FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
...on this September 11: We don't expect to be posting again until next week. On this specific September 11, here's the report we'd recommend:
Conservative Fmr. Appeals Court Judge Explains How Republicans Are Trying to ‘Steal’ Midterms in Shocking Column...
A former appeals court judge tore into Republicans in a lengthy piece describing how conservatives are prepping to...steal the upcoming midterm elections.
Michael Luttig, a George H.W. Bush appointee who served as an appeals court judge from 1991 to 2006, unloaded in a piece he penned for The New Republic on Thursday, entitled, “The Final Battle for America’s Democracy.”
And so on from there. With respect to the ongoing, current assault on the possibility of the American project, that's the report we'd recommend today.
Here's the link to Luttig's piece in the New Republic. We don't see a paywall blocking the essay by this widely-celebrated, famously conservative former judge.
For what it's worth, Judge Luttig discussed this theory with Ali Velshi on the August 6 edition of The 11th Hour. To see that discussion, you can start by clicking here.
For Judge Luttig's presentation of this thesis at his Substack site, you can simply click this.
We've been hoping that Judge Luttig's presentations would gain a bit more attention in this dangerous, madness-powered time. Maybe his presentation in the New Republic will sprout a pair of wings.
As always, please note this last important point:
The fact that Judge Luttig says it doesn't necessarily make it true.
Republican voters are attending a Trump rally in Texas, and imploring Republican leaders that elected Dems "Should be shot."
ReplyDeleteThis is nothing new.
If Dems did anything remotely similar Republicans would be clutching their pearls and we'd never hear the end of it.
Frankly, this used to be an effective strategy by Republicans, although less so now that they have lost credibility.
Beware of any supposed liberal advising Dems to back off and bow down to or find common ground with Republicans, such a person is a foe not an ally.
Interestingly, as petty and revengeful as Trump and the Republicans are, they have shown no interest in going after the perpetrators of the supposed assassination attempts against Trump that also happen to be White Republican males.
@1:13 The difference between the side. Reps say Dems should be shot. Dems actually shoot Reps.
DeleteLet's ask Melissa and Mark Hortman.
DeleteDiC is a scumbag.
DeleteThe guy who charged Democrat Amy Acton was a Republican, heavily armed.
DeleteSomerby almost seems giddy at the prospect.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know. What he suggests is that this is a “dangerous, madness-powered time.” Sounds more “terrified” than “giddy” to my ear.
DeleteI think you have a theory in your head and you bend and strain what Somerby says to fit your theory rather than adjust your theory to encompass what he actually says.
Yes, of course, that’s exactly what I do.
Delete"I don’t know."
DeleteAgree.
This troll DG doesn't know the obvious, good to know, and hardly surprising.
Somerby is definitely "giddy at the prospect", nothing would please him more than to see those pesky yet popular progressive and left of center Democrats get what Somerby views as some comeuppance.
Sure. Your “theory” is that Somerby is pushing right-wing views. In today’s post, Somerby is pushing the idea that Trump may steal the midterm elections, which, of course, is not a right-wing view. So in your head, to avoid the dissonance between what Somerby writes and your theory, you imagine the reason he’s telling us that Trump might steal the election is because that’s what he’s hoping for.
DeleteWhen facts conflict with your theory, just change the facts.
DeleteTrolls be trolling.
DeleteThis particular right wing troll has a real hard on for Somerby leading to blind loyalty, typical right wing behavior, a case study.
Of course Somerby is giddy.
There has been extensive reporting on this, since 2020, when Trump first began trying to overturn that election. If Somerby had paid attention to Rachel Maddow beyond being irritated by her chuckle, he might have noticed that she has been relentlessly discussing the possibility that Trump wants to steal this election. It’s basically a main topic of discussion on MSNBC. Somerby ridiculed her coverage of the fake electors in 2020, if you recall. One wonders how seriously he has taken this issue, choosing to focus on his notion that Trump really believed he won in 2020, rather than Trump’s obvious and deliberate desire, aided and abetted by the gop, to overturn that one in order to stay in power. Today’s essay by Luttig, which shows a continuation of the gop’s efforts in 2020, seems to be news to Somerby.
DeleteTrump wants to and plans to steal the election and all of his supporters are on board.
DeleteSomerby worries, rightfully so, that Trump's boorishness is bad for the Republicans, but he too is on board because in his warped mind Dems deserve it.
Bob is rubbing his thighs, and possibly stuffing cash down his pants.
DeleteYou’re rubbing your wiener, and nothing is happening.
Delete3:15 - And you can infer all that from what Somerby says, which is that we are experiencing “a dangerous , madness-powered time”! Who, exactly, do you think is paying Somerby to tell us that the Trump era is both mad and dangerous? Putin? Right-wing billionaires? Why would either pay Somerby to tell us that Trump is nuts and yet has the ability to push the big red button?
DeleteRight, DG, the best thing to do is stop being mean to the fascists and show some sympathy for orange felon.
DeleteI figured I wouldn’t get an answer to my question: Who would pay Somerby to tell us that Trump is a dangerous nutball?
DeleteProminent right-wing memes pushed by Somerby.
Delete—Trump may.be seriously mentally ill and cognitively impaired.
— Trump is capable of inflicting immense damage on the country and the world.
— Fox News is vulgar, garbage-can propaganda.
You see these memes pushed on Fox and Twitter all the time, right?
When I accuse Somerby of pushing a meme, I always say what it is. I haven’t called any of your suggestions right wing talking points.
