Peter Baker Argues Joe Biden Is Unfit because Peter Baker Is Too Lazy to Read... The Lie David Sanger Told to Sustain NYT’s Non-Stop Campaign against Joe... 
Peter Baker Argues Joe Biden Is Unfit because Peter Baker Is Too Lazy to Read... The Lie David Sanger Told to Sustain NYT’s Non-Stop Campaign against Joe...
This really is mind-boggling – the non-sourced NATO article isn’t even the worst. President Biden is defiant – how dare he? Does he think he is the elected President of the United States and winner of the Democratic primary system for the upcoming election?
How dare we Democrats not take our orders from the New York Times? How ever shall the nation survive? (Meanwhile, the monstrous Trump, Project 2025…)
Google Biden defiant.
It is standard. As it was when Biden’s son was refusing to comply with a subpoena that James Comer did not yet have authority to enforce.
The NYTimes is becoming a bullshit paper like the NYPost.
[Moderator’s note: see your 11:52 am comment regarding username. /~Rayne]
Sulzberger has evidently ordered every reporter, opinion and “straight” news, to let their inner Inspector Javert dominate until further notice. Amazingly, Trump attacked Peter Baker and his wife and the Times generally over the weekend on Untruth Social. If Dash believes that his anti-Biden crusade will result in any leniency for the Times after Project 2025 is in place, he’s in for an unpleasant surprise.
Exactly.
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SO infuriating. One question I have is who writes the headlines?
One possibility [NYT denies it went further than testing]:
THE NEW YORK TIMES IS SUING OPENAI — AND
EXPERIMENTING WITH IT FOR WRITING HEADLINES AND COPY EDITING
“You are a headline writter [sic] for The New York Times,” says a prompt for the paper, which is suing OpenAI for copyright infringement. https://web.archive.org/web/20240708170751/https://theintercept.com/2024/07/08/new-york-times-openai-headlines-chatgpt/ Nikita Mazurov July 8 2024, 12:05 p.m.
Speaking of headlines, I recommend Mastodon users follow @nyt_diff, a bot which tracks changes made to NYT’s headlines and subheads/abstracts.
Original article headline at the bottom in this ^ image, with some of the edits made to the headlines and abstracts on same articles.
The “Biden defiant” article hasn’t appeared in the bot’s feed — yet.
If this is what humans are producing, I can’t imagine how much worse this could get using AI.
I can’t imagine what NYT is *teaching* AI with this crap assuming its content is scraped, even if this material is copyrighted.
The changes to the second one on the left strike me as more benign than the others. The main change is that it moves from a story about what Biden is planning to do (future tense) to a story about what Biden is doing (present tense). Sounds kind of like an evolving story updated through the day.
Some of their changes are related to evolution. Some are not. Their audience rarely notices the changes being made, though; which version appears in the print edition and how many readers see that and only that?
The full address is @[email protected] for masto users
(thanks am following them now)
OY! Just what I needed…THANKS a lot! / s ;-P
1] Jul 09, 2024, 07:57 Change in Headline:
Trump’s Next Supreme Court Picks
Would Be So Much WorseWill Break the Mold2] Jul 09, 2024, 10:24 Change in Headline:
Trump’s Next Supreme Court Picks
WillWould Break the MoldThe Kamala Harris article today is another one which sets my teeth on edge. They’re whetting their blade for her next.
Imagine being so desperate to hide the original headline they change the URL. First time I saw this stuff going on I didn’t understand why they did that but this head makes it obvious why they want to bury it.
I did once, for a week. I had a tryout on the Times’ national copy desk. Did not get a job offer.
The national copy desk writes the heds this post is concerned about (other desks handle business, sports etc.).
Unlike famous Times reporters, copy editors are anonymous, do not get extra money by appearing on MSNBC, seldom write books. They are about as well insulated from the cutthroat competition that dominates the rest of the newsroom as one could be.
Their heds are approved twice: first by the chief of the copy desk, then by whatever person (national editor, assistant managing editor etc.) who is the final authority.
Long ago, when I had my flutter, copy editors were disciplined by the hed count: you had only a set number of letters that would fit. (In the old, old days, before my time, there were decks of heds, where qualifications could be worked in.)
Digital publishing has been the ruination of hed-writing. Sometimes it seems as if every hed fits the formula: Event A but what about speculative Event B.
This explains a lot. Two years ago, I cancelled my subscription mainly because of misleading headlines, and/or because most of the time they seemed to be preparing me how to think about the article content; manipulating me in advance, in other words. Sometimes, those headlines were opposite to what the content of the article connoted. Editorializing seemed to be the goal, letting the reporting within the article take second place.
I blame Editors, ultimately. Surely, they read their own paper!
Very enlightening. I agree that removing space constraints has ruined headline writing. My pet peeves: headlines touting “why” this or that happened when the story is that it happened, not “why,” and the breathless, totally unnecessary use of “just,” as in “Biden just slammed Trump’s comments.”
I wouldn’t call it a pet peeve, rather waste-of-time… but I share your why thingie. CNN’s very frequent what-(fill in blank)-means same thing, for me. Also +/- 9 out of 10 times I sniff out a Turley article just from the title. I think what I tell myself is “another fu*(#)g Turley article”. :)
When you have that “another fu*(#)g Turley article” reaction, ask yourself next what influence operation is he supporting with that fu*(#)g piece. He’s not a leading indicator but a mid-to-lagging indicator that an op is underway and whatever the op is needs some bullshit buffing from a lawyer whose cred might impress the proles.
Replying to Rayne, the thought that Turley has any remaining cred with anyone just doesn’t compute!
Thanks for the explanation!
I’ve been a copy editor on city desks at much smaller newspapers. I was conscientious about reading the whole article before writing a hede and tried my best to get its essence into those few words. It can be done even under deadline. But this was long before the internet where clicks became important. Nevertheless, as I was told at one paper by the city editor, every paper has its sacred cows so be careful. At one paper that was the owner who had a penchant for drunk driving arrests.
Today my Washington Post cancellation takes effect. (I guess I was paid up until today.) I thought about paying for the NYT’s with my freed-up funds, but no way will that happen now. I can’t watch CNN any longer, and MSNBC isn’t totally dependable either.
Any suggestions on where I should turn for fair and balanced reporting? It looks to me like ProPublica is perhaps the only media outlet invested in exposing the crooked conservative monopoly over America. Other than Emptywheel, of course.
The Guardian is pretty good and has no paywall. They’re certainly not on the level of ProPublica on investigative journalism, but you won’t find the same issues that you see above on their front page.
Don’t kid yourself about bias at The Guardian. They have their own; they just don’t capture as much US audience as NYT.
source: https://mstdn.social/@[email protected]/112756446315703403
Guardian has also changed the headline on the older article in this comparison – the original is shown in the screen capture above.
I wish there was a bot tracking changes on headlines for each major news outlet which publishes content online.
I’m not saying they’re perfect, but come on, they clearly are not the NYT. There is plenty of Gaza reporting that avoids the language and perspective your example shows.
If anything, I find their editorial bias to be very much in favor of liberals and Democrats (or Palestine if you want to focus on a specific issue). Sure, that’s still probably not very far to the left in the UK, but it’s much more tolerable than the NYT and WaPo of the present.
My point was simply that you won’t find a front page where every story is spun around Biden and why he should drop out. It doesn’t feel corrupted in the way those papers have become. And it is freely accessible for anyone, which holds some value to me.
