Chit-Chat: The Feels

[PRgal]

From the Chit-Chat thread (because I posted this there by mistake):

Vancouver Auto Show cancels Tesla!

 

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7487191
 

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[bluegirl147]

10 minutes ago, Affogato said:

https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/money-lies-and-god-9781635578546/
 

Money, Lies, and God

Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy

Katherine Stewart (Author)
 

i haven’t read this yet but I heard a talk by the author. It seems likely our current situation is part of a longer term pogrom or conspiracy. Which would make it really hard to fight with the correct candidate. I knew some of this, and I approach the book with trepidation. 

I started this last night. I read her previous book The power worshippers : inside the dangerous rise of religious nationalism a few years ago. There has been a real effort to make this country a "Christian" nation and all that entails for a long time. 

7 minutes ago, partofme said:

 Progressive policies when polled separately from any candidate are very popular with the public. I think the Democrats thinking that they always need to run a moderate candidate is depressing voter turnout because they’re not offering any solutions to peoples problems. 

I think a big problem is we have let the right define what progressive is. They scream socialism and convince people they will lose things rather than gain things like single payer health care. They also have made AOC and Omar the face of progressive Democrats.  They frame it as if you are a progressive you are a radical. 

17 minutes ago, partofme said:

And Pete didn’t come across as moderate or conservative because of the way he dressed, but because of the words that came out of his mouth, his 2020 policies offered no improvement to the status quo.  

I think Pete was in the same situation as Obama.  He couldn't appear to be too left because he was already having to win some people over because he was gay much like Obama had to win some people over because he was black. But also I do think Pete is a moderate.  Maybe a left leaning moderate but still moderate.  

28 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

It's not because he is gay, but because of things he may have done while mayor in South Bend

I heard the same thing.

29 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

As far as his sexuality goes, Pete has got to be one of the most vanilla gay men ever. He's not someone who partied on Fire Island or showed up at the Folsom Street Fair. If he did, then pictures would have leaked 5 years ago

As much as I would love to have a president who was fabulously gay I doubt that will ever happen. 

50 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

I've read many times that this country is not progressive; it's moderate

There is a debate whether it's right leaning moderate or left leaning moderate.  I tend to think it's left leaning but fear and ignorance pushes some to the right, especially during election years. As someone mentioned earlier we are not hearing any more about immigrants in Ohio eating pets.

 

[Makai]

1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

What about Pritzker? I don't know much about him other than his impressive State of the State address.

One problem with Pritzker is that he comes from a very wealthy family (they own Hyatt). I can’t see the next nominee being a billionaire.  

[Dimity]

1 hour ago, partofme said:

From what I’ve seen a lot of the reason people couldn’t vote for Harris is because she seemed too moderate.  People wanted change and they didn’t think the Democratic Party was offering any change from Biden, whose policies weren’t bad but the average person didn’t notice any change in their circumstances because of them.

If this is the case then I  just give up.  Because if these supposed progressives were prepared to sit back and let Trump take back the White House then they are no better than the people who don't care enough about anything to bother getting out to vote.  Progressive?  Not the word I would use under the circumstances of the 2024 election.

[Anela]

One thing that gets me, is that we keep hearing, "Give him a chance" when it comes to trump, when he already had his chance. These same people refused to give Kamala a chance. 

[Dimity]

7 minutes ago, Anela said:

One thing that gets me, is that we keep hearing, "Give him a chance" when it comes to trump, when he already had his chance. These same people refused to give Kamala a chance. 

A chance to do what exactly?  Fix the messes he's spent his first two months in office creating?

[annzeepark914]

58 minutes ago, Makai said:

One problem with Pritzker is that he comes from a very wealthy family (they own Hyatt). I can’t see the next nominee being a billionaire.  

Why not? If his family has done good works with their wealth, that's a positive. John Kerry may have married into wealth (his wife had been married to a member of the Heinz family), but he was easily belittled for his pretentiousness (e.g , sailboarding, speaking French, etc)...the little things that irritate a lot of Americans.

[tres bien]

1 hour ago, Makai said:

One problem with Pritzker is that he comes from a very wealthy family (they own Hyatt). I can’t see the next nominee being a billionaire.  