DeleteThere have been several news reports lately about right wing groups paying trolls and influencers. I have listed those with links as they have appeared. There is nothing disqualifying Somerby from being such a person.
DeleteBut why won’t you admit that Somerby routinely says things (e.g., “Trump may be mentally unwell” and “Fox is clown car propaganda”) that are inconsistent with your theory that Somerby is paid to push right-wing memes?
Delete"There is nothing disqualifying Somerby from being such a person"
DeleteNothing except the content of his writing.
I think we should all pity Trump. He had a difficult father and cannot help bring the way he is. I want to read about this pity every day henceforth forever.
DeleteI believe with Bob that Trump genuinely believes he won in 2020, he isn’t lying, he just believes with all his heart that stealing the election is the right thing to do. His father was awful. I’m sure DG has genuine, heartfelt pity for Donald, just like I do. Why must Dems be so smug, angry and prickly? Do they not believe in mental illness, the scumbags?
DeleteEven the “We should pity Trump if he is suffering from a severe mental illness” is not a right-wing meme, at all.
DeleteNo, it’s a meme meant to disarm the progressive left
DeleteSomerby has never called for Trump’s removal or his institutionalization in a carefully selected home for the mentally bewildered.
Delete“Calling for his removal” is easy. I call for his removal—so what? Doing what needs to be done to remove him isn’t so easy. One possible first step: Pressure the media to investigate Trump’s mental health. If a large majority of the country perceives that he’s mentally unhinged, Congress might respond.
DeleteSomerby is an inveterate finger-wagger who ocassionally makes a point or two. That's all he is. This stuff is just dumbass conspiracy theories.
Delete1:33 — I think you may be right.
DeleteBut the points he makes are insightful. I did not know, for example, when he started banging on about immigration that we were in the midst of a huge immigration surge. I did not know when he started banging on about Biden’s senility that Biden would be incapable of waging a reelection campaign.
DeleteCriminal border crossings are not "immigration".
DeleteNot all that insightful. There was nothing the Democrats could do to take immigration off the table. I've made this point before, but Obama set records for deportations, and still Trump won on immigration. Look at Europe, where centrist parties have been cracking down on immigration for years , and STILL, far-right parties are surging because of immigration. Violent crime is at an all-time low, and half the country thinks it's on the rise. Even now, after the inhumanity and economic costs of Trump's deportations has been laid bare, as many people support him on immigration as they do the Democrats -- and plenty of people disapprove of Trump on immigration because they feel he hasn't been cruel enough.
DeleteWe live in shit times with a shitty, self-deluded, perpetually dyspeptic population, and they are going to believe, and vote on, whatever feeds their dyspepsia. Somerby thinking the Democrats could have done something to win on immigration is just another example of his finger-wagging for the sake of finger-wagging.
“Trump would have attacked Democrats on immigration anyway” isn't an answer to criticism of Biden's early immigration choices.
DeleteThe question is if Biden's early policies and the administration's subsequent reversal of them gave these attacks more factual and political force than they would have had otherwise.
The fact is, you miss the point: facts don't matter.
DeleteThat's a circular claim that avoids the argument. Is it not?
DeleteNot even close. The argument itself is founded on a false assumption: that there are a relevant number of persuadable voters attuned to subtle policy shifts. There simply isn't.
DeleteRelevant, persuadable voters didn't need to understand Biden's policies. They only needed to perceive that the border situation had deteriorated and the administration wasn't handling it well.
DeleteThe question is whether different early Biden policies could have produced a less politically damaging border situation and if they did, would it be politically important to Democrats to acknowledge this?
(The Biden administration actually did acknowledge the mistakes of their early immigration policies by reversing them and readopting many of Trump's original policies.)
DeleteOn what do you think they were basing this notional perception? You think they even knew what Biden's border policies were? Because they didn't. They hear stuff about "caravans of immigrants" and the like, and that's it. A lot of them don't even hear that. They simply believe Democrats are "soft on immigration," just as they believe Democrats are "soft on crime," and when someone like Trump talks about Democrats welcoming in criminals and rapists, think "that fits."
Delete"Facts don't matter" Even facts like Trump was a Russian spy and Biden had a cold? 😉
DeleteThey were reading articles about it. Don't you remember when Chicago was putting immigrants up in hotels after Texas sent them to their city? All of that was true and led people to look at Biden's initial immigration policies as a bit of a disaster without understanding the actual policies themselves..
Deletehttps://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/9/9/23343060/chicago-illinois-burr-ridge-immigrants-refugees-texas-abbott-bus-immigration-migration
DeleteArticles like this made Biden's original immigration policy look like a unorganized disaster. And, like I said, the Biden administration basically admitted it was by reversing their policies and re-adopting many Trump policies.
They don't read. I get the sense they aren't alone.
DeleteThese are the same people who were mad about inflation and voted for Trump to "fix it," despite the fact that his policies, to cut taxes and enact tariffs, were guaranteed to increase inflation. They are low information voters who vote on feels, and most of their feels are already in place. My own guess is that Somerby, in addition to his love of finger-wagging, shares those feels on one level or another -- but that's just my feeling.
How did Biden "reverse" anything when he began his first term? Are you mistaking Biden's policies for Obama's policies or pretending that a Democrat who follows another Democrat necessarily follows the same policies as his predecessor?
DeleteHere is a good word for Biden:
Delete"t’s really weird how the 83-year-old, stage four cancer sufferer Joe Biden managed to stand for the entire [9/11] ceremony in New York, while the fucking idiot [Trump] was narcoleptically crop-dusting the Pentagon with the piquant aroma of ass-music. it’s like the Pentagon got bombed all over again."
