About 15 years ago, I started to notice a Republican tactic -- throwing at Democrats the worst charges about themselves, and I began writing about it in my Huffington Post columns. Trying to smear Democrats with the worst things that Republicans had done, not just to hopefully hurt the Democrats but also make it more difficult from Democrats to use the actual charges against the Republicans themselves. At first I thought it was just a random occurrence, and then I realized it was happening so regularly that it was clearly an accepted tactic. And it's continued for the past decade-and-a-half. Still up to yesterday.
Yesterday, when Republicans tried to smear House Intel Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and call for his resignation for some bizarre made-up, meaningless reasons -- made all the more bizarre (though understandable given the aforementioned Standard Republican Tactic) considering his predecessor Republican Devin Nunes literally had to recuse himself as chairman for basically being outed as Trump's bag man and passing secrets to the White House. Only to later "un-recuse" himself, which is largely an unprecedented action. My first reaction was how stupid, offensive and pathetic the Republican efforts were. Then I heard some discussion of it on MSNBC, and realized it was really something deeper than just the norm. This wasn't about getting Adam Schiff to resign his chairmanship of the House Intel Committee. Republicans know they have zero way they can get him to do that. Democrats are in the majority. Further, they also know that even if he resigned the chairmanship, another Democrat would be named chairman, and they'd remain in the majority -- with Schiff even still on the committee. No, this was about something else entirely. That had the fingerprints of Trump all over it and therefore likely likely something set in motion by him because it's what Trump always tries to do -- discredit areas of authority that can provide a check on him. (Like the media, FBI or judges.) Which is quite literally a fascist tactic. Discredit the House Intelligence Committee with Adam Schiff as its chairman so that any findings they come up with will in turn be discredited. And as I saw Republican after Republican after Republican after Republican -- after Republican -- repeat the Great Republican Echo Chamber Mantra, "We call on Adam Schiff to resign because we no longer have any trust in him -- it became clear that this indeed was what it was. Unfortunately for Trump and the enabling Republicans in Congress, they didn't count on one thing. They didn't count on Adam Schiff. They probably assumed that Mr. Schiff would react as they generally see him -- low-key, soft-spoken, eloquent, someone who goes out of his way to not make headlines. What they overlooked was that this nature was part of a profound decency, a deep belief in fairness, and an innate sense of responsibility for his position as chairman of the Intelligence Committee whose mission is to protect the United States against foreign enemies. And so, for all those who thought Adam Schiff is just soft-spoken and middle-of-the-road, this brilliant, quiet, blistering, 5-minute response to foolish, but potentially dangerous Republican "demands" that he step down from his chairmanship was most surely eye-opening. And though it won't stop Trump attacks on him -- in fact, it may increase them (though the best he could offer later in the evening was to ridiculously, infantilely, emptily refer to the chairman as "Pencil Neck" Schiff) -- it likely will quash any even semi-serious effort on the committee or in the House to repeat this disgraceful action by Republicans. Indeed, after Adam Schiff had finished his masterpiece, Republican after Republican after Republican -- after Republican -- fell over themselves anxiously trying to get him to yield to them so that they each could explain on the official record how none of them believed what he had just pointed out that by their actions they "may" indeed believe. If you haven't seen it, it's a Must Watch. On some levels, alongside Joseph Welch's famous, "At long last, sir, have you no sense of decency" speech to Joseph McCarthy. If you have already seen it, there's a reasonable chance you'll want to see it again. We hand the floor over to Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
0 Comments
