Comey’s fall isn’t about justice. It’s about Trump turning law into a weapon, a spectacle designed to punish enemies and terrify anyone daring to oppose him.
I've been thinking the same thing. Without Comey breaking FBI protocol and revealing a "new" nothing burger of an "investigation" a week and a half before the 2016 election, there's an excellent chance Trump would've never been elected. Comey's little "revelation," which turned out to be no revelation at all, garnered more front-page stories in the NY Times in the six days before the election than ALL policy issues combined in the previous 69 days (Columbia Journalism Review study etched into my brain). "Her emails" literally won him the presidency. Trump should've sent Comey flowers. What this proves is that you can never do enough for Trump: one slip, one remark, and it's all wiped away, and you're the enemy. He needs 100% fealty 100% of the time.
I thought the timing of that investigation was suspect from the start, especially after it was proven no sensitive information was on those private servers. Not like some members of the current administration has done with Signal & papers left on public copiers.
I canvassed in the inner city of Cleveland talking mostly to Black voters. I heard repeatedly "Of course I'd never vote for Trump but I just don't like Hillary." When I asked why the answer was inevitably "I keep hearing about her emails." When The NY Times made James Comey's last-minute letter the most viral story of the campaign's final week, that cemented those people's lack of interest in voting. I strongly believe Comey lost the election for Hillary and installed Trump in the White House. But like I said, you can never be loyal enough for Trump.
That was going to be my exact comment!! dumpty should be throwing Comey a party...I am totally against dumpty going after his for revenge but this should be a lesson to all his 'loyal' people....ANYONE, ANYONE can be his target....even his own kids.
Such a revelation, sigh. Why isn't there a gathering of Trump's former contractors, "Trump U" students he screwed, etc? Cohen was Trump's fixer! Pence his VP! Isn't everyone scared enough already? The GOP-led Senate just voted down releasing the Epstein docs. He got them to fall in line, now his goal is everybody. Welcome to the United States of Trumporea.
I say that all the time. You'd think he would feel a modicum of gratitude, but then, gratitude, like empathy, are emotions foreign to the short-fingered vulgarian.
There is little justice with the Supreme Court, since they (at least the majority of them) have given up being a separate branch of the government.
If Comey hadn't been so careless and gifted Trump his win,none of us would be in this nightmare. Had Obama stood up and named a Justice to the Supreme Court, we wouldn't be in this nightmare. Had all the election "irregularities " been pursued,going back to Gore,we wouldn't be in this nightmare. When will dems start making real moves?
He NOMINATED a justice. Obama failed. Reps use every dirty trick in the book to get their way. Dems? They just dictate their own for unpleasantness. Fight fire with fire or get consumed. Proof? See the world today.
Obama could not confirm a justice, only nominee one, He did that. He did not fail because he didn't do something he couldn't do. We need to stop this circular Russian roulette. "The world today" isn't proof of Obama's failure. Sheesh.
Because he failed to take whatever actions were necessary to force a vote. Because he allowed the gop to wrongfully withhold a vote. He could have gotten creative, but he didn't. Hence he failed. You can profer all the excuses in the world. The proof that you are wrong is the current situation. There are a lot of people whose lives are being destroyed because dems have a stick up their back sides and continue to fail to evaluate a credible threat.
When paths are not evident we dig in and create new ones. Are those efforts guaranteed to succeed, no. But inaction is guaranteed to secure failure. Accepting things have always been a certain way leads us to this clown show. Look at all the lawsuits from the dicktator (emphasis on ick) that have been pushed to overturn cannon, changes for the worse, etc. Everything from crushing 1st amendment rights, voting rights, personal rights over or bodies, to immunity for crimes and far beyond. Don't sit there and tell me there was nothing Obama could do. What he failed to do was to successfully appoint a justice to the Supreme Court.
When they go low,we go high is a failed policy. When they go low their feet must be swept out from under them. Now try to focus on fixing the wrongs with which we have been saddled. Take off the rose colored glasses and demand action vs the same lame old ways. They don't work anymore. In case it is still not clear to you, our future, our children's future, the future of the free world are all at risk.
Do I know it all, no. Neither do you. Neither did Obama. Own it, he failed on this point.
Anastasia, YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT. Obama was in the WH but republicans controlled both chambers of congress. And MITCH McCONNELL BLOCKED the Garland nomination…
“During former President Barack Obama's last term (2013–2017), Supreme Court nominees required 60 votes to overcome a filibuster and proceed to a final confirmation vote. The final confirmation vote itself needed only a simple majority (51 votes), but the 60-vote threshold was the practical requirement because of the potential for a filibuster.
***Key details on the voting process during Obama's second term:
The 60-vote supermajority was needed for a cloture vote to end debate and stop a filibuster by the opposing party.
The MERRICK GARLAND nomination: In 2016, during Obama's final year, Republicans used this process to block the nomination of Merrick Garland after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL did NOT allow a hearing or a vote on the nomination, arguing that a Supreme Court vacancy should not be filled during an election year.
AND GET THIS………
“The "nuclear option": The Senate rule was changed AFTER Obama left office. THEN In April 2017, Republicans used the "nuclear option" to lower the threshold for ending a filibuster on Supreme Court nominees to a simple majority (51 votes). This change was prompted by the Democratic filibuster of President Donald Trump's nominee, Neil Gorsuch.”
