TRUMP AND TRIBE: Michael Cohen knew what to say!

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2019

Our tribe's pursuit of Trump:
Appearing before the House Oversight committee, Michael Cohen, the former Trump "fixer" and goon, knew what he should say.

Before he was finished, he would say several things which possibly didn't quite make perfect sense. But as he started his prepared remarks, he quickly voiced the key part of our liberal tribe's current group "fiction:"
COHEN (2/27/19): Chairman Cummings, Ranking Member Jordan, and members of the committee, thank you for inviting me here today. I have asked this committee to ensure that my family be protected from presidential threats. And that the committee be sensitive to the questions pertaining to ongoing investigations. I thank you for your help and for your understanding.

I am here under oath to correct the record. To answer the committee's questions truthfully, and to offer the American people what I know about President Trump. I recognize that some of you may doubt and attack me on my credibility. It is for this reason that I have incorporated into this opening statement, documents that are irrefutable and demonstrate that the information you will hear is accurate and truthful.

Never in a million years did I imagine, when I accepted a job in 2007 to work for Donald Trump, that he would one day run for the presidency to launch a campaign on a platform of hate and intolerance and actually win.

I regret the day I said yes to Mr. Trump. I regret all the help and support I gave him along the way. I am ashamed of my own failings and publicly accepted responsibility for them by pleading guilty in the Southern District of New York.

I am ashamed of my weakness and my misplaced loyalty, of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him. I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience.

I am ashamed, because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a con man. And he is a cheat. He was a presidential candidate who knew that Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop on Democratic National Committee emails. I will explain each in a few moments.
Donald Trump is a racist, Cohen said. When he ran for the presidency, Trump had "launch[ed] a campaign on a platform of hate and intolerance."

Donald J. Trump is a racist. This was the first thing Cohen said when he began to tell the committee "what Mr. Trump is."

Forgive us if we aren't thoroughly sure how to react to Cohen's remark. Was Cohen a secret anti-racist during the years when he worked as Donald Trump's goon?

Was Cohen a secret anti-racist when he spoke with The Daily Beast's Tim Mak in July 2015? At the time, Mak was investigating an earlier legal claim by Trump's ex-wife, Ivana Trump, that she had been "raped" by Trump during their marriage.

Mak spoke with Cohen by phone. Ignoring his high-minded personal values, Cohen offered these thoughtful remarks:
COHEN (7/27/15): Mark my words for it, I will make sure that you and I meet one day over in the courthouse and I will take you for every penny you still don't have, and I will come after your Daily Beast and everybody else that you possibly know. Do not even think about going where I know you're planning on going. And that's my warning for the day.

[...]

So I'm warning you, tread very f***ing lightly because what I'm going to do to you is going to be f***ing disgusting. Do you understand me? Don't think you can hide behind your pen because it's not going to happen. I'm more than happy to discuss it with your attorney and with your legal counsel because motherf***** you're going to need it.
To hear the tape of the phone call, click here. For Mak's real-time report, click this.

That transcript helps explain why we've added the term "goon" to the conventional term "fixer" in our description of Cohen. That said, was Cohen a secret anti-racist when he was making phone calls like that in service to Donald J. Trump? Were his personal values superior to the attitudes conveyed by his recorded remarks?

We ask this for a reason. Cohen seemed to know exactly where to start in his remarks last week. When he described Donald J. Trump, he started with the claim our tribe loves best at this time—the claim that The Others are racists.

Was that presentation by Cohen sincere, or was he just striking a pose? In part, we ask because Cohen said other things which seemed like pure bullroar this day.

Forget about Cohen's portrait of Trump! Instead, consider Cohen's self-portrait:
COHEN (2/27/19): Over the past two years, I have been smeared as a "rat" by the president of the United States. The truth is much different. And let me take a brief moment to introduce myself.

My name is Michael Dean Cohen. And I am a blessed husband of 24 years and a father to an incredible daughter and son.

When I married my wife, I promised her that I would love her, I would cherish her, and I would protect her. As my father said countless times throughout my childhood, "You, my wife, and you, my children, are the air that I breathe." So to my Laura, and to my Sami, and to my Jake, there is nothing I wouldn't do to protect you.

I have always tried to live a life of loyalty, friendship, generosity and compassion. It's qualities my parents ingrained in my siblings and me since childhood. My father survived the Holocaust thanks to the compassion and selfless acts of others. He was helped by many who put themselves in harm's way to do what they knew was right. And that is why my first instinct has always been to help those in need. And Mom and Dad, I am sorry I let you down.
Has Cohen always tried to live a life of generosity and compassion? We'll say that may not be wholly accurate.

