May Hope and History Rhyme (Trump#116)

[lionheart]

With thanks to Seamus Heaney for inspiring the President Elect.

"History says, don't hope
On this side of the grave.
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up,
And hope and history rhyme."

Fervently hoping for no violence in DC today.

[quote Roussette]Here's John with his take on this sea change...

johnpavlovitz.com/2019/01/04/the-extinction-of-the-white-american-dinosaur/[/quote]
Sadly, the US is a country founded from a violent revolution that became a war.

This is the (extremely boring) joint session from 2017, confirming Trump's 2016 win
www.c-span.org/video/?421237-1/joint-session-congress-certifies-donald-trump-us-president
Biden (as then VP) gives opening comments, opens certificates, then merely hands them over to various other officials to read out. They say "certificate of electoral votes of the the state of XXXX appears to be regular in form and authentic" then "candidate YYY receives.... Electoral votes"
At this point a Rep may (and bloody will) object.
But the VP does not raise objections personally

www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/us/politics/a-federal-judge-in-atlanta-denied-a-last-minute-effort-by-trump-to-decertify-bidens-victory-in-georgia.html

A 🧵about the #ProudBoys in DC last night. Without counterprotesters to bait or anyone to beat up, they apparently turned on one another (and here's the video).
twitter.com/fisher_danar/status/1346784209264930817?s=21

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime

Assuming both Democrat candidates in Georgia win and their win is made to stick despite any attempts which will undoubtedly be made to overthrow that result (not something I feel safe to do for another few days/weeks yet) there's a question whose answer I have forgotten, if I have been told already:

If the Senate is split 50:50, who gets called the Senate Majority Leader? I know that McConnell has used that position to subvert the democratic process extensively, so I'd like to be sure it wouldn't be him any more, but who does get it?

Politico says this in an article:

That’s because under an evenly divided chamber, the party that holds the White House runs the Senate, with the vice president casting the deciding 51st vote to break any tie.

I will have a look around to check if that's true. It does make sense that if the President is a Democrat, then a 50/50 split would be lead by the Democrats, but that may not be what it means.

The NPR politics podcast site says this:

If the two GOP-held seats were to flip, Democrats would take the majority because in a 50-50 Senate, the vice president breaks the tie.

www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-2020-election-results/2020/11/10/933423887/mcconnell-schumer-reelected-to-lead-their-parties-in-the-senate?t=1609937570617

Jane'll sort him out. (Video)

Donald called me, he wants to come to Scotland #donaldtrump #Scotland
twitter.com/janeygodley/status/1346600748524720133?s=21

www.businessinsider.com/jon-ossoff-becomes-youngest-democrat-senator-elect-since-biden-2021-1?utmSource=twitter&utmContent=referral&utmTerm=topbar&referrer=twitter&r=US&IR=T

www.rawstory.com/trump-mental-health-2649764779/

'There is an unambiguous reason why mental health experts have not been seen or heard or read in the national media during the past four years. The mainstream media has intentionally blocked these experts from speaking out about Donald Trump's mental pathology and its dangerous impact on the public's safety and welfare. The professionals who understand Trump the best have been gagged and muzzled. The media has been a major enabler of Trump — and that continues to this day.'

TBF, there was an agreed professional etiquette for mental health professionals not to pass comment on public figures who were not their patients and whose details they therefore did not know.

(Can't remember the name of this agreement, but it was mentioned on these threads.)

I knew Janey would have a good yin.

CNN were talking earlier about the fact that such a finely balanced senate makes every senator a kingmaker. Because it only takes one to defect or abstain to kybosh any given bill, expect a lot of argey bargey in this term as individuals discover they have weight to throw around.

@lionheart

www.rawstory.com/trump-mental-health-2649764779/

'There is an unambiguous reason why mental health experts have not been seen or heard or read in the national media during the past four years. The mainstream media has intentionally blocked these experts from speaking out about Donald Trump's mental pathology and its dangerous impact on the public's safety and welfare. The professionals who understand Trump the best have been gagged and muzzled. The media has been a major enabler of Trump — and that continues to this day.'

I think even as a lay person it was obvious that Trump had "issues" even before he ran for President.

I don't honestly think professionals speaking out would have made any difference.