The Democrats just called and asked for money. I gave them a piece of my mind. A bunch of laid back spineless representatives. Newsom, Pritzer, AOC, Bernie, and a couple other Democrats are the only ones taking action. Imagine Schumer and Jefferies wanting a meeting with Trump over the shutdown. Don't they understand that Republicans are in control, both houses. They have the power. Democrats have no power. Let there be a shutdown so
Americans can see Republicans DON'T CARE ABOUT US.
They sent me a mail request to donate. I used the postage paid return envelope back to them with the message, "Get rid of Schumer and Jeffries and maybe then I'll contribute."
Dozens of Democrats are taking effective and you want to sabotage them by lifting up performative people who do nothing, either AOC and Bernie at the top of the list. They're not the ones fighting back.
I love Bernie's war on the oligarchy, and so do thousands and thousands of citizens who are flocking to see Senator Sanders and whoever else is with them. You should watch the video of him in West Virginia: or anywhere he speaks. He's an amazing guy who has been consistent over decades, wanting more for all, even people like you. Are you really a democrat? lol
I have watched more video of this bloviating man with lots of slogans and no plans than I care to think about, and each time I want to wrest off that bony pointing finger more and more. Yes, he has been "consistent", no doubt: he says the same thing over and over without adjusting to the times, the political landscape, opportunities or new ideas. He has zero ideas about how to accomplish his big slogans. One example: he shouts about "Medicare for All," but his 2020 campaign in 2020 website basically said "We'll wave a magic wand and do it." Less than 500 words. Elizabeth Warren had almost 10,000 words, laying out how to get there, something Bernie, whose big accomplishments in Congress were naming post offices, has no idea what to do. Are you even a Democrat? Lol. Or are you just one of those people who doesn't get your way all the time votes for Jill Stein and helped put Trump in office? No "lol" there.
Well, Bernie does have to fight both corporate democrats and republican/magas to get any support at all; because of the mistaken views they have on his party. And of course, you're mistaken views are included.
Bernie Sanders, in his 2016 campaign materials (not 2020), had universal health care (M4A) explicitly explained, with even how it would be paid for. Within his M4A he explained, all of us would be eligible for affordable health care (notice I didn't say insurance...I said actual health care.) With M4A, we would all be eligible for not only health care for the body, but additionally, mental health care; drug addiction treatment; home health increases so that more people could stay in their home (for the elderly and severely physically disabled); eye, hearing and dental care would be covered as well. There would have been no co-pays, no deductibles, and our regular taxes would suffice with a little increase for regular folks, and a bigger increase for the oligarchy.
All developed countries on Earth have some form of universal healthcare - except the U.S.A. Even smaller and poorer countries have a type of universal healthcare. It's quite apparent you've done little research in this area, as you wouldn't have been so critical with Senator Sanders' M4A. I wonder if you are one of those corporate democrats who refuse to pay for a poor person's medical care? So many corporate democrats get angry that they have to help the poor. Maybe you're one of those? I've no idea. But, though answering your childish questions and statements would be ridiculous; I did need to correct you on Bernie Sanders' M4A.
Thanks for teaching me who you are, as it's always good data to know. Good luck Ms. Pantsios: I wish you no harm. But I disagree with you wholeheartedly.
Bernie announced his wishlist but he never had a plan for how it would work — ever. Same with forgiving college debt. Berne likes to announce big idea, but he's not a policy person. I'll never forget the 2016 interview her he ws bloviating about "breaking up the big banks" if elected and the interviewer asked what powers the president had specifically to do this and he said he didn't know! That's Bernie — he doesn't know. He's got sweeping magnificent idea but no idea how to execute. And one of the ways he shoots his ideas in the foot, so to speak, is by spreading this smear about "corporate Democrats" who are largely a fiction — they are no more "corporate" than Bernie himself. H's a good bullshitter but when the rubber hits the road, Vermont's progressive senator is Peter Welch.
Don't change horses in midstream. People know what No Kings is and they're running ewith it. selling a new name would be a heavy lift. Let's not shoot ourselves in the foot arguing over branding. By the way, what's Newsom's branding as far as a national protest? None, because he's working in a different area. This is comparing apples and kumquats.
Tell me how was Obama guilty of not naming a supreme justice when Mitch McConnell was in the middle and both Senate and Congress were in majority.tell me...
Republicans were in control of the senate AND MITCH McCONNELL broke precedent and BLOCKED the Garland nomination…
“During former President Barack Obama's last term (2013–2017), Supreme Court nominees required 60 votes to overcome a filibuster and proceed to a final confirmation vote. The final confirmation vote itself needed only a simple majority (51 votes), but the 60-vote threshold was the practical requirement because of the potential for a filibuster.
***Key details on the voting process during Obama's second term:
The 60-vote supermajority was needed for a cloture vote to end debate and stop a filibuster by the opposing party.
The MERRICK GARLAND nomination: In 2016, during Obama's final year, Republicans used this process to block the nomination of Merrick Garland after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL DID NOT ALLOW a hearing or a vote on the nomination, arguing that a Supreme Court vacancy should not be filled during an election year.
AND GET THIS………
“The "nuclear option": The Senate rule was changed AFTER Obama left office. THEN In April 2017, Republicans used the "nuclear option" to lower the threshold for ending a filibuster on Supreme Court nominees to a simple majority (51 votes). This change was prompted by the Democratic filibuster of President Donald Trump's nominee, Neil Gorsuch.”
Obama nominated a justice. Big difference. Reps pull every dirty trick to get their way. So should have Obama. He didn't. Instead we got the "when they go low, we go high" nonsense. When they go low, we need to crush them at their own game. But we don't and they take power and screw up the world.
