Tulsi endorses impeachment--military strategy

Dear readers, if you're anything like me (and you're thankful you're not a large reptile). after swimming around in the swamp all day, you kinda get used to all the muck preventing clarity of vision. After a while murky seems to be clear--that's a sign of trouble./

I like posting my biases right out front. The cream of the crop is Tulsi Gabbard. The US could not do better. We may dispute policy positions until JtC runs out of electrons, but the reason for my support is primarily characterological. Mix that in with her anti-regime change, shrink the military philosophy and she is head and shoulders above the rest.

So, please allow for my confirmation biases as you read this essay.

The key to understanding Tulsi is to understand that she has a military mind. Whoa! Whazzat? Authoriarian Dominatrix? No. Avid pupil of Sun Tsu, Klausewitz, Machiavelli, and practical populism (Voltaire?).

Having a military mind is not to be conflated with being warlike, although the correlation seems almost unseparable. Having a military mind means understanding tactics and strategy. It means careful advance planning, scouting (reconnaissance), logistics (supplies, procurement and provisioning, etc.) Tulsi I believe handles this in a military, cost-effective manner. But pragmatism never outweighs Tulsi's principles. This is why she had the courage of her convictions to bolt the DNC, a move which was not "politic" for someone wishing to stay and flourish under the Democrat banner--but she did not leave the Partei.

Sun Tsu said pick your battles. Tulsi is still repelling feeble counterattacks, otherwise known as smears for her having the temerity to find out for herself what was going on in Syria. She is called an Assad-lover by such beacons of moral rectitude as Neera Tanden, Samantha Power, and Chris Cuomo.

Every TV or print interview smear takes time for Tulsi to repel the ridiculous trope that she loves Assad. This eliminates time which should be used to promote her plans and vision. Wisely, having observed the amount of ill-will cultivated by her foes (mainly lefties), Tulsi wisely decides that impeachment is one battle she does not wish to fight.

The reason Tulsi does not oppose impeachment, according to my reasoning, is because if she doesn't go along with the Dem herd, they will say: "Tulsi doesn't back impeachment--she is a Trump-lover".

Even my pet goldfish knows that Tulsi dislikes Trump. So do I. But, there is absolutely nothing she could say or do which would tell the real story of her assent for impeachment. She doesn't wish to fight. The impeachment "inquiry" is the beginning of Custer's Last Stand for Dummocratic Party.

Digression:

It will be glorious for me and many fellow citizens as Ahab Nadler and the Schiffty one go charging the Trumpian windmill (which is really a buzzsaw). I might even have to get a television to watch the fun. Nervous Nancy knows that this inquiry will actually be an inquest into the forthcoming death of the Dim party as we know it (or think we know it). AOC is circling the festivities like the lead buzzard in a carrion scouting party.

To avoid assenting to impeachment, tepidly as it may be, Tulsi eliminates an opportunity for EstabliDems to label her as "not a Democrat" as well as Trump-lover. Do not expect Tulsi to be either visible or audible as the Mutt and Jeff of the House lead their headlong charge, like the leaders of the Light Brigade, going on to certain electoral defeat.

The verbiage is only strategic window dressing, the fake inflatable tanks used to fool the Jerries on England's east coast during '39 - '42.

If you don't want to, you don't have to get in trouble
But you better leave my woman alone.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK3Oc6HD4xU]

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Pluto's Republic's picture

This preface resonates for me. I always say, everything is fair as long as it's clear.

I like posting my biases right out front. The cream of the crop is Tulsi Gabbard. The US could not do better. We may dispute policy positions until JtC runs out of electrons, but the reason for my support is primarily characterological. Mix that in with her anti-regime change, shrink the military philosophy and she is head and shoulders above the rest.

So, please allow for my confirmation biases as you read this essay.

