I saw the press interview where the player who make that last basket that won the game was asked that trite question about how it felt to have won the game. I was struck by his matter-of-fact reply. For me that shows: 1) He knows that he was part of a team effort; that point would be nothing without the teammates that put him in position to make the basket by getting the score to where it was, and 2) He was focused on the moment when he made that basket, not its implications.
I am reminded, yet again, of Heather Cox Richardson's "Letter" about the events around the ride of Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescottt: a lot of people were involved, but it was each individual doing what he could, whether it was showing the lanterns or spreading the word, that came together to create that moment. I am stitching a piece in honor of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States that shows key moments. The pattern has the phrase, "A Worthy Patriot," at the top, but I plan to replace it with some other phrase, not sure what yet, because it is never about just one person but about each person doing his or her part.
More than the Knicks win, their commitment to continually improving is the most impressive to me. Also, Cornyn kissed Trump’s ass so hard that his lips must be bruised. He should be ashamed of himself for not standing up to this bully. Texas will send Talarico to the senate to replace him. ✊🏻
I suspect something like Stockholm Syndrome has been at work the last 10 years or so. The Republican Party hadn't been in good shape for at least 20 years. Remember the pathetic "clown car" of 2016? Trump, they thought, was their lifeline. (This alone shows how far gone they were.) Cornyn and Cassidy, like Massie, are no longer hostages. They can now start recovering -- a serious challenge, because they have to come to terms with the wreck of their party. I wish them well, as long as they don't think about becoming Democrats.
Winston Churchill, "Never, never, never give up." The Democrats need to cling to love for their neighbor, Just like Jesus the Christ commanded of his disciples. How do you accomplish this mighty feat? Accept his love in your own heart, then somehow when you bend your will to his, He is able to accomplish the impossible. There is nothing he cannot do with a willing spirit. Use me LORD today to bless those who cannot bless me back. Amen.
Thanks Steven: yes the game was a nail-biter, 29 behind to come back with great vigor and win by 1. I do hope the democrats pick up the go and hit the pavement and don't let the republicans defeat themselves , get out there and help them. if they should take the house and senate they had better come out the gate with great haste, don't hum and haw. No more Merrick Garland moves. Don't just be concerned about Trump , the whole shebang has got to go. The Heritage Foundation cabal, project 2025 has got to be restructured. Trump is ;just the head of this festering boil , they have got to eradicate the root. Solve the immigration problems and shut down this ethnic cleansing that is happening this present day. I understand Greg Bovino is going to throw his hat into the ring. Lord help us. The last thing the nation needs is more Nazis. Keep a couple of concentration camps for Trumps cabinet and all his department heads. enough Al enough.
Thanks for this post - I hadn’t thought about “A Confederacy of Dunces” in…well…decades. Must read again, along with Jimmy Breslin’s “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight”, another apt title and analogy for this pathetic administration. Most days I don’t know whether to laugh or weep - so will remind myself to laugh at the clown (remember the photo of his cabinet…all different clowns?) parade.
The Democrats need a coordinated effort to have in place a Project 2029 from the start. A complete Project 2029 would bring together all the ideas to animate the 2028 election cycle and reverse what was broken by Project 2025. Project 2029 would provide the ideas for local politicians to run on in 2028 and the inspiration to motivate people to become the candidates to populate the Democratic side of the ballot from top to bottom.
I heard Jaime Raskin say last night on Chris Hayes’ “All In” that Trump has been quoted as saying that he is afraid of impeachment after the dems win back congress. He also said that if Trump should stop committing impeachable offenses and went on to name a few. Then, in the same breath, Raskin said that the democrats were not interested in impeaching the president. I’m mystified at this statement, I will admit, unless their strategy is simply to increase the pressure on Trump as a lame duck president and override everything he vetoes with a veto-proof majority.
That seems unnecessarily complicated to me, because impeachment for impeachable offenses would be the shortest distance between two points? We are in this mess because we are caught in a spider’s web of corruption. If we do not impeach him, the chaos could continue and become worse. If we do, arguable, Vance would be next in line. But what if we impeach them both? Then ostensibly Hakim Jeffries could step up to the plate and we might have a chance to write at least SOME wrongs.