And he’s Jewish (loathed to put that out there as a Jew)

[bluegirl147]

32 minutes ago, Dimity said:

If this is the case then I  just give up.  Because if these supposed progressives were prepared to sit back and let Trump take back the White House then they are no better than the people who don't care enough about anything to bother getting out to vote.  Progressive?  Not the word I would use under the circumstances of the 2024 election

A lot of voters want change period.  They hate all of it and want it all to change.  That is why there were Bernie supporters who went to Trump. They wanted the status quo disrupted and both promised to do that.

15 minutes ago, Anela said:

One thing that gets me, is that we keep hearing, "Give him a chance" when it comes to trump, when he already had his chance. These same people refused to give Kamala a chance. 

The bar is set so low for him it's underneath the ground.  Meanwhile Kamala and Hillary before her were never going to reach the high standards a pretty significant percentage of voters had set for them.

9 minutes ago, Dimity said:

A chance to do what exactly?  Fix the messes he's spent his first two months in office creating?

His whole life everyone has made allowances for them.  And even with those when he fucked up or failed someone would bail  him out.  It is alleged he couldn't even be trusted to take the SATs without embarrassing himself.  When one of his Atlantic City casinos was failing his father came and bought chips but never played with them. Which is illegal.  The casino was fined $65K.  In the end that casino ended up going into bankruptcy anyways the next year.   Trump has always put his needs and wants above his family, his businesses. Why anyone would think he would put this country and the people in it above him is laughable. 

3 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Why not? If his family has done good works with their wealth, that's a positive. John Kerry may have married into wealth (his wife had been married to a member of the Heinz family), but he was easily belittled for his pretentiousness (e.g , sailboarding, speaking French, etc)...the little things that irritate a lot of Americans.

But they sure do love them some Republican millionaires and billionaires.  It's almost as if they will find fault with any Democrat.  Oh wait.....

[Dimity]

8 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

A lot of voters want change period.  They hate all of it and want it all to change.  That is why there were Bernie supporters who went to Trump. They wanted the status quo disrupted and both promised to do that.

I have never forgotten that Susan Sarandon refused to support Hilary in 2016 because she wanted Trump to win.  Not because she actually supported him, but because she felt his win would bring on the revolution faster.  Or some such nonsense.  You would think she and others of her ilk would have realized that's not how things are working out - or at least that playing a long game is causing misery for a lot of people RIGHT NOW - but no, apparently not.

Edited March 19 by Dimity

[bluegirl147]

20 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

And now we are watching Tesla dealerships burn. I wonder if Musk regrets not staying in his lane.

[Lugal]

17 hours ago, Eri said:

I don't know why people are so afraid of veering "too far left." Does anyone have an example? I've not seen it. The fact that the GOP was able to spin Harris as "far left" and people believing it is beyond me - I never got the impression she was anywhere near the liberal spectrum of Warren or Sanders who are considered the "extremes" by any measure.

They tar everyone as "too far left" it's their go to move.  They did it with Harris, Biden and Obama.  I even remember back in the 90's seeing Clinton bumper stickers with a hammer and sickle for the C.  Democrats need to just ignore it at this point.

2 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

A lot of voters want change period.  They hate all of it and want it all to change.  That is why there were Bernie supporters who went to Trump. They wanted the status quo disrupted and both promised to do that.

I agree.  Ever since 2008 people have watched the gap between what they should have and what they do have grow wider.  They want big changes.  Bernie and Trump both promised that in 2016.  Biden promised big changes in 2020 with Build Back Better. Trump promised big changes in 2024.

4 hours ago, partofme said:

And Pete didn’t come across as moderate or conservative because of the way he dressed, but because of the words that came out of his mouth, his 2020 policies offered no improvement to the status quo.  

Honestly, I think Pete just lacked that human connection. He can give a good speech but he comes off very aloof.  His husband seems to be the warmer and more open person. (And his policies didn't offer any improvement on the status quo, I agree)

2 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

Meanwhile Kamala and Hillary before her were never going to reach the high standards a pretty significant percentage of voters had set for them.

Agree to disagree.  Hillary ran a terrible campaign and so did Harris (she was hobbled by Biden's demand of "No daylight, kid").  I wish the democrats could just admit it.

