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Jan 24, 2021Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

As an alternative perspective, not necessarily more accurate or important just different, on Biden’s (via Psaki) approach to questions on the filibuster or an impeachment trial, I offer this. Biden is attending to the responsibilities of the Executive branch of government, as he should. He enters the Presidency with an overfull plate of crises, the pandemic, a faltering economy needing a jump start, massive unemployment, racial strife, domestic terrorism, climate change, a need to rebuild infrastructure too long ignored, and much more. He need not spend time trying to tell the other two branches of government what to do and how to tend to their own assigned roles. He is putting in place his own competent team of players to work with those other branches of government for the benefit of the American people. Trump, on the other hand, wished to direct everything and, despite his own incompetence, pushed to bend all three branches of government to his own will and misplaced priorities, not those of the country.

It is apparent even in only a few days what a dramatically differing contrast these styles are. Biden and his team are performing the roles and responsibilities assigned to them by our Constitution. Congress as the legislative branch is fulfilling its assigned role, and apparently the judicial branch is doing likewise. This is a constitutional democracy as intended by the founders, not an autocracy in which all power is centered in the Executive branch. What a refreshing change.

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Jan 24, 2021Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

“Reporters for the Washington Post called it “obfuscation” when Press Secretary Jen Psaki refused to say what Biden’s position was on whether Trump should be convicted of inciting the Capitol riot. “Well, he’s no longer in the Senate, and he believes that it’s up to the Senate and Congress to determine how they will hold the former president accountable and what the mechanics and timeline of that process will be,” Psaki said.”

Thank you for including this in today’s Letter. Ms. Psaki has been asked some version of this question during each Press briefing to date. I had hoped she would simply say that we have a system of government with three co-equal branches, and even though the lines have been blurred to the point that they seemed not to exist during the previous administration, the President does not intend to insinuate himself in the Impeachment and Removal process, which is the exclusive domain of Congress.

I was heartened, however, by her response to a question about whether the President felt the former president was unfit to hold the office, and she responded with yes, that’s why he ran against him.

The Press sells papers with controversy and conflict – Ms. Psaki appears more than capable of pushing back without being mean-spirited.

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"Do no harm, but take no shit."

"some right-wing Republicans have howled that Biden’s firing of burrowing Trump loyalists betrays his promise of “unity".....

A persistent theme is, and has been, Republicans' failure to see the irony in their denunciations of Biden or, more broadly, Democrats. Let me count the times Trump pursued unity - across parties, between allies or states or ethnicities or citizen groups. Uh, yeah, that'd be about never.

And it wasn't just Trump. It was the GOP as a whole. Amy Coney Barrett's SCOTUS nomination; blowing up the deficit with the 2017 tax bill; early reopening of states with no additional restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus; twisting themselves into knots trying to justify not voting to impeach Trump - not once but twice; threatening to stall Biden's Cabinet nominations; dragging their feet on power sharing arrangements now that they lost the Senate majority. I could go on, but it's early Sunday morning and I have other things to do.

Per Merriam Webster, unity is a condition of harmony. It is to grant or give, especially as appropriate, due, or earned. Earned suggests that unity cannot be imposed. Restoring "unity" shouldn't mean kowtowing to the lowest common denominator. It shouldn't be validating the complaints of the injured parties. And it certainly shouldn't mean making concessions on decisions in an effort to avoid charges of "politicization."

You know why? Because the Republicans have not, and probably will not, return the favor. For too long Democrats have tried to pursue the high road. Obama failed to charge executives responsible for the 2008 financial crisis for the sake of "looking forward, not behind." In the 1970s they became the party of civil rights to the exclusion of being perceived to be sensitive to other voter concerns. Al Gore conceded the 2000 election too soon. Hillary Clinton conceded the 2016 election too soon. Obama didn't publicly address Russian interference in the 2016 election, in large part because McConnell* threatened that such an investigation would be "politicizing" the issue in an attempt to manipulate the election.