Why do commenters forget that Biden took office just as an uncontrolled covid-19 epidemic was killing people worldwide. Immigration decreased dramatically at the beginning of Biden's term largely because of covid. Then the pent-up accumulation of immigration and asylum-seekers massed at the border as the vaccine became available. The measures taken to deal with that surge were not a reversal of anything. New circumstances demand new approaches.
DeleteDemocrats need to just not run anymore women for president.
DeleteYou'had be won odds the smartsest mens.
DeleteTrump exhorting his crowd of deplorables to cheat like hell in the upcoming election, to cheers, and the voices in the crowd exhorting the shooting of Democrats. Nice leader, nice bunch.
ReplyDeleteFucking fascists, what is it going to take for media to tell the truth?
DeleteIf us Blues weren't so mean to those Reds, those Reds wouldn't advocate for the stripping away of our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I think the Goffin/King song "Pleasant Valley Sunday," an outrageously vicious assault on those good and decent people, is what pushed them over the edge.
DeleteThe fucking nerve of Giuliani telling Mayor Mamdani not to go to memorial service, when it was just revealed how Giuliani hid the truth about the health danger around ground 0
ReplyDeleteMore people died from the ghoulish Giuliani and his successor Bloomberg hiding the truth than from the 9/11 attack.
DeleteGiuliani is a disgusting unAmerican pig.
DeleteThen there's W's recent warning to pay closer attention terrorist threats when he and his neocon cabal took the rest of August (2001) off after US intelligence warned of an imminent terrorist attack in America.
DeleteHe needs to STFU and return to trying to paint watercolors of horses.
"The fact that Judge Luttig has said it doesn't necessarily mean that it's true."
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Copernicus has said that the solar system revolves around the sun didn't necessarily mean that it's true.
It is that kind of coyness that exposes Somerby's right wing agenda.
DeleteAll motion is relative. From where I sit, the sun, the moon, and the stars go around the earth.
DeleteSomerby doesn’t believe in relativity.
DeleteIt’s not “coyness.” It’s a methodological warning. You should be skeptical of all evidence, perhaps especially of the evidence that supports your priors.
DeleteBut does Luttig want us to pity Trump? It’s the only way we blues can win. That wasn’t a skeptical remark, it was definitive when Somerby said it.
DeleteThere is a huge difference between skepticism and nihilism. Look those two words up before typing again, DG.
Delete“Smug condescension” is not a good look on you.
DeleteJust post a comment right here, DG, expressing your solidarity with Somerby by sharing your genuine, heartfelt pity for Donald Trump. Do it, DG. Right here, right now. Put your name to it.
Deletechirp…chirp…chirp…
DeleteShame on Judge Luttig.
ReplyDelete“Judge J. Michael Luttig has not made public diagnoses or specific statements regarding Donald Trump's clinical mental health.
Instead, the retired conservative federal judge has focused his public criticisms on Trump's political conduct, adherence to the rule of law, and fitness for office in terms of democratic norms:
* Clear and Present Danger: Luttig famously stated during the House January 6 committee hearings that Donald Trump and his allies are a clear and present danger to American democracy because of their ongoing efforts to undermine electoral systems.
* War on the Rule of Law: Luttig has characterized Trump's actions and attacks on the federal judiciary as an unprecedented assault on American constitutional order rather than a medical issue. “ (Google/ AI)
Tsk tsk.
Where’s the pity for Trump?
DeleteWhere are the apologies from the numbskull commenters who claim Somerby is a Trump supporter?
DeleteHopefully, they are hiding with Somerby's posts regarding the Epstein Files, so we never have to hear from them.
DeleteGood one! Somerby is obligated to discuss every issue you think he should! Because you're his editor!
DeleteWho said anything about somerby being obligated?
DeleteIf someone such as Somerby engages in behavior that tends to help Trump get elected (as he did in 2024), does he also have to be an acknowledged Trump supporter? It could just be that Somerby and Gutfeld are old buddies from the old days, and Somerby promotes Gutfeld's horrible show out of friendship and bygones. Or perhaps Somerby just thinks he benefits from the comparison with Gutfeld (hard to say he does, though).
DeleteIf I was Somerby's editor, I wouldn't have to tell him to ignore the fact the Republican Party is a dumpster fire of amoral bigots. He'd ignore it without my direction.
DeleteSo Somerby tells us that Gutfeld is a sexist peddler of corporate propaganda because they’re such good buddies from way back when? You folks can just keep concocting absurd rationalizations to save your absurd theory that Somerby pushes right-wing memes, can’t you?
DeleteSomerby’s main point isn’t about Gutfeld, DG. Can you figure out what his actual point is?
DeleteHoward Nutlick is telling reporters the $5K dividend would not come "from the deficit."
ReplyDeleteSo the federal govt. would be able to pay out an additional $1 trillion+ without it adding to the deficit. This proposition has two corollaries:
1) the payments would not be recorded on the standard general ledger, but instead on a special ledger Scott Bessent will sprinkle with fairy dust;
2) it is impossible to insult the intelligence of a Trump supporter.
