Happy New Year to all. Trump will be gone in days. But not without one more doomed-to-failure seditious attempt by him and his enablers to overturn the election, which is now splitting the GOP.
I listened to the whole thing. Like something out of the Godfather. Unreal. Yes, impeach to prevent him from being eligible for any office ever again. Listened to Neal Katyal talk about this.
Yes I listened too, although I nodded off during some parts. Total mob boss talk. They never say exactly what they want, they just infer to it. I swear he was literally pulling those numbers out of thin air. No way they have proof off all of that. And I was proud of the SoS for telling him that he stands by his numbers. I wish someone of authority would just put him in handcuffs now!
I like the idea some on the cable news outlets have been proposing, that those participating in this threat to democracy not be allowed to ever hold office again in this country.
We’ve got to get through Tuesday and Wednesday first. The nation really needs Ossoff and Warnock to prevail. I expect Tramp to be completely unhinged tomorrow in GA, attacking Raffensperger, the “media”, the “Democrat” party, as nauseam.
Happy New Year! I was asked to speak for a podcast for the first time about patenting a gay child , Matt’s coming out process, his design career and personal success and my work creating our Manhattan Beach/ South PFLAG chapter. I talked about loving my kids and my hope for all children to be loved unconditionally. I also referenced finding you by divine intervention on OutQ radio years ago and what a teacher you have been Michaelangelo. I hope many more people find you and can become more informed and become advocates for LGBTQ rights and all human rights.
So glad to hear about the podcast, really wonderful, and about you having created a PFLAG chapter, wow! And that is so heartwarming to hear about my show on OutQ and what help I could be at that time. Really -- thank you for telling me about that. Now you're educating many more, and connecting with people who need to hear from you and are looking for help. That is just terrific.
I'm making challah and will give a loaf to each of my boys. Michelangelo - please explain how this commission on investigating voter fraud that McConnell claims Trump wants is any different than the commission that Trump established right after he was elected and then disbanded when it found no evidence of election fraud. Ugh. Happy New Year to you and your family. I'm looking forward to hearing you again on the radio. Warm thoughts from Tucson.
McConnell was just trying to placate Trump while not giving the $2000 checks. Trump wants this election investigated -- that one was the about the last one. There's no need for any investigation and McConnell knows that. But there's no way he's giving a vote on $2000 checks and he knows Dems won't couple it with Trump's other demands. And Trump doesn't really want to give the checks either -- he wants his phony investigation and Twitter regulated. They are all a bunch of bullshit, helping each other with cover. Happy New Year to you! And yes, back on the radio Monday!
Thanks for sharing your baking adventures, Michelangelo! Everything sounds and looks great and I never knew about "French T65 flour" or how many French flours exist! I'm no gourmet, but our college student vegetarian daughter is a naturally-gifted cooking prodigy. Over the holiday she made -- all from scratch -- focaccia to accompany lasagna (yes, marinara, ricotta, pasta all by her hands); quiche including the crust; cinnamon rolls; and the crowning achievement: Mole negro sauce -- a very complex Oaxacan specialty -- to go with her tamales. She's on TikTok with her own creations: movie-themed toast (https://www.tiktok.com/@technicolor_toast?lang=en).
OK, so I thought that Wednesday was going be the big day, what with the EC formality in Congress. But, we've got the GA runoff on Tuesday, and isn't that also the day that Pelosi seats the next House? If so, she really should be denying the 126 seditionists a seat -- though I'm sure she will seat them.
Now, Wednesday is getting crazier and crazier, as if the open calls for violence against our elected officials isn't enough, now Cruz and reportedly another 10 Rethug senators are joining Hawley and going to pull this clown shitshow that even Moscow Mitch implored them not to do. So, Tuesday I'll be watching the GA runoffs with high hopes for Ossoff and Rev. Warnock to prevail and give Biden a cooperative rather than obstructionist Senate to work with for at least the first two years. Wednesday will be a shitshow: I'm hoping no one gets hurt, I'm hoping they arrest the right people and that there aren't many counter-protestors for them to target.
Otherwise, with someone dying here in L.A. every 10 minutes, we're staying home as much as possible, with trips out to primarily the grocery. Hoping for the best on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Hopefully we wake up to calm on the 7th....So tired of and angry about all these desperate attempts to throw away my ballot (I’m in WI). How dare they? No one tried to do this 4 years ago even though HC won the popular vote.
Your pastry puffs look delicious. Our neighbor just brought us two loaves of homemade bread today so no need to bake this weekend here.
On another note I get my first vaccine tomorrow at my work (I’m an RN), a bit nervous about it but I know I need to do it.