He could have appointed a Justice and paired political and legal recourse. Dems are too quick to accept scotus won't rule in their favor. Fight for it before you give up. If we lose, we lose fighting vs caving in.
Obama nominated a justice. Big difference. Reps pull every dirty trick to get their way. So should have Obama. He didn't. Instead we got the "when they go low, we go high" nonsense. When they go low, we need to crush them at their own game. But we don't and they take power and screw up the world.
He could have appointed a Justice and paired political and legal recourse. Dems are too quick to accept scotus won't rule in their favor. Fight for it before you give up. If we lose, we lose fighting vs caving in.
The Six Dark Lessons Roy Cohn Taught Trump (That He Still Uses Today) Berrett-Koehler Publishers https://tinyurl.com/mt5vnsa7
“Roy Cohn taught Donald Trump the six rules of managing and dominating situations and people. These are those rules and you can see them being utilized to this very day by the man to brutal ends (this is excerpted from the book, The Last American President):
1. Never apologize or admit wrongdoing, ever. Cohn viewed contrition as weakness and would rather die (literally, as it turned out) than acknowledge error or fault. As journalist Ken Auletta, who covered Cohn extensively, noted, “The idea that you can admit a mistake is not part of Roy’s genetic code.” This principle would become so fundamental to Trump’s approach that even faced with irrefutable evidence—a recorded confession of sexual assault on the Access Hollywood tape, for instance—he would deny, deflect, and attack rather than offer the slightest acknowledgment of impropriety.
2. Always counter-attack, and always with greater force than you received. When criticized or accused, Cohn’s response was invariably to hit back harder, to escalate, to make the accuser regret ever mentioning his name. As Cohn himself explained to a reporter: "I bring out the worst in my enemies, and that’s how I get them to defeat themselves.” This tactic became Trump’s signature move, whether attacking Gold Star parents who criticized him, mocking a disabled reporter who questioned his claims, or threatening critics with lawsuits and retribution.
3. Use the legal system as a weapon, not a recourse for justice. Cohn taught Trump that lawsuits were instruments of intimidation, not vehicles for dispute resolution. He filed cases not to win—though winning was nice—but to punish, to harass, and to silence. The expense and stress of litigation was the point, not the legal outcome. Trump would eventually be involved in over 3,500 lawsuits—an unprecedented number for any American businessperson or politician—using the courts not to seek justice but to exhaust opponents with fewer resources.
4. Manipulate the media ruthlessly. Cohn was a master at planting stories, cultivating journalists, and creating controversy to serve his ends. He understood that perception trumped reality, that bold claims often went unchallenged, and that most people would remember the accusation but not the retraction. Trump elevated this approach to an art form, calling reporters using pseudonyms like “John Barron” to plant favorable stories about himself, staging pseudo-events to attract coverage, and later, using Twitter to bypass media filters entirely and inject his unfiltered messages directly into the public consciousness.
5. Use fear as both shield and sword. Cohn understood that people who are afraid—of communists, of crime, of social change, of the “other”—are easier to manipulate and more willing to accept authoritarian solutions. He helped McCarthy weaponize the Red Scare, stoking paranoia about secret communists undermining America from within. Trump would adapt this tactic to the 21st century, stoking fears about immigrants, Muslims, “inner city” crime, and later, a “deep state” conspiracy, always positioning himself as the only solution to these terrifying threats.
6. Build a fortress of loyalty around yourself. Cohn demanded absolute devotion from his clients and associates, and he repaid it in kind, at least until they were no longer useful. He created a network of mutual obligation and fear that served as both sword and shield in his battles. Trump’s infamous demand for loyalty—from James Comey, from his cabinet members, from Republican legislators—and his swift punishment of perceived disloyalty, all echo Cohn’s approach to power.”
Case: United States v. Fred C. Trump, Donald Trump, and Trump Management, Inc. 1:73-01529 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (1977) https://tinyurl.com/3pzbrd5z
The complaint alleged that the firm had committed systemic violations of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 in their many complexes--39 buildings, between them containing over 14,000 apartments. The Trumps retained Roy Cohn, former aide to Senator Joseph McCarthy, to defend them; they counter-claimed against the government, seeking $100 million in damages for defamation. After two years, the matter settled with a consent decree, signed June 10, 1975. The Justice Department called the decree “one of the most far-reaching ever negotiated.” In his autobiography, Donald Trump took a different view: “In the end the government couldn’t prove its case, and we ended up making a minor settlement without admitting any guilt.”
Fred Trump and Roy Cohn: The Voices Inside Trump’s Head | The president can’t shake the oppressive, domineering beliefs of his two biggest role models. Washington Monthly, March 22, 2017 https://tinyurl.com/5avdyk6j
“There’s an unquenchable thirst for validation and love. That’s why he can never stay quiet, even when it would be wise strategically or emotionally to hold back.” That “unquenchable thirst” is driven by the voices inside the president’s head of Fred Trump and Roy Cohn—both of whom are now gone—because he assumes that they would see him as weak and unsuccessful if he admitted to being wrong.
Ever since Comey upended the election of Hillary Clinton, I have written him off as a self-important a**hole coupled with a healthy dose of misogyny. I don’t like him one bit, but this is what a witch hunt looks like.
I had a personal experience with a bully when I was nine years old. It’s a long story, but the point is we moved next-door to a 13-year-old boy who had bullied me for years. One day he and his friends came by and attacked me and I’d had enough. I beat the living shit out of him and sent him screaming for his mother, even though he was bigger than I was by a lot. I learned that day there is only one way to deal with a bully. You stand up to them because if you don’t, they’ll keep coming back. By the way, when I started beating on him, his friends deserted him because they were terrified of me. I became a neighborhood legend.