“Don’t let Obama buy the election by handing out unlimited free money to states.” - 10/30/12 tweet by Donald Trump
ReplyDeleteWe must pity the most powerful scumbag on earth. We must never pity any liberal, even if they are victims of that scumbag. Trump’s victims must offer pity to their tormentor. After all, it’s the only way to win elections. Did you hear that republicans never shoot democrats, only vice versa? That Democrats are evil, and the only proper vote for a Christian is for the gop, and he who stands at the right hand of god, Jesus, I mean Donald Trump? God bless his corruption, he cannot help it, it is his mental illness that allows him to corruptly rack up millions.
ReplyDeletePutin's whore shows his true colors once again:
Deletehttps://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drones-odesa-refinery-border-crossing-17bb6a0401abc3eaa7d4586150a41d7d?__vfz=medium%3Dstandalone_top_pages
@David in California: What do you think of Trump's new $5,000 promise? Do you think he'll deliver if Republicans win?
ReplyDeleteQuaker - probably not. Alas Trump himself would probably do it. But, it would require nearly unanimous support from Congressional Reps. I think there are enough courageous Reps in Congress to defeat it.
DeleteTrump says he doesn’t need congressional approval. There are zero courageous republicans in Congress. It is a cult, and you’re in it.
Delete“Alas Trump would probably do it.” Said with the assurance of a MAGA who has never seen Trump do anything like it.
DeleteFor $1-5 million , preferably in Bitcoin, Trump would get it done.
DeleteI believe that once a democracy allows the government to give money to voters, that democracy is doomed. Candidates will compete by offering ever larger and more unaffordable bribes to voters. We are already on that path, with no escape that I can see.
DeleteIMO Trump's offer will not be fulfilled. However, just by making this ridiculous offer, Trump pushed the country farther along on the road to Hell. For almost a century, Dem won elections by giving more and more money to voters: Social Security, Medicare, ever increasing types of welfare, etc. Now, Trump has announced that Republican are playing the same game. Doom is not far off. Stein's Law is inexorable. “If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”
@12:41 - Trump made some fiscally unsound promises during his campaigns and did indeed fulfill them. Two, which are not the biggest, but which IMO are particularly unjustifiable, are No Tax on Tips and No Tax On Overtime. There's no logical reason why those sorts of earnings should escape taxation. Of course, his entire tax cut was unaffordable.
DeleteTrump made some crazy promises and that’s why I crawled naked thru a Paris sewer to vote for him 3 times.
DeleteI am DiC, a fucking racist imbecile . Peace.
Fortunately the war is going well and will not have any impact on the deficit nor domestic spending that makes people's lives better. As time goes on and the MAGAts are forced to ignore the ever more obvious about Trump and his policies, they look more and more ludicrous in their entrenched mode.
Delete"...just by making this ridiculous offer, Trump pushed the country farther along on the road to Hell."
DeleteDo you think he is doing other things that push the country back from the ledge?
Just this week at his midterm convention, he asked supporters to promise to "cheat like hell" because he believes "the other side does." Do you think this is also damaging to democracy?
Fair point, Quaker. Trump's words have many flaws and faults. And, his personal behavior is often offensive.
DeleteOTOH he has some vital accomplishments. Merit-based hiring and promotion throughout the government and the military. The importance of this action cannot be overstated. It's virtually incalculable, because it improved every government department and every military action.
Severely restricting illegal immigration and expelling millions of illegal immigrants. This particularly improved the lives of lower class Americans. I freed up classroom space and social services and housing.
His efforts against Iran stirred up a lot of trouble in the middle east, but IMO the trouble was brewing silently. At least, we are now actively opposing the forces of evil there.
You know exactly zero about the qualifications or lack thereof of the officers fired by Hegseth and Trump. That they are commonly black or female feeds into your innate prejudices. You know of the qualifications of one military hire, however, who like many in Trump’s cabinet have as their defining career histories, work on Fox. You pretend to espouse meritocracy. Nothing about Trump’s orbiters reflects that he gives a shit about that. Your posts are hilarious in their ignorance.
DeleteFascinating how the “forces of evil” exclude a Zionist war criminal whose IDF supports the killing and expulsion of West Bank Palestinians from their homes.
DeleteListen, @6:32, if you read my comments here, you know my biggest idol -- the person I quote the most -- is a black man. You know my cousin Lizzie is a brilliant author, and I am proud of her. (Her new book will finally be out soon.) Race is irrelevant. Every person is an individual.
DeleteBut, it's almost a tautology. When people are hired and promoted for reasons other than merit, these people will not perform as well as those who are are chosen for merit. Choosing people for merit yields the most meritorious people.
What Hegseth has been trying to do is to convert the military to a merit-based organization. This is an enormous change. Two years ago, promoting blacks and women was an essential part of an officer's job. All of a sudden, that behavior is dereliction of duty.
I only hope that Hegeth's good work will not be reversed by the next President.
You’re so full of shit DiC.
DeleteI'm so busy spending my Trump tariff rebate I forgot what a stupid fucking piece of shit DIC is.
DeleteThere is nothing that requires someone hired for reasons other than merit to perform poorly. If they were hired for their appearance, for example, they might perform well or they might perform poorly, but they would look good doing either. It just means that merit wasn't the basis for the hiring. If someone were hired for lack of merit, you could expect them to do consistently poorly. Hegseth was hired for looks, but he also lacks experience and the right temperament, so he can be expected to do a bad job because of those apparent deficits. His looks are irrelevant because they have nothing to do with doing the job, one way or the other. If someone lacks merit himself, then how can he recognizer it in others? Using race or sex as a proxy for merit (or lack of it) is as stupid as using appearance. Those women and blacks who were previously promoted had merit. Pretending they didn't is a sign of David's racism. I hope Hegseth chokes on his own vomit. His "good work" is placing our country in military jeopardy in the middle of a needless war with Iran.