Deb, it is so outrageous. Trump won by 77,000 votes in three states, and yes, lost the popular vote. Biden took five states from Trump in 2020, by several hundred thousand votes, and won largest popular vote in history. But these people are true enemies of democracy now. They don't care about votes. It's only about authoritarian power grabs.
its been a long week for me in queens. my mom was sick we took her to city md to check her out. her heart rate was up so they admitted het to nyu hospital in city and she tested postive for covid. The heart rate is back to normal and she is going home hopefully today. michael i tested postive for covid but i have zero temp and no real issues. i am isolating . i hope to call you monday
Tony I'm sorry to hear about your mom, and wish her well -- and about you testing positive. But I'm glad you have no symptoms. Stay well and take care of yourself.
Trump has proved yet again he's no better than a mafia don (no pun intended). He is a thug, and whomever is Biden & Harris' AG needs to bring the full force and weight of the law down on Trump when they take office — no matter if he's been pardoned by Pence or self-pardons. Even if a court throws it out, just having the story in the media to humiliate Trump will be a major thing. While I'm glad Trump is suffering the realization that HE LOST, what he is inflicting on the country now is the worst moment of his prezidency. Impeachable, if there were more time. But definitely should be handled post-presidency.
I can not wait until the 20th of January. It surprises me that Ted Cruz is defending Trump after Trump dis him and his family and father in the primaries. I wish I could say that the New Year has started out great. I am dealing with my alcoholic son who is living with us until he finds job. He is a Trumpster. He has been with us since November and it has been awful. Covid virus is awful here in Phoenix. I wish I could get a vaccine but that has been a complete cluster *uck. I want to thank you Michael for all you do and Joe was awesome last week too. If it weren't for all of the progressive radio hosts, I don't know where I would be. You keep me sane. Your pastry looks yummy.
I’m just consumed with grief from all we have lost. Here in Orlando they bulldozed the iconic Parliament House. Another victim of the pandemic. I can’t even begin to describe how painful this is to the gay community. The saddest part is the ‘P’ was always inclusive to guys of all ages, and now that I am a senior it’s no longer there for me. We went there for decades, to hang with friends, see shows, celebrate birthdays, and run into old friends who had moved on but returned to visit. But now, never more. We will never see those people again. We lost the focal point of our gay community. It’s devastating.
Oh, I was sorry to hear that about Parliament House, which goes way back. There's been very little written on the cultural impact on institutions by the pandemic, particularly in communities often marginalized and under attack that have had to find a place to meet. And this is surely happening all over the country.
Happy New Year Michelangelo! Thanks for being our saving grace and keeping us informed over the course of this insane year. You deserve an Angel of the Year award❤ At least the year ended on a positive note; we have a vaccine and we elected a new President. However 2021 is starting off to be just as crazy. I've read some tweets from these MAGA folks and have seen a few websites and I will tell you, they are straight up crazy. I nearly had a panic attack when I read some of the stuff. Talk about targeting everyone that has opposed Trump's reelection, including government officials, law enforcement, citizens, etc. And no one is saying anything! No one in authority is warning them against violence. At least a few Congressmen (one from my state of NJ) took a stand against their treasonous colleagues. But we need more, they just can't get away with this stunt. To attempt to deny democracy just to kiss the a** of Trump and ingratiate themselves with the MAGA crowd to benefit their political futures deserves severe punishment. Ok I've gone on quite enough. Thank you all for reading, be safe everyone and hang in there until Jan 20.
Thank you Monica, and Happy New Year to you! It's ugly and it is an assault on our democracy. There is also the very real possibility of violence. We have to be on guard and take on all the media and everyone who is not taking this seriously. But Joe Biden will be president on Jan. 20!
First off, whatever the GOP is evolving into is for the better because we can name names as to which of them we can consider for charges of Treason. Because this is an inherently racist nation they can get away it until the suckered Trumpists wake up to the reality of being played. White grievance undergirds all of this and when the right act of violence happens to one of their own, the delusion will be pierced.
The media needs to use those words -- coup attempt, treasonous, seditious -- and not "contentious" and "chaotic." They only help the GOP to make this seem normal.
So two things I would like to comment on. The first is the street action that Trump has called for on the 6th. Even though I'm not working I still have the habit of monitoring right wing social media and I am struck the past few days how rhetoric that I would attribute to extremists, known individuals, has become somewhat mainstream across all social media. Parler is a dumpster fire of calls for violence but honestly the most disturbing conversations I've read the past few days were on Facebook.
In summary I have read conversations by unknown individuals discussing ways to smuggle their guns into DC, which is %100 illegal any day and is especially illegal during any protest or demonstration. They are are discussing storming federal buildings and killing the people inside. There is a lot of talk about hanging people even a suggestion to bring a diy gallows into the city. I am not necessarily shocked by the rhetoric as I have spent my career reading this type of thing but in my experience this is what hardcore white supremacists discuss, not your neighbors and regular people with low follower counts. What is concerning is that the DC police traditionally assist right wing groups and target anti-racist protesters with brutality. I am hoping that the kind of things the right is discussing, if attempted would be a bridge too far and they would have no choice but to enforce the law. I am also concerned that would still be a very violent and possibly deadly situation.