Beyond that, we'll express some doubt about Cohen's claim that he was swept away from his basic values by loyalty to Mr. Trump. Last August, Cohen pleaded guilty to five counts of tax evasion, for concealing more than $4 million in personal income. We'll guess that he gilded the lily a bit in last Thursday's stirring self-portrait.

Michael Cohen has been a rather shady guy. That said, he knew what he should probably say, right off the bat, when he profiled Trump.

For ourselves, we regard Donald J. Trump as a disordered, dangerous man. We regret the fact that he's disordered—that he may be mentally ill—but that doesn't mean that he isn't a danger. This raises the stakes concerning the way Trump is being pursued.

Over Here, within our liberal tents, our tribe's pursuit of Donald J. Trump has taken at least two basic forms:

We're strongly inclined to portray Trump, and his tens of millions of voters, as slobbering racists all. We're also deeply invested in the headlong legal pursuit of Trump—in the idea that he can be indicted for crimes, or impeached by the House.

Michael Cohen seemed to know one basic way to our hearts. That said, is our current pursuit of Trump a good, strong, solidly "rational" program? Or is it possible that we're chasing a dangerous man in a way which could make him stronger?

In his best-selling book, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Professor Harari paints a somewhat gloomy picture of our self-impressed, war-like species. We run on "gossip" and "fiction," he seems to say, mixed with a healthy dose of "intolerance."

By way of contrast, Aristotle is widely said to have said that we're "the rational animal." Just how rational is our tribe's current approach to Trump?

Tomorrow: Everyone knows what to say

57 comments:

  1. Is Trump a racist? Who knows?
    What we do know, is that Howard Schultz is running for President touting the same failed Right-wing ideology as Trump (and every other Republican since Reagan), without the bigotry and white grievance. Polls show Schultz has a 4% favorability rating from Republicans.
    Trump may or may not be a racist, but he knows Republican voters sure the hell are.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Republican response during this hearing was well-coordinated. It consisted of asking Cohen no substantive questions while attacking Cohen's credibility, his truthfulness and character. Somerby continues that strategy with today's post. Further, he suggests that Cohen is repeating a "fiction" desired by Democrats, one that includes accusations of racism (never mind that Cohen also calls Trump a con man and liar). Somerby says that Cohen is performing to a script in order to please Democrats.

    There may be other components of the most pleasing script preferred by liberals (Democrats), but Somerby seems to focus most often on accusations of racism. Based on how often Somerby returns to complaints about that, it seems to be a sore spot for him. Why would that be? Living in the South (Baltimore), has Somerby taken on Southern defensiveness about race? Or does he think Trump is not a racist? I find it puzzling that Somerby thinks the left should not be focused on one of its core values, civil rights and equal treatment for all people of diversity. And if Cohen mentions Trump's racism, is it to please the Democrats or is it because Trump is a racist and that trait is disgusting to Cohen, a person of Italian descent in New York, a Democrat voting stronghold?

    Finally, Somerby suggests that Democrats are pursuing a mistaken strategy when they call out racism. Somerby uses loaded language: "slobbering racists". He extends the criticism of Trump's racism to his followers, many of whom mirror his racism at his rallies and in polls. Somerby has before claimed that Democrats are racists too (based on polls), as if that meant we should all go back to ignoring racism where it is blatant and not make any racists feel uncomfortable about their behaviors.

    Yesterday said that we should all stop ignoring that Trump is mentally ill. Today he says, in so many words, that we are mistaken when we call out Trump's racism or his followers racism. So, it is OK to call a president mentally ill but not racist? That makes no sense to me at all, but then, I am one of Harari's misbegotten apes. (Somerby's way of calling us all something unpleasant.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Probably wrong about Cohen's Italian descent.

      Delete
    2. "I find it puzzling that Somerby thinks the left should not be focused on one of its core values".

      Because accusations of racism are not fully accurate and are politically perilous. I find it puzzling that Democrat rank-and-file don't understand that clearly after it lost them the last election in some ways.

      Playing the race card is a losing game. Get it in your head! You will >always lose playing that card.

      Delete
    3. "I find it puzzling that Democrat rank-and-file don't understand that clearly after it lost them the last election in some ways."

      They can't stop it, or they'll collapse completely. The only other voting block they have is 'educated' (read: brainwashed) bureaucrats...