I get it that there might be a Republican backlash in 2028 to all of this, but at least we could begin to remake a democratic bed for ourselves so that we could have a congress that would allow us to sleep more comfortably at night, knowing that somebody is actually awake there. Impeachment in and of itself is a legal and moral judgement on the conduct of elected officials and should not be undertaken frivolously, but if there was ever a time to invoke articles of impeachment, I believe the time is now. The American public deserves better than a wink and a nod to the rule of law, no matter how politically inconvenient it might be.
If the Democrats take the House in November, as it looks like they will, they would have the votes to impeach. However, even if the Democrats were to take the Senate, as there is a possibility they will, there would not be a two-thirds vote necessary for conviction and removal. We saw that with Trump's first two impeachments. (Technically, the second impeachment did not get to the Senate until Trump was out of office, because McConnell chose not to let it come to the floor.) Republican senators still see Trump as their path to holding onto power, and they will not vote to convict.
I think that Jamie Raskin's point is that there are other avenues for limiting the damage that Trump is doing, and I'm sure he and others are working on plans. The House might have greater room to move on whether Trump has the mental competency to be president.
Exactly. In addition who wants to push the fence sitters over to his side? His base is shrinking. No point in making it about a 3rd impeachment that would very very likely fail to convict (again). That’s not much to run on in an election. More like a distraction.
A confederacy of dunces. I love it! You mentioned he’s not interested in film of the “game.” He doesn’t acknowledge mistakes. Remember when he held up a Bible upside down? A reporter asked him if he ever asked God for forgiveness. He looked flabbergasted. He said no. That says it all.
Cornyn is correct when he says the midterms will be a disaster for the GOP. Most Americans are feeling the pinch when they shop for groceries or buy gas, they can see the result of the felon’s lack of caring for We the People.
Yup. Prices are one thing people don’t need the press to tell them about. There’s no filter, spin or pretending that works when the costs are coming out of their own wallets.
If only John Cornyn had decided to play for Team USA back in 2021 by bucking Coach McConnell and cheering his fellow Republican senators on to vote to convict Trump. Donny would have had “the worse 2 years [or more]” 6 years ago and American wouldn’t be in crisis now. Sorry, John, you fouled out big time. No tears for your loss, only for the nation’s.
To be honest, I never believed ‘Coach McConnell’ wanted to keep Drumpf in office. I had the dubious privilege of being in a group who met with a staff person of McConnell’s a couple times. Drumpf was a topic that got a grim look and no response.
At one point when it became obvious the House would move forward with the 2nd impeachment here in KY there were reports he told those close to him that the Dems were going to “take care of our problem.” It told me he viewed Drumpf as a problem and without enough Dems for a majority that hinted enough GOP votes would be there but not have to lead the fight. He could sit back and let it happen.
There was no love lost between them. Pence would have been much easier to work with; would not have gotten in the way of his judge legacy or removed his wife from his Cabinet. BUT without enough votes, he sure wasn’t going to stick his neck out. That would put a big hole in his leadership authority. So went with the ‘he’s not off the hook yet. This is a case for the courts to handle.”
The ESPN reporters kept saying the players were taking each game at a time and were all about the game. It is a joyful time for this big win. Fans across the nation are ecstatic.
Thank you so much for your positive message. It's so easy to get "down in the dumps" these days with so much dRump news circulating. It's been a long slog (not as long as others history tells us about), but things are really turning the corner.
Keep reminding us of the good news. We need it! And for everyone looking for an alternative to dRump's gladiator fights tonight, there will be a "Rise Up, Sing Out" tonight. Attend a watch party with other like-minded people, or watch on YouTube: https://www.nokings.org/livestreams
I saw the press interview where the player who make that last basket that won the game was asked that trite question about how it felt to have won the game. I was struck by his matter-of-fact reply. For me that shows: 1) He knows that he was part of a team effort; that point would be nothing without the teammates that put him in position to make the basket by getting the score to where it was, and 2) He was focused on the moment when he made that basket, not its implications.