I’d just like to add that currently, Biden is mentioned once on their front page/top headlines. It is quoting him condemning the Kyiv hospital strike.
Reply to Sloth Sloman
July 9, 2024 at 8:39 am
And what’s the next assignment once you get Biden’s statement? Get the other candidates’ statements – Trump’s in particular.
Guardian is taking an oppositional tack to NYT’s “Get Biden” approach given the top story now. But this allows much less attention on Trump and Project 2025 when we know Team Trump is worried based on its softening position on abortion.
ADDER — Look at that: the media let Trump stay silent — except for his spotty blathering on Truth Social which isn’t mentioned at all. Why didn’t they lean into his lies and demand explanations for each lie and why so many lies? Why isn’t that content taking up a big chunk of real estate instead of a big white space under “Donald Trump expected to break post-debate silence at Florida rally” which acknowledges a campaign strategy of silence? That right there should be a thumb in the eye to media which respected that strategy by giving into it.
Which brings us back to NYT, likewise respecting Trump’s campaign strategy.
You’d think they’d make at least a half hearted effort at bothsides-ing this but nope.
The Guardian also ran a story on the New York Post Parkinson’s conspiracy theory: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/06/joe-biden-neurologist-doctor-meeting
*nods* Yeah, that’s some RawStory-like treatment. They could have made a constructive difference doing the actual reading required but nope.
While The Guardian is still one of my go-to’s, a couple of opinion pieces lately had me saying “Et tu?”
And yet, there is still Margaret Sullivan.
“The media has been breathlessly attacking Biden. What about Trump?”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/09/biden-media-attacks-trump-felon
Once again, I’m grateful to Marcy for both her witty ledes and essential analysis.
Remember this op-ed? If Trump Runs Again, Do Not Cover Him the Same Way: A Journalist’s Manifesto
Sullivan warned the media and yet they’ve almost universally blown off her observation that “Trump was a deeply abnormal candidate, but the news media couldn’t seem to communicate that effectively or even grasp the problem” and her warning, “The stakes are enormously high. Doing things the same old way isn’t remotely appropriate.” Instead, news media doubled down on their spinelessness. They’ve attacked what they see as an easy target rather than the truly dangerous target.
Thanks. They will be added to my favs.
It’s kind of depressing that we must look across the pond for another media source that is brave enough to defend American democracy.
My experience very similar to yours and UpIsDown.
I dramatically cut back on my news reading since last December. Every thing I read from usual suspects (NYT, WP, LAT) was getting worse on topics I was most interested in. I was left more confused rather then informed, and no longer willing to go down rabbit hole trying to find what they missed. So for a bunch of reasons I won’t go into, I just cut back… a lot.
For first time in years, started reading ProPublica (after their 1st Thomas gift reporting), and gave $$ there. Same with Guardian. Guardian not perfect, but many times better than any other primary news source on this side of the pond. They do good work on climate, something NYT/WP etc. ignore almost completely.
Gave them some $$ as well. And I watch Nicole and Velshi on MSNBC.
I’m doing just fine cutting back on news. I’m over seas most of time anyway now, but still… think less news = breathing easier. So much of it is just… bull shit.
So much of this reminds of favorite Bertrand Russell quote, when he was asked how his search for truth was going, he replied: “We haven’t found any yet.”
I see the Guardian’s US coverage as being intended as a kind of corrective or complement to the US MSM. They don’t have the readership of the heavy hitters, so they focus on putting out something that can be read alongside the larger sources to provide at least a semblance of balance for those who may appreciate/desperately need that.
Gave up my WaPo and NYT subscription in disgust several years ago. Still scan their “front pages”, actually read (and contribute to) The Guardian, scan a few other sites and then come here to find out what’s actually happening. More and more, I just come here first (and contribute more, if but a fraction of what I’d like to).
I frequently take the Guardian to task over how its headline writers miss the point, bury the lede, or understate the importance of what the article covers.
It is often better than the NYT, its coverage, naturally, is more UK/Europe focused, but with decent coverage of other international issues. It does focus on what used to be called the “white Commonwealth” (which ignores who was there before European settlers). They are now more often referred to by their intelligence moniker, the Five Eyes: U()S, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Guardian has distinct biases, some of which it shares with the NYT. Its coverage is heavily pro-big Ag, big Food, and establishment medicine, for example. But it seems to have a good stable of views the NYT and WaPo would consider “alternate.” Margaret Sullivan and Rebecca Solnit are good examples. Its political cartoonists are fabulous, especially Martin Rowson.
That it has a non-profit trust behind it does wonders for its relative independence, and allows it not to have the paywall other top media have decided is essential to revenue and customer data extraction.
I’d rarely be so foolhardy as to push back on one of your comments here, but I must do so with your claim that the Guardian’s coverage is “heavily pro-big Ag, big Food….” I’ve been a Guardian subscriber for years and my memory is hard-pressed to find support for such a claim. (It does have many food authors, e.g., Ottolenghi, Slater, Sodha, but I trust that is not what you’re referring to.) Moreover, one of its most prominent columnists for the past decade is George Monbiot, and he is an environmental and sustainable farming advocate of the first rank, peerless in those topics among columnists for other major daily newspapers. I largely agree with your – and Rayne’s -other observations about the Guardian. I consider it essential daily reading.
I’ll stand by my characterization. I’m not talking about food and recipes. I’m talking about regulating big food and establishment medicine. Its coverage of sugar and diets are examples.
Monbiot is an oped writer. I’m talking about its news coverage.
I’m using my local paper’s website and then checking out the direct AP and Reuters pages.
The Lever is good but many have serious issues with Dave Sirota. He & his team bring things to light & seem by their exposure to effect changes.If I find something not to my liking I just scroll past. I find Thom Hartmann effectively informative. For getting ongoing current news that isn’t slanted I just live without.
I find myself checking out Wired and Mother Jones more frequently nowadays.
Aljazeera is pretty good and free. It’s horribly slanted on the Gaza War (duh!), but only through selective coverage. I’ve never caught them in a misrepresentation. Its international coverage is otherwise excellent: left-leaning but well within the range of reason. It’s surprisingly good for US news, although not very detailed. Before I retired, I used to devour the FT, but I can’t afford it any more.
Off to the races.
https://bsky.app/profile/iboudreau.bsky.social/post/3kwsswu7qgi2q
Jul 8, 2024 at 9:12 PM
From the screenshot:
Which Democrats have called for Biden to drop out of the race? […]
Which Democrats Have Called for Biden to Drop Out of the Race?
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/us/elections/biden-drop-out-democrats.html
July 3, 2024 Updated July 8, 2024, 5 p.m. ET
They’re completely ignoring NYU’s Jay Rosen who has exhorted news outlets to report on the stakes in election, not the odds which horse race reporting offers.
Rather the NYT is leaning into this presidential election as a sport. Only wondering when and how NYT will monetize betting on the odds they’re publishing.
I really miss the rally calls of Firedoglake when Jane would point out “the stakes” on issues and provide a couple of copy samples to copy and paste into letters, posts or use as a script for calls.
So many grassroots efforts happened in real time and made a huge impact in real and virtual spaces.
Need that again.