      Delete
    4. A 4% favorability rating from Republicans for Schultz. What's Trump's favorability ratings with the same economic message, but with the bigotry. It's got to be at least double that or even 9%, don't you think?

      Delete
    5. The Donald is the legend, a True American Hero. I remember hearing folk tales about him back in the 80s.

      And who is this Schultz you speak of, dembot, your daddy? Why should he have any ratings at all?

      Delete
    6. Schultz is a businessman. Of course, a braindead, dembot zombie, like yourself, never heard of him.

      Delete
    7. "The Donald is the legend, a True American Hero. I remember hearing folk tales about him back in the 80s."

      12:04 mentioned Trump's mistreatment of blacks in his tenements buildings, below.

      Delete
    8. I know who he is, dear. Sorry, it slipped my mind that dembots don't get sarcasm, failing the turing test every time.

      Delete
    9. "it slipped my mind"

      Ha ha. That's a good one.

      Delete
    10. "12:04 mentioned Trump's mistreatment..."

      Sorry, I'm not gonna read it, dear. I much prefer primitive one-line dembots like yourself.

      Same shit, far less reading effort. I'm like The Donald that way.

      Delete
    11. " I find it puzzling that Democrat rank-and-file don't understand that clearly after it lost them the last election in some ways."

      According to Nate Silver, Hillary lost the election because of Comey's last-minute statement. The deplorables remark had nothing to do with it.

      Delete
    12. Silver picked Hilary to win 70-30 so everything that falls out his mouth is not gold. He said this "The letter isn’t the only reason that Clinton lost. It does not excuse every decision the Clinton campaign made. Other factors may have played a larger role in her defeat, and it’s up to Democrats to examine those as they choose their strategy for 2018 and 2020."

      Hey - nothing to do with it? Keep playing the race card then. Trump supporters and Republicans are racists. Do it and you will lose.

      Plus - can I say? You don't really care about black people! You just identify with them as weak because you think of yourself as weak. You will keep losing and losing and losing unless you act strong and stop being pussies. Sorry. It's true. Your party is so, so over. You lost an election to Donald Trump!. Oh yeah - it wasn't your fault haha. ;)

      Delete
    13. So they didn't shove Obamacare down your throat?
      Was that yet another Conservative lie?

      Delete
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  3. Being called 'racist' is the highest praise one could receive from a lib-zombie, dembot, or their blackmailed agent like Mr Cohen.

    Donald The Very Stable Genius has been showered with praises. We are all envious...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 4% favorability rating, dembot.

      Delete
    2. "Donald The Very Stable Genius has been showered with praises."

      Here's a couple, from some of the best people:

      "At a private dinner, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster reportedly mocked Trump’s intelligence, stating that his intelligence was comparable to a “kindergartner. He also reportedly called the President an “idiot” and a “dope.”

      Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says he was misquoted. He did not call Trump "a moron", he called Trump "a fucking moron."

      Of course, they both reported up to Trump, so you can bet there was still quite a bit of shining the turd in those statements.

      I'm not sure if being called "racist" is higher praise, but it sure enforces your bona fides to the base.

      Delete
    3. Thanks dembot, we are already well-aware of the favorite methods of your goebbelsian zombie media.

      Delete
  4. You don't have to call Trump a racist. He labeled himself when he started his campaign with an attack against Mexicans and other immigrants (rapists, murderers but some good people). He labeled himself when he refused to help Puerto Rico after the hurricane. He labeled himself when he pointed out "his blacks" at his rallies. He labeled himself when he asked to have black workers removed from the casino floor before his visits, and when he said he didn't want black accountants -- he liked his accountants to wear yarmulkes. He labeled himself when he referred to shithole countries and preferred Irish immigrants to people from Latin America. Then Omarosa confirmed his behavior behind the scenes, as have others who worked with him on The Apprentice. And his support for White Supremacism and "White Nationalism" organization is overt.

    It is difficult to separate Trump's racism from his callous disregard for people in general, but there is plenty of evidence to support his racism, without going back to his mistreatment of black tenants in his tenement buildings or his mistreatment of Mar-a-Lago staff.

    Democrats didn't make this up. It is obvious. Democrats care about racism. Republicans apparently don't. It is one of the defining differences between the two parties. Republicans (and Somerby) want to call Democrats hypocrites over racism, but singling out the racism label as Cohen's key hypocrisy is silly, when Cohen was also a con man and liar and strong-arm and fixer, and thus cannot give any testimony about wrongdoing without being hypocritical. But there is no evidence Cohen was racist. That one is all on Trump and it is so evident Cohen didn't have to confirm it, just as the lying and cheating are obvious.