Everyone from across the political spectrum knows instinctively — at a cellular level — that Tulsi is a cut above ordinary humans, and way above anyone participating in the US Presidential race. Even the Council on Foreign Relations knows the truth about Tulsi. My theory is that mutations, or 'special beings' like Tulsi, periodically take form out of our species' shared gene pool. They have elevated consciousness and a seemingly clear connection to a higher mind, or awareness. The fact is, they don't belong in this time and place, but unfortunately for them, here they are. When they appear among us, they can, and usually do, live self-contained lives peacefully unnoticed. If they decide to put themselves forward, however, speaking the truth of what they see and emitting a vision, ordinary humans can instantly sense a strong 'difference,' and they react. They react unpredictably.

There are people — across the political spectrum — that are profoundly frightened by Tulsi. I assume they are reacting to an evolutionary 'alert' embedded in their DNA, because it cannot be explained in a reasonable way. There are also people who are hypnotically or compulsively drawn to Tulsi. We now have a geiger counter that detects this phenomenon as it erupts around the world. — Google Search. The situation is fraught with danger. Most cultures are woven out of stories about experiences with special beings who put themselves forward in the world..

There's more, but I'll save the rest for another time.

Carry on.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Alligator Ed's picture

@Pluto's Republic

Everyone from across the politically spectrum knows instinctively — at the cellular level — that Tulsi is a cut above ordinary humans, and way above anyone participating in the Presidential race. Even the Council on Foreign Relations knows the truth about Tulsi. My theory is that mutations or 'special beings' like Tulsi periodically take form out of our species shared gene pool. They have superior consciousness and a seemingly clear connection to a higher mind. They don't belong in this time and place, but here they are. However, they can, and usually do, live self-contained lives peacefully unnoticed. Should they put themselves forward, however, emitting a vision and speaking the truth of what they see, ordinary humans can instantly sense the difference

Tulsi has a presence, charisma or other, that marks her above the rest. Policy is only one aspect of governance. Character is another. Of course time and culture are huge influences. But a good captain sails ships through difficult storms, from which lesser captains flounder.

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Pluto's Republic's picture

@Alligator Ed

Is it safe for her?

Do we deserve an epigenetic lift?

We failed all those tests with Julian Assange.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Alligator Ed's picture

@Pluto's Republic I have been of impure thought, having considered (for a microsecond) voting for Clinton. Then sanity returns. I will pray at the altar of TFSM: Twenty hail marinaras and six pasta nosters. If you wish me to pray for our unevolved souls, I will bring an extra long spaghetto to Mass. R'Amen.

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Pluto's Republic's picture

@Alligator Ed

...that you, or I, are something more than witnesses to change and the world moving on. At the same time, there are people on earth right now who will live for hundreds of years.

“No force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come”
― Victor Hugo

We are merely bystanders.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
wendy davis's picture

@Pluto's Republic

that i meditated a hella lot, and was evolved enough for tulsi 2024. ; )

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dzZnNRJ2B0]

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Centaurea's picture

@Pluto's Republic
The subject resonates with me. I think it would be a discussion well worth having here.

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"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi

"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone

mimi's picture

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Alligator Ed's picture

@mimi But my goldfish's motivations have, well, a fishy odor--so I will observe the reaction prudently.

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Wally's picture

Please elaborate, based on her voting record and stated policy positions, not just rhetorically.

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Lookout's picture

@Wally

from https://www.tulsigabbard.org/tulsi-gabbard-on-regime-change-war

Legislation she introduced

H.R. 608 Stop Arming Terrorists Act- Legislation that serves to galvanize the anti-war movement and the opposition to regime change policies that characterize our present foreign policy

H.Amdt.636 to H.R.5515: This amendment to bill H.R.5515 removes the clause which allows the US military to go to war without Congressional approval and only provide an after-the-fact report on the operation.

H.R. 4108 - To prohibit the use of funds for the provision of assistance to Syrian opposition groups and individuals: This bill would prohibit the US from continuing to provide support in any form to any group involved in the overthrow of the Syrian government.