Let's not fool ourselves. Democrats, Independents, and/or "reasonable" Republicans must recognize that taking the high road in order to be liked doesn't work. In no way am I suggesting making decisions strictly for political gain, or via inappropriate or underhanded means, or just to rub it in the GOP's face. Engage whenever and wherever possible, but in a post Trumpian world, Biden should, in the words my kids' school emphasized for 13 years, "Never give in, never give up."

If Biden imposes his will to attack some of the most urgent problems Trump left on the Resolute Desk with some effect, he just might open the eyes of voters who supported Republican Senators and Representatives. If those same Congresspeople won't make some effort on their own to help Biden turn things around, maybe their own constituents will send them a message: lead or get out of the way.

Since at least 2010 the mantra of the Republicans in Congress has been "No." They've refused to posit alternatives and have chosen to obstruct rather than collaborate. This Administration has no obligation to achieve unity through any means other than pursuing practical solutions, reinstituting function expertise over political posturing, and attempting to serve all Americans, not just those who voted for them. In other words, "Do no harm, but take no shit."

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Am I the actual first commenter tonight? Yes, I am sleeping somewhat better but still concerned about McConnell and the filibuster and the Fairness Doctrine and Citizens United... I've been writing to my Senators almost daily to let them know my concerns and feelings about how things should progress under President Biden. I can hardly express how much joy I feel just typing those words: President Biden.

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I’ve been reviewing the rise of the angry, white male conservatism and patriarchy, espoused by Limbaugh and talk radio, beginning in the 1980s (building upon years of grievances and hatred, as taught by Dr. Richardson). The logical conclusion of this patriarchal mindset is ... donald trump. To completely undue this heretical movement, perhaps we need to understand how conservatism has wedded movement groups (NRA, anti-choice, anti-taxation) with free market capitalism (Chambers of Commerce, multinational businesses, anti-union advocacy, "profits first, people last").

The anti-government, anti-tax fervor of Reagan has successfully led to the diminishment of our tax base. As a society we have so denuded government, that we are incapable of educating our children, protecting our planet, providing health care to our citizens, and even adequately addressing a global pandemic, which of course strikes at every street corner in our society.

At every street corner is the intersection of our frayed civilization - which depends upon taxes to simply pay for basic necessities. We cannot expect anything other than where we are right now. America’s support of free market economics (low taxation = low regulation = low responsibility) would HAVE TO lead to this catastrophe.

Joe Biden has my full-hearted support to return to a ’New Deal’ with the American people,. and “we the people” must advocate to PAY FOR the necessities of our civilization. We must call out the austerity and poverty economics of “free market capitalism” (conserative economics). We must decry the defunding of our civilization. Our civil society is starved, and needs years of nourishment (tax increases on the wealthy) to return to a society we all can be proud to live in.

I’m afraid that Democrats will not challenge the inherent anti-Christian, anti-democracy economics of conservatism. In fact, I have not read anywhere in the mainstream media or heard from Democratic Party leaders of the inherent threat of conservative, free market economics. Well, perhaps Bernie and Elizabeth have characterized the need for a just and sustainable, progressive tax base and investment strategy. But, I have not specifically heard them call out conservatism. Conservatism is no longer the powerful boogey man behind the curtain.

Conservatism is now reduced to appx. 25% of the US electorate (Republicans). Liberals and independents comprise an equal share of the rest. We must not let this opportunity pass us by. Let’s educate ourselves of this conservative threat of the angry, white male patriarchy, and the economic disease it espouses. Most importantly, let’s support the Democratic Party and liberalism as championed by Joe Biden.

btw, Joe Biden is NOW the man of this era, for he has the wisdom to step to the side and allow the angry conservative howls to blow on by. All the while, he maintains his strong stance.

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Mitch McConnell might come to regret asking to delay the Senate impeachment trial. Exculpatory evidence is not likely to emerge. Indeed, we might expect, if not a deluge, maybe a steady stream of revelations of not just how far the former president was willing to go, but how many Republican apparatchiks, duly elected and sworn to uphold the law and the Constitution, were willing to ignore their oath and public duty to keep the former president in office by any means. From the information in the NY Times story, Congressman Perry is guilty of sedition. Certainly an investigation is warranted.

