52 Comments

I highly recommend Mark Leibovich's book Thank You For Your Servitude. It's infuriating.

Also, I don't think Trump will care about what Mike Johnson said. We've seen with JD Vance and Jenna Ellis, that you can say whatever you want, as long as you grovel for forgiveness.

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I haven't read that one but need to!

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It is a good read, but don’t expect to be surprised.

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The book is a real eye-opener!

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Two things: 1) I blocked that troll, Yuri Bezmenov. Why do I still see his idiotic comments? He's not even a real person. The REAL Yuri Bezmenov died in 1993 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Bezmenov).

2) The Republicans are now the party of Trump. They all bow before him. With the exception of Senator Romney and former Members of Congress Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, none of them have a spine, or any moral compass whatsoever.

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Mark, that's some pretty obscure info on Bezmenov.

My hat is off to you, sir!

This is coming from a man accused of having an accumulation of little known facts, little worth knowing swimming in my mind.

I thought Bezmenov was the Soviet comedian beloved by the Reagans, but then the names "Yakov Smirnov" and 'Yuri Bezmenov" sound so much alike to me.😁

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Hhahhaa

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Just did same on blocking!!

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RE: Republican knee-jerk reaction to support/defend Trump.

While the reality is for their job preservation, for those people who truly buy into the Wannabe Dictator's "policies"/threats have a psychological issue.

The diagnosis for why many Republican pols fall into line is called "Shared Psychotic Disorder," in which group think moves in support of a person with delusional ideas.

This would be most readily seen among people who fall prey to a cult-leader.

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They all know the truth about Trump but only a few courageous Republicans are not willing to burn the house down to maintain their power.

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Im ashamed I didnt appreciate Sen Romney more. I certainly am grateful for his honesty and integrity these days. I apologize to him, here on the internet. Maybe he’ll see this.

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I lived in Massachusetts when he ran against Teddy Kennedy in 1994 and lost by 17% points. Ouch!

He learned much and won the Massachusetts governorship in 2002 by 5% points, albeit with under 50% of the votes cast.

As such he served as a moderate Republican for his one term, even introducing a state health plan that was the model for Obama care.😃

He served one term, but never achieved the esteem Bill Weld held in the deep blue state.

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I also live in Massachusetts. After leaving office, Romney became a born again conservative and disavowed his health care plan from then on. I think of Romney as a weather vane politically; he moves in the direction of where the political wind is blowing.

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Agreed. He knew what he needed to do to become the Rep. candidate in 2012...he even ran away from the compliment about the health plan. SAD!

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Not now he’s not!! He’s the only Republican left with a spine.

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Does the Republican party of pre-2016 even exist?

If nothing else, the Trumpification of that party pulled back the covers and instead of scurrying away, the rats took over the levers of power.

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Chris,

You end your article with the term "Remarkable "

In 2016, the word would be appropriate, in 2023 a better term might be: "Hypocrisy, the glue that binds Republicans."

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Meh. More like'typical', from last eight years' evidence.

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The title character of V For Vendetta posited that governments should be afraid of their people. The present state of the Republican party strikes me as a very strong counter argument to that proposition.

If Republican office holders weren’t afraid of their voters, of being thrown out of power for telling truths they’d rather not hear, if Fox News were not so afraid to tell inconvenient truths that they didn’t even take the usual pride a news organization would in -- CORRECTLY -- calling a critical state such as Arizona in an election several days ahead of other outlets? We would live in a very different world.

The far right’s voters are incoherent, angry at a nation in which they are not a majority, and unwilling to confront factual reality when it does not comport to their world view. In that, Donald Trump may as well be a homunculus created from all their worst qualities.

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More gollum....

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I think of that movie and that particular line quite often.

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Donny Trump is a big, insecure baby. Most of his followers are weak, sniveling cowards. Example 1A Lindsay Graham.

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Johnson must use a different bible. One that says Judas was the son of God.

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Mike Johnson said shortly after becoming Speaker, if you want to know how he makes decisions, or what he bases his decisions on, just look in the bible. If this were true, how could he then support Trump, who violates almost every principle in the bible, and most of the commandments.

If just a few could grow a backbone...

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More like 'look in the Bible and do the opposite'.

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Kinda like how Kamala called Biden a racist during the primaries and said she wouldn't take a Trump vaccine, but now happily cheers on Joe and encourages everyone to get boosters?

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Well, I don’t recall her saying he was a racist. I recall her being vexed he didnt get how busing impacted a young girl like her, so she explained it to him. Not sure why u dislike her. She’s very smart, emotionally stable, and compassionate.

But go ahead and denigrate our first female and first Afro-Asian Veep if that’s what gets you thru the night.

But Im sad for you.

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Most people with functioning eyes, ears, and brains can see that her and Joe spew empty platitudes which is why their approval ratings are so low. It has nothing to do with her identity, even though the left tries to make everything about identity. I am sad for you. Based on your reading list, it appears you think you're part of the resistance even though you regurgitate what powerful corporations, tech companies, and universities tell you. Follow the science, comrade! https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-follow-the-science-join-the-resistanc

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I hate trolls.

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Do you have any deeper arguments and critical thinking other than smearing everyone everyone you disagree with as a troll, racist, or Russian bot spreading misinformation?

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Two quick comments: first is that I won’t engage with you, as that’s how you feed a troll; and secondly, far more importantly, there’s no reason to bother responding to your inane points individually (“spewing empty platitudes” is the pot calling the kettle black), as nothing is to be gained and time to be lost in a useless pursuit of “interacting” with a liar and a fraud like yourself.

As the famous sci-fi writer Robert Heinlein said, “Never try to teach a pig to sing: you waste your time and you annoy the pig.”

Take your trash talk to Truth Social, where your drivel will be appreciated.

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Hahahahha. Yeah. I just muted him 👍🏼

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Nope.

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The trolls are on the move!! Quickly, to the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm!!

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So the Republican Party has devolved into a cult of personality, centered around a tubby orange sociopath who wants to crush his critics and destroy the United States. And elected folks like Johnson, with his “christianity “ and his porn monitoring, now support and even extoll the “virtues” of can’t make this stuff up..the truth is stranger than any political fiction. If you vote Republican, then yer a chump.

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“Political cowardice” -- sadly, absolutely. There is no way you can convince me that the majority of the Republican legislators are enamored with Trump. They are afraid of him and what it would it mean for the future career. Another reason I am an advocate for term limits. It would in someway mitigate the concern for getting re-elected and people would start saying and doing what they truly believe.

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The American voters will not elect Trump. There are enough voters out there who still have enough moral fibre to reject this corrupt, unfit individual. Mike Johnson will join Trump in the history books as a man with no backbone who risked the future of the country for his own vanity and ego.

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This is spot on. I am really fearful for my country, state and local government for all who follow his lead.

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Cowardice 101. We the actual thinking people need to lead. Vote, and call out these minion-minded electees in the meantime.

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