[fastiller]

Welp.  From CBC: U.S. could lose democracy status, says global watchdog

[bluegirl147]

21 minutes ago, Lugal said:

Agree to disagree.  Hillary ran a terrible campaign and so did Harris (she was hobbled by Biden's demand of "No daylight, kid").  I wish the democrats could just admit it

I agree both could have ran better campaigns. Hillary not campaigning in Michigan and Wisconsin was insane. And Kamala should  have done more to separate herself from Biden. But I still believe voters expected more from them than they did Trump or even Biden in 2020.

24 minutes ago, Lugal said:

They tar everyone as "too far left" it's their go to move.  They did it with Harris, Biden and Obama.  I even remember back in the 90's seeing Clinton bumper stickers with a hammer and sickle for the C.  Democrats need to just ignore it at this point.

I've always thought they should own it.  Say if you think wanting universal Pre K and single payer health care and making SS solvent and on and on means I'm far left then yes I'm far left. Dems play too much defense. They need to go on the offense.

26 minutes ago, Lugal said:

Honestly, I think Pete just lacked that human connection. He can give a good speech but he comes off very aloof.  His husband seems to be the warmer and more open person. (And his policies didn't offer any improvement on the status quo, I agree)

To me Pete is a worker bee. Well probably the manager of the hive. He is someone who will make the trains run on time. No pun intended even though he was Transportation Secretary.  

[bluegirl147]

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-supporter-wife-detained-ice_n_67dae8eae4b0c1e54308eeae

The leopard ate his wife's face and he says he would still vote for Trump again.

[Makai]

3 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Why not? If his family has done good works with their wealth, that's a positive. John Kerry may have married into wealth (his wife had been married to a member of the Heinz family), but he was easily belittled for his pretentiousness (e.g , sailboarding, speaking French, etc)...the little things that irritate a lot of Americans.

Because the “eat the rich” sentiment is growing every day Trump and Musk are in power. What were are seeing happening is killing any nuance on the topic that may have existed prior.

Also, John Kerry’s net worth is reported to be $250 million while Pritzker‘s is $3.7 Billion. That is not going to play well with democrats in a campaign.

[peacheslatour]

8 minutes ago, Makai said:

Because the “eat the rich” sentiment is growing every day Trump and Musk are in power. What were are seeing happening is killing any nuance on the topic that may have existed prior.

Also, John Kerry’s net worth is reported to be $250 million while Pritzker‘s is $3.7 Billion. That is not going to play well with democrats in a campaign.

I am so sick of Democrats and the Left in general letting perfect get in the way of good. We're never going to have a perfect candidate. But does anyone left, center or moderate really believe that not voting and allowing another stupid Trump administration was preferable to Harris, who may not have been progressive enough but my god, she wouldn't be running the country into the ground either.

[Dimity]

3 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

And now we are watching Tesla dealerships burn. I wonder if Musk regrets not staying in his lane.

He's going to keep on pretending it's got nothing to do with his high handed anti-democratic actions:

 

14 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

But does anyone left, center or moderate really believe that not voting and allowing another stupid Trump administration was preferable to Harris, who may not have been progressive enough but my god, she wouldn't be running the country into the ground either.

In an alternate universe America is still respected on the world stage and the economy isn't heading into a death spiral.  Good job those who decided not voting for Harris was making a statement.  You sure showed us.

 

Edited March 19 by Dimity

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

I started this last night. I read her previous book The power worshippers : inside the dangerous rise of religious nationalism a few years ago. There has been a real effort to make this country a "Christian" nation and all that entails for a long time. 

I frequently think of Esther Kaplan's book With God On Their Side: How Christian Fundamentalists Trampled Science, Policy, And Democracy In George W. Bush's White House. That detailed the first term of the Bush administration's subversion of democracy with theocratic policies and appointments, chipping away at the separation of church and state at a truly alarming rate.

[Annber03]

3 hours ago, Dimity said:

I have never forgotten that Susan Sarandon refused to support Hilary in 2016 because she wanted Trump to win.  Not because she actually supported him, but because she felt his win would bring on the revolution faster.  Or some such nonsense.  You would think she and others of her ilk would have realized that's not how things are working out - or at least that playing a long game is causing misery for a lot of people RIGHT NOW - but no, apparently not.

