Explaining Fox, the Right Wing and Today's Republican Party

Carl Sagan said it so right and true, all those years ago. And now it's all made worse, much worse, with Donald Trump and his supporters.

Don't think it's true? Search the headline: Republican reps declare Jan.6 insurgency 'a normal tourist visit' from 'peaceful patriots'

The Craziness That is the GOP Now

So it's been done. Republicans voted to oust Lix Cheney from her positino in their party because she wouldn't support the lie that Donald Trump won the election last November. Insane that's still going on. So here we are.

I love quoting Republicans themselves on this situation.

The insanity that is today's Republicans Party.

Joe Walsh has been speaking up about them for some time.

We must vote them all out.

What Gives Me Hope

This is, of course, what's happening to the GOP, the Republican Party presently and it's from the inside. They're doing it to themselves.

I just hope they collapse before they bring down the nation.

Things You Think You Know

I was sure, once Richard Nixon was gone, that Republicans had done their worst and we would never again, at least in my lifetime, ever do as badly as that man in the White House again.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

The Republican Party's Big Lie

The bad news, the Republicans' Big Lie is an attack on our vote, our votes, our election, our democracy and so, our nation and people.

The good news, it's one more thing, along with the former President, that's tearing down and apart the Republican Party.

It's the Republican Party vs the United States and Democracy

What I've thought and said for some time. It's either the Republican Party or our United States of America, no overstatement. Understand, Americans, the Republicans and their political party are attacking our vote, our votes, our elections and our democracy. Doanld Trump, his followers and Mitch McConnell and their political party cannot win.

Americans Need to Know and Understand and Fight What the Republicans Are Doing

From Heather Cox Richardson, once more. No one evaluates what's going on politically in America currently any better and informs, instructs us all.

Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo articulated today what many have been reluctant to say: What is at stake in the Big Lie and all the Republican efforts to keep it in play—the shenanigans in the secret Maricopa County, Arizona, recount; the censuring of Republicans who voted to impeach the former president; the expected removal of Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney from a leadership role in the party; and so on—is not the past election of 2020, but the upcoming election of 2024.

The Republican Party has demonstrated that it intends to control the government in the future, no matter what most Americans want. Iowa, Georgia, Montana, and Florida have already passed voter suppression laws, while other states are considering them. (Governor Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s bill yesterday live on the Fox News Channel.)

As Marshall points out, though, making sure that states return only Republicans to Congress is also about controlling the White House. Republican lawmakers are purging from state election machinery members of their own party who refused to change the outcome of the 2020 election and give a victory to Trump. The former president has fed speculation that he still hopes to overturn the 2020 election, but Marshall looks forward: Is it really possible to think that in 2024, members of the new Trump party will protect the sanctity of any election that gives a victory to a Democratic candidate? If Republicans capture the House in 2022, will they agree to certify electoral votes for a Democrat? In 2020, even before the current remaking of the party in Trump’s image, 139 House Republicans contested them.

Trump is systematically going after leading members of the Republican Party, determined to remake it into his own organization. Several former senior White House officials told Ashley Parker and Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post that “[t]he defeated ex-president is propelled primarily by a thirst for retribution, an insatiable quest for the spotlight and a desire to establish and maintain total dominance and control over the Republican base.” Republican strategist Brendan Buck noted that Trump seems to relish fighting, rather than victory to achieve an end. “Usually,” Buck said, “a fight is the means to an end, but in this case fighting is the end.”

The Republicans are consolidating their control over the machinery of government in a way that indicates they intend to control the country regardless of what Americans actually want, putting Trump and his organization back in charge. Democrats have proposed the For the People Act (H.R. 1 and S. 1), which would start to restore a level playing field between the parties. The For the People Act would sideline the new voter suppression bills and make it easier to vote. It would end partisan gerrymandering and stop the flow of big money into elections permitted after the 2010 Citizens United decision.

But Republicans are determined to stop this measure. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is especially engaged in its obstruction. He has called it a “partisan takeover” that would “give Washington Democrats unprecedented control over 50 states’ election laws.” He recognizes that restoring a level electoral playing field would hamstring the Republicans’ ability to win elections. Defeating the act is McConnell’s top priority.

The story of how Republican leaders embraced voter suppression and gerrymandering starts back in the 1980s, though the mechanics of overturning a presidential election are new to 2020. Still, their undermining of our democratic system begs the question: Why are leading Republicans surrendering their party, and our nation, to a budding autocrat?

Two days ago, when asked if he is concerned about the direction of his party, McConnell told reporters that he is not paying attention to it because the Democrats are trying “to turn American into a socialist country,” and that “[o]ne-hundred percent of our focus is on stopping this new administration.”

