256 Comments

It has not changed, just gotten worse. And it is frightening! 🥺

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Seems to me we have become a country with one party and a number of outliers. All the outliers seem to want is power in order to do whatever they want.

It is odd that Republicans still call t it a party. Most parties have a theme, a goal, a good time and some balloons. Not this group. It would be better to start referring to them as the Mob. They are being led by the nose by a liar or traitor not a president because presidents lead. They do not use coersion or firings to get what they want. They do not rage on and on trying to prove their worth by campaigning for the office of president. They take action to prove their worth. Perhaps this "party" is led by a party pooper not a party planner.

It seems that we can assume the Mob has no plan, no agenda and is led by a "Mobster."

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I have been saying for years that the Republican Party has become the part of ‘No’. They have NO plan, NO platform except the pursuit of power and control. Once they get there, they claim they can start solving problems. However, the only problems they can agree on is retribution against everyone and everything.

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Dan, you are such a dynamic and incredible American news and story informant. Thank you for your gifts and being a true American.

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After the election of Johnson as speaker I am afraid the Republicans still have their collective head up their ass. Maybe the first concept MAGA and the rest of their thugs need to learn is TRUTH. Until then we have to proceed without either truth or honor on the side of the aisle in our politics. They are making Richard Nixon look straight.

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MAGA-GOP in Congress: not only dysfunctional, they are demonstrably and disgustingly racist, xenophobic, anti-equality, Fascist-leaning, donor-driven.

The cannot or will not legislate; instead they "deliver" lies, conspiracy, corruption, fraud, sedition, treason. They incite insurrection and violence for political gain. They serve self and party before country and constituents. They shamelessly pursue and accept foreign funding and other illegal assistance; then spew disinformation and propaganda while promoting foreign agendas.

They have for years and will continue until there are consequences for corruption, sedition and treason and/or they are replaced by representatives who meet the minimum requirements for public office: honoring your oath, doing your sworn duty and putting constituents and country before self, donors and party.

Apparently those attributes are too much to expect from Rabid Right, Amerikkkan, Talibanican, Christo-Fascist MAG-GOP.

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Yes - get that speaker in place immediately so we can rush more money out the door to Ukraine and Israel.

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As you said... more of the same. The Trumpanzee and his clown car a careening out of control around every corner... And I thought we elected them govern! Silly me.

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founding

Almost a year has passed since your post about the void in the speakership and we are right back in the same place except now the Republicans look even worse and have succeeded in embarrassing themselves and in a way the whole US. And to think that this person is second in line to the presidency. I’m sure some thriller/mystery writer could come up with quite a blockbuster novel with that plot line. How about it, Dan?

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Yes. You nailed it. And it’s still all about power and control and $$ in service of personal (and corporate) greed. The darkening shadow of medieval structures, the very social organization that held up most monarchies (not to mention the Roman Catholic Church) and perpetuated the inequalities that persisted (in Europe at least) since before the plague and the rise of cities, towns and the potential for a new social order; the very way of life against which our forefathers declared their independence, asserting that all men are created equal and so are endowed with certain inalienable rights, that way is once again rising. The dark is rising. We are living through grave danger because the dark is rising. And most of us, still most since your original article, most still don’t see it, let alone gird themselves to meet it. Keep writing, Dan. Don’t give up. Nothing can happen before we recognize what we are confronting. We must recognize and call it out in order to mobilize, once again, to defend what the Greatest Generation tried so hard to preserve for us all. And to create the conditions under which that founding vision of equality can finally be realized for every citizen. Eternal vigilance is indeed the price of liberty.

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Oct 25, 2023·edited Oct 25, 2023

I sometimes wonder if this current cohesion in the Democratic party is in reaction to the Republican threat; the age-old theme of previously disorganized people banding together against a common enemy. And with the current Republican party moving in the direction of fascism, there is an enemy that is becoming more clear, visible and ominous.

What's striking and troubling is that they(Republicans) seem to be making less and less an attempt to hide that these are power struggles. Seems like once upon a time voters wouldn't tolerate such behavior from their elected officials. Now it's become OK for some reason. Perhaps a steady diet of Fox News propaganda and rhetoric has successfully changed some people.

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What foresight!!

The greed for power is a killer of legislation!

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Republican voters, not the ones at maga rallies, but the heart of republican voters, need to step up and say what they want overall instead of just one policy (abortion for example which btw should ONLY be between a doctor and patient and not legislated). Serious republican voters need to step up and start voting for people who will actually legislate for the good of everyone and stop voting for people who want to thwart our democracy.

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A close relative recently posted on Facebook a statement to Christians and their unified hypocrisy. I took offense as a Christian that the statement was all inclusive. Here we are grouping all Republicans and all Democrats into one collective, like thinking, group of people. You start out with a broader picture, "tents held up by many poles", but quickly shift to that 'all inclusive' rhetoric. Is all hope lost when a year passes, but little to no legislation, little to no work, is done?

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not sure I can even "laugh that I might not cry" about the current state of the House! it's disgusting.

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When you want to control it all people will fight you. This is beginning to look like a Mafia War.

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