The refrain section today drives home an important point. There is no evidence. I know people who are educated, some with advanced degrees, who believe every piece of crap that comes out about the “stolen election “. The evidence comes from some site like stupidfarrightbullshit.com or something and when asked to provide ANYTHING from a credible source they go crazy. It is so sad. Anyway, thanks for what you do Jamie. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
I can't tell you how many times I *STILL* get messages from people who send me links to stories from some website that no one has ever heard of. There was one just this past week which said that Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger had been arrested for treason - and that was shown to me as EVIDENCE of vote rigging. 3 years later - and they still don't have anything.
Reminds me of the story of how Epoch Times delivered free print editions to households in swing districts. My mom received a copy on 2020 in a GA district.
Unfortunately it’s a cult pure and simple and TFG is their leader. The brainwashing manipulation tactics used to control people have been on full display and some in the GOP have no shame being a flying monkey and incorporating some of those same tactics on the American people to keep the grift going for political points. It’s really a shame. Honestly I don’t blame the “followers” bc once you fall in the rabbit hole it’s hard to get out regardless of your IQ. I read somewhere or heard on a podcast(it’s legit I promise! Have to find it, might be Radiolab or something by Steve Hassan, MD) that science shows similar changes to the brain between someone who falls victim to a cult/narcissistic relationship and some who become addicted to drugs. There’s an actual rewiring of the brain. It’s scary really. I blame the flying monkeys more than the followers or even the leader. The leader is obviously crazy and delusional and needs help and the followers have been duped, while the flying monkeys know exactly whats going on but they need to keep the gravy train moving for personal gain. Anyway, yeah, super scary.
Thanks for working late to get that Michigan news into today’s newsletter for us. I just finished reading the News coverage. According to today’s front page story in the Detroit News, RNC chair Ronna McDaniel is on tape helping 45 to pressure Michigan election officials not to sign the certification, saying "If you can go home tonight, do not sign it. ... We will get you attorneys." If that recording is verified, I’m wondering how the RNC chair now dodges a conspiracy indictment.
Also, Michigan SOS Jocelyn Benson put things into context via this tweet late Thursday after the Press story went up online: As this news unfolds it’s worth reminding that in 2020 Michigan was first among the battlegrounds to go in the certification calendar. Had Trump succeeded in delaying or preventing a county or statewide certification in Michigan, that precedent would have been used to delay or block certification in Pennsylvania (which was certifying the following week), Georgia and so on, paving the way for the false slate of electors. We knew we were the first domino to go and that what Michigan did would impact the others.
No one is saying that Trump had no right to contest the election results. Trump had every right to make sure all of the votes were counted properly. But Trump had no right to constantly make false charges and use that as the basis for overturning an election - and as the basis for bum rushing the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Michigan has already brought charges against the fake GOP electors for Trump. This would seem like something else for that state as well.
I had the same thought. Why now? Maybe the person with the tapes is under pressure in the Michigan electors case? I don't know. It just seems odd to be flushed out 3 years later.
Merry Christmas, Jamie and thanks for your amazing reporting for the last three years! I look forward to your pithy headings and brilliant observations for many years to come! 🎄😊🎄
Thanks for noting the closed railway crossings from Mexico. I missed that, but a quick search explained:
• The White House also repeated that U.S. Homeland Security Department officials shut down the two crossings to "stop a large movement of migrants coming by rail and to protect the health and safety of its personnel." (Reuters)
Also, the thousands of immigrants now flooding the country, include many women with children. I wonder how many newborns will soon be new Americans thanks to birthright citizenship? How will the deportation of these new American citizens be considered when aggressive "border protection" gets involved?
I'm pretty liberal, but I think birthright citizenship needs to end. Lots of other democracies base citizenship on something other than where your mom happened to be when she gave birth to you. Also, there are entire industries for bringing pregnant Chinese and Russian women here to give birth (in luxury, of course) so their kids can come back any time they want, even though those kids will be now be American in any sense except "birthright." They will be loyal citizens of dictatorships that are hostile to the US. That is a VERY bad situation.
I tend to agree but such a change would be more symbolic than real since several million undocumented people already live, work and pay taxes in America, adding billions of dollars to the economy and work force.
Wikipedia has an article describing the "birth tourism" you noted.
The refrain section today drives home an important point. There is no evidence. I know people who are educated, some with advanced degrees, who believe every piece of crap that comes out about the “stolen election “. The evidence comes from some site like stupidfarrightbullshit.com or something and when asked to provide ANYTHING from a credible source they go crazy. It is so sad. Anyway, thanks for what you do Jamie. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
I can't tell you how many times I *STILL* get messages from people who send me links to stories from some website that no one has ever heard of. There was one just this past week which said that Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger had been arrested for treason - and that was shown to me as EVIDENCE of vote rigging. 3 years later - and they still don't have anything.
Reminds me of the story of how Epoch Times delivered free print editions to households in swing districts. My mom received a copy on 2020 in a GA district.