Republican Party Wingnuts of the Week

Actual things these people, these 6 Republicans said and did this past week. As always, click on picture for larger view, easier reading.

If they weren't members of today's Republican Party, we'd never believe they said it. Sadly if not also not surprisingly, our own Missouri Senator Josh Hawley is in the bunch, too. We have got, got to vote these people out of office, America.

Where We, the US, Are Now

We survived Trump.

President Biden is now on a calm, thoughtful, intelligent, responsible trajectory. The Republican Party is simultaneously tearing itself down and apart. Finally, still better yet, they, the Republicans, don't know and aren't aware of this... I'm hopeful.

If Jesus Were a Member of Today's Republican Party

Herewith, ladies and gentlemen, just that--what Jesus would do and say and believe and teach if he were a member of today's Republican Party. Own it, Republicans. It's you all over. Even before Donald Trump but especially after.

Donald J "Jenius" Trump & His Political Party

God, I love this. Their own destruction and all of their own making. Fantastic. Poetic justice.

Thanks, Mr. Trump! Thanks, Republicans! You did it, you're doing it, all of it, all to yourself! Pass the popcorn.

Difficult to Believe What Comes Out of Republicans' Mouths

Herewith, a short, short list, very short, of some of the deeply ignorant, ugly, negative things that come out of too many Republicans minds and mouths. As always, click on picture for larger picture and easier viewing/reading

Let's vote them out, America. Let's vote them all out.

Quote of the Day -- Crazy Political Party Edition

"The GOP is now the party of grifters and kooks" --Juan Williams. Keeping in mind, too, Mr. Williams is a journalist and political commentator from very Right Wing, Republican Party supporting Fox.

Sadly so very true. Think of it. Donald Trump. Mitch McConnell. Ted Cruz. Missouri's own insurrectionist Senator Josh Hawley. Matt Gaetz, Jim "Gym" Jordan. Marilyn Taylor/Traitor Greene. More. Sadly, still more. #VoteThemAllOut http://hill.cm/cdta1Qh

Senator Hawley said WHAT??

Nearly unbelievably, our own Missouri Senator Josh Hawley posted this yesterday on Twitter: "Erin & I were sickened to hear of the violent attack at the Capitol yesterday by an extremist follower of Louis Farrakhan. We pray for the family of Officer Evans & for others injured in the line of duty. Thanks to the brave men & women of the USCP for their tireless service."

What the what?? Suddenly he's "sickened to hear of the violent attack at the Capitol"? First, this attacker was was out of his mind, google it, and second, it's no way even remotely close to the extent of the attack the previous President and this same Senator Hawley himself instigated at and against that same Capitol of ours January 6 this year. No way even remotely close. Shame on you, Senator Hawley. You're showing some serious chutzpah here, sir and we are no way fooled.

Responsible Tax Policy --- What We Should Do

7 necessary ways to tax the rich.

1. Repeal the Trump tax cuts. 2. Raise the tax rate on those at the top. 3. A wealth tax on the super-wealthy. 4. A transactions tax on stocks. 5. End the “stepped-up cost basis” loophole. 6. Close loopholes for the rich. 7. Audit the rich. --Robert Reich @RBReich Logical. Sensible. Responsible. Fair.

Quote of the Day -- On Republicans After Trump

What Republicans have learned from Trump:

Never apologize. Lie. Never admit wrongdoing. Lie. Never take responsibility. Lie. Never follow the rules. Lie. Never be on the defensive. Lie. Attack. Accuse. Attack. Accuse. Lie. Play the victim. Lie. Play the victim some more. Lie. --Joe Walsh @WalshFreedom (Keeping in mind Joe Walsh is a conservative and former Republican himself).

Quote of the Day -- Former President Karma Ediction

"At this point, Donald Trump is the only President to have more open grand juries than election wins," Neal Katyal says as The Daily Beast reports that two Georgia grand juries are underway in an investigation of the former President.

Republicans Have Trumpified

"Republicans have learned from Trump.

They now lie just like Trump, they insult people just like Trump, they toss bigotry out there just like Trump and they whine and play the victim just like Trump." --Joe Walsh, former GOP, Republican Party Congressman

Quote of the Day -- Where We Are Now Edition

"It's so depressing that Donald Trump can incite a violent insurrection and mismanage a pandemic catastrophically in ways that destroy countless lives and livelihoods, but then GOP voter loyalty remains unwavering because they get truly fired up about Dr. Seuss & Mr. Potato Head." --Brian Klaas @brianklaas

Message to All Republicans

Yes, a message to all Republicans and to anyone who thinks or says Joe Biden didn't win this last election.