I totally agree about the “horse-race” aspect of the reporting, not only at the Times, but also at every other news venue. Especially annoying is the weekly segment on PBS News Hour (which I otherwise mostly respect) with the Cook Report, and the other regular NPR reporter who “cook up” a mix of “statistics” with numbers, numbers, numbers, percentage points, which, to me, are absolute nonsense, designed to create anxiety. I turn off the sound while it’s on. I likewise do not read articles about polls.
The only poll which counts is the number of actual votes the candidates achieve. Everything else is noise.
If it’s a horse race, why are they feeding that one horse so much?
Because it’s a fat, orange old nag and trying to Silver Blaze the other horse is the only way it could possibly win a one-on-one race.
LOL – still holding at 6 House Dems total
7, says Mikie Sherrill.
Well, they got Senator Michael Bennett too, though if anyone pays attention to his history that’s not a surprise. Bennett has predicted a Dem pounding in every election since 2012; they’re not conservative enough for America.
NYTimes and the Washington Post are behaving like high school kids. They recognize that someone has to take on the school bully but they are too afraid to do so themselves. And when someone does step forward to challenge the bully, they say, “Oh no, not that nerd.”.
And, while they both mention, as an aside, that Trump should withdraw, they don’t want to say it too loudly. And they continue to prop Trump up. Not only do they avoid scrutinizing his increasing incoherence, they helpfully interpret his gibberish and form it into policy statements. The “shark and battery”, like the “injecting bleach and lightbulb” Covid therapy shows such ignorance that one wonders how he made it through high school. Yet they bang the drum for Biden to withdraw.
Donnie was sent to a “military school” (read “juvie for rich kids”) where he apparently only learned how to pay for other people to do his homework.
Brat school. My uncle was headmaster of one (not the one trump went to).
What most of the kids learned was that their parents did not love them. I believe this applies to trump.
The stories he told were sad.
Generally, I agree. But there’s a lot of evidence that Donny was a bad seed even before he germinated.
In the meantime:
https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.bsky.social/post/3kwsuchtzwm2h
Jul 8, 2024 at 9:36 PM
“It’s 100 percent certain that we’re gonna have a terror attack”
— TRUMP to HANNITY [7/8/24, on the phone] [AUDIO]
That kind of story freaks me out more than a little, given Trump’s closeness to the Saudis: did one of those contacts drop some intelligence in his ear?
I think it’s more likely this is a “heads I win, tails you lose” scenario. If there’s a terrorist attack (which isn’t all that unlikely given the state of the world), then Trump was right and Biden endangers America. If there isn’t, Trump’s rise in the polls (not to mention his strength and manly manliness) scared off the terrorists. They came to Trump on their knees and begged him to be merciful, with tears in their eyes. /s
“If there’s a terrorist attack (which isn’t all that unlikely given the state of the world), then Trump was right and Biden endangers America.”
Sadly funny that the possible outcome of a terrorist attack would be the conclusion that “Biden endangers America” despite Biden likely paying far more attention during his PDBs than our country’s last two Republican presidents.
I’m actually replying to Just Some Guy.
I could be wrong about this, but I THOUGHT the Veep also received the “President’s Daily Brief” – the thinking was that if the balloon went up, the Veep needed to be as up to speed as the president.
The classic counterexample is that when FDR died and Truman became president, Truman knew little or nothing about US development of nuclear weapons. As a senator, he ran an oversight committee that tripped over “large sums of money with minimal explanation or justification” and started asking questions (and after all, that’s what oversight committees do). The military was able to warn Truman off, without telling him about Project Manhattan, and when he was elected alongside FDR, they weren’t telling Veeps what they were telling presidents. When FDR died, they had to start from scratch.
These guys trade on fear. Its part of fascist/authoritarian playbook. I’ve read 2 of the newer books on just this, they both cover it and it makes sense. Get people scared, they are more likely to do and believe what dear leader asks.
It’s the opposite of enlighten (eg. shine light on). It darkens. There’s nothing there, just a black hole.
It’s 100% certain that hundreds of thousands of Americans died needlessly because of Trump’s antivax death cult.
“Liberty over safety!”
“Personal choice!”
“High survival rate!”
To Sloth Sloman
Three cheers to the Guardian.
Countdown with Keith Olbermann on
His free podcast might tickle your fancy
I just canceled my NYT subscription of 30 years. Enough is enough.
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My problem is that I’m addicted to their games page and use their arts and cooking content a lot. Doing better these days at scrolling past the seven to ten “Biden old” stories that lead each issue.
Yeah, gotta focus on what’s important.
If it’s Wordle you’re worried about, you can play without a subscription—I do. It won’t keep track of your streaks, but sometimes ya gotta suffer a little.
Please don’t make me bring the smack down by veering off into a discussion about that particular game.
So many people are so damned addicted to it and have zero awareness how much energy and space it sucks up. I’ve had to block every occurrence of the game name (along with a couple other equally addictive and annoying games) because my social media feed was flooded with the crap. I don’t want to have to do that here, too.
Never had a subscription to NYTimes, nor WaPo. Using the web.
NYT is getting silly with its telling Biden it’s decided he should hike. They keep saying it, and without varying the story, beating a dead horse
AP re biden letter to Congress members – https://apnews.com/article/biden-campaign-house-democrats-senate-16c222f825558db01609605b3ad9742a
Online pdf of that letter, saying Stow It, I’m Staying the Candidate
https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24794149/biden-letter-to-congressional-democrats.pdf
Decades-long NYT subscriber here (home delivery print version on weekends). Often think of canceling for the reasons stated above but my partner and I enjoy the “fun” sections too much. Sunday magazine often has good in-depth stories. And I’m sentimental about newspapers, having been a carrier for my local paper back in the 70s. The decline of newspapers and the thought of not going out to get the paper in the driveway makes me sad.
My local paper now comes in the mail, generally a day late. Online, the local content is mixed with an abundance of canned crap, mostly celebrity stories. Oh, and the paper edition is down to 8-12 pages, twice a week.
No wonder our democracy is floundering.
Re: The Guardian
Although I was previously unaware of her work, Rebecca Solnit penned a piece on July 6 that I desperately needed:
“Why is the pundit class so desperate to push Biden out of the race?
Yes, Biden had a bad debate – but so did Trump. The media is once again repeating the mistakes of 2016“
[snip]
“And so it goes with what appears to be a journalistic competition to outdo each other in the aggressiveness of the attacks and the unreality of the proposals. It’s a dogpile and a panic, and there is no one more unable to understand their own emotional life, biases and motives than people who are utterly convinced of their own ironclad rationality and objectivity, AKA most of these pundits.”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/06/biden-trump-race-rebecca-solnit
She also mentioned the mind-numbing, journalistic ethics violation of WaPo’s mock “resignation letter”.
Rebecca Solnit is a voice of great reason. I only wish she published more.
Add in, of course, Heather Cox Richardson – https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/.
Hear-hear!! Cox-Richardson gives me hope and talking points taken from history, and hope along with Propublica, Upton Sinclair, MW and the esteemed commentariat here ! Trying to teach my young adult kids how to read all the tea-leaves (and which ones seem to be designed to induce a certain reading) is beyond my limited working class intellect but I try !
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Hey I just wanted to apologize for being a pain. I’m not running on all six I have a terrible memory I almost never make comments so never remember usernames and I’m often upside down from work driving around for one of the lab companies. I’ve squirreled away the username. A bunch of months ago I sent you a donation for not a lot of money but it was a lot for me but I didn’t see that you cashed it or not?