Good for you. I had a similar experience when I was about 10. The neighbor bully picked on me all the time. Finally one day I had had enough and something in me just snapped. I punched that kid so hard, knocked him down, and beat the crap out of him, bloodied his nose and he ran home, crying for his mommy!
Of course, his mommy came to our house and threw a hissy fit. But my mother defended me.
It really is the only way you can deal with a bully. It’s the only thing they understand. And when you beat the shit out of them, especially if you’re a girl, it ruins their whole bully reputation, and they avoid you like the plague. Because my bully never bothered me again after I disgraced him in front of the entire neighborhood. Decades later, I attended the wedding of his brother. He was from a family of 10 children. I walked over and said hello to him and the whole table laughed because everybody remembered what I did to him.
Michael, I have said it before, my husband and I really like you and glad you're on here. And yes we feel sorry for what happened to you. Comey may have done things against you, but you got no support from Trump. But Michael this is bigger than you. This about using the DOJ as a weapon for Trump’s political foes. Now it is Comey. Who knows who is next? It could any of us. I hope the indictment is thrown out. Let that be the spectacle we all see. And will I feel sorry for the new prosecutor? No. She has made a choice: Trump or her career.
They have indicted, but the "big lie" Comey told appears to have nothing to do with Russiagate. It's an old story about a discrepancy between what Comey and McCabe said about talking to the media about the Clinton Foundation (another irony). It's the same charge they used against McCabe when they fired him. It's been investigated by the IG, John Durham, Bill Barr, not to mention the line prosecutors and the (fired) US Attorney in E. VA - all of whom said there wasn't enough to charge and win. The replacement Trump girl insurance attorney who's never prosecuted anything didn't even know what charging papers had been submitted to the court, even though she signed them. I suspect there will be additional resignations in response to this. With every move like this, Trump further erodes our faith in the justice system- which is his aim.
Michael, I agree with you 1000%. I never liked Comey. trump is out to get vengeance on an extremely long list of people. No one is safe. Your warnings need to be heeded.
"Show me the man and I will show you the crime" is a phrase from the Stalin era in the Soviet Union times, I think. We're in a US version of it now.
Dt and his regime are following the play books of the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation Project 2025 and Authoritarian ideologies. Yep, resistance is a necessary tool against this horrendous government.
If anyone thought Trump wasn't going to be out for blood this time they were kidding themselves. He's out for blood and he keeps getting revenge. The only possible way to stay off his radar is to make sure you have something even more incriminating about him up your sleeve and pray to God it's enough to keep you safe. Good luck 🤞
I don’t stand with James Comey. He absolutely threw the 2016 election to djt by standing up and claiming HRC had undisclosed e-mails. If he had not done that, chances are we would not be in this unfathomable hell. He reaped what he sowed. Karma is a bitch, especially apropos from the holier than thou Comey.
I completely agree about Comey’s egregious actions against Hillary costing us the election, and maybe this is Karma coming for him, but I also think the case will get thrown out of court since it’s obvious retribution on the part of Trump.
I'll never forgive Comey for cheating Hillary Clinton out of the Presidency. Hope he isn't sleeping well now that the archfiend he helped elect has turned on him.
In Comey’s case, although I’d hate for Trump to get a “win “, I still blame him for bringing Trump to power in the first place by announcing a new investigation of Hillary Clinton in days leading up to the election. It cost her the election, which I’m convinced she would otherwise have won. What a different country we would be in today.
His subsequent statements in the months and years since then, trying to convince us that it was an innocent misstep, and if he EVER thought he cost her the election, that REALLY wasn’t his intention is a total crock of 💩
Michael, have you ever gone to speak with members of Congress? Both sides of the aisle? You are such an articulate writer and communicator, I sincerely believe you can reach the ears with your firsthand concerns to these people calling the shots. I hope you can make that happen. Sincerely I do.
Isn’t it ironic that Comey helped Trump get elected in 2016 with the Hillary emails?
I've been thinking the same thing. Without Comey breaking FBI protocol and revealing a "new" nothing burger of an "investigation" a week and a half before the 2016 election, there's an excellent chance Trump would've never been elected. Comey's little "revelation," which turned out to be no revelation at all, garnered more front-page stories in the NY Times in the six days before the election than ALL policy issues combined in the previous 69 days (Columbia Journalism Review study etched into my brain). "Her emails" literally won him the presidency. Trump should've sent Comey flowers. What this proves is that you can never do enough for Trump: one slip, one remark, and it's all wiped away, and you're the enemy. He needs 100% fealty 100% of the time.
I thought the timing of that investigation was suspect from the start, especially after it was proven no sensitive information was on those private servers. Not like some members of the current administration has done with Signal & papers left on public copiers.
ikm is a scammer troll with a fake account. Don’t hit the link it’s Spam. Reported and blocked.
I was making fun of the idiot. That's not informative just plain idiotic.
??????? 😊
I blame all of this on Comey, as I feel he's the one who handed the first Trump win to him, basically because Hilary had a computer.
And she's a successful, educated woman who has a D behind her name.
I personally know people who changed their votes because of that little bs investigation.
I canvassed in the inner city of Cleveland talking mostly to Black voters. I heard repeatedly "Of course I'd never vote for Trump but I just don't like Hillary." When I asked why the answer was inevitably "I keep hearing about her emails." When The NY Times made James Comey's last-minute letter the most viral story of the campaign's final week, that cemented those people's lack of interest in voting. I strongly believe Comey lost the election for Hillary and installed Trump in the White House. But like I said, you can never be loyal enough for Trump.
