From a Feb. 2 NY Times podcast (“Matter of Opinion”):
"Lydia Polgreen:
But I think — Ross [Douhat] wrote a column about just how freaking weird the bizarre conspiracy theories about Taylor and Travis are. Here you have this absolutely beautiful young woman [Taylor Swift], doing exactly what we historically have wanted young women to do, which is date a super-hot athlete [Travis Kelcey].
And they seem super into each other. They’re making out all the time. And the right is going ape shit. They’re just like, this is a psyop. And so and I guess I just — I think that to me — and this maybe takes it a step away from what Ross was arguing — it just highlights just how freaking weird the right, in general, has become."
Didn’t catch the speech, but it sounds like the president and his team are fully aware of the stakes and difficulties of what’s ahead, and have indicated an aggressive rhetorical strategy for the next few months.
He had some kind of credential that allowed him in. CNN explained it before the speech. I was only half paying attention, but it had something to do with him being elected, and the term not over yet.
PBS said that as a former Member of Congress, George Santos was allowed to be on the floor.
I would have thought that his expulsion would end that privilege, but apparently not.
Project 2025 envisions widespread changes across the entire government, particularly with regard to economic and social policy and the role of the federal government and federal agencies. The plan proposes slashing U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) funding, dismantling the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, gutting environmental and climate change regulations to favor fossil fuel production, and eliminating the cabinet Departments of Education and Commerce.
[snip]
Project Director Paul Dans, a former Trump administration official, said in September 2023 that Project 2025 is “systematically preparing to march into office and bring a new army, aligned, trained, and essentially weaponized conservatives ready to do battle against the deep state.”
[snip]
Roger Severino, Heritage Foundation vice president of domestic policy, told a Students for Life conference that Project 2025 was “working on those sorts of executive orders and regulations” to roll back Biden abortion policies and “institutionalize the post-Dobbs environment.”
[snip]
In Project 2025’s “Department of Justice” section, Gene Hamilton calls for enforcement of federal law against using the US mail for transportation of medicines that induce abortion.[23] Project 2025 seeks to revive provisions of the Comstock Act of the 1870s that banned mail delivery of any “instrument, substance, drug, medicine, or thing” that could be used for an abortion. Comstock laws have been narrowed by Congress and courts over ensuing years, including to allow contraceptives to be delivered by mail. Project 2025 aims to enforce Comstock more rigorously to prohibit sending abortion pills and medical equipment used for abortions through the mail; the plan would allow criminal prosecutions for the senders and receivers of abortion pills.[33]
Good catch; I had forgotten about that character. Almost immediately after Shady Twitt started whinging I thought “I can’t wait to see what SNL does with this”. Maybe Vanessa could make an appearance.
I’m not sure why I stuck around to hatewatch that ridiculous response. All it did was aggravate my Misophonia with her vocal fry and histrionics. And what the hell kind of accent does she have?
Getting back to Biden, I thought he did brilliantly. My heart was about in my throat, fearing he would make a gaff but he owned the night. Naturally the minor flubs he made will be overblown and played on a loop on Fox but those who were there or actually watched it know in their heart they’ve been (rightly) called out.
Oh good god, it’s bad enough we’ve had to listen to trump all these years. I don’t want to add that whining, tearful, phony, soap opera caliber acting, to my auditory pain.
Humm, I quoted (or tried to) puzzlegal’s post. I lost it somehow.
But despite a performance that was more spirited than he often delivers, it was unlikely to quell the concerns, especially from Republicans, who have made questioning Mr. Biden’s competency a centerpiece of their 2024 strategy.
They aren’t concerned about anything other than losing their chance to implement their grand plan to turn this place into a Christian Theocracy. They don’t care about Biden’s competence except to the extent it makes that job harder. My point is that the NYT is implicitly accepting the GOP’s framing.
What does that mean — practically speaking — to the editors and reporters who work for him? In my view, the message is clear:
One: You will earn my displeasure if you warn people too forcefully about the possible end to democracy at the hands of a deranged insurrectionist.
And two: You prove your value to me by trolling our liberal readers.
[snip]
We’re asking the Times to recognize that it isn’t living up to its own standards of truth-telling and independence when it obfuscates the stakes of the 2024 election, covers up for Trump’s derangement, and goes out of its way to make Biden look weak.
Reporting that Trump is a racist fanatic who would turn a democratic government into his personal fiefdom is not crusading, it’s journalism.
Reporting (endlessly) that Biden is old without noting that Trump is deranged is not “independent” journalism, it’s just bad journalism.
So: The NYT isn’t yelling about Project 2025 because Biden Old. And, in the end, isn’t that the essence of Fair And Balanced Journalism?
Was able to listen to the last 45 minutes on the radio while driving late tonight. Holy shit! Can this please put the the bullshit “Biden is old” rhetoric to bed now? A+ to Joe for the speech of course. I’m sure we can’t get this everyday but if we get even a few more of these ‘Dark Brandon’ moments over the next 6 to 8 months I’ll be very happy.
Was sorry that I couldn’t watch Mike Johnson turn into a statue as the speech progressed. Looking forward to seeing clips tomorrow.