H.R. 1735 - Including the amendment, Section 1045, Limitations on Interrogation Techniques, banning torture and "enhanced interrogations"

H.R.1004 — To prohibit the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities with respect to Venezuela, and for other purposes.

Key Points

Tulsi is the leading voice in Congress calling for an end America's interventionist wars of regime change that have cost our nation trillions of dollars and thousands of lives, simultaneously creating more devastation, human suffering and refugees in the countries where U.S. regime change war is waged.

As an Iraq war veteran and a Major in the Army National Guard, Tulsi knows the true cost of war.

The result of interventions like Iraq and Libya only propagated more human suffering several times over, resulting in a failed state in Libya and creating a haven for terrorists seeking to establish a caliphate based on their exclusivist ideology.

United States' history of interventions impedes our ability to form relationships with countries that are skeptical of our intentions. Countries like North Korea or Iran believe their nuclear weapons are the only thing defending them from invasion.

Tulsi believes the United States would be far better off spending the trillions of dollars wasted in interventionist wars on more pressing domestic issues in America, like infrastructure, college debt, healthcare, etc.

Research shows the vast majority of Americans agree with Tulsi in her opposition to regime change war: “71 percent of Americans believed Congress should pass legislation that restrained military action. The survey shows that 86.4 percent believe the military should be used only as a last resort. Additionally, 63.9 percent of those polled felt that military aid, both money and weapons, should not be provided to regimes like Saudi Arabia—the West’s top ally in the Arab world.” https://nationalinterest.org/feature/foreign-policy-populism-the-final-f...

Tulsi stands against torture: "I strongly oppose the use of torture and 'enhanced interrogations'. In 2015, I voted for H.R. 1735, including the amendment to the 2016 NDAA, codifying President Obama’s executive order banning enhanced interrogation/torture methods. This ban solidified our commitment to United States law and international agreements."

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Wally's picture

@Lookout

. . . who has a chance of winning the nomination in 2020 when we'll have but a 10 year window of opportunity to offset climate catastrophe.

I gave another $27 to Bernie today.

We should all do what we can and think is the best course of action coz we simply don't have time to fuck around.

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@Wally Anyone who implements a policy of investing in Americans is going to have to reallocate money away from the defense budget. The festering yam has shown that defense money can be diverted from the military to pet projects. A leader with some backbone and popular support should be able to get a budget passed that spends the money to help Americans rather than on weapons to injure non-Americans. Going straight at the MIC had always been like trying to storm a fortress: high casualties and a hefty risk of total defeat.

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Wally's picture

@MinuteMan

A leader with some backbone and popular support should be able to get a budget passed that spends the money to help Americans rather than on weapons to injure non-Americans.

That critical mass of support is esential. First to get nominated. Then to get elected. Then to introduce and pass legislation, using the bully pulpit of the presidency supported by a critical mass of activists. And it has to happen like RIGHT NOW given what will be a ten year window of opportunity come 2020 to avoid what will otherwise be certain climate catastrophe in a few decades.

The hour is getting late:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UHHc7POovg]

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snoopydawg's picture

@Wally

Not within a hundred miles in my opinion. He was absent with a decent FP plan last time and his saying that Madura is a dictator is agreeing with those who want regime change in Venezuala.

I haven't heard him talk about torture, but maybe he did. But he rarely talks about FP in his many speeches. Yes his domestic policies are good, but they don't have that proverbial snow ball's chance in hell getting passed unless the military budget is cut. None. No way.

If the military congressional media industrial hadn't been privatized and made for profit it would probably be less that half of what it is just like Russia's. Vlad even cut his a few years ago to address poverty. We increased our every year and watch as our poverty rates go up. Bernie speaks to the issue, but rarely addresses the cause like Tulsi does. Nope nowhere near.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Wally's picture

@snoopydawg

Seems he's pretty much endorsed Bernie for 2020!

See:

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Bolivias-Evo-Shows-Support-for-US-Pr...