What goes around, comes around!
That was going to be my exact comment!! dumpty should be throwing Comey a party...I am totally against dumpty going after his for revenge but this should be a lesson to all his 'loyal' people....ANYONE, ANYONE can be his target....even his own kids.
Such a revelation, sigh. Why isn't there a gathering of Trump's former contractors, "Trump U" students he screwed, etc? Cohen was Trump's fixer! Pence his VP! Isn't everyone scared enough already? The GOP-led Senate just voted down releasing the Epstein docs. He got them to fall in line, now his goal is everybody. Welcome to the United States of Trumporea.
Perfect.
Can you imagine what he would do to Ivanka if she came out and said daddy banged me when I was 13.
ABSOLUTELY. I hold him responsible for so much of this destruction. He broke rules that led to current destruction.
Yes ironic
I thought the same thing, lost all respect for him after that stunt! So now the big orange guy comes after him… haha
I say that all the time. You'd think he would feel a modicum of gratitude, but then, gratitude, like empathy, are emotions foreign to the short-fingered vulgarian.
There is little justice with the Supreme Court, since they (at least the majority of them) have given up being a separate branch of the government.
If Comey hadn't been so careless and gifted Trump his win,none of us would be in this nightmare. Had Obama stood up and named a Justice to the Supreme Court, we wouldn't be in this nightmare. Had all the election "irregularities " been pursued,going back to Gore,we wouldn't be in this nightmare. When will dems start making real moves?
He did name a justice. Blame Mitch McConnell, the ultimate hypocrite. Burn in hell, Mitch.
He NOMINATED a justice. Obama failed. Reps use every dirty trick in the book to get their way. Dems? They just dictate their own for unpleasantness. Fight fire with fire or get consumed. Proof? See the world today.
Obama could not confirm a justice, only nominee one, He did that. He did not fail because he didn't do something he couldn't do. We need to stop this circular Russian roulette. "The world today" isn't proof of Obama's failure. Sheesh.
Well said.GOP guilty of so many dirty tricks.
Sounds like you approved of this tryany
Sounds like you're dense
Tell me why,know it all
Because he failed to take whatever actions were necessary to force a vote. Because he allowed the gop to wrongfully withhold a vote. He could have gotten creative, but he didn't. Hence he failed. You can profer all the excuses in the world. The proof that you are wrong is the current situation. There are a lot of people whose lives are being destroyed because dems have a stick up their back sides and continue to fail to evaluate a credible threat.
When paths are not evident we dig in and create new ones. Are those efforts guaranteed to succeed, no. But inaction is guaranteed to secure failure. Accepting things have always been a certain way leads us to this clown show. Look at all the lawsuits from the dicktator (emphasis on ick) that have been pushed to overturn cannon, changes for the worse, etc. Everything from crushing 1st amendment rights, voting rights, personal rights over or bodies, to immunity for crimes and far beyond. Don't sit there and tell me there was nothing Obama could do. What he failed to do was to successfully appoint a justice to the Supreme Court.
When they go low,we go high is a failed policy. When they go low their feet must be swept out from under them. Now try to focus on fixing the wrongs with which we have been saddled. Take off the rose colored glasses and demand action vs the same lame old ways. They don't work anymore. In case it is still not clear to you, our future, our children's future, the future of the free world are all at risk.
Do I know it all, no. Neither do you. Neither did Obama. Own it, he failed on this point.
Anastasia, YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT. Obama was in the WH but republicans controlled both chambers of congress. And MITCH McCONNELL BLOCKED the Garland nomination…
“During former President Barack Obama's last term (2013–2017), Supreme Court nominees required 60 votes to overcome a filibuster and proceed to a final confirmation vote. The final confirmation vote itself needed only a simple majority (51 votes), but the 60-vote threshold was the practical requirement because of the potential for a filibuster.
***Key details on the voting process during Obama's second term:
The 60-vote supermajority was needed for a cloture vote to end debate and stop a filibuster by the opposing party.
The MERRICK GARLAND nomination: In 2016, during Obama's final year, Republicans used this process to block the nomination of Merrick Garland after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL did NOT allow a hearing or a vote on the nomination, arguing that a Supreme Court vacancy should not be filled during an election year.
AND GET THIS………
“The "nuclear option": The Senate rule was changed AFTER Obama left office. THEN In April 2017, Republicans used the "nuclear option" to lower the threshold for ending a filibuster on Supreme Court nominees to a simple majority (51 votes). This change was prompted by the Democratic filibuster of President Donald Trump's nominee, Neil Gorsuch.”
The Democrats just called and asked for money. I gave them a piece of my mind. A bunch of laid back spineless representatives. Newsom, Pritzer, AOC, Bernie, and a couple other Democrats are the only ones taking action. Imagine Schumer and Jefferies wanting a meeting with Trump over the shutdown. Don't they understand that Republicans are in control, both houses. They have the power. Democrats have no power. Let there be a shutdown so
Americans can see Republicans DON'T CARE ABOUT US.
They sent me a mail request to donate. I used the postage paid return envelope back to them with the message, "Get rid of Schumer and Jeffries and maybe then I'll contribute."
Rubbish you ass Republican. Take a look at your criminal element called trump and Maga.
The awful truth is some dems will cave, repubs need 60 votes to pass this bill. Schumer and Jeffries will be at the head of the line!
No, Fetterman has already caved.
Fetterman's stroke changed him into a maga, unfortunately.
Absolutely amazing, right?