Delete"Two years ago, promoting blacks and women was an essential part of an officer's job."
DeleteNow, demoting blacks and women is an essential part of an officer's job.
Promotion is based on obsequious loyalty to the Trump/Hegseth Reich.
I'm so busy spending my Trump DOGE rebate I forgot what a stupid fucking piece of shit DIC is.
DeleteI'm so busy spending my Trump other tariff rebate I forgot what a stupid fucking piece of shit DIC is.
DeleteI'm so busy wondering why Trump never talks about his disastrous deficit / don't tax and spend like drunk sailors policies I forgot what a stupid fucking piece of shit DIC is.
DeleteI'm so busy wondering how Trump first lost on day one, then refused to creep out of the fucking disastrous war with the Iranian MOU, I forgot what a stupid fucking piece of shit DIC is.
Delete"His (Trump's) efforts against Iran stirred up a lot of trouble in the middle east"
DeleteAlways so modest when it comes to Trump.
His efforts against Iran stirred up a lot of trouble in the world!
The war is jacking up fuel costs and damaging economies worldwide, especially in Asia and Africa.
They didn't have to demote helicopter pilot Rebecca Lobach. I would be that she benefited from DEI.
DeleteA clown whose personal behaviors (adultary) would have excluded him from advancement and whose disregard for security gave advance notice for a military strike that would have gotten anyone else fired? Is that who you are talking about here? You have zero credibility with regard to the competency of those officers fired by Hegseth.
DeleteDIC is so fucking stupid if he wasn't white his parents wouldn't have let him out of the house.
DeleteNice to know that Medicare and Social Security are viewed by a MAGAt as a gift of government money to the unwashed masses.
DeleteStrateegary!: We will win in 6 days. These dumb fucks better bring back the black & trans officers before all our troops are wiped out! From LG&M: "The desperate pleas for air cover from Yemeni generals started coming mid-morning on Thursday. An advance by the Iran-backed Houthis toward Yemen’s strategic port city of Mocha was in full swing, and backup support from chief ally Saudi Arabia was nowhere in sight.
Delete“The Houthis committed everything they had – waves upon waves of fighters … along with their available ballistic missiles and weapons,” a senior Yemeni source attached to their military forces told CNN. The source said he contacted the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and was assured the US was “watching the situation closely and that Saudi air support was coming.”
“But the air support never came,” the source said. “And Mocha has now fallen.”
Hours later, on Friday, the Houthis captured another key coastal asset, Perim Island, at the mouth of the Red Sea. The island splits the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in two, giving Tehran de facto control over another key shipping route.
The Houthis’ rapid advance amounts to an extraordinary 36 hours in a conflict that had been largely on ice for years. But the kindling for renewed fighting had been laid for months amid the conflict between the United States and Iran, as Tehran seeks to use oil prices – and their impact on the global economy – as leverage.
Impressive that Trump’s war has managed to severely compromise access to both of the major chokepoints for oil delivery in the Middle East. On the other hand, at least the war is providing no benefits to the American national interest whatsoever at immense expense."
Idjits with tan balls. USA!!!
Payroll taxes you fucking creep David.
DeleteThe Saudis are learning the hard way that writing a 2 billion dollar check to the son in law of the grifter in chief doesn’t get them much. Independent analysts peg the cost of this illegal war thus far at 100 billion dollars of taxpayer money. Thus far. But thank god the brilliant mind behind the firing of women, Blacks and anyone who disagrees with him is mustering up all his military experience and knowledge to prosecute this conflict for the benefit of an Israeli war criminal/leader with an approval rating in his own country of 18%. All of this being cheered on by nimrod MAGAts like DiC.
Delete"They didn't have to demote helicopter pilot Rebecca Lobach. I would be(t) that she benefited from DEI."
DeleteLooks like you might lose that bet:
"Female Pilot in Crash Trump Blamed on DEI Was Top 20% Army Cadet"
"Merit-based hiring and promotion throughout the government and the military. The importance of this action cannot be overstated. It's virtually incalculable, because it improved every government department and every military action."
DeleteWithout "merit-based hiring" the Iran advventure wouldn't have gone as well as we've seen?
"Incalculable" is a good word to use here.
David,
DeleteIf America wanted to be a merit-based society, we'd have enacted the 100% Estate Tax rate decades ago.
Before Congress, Hegseth has cited zero evidence that the individuals for whom he fired or blocked promotions had ever been treated favorably based on race or gender. Three career past and present army officials reported to the NYT that on one occasion Hegseth’s chief of staff, Buna, told army secretary Driscoll that a promotion was not granted because Trump did not want to be standing next to a black female at ceremonies, after which Driscoll appealed directly to the White House for intervention. The deplorable behavior of Hegseth in regard to all these interventions is amply documented in a detailed account available online by Voices of Liberty, among others. DiC is, as always, FOS.
DeleteMeanwhile, in Trump's merit based world, his son in law, whose felonious old man bought him entrance to the Ivey leagues, is apparently the most qualified diplomat in the family business.
DeleteIvy
DeleteLet's not forget 'ole buddy Steve Witkoff. He and Jared are apparently the most skilled diplomats in the US.
DeleteWhy else would they be leading negotiations with both Iran and in the Ukraine war (and getting such spectacular results)?
Thank God there's no more of that nasty DEI.