BTW, it's Maduro, not Madura.

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snoopydawg's picture

@Wally

One person endorsing Bernie doesn't address what else I wrote. Bernie is very weak on fp imo.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Wally's picture

@snoopydawg

You go your way . . .

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wendy davis's picture

@snoopydawg

pragmatic decision to mitigate some of his support for zionist israel, though, and appointed palestinian arab linda sarsour to be one of his campaign surrogates.

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Alligator Ed's picture

@wendy davis Bernie does have Jewish and evangelical supporters. Linda is a good way to fend them off. I heard she got the boot from Sanders' camp though. True?

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wendy davis's picture

@Alligator Ed

but i will offer that ms. gabbard is no longer a member of CFR (someone had the member roster, and i did check), and she's also evolved past her anti-LGBT positions, as well as anti-same-sex marriage stance. i reckon her 'elevated consciousness' finally caught up to her pragmatism. ; )

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Creosote.'s picture

@snoopydawg

while reporting his lack of response to her strong fundraising for him and her subsequent wider reassessment.

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wendy davis's picture

@Lookout

ms. gabbard has indeed 'evolved' on torture. many of her supporters believed that she would.

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Lookout's picture

So if you can spare some $ and have the inclination...

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/tulsi-call

To contribute by mail, please send a personal check made payable to:

Tulsi Now
PO Box 75255
Kapolei, HI 96707

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Alligator Ed's picture

@Lookout Delineating the Tulsi sponsored and co-sponsored legislation is very instructive for those who automatically assume that being in the CFR is the kiss of death for a peace candidate.

I dislike contributing to ShareBlue--I want my donations go 100% to Tulsi, not some middle persons, likely with DNC sympathies.

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wendy davis's picture

let me see if i have your beliefs correct.

while you note that miz gabbard does support (and i'm assuming Pelosi's inquiry) impeachment, your belief is that it's a chinese (long term?) military strategy in order that she won't be seen as a 'trump lover' as she was labeled after visiting with assad in syria. correct so far?

but then you'd brought in Machiavellian to your mix, yes? well, he was a scheming, cunning rogue, self-interested politician, so in that i might say that fits as well.

it's hard to know how far you're agreeing with pluto's belief that she's an Epigenetic mutation,

"My theory is that mutations, or 'special beings' like Tulsi, periodically take form out of our species' shared gene pool. They have elevated consciousness and a seemingly clear connection to a higher mind, or awareness."

now there seem to be some contradictions at play here. would a person with elevated consciousness 'keep her powder dry' for the future, rather than just saying No? (which iirc she had indicated earlier.)

i know her supporters adamantly believe that miz gabbard's 'no regime change' platform is estimable. i tend to disagree when she criminalizes a regime such as VZ by lies and smears, then says 'No regime change; no more sanctions lest the world believes that sanctions are what ruined the corrupt VZ economy', etc.

and of course sanctions are simply war by less expensive body counts, save for those in the sanctions she'd helped lay in iran, russia, Dprk, as well as having voted in 2017 to arm the neo-nazis in ukraine to fight the Red Menace in the self-declared republics in the donbass (eastern ukraine).

recently i'd coined a new term: Empathy Deficit Disorder, but no there's no hashtag yet.
; ) but as far as i'm concerned, her anti-war cred shows zero empathy for those muslims her good friend narendra modi had murdered as governor of gujarat province, nor for the hundreds of thousands of kashmiris he's still having killed and disappeared into prison under his still-extant 'Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)', which grants special powers to Indian Armed Forces in so-called “disturbed areas', and of course the kashmiris are very disturbed, as modi refuses to hold a kashmiri self-determination plebiscite promised so long ago.

on the other hand, i'm not afraid of her, i just believe what many of you say you believe about her. me, i admire verisimilitude above all else. end soapbox. ; )

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@wendy davis way too harsh. She has shown sympathy for the people of Yemen suffering under a US-backed Saudi war, and has voted for legislation to end such support. She also courageously visited with the people of Syria suffering not from Assad's forces but from the IS/AQ and affiliated terrorist groups making their lives a living hell. This latter point is something she should bring up more often when getting the usual MSM charge that she's an Assad apologist -- it would turn the tables and make it a discussion about what the US has been doing to foster terrorism in that country.