To start the baseball season, this morning we had Maestro Riccardo Muti of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra throwing out the first pitch before a Cubs game in 2012. But to bookend the day and make it all official, this is one of my favorite first-pitch videos. Unlike most first-pitch videos, though, it's a favorite not so much for the pitch itself (though thumbs-up for that), but for what comes before. This is actress Elle Fanning on the David Letterman Show back in 2014, being perhaps the definition of adorable as she tells the story of her throwing out the first pitch before a Dodgers game earlier in the year. And if her giddy, teenage excitement -- even months later -- doesn't make you a fan, you aren't trying. And by the way, given that another way of describing a strikeout is "fanning the batter," that makes this all the more appropriate... Though the first official game of the 2019 season was played the other day in Japan (an odd decision by Major League Baseball), today the first full day when all the other teams in the National and American Leagues on their home turf. And to help celebrate the day, we'll start the year as we did last season -- with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and their music director Riccardo Muti (in a Cubs jersey) playing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” I think it was done in honor of the Cubs 2016 World Series, their first in 108 years, since the video was posted on November 6, 2016. And the musicians are in street clothes, but many are wearing Cubs paraphernalia or blue. It's a wonderful and fun arrangement, too, not trying to overwhelm such a small, charming song with orchestral bombast, but arranged with an almost old-timey feel. And Muti seems to be having a good time with it all. And as a baseball bonus, we return you to Riccardo Muti, from 2012 when he threw out the first pitch at a Cubs game. I find it adorable that Muti seems to love the Cubs, particularly since he's from Italy and didn't grow up on baseball or perhaps ever played it at all. But we know now that he's a lefty. Not the same form on the mound (or front thereof) as on the podium, but he did get it to the plate. By the way, listen closely in the background as he walks to the mount. The P.A. is playing Beethoven's 5th Symphony. Let's head back to What''s My Line? for another "Mystery Guest" segment, though with a slight twist. And that's because even though the contestant today is one of the more well-known names in the history of rock music, it's not a "Mystery Guest" at all, where the panelists have to put on a mask to hide the celebrity's appearance, he's just a regular guest on the show. However, he doesn't sign in with his real name because that would have been known, even then in October, 1964. Yet even at this, host John Daley gets his wrong, calling him "Barry," rather than "Brian," although the fellow quietly corrects Daley. So, here is Brian Epstein, the manager of The Beatles who were than at perhaps their Fab High. If you want to skip past the show's opening introductions, the segment begins around the 3:00 mark. And so, yesterday the Trump administration said that they will no longer defend any challenges to the Affordable Care Act, they want the courts to help them get rid of the current health care system in its entirety, just strike the whole thing down. Pffft, gone, goodbye.
The immediate impact of this would be that 21 million Americans who were able to get health care because of the ACA would lose it. It would additionally mean that the 133 million Americans with pre-existing conditions would be at risk of not being able to health insurance. It would also mean that all young Americans would not be able to stay on their parents' health insurance until they're 26 years old and therefore risk losing coverage if they can't afford it. It would also mean that every American on Medicare would likely begin paying more for their medication. And all of that's just for starters. Here's the thing -- Yes, it would be horrifically disastrous to the health of Americans if the conservative courts went along with this, though I'm sure such an action would get challenged and make its way to the Supreme Court. I would like to think that this Trump effort would not survive challenges and the law, and I could be very right. Or not, I have no idea. I do have an idea of one thing about this, though: in one very important regard it doesn't matter what the courts decide. Why not? Because however the courts rule, politically Trump has thrown down the gauntlet and now officially declared that this is his plan, he wants the American healthcare system thrown out in full and offered nothing to replace it. And given what we've seen from the Republican Congress over the past two years, it's a safe bet that at least most of the GOP will support this, as well. Perhaps they all will, though I don't think so since there are still at-risk Republican politicians who don't have a death wish. Because make no mistake, this risks crushing the GOP -- whether or not the courts allow it. This is now the Republican platform. It is what Trump wants. Getting rid of our healthcare system and offer nothing to replace it is Trump policy. Remember the 2018 mid-term election? It was about five months ago and in all the papers. And in that election, there was a massive Blue Wave that swept Democrats back in control of the House of Representatives to the point where they didn't just squeak in, but now have 38 seat majority. And what was the #1 issue that voters said was the most important above all? A hint: it was not the economy, it was not jobs, it was not Russia, it was not immigration (despite there apparently being a "National Emergency!" [sic] as hordes of rampaging