Don't think so, unless GOP stops with taking away Medical and other issues. Like the food for our children our veterans etc.
You are on wrong site. You need to go to Trump's site.you are welcome there.
Dozens of Democrats are taking effective and you want to sabotage them by lifting up performative people who do nothing, either AOC and Bernie at the top of the list. They're not the ones fighting back.
I love Bernie's war on the oligarchy, and so do thousands and thousands of citizens who are flocking to see Senator Sanders and whoever else is with them. You should watch the video of him in West Virginia: or anywhere he speaks. He's an amazing guy who has been consistent over decades, wanting more for all, even people like you. Are you really a democrat? lol
I have watched more video of this bloviating man with lots of slogans and no plans than I care to think about, and each time I want to wrest off that bony pointing finger more and more. Yes, he has been "consistent", no doubt: he says the same thing over and over without adjusting to the times, the political landscape, opportunities or new ideas. He has zero ideas about how to accomplish his big slogans. One example: he shouts about "Medicare for All," but his 2020 campaign in 2020 website basically said "We'll wave a magic wand and do it." Less than 500 words. Elizabeth Warren had almost 10,000 words, laying out how to get there, something Bernie, whose big accomplishments in Congress were naming post offices, has no idea what to do. Are you even a Democrat? Lol. Or are you just one of those people who doesn't get your way all the time votes for Jill Stein and helped put Trump in office? No "lol" there.
Well, Bernie does have to fight both corporate democrats and republican/magas to get any support at all; because of the mistaken views they have on his party. And of course, you're mistaken views are included.
Bernie Sanders, in his 2016 campaign materials (not 2020), had universal health care (M4A) explicitly explained, with even how it would be paid for. Within his M4A he explained, all of us would be eligible for affordable health care (notice I didn't say insurance...I said actual health care.) With M4A, we would all be eligible for not only health care for the body, but additionally, mental health care; drug addiction treatment; home health increases so that more people could stay in their home (for the elderly and severely physically disabled); eye, hearing and dental care would be covered as well. There would have been no co-pays, no deductibles, and our regular taxes would suffice with a little increase for regular folks, and a bigger increase for the oligarchy.
All developed countries on Earth have some form of universal healthcare - except the U.S.A. Even smaller and poorer countries have a type of universal healthcare. It's quite apparent you've done little research in this area, as you wouldn't have been so critical with Senator Sanders' M4A. I wonder if you are one of those corporate democrats who refuse to pay for a poor person's medical care? So many corporate democrats get angry that they have to help the poor. Maybe you're one of those? I've no idea. But, though answering your childish questions and statements would be ridiculous; I did need to correct you on Bernie Sanders' M4A.
Thanks for teaching me who you are, as it's always good data to know. Good luck Ms. Pantsios: I wish you no harm. But I disagree with you wholeheartedly.
Bernie announced his wishlist but he never had a plan for how it would work — ever. Same with forgiving college debt. Berne likes to announce big idea, but he's not a policy person. I'll never forget the 2016 interview her he ws bloviating about "breaking up the big banks" if elected and the interviewer asked what powers the president had specifically to do this and he said he didn't know! That's Bernie — he doesn't know. He's got sweeping magnificent idea but no idea how to execute. And one of the ways he shoots his ideas in the foot, so to speak, is by spreading this smear about "corporate Democrats" who are largely a fiction — they are no more "corporate" than Bernie himself. H's a good bullshitter but when the rubber hits the road, Vermont's progressive senator is Peter Welch.
The time for talk is over. Actions are needed or there will be nothing to fight for.
Get ready for Oct 18 No Kings Day. There needs to be a massive turnout, more than 3.5% of the US population.
How about change the branding. No Kings protest sounds old and weak. It's not that hard. See what Newsome is doing great. That was long overdue.
Don't change horses in midstream. People know what No Kings is and they're running ewith it. selling a new name would be a heavy lift. Let's not shoot ourselves in the foot arguing over branding. By the way, what's Newsom's branding as far as a national protest? None, because he's working in a different area. This is comparing apples and kumquats.
Obama did name a justice, mcconnell refused to bring his nomination to the floor.
Nominated
Tell me how was Obama guilty of not naming a supreme justice when Mitch McConnell was in the middle and both Senate and Congress were in majority.tell me...
WRONG.
Republicans were in control of the senate AND MITCH McCONNELL broke precedent and BLOCKED the Garland nomination…
“During former President Barack Obama's last term (2013–2017), Supreme Court nominees required 60 votes to overcome a filibuster and proceed to a final confirmation vote. The final confirmation vote itself needed only a simple majority (51 votes), but the 60-vote threshold was the practical requirement because of the potential for a filibuster.
***Key details on the voting process during Obama's second term:
The 60-vote supermajority was needed for a cloture vote to end debate and stop a filibuster by the opposing party.
The MERRICK GARLAND nomination: In 2016, during Obama's final year, Republicans used this process to block the nomination of Merrick Garland after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL DID NOT ALLOW a hearing or a vote on the nomination, arguing that a Supreme Court vacancy should not be filled during an election year.
AND GET THIS………
“The "nuclear option": The Senate rule was changed AFTER Obama left office. THEN In April 2017, Republicans used the "nuclear option" to lower the threshold for ending a filibuster on Supreme Court nominees to a simple majority (51 votes). This change was prompted by the Democratic filibuster of President Donald Trump's nominee, Neil Gorsuch.”
NOT WRONG
Obama nominated a justice. Big difference. Reps pull every dirty trick to get their way. So should have Obama. He didn't. Instead we got the "when they go low, we go high" nonsense. When they go low, we need to crush them at their own game. But we don't and they take power and screw up the world.