Of course she authored the Stop Arming Terrorists Act some months ago, which had it passed would have gone far towards reducing the number of Muslim civilian casualties in the ME region.

EDD -- I don't think so.

On India, she is clearly taking to heart her family heritage and it's become, for better mostly, a call for improved relations with that country, which isn't a bad thing as the US continues to go around the world making enemies and creating friction with allies or those who could be our allies or at least non-adversaries, such as Russia and China. On minority suppression or worse in India, no question she has relegated comments about that to the footnotes, as she chooses to emphasize positive relations despite that country's various human rights issues.

Purely anecdotally, I have had 2 long-term guests in my house the past year from India, both liberal types both anti-Trump, who nevertheless have positive feelings about Modi. Generally they cite the country's many major long-festering issues which they feel need a strong hand to address. Not dissimilar to the views of otherwise politically enlightened, non-Stalinist Russians who have similar feelings about Putin, especially in the years immediately following the disastrous presidency of Yeltsin.

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wendy davis's picture

@wokkamile

in response to many situations both in RL and former comrade e-friends who exhibited that trait, but remember, i'd noted Empathy Deficit Disorder, not an absolute as in algebra: absolute I I value of whatever. those with no empathy are sociopaths, just not enough of it, or a Deficit in some situations.

sure what you've named of her positions and sponsored bills show some, as did her explanation of being in support of BDS irael. as a convert to the hindu religion, and having explained why she'd voted to allow genocidaire modi into the US after being banned for years to 'improve relations with india' sounds great on paper. and yes, according to the progressive army, she's been distancing herself from hinduvata, maybe not taking so many contributions from amerikan ones. she has stopped taking large contributions from the US weapons industry after some noting that as 'problematic'.

but once in the US miz gabbard took him of two tours across the US, stopping in ro khanna's silicon valley district both times (just bidness, sir!). speaking of which, wasn't it you who'd recently shared your admiration of her and noted that you'd wished she wouldn't do this? with a tweet of a new meet and greet with that horrid man?

interesting your guests were apologists for him, though. yeah, the 'festering problems require strong hands'; that makes me want to throw up. the poor people he's made poorer are beginning to riot anew according to rupe.india online and arundhati roy; i reckon they'll see his 'strong hands'.

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Alligator Ed's picture

@wendy davis Your interpretation of my main contention is correct. Playing the long game.

As far as Machiavelli, knowledge and cunning can be put to good uses, not only bad uses.

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wendy davis's picture

@Alligator Ed

you are indeed smitten; that's fine. mr. wd and i were talking recently about the issue of 'when hope turns into reified belief'. as long as you believe you know who she is, that's great; carry on my swampish friend.

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wendy davis's picture

@Alligator Ed

on my recent 'pelosi impeachment' thread you'd mentioned eating hash instead of popcorn. you'd love the scent here in our hogan, as mr. wd's begun to harvest his cannabis. the indica is already hanging in the cellar, an over-whelming air freshener, and he brought me up a 6 inch bud and leaves i've envased. it's in front of another 9 vases of the tail end of the other kinds of flowers, as the freeze is on the way soon (but a couple weeks later than usual, fortunately). a veritable cornucopia of colors, shapes, and textures!

the rural water system's shutting down our water for the day (+?), so we've been scurrying around filling canning kettles, pitchers, the bathtub, etc. with H20 to get us through.

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Back in the 50's kids were fed the "melting pot" people of all colors and creed are equal, everyone's equal under the law, American democracy, and one person one vote. Along with we only fight good wars and we're always the good guys. And the younger generation called bullshit 'cause it wasn't true.