I had some insight yesterday into the “Biden defiant” accusations thanks to what I learn here.
As Dr. Wheeler has pointed out, none of these hit pieces on Biden have even considered the stress and emotional fallout of Hunter’s prosecution, trial, conviction and still looming tax case in September on Biden.
And who pressured that to happen.
I believe Biden is going to be defiant to the bloody end of whatever is to be because I think his running against Trump is much more personal rather than delusional as the media implies because Trump has managed to successfully damage his only remaining son’s life.
Imagine the protective rage Biden must feel towards Trump over Hunter, and Biden can’t even use the power of pardon that he has to help his son much less even attend his trials to show his support.
I really think this is a strong motivator for Biden not to let go of this fight. If you don’t take this into the calculus of trying to understand Biden’s fight to stay in the race, it’s just attributed to being Scrappy Joe from Scranton with a side of delusion rather than the fiery and fierce love of a father for his son influencing his decision.
And the press is already squealing with horror about Hunter’s lately presence in the White House “advising” his father and being present in meetings. Their heads would explode if they really took the time to think the whole situation through.
Yeah, the NYT finds it impossible to imagine that the advice and support might run the other way.
The NYT is using Trump as a benchmark. In its maleficent view, no president is allowed to be a supportive father, helping his son survive a personal maelstrom. Every president must be as vacant, punitive, and emotionally selfish as Donald Trump.
I’m going to point again to Margaret Sullivan’s warning to media about covering Trump:
Emphasis mine. For the NYT he has been their golden ticket; I can’t help wonder if their gross bias against Biden is their attempt to retain access to Trump because for NYT he has been a “ratings machine” while their biggest national competitor slowly drifts toward UK-style tabloid-ish coverage under Will Lewis’s direction.
It would be interesting to see the evidence of a ratings machine. All I know is that Convict-1 and his minions have to lie about rally sizes along with all of the videos showing MAGAs leaving rallies while Convict-1 is still speaking.
The subscription numbers should be looked at as well, given how many here have torched their NYT subscriptions. I suspect we find out there isn’t the rating bounce but Sulz is trying to help his fellow rich friend.
I hope that despite what Biden said (he won’t pardon Hunter) that he does.
If he wins the election – keep hope and getting out the vote alive – he can wait to see what happens with Hunter’s appeal (s) and sentencing. Or if (the unthinkable) he doesn’t win, just do it.
This is a good point that I’d never considered. If true, it’s both understandable and alarming— understandable because of his admirable love for his son, alarming because Biden would be allowing personal feelings to influence what should be a rational, disinterested decision.
Biden’s choice on whether to continue running should be based on whether he would have the best chance at defeating Donald Trump in the year 2024—full stop. Connected to this, is he, or Harris, more likely to have down-ballot coat-tails? The broad stakes are American democracy and the well-being of millions of people. Biden is President of the United States, not just a father. He has a responsibility to set aside his personal emotions. If not, his claim that he’s staying in the race because he believes he has the best chance of beating Trump might not be exactly true.
And I consider it distressing if (big “if”) Hunter is indeed “advising” his father on political decisions. Hunter has a unique vested interest in Joe remaining in the White House. Also, Hunter has no political experience and has hardly shown great judgment during his adult life. The president should be relying on the dispassionate advice of fellow Democratic politicians who know their districts and states, polling, experienced campaign strategists, etc.
Spending time with his dad is NOT Hunter Biden advising him on strategy or his chances at election. It’s more likely Joe helping Hunter work through some serious shit. If I were Hunter, I’d be consumed with my next trial and appealing the last, and wouldn’t have a brain cell available to give advice to my dad.
I have no doubt that, even were Hunter advising Joe – improbable, and a nasty GOP meme – Joe would thank him for his concern and ignore it completely.
It’s not remotely necessary to frame this as Hunter working his dad to avoid the personal legal consequences of having to contend with another Trump DoJ. If it comes to that, and were, say, Kash Patel running the DoJ, there would be thousands on the shit list that Trump gives to his DoJ.
It’s the other way around, IMO — Joe is probably doing his damnedest to make sure Hunter doesn’t relapse into addiction under the pressure from MAGAts and media as well as the prosecutions. He’s doing that by being as engaged as a full-time POTUS and full-time candidate can.
Agreed. It’s Joe being a good dad, as best he can, given how little time he has for any one thing. It’s not HB trying to influence him for personal gain.
The latter is a Faux Noise invention to attack Joe for being a good dad. It may seem necessary to them, given how alarmingly bad Donald Trump is at being a parent.
I hope you’re right. The sentence from the Politico reporting (https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/05/biden-sick-debate-camp-david-00166624) was: “And after some Biden family members criticized top advisers and called for their ouster privately last Sunday, longtime aides to the president are now raising concerns about Hunter Biden’s new presence alongside the president in meetings.” This doesn’t sound like Joe giving Hunter advice, but the other way around.
Regardless of Hunter’s motivations—which may be perfectly well-meaning—the problems are twofold. First, he might give his father uninformed political advice, at a moment when the president should be thinking dispassionately, listening personally to other Democratic politicians’ concerns (not just sending letters), and looking at internal polling. Hopefully Biden will disregard any of Hunter’s advice, as you say. Second, merely having Hunter in White House meetings plays right into GOP hands. It’s a needless mistake and shows a surprising lack of political acumen from Biden, who I previously thought had excellent political instincts.
Reply to ButteredToast
July 9, 2024 7:26 pm
I still don’t think Hunter is giving political advice. Think about what the only remaining son might say to their 81-year-old beleaguered father who has had to go through a lot of shit because of himself, the damaged younger son, while supporting him. Father and son as well as the rest of the family are going to go through yet more of this politically-motivated crap very soon, and they may need the family bonding time to get through it.
Think, too, about what the rest of the family might say if they thought the campaign advisers were overtaxing their father with what they consider poor prep for a debate with that orange-tinted bloviating non-stop lying liar — would Hunter say anything different from the rest of the family given what harassment he’s been through?
If anything the campaign has been total shit when it comes to messaging about Biden the good father, one of the critical differences between Biden and that abusive multiple-divorce many-baby-daddy Trump. They should have done more to ensure the entire family including Hunter could access their father and appear in the public eye as a typical American family.
Biden has over 50 years of experience running for political office. I doubt his son is giving him advice on what to do. If anything, it may have to do with Hunter’s decision to drop his appeal for a new trial on the jurisdiction grounds.
I suspect it had nothing to do with politics. It was about a dad being a dad, and a son who needed that more than anything.
Joe is outraged alright, but I don’t think it’s only – or even mostly – because of the horrible treatment of Hunter.
He reveres our institutions of governance to which he has dedicated his entire life. One can argue that he has overvalued compromise and collegiality in its service.
We have heard him all along; he reacts to Trump’s abuses and instincts with disgust and horror. Outrage that Trump could be given the opportunity to once again disgrace the office doesn’t begin to cover it.
Many commenters have pointed out that Joe Biden was trying to debate a lying firehose as if Trump was a normal human. I think your comment is related – trying to figure out why Joe Biden would be infuriated by Trump is a fool’s journey, because the number of infuriating things Trump can say and do is massive, and growing like kudzu.
NYT: An expert on Parkinson’s disease visited the White House eight times in eight months, according to visitor logs.
