Republican governor, has decided not to expand Medicaid in his state.

      Parson ... claimed that the state could not afford to fund the program's expansion after the Republican-controlled state Assembly refused to fund that aspect of the budget. The governor formally withdrew the state's plan for Medicaid expansion Thursday.... The budget released by Parson's office earlier this year included funding for expansion, but Republicans in the state Assembly voted to strip it from the state budget.

      In case this isn't obvious, it's worth emphasizing that Missouri's voters didn't simply request Medicaid expansion, they amended the Missouri constitution to require it.

      The principal talking point from GOP officials in the state focuses on finances: Missouri Republicans have spent recent months insisting that they simply don't have the money to help so many low-income families have health coverage.

      The problem, of course, is that arithmetic keeps getting in Republicans' way. As NBC News' report explained, Medicaid expansion would cost Missouri roughly $130 million, but the state would also secure a federal match of about $1.4 billion to pay for the program. Just as importantly, thanks to the Democrats' COVID relief package, states adopting Medicaid expansion would get additional federal resources for the next two years, more than covering Missouri's $130 million commitment.

      No need to hit a link! Just read w/o leaving the page!

      Or put another way, the idea that Missouri can't afford this is impossible to take seriously.

      Delete
    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  2. Hey Sid this msg from Chrome just popped up when I tried to go to this site. It appears you've been hacked.

    ***********************************************************

    Deceptive site ahead
    Attackers on sidschwab.blogspot.com may trick you into doing something dangerous like installing software or revealing your personal information (for example, passwords, phone numbers, or credit cards). Learn more
    To get Chrome’s highest level of security, turn on enhanced protection
    Google Safe Browsing recently detected phishing on sidschwab.blogspot.com. Phishing sites pretend to be other websites to trick you.

    You can report a detection problem or, if you understand the risks to your security, visit this unsafe site.

    ReplyDelete
  3. BTW this was the Chrome browser reporting a problem. My other anti-virus software does not alert. I sent a report to Chrome that your site was legitimate

    ReplyDelete
  4. Amazing. Posting this, I got the same warning. This blog was reported to Facebook as spam and was blocked. I think there are people who don't like what I say and have done things to block it. Trumpists.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Must be doing something right :O)

      Delete
    2. That's not at all surprising these days. At least your blog was not actually hacked. Keep on keeping on!

      Delete
  5. I got the same thing on FireFox and have reported it as not being a deceptive site. This just happened midday today since when I checked in this morning there was no problem.

    With regard to Missouri, can't someone sue them and force them to do it? Isn't violating their own constitution?

    I don't get how most of these voter suppression laws are not violations of the Federal constitution.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for asking Dan...

      The shortest simple version is this...

      We had the laws in place but the alt right smashed those. As well as making dark money in politics legal et al. In short, they undid almost everything in the civil rights act.

      2010 was the beginning of the end for 'merca. Can we save her? Pffft...I ain't holding my breath.

      Until people understand this is a domestic cold war, nothing will be secure.

      Delete
    2. "In short, they undid almost everything in the civil rights act."

      I should have added the Voting Rights act as well.

      Delete
  6. Looks like I'm no longer considered a phisher. Wonder if it was some kinda algorithm gone wild, or if someone tried to screw with me. If being released had anything to do with people here calling them off, thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  7. "...you pretty much cannot underestimate the ninja-level cognitive-dissonance-resolution skills of many anti-vaxxers and many Republican voters."

    The https://electoral-vote.com/ blog is littered with utter gems like this one.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have always been a bad liar. I am not gifted with a poker face or the ability to hide my feelings. A blessing and a curse. The only time I was able to successfully pull off an untruth or obfuscation was the day I escaped my abusive husband. What a surprise he had when he came home that August evening and found that I was gone! I guess if I had to achieve deception just once, that was the day.

    I am always astonished at how easily and calmly Republicans lie to their constituents in front of the cameras. It's a skill I am happy not to own. I'd have been a terrible undercover agent or intelligence officer. At least Liz Cheney isn't lying right now, though her untruths in the past should keep our cheers for her to a minimum.

    That's all I have to offer this week. I've been busy gardening, waiting for the rain to start again so I can clean the house and finish a couple quilts. Do not squander these beautiful spring days!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I want to believe the Liz Cheney thing, but I have my doubts. Just as the craziness of Greene is so strange, I can't but think the seemingness of Cheney is just as strange.
      Given the reward is now-Trillion dollar slu$h accountS to reward the corrupt, and that all that is needed is an election in Wyoming (500K people), or Alaska (700K people) for equivalent votes, I just can't get past the notion it is a scam as well.
      A liar can't be separated by the truth when everyone is lying (does that work?).
      And, further to this, now we have "an acceptable" woman as the result? (not acceptable to sane people) We're being played.
      But then, I listened to Nunes and Pompeo this morning. Got to get some more brain-floss, I've run out. Signed, Democrat.

      Delete
    2. "We're being played."

      Not me...

      Right is right, wrong is wrong. Sometimes bad people do good things and visa versa. Marvel comics makes billions on that premise alone.

      Instead of the "waddabout" and false evidence to prove some misguided point in an effort to 'sound' a particular way as you decompartmentalize the argument thus shading the point in the first place, is how one gets "played".

      I am under no delusions. Our forever war was brought to you by the Cheney regime. All her money and family name is swimming in blood. How about that as a point? Way better than waddabouts and word footsies imo. Compartmentalized and straight to the point where everyone is clear. That's my style and it's hard to fool :O)

      So no, I am not being played.

      Delete
  9. Qanon Shaman lawyer calls alt right "short bus riders" "retarded" and oh so much more! Even compares Drumpf to Hitler...No kiddin'...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlQ3Yc5WtoE

    ReplyDelete
  10. The MAGA is mad...We think they are stupid, ignorant, misinformed and living in the past. Because they show themselves to be that and more in spades.
    Normal, garden variety MAGA know it all's who meet weekly at a resturant.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9_VOb4wnp8

    ReplyDelete

Comments back, moderated. Preference given for those who stay on topic.

Popular posts