I think the same thing is happening today. Tulsi is exceptional, but I think a whole lot of women will be stepping up and calling bullshit on what we have today. We still get fed the same script, maybe they can make it real.

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it might be as Tulsi said -- after looking at the phone transcript, the IG memo and all the other latest info, she was convinced on the merits that the impeachment inquiry was valid and that to not go forward would "set a dangerous precedent".

Of course, polling was showing an overwhelming number of Dems (90% according to CNN) supporting impeachment, and even a majority of the overall public in support, and these factors may well have helped her make her decision to switch from anti- to pro-impeachment.

Whatever her actual reasoning, she is now on the right side of history and politically she avoids going against the overwhelming majority of D voters on a major issue.

So she earns major points from me for being willing to change her mind when the facts compel such a change. Now she needs to get to work re-thinking the M4A solution vs public option non-starter.

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Alligator Ed's picture

@wokkamile I don't care what CNN is polling or whom or how, the result is always the same: no matter how nice the meal was, it sill comes out smelling like feces .

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@Alligator Ed to unwelcome news.

Their numbers seem about right to me among Ds. Among the overall public, they show 55% support, solid majority, for the Impeachment inquiry.

again, the public approval numbers seem well ahead of those polled during the Nixon impeachment (although back then the polling question may have been about strictly favoring impeachment or not, not the question about the inquiry to impeach).

Donald is clearly in trouble. Even more so over one of his tweets today. I wouldn't doubt it's possible that such a dire domestic scenario could occur if he were impeached, given his heavily armed fan base. Slightly less likely, almost the same situation could occur, however, if he is not and Ds allow him to continue to run roughshod over the constitution.

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Wally's picture

@wokkamile

Time to pack it all up, I guess. /s

Long live Obama's rightful heir! /part s

All this sure seems like a CIA plot to me and while Trump sucks, imo the CIA sucks even more. / not s

But Bernie's foreign policy, while it's earned him Evo Morale's endorsement for his candidacy, is not good enough. /s

Long live US Shock Doctrine and imperialism! Ecocatastrophe why wait? /s

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8tdmaEhMHE]

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@Wally your time packing, would only have to go through all the trouble of unpacking, re Biden. I've already predicted he will either drop out or be well down in the polls come Turkey Time, 2d or 3d place, so I'm keeping my bags unpacked.

National horserace polls also still rely heavily on name recognition, and there is no national primary anyway. Biden is dipping in IA and NH polls, and no better than tied for 1st or in 2d, iirc. The early contests will count heavily as to what happens in SC -- so I take that state's current polling with a large grain of salt.

As to Bernie's FP, I don't recall condemning it (beyond criticism of other candidates, except Tulsi). Among top and 2d tier candidates, his FP stance tops them all. Of course that's not a high neocon hurdle to surmount. But Bernie chose to lead with his domestic policies and largely leave FP to an afterthought, though he has improved slightly in recent weeks in bringing FP to the table.

That said, I expect Tulsi to try to bring FP to the forefront at the next debate. If so, we'll see how Tulsi and Bernie handle the various issues. Generally though, while Tulsi has been more outspoken and courageous, they both are largely on the same page in FP.

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Alligator Ed's picture

@Wally The song illustrates a very interesting metaphor. The song, presumably recorded from a Lawrence Welk TV broadcast is fascinating.One the surface, the soulful, gospel-like singing while hinting at a religious paean, is actually among in praise of marijuana. So, we see, how the same thing simultaneously is capable of being viewed as both espousing a Jesus-like virtue simultaneously with praise of earthly delights.

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Wally's picture

@Alligator Ed

[video:https://youtu.be/MNKL9onYB_8]

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Alligator Ed's picture

@Wally @Wally Saw Shipley sans Brewer sing that live.

The Welk version certainly is gospel-tinged.

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Shahryar's picture

playing the long game? realpolitik? I have no problem with Tulsi doing something strategically. I'd like everyone to judge all politicians similarly.