He could have appointed a Justice and paired political and legal recourse. Dems are too quick to accept scotus won't rule in their favor. Fight for it before you give up. If we lose, we lose fighting vs caving in.
NOT WRONG
Obama nominated a justice. Big difference. Reps pull every dirty trick to get their way. So should have Obama. He didn't. Instead we got the "when they go low, we go high" nonsense. When they go low, we need to crush them at their own game. But we don't and they take power and screw up the world.
He could have appointed a Justice and paired political and legal recourse. Dems are too quick to accept scotus won't rule in their favor. Fight for it before you give up. If we lose, we lose fighting vs caving in.
The Six Dark Lessons Roy Cohn Taught Trump (That He Still Uses Today) Berrett-Koehler Publishers https://tinyurl.com/mt5vnsa7
“Roy Cohn taught Donald Trump the six rules of managing and dominating situations and people. These are those rules and you can see them being utilized to this very day by the man to brutal ends (this is excerpted from the book, The Last American President):
1. Never apologize or admit wrongdoing, ever. Cohn viewed contrition as weakness and would rather die (literally, as it turned out) than acknowledge error or fault. As journalist Ken Auletta, who covered Cohn extensively, noted, “The idea that you can admit a mistake is not part of Roy’s genetic code.” This principle would become so fundamental to Trump’s approach that even faced with irrefutable evidence—a recorded confession of sexual assault on the Access Hollywood tape, for instance—he would deny, deflect, and attack rather than offer the slightest acknowledgment of impropriety.
2. Always counter-attack, and always with greater force than you received. When criticized or accused, Cohn’s response was invariably to hit back harder, to escalate, to make the accuser regret ever mentioning his name. As Cohn himself explained to a reporter: "I bring out the worst in my enemies, and that’s how I get them to defeat themselves.” This tactic became Trump’s signature move, whether attacking Gold Star parents who criticized him, mocking a disabled reporter who questioned his claims, or threatening critics with lawsuits and retribution.
3. Use the legal system as a weapon, not a recourse for justice. Cohn taught Trump that lawsuits were instruments of intimidation, not vehicles for dispute resolution. He filed cases not to win—though winning was nice—but to punish, to harass, and to silence. The expense and stress of litigation was the point, not the legal outcome. Trump would eventually be involved in over 3,500 lawsuits—an unprecedented number for any American businessperson or politician—using the courts not to seek justice but to exhaust opponents with fewer resources.
4. Manipulate the media ruthlessly. Cohn was a master at planting stories, cultivating journalists, and creating controversy to serve his ends. He understood that perception trumped reality, that bold claims often went unchallenged, and that most people would remember the accusation but not the retraction. Trump elevated this approach to an art form, calling reporters using pseudonyms like “John Barron” to plant favorable stories about himself, staging pseudo-events to attract coverage, and later, using Twitter to bypass media filters entirely and inject his unfiltered messages directly into the public consciousness.
5. Use fear as both shield and sword. Cohn understood that people who are afraid—of communists, of crime, of social change, of the “other”—are easier to manipulate and more willing to accept authoritarian solutions. He helped McCarthy weaponize the Red Scare, stoking paranoia about secret communists undermining America from within. Trump would adapt this tactic to the 21st century, stoking fears about immigrants, Muslims, “inner city” crime, and later, a “deep state” conspiracy, always positioning himself as the only solution to these terrifying threats.
6. Build a fortress of loyalty around yourself. Cohn demanded absolute devotion from his clients and associates, and he repaid it in kind, at least until they were no longer useful. He created a network of mutual obligation and fear that served as both sword and shield in his battles. Trump’s infamous demand for loyalty—from James Comey, from his cabinet members, from Republican legislators—and his swift punishment of perceived disloyalty, all echo Cohn’s approach to power.”
Case: United States v. Fred C. Trump, Donald Trump, and Trump Management, Inc. 1:73-01529 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (1977) https://tinyurl.com/3pzbrd5z
The complaint alleged that the firm had committed systemic violations of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 in their many complexes--39 buildings, between them containing over 14,000 apartments. The Trumps retained Roy Cohn, former aide to Senator Joseph McCarthy, to defend them; they counter-claimed against the government, seeking $100 million in damages for defamation. After two years, the matter settled with a consent decree, signed June 10, 1975. The Justice Department called the decree “one of the most far-reaching ever negotiated.” In his autobiography, Donald Trump took a different view: “In the end the government couldn’t prove its case, and we ended up making a minor settlement without admitting any guilt.”
Fred Trump and Roy Cohn: The Voices Inside Trump’s Head | The president can’t shake the oppressive, domineering beliefs of his two biggest role models. Washington Monthly, March 22, 2017 https://tinyurl.com/5avdyk6j
“There’s an unquenchable thirst for validation and love. That’s why he can never stay quiet, even when it would be wise strategically or emotionally to hold back.” That “unquenchable thirst” is driven by the voices inside the president’s head of Fred Trump and Roy Cohn—both of whom are now gone—because he assumes that they would see him as weak and unsuccessful if he admitted to being wrong.
In addition, Fred Trump taught DJT that in order to get what you want, you have to be killer.
Absolutely! See separate reply to main post. Thank you!
Ever since Comey upended the election of Hillary Clinton, I have written him off as a self-important a**hole coupled with a healthy dose of misogyny. I don’t like him one bit, but this is what a witch hunt looks like.
Comey MADE Trump. But no amount of favor is ever enough for the bottomlessly needy Trump.