Hector - Those two gentlemen negotiated the Abraham Accords. That was a fantastic achievement. Israel and its neighbors had been at war or potentially at war for 70 years. The Abraham Accords no only established peaceful relations between the signatories. The Accords also laid a groundwork that other middle eastern countries can join.
DeleteAt this point, only Iran and its proxies stand between a permanent, long-lasting peace in the middle east. Something I never dreamed I would see in my lifetime.
Quaker - From a purely military POV, the war in Iran has been a historic success. Iran was a serious military power. In a couple of weeks, their navy and air force were destroyed along with 90% of their missile capability and much of their military manufacturing. Against hardly any US casualties.
DeleteBy comparison the war Afghanistan was a historic embarrassment. We never should have attacked them IMO. But, that was not the military's fault. Afghanistan was a puny military power. Our military failed to defeat them. We got nowhere.
In what way, do you think, have the war with Iran and the war in Gaza affected the future of the “Abraham accords?”
DeleteDavid, your assertions about Iran’s missile capacity, their army and navy are simply incorrect. Besides, we were told that the goal of the war was to eliminate their nuclear capability, and also spark regime change, neither of which have happened.
Delete@10:13 - did get half of my point. S/he wrote, "Hegseth has cited zero evidence that the individuals for whom he fired or blocked promotions had ever been treated favorably based on race or gender."
DeleteThe most important firings were not people who had benefited from DEI. The officers that had to be replaced were the ones who believed in DEI and who could not adapt to purely merit-based hiring and promotions.
Frankly, I have sympathy for these people. If you spend a career based on a certain philosophy, if following this philosophy has led to your success, it's very, very difficult to switch to a situation where that way of thinking is a bad thing, not a good thing. I've been in situations where a new boss demanded a change in the Corporate way of thinking. I found it hard to adapt. And, the changes I faced were a lot less radical than the 180° reversal in DEI policy.
Great questions. @12:50. I am relieved that the war in Gaza did not undo the Abraham Accords. But, as to the future, your guess is as good as mine.
DeleteThe online article from Voices of Liberty gives a very detailed examination of the individuals fucked over by Hegseth. Nice try, DiC but your bullshit, replete with a personal anecdote that has no relevance to how high ranking military officers conduct themselves is nonsense.
DeleteYou have zero credibility posturing about how high ranking officers in our armed forces had difficulty in adapting. You know nothing about this.
DeleteThe illegal war with Iran has been such a smashing success that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is still crippled and the Houthis have now overrun the coast of Yemen to control traffic through a second strait. Great success. Apparently it takes only 10% of Iran’s military to humiliate Hegseth.
Delete@2:36 - The stated US purpose of the war was to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons. I don’t know what the ultimate outcome will be, but so far it has succeeded. Iran has not made any progress in developing nukes since the war began.
DeleteHow do you know that DiC? They have more incentive now than before they were attacked in the middle of negotiations, which took place after Trump ripped up the Obama era agreement, in which Iran pledged not to develop nuclear weapons.
DeleteHow many fucking times are you people going to go around the bullshit merry go round with dickhead in cal?
DeleteOrange Chickenshit is a real tough guy. Look how he’s committing crimes against humanity on Cuban civilians. If there is a hell, Trump has his spot reserved
DeleteThe Manhatten project was initiated in 1942. Hiroshima was in 1945. I will leave it to a retired actuary to do the math. Iran’s nuclear program was begun 70 years ago. They have been on the verge of acquiring a warhead for literally decades. Only an idiot would claim that this war prevented them from acquiring one or more warheads. Incidentally, they are close allies with bad actors that have more than enough enriched uranium. Do you seriously contend that there is only one way for the Iranians to acquire weapons grade uranium? How naive.
Delete"Iran has not made any progress in developing nukes since the war began."
DeleteAnd according to Tulsi Gabbard's testimony to Congress, Iran hadn't made any progress in developing nukes in the 8 months BEFORE the war began.
Makes you think, doesn't it? Well, you, maybe not.
"Those two gentlemen (Kushner and Witkoff) negotiated the Abraham Accords."
DeleteJared was involved but Witkoff played no role. But don't let the facts slow you down.
As for the Abraham Accords themselves, since they were signed we've had the Israel-Hamas war, the US attack on Iran, civil wars in Yemen and Syria, and continued Israeli depredations in the West Bank.
So maybe more of a nothing burger than a permanent peace-making milestone.
Hector - Thanks for the correction. The US negotiators on the Abraham Accords were Jared Kushner, Avi Berkowitz, Mike Pompeo, and David Friedman.
DeleteFuck face Kushner bagged $1.6 Billion from Qatar, $2.0 Billion from KSA, and $600K from UAE. That's serious negotiating fuckface DiChead. The corruption is sickening, but fine as long as the browns are being tortured, amiright? And of course here we are at WWIII. 20 (give or take) nations blowing up energy infrastructure in the middle east. Ukraine taking out 50% of Russian refining capacity and doing a good job of butchering Ruskie troops with drones. But we build $200M drones, not $20,00 drones, so our MIC has us unprotected from cheap drone warfare. Either Trump the loser idiot or Putipoo will drop a tactical nuke to try and save face, and then it's over. Congrats DiC. You fuckers win, we all die.
DeleteDiC - "only the Iranians & proxies" - USA blowing shit up in the mid-east since 1990 and you fucking Magat cult idiots still don't understand Sunni and Shia. How do we ever fix that level of fucking stupid? Shame on you.
DeleteLike 8:24, I also deplore that we build $200M drones, not $20,00 drones.