Think of all his "known" behaviours, poor presidential record and people STILL voted for him re a second term.

@PerkingFaintly

CNN were talking earlier about the fact that such a finely balanced senate makes every senator a kingmaker. Because it only takes one to defect or abstain to kybosh any given bill, expect a lot of argey bargey in this term as individuals discover they have weight to throw around.

Definitely suits someone who wants to be a bipartisan president. Everything will need to be essentially moderate/centrist, or it won't pass. Good!

[quote TheNorthWestPawsage]A 🧵about the #ProudBoys in DC last night. Without counterprotesters to bait or anyone to beat up, they apparently turned on one another (and here's the video).
twitter.com/fisher_danar/status/1346784209264930817?s=21[/quote]
Are you the Judean Peoples Front ?

I have always felt that being scared of these morons as a group is embarrassing.

I would not be surprised to hear of PB rally buses turning up in Washington State, given the intellectual firepower they appear to run on.

Kamala Harris is set to be one of the, if not THE, busiest and most influencial VPs.
If she doesn't have to change job in the next 4 years.

What a relief, I'm finally beginning to feel as if this political nightmare might soon all be over, and sanity might start to prevail again, at least on Trump's side of the Pond. I'm afraid I don't see any sort of swift satisfactory resolution to Johnson and his Trumpy-Tory-Old-Schoolboy mates in the UK, though

Just love Gabriel Sterling

I am not going to rejoice until the last recount has been done (they will both have them, is my guess, with less than half a percentage point between them -- or the Republicans will demand them and even pay for them anyway) and the last piffling attempt at a court action has been rejected.

Then I'll open the bottle of champagne that is sitting in the fridge.

I bet BoJo is really pissed off that not only is his chum out, but Democracts might really have control of the Senate. Satisfaction about that here.

This article...

"What a difference a day can make. When yesterday began, we still had no idea who would take control of the Senate, and what the next four years would look like. But even as the major media networks take their sweet time calling the races, it’s all but certain that the Democrats have won both Senate seats in Georgia, giving them majority control of the Senate.

Now everything changes. President Joe Biden’s nominees will all be confirmed by the Senate. That includes his cabinet and his eventual Supreme Court picks. The Democrats will be able to enact into law any and all legislation that they can all agree on, considering they control the House, the Senate, and the White House."

No more Lindsey Graham, no more Mitch McConnell wahooooo.... and Trump will be tied up fighting anything and everything thrown at him. Let's not forget Deutsche Bank are closing in on his debts, covid will have decimated his businesss, and then there's the NY court cases.....

@AskingQuestionsAllTheTime

I am not going to rejoice until the last recount has been done (they will both have them, is my guess, with less than half a percentage point between them -- or the Republicans will demand them and even pay for them anyway) and the last piffling attempt at a court action has been rejected.

Then I'll open the bottle of champagne that is sitting in the fridge.

I feel you. I'm sure we're in for the same crap that's been pulled over Biden's win; recounts, lawsuits and other bullshit. But I'm still going to tentatively celebrate Warnock and keep praying for Ossoff.

I just find it so so wonderful that the first black senator ever from GA (and the first Dem since 2000) is the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church MLK served as pastor. It just feels 'right', you know?

Just watching CNN... a shocking fact.

There have been more Senators called 'Mike' than there have been African American Senators ever.

I bet BoJo is really pissed off that not only is his chum out, but Democrats might really have control of the Senate.

I am hoping that is merely the beginning of his woes. Both personally, and as leader of the Tories.

Where's Trumps bigly friend - you may have heard of him, he's a great friend, he's done great things in Englandshire - Nigel Farage ???

@PerkingFaintly

TBF, there was an agreed professional etiquette for mental health professionals not to pass comment on public figures who were not their patients and whose details they therefore did not know.

(Can't remember the name of this agreement, but it was mentioned on these threads.)

It's not 'never done', though. I have heard qualified mental health professional labeled as 'commentators' do so with the disclaimer " has not personally examined or treated " and they speak in vague language of " may be indicative of ".

I'm sure I've heard or read them comment about Scrotus MH, but can't put a finger on where. And I think more in line with possible dementia rather than a MH illness, though.