This. Why should the Democrats listen to people who didn't even bother to show up to vote? If your base doesn't show up to vote for you, it's logical that most politicians' takeaway from that will be, "Huh, I guess they don't want the policies I proposed after all." 

People weren't happy with Hilary in 2016, so they stayed home in the hopes that this revolution would come and we'd get a genuine progressive candidate in 2020. 

Instead we got Biden. And so there were progressives who sat home 'cause they weren't happy with him, either, and hoped for more change in 2024.

And instead we got Kamala, who also wasn't progressive enough for their tastes, so they continued to sit home ye again.

How many more times are they going to sit out elections in the hopes that this mythical perfect candidate will magically come along? If their hopes haven't come to fruition by the third go-round of presidential elections, you'd think that might clue them in that maybe, just maybe, if they want a truly progressive candidate, they may need  to try annother avenue to make that happen, and that maybe getting out and voting might actually do more to get you at least some of the stuff you want, if only to start. 

It's like I've said before, I would much rather vote for someone I agree with some of the time than be stuck with a politician who has no interest in doing any of what I and others want. I'm a fairly progressive-leaning person and would love to see more of that in the Democratic party from the top down. But at least with a moderate Democrat I can be guaranteed that we'll be on the same page with SOME of the policies we want enacted, or even all of them. The main difference would be more in how to best get those policies implmented. 

Instead I'm stuck with Trump, who I know full well has zero interest in doing any of what I or other people want, or supporting any of the policies that are important to me and other people. 

So. Yeah. Good job, people who stayed home, you sure showed us...or something...

[Bastet]

2 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

How many more times are they going to sit out elections in the hopes that this mythical perfect candidate will magically come along?

Seriously.  Never in my life has the Democratic nominee for president been liberal enough for my taste, and they're usually not who I voted for in the primary because of that.  But I have voted for them in the general election every single time, because they were going to be better for the country than the Republican nominee.

[Makai]

5 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I am so sick of Democrats and the Left in general letting perfect get in the way of good. We're never going to have a perfect candidate.

I agree and I also think people are generally making too much of the supposed dealbreakers. 

Not long ago I saw someone say that the country wasn’t ready for a Black president in 2008 but it was ready for Barack Obama. I think there is a lot of truth to that. The next presidential primary and general election is going to be so dependent on what happens in the country over the next 3 years that it is impossible to say what the right candidate will look like. 

[tres bien]

Steve Bannon was on Andrew Cuomo’s NewsNation show yesterday 

He predicted Trump will run in 2028 and win and he’s already endorsed him

😖

[Makai]

1 minute ago, tres bien said:

Steve Bannon was on Andrew Cuomo’s NewsNation show yesterday 

He predicted Trump will run in 2028 and win and he’s already endorsed him

😖

Did they even ask him about the fact that this would require dismantling the constitution since there is no chance of a constitutional amendment? I’m curious if any of them is willing to actually admit the they support getting rid of the constitution or if they are going to pretend Trump wasn’t serious about that. 

[Affogato]

8 minutes ago, tres bien said:

Steve Bannon was on Andrew Cuomo’s NewsNation show yesterday 

He predicted Trump will run in 2028 and win and he’s already endorsed him

😖

I think trump may well be dead but their will  be a successor. 

[bluegirl147]

48 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Seriously.  Never in my life has the Democratic nominee for president been liberal enough for my taste, and they're usually not who I voted for in the primary because of that.  But I have voted for them in the general election every single time, because they were going to be better for the country than the Republican nominee.

Same.  I don't know why that is so hard to understand.

14 minutes ago, Makai said:

Did they even ask him about the fact that this would require dismantling the constitution since there is no chance of a constitutional amendment? I’m curious if any of them is willing to actually admit the they support getting rid of the constitution or if they are going to pretend Trump wasn’t serious about that. 

For as long as I live I will never understand how so many people have been willing to rip up the Constitution because of Trump saying he wants something.  

[Spartan Girl]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

I am so sick of Democrats and the Left in general letting perfect get in the way of good. 

And only to appease their own conscience, not the well-being of others as they so sanctimoniously claimed. Case in point:

Edited March 19 by Spartan Girl

[Lantern7]

On 3/18/2025 at 12:53 PM, bluegirl147 said:

We need to make elections easier for people. Over a third of the populace didn’t vote, we get a steaming pile of refuse as our President, and no one will have learned a thing. Why not do it over a weekend? Three-day weekend? Maybe make Election Day a federal holiday every other year?