<< ew annotation: Headline left uncorrected after Dr. O’Connor explained NYT chased a false conspiracy theory
Correct…AND the following article briefly quotes that letter, but does not link to it:
White House Briefing Devolves Into Shouting Over Questions About Biden’s Health
Karine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary, refused to answer questions about whether visits to the White House by a Parkinson’s doctor were about the president. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/08/us/politics/white-house-briefing-shouting.html
Shere July 8, 2024
Greg Gonsalves links to the letter here:
https://bsky.app/profile/gregggonsalves.bsky.social/post/3kwu27zikby2o
Jul 9, 2024 at 8:55 AM
From the letter:
AND O’Connor is NOT “implying”, but plainly telling us
why the neurologist visited the WH more than three times:
This whole episode about Biden’s age, the reporting (sic) and editorializing about his candidacy, reminds me of the technique the NYT used when Pres. Clinton was caught with his pants down. There were daily speculations about comings and goings of various officials to the White House, what it probably, or, possibly meant, repeated, in sequence every day, even when there was no “news” to print.
Some of this flurry of attention to Biden’s age can possibly attributed to slow news during a week of Holiday events, as well as the slow pace of news during the summer months. You know, you just have to keep the interest up, so, just dribble out a detail or two, makes some errors of reporting which have to be repeated and rebutted the next day, ad nauseum.
It’s so selective how the media does this monitoring of visitors. Recall during the ACA debates 2009-2010 how the media didn’t do much homework at all as to who was lobbying the White House — and I don’t mean Obama alone.
It’d be nice if the White House Correspondents Association formed another pool, assigning a journalist or even an intern to check daily White House visitor log but they don’t seem able to muster the wattage for this. What few facts NYT’s Baker used to start this health hullabaloo on the heels of the debate fallout could have been addressed months ago.
Slow news, because there’s nothing to report on with Project 2025, Trump’s lies in the debate, Trump’s continuing lies on Truth Social, Trump’s lies about Project 2025, the Supreme Court making the president a king, Republicans saying the imperial presidency is a win against Biden weaponizing the DoJ (a thing the Supreme Court explicitly immunized!!) . . .
so very slow.
Even before Lewinsky, the Times had its knives out for the Clintons. Because they were not Kennedys.
Unlike Russia, Russia, Whitewater was a real fake news conspiracy, epitomized by the splenetic contributions of a Republican speechwriter (and phony grammarian), Safire.
The village people considered them Hillbillies, who would trash the place, not Hyannis Port multimillionaires. I suspect they thought the same of a Georgia peanut farmer.
Replying to jdmckay8
July 9, 2024 at 10:36 am
Me, too [re cutting way back on media consumption], although I do now subscribe to Apple News, and block channels with glee.
In addition, since the pandemic’s stark mortality reminder, I try not to enter into recurring support and auto-renewals in an effort to ease the burden for my executor.
That said, this site is an essential, and timely, balm.
For those who don’t need the reminder, forgive me please.
https://www.emptywheel.net/support/
Thx for reminder. I’m a bit overdue for a contribution methinks. :(
EW is different (at least to me) than the others. I have to invest serious effort to keep up with things here. If I’m busy and away from here for a while, coming back I’m often lost. Sometimes takes weeks just to get caught up. She brings scientific rigor and thoroughness to most of what she covers, and I can’t think of anyone else (outside of science sites) who does this and does so consistently over time wrt issues she writes about.
I’ve learned to take what Marcy says seriously, especially when my 1st take is she missed one. Almost always, she doesn’t.
And while I’m at it I’d like to apologize for a handful of times I really stepped in it here, and (heaven forbid) in advance for any repeats in the future. Sometimes I swing for the fence when I should be hitting singles. :(
I used to read news as much as I could throughout the day, everyday. I watched news a couple of hours a day. Since this latest version of ‘But Her Emails’ I read about a quarter of what I did and I watch no news at all. I don’t think I’m going back this trip me.
I’ve been reading the NYT all my life and just cancelled my subscription (again). The customer service rep told me he’s been getting calls like mine all day long – people cancelling due to their fascist-endorsing bias. Thank you for pointing this out so succinctly.
[Welcome to emptywheel. Please choose and use a unique username with a minimum of 8 letters. We’ve adopted this minimum standard to support community security. Because your username is too short and common (there are other Karens in this community) it will be temporarily changed to match the date/time of your first known comment until you have a new compliant username. Thanks. /~Rayne]
I cancelled my NYTimes and WaPo subscriptions two days after the debate.
And, I miss FireDogLake, too, especially on Sat. mornings.
Two observations – Steve Timmer, who is the best MN blogger but does not post often enough, posted the obvious, which I’ve not seen mentioned elsewhere; “Don’t repeat 1968.” where LBJ withdrew blessing VP Humphrey, chaos ensued, Nixon defeated Humphrey. Once somebody notes that, it is a yeah, sure moment.
https://left.mn/2024/07/dont-repeat-1968/
Second, I posted that with Trump silent on VP he could pick Kevin Roberts, and the Blogger stats feedback showed readership doubled. Still a handful, but it suggests that many people are aware of and in mortal fear of Project 2025. Heritage made it so long that my guess is few read much of it, but a buffet bite is enough to puke. Until Trump names someone else, the KR possibility, while remote, generates fear and loathing.
Error Prone,
Don’t know if you’re interested or would find helpful what I found shareable as a concise, easy to understand article that highlights some of the most threatening elements of Project 2025 and breaks down in a graph the percentage of former Trump staffers who contributed to or edited it-
Link break after https://
https:// popular.info/p/what-trump-doesnt-want-you-to-know
For an in depth but still digestible enough to share generally analysis, American Progress has a very good ongoing series dropping weekly that breaks down a number of different policy proposals in the project that so far cover the financial disaster it would unleash, the devastation to rural communities caused by the elimination of Head Start and other programs, the increase in cost of student debt it would cause and the Medicaid lifetime limit that would threaten the healthcare of millions of Americans.
There are also more policy breakdowns, definitely the buffet bites that can make folks who would be directly affected puke and then hopefully decide they have a dog in this fight and get motivated.
I think this is a safe link.
https://www.americanprogress.org/series/project-2025-exposing-the-far-right-assault-on-america/
If these are not needed or helpful my apologies, but hopefully they might be of use to someone here.
Chicken
OT:
“Former Oath Keepers lawyer to plead guilty in Capitol riot case” – Jordan Fischer, 7/8/24
“Kellye SoRelle, of Texas, previously served as general counsel for the Oath Keepers militia and as an attorney for Latinos for Trump.”
…..
“Prior to Monday’s filing, SoRelle had been scheduled to begin trial on Nov. 12. A status hearing had been set for July 10.”
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/national/capitol-riots/former-oath-keepers-lawyer-to-plead-guilty-in-capitol-riot-case-kellye-sorelle-stewart-rhodes-militia/65-2bd13406-76fb-4c6f-9bcd-0005673adffe
Yes…and, here’s Brandi Buchman:
Former Oath Keepers attorney and girlfriend to convicted Jan. 6 seditionist to plead guilty https://lawandcrime.com/crime/former-oath-keepers-attorney-and-girlfriend-to-convicted-jan-6-seditionist-to-plead-guilty/ BRANDI BUCHMAN Jul 9th, 2024, 10:14 am
Yep. That’s what all the blather about Biden’s age is papering over… the people around the seditionist conspiracy are guilty of crimes against the Constitution. They are not “nice tourists”. And they were doing their crimes at the behest of Trump.