A few more tidbits, Enrique Tarrio, Proud Boy leader has posted support of qanon accounts in the past few days. Also had a post that the Proud Boys would be dressed in all black to make it seem like they were antifa and so "you literally won't know who is standing next to you". I'm not as worried about the dress in black plan because we don't really have many PB types that live openly in our area so they kinda standout when they come to town. I will say I have long had concerns that qanon adherents pose a greater threat of violence than even white supremacists. There is enough revile for WS that most communities will push back if they try to make a show in their city. I worry that not enough people understand what qanon is about and the potential for violence once the lies they feed on don't come true. They have been told to "trust the plan" to give them the sense that their political enemies will be handled (murdered) for them, but we are reaching the point where it is becoming clear that there is no plan and some of them might take matters into their own hands. There have been several cases over the past few years where adherents attempted to do exactly that resulting in multiple charges including two murder charges.
The second thing I wanted to comment on is I just finished the full hour of the GA call and it was still shocking to me after everything we have been through for 4 years. It is blatantly criminal and trump even spoke over his own lawyers when they tried to interrupt him from making criminal threats. The release of this tape ahead of the 6th with what Hawley and the others are claiming lays naked all of their claims of fraud and shows just how bad faith their arguments are. Paul fucking Ryan felt compelled to make a statement condemning what Hawley is doing after the tape was released.
Either way I hope both of these efforts fail on Wednesday and the republicans attempting this are eventually harmed by their own actions. I also hope nobody in the streets is hurt especially the residents of DC just trying to live their lives during a fascist invasion.
On a personal note, I used to get paid to do this kind of research and have extensive knowledge of the far right from individual influencers to qanon to white supremacist organizations. If anyone is hiring I would love to hear from you.
Klo, thank you for the warning and I'm afraid it is in line with so much else I've been hearing from people doing similar research. Jared Holt has been noting these same conversations, posting his thoughts on Twitter. Others I know are monitoring Parler too. There is no question they are discussing violent action. What we can hope for is that if it's this easily detectable then the FBI and domestic terror units in the government are listening -- and haven't been totally corrupted by Trump, which is a lot to ask for -- and will take this on.
The DC police and mayor will have their hands, and national guard may have to be deployed. Trump is hoping all of this allows him to bring active duty military in, make no mistake. And yes, the tape is impeachable and criminal. As I wrote in my latest piece, Democrats must step up and sound the alarm and there must be ramifications.
I just find it frustrating that 3 years after Charlottesville we are still doing the same thing. Activists there sounded the alarm that groups were publicly planning violence and literally begged the local government to do something. Instead the day of the police did nothing including an officer leaving her post in her car that would have blocked James Fields from running into the crowd.
I have no confidence in mayor Bowser. She is pretty terrible when it comes to these things. DC is under a quarantine order for people coming in from other states. She could have the police enforce it if she wanted to. In my opinion if you are traveling to another city while publicly declaring you intend to do violence, that is not first amendment activity it is criminal activity. I don't want something really bad to happen before the people who can do something about it take it seriously.
Wow today was total failure of all those organizations. When I said federal buildings I did not think it would be the capitol. I thought because we had weeks of warning that they would have prepared.
Access and corporate journalism is trash because across the board they expressed surprise and shock. Everything that was discussed on social media for the past few weeks happened today. Storming buildings, homemade gallows with nooses were brought into the city, and struggling trump supporters did leave the capitol to go into other parts of the city to assault and engage in violence with black DC residents.
This is really a shameful time and the white supremacy of it all is disgusting.
Look forward to the time when people in power listen to people who actually know what they are talking about. I have no hope that that will happen in the next 4 years.
Klo, Tthank you for your lucid account based on your experience and research. In my case I don’t do much social media at all, I’m not on FB, and I don’t look at even Faux News or any other RW sites, so I especially appreciate it. I grew up in DC, attended the Watergate hearings as a teenager, and I have a brother there and I don’t want to see any harm come to anyone. Everything we worried what could happen if Tramp lost is coming true. Thanks again.
Thank you for your acknowledgement. I don't have any personal social media accounts, only research or listening accounts. I don't want any credit for any of my reporting because I can't take the death threats or or even the psychological terror of being a woman with a public opinion. I really hope the 6th passes with no harm to our democracy or any innocent person who might be caught in all this.
I forgot one more bit of info so I will add it here. There is a sentiment in these right wing posters that people who are unable to travel to DC should show up to their own state capitol houses for the purpose of inducing martial law, so this may be a bigger problem than just a DC problem. It is not coming from a centralized source but is something being discussed on social media.
Even today I was having discussion with my best friend about the effects of immersing yourself daily in this kind of filth and she was saying it was too triggering for her. I understand that and it is triggering for me in the macro sense that holy shit, we are not ok, but in the personal (micro) sense I feel strongly that at least some of us of good natured people need to understand the details of what is happening. I Thank you for your kind words.
I hope we all get through the 6th and the 20th safely and I need a vaccine Asap and a job to follow.