47 minutes ago, tres bien said:

Steve Bannon was on Andrew Cuomo’s NewsNation show yesterday 

He predicted Trump will run in 2028 and win and he’s already endorsed him

😖

. . . and he’s still alive why, exactly?

[suomi]

from the article:

Menaced by Trump, Canada Prepares to Join E.U. Military Industry Buildup

Canada’s draft deal to participate in Europe’s defense industry will bring contracts to Canadian manufacturers and help lessen dependence on the United States.

Canada is in advanced talks with the European Union to join the bloc’s new project to expand its military industry, a move that would allow Canada to be part of building European fighter jets and other military equipment at its own industrial facilities.

The budding defense cooperation between Canada and the European Union, which is racing to shore up its industry to lower reliance on the United States, would boost Canada’s military manufacturers and offer the country a new market at a time when its relationship with the United States has become frayed.

Shaken by a crisis in the two nations’ longstanding alliance since President Trump’s election, Canada has started moving closer to Europe. The military industry collaboration with the European Union highlights how traditional U.S. allies are deepening their ties without U.S. participation to insulate themselves from Mr. Trump’s unpredictable moves.

Canada’s new leader, Prime Minister Mark Carney, this week made Paris and London the destinations of his first overseas trip since taking office on Friday, calling Canada “the most European of non-European countries.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/world/canada/canada-eu-military-industry-trump.html

Edited March 19 by suomi

[lookeyloo]

46 minutes ago, Makai said:

Did they even ask him about the fact that this would require dismantling the constitution since there is no chance of a constitutional amendment? I’m curious if any of them is willing to actually admit the they support getting rid of the constitution or if they are going to pretend Trump wasn’t serious about that. 

If we keep going down this path, before we know it, no one in power will either want to or be able to follow the constitution.  If the president has unlimited power as the Supremes have said, what's to stop any of this?  so far there are court orders, but, those are being tested too.  Very scary.

[kittykat]

15 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

We need to make elections easier for people. Over a third of the populace didn’t vote, we get a steaming pile of refuse as our President, and no one will have learned a thing. Why not do it over a weekend? Three-day weekend? Maybe make Election Day a federal holiday every other year?

Mail in voting was incredibly successful in 2020.  Yes it took a pandemic to make it happen but it gave voters the leeway to get their vote in without taking a day off.  But of course the Democrat won that year so the Republicans had to demonize mail in as quickly as they could.

[ProudMary]

4 minutes ago, suomi said:

from the article:Menaced by Trump, Canada Prepares to Join E.U. Military Industry Buildup

Canada’s draft deal to participate in Europe’s defense industry will bring contracts to Canadian manufacturers and help lessen dependence on the United States.

As a nation, we were lucky in 2021 that the free world welcomed us back with open arms. In the unlikely event that we even have the ability to vote the fascists out, the rest of the world may not be as welcoming. Who could blame them?

This, from yesterday, is disturbing, but not all that surprising.

Trump admin considers giving up NATO command that has been exclusively American since Eisenhower

The move is being discussed as part of a possible restructuring of combatant commands that would help the Defense Department cut costs.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-admin-considers-giving-nato-command-exclusively-american-eisenho-rcna196503

“For the United States to give up the role of supreme allied commander of NATO would be seen in Europe as a significant signal of walking away from the alliance,” retired Adm. James Stavridis, who served as SACEUR and head of European Command from 2009 to 2013, said in an email.  

“It would be a political mistake of epic proportion, and once we give it up, they are not going to give it back," he wrote. "We would lose an enormous amount of influence within NATO, and this would be seen, correctly, as probably the first step toward leaving the Alliance altogether.”

[peacheslatour]

4 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

We need to make elections easier for people. Over a third of the populace didn’t vote, we get a steaming pile of refuse as our President, and no one will have learned a thing. Why not do it over a weekend? Three-day weekend? Maybe make Election Day a federal holiday every other year?

. . . and he’s still alive why, exactly?

We have vote by mail in Washington state, which Republicans would love to get rid of, by the way and still only 75% of eligible voters turned out for the 2024 election. And Republicans will never make it easier to vote. When more people vote, they tend to lose, bigly.