Republican pleas for "unity" are weak attempts to weasel out of responsibility for what they have done to damage and destroy American democracy. That's as nicely as I can put it.

Unity can start after the guilty have gotten their just do.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/23/us/politics/scott-perry-trump-justice-department-election.html?campaign_id=2&emc=edit_th_20210124&instance_id=26353&nl=todaysheadlines&regi_id=53159724&segment_id=50114&user_id=2a50f0ab0a41bab17dd25aadd8d49abf

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I would sleep a lot better if the Republican thumb was removed from the scale and all votes were counted equally. The senate is evenly split but Democrats represent 41 million more people. (https://www.vox.com/2020/11/6/21550979/senate-malapportionment-20-million-democrats-republicans-supreme-court). The gerrymandering is bad enough, but it seems to me that causing heavily populated states to have an equal number of senators as sparsely populated states is a version of the Three-fifths Compromise. Thank you Dr. HCR for your always thought provoking essays.

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The last four years of my life I’ve had this quote flying around in my head.

'Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive'

Your letter tonight contains facts that back that quote up. Democracy is a fragile web. I thank those people who are untangling that web and I include you in this group.

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My fool-proof cure for politically-induced insomnia is closing my eyes and attempting to create a master passenger manifest for an imaginary doomed airliner. I seldom get further than assigning the bulkhead seats before nodding out. Typical Evening: Bulkhead Seat A (Ted Cruz); Bulkhead Seat B (Sean Hannity); Bulkhead Seat C (Tucker Carlson). It's very interesting how the seating changes due to current events. For instance, Rand Paul is strongly trending toward First Class Bulkhead assignation. (Important Note: If you reach any seats opposite "Emergency Exits", be SURE to assign them to complete idiots who will not be able to interpret instructions. Suggestions: Kevin McCarthy; Devin Nunes; Tom Turberville;

Marsha Blackburn. WOW, so many GOP morons, so few emergency exits.) Sweet dreams.

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Mitch McConnell as the representative of a GOP "based in the law rather than on a single temperamental leader"?!? Nope. He prevented Obama's last Supreme Court appointment (along many other such appointments to lower courts). He enabled the Failed Donald's lies, including about the 2020 election. He only condemned them after the attempted coup on January 6th. He is just as complicit as the business leaders who are now getting cold feet. Where were they in 2016? 2017? 2018? 2019? 2020?

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Thank you, as always. Unfortunately, Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz are still interfering with my sleep. These are whip-smart, ambitious zealots for whom deceit is second nature. We have much more to do.

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It’s astounding that the “correcting” force here is the business community and not the GOP colleagues of Mike Pence who’ve seen footage of the Jan 6 crowd chanting for his head. Let’s hope the are making and continue to put max pressure on McConnell so he will truly have to choose between $$$ dollars for his caucus and the cult-of-personality crazies. I’m distressed to be hearing more news about the internal GOP push against the House ten who voted to impeach than the leaders of the wee hour object-to-certification cabal on Jan 7.

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Another great analysis of events, Dr. Richardson. I’ve been meaning to post a bit of an interview with John Dickerson on Face the Nation January 10th. I’ll list a link to the whole transcript below, as there is much to digest from his and other interviews in that episode. One bit I found heartening was this: .

"There was already a test of democracy before January 6th. It was to hold an election in the middle of a pandemic.

And what happened? The country, Republicans and Democrats turned out in record numbers. People stood in line, there was no violence and the states changed all their procedures to accommodate this. And it succeeded.

And they did recounts and they were challenged. And those local officials did what is the central attributive character. They did what they were supposed to do. They didn't do the easy or political thing.

Pressure, pressure, pressure, they did-- they kept the faith. Then, who else kept the faith? All the local officials in those states, then the courts.

All of these challenges came, people with the political interests, nevertheless, did what their job told them to do, not what was politically expedient.

The Department of Justice didn't go after the President's opponents as he would have liked them to do.

The military kept their faith, not doing what the President would like them to do.

