We are a television culture. The elders of our culture now are all broadcast babies. I’m sure that some of you remember, as I do, playing on the floor in front of a TV set, which in those days was a wooden cabinet with a fishbowl in it. It sat in the corner and was the focal point of awareness in the room. And I’m sure you remember TV dinners and the metal trays that they were served on. No longer did we sit down as a family around a table. The new head of the household was the TV set and we gave him our full attention.
So weaned and bred on TV we were. Now the tide is turning and the medium that gave us information and entertainment is potentially about to destroy us. Propaganda has infested our culture for some time. But until recently it was never a tool that was used in the House of Representatives to wage culture war. But that is exactly what it’s used for today. This is surreal.
Here’s that “evidence” the GOP promised us… pic.twitter.com/03CJhMSca0
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) September 29, 2023
I do so admire Jamie Raskin. He’s got a sharp intellect and an equally sharp wit and throughout all of this ridiculousness he maintains his composure and professionalism, qualities which are sadly lacking on the other side of the aisle. Then things degenerated to this mess. You do remember the “star” witness that wasn’t, Devon Archer? Things have done a 180. First, they couldn’t wait for his testimony, now they don’t want it introduced. The GOP needs to dump the elephant as its mascot and get the Pushmi Pullyou in its place.
Comer really doesn’t want Archer’s testimony introduced.
Comer: You keep speaking about no evidence
Goldman: I’m trying to introduce evidence pic.twitter.com/0IWdx7vrfw
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 28, 2023
JFC. Another unbelievable moment in the House. The New Republic:
Representative James Comer on Thursday refused to let Democrats introduce testimony from one of his own star witnesses as evidence in the impeachment inquiry hearing into Joe Biden.
House Republicans held their first hearing on Biden’s alleged corruption. They have for months accused him of wrongdoing via his connection to his son Hunter’s business dealings. But they have yet to provide any actual evidence. The House Oversight Committee, which Comer chairs, had previously interviewed Hunter’s ex-business partner Devon Archer, touting his testimony as the thing that would finally break the dam open.
Republicans released Archer’s testimony in August, and his comments completely debunk everything the GOP has claimed about Biden and his son. Archer repeatedly stated that Biden was never involved in his son’s business and Hunter never asked his father to step in.
Archer said he was “not aware of any” wrongdoing by the president, and said he disagreed with the allegation that Biden accepted a bribe. So it’s really no wonder Comer is desperate to keep that testimony out of public record.
And if that was the extent of it, that would be one thing. But there was that dreadful inconvenience when Fox News talking head and onetime constitutional law expert, Jonathan Turley, said that the evidence presented didn’t cut the mustard. Uh oh, spaghettios.
George Washington University law professor and Republican witness Jonathan Turley says that if a vote to impeach President Joe Biden happened today, he would vote "no" due to lack of evidence: "At the moment, these are just allegations." pic.twitter.com/CdC553i2Am
— CSPAN (@cspan) September 28, 2023
Talk about a bummer in the summer. Now the GOP is really up the creek. Their overall gambit is to prove two things: 1) If you think Trump is corrupt, well, so is Biden, so there; and 2) Poor Donald is being picked on.
And here’s My Kevin standing up for his Marmalade Monarch.
Kevin McCarthy: "I hear from people who say, "You know what? I never voted for President Trump, but I am going to vote for him now based upon how he is being treated because if they can treat him that way they can do that to any American.'"@AccountableGOP pic.twitter.com/x1YQ8k4MhN
— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) September 29, 2023
You heard it from the Speaker himself. Trump is going to win the sympathy vote, because everybody’s been so mean. Boy are you guys going to get it. And let’s pray for Joe and Kamala to remain hale and hearty because God forbid a meteor hits Washington while this clown’s back in Bakersfield, he could be our president. My apologies for making you lose your breakfast.
“And let’s pray for Joe and Kamala to remain hale and hearty because God forbid a meteor hits Washington while this clown’s back in Bakersfield, he could be our president. My apologies for making you lose your breakfast.”
On the other hand, given McCarthy’s complete lack of a spine or leadership ability, he’d be easily corralled by the Cabinet (watch the 25th Amendment be invoked for the first time ever) and we’d see another fun round of “Who Gets to Be Speaker” (or however many rounds it would actually take). And, McCarthy’s choice for a Vice-President would have to receive a majority vote of BOTH HOUSES of Congress (so Trump couldn’t sneak his way back to the White House that way).
“if they can treat him that way they can do that to any American”. Yes, Kevin, they can. Any American who has committed the crimes that iDJT has can certainly be treated that way, and we’d all welcome it. What kind of pretzel twisting logic do you have to subject yourself to in order to be okay with what he says or does, or to stay in his good graces? And it’s not just what he and his minions say, it’s hearing the cult members in the background cheering and clapping. Sometimes that’s what does it for me, that so many are willingly going along with the poison he’s injecting into our lives, so much so that we now have this sham ‘impeachment inquiry’ for no reason other than to dirty up Biden, to level the playing field. There are too many shame-based people in this country inflicting their shamelessness into our lives. I sometimes think that the Maga crowd behaves like unrecovered alcoholics with the projection, the rationalizations for their cult leader, the blaming, shaming, grievances, resentments, lack of responsibility, etc. They all need 30 meetings in 30 days (or 60 or 90?) to learn how to be responsible, functioning adults, not tantrum throwing psycho children. That’s what Rump is, a mentally/emotionally unstable 4-year-old with sociopathic, sometimes psychopathic leanings. And the angrier he gets, the more violence he injects into his speech, from executing Milley to now gunning down shoplifters. I keep hoping his head will explode and solve the problem that is Donald.
GOPer checklist before starting a hearing.
1) Sit down after making sure in the correct seat
2) Tie shoes together so I trip over myself (make sure aide is there to untie them later)
3) Take enough LSD or other psychedlics for ten people to be appropriately bat-shit crazy
Day 1: Joe Bien and Kamala Harris die in freak accident
Day 2 (am): Squeaker Cave-in is now president and The Donald is appointed VP
Day 2 (pm) Cave-in resigns (after looking down the wrong end of a Glock) and The Donald takes over
“By the Power of the Constitution – I have the Power”
Day 3: the constitution is suspended
The outrageous seems to be the common denominator in everything GOP at this time, is it possible there has been some secret distribution of a chemical used in the old military chemical factories ?
Some nefarious, uncoupled person, finding cupboards full of chemical jars with ground glass stoppers that emitted purple fumes when removed, had labels with skull and cross bones, words to the effect, “Never pour this chemical down a public drainage system” …
Immediately thinking of how purple crystals were used in the gas chambers of the concentration camps of Hitler … And in the execution chambers here in the US … A little here and there COULD make the Republicans unify under the same lame, idiotic mindless crap presented by GYM JORDAN and Rusty Gates …
But of Course, that would be hard to control, as the Republicans are already infected with Trump’s own can of worms …
“The GOP needs to dump the elephant as its mascot and get the Pushmi Pullyou in its place”
My very British grandma took me to that movie in 1967. I loved the movie and your reference made me smile. And then smile again sardonically. So true!
Thank you , Ursula. :).