[fairffaxx]

In Australia, voting is compulsory.  I have no idea how that's enforced, or what to do about people writing in "Micky Mouse", but that's the law however it works.

[peacheslatour]

I've been reading The Rasputin File. There are so many parallels between his control over the Tsar and Tsarina and Musk's control over Donald. Elon would do well to remember what happened to Rasputin when the nobles had enough of his shit.

[Dimity]

1 hour ago, fairffaxx said:

In Australia, voting is compulsory.  I have no idea how that's enforced, or what to do about people writing in "Micky Mouse", but that's the law however it works.

I believe there are fines involved if you don't vote.  And while I agree that there will be people spoiling their ballot for whatever reasons it would still encourage those who would vote if they weren't washing their hair 🙄 to get out and do it.

ETA: I should add if there would ever be a fine attached to not voting then there damn well better be some changes in order to make voting an easier process in many areas!  Otherwise this is just a cash grab.

Edited March 19 by Dimity

[Makai]

3 hours ago, Makai said:

Did they even ask him about the fact that this would require dismantling the constitution since there is no chance of a constitutional amendment? I’m curious if any of them is willing to actually admit the they support getting rid of the constitution or if they are going to pretend Trump wasn’t serious about that. 

I’m quoting myself because I just saw the clip and Cuomo did ask. The answer was, “we’re working on it. I think we’ll have a couple of alternatives, let’s say that. We’ll see what the definition of term limits is.” Said with a smirk and a laugh. 

 

Once again they would all lose their shit if the Democrats were saying things like this. 

Edited March 19 by Makai

[tres bien]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

We have vote by mail in Washington state, which Republicans would love to get rid of, by the way and still only 75% of eligible voters turned out for the 2024 election. And Republicans will never make it easier to vote. When more people vote, they tend to lose, bigly.

We were registered voters in FL for 7 years. Except for a couple of times we voted by mail. We always requested our ballots online and in 2020 they were sent to our home in Minneapolis 

Edited March 19 by tres bien

[Anela]

21 minutes ago, Makai said:

I’m quoting myself because I just saw the clip and Cuomo did ask. The answer was, “we’re working on it. I think we’ll have a couple of alternatives, let’s say that. We’ll see what the definition of term limits is.” Said with a smirk and a laugh. 

 

Once again they would all lose their shit if the Democrats were saying things like this. 

I wish they wouldn’t ask, like it’s a normal thing to even bring up.  I wish they’d argue. 
 

[Makai]

4 minutes ago, Anela said:

I wish they wouldn’t ask, like it’s a normal thing to even bring up.  I wish they’d argue. 
 

He may have challenged it after. I only saw a clip. 

[ECM1231]

This is great. A reporter pushes back.

 

[Ceindreadh]

2 hours ago, fairffaxx said:

In Australia, voting is compulsory.  I have no idea how that's enforced, or what to do about people writing in "Micky Mouse", but that's the law however it works.

I would support compulsory voting in my country, as long as there was a 'none of the above' box to tick or something to confirm that you were abstaining, rather than just not bothering to vote.

[Annber03]

37 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

This is great. A reporter pushes back.

 

This reporter deserves all the awards. Bless you. 

[annzeepark914]

8 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

This reporter deserves all the awards. Bless you. 

This reporter will probably be banned from the White House forever.

[Eri]

8 hours ago, Lugal said:

They tar everyone as "too far left" it's their go to move.  They did it with Harris, Biden and Obama.  I even remember back in the 90's seeing Clinton bumper stickers with a hammer and sickle for the C.  Democrats need to just ignore it at this point.

One post I had seen mentioned on Bluesky recently was something along the lines of:

"American politics makes a lot more sense when you realize that the GOP is afraid of pissing off the GOP base, and the Dems are afraid of pissing off the GOP base, but neither party is afraid of pissing off the Dem base." 

And because I can't get enough angry town hall hysteria with Congressmen getting an earful, the latest ones are in Nebraska and North Carolina lol.

I'm contacting my Congresspeople this week to get any up-to-date town hall information during this recess, if they bother to have one..

Edited March 20 by Eri

[Lantern7]

3 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

This is great. A reporter pushes back.