And then Congress, after the grotesque experience on the 6th, nevertheless, got together --held the vote.“

JOHN DICKERSON

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/full-transcript-of-face-the-nation-on-january-10-2021/

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We are, as a people, in a conundrum along with our substantial and law-abiding elected officials. Being true to your philosophy of life and then the messy business of living itself. Much like Religious belief, believing that your good and honest and devoted neighbor is actually going to eternal hell because they are Baptist, or Methodist. Something different than the “one true Religion”.

I have been interested by interviews of Raffensperger and a noted writer, Peter Wehner. Raffensperger voted for djt. He cited the appointments to the SC as a justification for his vote.Mr. Wehner( I don’t know how he voted) cited the same. A conservative court.

What can that mean in today’s milieu? Well no right to privacy and therefore no right to abortion. Some would say without exception. Like learned persons would think that because the word privacy is not mentioned in the Constitution, the founding fathers still thought you could pursue life, liberty, and happiness. That John Adams or Hamilton or Jefferson would believe their letters could be opened and read by anyone?

And the right of a citizen to love someone of the same gender. That’s big with those who championed the appointments to the SC. Or for those same individuals to serve in the military. Or to teach in any school. Not their personal beliefs or life style, but math or history or chemistry.

And here comes voting rights. I don’t know how Mr. Raffensperger felt about the previous gubernatorial contest in Georgia. I take it that “ gerrymandering”, now performed with computer programs that could decode Covid, is ok in conservative hands. And the conservative court has said “none of our business”. Or voter ID laws that support the big lie that elections can(are) be stolen. Well, they can be. And are, by Republicans. Just ask Stacey Abrams.

Finally the courts’ support of corporations as persons. Because corporations support conservatives. In turn, conservatives support the corporations’ right to defile land and water and air in the pursuit of profit. All for big dollars.

I applaud the conservatives who have said no to djt. Thank you. Now we are coming for you, with facts and science and the belief in good government.

Don’t believe it is going to work? Just ask Stacey Abrams, and Amanda Gorman and your grandchildren.

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The German monarchy ended at the time of the Great War, World War I. So democracy was new and fragile in the 1920s and 30s when Hitler arrived on the scene. By attacking the judiciary, the media, the intelligentsia (educated liberals like us, professors like Dr. Richardson), their Congress, the Reichstag, including legislators, and the election system, he was able to injure them sufficiently to overcome them and take control.

The United States democracy had about a 140 year head start on the German democracy.

Lucky for us.

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Unfortunately, by the end of February - at the latest - Biden is going to have to decided whether he wants to try and rebuild the government as he used to know it, or whether he wants to be successful and thus re-elected in 2024 with a good Democratic majority as a result of the 2022 and 2024 elections. Sadly, he cannot have both, and chosing the first is going to foreclose the second.

Not only does a scumball moron like RoJo think he can get away with such a threat over approval of the Cabinet, but other Republicans are opposed to Biden's plan to deal with the pandemic and are already planning lawsuits over the mask rules. Not only that, but a "good Republican" like Romney has come out and said they've spent enough money with the pandemic bill passed last month and he doesn't think there's any urgency to doing more now.

Biden's going to have to realize all his old buddies are now The Enemy, that there is no dealing with them, that any act of civility on his part is taken by them as a sign of weakness to be exploited. The filibuster must be destroyed permanently; the power of the Senate must be broken, since it is power used by the minority to block the majority. If he does this, passes the legislation that is needed to save the country, come 2022 people will reward him for saving them by voting for Democrats. And if the recovery and the rebuilding then continues, in 2024 there will be a majority of voters to reward them for saving them. And four years of Old Boomer morons making America great again with their permanent departures will reduce the moron vote for the GOP.

But it means the brie-chomping, Chardonnay-swilling Volvo drivers of the Democratic Party will have to learn to be the kind of fighters Democrats used to be, back when it was obvious to people like Harry Truman and the others that "the only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies." We may not want a civil war, but the enemy has already declared war and has demonstrated all this month that there is nothing that is going to stop them other than smashing them like Pickett's Charge was smashed.

I hope Biden figures this out before it's too late, because he hasn't got very much time at all left to open his eyes and see the world as it is now, not as he wishes it could go back to being.

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