So Klo, I've come across some things on Twitter and some websites that contain exactly this type of rhetoric. There is also someone on Twitter that has an account where he/she posts what they find on Parler. That stuff is also disturbing. The question is what can us ordinary citizens do to prevent such violence from happening? I am pretty sure the FBI and other law enforcement are monitoring these sites and I am praying that they are aware of the threats of violence but no one in law enforcement has made any statements or warnings or anything. I and a number of folks I follow on Twitter have retweeted these posts and tagged the FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Security, etc. Not sure what else we can do. I just hope that no one from our side goes to DC and tries to engage them because that is exactly what Trump wants.
That is not what they want. They want white male dominance over everyone else and are willing to kill in furtherance of that goal.
If you ever wondered what you would have done in nazi Germany or during the civil rights movement it is what you are doing now. I personally do not find doing nothing to be an acceptable position.
Yeah but what tRump et al want is for the Left to show up down there and engage with these lunatics in the streets so he can declare martial law, etc. In terms of trying to counter protest on that day, I think it just sets us up to be dragged down his rabbit hole. If there is violence let it be his own supporters and let it be clear it is his own supporters.
I think I know which Twitter account you are talking about. I think it is helpful for regular people to document this stuff and I like that account because they also make fun and point out all the absurdities of the people supporting these things.
As far as stopping the violence the number one thing I recommend is that if there is a fascist gathering in your town it is important that regular people go out in numbers and make it clear that that sort of activity is not welcome there.
I know there is a whole chorus of people who say stay home, don't engage but those people a)have no expertise in the matter and b)are likely just scared and are projecting that into giving exactly the wrong advice. It's ok to be scared of violent fascists in the streets but ignoring them does not make them go away. If we cede the public space to fascists, they tend to network, recruit and grow, not go away.
On 8/12/18 the Charlottesville nazis tried to plan a reunion of unite the right in DC. Because of proximity many of us from DC were at the 2017 car attack. For the reunion in DC 10s of thousands of people from all walks of life came out and filled the streets. It ended up less than 30 fascists showed up but even if a few hundred had shown up they couldn't have done anything because of the crowd. The few Nazis that did show up had to be protected by about 100 cops and the organizer seemed to be visibly having a panic attack upon seeing the crowd.
You don't have to show up to fight, you just have to show up to be counted as someone against what the right is doing. If you can't show up then try to support the people who can in any way possible.
We can't prevent all violence but the worst thing we can do is to ignore it or pretend like the threat is not there. Acknowledging and making clear we are against the threat of right wing violence in all forms is key in trying to prevent it.
To anyone who would like to do some reading on the subject of right wing fascist street actions I would suggest the following authors of both books and articles to get current information about what is happening. Mark Bray, Emily Gorcenski, Talia Lavin and and Shane Burley I would also encourage people to look into the work of Daryle Lamont Jenkins who has been working on this issue since the 90s and has successfully taken people out of the white supremacist movement.
Already woke up to video of individuals ripping down the community art honoring people who have been killed by police at BLM Plaza. I'm hoping the military will stay out of it and MPD will do what's necessary to prevent violence.
Hey Everyone, happy new year though IMO the new year really starts 1/20. Saving some champagne for that day.
Just read the WaPo article on the recording they obtained of Fake Bone Spurs trying to rough up the Georgia Sec of State. He’s totally off the deep end. I guess his kids must be used to it and just not give a patootie. If someone in my family was acting like that a psych intervention would be immediate. Also think the Fox News spout about how Pence should delay the inauguration for 10 days hilarious because that would give us President Pelosi for 10 days. Okay...
Michael can you please tell us the name of the book on bread? My grandfather came from France so I have some old family recipes but always looking for something new. Baking today. My fav is a simple baguette, which SEEMS simple but is actually tricky to get right. Also would recommend getting a couche if you don’t have one yet but maybe you do.
In terms of here, SoCal is a mess. We need Federal leadership on this. And it would be KEY to get the Senate. I hope hope hope for Georgia. Have to take the tree and decorations down today, always a bit sad to do that.
Anyway look forward to having you back tomorrow though love Joe too when he fills in. He seems like one of the nicest guys in the world. All the best to the Signorile Family here!
Now Trump is caught on tape threatening the Georgia Secretary of State and demanding he "find" the votes. This is impeachable, and it's not too late.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-georgia-vote/2021/01/03/d45acb92-4dc4-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html
I listened to the whole thing. Like something out of the Godfather. Unreal. Yes, impeach to prevent him from being eligible for any office ever again. Listened to Neal Katyal talk about this.
Yes I listened too, although I nodded off during some parts. Total mob boss talk. They never say exactly what they want, they just infer to it. I swear he was literally pulling those numbers out of thin air. No way they have proof off all of that. And I was proud of the SoS for telling him that he stands by his numbers. I wish someone of authority would just put him in handcuffs now!
I like the idea some on the cable news outlets have been proposing, that those participating in this threat to democracy not be allowed to ever hold office again in this country.