Unfortunately it’s a cult pure and simple and TFG is their leader. The brainwashing manipulation tactics used to control people have been on full display and some in the GOP have no shame being a flying monkey and incorporating some of those same tactics on the American people to keep the grift going for political points. It’s really a shame. Honestly I don’t blame the “followers” bc once you fall in the rabbit hole it’s hard to get out regardless of your IQ. I read somewhere or heard on a podcast(it’s legit I promise! Have to find it, might be Radiolab or something by Steve Hassan, MD) that science shows similar changes to the brain between someone who falls victim to a cult/narcissistic relationship and some who become addicted to drugs. There’s an actual rewiring of the brain. It’s scary really. I blame the flying monkeys more than the followers or even the leader. The leader is obviously crazy and delusional and needs help and the followers have been duped, while the flying monkeys know exactly whats going on but they need to keep the gravy train moving for personal gain. Anyway, yeah, super scary.
Thanks for working late to get that Michigan news into today’s newsletter for us. I just finished reading the News coverage. According to today’s front page story in the Detroit News, RNC chair Ronna McDaniel is on tape helping 45 to pressure Michigan election officials not to sign the certification, saying "If you can go home tonight, do not sign it. ... We will get you attorneys." If that recording is verified, I’m wondering how the RNC chair now dodges a conspiracy indictment.
Also, Michigan SOS Jocelyn Benson put things into context via this tweet late Thursday after the Press story went up online: As this news unfolds it’s worth reminding that in 2020 Michigan was first among the battlegrounds to go in the certification calendar. Had Trump succeeded in delaying or preventing a county or statewide certification in Michigan, that precedent would have been used to delay or block certification in Pennsylvania (which was certifying the following week), Georgia and so on, paving the way for the false slate of electors. We knew we were the first domino to go and that what Michigan did would impact the others.
No one is saying that Trump had no right to contest the election results. Trump had every right to make sure all of the votes were counted properly. But Trump had no right to constantly make false charges and use that as the basis for overturning an election - and as the basis for bum rushing the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Michigan has already brought charges against the fake GOP electors for Trump. This would seem like something else for that state as well.
It’s interesting that unlike Georgia, someone in Michigan sat on those tapes for a hell of a long time. The natural question as yet unanswered: why?
I had the same thought. Why now? Maybe the person with the tapes is under pressure in the Michigan electors case? I don't know. It just seems odd to be flushed out 3 years later.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I don’t know if I should congratulate you on an interesting upcoming year or not. Either way, best of luck to you in the new year.
Excellent rundown of where we stand at year's end.
Thanks Mark! Nice to hear from you.
Dear Mike Johnson, it is interesting to see that you blame Biden & the Senate Democrats for the Immigration crisis.
Mr.Speaker, this is a situation
Which requires legislation
Bullying & false investigations
Again, is not legislation
If you were an NFL QB
You would be
Slated to be on the sidelines
Instead of setting immigration guidelines
Time to learn your job
Rather than rob
We the people of governance
On the chance
Your obstruction
Provides any instruction
Please don’t make 2024
Like the 2 decades before
Please provide a legislative agenda
Or are you simply afraid of
The GOP Vision
Which is a total revision
Of our Constitutional
Preamble
Phil Lunney 12.22.2023
Jamie, have a very Merry Christmas and an even better year.
You do the same Patria. Thanks for your support
Thanks for all you do Jamie! Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas!
Thank you Yvonne!
Merry Christmas, Jamie and thanks for your amazing reporting for the last three years! I look forward to your pithy headings and brilliant observations for many years to come! 🎄😊🎄
Happy New Year Jamie. I look forward to 2024 with dread. Your newsletter keeps me going.
Thanks for noting the closed railway crossings from Mexico. I missed that, but a quick search explained:
• The White House also repeated that U.S. Homeland Security Department officials shut down the two crossings to "stop a large movement of migrants coming by rail and to protect the health and safety of its personnel." (Reuters)
This recalls, of course, the link I posted a few days ago about that very fact. https://youtu.be/igwSsW1pxWM?si=UOGUK4rJClBIMY8E
Also, the thousands of immigrants now flooding the country, include many women with children. I wonder how many newborns will soon be new Americans thanks to birthright citizenship? How will the deportation of these new American citizens be considered when aggressive "border protection" gets involved?
I'm pretty liberal, but I think birthright citizenship needs to end. Lots of other democracies base citizenship on something other than where your mom happened to be when she gave birth to you. Also, there are entire industries for bringing pregnant Chinese and Russian women here to give birth (in luxury, of course) so their kids can come back any time they want, even though those kids will be now be American in any sense except "birthright." They will be loyal citizens of dictatorships that are hostile to the US. That is a VERY bad situation.
I tend to agree but such a change would be more symbolic than real since several million undocumented people already live, work and pay taxes in America, adding billions of dollars to the economy and work force.
Wikipedia has an article describing the "birth tourism" you noted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_tourism#:~:text=Birth%20tourism%20is%20the%20practice,birthright%20citizenship%20(jus%20soli).