I am reminded, yet again, of Heather Cox Richardson's "Letter" about the events around the ride of Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescottt: a lot of people were involved, but it was each individual doing what he could, whether it was showing the lanterns or spreading the word, that came together to create that moment. I am stitching a piece in honor of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States that shows key moments. The pattern has the phrase, "A Worthy Patriot," at the top, but I plan to replace it with some other phrase, not sure what yet, because it is never about just one person but about each person doing his or her part.
Agreed. It’s the team, never one player alone.
E Pluribus Unum.
Great suggestion!
Thank you.
E Pluribus Unum?
That was my suggestion to Marliss Desens’ statement that she was going to replace the label on her stitchery project.
Speaking of doing the impossible: it happens all the time.
“Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by those doing it.” - James Baldwin
https://albellenchia.substack.com/p/a-concept-and-a-plan?r=7wk5d&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
James Baldwin was very wise.
“A people who believe nothing can change will not try to change anything.”
- Marc Elias
More than the Knicks win, their commitment to continually improving is the most impressive to me. Also, Cornyn kissed Trump’s ass so hard that his lips must be bruised. He should be ashamed of himself for not standing up to this bully. Texas will send Talarico to the senate to replace him. ✊🏻
I suspect something like Stockholm Syndrome has been at work the last 10 years or so. The Republican Party hadn't been in good shape for at least 20 years. Remember the pathetic "clown car" of 2016? Trump, they thought, was their lifeline. (This alone shows how far gone they were.) Cornyn and Cassidy, like Massie, are no longer hostages. They can now start recovering -- a serious challenge, because they have to come to terms with the wreck of their party. I wish them well, as long as they don't think about becoming Democrats.
Winston Churchill, "Never, never, never give up." The Democrats need to cling to love for their neighbor, Just like Jesus the Christ commanded of his disciples. How do you accomplish this mighty feat? Accept his love in your own heart, then somehow when you bend your will to his, He is able to accomplish the impossible. There is nothing he cannot do with a willing spirit. Use me LORD today to bless those who cannot bless me back. Amen.
Thanks Steven: yes the game was a nail-biter, 29 behind to come back with great vigor and win by 1. I do hope the democrats pick up the go and hit the pavement and don't let the republicans defeat themselves , get out there and help them. if they should take the house and senate they had better come out the gate with great haste, don't hum and haw. No more Merrick Garland moves. Don't just be concerned about Trump , the whole shebang has got to go. The Heritage Foundation cabal, project 2025 has got to be restructured. Trump is ;just the head of this festering boil , they have got to eradicate the root. Solve the immigration problems and shut down this ethnic cleansing that is happening this present day. I understand Greg Bovino is going to throw his hat into the ring. Lord help us. The last thing the nation needs is more Nazis. Keep a couple of concentration camps for Trumps cabinet and all his department heads. enough Al enough.
Thanks for this post - I hadn’t thought about “A Confederacy of Dunces” in…well…decades. Must read again, along with Jimmy Breslin’s “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight”, another apt title and analogy for this pathetic administration. Most days I don’t know whether to laugh or weep - so will remind myself to laugh at the clown (remember the photo of his cabinet…all different clowns?) parade.
The Democrats need a coordinated effort to have in place a Project 2029 from the start. A complete Project 2029 would bring together all the ideas to animate the 2028 election cycle and reverse what was broken by Project 2025. Project 2029 would provide the ideas for local politicians to run on in 2028 and the inspiration to motivate people to become the candidates to populate the Democratic side of the ballot from top to bottom.
I heard Jaime Raskin say last night on Chris Hayes’ “All In” that Trump has been quoted as saying that he is afraid of impeachment after the dems win back congress. He also said that if Trump should stop committing impeachable offenses and went on to name a few. Then, in the same breath, Raskin said that the democrats were not interested in impeaching the president. I’m mystified at this statement, I will admit, unless their strategy is simply to increase the pressure on Trump as a lame duck president and override everything he vetoes with a veto-proof majority.