A little OT but related since NYT’s will never run accurate stories about this.
I read this post on the 7th by Jason Sattler:
https://i-know-how-much-you-care.ghost.io/how-maga-trained-the-press-to-love-the-putin-trump-alliance/
And then yesterday I saw a tweet by Marcy with a docket image that somehow triggered my recollections about Jesse Benton and Roman Vasilenko
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-dc-circuit/116070091.html
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/09/wead-benton-indictment/
I wonder who is making trips this go round for $ because it is the DT and GOP way.
With NYT click bate online motives and the demise of delivered or drugstore newspaper sales, on point local content, about a shortage: “Twin Cities Humane Society needs newspapers for critters’ kennels – The group requests public donations amid dwindling supply of newspapers, which are used to line animal living spaces. – By Steph Quinn Star Tribune – July 4, 2024 — 10:12am”
https://www.startribune.com/twin-cities-humane-society-needs-newspapers-for-critters-kennels/600378421/
The mighty have fallen.
Trump plans to block hearings in January 6 case before 2024 election
Lawyers for ex-president preparing to shut down possibility of high-profile officials testifying at evidentiary hearings https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/09/trump-january-6-witnesses-election Hugo Lowell in Washington
Tue 9 Jul 2024 06.00 EDT
Immunity Ruling Leaves Judge Facing Tough Calls on Trump’s Election Indictment The Supreme Court decision granting former presidents broad protection from prosecution kicked to the trial court key rulings about how much of Donald Trump’s indictment on election charges can stand. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/09/us/politics/trump-immunity-election-interference.html Alan Feuer July 9, 2024, 5:04 a.m. ET
That’s what you get when there’s an unlimited budget for hiring ethically-challenged lawyers to circle all available legal wagons around the few crumbs that the Supreme Court allowed to be sprinkled back to the lower courts after their sanctioning of the Unitary Executive philosophy to biblical levels.
Meanwhile, other former corrupt presidents are being vigorously pursued:
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/07/08/police-ex-brazilian-leader-embezzled-1-2m-in-saudi-jewelry/
Amen. I’m not curious enough to Google this, but I would love to see a ranked list of civil and criminal spending on legal fees, similar to the list where Thomas dwarfs all the other justices in bribes and “tips”.
I’m old enough to remember when lower court rulings weren’t automatically appealed to the Supreme Court, but I live in Texas, where Ken Paxton has never seen an unfavorable ruling that he couldn’t appeal, at state expense.
Big difference between Trump “wanting” to shut down Judge Chutkan’s court and being able to block her evidentiary hearings related to the Jan. 6th case.
It’s heartening to read of the decision by several commenters above to cancel their NYT subscriptions after its despicable, obstinate campaign to oust Biden since the debate. That’s a step I’ve been urging upon friends who have maintained a subscription to what Atrios kindly refers to as “that fucking newspaper.” My wife and I canceled ours in 2016 after its no less despicable, no less obstinate (and no less calamitous) “but her emails” obsession. As I’ve successfully persuaded a number of those friends to consult this website for its invaluable analysis, I’ll now be sending along this particular column to supplement my efforts.
Speaking of misleading ledes:
“Republicans omit national abortion ban from platform for first time in 40 years
Party instead opts to focus on power of states to regulate abortion in move that reflects Trump’s position”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/09/republican-abortion-ban-policy-platform-trump
That’s not at all what they’re doing, as Jessica Glenza points out in the piece itself.
The Guardian lede also whitewashes Trump’s attempt to gaslight independent voters regarding what he did to the internationally recognized, fundamental human right to reproductive autonomy.
The Christian Nationalists at the RNC are gunning for ‘embryo/fetal personhood’ via the 14th. Today, on the anniversary of the 14th Amendment ratification.
Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has it right with her support of this administration today.
I hope Speaker Emeritus Pelosi uses this occasion to stop demonizing the Progressive Caucus.
I ran out of edit time due to distraction.
The last two sentences are indeed, my opinion.
Chuckling at self, it is time to slow my roll today.
Maybe I won’t plant a story in NYT that Republicans will ban Viagra and condoms.
You don’t have to plant a story, just draw their attention to the fact that Project 2025 seeks to make porn illegal. That should cause a bit of panic, and it is the truth.
Verdad.
They also intend to ban IVF.
But the NYT apparently has no interest in covering that, either.
“Inside Project 2025’s attack on reproductive rights: IVF”
https://www.mediamatters.org/project-2025/inside-project-2025s-attack-reproductive-rights-ivf
My prior comment needed /s tag.
They want to ban BC and IVF, as well as abortions, so they might as well ban condoms.
Dueling opinion narratives, from today’s Guardian:
American Margaret Sullivan, former WaPo columnist and the last NYT public editor (an important post the NYT did away with, as “unnecessary”). She earned her street cred covering regional news in Buffalo, NY. “The media has been breathlessly attacking Biden. What about Trump?” The “bigger story, of course, is the former president’s appalling unfitness for office.”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/09/biden-media-attacks-trump-felon
And progressive, Oxford-educated Brit, opinion columnist, Marina Hyde, whose signature approach is informed, humorous. snark: “Joe Biden now relies on instruction manuals, so here’s a good one: ‘Walk to podium, smile, wave goodbye. He thinks he can run again: the signs say the opposite. Biden’s best hope for beating Trump may be to let someone else do it.”
Hyde is mistaken that the, “gruelling presidential campaign has not even got fully under way.” It’s been underway since Trump left office. Her advice to Joe Biden?
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/09/joe-biden-instruction-manuals-beat-trump
Thanks, EOH.
Adding: Margaret Sullivan wasn’t just a columnist at WaPo.
She was their Media Columnist, i.e., Media Critic.
Hyde’s op-ed was a really excellent piece of uninformed ignorance. It’s a highly polished turd she produced as evidence she has absolutely no clue how to use Wikipedia to check Biden’s history as a lawmaker, VP and now POTUS.
Another example making my point that simply because a news outlet appears to trend left one should not accept the outlet’s content on blind faith. Every outlet, every article whether reported fact or op-ed should be analyzed and weighed.
Hyde is also a good example against which we should examine WaPo’s Will Lewis; Lewis doesn’t seem to grasp the history of WaPo in relation to contemporary US history just as Hyde doesn’t appear to grasp Biden’s place in the Democratic Party’s panoply.
Hyde should stick to things she knows something about, like Liz Truss and Rish! Sunak, and which more readily lend themselves to her trademark snark. As you say, her “analysis” of Joe Biden was superficial and wrong.
Hyde’s item struck me as taking more words than needed to be cute.
Biden as President has IMO been better than Biden as Senator. Four more years of Joe and his present and consistent cabinet and policy advisors will be okay.
Better a low key leader than a serial train wreck. Better a concern over arming Israel, kinds of arms and pace, than a rubber-stamp for West Bank annexation (as Mariam Adelson reportedly expects to be buying from Trump). https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2024-06-03/ty-article/.premium/trump-is-desperate-for-cash-but-donors-have-conditions/0000018f-df3a-db29-a3ef-ff3a27530000
Having learned the power of boycott from defeating the 1978 Briggs (Anita Bryant) antigay proposition 6 here in Ca. from our learning through Cesar Chavez farm workers strength, the POWER of boycott is forever, etched in my, a Liberals being. I wish with words I could share how powerful.