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Wally's picture

@Shahryar

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders went out to breakfast in Burlington on Saturday.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WAnDa0ceqI]

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fowldx4hRtI]

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why they have such beaming smiles in that photo of them together. Is it because they are looking forward to breaking their fast at a really good local restaurant? Or because they have just enjoyed a great meal at said establishment? Or b/c Bernie has just offered her Secretary of Something or Head of EPA in a Bernie admin in return for her early endorsement?

I would have guessed VP but then remembered AOC is constitutionally too young for that.

In any case, it makes more sense ideologically for her to go Bernie rather than Liz. And, yes, I am one of those crazies who believes she actually is a progressive Dem and not, as some here claim, a secret sneaky sellout corporatist fauxgressive Demonrat.

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Wally's picture

@wokkamile

That's not socialist enuff for some folks, too socialist for others.

Not everyone in the DSA supports impeachment and there are differences of opinion as to this or that aspect of that opposition.

Some socialists like to call other socialists all sorts of things.

Some do it in a jovial, chopbusting sort of way. Others more venomously.

Nothing new.

Back in the day, I recall having fun at a college bar frequented by Trots, Maoists, CPers, anarchists -- all pushing each others' buttons but within a context of a certain comaderie with one another. No drunken fights. Then some Maoists got into the Lynn Marcus / Lyndon LaRouche looneyism (Cointelpro?) and that was the end of the comaderie.

Oh Mommy, I Ain't no Commie:
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEVVOaPMj08]

Edit/ Removed Jhonny Ramone video. More than a bit too vile. Didn't realize they were that fascistic(?).

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wendy davis's picture

@wokkamile

and while krystal ball speaks like a valley gurl, it's a pretty astute analysis of AOC's choices, imo. her bespectacled comrade mentioned how many reTweets of warren's she's mad, as well, so that's where the notion of that possible endorsement comes from. cagey thing she is, imo.

and thank goodness it was a short video, woot!

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@wendy davis AOC's Plan B after Bernie. so figgers it won't hurt to keep in good standing with Liz by flattering retweets.

Re Krystal "Don't Confuse Me With Lucille" Ball, she generally offers astute analysis (as with the one posted here today) even as I don't always agree with her. A shame she has to surrender more of her time to the bespectacled comrade to her right who I suppose is there to predictably toe the GOP line.

KB has a nice voice and gets to the point, often a good one, and no "um"ing and "ah"ing and "like"ing, so I don't notice the valley girl in her, if any. Hopefully she will give public office another shot in the near future.

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Alligator Ed's picture

@wokkamile I also like her bespectacled associate, Saagar, who, despite his conservatism makes good observations.

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from India, both highly educated but not in the political arts and sciences, they didn't exactly walk in the door here proudly and loudly apologizing for Modi. But I guess you have to take your Indian guests as you find them, dadgummit.

As for this(?!)

speaking of which, wasn't it you who'd recently shared your admiration of her and noted that you'd wished she wouldn't do this? with a tweet of a new meet and greet with that horrid man?

First, I don't normally speak of pols, especially of today, in overall terms of admiration. Tesla I admire. Are you confusing my admiration for Tesla with mere qualified support for Tulsi? Or my admiration for my grandmother who was from Tulsa?

Also don't recall posting any tweet of a meet and gweet with T and M. I may have noted somewhere that she needed to be careful about getting too cozy with Modi.

In the unlikely event I did, in a weak moment of diminished capacity, create such a post as you describe, if you can find it and cite it I will assess it and denounce myself right here for failing to come up to my usual careful and generally lofty posting standards.

