After Kansas City, Who is Next?
I knew yesterday was going to be weird, with the mix of Valentine’s Day, Ash Wednesday, and the Chiefs celebration. And then it got worse.
Author Archive for: Peterr
About Peterr
I'm a Lutheran pastor with a bachelors degree in math and economics to go with a masters and Ph.D. in religion. Like Marcy and others here at Emptywheel, I've got a lot of experience in the close reading of various texts, whether religious texts, legal opinions, political speeches, or governmental regulations. Years ago, before it was a dirty word, I was an intern at the State Department. While my career path took me into the ministry rather than the Foreign Service, I continue to follow the ins and outs of international affairs. For several years, I also regularly blogged at Firedoglake on religion and politics, foreign affairs, and just about anything else that caught my attention, and am delighted to return to blogging here at Emptywheel.
Entries by Peterr
On the Skewering of Self-Promoters Who are Filled with Misplaced Self-Importance
/139 Comments/in Culture, poetry and satire/by PeterrThrough and through th’ inspir’d leaves,
Ye maggots, make your windings;
But O respect his lordship’s taste,
And spare his golden bindings.
The Christmas Story is a Very Political Story
/44 Comments/in Gaza, Israel, Religion/by PeterrI know that title will irritate many, especially on the theological and political right, but don’t get angry with me. Get angry with Luke. Luke’s story is built around contrasts, and those contrasts begin with the Roman Emperor Augustus. You don’t get more political than starting your story like this: In those days a decree […]
The House GOP is not Pining for the Fjords
/102 Comments/in Congress, Republicans/by PeterrThe House GOP is not pining for the fjords. It has kicked the bucket, shuffled off this mortal coil, rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible. This is an ex-party.
Steve Scalise Calls Out Donald Trump
/46 Comments/in 2020 Presidential Election, January 6 Insurrection/by PeterrSome things age well, like fine wine, George Clooney, Halle Berry, and Robin Wright. Some things do not, like Steve Scalise’s words on January 6, 2021.
Trump’s DC Trial Strategies, Helsinki, and Dumb and Dumber
/106 Comments/in 2016 Election, 2020 Election, 2020 Presidential Election, January 6 Insurrection/by PeterrFrom his 2018 presser in Helsinki to prepping for upcoming trials, there’s a pattern to who Trump listens to: Trump lives by the words of Lloyd Christmas.
Jack Smith Knows his Justice Robert Jackson
/86 Comments/in 2016 Presidential Election, 2020 Presidential Election, 2024 Presidential Election, Department of Justice, January 6 Insurrection, Leak Investigations/by PeterrAs a former prosecutor at The Hague, Jack Smith learned from Justice Robert Jackson at Nuremberg how to prosecute the crimes of national leaders, and the indictment of Trump reflects those lessons well.
Daylight Come, and He Got to Go Home
/46 Comments/in Civil Rights, emptywheel, Racism/by PeterrThe jam session in heaven is going to be epic tonight, because daylight came and Harry Belafonte has gone home.
When Your Lawyer is Acting Like H.R. Haldeman, It’s Time to Get a New Lawyer
/25 Comments/in 2020 Presidential Election, January 6 Insurrection, Trump Administration/by PeterrCassidy Hutchinson is too young to have lived through Watergate, but she clearly recognized how the Nixon lawyers worked.
Supporting Those Who Make Good Trouble
/40 Comments/in Civil Rights, Disaster Relief, Education, Food, Making Good Trouble, Press and Media, Racism/by PeterrThere are lots of folks who work to fight injustice, making the kind of “Good Trouble” that John Lewis embraced, who need our support. Here are a few, and you can add your own in the comments.