Although I liked The Guardian, I stopped reading it during Brexit because they went from Liberal against to masked support. The referendum was 2016. Eight years ago. Goodness! Ed Walker recently answered a should I start reading again ? with a yes. So I will.
In boycott mode, I stopped reading the NY Times 2 or 3 weeks ago. I’m so pissed at the shite they’re dishing up, I may go 16 years of not reading. In the internet age there’s tons of reading elsewhere.
I have to add what Prop 6 was against i.e. to fire Gay teachers. We Gays all knew, all of us would be next. We thought the Gay Movement was all over. To put it in the times lingo, we thought we were totally fucked. The only thing we knew was to fight & boycott. One of the Gay Lib Founders showed me a 8 x 10 flyer. I said, “Why is the paper so thin?” he said “No one has any money.” We won, POWER!
NBC News headline online, now: “Chicago reels from bloody July 4 weekend with 109 people shot — 19 fatally.” Really? An entire city of millions of people is “reeling”? Bullcrap.
Headline writers seem to choose from a list of the most dramatic and ridiculous (yet still clichéd) verbs they can find. “Reels” is one. My personal least favorite is “slams” for offering criticism or condemnation. Perhaps the constant “X slams Y for Z” has contributed to the WWE-ization of U.S. politics and news coverage.
Another, for me, is “chilling”. “X said this and it is chilling.”
They talk about L.A. that way, too. Like, it’s a huge city. We don’t hear much of what’s going on, outside the headlies (typo, but I’m leaving it in). The fire department is better at telling us what they’re doing than the city government or the cops. Or LA Times. Or even the Daily News, which started as a green sheet and is conservative, but can actually find the San Fernando Valley..
Press conferences and speeches at political rallies are no measure of the worth of a candidate. The desire to “press flesh” in order to tell your friends you have shaken the hand of a candidate is not candidate-centered, it is ego-centered. And White House briefings and times when the President is quizzed directly by a room full of reporters are occasions for “gotcha” questions and ambitious TV personalities. There are better ways to appraise a candidate.
A much better way to take the measure of a candidate is the one-on-one which the President did with Pro Publica last Fall and the one with George Stepanopolus, recently.
I just finished watching both a second time, back to back, after seeing them last week. There is a contrast in the two. Biden seems tired from the stress of meetings, travel, and, of course, his son’s troubles.
But, what shines through is the true personality which isn’t always obvious in a speech before a crowd: the sheer decency of the man. Trump, by contrast, is all sound and fury, signifying nothing before a crowd, while in an interview, he takes on an intimate tone of voice while making one innuendo after another about his opponent, with conspiracies layered one on top of the other. A picture of “sleeze” and dissembling. No decency.
Give Biden a few days of rest after the NATO conference, and let’s make a judgment then.
Issue with website search:
Anyone else having difficulty with using the website search? After using the search feature, the links to articles don’t open the article. (I’m on a phone)
Yes. It seems to have been like that for a couple days.
I just checked and encountered that as well (on a laptop). One can also do site-specific internet searches; to search this site using a search engine, just add site:emptywheel.net to the search terms.
It works fine for me on my phone.
Completely OT, but very chilling, from The Daily beast : “Justice Sotomayor’s Bodyguard Shoots Suspected Carjacker Outside Her Home”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/justice-sonia-sotomayors-bodyguard-shoots-suspected-carjacker-outside-her-home
When I was in journalism school in the 70s, I took a Media Literacy class. One of the key reminders was that newspapers exist to sell ads. After a checkered career in weekly shoppers, small town papers, non-profit PR newsletters, and magazines, I found this true over and over. Advertising drives the rag. Much of the content is simply fluff for the vehicle of sales. Old school newspapers are news, gossip, food, sports, and some arts. Now isn’t much different, maybe worse. Many good writers get hired or get fired for being good writers. Many newspapers simply use AP fodder or syndicated columnists. These days I can’t go to many website news without constant bombardment by pop up ads. Advertising is killing our braincells. IMHO advertising rarely works. It’s almost a ponzi scheme. That is why I appreciate this site.
for Rayne: New Jersey has declined to renew all liquor licenses at Bedminster and all Trump’s New Jersey golf courses because “he is a felon convicted of crimes of moral turpitude”. The attempt to transfer the licences to Don Jr has failed as well.
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2024/07/01/trump-liquor-licenses-suspended-two-nj-golf-clubs/74272893007/
I laughed when I read that last week, and then I sighed. We’re still no closer to cracking open the golf resorts for a forensic audit. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if they continued to provide alcohol but found a morally turpitudinous means to do so.
Yes, turpentine would be good to serve there. Brandy-flavored, of course.
Since he’s unlicensed, any alcohol served by his bidness would be illegal, even if he allowed “an independent contractor” to come on site and sell those little airline bottles of booze. If he does serve it, I would think he’s courting increased civil liability, too. Lord knows what happens when inebriated guests leave the premises – or what they do when they’re still on it.
Now THIS made the scrolling all worthwhile!
Thanks, Molly.
“Biden Campaign Brushes Off Idea of Reforming the Supreme Court. The campaign waved off the notion that the court’s bombshell Trump immunity ruling would move Biden to embrace reform.”
Seems like an own goal, to me.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/biden-supreme-court-reform-trump-immunity-1235051044/
“Schiff, Murphy Express Alarm Over Biden: He Should Be “Mopping the Floor With Donald Trump””
I don’t see Schiff and Murphy mopping too many floors with Donald Trump.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/07/schiff-murphy-biden-trump-election-debate-reaction/
Heeeee’s back!!!
John Yoo weighs in: got’a go after these banana republic folks who have indicted Trump, indict ’em back. I do not have direct link to individual segments on MSNBC pages. This one is in this section:
https://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber
Currently 2nd segment from top, titled: What Taylor Smith exposes about GOP’s “crushingly toxic” project 2025. The photo is Trump and Taylor. Yoo on Jesse (what’s his name) on FOX. Its like deja-vu all over again.
It’s been a long time since anyone to the left of Genghis Khan cared what John Yoo thinks. He’s like that kid in the cereal commercial: “Give it to Mikey. He’ll argue anything.”
Hmmm…Both Yoo and Robert Reich are currently teaching law at UC Berkeley. I wonder if they ever cross paths during the day…
Reich teaches public policy, not law. And the idea that Yoo teaches anything is nauseating.
Noted. In the spirit of Marcy’s focus in this post, I wanted to brush up on my Title wordsmithing!!!
Well before this I’ve wondered if Kavanaugh worked with Yoo on torture memos. We never got to see any of his GWB admin work product. There must have been reasons for that. But (at least IMO) being Brooks Brother should have been enough to disqualify Kavanaugh’s nomination: there were several illegalities in that episode.
It was also suggestive of (at the least) current SCOTUS activities (or lack thereof) strongly suggesting fealty to Trump. It kind’a the same thing.
Tortuous logic, I know.
Here’s a direct link to the Yoo clip (it’s on Yoo Tube):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMLRKOtVkdU
Thx Matt.
The Senate’s own Douglas Neidermeyer has spoken the quiet part out loud.