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wendy davis's picture

@wokkamile

wally who said that and offered the tweet, but i can't think why my Q had riled you so; but my apologies for my Q, nonetheless. [wally,wendy, walky]

as for tulsi's having changed her mind and is now 'on the right side of history', perhaps as far as polling numbers, but on such bogus, trumped up, and non-serious charges? (er...an impeachment 'inquiry', actually, launched by the CIA dems and lying liar john brennan, and the inquiry will stay that narrowly focused. guess they really wouldn't want the D pols to get tracked into the muck further on further charges they might have gone for, esp. given that oboma rule had kinda set the stage for the Trumpeter...

and actually, i'd checked to make sure, and ms. gabbard was born in american samoan, her father a catholic german, her mum an amerikan who practiced hinduism, to which tulsi had converted as a teen.

i will offer though that you'd brought up your guests' take as evidence of modi's need to clamp down on the unruly, but it struck me as akin to 'the palestinians needing a firm hand', or as my sister-in-law said of her friends who'd visited apartheid south africa: "they said it wasn't that bad!" begging the Q: not that bad for whom, ya friggin' idiot? the afrikaaners?

anyway, thanks for exchanging takes and opinions with me, wokkamile.

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@wendy davis riled up. Just a response, with a few light notes sprinkled in. (if'n I knew how, I would use the yellow highlight function to point out clearly where all the light humor and silliness occurs in my posts; they seem obvious to me, but apparently not to all)

Re impeachment, I was in favor before Ukraine, but would have preferred a more broad-based inquiry. But understand the clock is ticking and Ds may not feel they have the time or may think Ukraine is all they need. We'll see if it pans out with corroborating evidence thoroughly explained to the public. There is always the danger Ds will screw things up. But it's worth the try and risk -- and failure to do so would, I suspect, seriously have risked not only more and more dangerous Trump HC&Ms but also risked deflating D enthusiasm going into 2020.

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Alligator Ed's picture

@wokkamile of the Dim party. If they are truly out for his blood, then they should impeach on real stuff, like emoluments, not the legitimate performance of his duty. Legitimate = constitutionally provided. But, like Bernie, they will shoot their one and only shot at El Trumpo.

If you shoot at the King, you must kill him.

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People are weary of impeachment talk. Seems like it comes up almost every election.

What I don't see any Democrat, Tulsi included, being able to do, is finding a way to recapture the huge loss Democrats have had on a county level. Trump won 84.3% of the counties in 2016. How do Democrats win the EC losing that many counties in the country? I don't think impeachment talk plays well in suburban and rural America.

Democrats have become the urban party and Republicans the suburban and rural party. Democrats win the popular vote and get whacked in the EC.

Tulsi does not strike me as someone who will capture the rural or suburban vote unless she captures some of the military. But I don't see much support even there. Time will tell what four years does.

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snoopydawg's picture

@davidgmillsatty

What I don't see any Democrat, Tulsi included, being able to do, is finding a way to recapture the huge loss Democrats have had on a county level.

I just watched Nancy say that if there is an election between an incumbent or a more progressive candidate then she would absolutely get behind the incumbent. This has been the pattern for some time and often democrats let republicans run unopposed. Especially in red states. Then there are people like Joe Manchin who votes with the republicans more often than he does with democrats. The democrats made a huge deal when Doug Jones beat Ray Moore because he got support from blacks, but he has voted with republicans on almost every one of Trump's legislation. Bank deregulation? Yep. He voted to screw the black peoples who put him in office. Susan Collins gets lots of crap for voting for Kavanaugh, but Manchin gets a pass because he gives democrats the majority...or something. I can't understand that thinking. Manchin's vote pretty much sealed the deal and made it so another republican didn't have to come back to DC to vote. Try to make sense of that. Bottom line is that democrats would rather be the minority so they don't have to pass legislation that helps us. But when they do get the majority they hide behind republican obstruction or the republicans get to filibuster or place secret holds. But when the democrats are the minority? They don't seem to be able to do that same thing.

Washington Generals vs the Harlem Globetrotters. Centrist democrats are the referees who never see the democrats fouling.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

wendy davis's picture

@snoopydawg

when i opened my MSN email provider this a.m., there was headline saying that susan collins has announced her retirement after having been charged with insider trading.

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