We’ve got to get through Tuesday and Wednesday first. The nation really needs Ossoff and Warnock to prevail. I expect Tramp to be completely unhinged tomorrow in GA, attacking Raffensperger, the “media”, the “Democrat” party, as nauseam.
Yup and that is exactly what is happening.
Happy New Year! I was asked to speak for a podcast for the first time about patenting a gay child , Matt’s coming out process, his design career and personal success and my work creating our Manhattan Beach/ South PFLAG chapter. I talked about loving my kids and my hope for all children to be loved unconditionally. I also referenced finding you by divine intervention on OutQ radio years ago and what a teacher you have been Michaelangelo. I hope many more people find you and can become more informed and become advocates for LGBTQ rights and all human rights.
So glad to hear about the podcast, really wonderful, and about you having created a PFLAG chapter, wow! And that is so heartwarming to hear about my show on OutQ and what help I could be at that time. Really -- thank you for telling me about that. Now you're educating many more, and connecting with people who need to hear from you and are looking for help. That is just terrific.
Thank you! It felt like a great way to start the year! ❤️
I'm making challah and will give a loaf to each of my boys. Michelangelo - please explain how this commission on investigating voter fraud that McConnell claims Trump wants is any different than the commission that Trump established right after he was elected and then disbanded when it found no evidence of election fraud. Ugh. Happy New Year to you and your family. I'm looking forward to hearing you again on the radio. Warm thoughts from Tucson.
McConnell was just trying to placate Trump while not giving the $2000 checks. Trump wants this election investigated -- that one was the about the last one. There's no need for any investigation and McConnell knows that. But there's no way he's giving a vote on $2000 checks and he knows Dems won't couple it with Trump's other demands. And Trump doesn't really want to give the checks either -- he wants his phony investigation and Twitter regulated. They are all a bunch of bullshit, helping each other with cover. Happy New Year to you! And yes, back on the radio Monday!
Thanks for sharing your baking adventures, Michelangelo! Everything sounds and looks great and I never knew about "French T65 flour" or how many French flours exist! I'm no gourmet, but our college student vegetarian daughter is a naturally-gifted cooking prodigy. Over the holiday she made -- all from scratch -- focaccia to accompany lasagna (yes, marinara, ricotta, pasta all by her hands); quiche including the crust; cinnamon rolls; and the crowning achievement: Mole negro sauce -- a very complex Oaxacan specialty -- to go with her tamales. She's on TikTok with her own creations: movie-themed toast (https://www.tiktok.com/@technicolor_toast?lang=en).
OK, so I thought that Wednesday was going be the big day, what with the EC formality in Congress. But, we've got the GA runoff on Tuesday, and isn't that also the day that Pelosi seats the next House? If so, she really should be denying the 126 seditionists a seat -- though I'm sure she will seat them.
Now, Wednesday is getting crazier and crazier, as if the open calls for violence against our elected officials isn't enough, now Cruz and reportedly another 10 Rethug senators are joining Hawley and going to pull this clown shitshow that even Moscow Mitch implored them not to do. So, Tuesday I'll be watching the GA runoffs with high hopes for Ossoff and Rev. Warnock to prevail and give Biden a cooperative rather than obstructionist Senate to work with for at least the first two years. Wednesday will be a shitshow: I'm hoping no one gets hurt, I'm hoping they arrest the right people and that there aren't many counter-protestors for them to target.
Otherwise, with someone dying here in L.A. every 10 minutes, we're staying home as much as possible, with trips out to primarily the grocery. Hoping for the best on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Your daughter is amazing! Loved looking at the videos and so glad she is so interested in making great food.
Yes, Tuesday and Wednesday, the big days --- quite a week coming up. I'm heartsick about
LA and California and what's happening there. And so worried about the hospitals. Stay safe and take care of yourself and the family. Happy New Year.
Sorry for the baaaad typo....the subject of the email said "What's happening where are?"
Sometimes I'm writing and reading too quickly -- sorry this happens. But at least I can change it on the website.
Hopefully we wake up to calm on the 7th....So tired of and angry about all these desperate attempts to throw away my ballot (I’m in WI). How dare they? No one tried to do this 4 years ago even though HC won the popular vote.
Your pastry puffs look delicious. Our neighbor just brought us two loaves of homemade bread today so no need to bake this weekend here.
On another note I get my first vaccine tomorrow at my work (I’m an RN), a bit nervous about it but I know I need to do it.
And so glad you are getting the vaccine! Thanks for the work you do.
Deb, it is so outrageous. Trump won by 77,000 votes in three states, and yes, lost the popular vote. Biden took five states from Trump in 2020, by several hundred thousand votes, and won largest popular vote in history. But these people are true enemies of democracy now. They don't care about votes. It's only about authoritarian power grabs.