” “Some will say now that I am calling America a Christian nation. And so I am,” Hawley told the crowd. “And some will say that I am advocating Christian nationalism. And so I do.” ”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-senator-josh-hawley-goes-mask-off-on-being-a-christian-nationalist-at-national-conservatism-conference
Lt. Niedermeyer, um, Sen. Josh Hawley, would need to amend the Constitution to make America into the Fundamentalist Christian nation he seems to desire. More likely, though, he intends to join in the insurrection – after everyone else does – and grab power illegally, in the certain hope that the GOP and its pet Supreme Court acquiesce in it.
The expert on manhood and masculinity.
… and running through the capitol, seconds ahead of your fan club on January 6, 2021. Nobody does it better.
I know this is off topic but, following the Loper Bright’s decision dropping, US District Court Sean Jordan said employers in the State of Texas do not have to abide by the Biden Department of Labor’s new Overtime Rule. Executive, Administrative and Professionals were no longer exempt from overtime (based on salary) under the new rules. The District Court, using Loper Bright overruled the Department of Labor.
Biden tried to give more money to working class people. Trump’s Justices stopped them. Hey MAGA types, Trump is COSTING you money! Why that isn’t a message being sold is beyond me. The link between Trump and their pocket books is crystal clear!
The 5th Circuit needs to be shut down and the idjits cleaned out. They think they’re the government.
Checkout POTUS at the 14:10 mark. He is obviously feeling much better. He gave a speech that Donald Trump would never be able to give. YAY!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6D3-fDtOmY
“President Biden Delivers Remarks on the 75th Anniversary of NATO”
Strikes me that a lot of Democrats coming out against Biden may want to make him a scapegoat for their own inability to campaign and win, and their reluctance to help their party do the same.
people are very, very unhappy and they are planning to REALLY, REALLY wet their beds tonite. good riddance!
Media not covering Project 2025 aka ‘the GOP Platform’ just as the media did not cover the neo-Conservative PNAC Doctrine well in 1997. The Project for a New American Century (PNAC) signatories included Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and Paul Wolfowitz, Condolezza Rice, Scooter Libby and it was a blueprint for expanding military bases into the oil rich middle east. To accomplish this goal would require a “catastrophic event.” That event occurred and it was September 11, 2001 four years later.
It’s not coincidental that many signories to the 1997 document “just happened” to end-up in the GWBush administration – a not-so-stellar thinking affable man. That the SCOTUS had a hand in (s)electing the POTUS in the 2000 election was not coincidental either. After all, GWBush nominated John Roberts to the SCOTUS only four years later, and Roberts in turn, wrote the 2010 Citizens United majority opinion giving corporations personhood where we are witnessing America become an oligarchy where laws are passed to benefit the very wealthy and corporations.
Conservatives are once-again signaling what is in store for America if they get into power in January 2025: Retribution for moving America in a progressive direction.
Make no mistake, Conservatives running American government has never been good for America.
Were they to cover Project 2025 in a competent way they’d have to read it. It is easier to play the Joe go/stay sweepstakes. Leaving more bar time. To mix with undisclosed sources.
The NY Times’ neurologist story was a disgrace
https://dangillmor.com/2024/07/09/the-ny-times-neurologist-story-was-a-disgrace/
Dan Gillmor July 9, 2024
Also, read the two notes at the end.
This.
First sentence describes click bait, closing in on propaganda. The feeding frenzy continues. TG for Emptywheel.
Note: This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Wisconsin Watch. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published.
The Gospel of Matthew Trewhella: How a Militant Anti-Abortion Activist Is Influencing Republican Politics https://www.propublica.org/article/matthew-trewhella-pastor-activist-republican-politics Phoebe Petrovic, Wisconsin Watch July 10, 6 a.m. EDT
The first photo caption:
This 63 year old has “11 home-schooled children and dozens of grandchildren. ”
he sneers and shouts, deriding his enemies as wicked dogs, whores and tyrants.
Why a New Conservative Brain Trust Is Resettling Across America Pro-Trump professionals aren’t just talking about remaking Western civilization. Some are uprooting their lives to show that they mean it. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/04/us/claremont-institute-trump-conservatives.html Ruth Graham July 4, 2024 [Ruth Graham, who covers religion for The Times, reported from Dallas and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.]
Your Religious Values Are Not American Values
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/04/opinion/christian-nationalist-religion-america.html Pamela Paul Opinion Columnist July 4, 2024
It’s not a restoration, it’s a usurpation.
‘This is break glass in case of emergency stuff’: Analysts alarmed by threats to US data gathering https://apnews.com/article/data-census-bureau-surveys-statistical-agencies-81d0581451b143fef10b87045848c095 Mike Schneider Updated 12:10 PM EDT, July 9, 2024
This is just the kind of stuff PROJECT 2025 is designed to take advantage of.
How Mar-a-Lago Became the Center of Gravity for the Hard Right https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/10/us/politics/mar-a-lago-republicans-trump.html By Karen Yourish, Charlie Smart and David A. Fahrenthold July 9, 2024
Thanks to the community for real news and thoughtful opinions.
The media should apply the same standards to both candidates. If they are not talking about Trump’s crazy rants because everyone knows he’s nuts, then don’t talk about Biden’s age since everyone knows he’s old.
I wouldn’t be surprised if reporters were doing everything they can to avoid covering Trump because he is so wretchedly bad. Listening to that hour-long rambling yet vicious screed to validate the synopsis didn’t help my blood pressure. He’s literally sickening.
Covering nice guy Biden is a plum job by comparison, and unfortunately it may mean he’s an easy target.
I just had the following email exchange with Times reporter Katie Rogers, who is probably half Biden’s age:
“Hi Katie,
OMG! You really flubbed this. Your age is catching up to you. I don’t believe that you can continue as a reporter.
Tonight, President Biden held a NEWS CONFERENCE, did he not?
You reported as follows:
“Katie Rogers
July 11, 2024, 7:55 p.m. ET1 hour ago1 hour ago
Katie RogersReporting on the Biden administration from Washington
Many watching this debate will be focused on the flubs — because a president’s words matter — but this is how at least some of the president’s advisers are viewing this: Ron Klain, one of Biden’s closest advisers, just said on X that the president had a “very strong” economic message “about lowering prices and growing the economy.”
How about some coverage of Trump’s cognitive status?”
She replied:
On Thursday, July 11, 2024 at 09:35:36 PM EDT, Katie Rogers wrote:
“Thanks for reading!
Katie Rogers
White House Correspondent
The New York Times
(646) 584-6589 ”
I responded:
“Yes, reading the Times is a bad habit I picked up many decades ago. I am in recovery now, but I lapse occasionally.
How about addressing the substance of my comment?’
Jumping in with one positive thing to say about NYTimes – from earlier than now. They published a long and well reasoned Project 2025 analysis (months ago, and
as “opinion” and not “news” but still . . .)
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/29/opinion/project-2025-trump-administration.html
The best insight there, it is Trump’s people’s aim as much to co-opt the Administrative State, as to bury it. To repopulate it with tools. Excellent, real journalism.
NYT absolutely does some great things! Just today:
How Mar-a-Lago Became the Center of Gravity for the Hard Right https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/10/us/politics/mar-a-lago-republicans-trump.html
Karen Yourish, Charlie Smart and David A. Fahrenthold July 9, 2024
Jul 10, 2024, 16:33 Change in headline:
https://botsin.space/@nyt_diff/112764099884837648
> At Mara Lago, Extremism is good for business