I had a personal experience with a bully when I was nine years old. It’s a long story, but the point is we moved next-door to a 13-year-old boy who had bullied me for years. One day he and his friends came by and attacked me and I’d had enough. I beat the living shit out of him and sent him screaming for his mother, even though he was bigger than I was by a lot. I learned that day there is only one way to deal with a bully. You stand up to them because if you don’t, they’ll keep coming back. By the way, when I started beating on him, his friends deserted him because they were terrified of me. I became a neighborhood legend.
I hit the neighborhood bully over the head with a bat when I was 6. I get it.
Kindred spirits!
Good for you. I had a similar experience when I was about 10. The neighbor bully picked on me all the time. Finally one day I had had enough and something in me just snapped. I punched that kid so hard, knocked him down, and beat the crap out of him, bloodied his nose and he ran home, crying for his mommy!
Of course, his mommy came to our house and threw a hissy fit. But my mother defended me.
And he never bothered me again!
It really is the only way you can deal with a bully. It’s the only thing they understand. And when you beat the shit out of them, especially if you’re a girl, it ruins their whole bully reputation, and they avoid you like the plague. Because my bully never bothered me again after I disgraced him in front of the entire neighborhood. Decades later, I attended the wedding of his brother. He was from a family of 10 children. I walked over and said hello to him and the whole table laughed because everybody remembered what I did to him.
That’s such a great story! Thanks for sharing it with me!
Michael, I have said it before, my husband and I really like you and glad you're on here. And yes we feel sorry for what happened to you. Comey may have done things against you, but you got no support from Trump. But Michael this is bigger than you. This about using the DOJ as a weapon for Trump’s political foes. Now it is Comey. Who knows who is next? It could any of us. I hope the indictment is thrown out. Let that be the spectacle we all see. And will I feel sorry for the new prosecutor? No. She has made a choice: Trump or her career.
Would it be funny if the grand jury didn't bring charges.
Good chance they won't; good chance a judge will throw this out as quickly as his lawsuit against The NY Times. But then Trump can rail against them.
They have indicted, but the "big lie" Comey told appears to have nothing to do with Russiagate. It's an old story about a discrepancy between what Comey and McCabe said about talking to the media about the Clinton Foundation (another irony). It's the same charge they used against McCabe when they fired him. It's been investigated by the IG, John Durham, Bill Barr, not to mention the line prosecutors and the (fired) US Attorney in E. VA - all of whom said there wasn't enough to charge and win. The replacement Trump girl insurance attorney who's never prosecuted anything didn't even know what charging papers had been submitted to the court, even though she signed them. I suspect there will be additional resignations in response to this. With every move like this, Trump further erodes our faith in the justice system- which is his aim.
Michael, I agree with you 1000%. I never liked Comey. trump is out to get vengeance on an extremely long list of people. No one is safe. Your warnings need to be heeded.
"Show me the man and I will show you the crime" is a phrase from the Stalin era in the Soviet Union times, I think. We're in a US version of it now.
Dt and his regime are following the play books of the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation Project 2025 and Authoritarian ideologies. Yep, resistance is a necessary tool against this horrendous government.
If anyone thought Trump wasn't going to be out for blood this time they were kidding themselves. He's out for blood and he keeps getting revenge. The only possible way to stay off his radar is to make sure you have something even more incriminating about him up your sleeve and pray to God it's enough to keep you safe. Good luck 🤞
Yep. We got the 2.0 version. Trumpian corruption and devious tactics on steroids.
He’s like leatherface, from chainsaw massacre.
And Trump is the weapon of mass destruction!
We all stand with Jim Comey. He is a brave defender of democracy. Here is a poem inspired by his fight against fascism: https://democracydefender2025.substack.com/p/jim-comey-8647
I don’t stand with James Comey. He absolutely threw the 2016 election to djt by standing up and claiming HRC had undisclosed e-mails. If he had not done that, chances are we would not be in this unfathomable hell. He reaped what he sowed. Karma is a bitch, especially apropos from the holier than thou Comey.
I completely agree about Comey’s egregious actions against Hillary costing us the election, and maybe this is Karma coming for him, but I also think the case will get thrown out of court since it’s obvious retribution on the part of Trump.
No. No we don't 😡
I'll never forgive Comey for cheating Hillary Clinton out of the Presidency. Hope he isn't sleeping well now that the archfiend he helped elect has turned on him.
"We all"?! Not me. People with outsized egos need to be shunned.
In Comey’s case, although I’d hate for Trump to get a “win “, I still blame him for bringing Trump to power in the first place by announcing a new investigation of Hillary Clinton in days leading up to the election. It cost her the election, which I’m convinced she would otherwise have won. What a different country we would be in today.
His subsequent statements in the months and years since then, trying to convince us that it was an innocent misstep, and if he EVER thought he cost her the election, that REALLY wasn’t his intention is a total crock of 💩
Yet nothing is done about T-rump and accountability for his SA… Epstein! He’ll do anything to use as a distraction
funny, Comey is the one who made a fuss about Hillary's emails days before the election. Trump owes Comey a lot for getting him elected in 2016.
Michael, have you ever gone to speak with members of Congress? Both sides of the aisle? You are such an articulate writer and communicator, I sincerely believe you can reach the ears with your firsthand concerns to these people calling the shots. I hope you can make that happen. Sincerely I do.
Trump must be made to feel the pain of what he has inflicted on the American people. one way or another.
Can this backfire on tRump?
God we all hope and pray!
It will. It doesn't stop him. He bludgeons on like a bull in a china shop.