Getting my second shot this Wednesday. No symptoms at all after the first (Pfizer).
its been a long week for me in queens. my mom was sick we took her to city md to check her out. her heart rate was up so they admitted het to nyu hospital in city and she tested postive for covid. The heart rate is back to normal and she is going home hopefully today. michael i tested postive for covid but i have zero temp and no real issues. i am isolating . i hope to call you monday
Tony I'm sorry to hear about your mom, and wish her well -- and about you testing positive. But I'm glad you have no symptoms. Stay well and take care of yourself.
Thanks Michael and all . I feel ok just slightly tired and cough but it’s gone . Michael I was worried
Sending you and your mom healing wishes
Tony, sending all the best wishes for a quick recovery for you and your Mom. Rest and take care of yourselves.
Trump has proved yet again he's no better than a mafia don (no pun intended). He is a thug, and whomever is Biden & Harris' AG needs to bring the full force and weight of the law down on Trump when they take office — no matter if he's been pardoned by Pence or self-pardons. Even if a court throws it out, just having the story in the media to humiliate Trump will be a major thing. While I'm glad Trump is suffering the realization that HE LOST, what he is inflicting on the country now is the worst moment of his prezidency. Impeachable, if there were more time. But definitely should be handled post-presidency.
I can not wait until the 20th of January. It surprises me that Ted Cruz is defending Trump after Trump dis him and his family and father in the primaries. I wish I could say that the New Year has started out great. I am dealing with my alcoholic son who is living with us until he finds job. He is a Trumpster. He has been with us since November and it has been awful. Covid virus is awful here in Phoenix. I wish I could get a vaccine but that has been a complete cluster *uck. I want to thank you Michael for all you do and Joe was awesome last week too. If it weren't for all of the progressive radio hosts, I don't know where I would be. You keep me sane. Your pastry looks yummy.
I’m just consumed with grief from all we have lost. Here in Orlando they bulldozed the iconic Parliament House. Another victim of the pandemic. I can’t even begin to describe how painful this is to the gay community. The saddest part is the ‘P’ was always inclusive to guys of all ages, and now that I am a senior it’s no longer there for me. We went there for decades, to hang with friends, see shows, celebrate birthdays, and run into old friends who had moved on but returned to visit. But now, never more. We will never see those people again. We lost the focal point of our gay community. It’s devastating.
Oh, I was sorry to hear that about Parliament House, which goes way back. There's been very little written on the cultural impact on institutions by the pandemic, particularly in communities often marginalized and under attack that have had to find a place to meet. And this is surely happening all over the country.
Happy New Year Michelangelo! Thanks for being our saving grace and keeping us informed over the course of this insane year. You deserve an Angel of the Year award❤ At least the year ended on a positive note; we have a vaccine and we elected a new President. However 2021 is starting off to be just as crazy. I've read some tweets from these MAGA folks and have seen a few websites and I will tell you, they are straight up crazy. I nearly had a panic attack when I read some of the stuff. Talk about targeting everyone that has opposed Trump's reelection, including government officials, law enforcement, citizens, etc. And no one is saying anything! No one in authority is warning them against violence. At least a few Congressmen (one from my state of NJ) took a stand against their treasonous colleagues. But we need more, they just can't get away with this stunt. To attempt to deny democracy just to kiss the a** of Trump and ingratiate themselves with the MAGA crowd to benefit their political futures deserves severe punishment. Ok I've gone on quite enough. Thank you all for reading, be safe everyone and hang in there until Jan 20.
Thank you Monica, and Happy New Year to you! It's ugly and it is an assault on our democracy. There is also the very real possibility of violence. We have to be on guard and take on all the media and everyone who is not taking this seriously. But Joe Biden will be president on Jan. 20!
First off, whatever the GOP is evolving into is for the better because we can name names as to which of them we can consider for charges of Treason. Because this is an inherently racist nation they can get away it until the suckered Trumpists wake up to the reality of being played. White grievance undergirds all of this and when the right act of violence happens to one of their own, the delusion will be pierced.
The media needs to use those words -- coup attempt, treasonous, seditious -- and not "contentious" and "chaotic." They only help the GOP to make this seem normal.
The #DirtyDozen need to be expelled from the Senate for sedition.
Here we are just staying isolated until we can get the vaccine.
We need action from the Democrats and from the media, no question.
Oh just great. Our side meeds to stay home.
So two things I would like to comment on. The first is the street action that Trump has called for on the 6th. Even though I'm not working I still have the habit of monitoring right wing social media and I am struck the past few days how rhetoric that I would attribute to extremists, known individuals, has become somewhat mainstream across all social media. Parler is a dumpster fire of calls for violence but honestly the most disturbing conversations I've read the past few days were on Facebook.