    So why did Somerby care enough about this write a post about it? To blame Democrats (for their script) and to blame Cohen for toadying to Democrats (when toad was his job description for Trump), or to tell us that the hearing shouldn't have focused on racism? Somerby never comes right out and tells us his point, but this one seems to fall on the defensive side and one wonders how Somerby felt about all those beautiful black children he taught, and all the beautiful black people he encounters in Baltimore, and whether he really wants to see racism addressed by either party. And if yes, why is he criticizing the Democrats for caring about it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Democrats think black people are useless except to use to advance abortion and frankenstein sex change operations. The goal is extermination of all things male.

      Delete
    2. " The goal is extermination of all things male."

      A nation which moved off fossil fuels and gave everyone universal healthcare is too exceptional to let that happen.

      Delete
  5. It's cute that the Democrat party still thinks their use of "racism" has any potency. It does have influence, but not in the way they think. It's why Trump is in the White House shaping the Supreme Court for years to come and why he will be elected again. Somerby tries to warn them but screeching RACIST feels so good dunnit?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "screeching RACIST feels so good"

      Not as good as screeching "rapists, murderers" at brown people and "lock her up" at female politicians and journalists. Katy Tur needed security when she covered those Trump rallies.

      Delete
  6. The Trump Administration announced a new plan that will make an enormous improved in the education of inner city children.

    The Education Freedom Scholarship program proposed by Betsy DeVos and the administration’s congressional allies would be a huge step in the right direction.

    ...The plan would invest $5 billion annually in America’s students by allowing individuals and businesses to make contributions to in-state, non-profit Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) that provide scholarships to students. Contributors would receive a non‐refundable, dollar‐for‐dollar federal tax credit in return for their donations. No contributor would be allowed a total tax benefit greater than the amount of their contribution, and not a single dollar would be taken away from public schools and the students who attend them.

    The plan mandates that scholarships must be used for an individual student’s elementary or secondary education, or for their career and technical education. Importantly, the plan’s implementation — including governance of SGOs, education providers, and education expenses as well as student-eligibility decisions — would be left to each state that chooses to participate. The plan would require states to distribute at least 90 percent of the funds as scholarships. Other than that, everything else about the program would be left up to each state.


    While Trump-haters pretend to find obscure evidence of racism, Trump's actions are hugely benefiting black Americans.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Trump's actions are hugely benefiting black Americans."

      If this is Trump's re-election campaign slogan, you've swayed me.

      Delete
    2. "If this is Trump's re-election campaign slogan, you've swayed me."

      And the 62 million "economically anxious" Trump voters from 2016.

      Delete
    3. oh my fucking god, "privately funded" scholarships!!!! You better have Donald J Chickenshit sign an MOU promising no favors to the donors. Earth shattering "proposal" where the government provides not one red cent. It's going to change everything.

      Delete
    4. Notice how DeVos has cut out public schools (which don't charge tuition and thus wouldn't benefit from this in any way) and colleges (limiting scholarships to job training -- Trump Univ would qualify). Community colleges would also not benefit because their tuition is typically very low to increase access. So this is a gift to profit-making trade schools and religious schools and private schools. Just what education needs!

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    5. Not one cent for the HBCU's. They don't qualify for the scholarships.

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    6. @2:17 -- You care about the schools. Trump and De Vos care about the students.

      Delete
    7. Not to overstate the obvious, but you have no idea whether this would benefit the "inner-city" children. This seems to suggest creating a scholarship program for some kids to go to private schools. How will this benefit a majority of the kids?

      Delete
    8. Ilya - it gives an alternative. My wife and I were big supporters of public schools. Nevertheless, we put our older daughter in a private school for three years, when the school she was in was just not working for her. Vouchers will give needy parents and alternative when the school situation isn't working for their children.

      Delete
    9. Why wouldn't I want my tax dollars to go towards funding a rich mother fucker like you sending your little princess to a private school because she was too good to mingle with us riff raff? Hmmm, I will have to think about this.

      Delete
    10. mm - you seem to be assuming that these scholarships will be awarded with no regard to family income. That may not be the case. At this point, we don't know what sorts of plan the states will come up with.

      Delete
    11. I was referring to your vouchers. The half ass half baked plan they announced is all premised on "voluntary contributions", so fuck face, time to ante up to your abomination. Dig deep, brother.

      Delete
    12. *** Public Service Announcement ***

      David in Cal is a moral and intellectual idiot. He will swallow whole any right-wing talking point and regurgitate it here.