DeleteFuck you you support idiot Hegseth who fired the drone General you dumb fucking cunt
DeleteFuck you. Dickhead, racist piece of shit.
Delete@David: From a purely military POV, the war in Iran has been a historic success.
DeleteOh, really? Tell that to the Saudis who are currently blockaded and whose pipeline has been destroyed. Tell it to US truckers paying $6 for a gallon of diesel. Tell it to the families of the "small potatoes" dead and injured US service members.
Also, if it has been so successful, why does the end date keep slipping? Remember how the Russia/Ukraine war was going to end on "Day One"?
DeleteRemember how many times they declared that the war is over and won.
DeleteAre we talking about the war that was going to last 4 weeks? Sounds vaguely familiar. Oh yeah, COVID. Only this time, an illegal war to botch disastrously and lie to the American public about every step of the way. Accomplished nothing, zero, zed.
DeletePeter Navarro says Suzanne Scott should be fired.
ReplyDeleteIt’s not like he’s in charge of the FCC.
DeleteAnd now Hasbro has to explain they have nothing to do with the deranged piece of shit asshole racist rapist forever warmongering insurrectionist President. What the ever loving fuck?
ReplyDeleteTrump, asking the crowd to stand at the GOP midterm “convention”: “Please raise your right hand. I pledge to the greatest president in the history of the United States. That loves us so much he can’t even breathe. That I will go out with my family, my friends, I’ll do it any way – I don’t care if I’m registered or not, I’m going to try to cheat like hell…”
ReplyDeleteAnd we are the deranged ones. Sure thing Nazi Karen!
DeleteTrump told reporters while in Doonbeg, Ireland, that the conflict with Iran will end after the midterm elections and that the Iranian regime “wants to make a deal so badly, and is calling constantly.”
ReplyDeleteA transcript of one of those calls has just been made available:
“Yes, this is the White House.”
“White House? Tell that oily-haired, fat-ass lie-machine to sit on a flashlight and the only deal we’ll make with him is to wash his mouth out with hyena piss as he's crying for mommy after he gets reamed in the mid terms."
I thought it was time for pity not mockery.
DeleteOrange Chickenshit warned Ukraine to stop bothering Putin.
DeleteFuck you straight to hell, DiC.
'Ol DIC is a strange one. So proud when Trump tore up Obummer's nuke treaty. Thrilled when we destroyed the nuke program with bunker busters and whatnot. And still humping that nuke dog's ass seven months after losing the war on Day 1. What a tool.
Delete
ReplyDeleteDavid says:
“The stated US purpose of the war was to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons. I don’t know what the ultimate outcome will be, but so far it has succeeded. Iran has not made any progress in developing nukes since the war began.”
It reminds me of the old joke:
A man is walking down the street in the middle of a big city, snapping his fingers every few seconds.Another man walks up to him, looking completely bewildered, and asks, "Excuse me, why do you keep snapping your fingers?"The first man replies, "Oh, it's to keep the lions away."The second man frowns and says, "But there are no lions within thousands of miles of here!"The first man smiles proudly and says, "See? It works!" [1] (https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/8bzmlk/why_do_you_never_see_an_elephant_hiding_on_top_of/), [2] (https://rogerswannell.com/notes/elephant-repellent/)
Here’s another one.
DeleteA raging racist, a fascist, a Netanyahu groupie and a lying sack of shit walk into a bar. The bartender looks up, sees one person enter and says, Hey David, what’ll it be?”
Way over DiC's head.
DeleteNew York Times headline:
ReplyDelete“Russian businessman paid for Donald Trump Jr.’s lavish wedding after-party”
No wonder Don Jr recently tweeted “Zelensky doesn’t want peace.”
Sacks of shit, Trump, his whole family, his whole admin.
Change the party involved from Republican to Democratic, and then try to imagine how long this story would dominate the news.
DeleteYou remember what Newt called the greatest crime in the history of the Presidency? 'Ol Joe getting a $7,000 check from long dong Hunter paying him back for lending him new truck money.
DeleteThe pile of human garbage that has grifted upwards of 4 billion dollars in the last 21 months apparently cannot pay for their family events. Russian oligarcs are apparently very generous with absolutely no strings attached. And of course the MAGAts have zero problems with that.
DeleteTrump: "This war will end immediately after our election."
ReplyDeleteOn Day One after the election?
Trump's endless war against humanity, or just the war against Iran kicking our ass on Day 1?
DeleteSomerby should be embarrassed quoting from this article by Judge Luttig, after having spent the past six years claiming that Donald Trump, due to his “mental illness”, really believed that he won the election in 2020, when Judge Luttig is saying that it was a deliberate assault on our electoral systems by Trump and the Republicans back then to try to overturn the 2020 election, and warns us of the upcoming potential threat by Trump and the gop to maintain power. Somerby should not only be embarrassed, but ashamed of himself for what he’s written about this.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Luttig was on O’Donnell.
Somerby has said Trump 'seems' to believe he'd won the election, not that he 'really believed' it. Its' you who should be ashamed of yourself for putting these words in Somerby's mouth.
ReplyDeleteAnd neither Judge Luttig or anyone else knows what Trump really believes about anything, including Trump himself since he changes his mind so much, often in mid-sentence.
After more than 10 years of trumps bullshit lying, you’d have to be a willing dupe or an imbecile to say something like that. Which are you?