In summary I have read conversations by unknown individuals discussing ways to smuggle their guns into DC, which is %100 illegal any day and is especially illegal during any protest or demonstration. They are are discussing storming federal buildings and killing the people inside. There is a lot of talk about hanging people even a suggestion to bring a diy gallows into the city. I am not necessarily shocked by the rhetoric as I have spent my career reading this type of thing but in my experience this is what hardcore white supremacists discuss, not your neighbors and regular people with low follower counts. What is concerning is that the DC police traditionally assist right wing groups and target anti-racist protesters with brutality. I am hoping that the kind of things the right is discussing, if attempted would be a bridge too far and they would have no choice but to enforce the law. I am also concerned that would still be a very violent and possibly deadly situation.
A few more tidbits, Enrique Tarrio, Proud Boy leader has posted support of qanon accounts in the past few days. Also had a post that the Proud Boys would be dressed in all black to make it seem like they were antifa and so "you literally won't know who is standing next to you". I'm not as worried about the dress in black plan because we don't really have many PB types that live openly in our area so they kinda standout when they come to town. I will say I have long had concerns that qanon adherents pose a greater threat of violence than even white supremacists. There is enough revile for WS that most communities will push back if they try to make a show in their city. I worry that not enough people understand what qanon is about and the potential for violence once the lies they feed on don't come true. They have been told to "trust the plan" to give them the sense that their political enemies will be handled (murdered) for them, but we are reaching the point where it is becoming clear that there is no plan and some of them might take matters into their own hands. There have been several cases over the past few years where adherents attempted to do exactly that resulting in multiple charges including two murder charges.
The second thing I wanted to comment on is I just finished the full hour of the GA call and it was still shocking to me after everything we have been through for 4 years. It is blatantly criminal and trump even spoke over his own lawyers when they tried to interrupt him from making criminal threats. The release of this tape ahead of the 6th with what Hawley and the others are claiming lays naked all of their claims of fraud and shows just how bad faith their arguments are. Paul fucking Ryan felt compelled to make a statement condemning what Hawley is doing after the tape was released.
Either way I hope both of these efforts fail on Wednesday and the republicans attempting this are eventually harmed by their own actions. I also hope nobody in the streets is hurt especially the residents of DC just trying to live their lives during a fascist invasion.
On a personal note, I used to get paid to do this kind of research and have extensive knowledge of the far right from individual influencers to qanon to white supremacist organizations. If anyone is hiring I would love to hear from you.
Klo, thank you for the warning and I'm afraid it is in line with so much else I've been hearing from people doing similar research. Jared Holt has been noting these same conversations, posting his thoughts on Twitter. Others I know are monitoring Parler too. There is no question they are discussing violent action. What we can hope for is that if it's this easily detectable then the FBI and domestic terror units in the government are listening -- and haven't been totally corrupted by Trump, which is a lot to ask for -- and will take this on.
The DC police and mayor will have their hands, and national guard may have to be deployed. Trump is hoping all of this allows him to bring active duty military in, make no mistake. And yes, the tape is impeachable and criminal. As I wrote in my latest piece, Democrats must step up and sound the alarm and there must be ramifications.
I just find it frustrating that 3 years after Charlottesville we are still doing the same thing. Activists there sounded the alarm that groups were publicly planning violence and literally begged the local government to do something. Instead the day of the police did nothing including an officer leaving her post in her car that would have blocked James Fields from running into the crowd.
I have no confidence in mayor Bowser. She is pretty terrible when it comes to these things. DC is under a quarantine order for people coming in from other states. She could have the police enforce it if she wanted to. In my opinion if you are traveling to another city while publicly declaring you intend to do violence, that is not first amendment activity it is criminal activity. I don't want something really bad to happen before the people who can do something about it take it seriously.
Wow today was total failure of all those organizations. When I said federal buildings I did not think it would be the capitol. I thought because we had weeks of warning that they would have prepared.
Access and corporate journalism is trash because across the board they expressed surprise and shock. Everything that was discussed on social media for the past few weeks happened today. Storming buildings, homemade gallows with nooses were brought into the city, and struggling trump supporters did leave the capitol to go into other parts of the city to assault and engage in violence with black DC residents.
This is really a shameful time and the white supremacy of it all is disgusting.
Look forward to the time when people in power listen to people who actually know what they are talking about. I have no hope that that will happen in the next 4 years.
Klo, Tthank you for your lucid account based on your experience and research. In my case I don’t do much social media at all, I’m not on FB, and I don’t look at even Faux News or any other RW sites, so I especially appreciate it. I grew up in DC, attended the Watergate hearings as a teenager, and I have a brother there and I don’t want to see any harm come to anyone. Everything we worried what could happen if Tramp lost is coming true. Thanks again.
Thank you for your acknowledgement. I don't have any personal social media accounts, only research or listening accounts. I don't want any credit for any of my reporting because I can't take the death threats or or even the psychological terror of being a woman with a public opinion. I really hope the 6th passes with no harm to our democracy or any innocent person who might be caught in all this.
I forgot one more bit of info so I will add it here. There is a sentiment in these right wing posters that people who are unable to travel to DC should show up to their own state capitol houses for the purpose of inducing martial law, so this may be a bigger problem than just a DC problem. It is not coming from a centralized source but is something being discussed on social media.