      The program he’s talking about is a tax-credit giveaway to corporations and rich people. That is, every dollar donated to the program will be a dollar everybody else will have to make up with their taxes.
      The money is to be given to the states to spend without oversight on vouchers for private schools. DAinCA claims not a dollar will be taken from public schools, but this is an obvious falsehood: most public schools are funded on a per capita basis. In any case, the US spends north of $680B annually on public primary and secondary education. This program is not even three-quarters of a percent of that total. How much of an “enormous improved” could that make in the lives of inner city children, even if every dime went to them?

      Look, you knew this was all nonsense because our resident village idiot posted it. I renew my plea for commenters to stop letting themselves be sucked in by DAinCA.

      And if you really have to respond, stop calling DAinCA names. (I’m looking right at ya, mm.) We don’t hold idiots responsible for their benighted views.

      Delete
    13. You're not exactly brilliant yourself deadrat.

      Delete
    14. Yo dr, what’s the deal with your linked handle, which goes nowhere? (I as well am guilty as charged.) It’s usually not linked. But if you have a blog, I would check that out. You’ve posted some of the best commentary I’ve seen in the comments section of this lonely, but worthy blog.

      That being said. This whole DeVos and privatization scheme has become extreme, as you’ve noted. What’s particularly depressing is that so many of these private schools exist for religious indoctrination, and tax dollars are already being funneled to such institutions and have been for a long time. Won’t even get into Church exemptions, which have gone on far, far longer. Can you say Joel Osteen?

      Anyways, might have to sign up to blogger to see if you’re really there. Meanwhile… give mm a break, name-calling is way too common here, and most of it is empty, like the pathetic Mao. You yourself called names at DinC, so I wonder, are you actually the dr I’ve read in the past? Because your own rational approach to argumentation failed you here.

      At least mm backs up his rage. Not responding is surely the best medicine. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work, because some just can’t resist.

      Btw, good post by Bob.

      Leroy

      Delete
    15. Anonymous @6:37P,

      Is that you, my favorite troll? (And if so, yes, you are my favorite troll. Better than Mao; better than the “blacks are weak and useless” poster.)

      So you think I’m not exactly brilliant. How about approximately brilliant? How about smarter than David in Cal? (At least I understand the voucher scam.) How about smarter than you? If you say no to any of those questions, then that would hurt my feelings. If I had any.

      If you have to follow me around this blog to comment on my comments, then face it bitch, you’re not my harshest critic; you’re my biggest fan.

      History says you’ll be compelled to reply, but as usual, you’ll have to find another dance partner.

      Delete
    16. Sorry, but it wasn't me. Responding only out of courtesy.

      Delete
    17. Leroy,

      I used to post with my nym by choosing Name/URL (and leaving the URL blank), but that triggers the damn Captcha challenges, which seemed endless. So I switched to using Google. Blogger lets you specify whether or not you wish to reveal your Google contact apps, and I selected not. I don’t have a blog here or anywhere else; I don’t have any actual social media presence — just a few phony logins if I’m moved to read something. I used to post to the newsgroup misc.legal but haven’t done so in years. I used to post heavily to Stackexchange (English Language & Usage) but two years ago gave that up as well. I got tossed off “Sadly, No!” in 2012 for being too white, leaving TDH as the only commentariat I haunt.

      I’m sure that before I began my ***Public Service Announcements*** I called David names, but I have come to realize that he’s simply too stupid to carry a moral compass or to carry on a rational conversation. (As always, it’s possible that he’s a troll, but I’ve chosen to pretend otherwise.) Exchanges with him are futile since he’s incapable of learning or evaluating evidence, so I no longer reply directly to him. I just try to warn people not to waste their time, not to mention the wear and tear on the psyche. (I’m thinking of you, mm.) I also think it’s cruel to savage the mentally incapacitated. After all, they don’t carry the agency to be responsible for their views.

      Delete
    18. Come on deadrat, when the miserable little troll comes on to this progressive blog and makes a comment like,

      @2:17 -- You care about the schools. Trump and De Vos care about the students.

      don't you just want to slap the snot out of him?

      Delete
    19. mm,

      I used to, but then I realized that he is incapable of independent thought.

      You care about the schools. (as opposed to caring about students) What does that even mean? Liberals care about school buildings to the exclusion of caring about the students in those buildings?

      Who knows? All his threads start with some right-wing screed that he read somewhere and that he flails in defending. There’s no point in attempting to exchange thoughts with someone who can’t think.