That seems unnecessarily complicated to me, because impeachment for impeachable offenses would be the shortest distance between two points? We are in this mess because we are caught in a spider’s web of corruption. If we do not impeach him, the chaos could continue and become worse. If we do, arguable, Vance would be next in line. But what if we impeach them both? Then ostensibly Hakim Jeffries could step up to the plate and we might have a chance to write at least SOME wrongs.
I get it that there might be a Republican backlash in 2028 to all of this, but at least we could begin to remake a democratic bed for ourselves so that we could have a congress that would allow us to sleep more comfortably at night, knowing that somebody is actually awake there. Impeachment in and of itself is a legal and moral judgement on the conduct of elected officials and should not be undertaken frivolously, but if there was ever a time to invoke articles of impeachment, I believe the time is now. The American public deserves better than a wink and a nod to the rule of law, no matter how politically inconvenient it might be.
If the Democrats take the House in November, as it looks like they will, they would have the votes to impeach. However, even if the Democrats were to take the Senate, as there is a possibility they will, there would not be a two-thirds vote necessary for conviction and removal. We saw that with Trump's first two impeachments. (Technically, the second impeachment did not get to the Senate until Trump was out of office, because McConnell chose not to let it come to the floor.) Republican senators still see Trump as their path to holding onto power, and they will not vote to convict.
I think that Jamie Raskin's point is that there are other avenues for limiting the damage that Trump is doing, and I'm sure he and others are working on plans. The House might have greater room to move on whether Trump has the mental competency to be president.
Exactly. In addition who wants to push the fence sitters over to his side? His base is shrinking. No point in making it about a 3rd impeachment that would very very likely fail to convict (again). That’s not much to run on in an election. More like a distraction.
A confederacy of dunces. I love it! You mentioned he’s not interested in film of the “game.” He doesn’t acknowledge mistakes. Remember when he held up a Bible upside down? A reporter asked him if he ever asked God for forgiveness. He looked flabbergasted. He said no. That says it all.
To quote Audrey Hepburn: "Nothing is impossible; the word itself says 'I'm possible'!"
Indeed…Let’s Go! 💪🏽
Cornyn is correct when he says the midterms will be a disaster for the GOP. Most Americans are feeling the pinch when they shop for groceries or buy gas, they can see the result of the felon’s lack of caring for We the People.
Yup. Prices are one thing people don’t need the press to tell them about. There’s no filter, spin or pretending that works when the costs are coming out of their own wallets.
If only John Cornyn had decided to play for Team USA back in 2021 by bucking Coach McConnell and cheering his fellow Republican senators on to vote to convict Trump. Donny would have had “the worse 2 years [or more]” 6 years ago and American wouldn’t be in crisis now. Sorry, John, you fouled out big time. No tears for your loss, only for the nation’s.
To be honest, I never believed ‘Coach McConnell’ wanted to keep Drumpf in office. I had the dubious privilege of being in a group who met with a staff person of McConnell’s a couple times. Drumpf was a topic that got a grim look and no response.
At one point when it became obvious the House would move forward with the 2nd impeachment here in KY there were reports he told those close to him that the Dems were going to “take care of our problem.” It told me he viewed Drumpf as a problem and without enough Dems for a majority that hinted enough GOP votes would be there but not have to lead the fight. He could sit back and let it happen.
There was no love lost between them. Pence would have been much easier to work with; would not have gotten in the way of his judge legacy or removed his wife from his Cabinet. BUT without enough votes, he sure wasn’t going to stick his neck out. That would put a big hole in his leadership authority. So went with the ‘he’s not off the hook yet. This is a case for the courts to handle.”
The ESPN reporters kept saying the players were taking each game at a time and were all about the game. It is a joyful time for this big win. Fans across the nation are ecstatic.
Thank you so much for your positive message. It's so easy to get "down in the dumps" these days with so much dRump news circulating. It's been a long slog (not as long as others history tells us about), but things are really turning the corner.
Keep reminding us of the good news. We need it! And for everyone looking for an alternative to dRump's gladiator fights tonight, there will be a "Rise Up, Sing Out" tonight. Attend a watch party with other like-minded people, or watch on YouTube: https://www.nokings.org/livestreams