 

. . . and you just know the word “stupid” was on the tip of the reporter’s tongue, heavily implied.

Leavitt probably sobbed for an hour afterward.

Good.

[suomi]

from the article:

“When the president of the United States wages a war on the rule of law and the federal judiciary alley, America is in a constitutional crisis. The constitutional role of the president is to faithfully execute the laws. Needless to say, the president is doing anything but that at the moment. Most constitutional scholars have long agreed that a constitutional crisis exists at least when the president defies a court order. That’s essentially what the president is doing today and what it appears he intends to do in the future.”

On Tuesday, Trump called for the impeachment and removal of James Boasberg, the chief US district judge in Washington DC.

Trump later told Fox News he had not and would not defy the courts, but deportation flights to El Salvador were not turned around after Boasberg’s intervention.

[But] Luttig has emerged as a prominent Trump opponent, giving memorable testimony to the House January 6 committee, which investigated the attack on Congress that Trump incited in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

On Wednesday, he doubled down on his remarks to MSNBC, in which he said: “No president of the United States, in the country’s almost 250-year history, has defied a federal court order … If this president defies a federal court order, the country will be in a constitutional crisis. How does that crisis end? We don’t know, because it’s never happened before.”

The courts, Luttig said, “have no effective means to enforce their orders, other than by judgments of contempt … enforced by the marshals of the court. So if the president of the United States defies even a supreme court order, there is nothing the supreme court itself could do.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/19/trump-court-order-immigration-constitutional-crisis

[suomi]

from the article:

The protests against President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia had been growing in intensity and size when an unusual guest showed up in its capital this month to meet with the embattled European leader: Donald Trump Jr., the oldest son of President Trump.

The quick visit by Mr. Trump, which included a meeting with Mr. Vucic to talk about U.S. foreign aid to Serbia, came as the Trump family and Jared Kushner, the American president’s son-in-law, were moving ahead with plans to build a Trump International Hotel in Belgrade, the first such property in Europe.

"Can you imagine an American president, any president, giving West Point as a gift to an offshore company, only to demolish it and build a hotel?” Aleksandar Jovanovic, a member of Serbia’s parliament, said last year as the deal was being negotiated, referencing the U.S. Military Academy.

“One would have to have a vivid imagination to imagine that. Unfortunately, what is unthinkable in America is a tragic reality in Serbia,” he said at that time.

The Trump family’s evident support of Mr. Vucic is much appreciated, the Serbian president made clear, adding that he believes it is part of the reason President Trump is so popular in Serbia.

“This was the country where Trump was enjoying the biggest popularity in the entire Europe by far,” Mr. Vucic said. “I’m not flattering him or I’m not flattering you. I’m saying what people here think.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/us/politics/donald-trump-jr-serbia.html

[Lantern7]

9 minutes ago, suomi said:

The protests against President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia had been growing in intensity and size when an unusual guest showed up in its capital this month to meet with the embattled European leader: Donald Trump Jr., the oldest son of President Trump.

Ugh. I guess time travel never becomes a thing because we wouldn't be reading crap like this. Or maybe we're living in the best possible timeline made possible via retroactive interference, which indicates how effed everything is in general.

The sad thing is that Junior isn't an official official, and yet he got a warmer reception than the Secretary of State.

I never knew Canadians could be this petty. I love it. A small welcome for a very small man.

Edited March 20 by Lantern7

[anony.miss]

7 hours ago, Annber03 said:

This reporter deserves all the awards. Bless you. 

Unfortunately that transcript isn't real (wish it were):

"That exchange did not actually take place. During a press briefing on March 17, 2025, a reporter asked Leavitt about remarks made by French Member of the European Parliament Raphaël Glucksmann, who claimed that since "the Americans...have chosen to side with the tyrants," the U.S. should return the Statue of Liberty to France.

Leavitt, in response to the reporter's question, said President Donald Trump would not be returning the monument and added "It's only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now. So they should be very grateful to our great country."

Leavitt then turned to a different reporter for the next question, and there was no further back and forth on the future of the Statue of Liberty or the history of Franco-American relations. The exchange can be watched in full below"

https://leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2025/03/fact-check-karoline-leavitt-reporter-statue-of-liberty.html

Edited March 20 by anony.miss