aliens invaders were supposedly outside our door coming to attack America). It was -- health care. Health care was The Most Important Issue to Americans just a mere five months ago, and throughout the country they overwhelmingly voted Democrats back in control. By A LOT. And this cam when there wasn't a massive worry about losing their health care, just concerns about how the Republican Party was chipping away at their protections through Republican Congressional actions and GOP state lawsuits, and the voting public wanted to support it. And now? Now, Trump -- the leader of the acquiescent, enabling Republican Party -- has laid out his plan to get rid of absolutely everything in the U.S. health care system, throwing out the Affordable Care Act. How much do Americans actually like the Affordable Care Act. Last October, right before the mid-term election, a "Fox News" poll (and to reiterate, this is "Fox News," remember...) showed that the American public supported the ACA -- also know as Obamacare (!!! -- and again, this is "Fox News" and Obama) by a margin of 53-45%. And yes, the Trump-led Republican Party wants to get rid of Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act and have nothing in place to fix what they.are now on record trying to get rid of in its entirety. You want to talk about actually, truly, really "putting us all at risk"? This is that on steroids, a policy that wants to literally put the lives of tens of millions of Americans at risk -- maybe as many as 100 million Americans. And even if the courts don't allow it to happen -- Trump and the Republican Party want it to. This is their plan. This is now GOP policy. Whatever happens in the courts. This is what the Republican Party WANTS. Just five months after the public overwhelmingly voted for candidates who support the Affordable Care Act, this is one of the most insanely stupid political policy decisions I have ever seen. And that's separate from the timing and separate from personally hating it. As a political matter, mind you, I'm thrilled to see the fascist-enabling Republican Party destroy itself. As a human being, I'm aghast by it, and don't want to see the GOP destroyed by this action coming to fruition. The good news though is that hopefully we'll get the best of both worlds -- the courts not allowing it to happen, and voters destroying the Republican Party at the polls in 2020 because they know that bizarrely this is actually what the GOP wants. Yes, yes, I'm sure the most base of the Trump base will love this, as the lemmings go over the cliff. (Though, to be fair, some of the base might have their hair set on fire when they realize their Grand Leader wants to take away their health care.) So, cool, Republicans will now get the 20% of voters who they were already going to get anyway. The huge problem for them now is that this policy locks in every Democrat including those who voted Republican in 2016, and risks almost everyone else among all Independents, and even the rest of the non-base GOP. There were 135 million Americans who voted In 2016, Republican can now comfortably count on 30 million of them. Democrats can count on 65 million. And the remaining 40 million know that the Republican Party policy is to take away their health care -- which was the #1 issue among voters when they cast their ballots only five months ago. And none of this even considers all the other many issues that has kept Trump's approval around 42%. Rest assured that Democrats will run on this issue -- they did five months ago and it worked Really Well for them. They're not idiots. They'll remember. They'll do it again. They're probably already make the TV ads. To be clear, no, the election is not over. There's a long way to go. Many things can happen and change -- whether in favor of Republicans or even more so against them. But this is a really, really, really bad starting point for Republicans on the #1 issue to voters. Trump actually wants the courts to throw out the Affordable Care Act and take away health insurance from many tens of millions of Americans. And as critical as that is from a health standpoint, from a political perspective it doesn't matter what the courts decide -- this is now the official Trump Republican policy. It is insane. "Repeal and Replace with the best, most beautiful health care you can imagine, folks" usually implies that there not only will be a plan that is, in fact, the best, most beautiful health care you can imagine -- but that you replace it with something. And no, a poison pill doesn't count. I've been posting a bunch of videos related to The Music Man lately, and thought that although this one was different, it fit in very nicely. It's a wonderful 14 minutes with Barbara Cook -- the original 'Marian the Librarian' -- talking about her experiences on the musical, from its creation to working with Robert Preston and more in between, on Theater Talk with host Julius Reidel. |
AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
Archives
February 2025
Categories
All
|
© Copyright Robert J. Elisberg 2025
|