Even today I was having discussion with my best friend about the effects of immersing yourself daily in this kind of filth and she was saying it was too triggering for her. I understand that and it is triggering for me in the macro sense that holy shit, we are not ok, but in the personal (micro) sense I feel strongly that at least some of us of good natured people need to understand the details of what is happening. I Thank you for your kind words.
I hope we all get through the 6th and the 20th safely and I need a vaccine Asap and a job to follow.
So Klo, I've come across some things on Twitter and some websites that contain exactly this type of rhetoric. There is also someone on Twitter that has an account where he/she posts what they find on Parler. That stuff is also disturbing. The question is what can us ordinary citizens do to prevent such violence from happening? I am pretty sure the FBI and other law enforcement are monitoring these sites and I am praying that they are aware of the threats of violence but no one in law enforcement has made any statements or warnings or anything. I and a number of folks I follow on Twitter have retweeted these posts and tagged the FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Security, etc. Not sure what else we can do. I just hope that no one from our side goes to DC and tries to engage them because that is exactly what Trump wants.
Exactly. I would urge everyone to stay away from DC that day. Do not engage. It is what they want.
That is not what they want. They want white male dominance over everyone else and are willing to kill in furtherance of that goal.
If you ever wondered what you would have done in nazi Germany or during the civil rights movement it is what you are doing now. I personally do not find doing nothing to be an acceptable position.
I am not “doing nothing” by any means but to show up and try to engage in the streets with nut jobs like the Proud Boys, will do nothing.
Yeah but what tRump et al want is for the Left to show up down there and engage with these lunatics in the streets so he can declare martial law, etc. In terms of trying to counter protest on that day, I think it just sets us up to be dragged down his rabbit hole. If there is violence let it be his own supporters and let it be clear it is his own supporters.
I think I know which Twitter account you are talking about. I think it is helpful for regular people to document this stuff and I like that account because they also make fun and point out all the absurdities of the people supporting these things.
As far as stopping the violence the number one thing I recommend is that if there is a fascist gathering in your town it is important that regular people go out in numbers and make it clear that that sort of activity is not welcome there.
I know there is a whole chorus of people who say stay home, don't engage but those people a)have no expertise in the matter and b)are likely just scared and are projecting that into giving exactly the wrong advice. It's ok to be scared of violent fascists in the streets but ignoring them does not make them go away. If we cede the public space to fascists, they tend to network, recruit and grow, not go away.
On 8/12/18 the Charlottesville nazis tried to plan a reunion of unite the right in DC. Because of proximity many of us from DC were at the 2017 car attack. For the reunion in DC 10s of thousands of people from all walks of life came out and filled the streets. It ended up less than 30 fascists showed up but even if a few hundred had shown up they couldn't have done anything because of the crowd. The few Nazis that did show up had to be protected by about 100 cops and the organizer seemed to be visibly having a panic attack upon seeing the crowd.
You don't have to show up to fight, you just have to show up to be counted as someone against what the right is doing. If you can't show up then try to support the people who can in any way possible.
We can't prevent all violence but the worst thing we can do is to ignore it or pretend like the threat is not there. Acknowledging and making clear we are against the threat of right wing violence in all forms is key in trying to prevent it.
To anyone who would like to do some reading on the subject of right wing fascist street actions I would suggest the following authors of both books and articles to get current information about what is happening. Mark Bray, Emily Gorcenski, Talia Lavin and and Shane Burley I would also encourage people to look into the work of Daryle Lamont Jenkins who has been working on this issue since the 90s and has successfully taken people out of the white supremacist movement.
Also worried about what crap might go on in DC on the 6th. Sounds like military is not on board with tRump and his authoritarian desires.
Already woke up to video of individuals ripping down the community art honoring people who have been killed by police at BLM Plaza. I'm hoping the military will stay out of it and MPD will do what's necessary to prevent violence.
Hey Everyone, happy new year though IMO the new year really starts 1/20. Saving some champagne for that day.
Just read the WaPo article on the recording they obtained of Fake Bone Spurs trying to rough up the Georgia Sec of State. He’s totally off the deep end. I guess his kids must be used to it and just not give a patootie. If someone in my family was acting like that a psych intervention would be immediate. Also think the Fox News spout about how Pence should delay the inauguration for 10 days hilarious because that would give us President Pelosi for 10 days. Okay...
Michael can you please tell us the name of the book on bread? My grandfather came from France so I have some old family recipes but always looking for something new. Baking today. My fav is a simple baguette, which SEEMS simple but is actually tricky to get right. Also would recommend getting a couche if you don’t have one yet but maybe you do.
In terms of here, SoCal is a mess. We need Federal leadership on this. And it would be KEY to get the Senate. I hope hope hope for Georgia. Have to take the tree and decorations down today, always a bit sad to do that.
Anyway look forward to having you back tomorrow though love Joe too when he fills in. He seems like one of the nicest guys in the world. All the best to the Signorile Family here!