DeleteThe bullshit that emanates from Trump”s pie hole is intended for the broader audience of those dumbasses seen behind him at his rallies. Trump’s bullshit is not the product of a progressively disordered mind, although that is ongoing. It is the lifelong product of a narcissist who thinks his charisma will carry the day and does not need to be tethered to fact. The many thousands of lies this 24/7 Roy Cohn acolyte fabricates are readily digested by the deplorables who will never concede that there is enough wrong with him nor his criminal family to warrant honest scrutiny. When Trump fabricates a story about being dragged to safety by firemen on 9/11, that is the same Trump who continued to accuse the Central Park 5 after they were exonerated, decades ago. The only difference now is that his failing mental health acts as a lubricant for this shit. And he knows that the crowd behind him at those rallies has a bottomless appetite for it.
DeleteI was worried when the CEOs for the LLM models warned about the existential threat that AI poses. Thank god, Donald J. Trump, whose uncle taught at MIT, has identified that concern as a hoax. You know, like climate change and the worries in early 2000 about COVID. It's gonna be just fine.
DeleteTwo things, 12:20:
Delete1) Here’s a quote, :
“We're prepared to believe that the sitting president may even believe his claim!”
(NO PEOPLE: No people are uninteresting?
THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2026
https://dailyhowler.blogspot.com/2026/07/no-people-no-people-are-uninteresting.html?m=1)
2) The GOP has been deliberate in their efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and their ongoing attempts to mess with the 2026 midterms. It’s ludicrous to assume that every Republican operative then and now believes that Trump actually won. They are engaged in an ongoing assault on our electoral systems. Luttig is correct.
And, 12:20, Trump has never changed his mind. He consistently states that he won in 2020, and that is part of his (and the GOP’s) justification for overturning the results and rigging the upcoming election. Mike Johnson said at the Republican midterm convention last week that “we (republicans) cannot and will not let the Democrats have the majority.” with everything that’s happened over the past six years, it’s hard to take that as an innocent statement.
Delete8:42,
Deletethank you for providing that quote, which confirms what I said @ 12:20 and disconfirms the false accusations made by @ 10:55.
As for the GOP being deliberate in its efforts to overturn the 2020 election, I agree. But that is a separate question from knowing what Trump himself believes about anything.
8:47,
Deletethere've been a few reported slip-ups but you're right that Trump has consistently said he won in 2020. But again, that is a separate question from whether he really believes he won or is just a consisten liar.
12:36,
DeleteI made 2 statements at 12:20, about which you're curious whether I'm an imbecile or a dupe. But in your abbreviated critique, you rather imbecilicly didn't specify which of my statements you were casting aspersions upon, so I can't answer you.
It's also helpful to provide a reason for your disagreement rather than simply flinging it up onto the comment board like an enraged baboon getting rid of unwanted poo.
8:49: Somerby didn’t say Trump “seems” to believe he won; he said he “may even believe it.” Do you see the difference?
DeleteAnd, 8:49, Somerby said he is prepared to believe that Trump believes it. Can you read?
DeleteAnd Somerby claims that this belief of Trump’s stems from his mental illness, which tends to eliminate the likelihood that this is a deliberate lie by Trump that he promotes in order to undermine our electoral systems.
DeleteHere’s another thing to ponder, 849. Somerby often states that Trump‘s problem is his “sociopathy “, (even though that isn’t a clinical term). In what sense is believing a false thing part of sociopathy? It is much more characteristic of sociopathy for the person to lie, knowing that they’re lying about the thing. So it is inconsistent to say that Trump is mentally ill and that’s what causes him to believe he won the election. If he really believes that, then he’s deluded.
DeleteFrom Wikipedia: “On January 2, 2021, during an hour-long conference call, U.S. president Donald Trump pressured Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger to "find 11,780 votes" and overturn the U.S. election results from the 2020 presidential election. Trump had been defeated by Joe Biden in the election, but refused to accept the outcome, and made a months-long effort to overturn the results. Prior to the call to Raffensperger, Trump and his campaign spoke repeatedly to state and local officials in at least three states in which he had lost, urging them to recount votes, throw out some ballots, or replace the Democratic slate of electors with a Republican slate.” This doesn’t sound like someone who believes he won. It sounds like someone who knows he lost trying to overturn an election.
DeleteSmartass — I wish you’d use a nym. I don’t want to miss any of your comments.
Delete"And, 8:49, Somerby said he is prepared to believe that Trump believes it. Can you read?"
DeleteSpeaking of being able to read, do you understand the difference between being prepared to believe something versus believing it?
"Somerby didn’t say Trump “seems” to believe he won; he said he “may even believe it.” Do you see the difference?"
Except that here's Bob on 1/3/26:
"President Trump never tires of this delusional claim. We say "delusional" because, on balance, it's our impression that he actually seems to believe the unsupported, unexplained claims"
You're getting boring to debate. Go away.
Somerby never lets himself be pinned down.
DeleteMy God. There’s no stopping him.
ReplyDeleteTrump and his toadies are saying he will only raise funds for the Kennedy Center if his name is on the building. And if he doesn’t raise these funds, the place is going bankrupt and will close, (likely to be torn down from claimed neglect soon after). The Kennedy Center is a memorial to a slain president, an event that is still remembered by many living Americans. Donald Trump has no respect for anyone, certainly not ex-presidents who had the temerity to be assassinated. He prefers presidents who get shot in the ear.
It makes it so much worse that the president in question was slain.
DeleteWhat makes it really unbearable is the idiot in Pennsylvania missed him by a fraction of an inch.
Delete