      And there’s no point in excoriating people for failure to do what they are incapable of doing. It’s like calling your dog names because he can’t do your calculus homework.

      Delete
    20. Thanks for the reply, deadrat. Always wondered how people were able to post without a link, thanks for the tidbit. I certainly agree with you about DinC and others like Mao, and for a time myself exhorted other readers to simply ignore them in the hope that if there was a concerted effort, they might fly away, but that was a fleeting hope. It seems they have nowhere else to go, and many can’t seem to resist their bait.

      Since I won’t respond directly either, I nonetheless find mm’s comments amusing. And yours as well!

      Lastly, I found your comment about being “too white” inscrutable, but I suppose that’s none of my business. Unless you’d care to expound…

      Respectfully,
      Leroy

      Delete
    21. Leroy,

      Not that interesting a mystery. “Sadly, No!” is a blog (sadlyno.com) dedicated to ridiculing people from what they call the “wingerverse.” Grade A quality snark of its time. It seems to be just about defunct. The last post was dated 11/15/18, and the one previous to that, 3/31/18. In August 2013, I got into a comment-fight about whether the right-wing posthumous smearing of Trayvon Martin should be called a lynching. (I thought it was closer to the date of Martin’s killing, but memory didn’t serve here.) I’ve re-read the thread in their archives. I was against the usage, and I’d say my comments were a tad corrosive. Eventually, a moderator decided to ban me, noting that he couldn’t find fault with anything I’d written, but that it was “whitesplaining.” There was some dark muttering that I was an agent sent from the wingerverse to engage them. Good times.

      Delete
    22. “That’s on them, and I don’t want to think like them, although scare quotes should probably surround that last infinitive.”

      Heh heh.

      Didn’t take too much work to find that, given your direction to the site. Sounds like you’re at the right place, deadrat. At least here, you can’t be banned for expressing an opinion. It’s (kind of) what I like about it. Well-articulated arguments are great, and which I prefer, but sometimes the humor makes it fun. Haven’t heard from Greg for a while – says nothing, but (almost) never fails to amuse.

      Do we want a well-regulated comment section? Not my choice. Are the commenters largely just filling space w/bullshit? Yup. But that’s okay. Just sift the chaff, and pounce when ready. That’s what I do, when I’m “in the mood.” And it seems that Bob may have influenced your argumentative style. He certainly did mine, after finding him on MediaWhoresOnline lo, so many years ago.

      Leroy

      Delete
  7. Anyone who isn't a bigot, left the Republican Party by the mid-90s.

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  8. Somerby is going to suggest that Democrats should not emphasize race so much because he wants to help along Bernie's campaign. Bernie said explicitly that race, gender, and other forms of identity diversity shouldn't matter. Of course, that is what a white male older candidate would say. Somerby wants to convince us that caring about race is hurting Democrats so that people won't hold Bernie's attitudes on race against him and won't consider the race of the other candidates an advantage. In other words, he wants to neutralize race in the coming primaries.

    Not going to work.

    ReplyDelete
  9. " Of course, that is what a white male older candidate would say"

    Isn't it also what the Saint Martin Luther King Jr. used to say? You know, "...not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character"...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  10. African Americans Speak for Themselves: Most Want School Choice

    https://www.cato.org/blog/african-americans-speak-themselves-most-want-school-choice

    deadrat - your points are close, but not right on.

    1. It's not a giveaway. Although rich people who contribute will pay less income tax, the amount of their tax reduction equals the amount donated to the program. So, they will pay out just as much money. Same goes for middle class people who contribute to the program.

    2. Nobody knows what kind of oversight there will be, because the states have yet to establish the programs.

    3. If states and localities choose to spend less on education, that's not the fault of the vouchers.

    4.Here in California, the horrendous under-funding of state and local pension plans, mean that we Californians are better off if state and local governments have extra money available.

    5. Aren't liberals big supporters of education? It must be difficult to find a reason to oppose a program that will funnel extra money into education.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "It must be difficult to find a reason to oppose a program that will funnel extra money into education."

      In the United States? You've got to be kidding me. Have you ever heard about a completely made-up thing used to refrain from helping the good people* of this nation, that we call "the deficit"?

      *in cases where corporations aren't people too, my friend.

      Delete
  11. That’s actually a good point you make about King, Mao. We’ll see if anyone chooses to reply to it. Apparently deadrat did, then zapped it later.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's nothing to see. All dembot replies are exactly the same: Orange Man Bad.

      Delete
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