Flashbacks to the 2015 Campaign
January 6, 2020 wasn’t the first time Trump riled up a mob and aimed them at his target. Just ask Katy Tur about Raleigh NC in 2015.
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
Laughing in the Face of Denial
/110 Comments/in Impeachment, January 6 Insurrection/by PeterrDavid Schoen and other Trump defenders claim the impeachment trial “will divide the country.” Earth to Schoen & Co: January 6 did that already.
Amanda Gorman Made Silvester Beaman Sad, Joe Biden Happy, and John Lewis Dance
/52 Comments/in 2020 Election, 2020 Presidential Election, Biden Administration, Civil Rights, January 6 Insurrection/by PeterrJust as the 23 year old John Lewis spoke on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, so the 22 year old Amanda Gorman stood at the other end of the Mall, on the steps of the Capitol in which John Lewis served until he died, and she is taking this nation one more step forward.
Who Did More This Year to Help their (or anyone else’s) Country?
/36 Comments/in COVID-19, Disaster Relief, Food/by PeterrWhile Donald and the Grifters were doing their worst this year in DC/Mar-a-Lago, and Boris and the Bunglers were doing the same in the UK, there were others doing other things that were absolutely spectacular.
Poor Donald Trump Got Dumped
/49 Comments/in 2020 Presidential Election, Intelligence, Russian hacks, Trump Administration/by PeterrDonald Trump has been having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day for the last 6 weeks. The worst was Sunday, when he got dumped by Vladimir Putin.
A Most Ordinary Passing of A Most Extraordinary Writer
/52 Comments/in Fiction (Intentional), Intelligence, State Department/by PeterrEveryone has a list of writers who have shaped their lives. John Le Carré sits on mine, and this extraordinary writer died yesterday.
Afraid? Who, Us? We’re Not Afraid!
/52 Comments/in 2020 Election, 2020 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Republicans, Trump Administration/by PeterrPolitco writes about Trump staffers and what they will face in a post-Trump world. They say they’ll be just fine, but I think they are more worried than they are letting on . . .
Who Will Be Forced to Walk the Plank on November 4th?
/49 Comments/in 2020 Election, 2020 Presidential Election, COVID-19, Department of Justice, State Department, Trump Administration/by PeterrYou know that once the voting is over, Trump will be looking for vengeance against those he perceives as having wronged him or failed him.
Doesn’t Anyone in the Media Read the Actual Election Laws?
/40 Comments/in 2020 Election, 2020 Presidential Election, Media, Press and Media/by PeterrSince high school, I worked on a number of campaigns, from local school board stuff to Paul Simon’s presidential campaign and a bunch at every level in between. One thing I’ve never forgotten is simple: read the election law. With all the “will we have a winner on Election Night?” blather, it seems few in the media have bothered to do that one very simple thing.
And the Good Troublemaking Goes On
/71 Comments/in 2020 Election, Civil Rights, Congress, Racism/by PeterrI went to bed in tears last night.
They weren’t tears of pain or shock or outrage. They were the tears you cry when the last of your grandparents “goes home.” They’re the tears of grief at the loss you’ve suffered, and the tears that say “It’s your turn now.” You have to tell the stories you learned at their knees, as you go on to make a difference in the lives of others as they made a difference in your life.
I’m still in tears this morning, because I’ve got lots of stories to tell.