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My father is fond of saying that "the only good thing that comes out of Iowa is I-35"

and I agree with him after Monday

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Former Iowa resident here (Go Hawkeyes!)

Joni Ernst was the second sign of the coming Trumpification of the GOP (the first was Sarah Palin). When she ran, no one took her seriously, including herself. So, she just threw crap against the wall to see what would stick. What really helped her though, was that her Democratic opponent, Bruce Braley, made several gaffes: the first one, was suggesting that Chuck Grassley, a non-lawyer, should not be the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The GOP attacked him as being a snob; and like a good Democrat, he backtracked and apologized. His second was trying to make issue of the fact that Ernst had no experience and was a hog farmer. Okay, besides the fact that this statement is extremely snobbish, it is stupid for a more important reason: Iowa is an agricultural state and is the largest hog farming state in the Country!! Of course, Braley lost by 10.

The biggest difference between Dems and Republicans is this: the Democrats see people as they are and want to make them better, while the GOP sees people as they are and tells them that there is nothing wrong with them and its those other people that are the problem. This is ironic on many levels, as the GOP, which sells itself as the "morals party", basically have none, while the Dems, who sell themselves as the party of "personal freedom" is seen as trying to tell people what to do. Americans abhor busy bodies and snobs.

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TFG is only a tool Yes he’s a tool for the White Christian Nationalists and the multiple right wing Political cartels. Johnson, Gosar, Jordan, Holly, Cruz, Ernst, Gates, MTG., Harris, Scalia, Alito, Gorsuck, Cavanaugh, Comey Barrett. All of the cop cartel. Yes they are cartels; they kill women and children and then pretend to have faith in some God who tfg has been chosen to represent. WTH. This is what the demise of good public education gives us; f artful morons.

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Oh Charlie, haven’t more than half of the Republicans in Congress been gelded already?

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The hypocrisy and cowardice of the Republican Party knows no bounds. It’s shameful, pathetic and disgusting and the party needs to be destroyed and rebuilt from the ground up. Hopefully Liz Cheney, Adam Kingzinger, Ana Navarro, George Conway and so many other will be instrumental in doing so. Then we can go back to disagreeing rather than despising.

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Ernst is the latest "new-age" pol who totally disrespects her constituents, by not just "flip-flopping," in an attempt to soften the edges of their conceit, but to downright dismiss their own recorded words.

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How can one derail the leader of a cult? Often, the cult ends up completing suicide, but 80,000,000 people? Somehow, there has to be a mass deprogramming!

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For die hard poll watchers, this might be of interest: https://elections2024.thehill.com/national. All kinds of polls. Personally, I don't think much of polls.

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"It is not just the hogs who have been gelded."

Jocularity aside, this is how democracies fall. See the Weimar. Turkey. Hungary. India.

Our fall is just around the corner it more and more does seems. One can hardly imagine the shock a Trump dictatorship will engender. "But, but no one told us," will be on many a non-voters lips. "I mean, I really had no idea he was so dangerous."

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Coming fresh off of a weekend where the Packers, supposedly in Year 1 of a rebuild, showed-up on game day and embarrassed what was on paper a much superior team props to Charlie for dusting-off and repurposing a quote from Denny Green

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Open letter to Senator Joni Ernst

Ms. Ernst,

You would have been ~21 at the time of the Navy's tailhook scandal.

Had you gone into the Navy instead, you may have had an opportunity to see the world through a slightly different set of lenses. "Ultimately the careers of fourteen admirals and almost 300 naval aviators were scuttled or damaged by Tailhook...."

I think it's fair to say they did it to themselves. Would you agree?

Fast forward 5 years.

Trump, 'allegedly', does a rinse repeat on Ms. Carroll.

Fast forward another ~20 years.

Trump told us (via a hot mic) and Billy Bush what he was about on that bus.

It was chalked up by many to bravado/locker room talk between the boys. It doesn't happen.

It's just talk.

Fast forward a few more.

Ms. Carroll got 12 of Trump's peers, in a court of law, to agree that it was more than just talk.

Those things said, I'd like to hear your position on this issue, as the Republican Policy Committee chair:

Is this kind of behavior from a senator acceptable? How about from our president and commander in chief? How about current admirals/generals? Does your policy committee demand independent investigations, or simply take the findings of a civilian jury, or simply determine 'not our swim lane' ?

Certainly Ms. Ernst you've heard that the military is now reaching outside it's border to civilian lawyers to oversee rape cases. They listened to what you said should happen. Kudos for that!!!

____________________________

https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-helps-lead-new-bipartisan-effort-to-prevent-military-sexual-assault-hold-perpetrators-accountable

APRIL 29, 2021

Ernst Helps Lead New, Bipartisan Effort to Prevent Military Sexual Assault, Hold Perpetrators Accountable

"...Sexual assault has no place in our military—or anywhere else—and it’s far past time we take more steps toward preventing and reducing these heart-wrenching crimes. ..."

______________________________

You made a claim to being a sexual assault survivor. I believe you.

All of this puts you in a very unique position to weigh in on the subject at hand.

I know you're busy so I don't want a lot of your time. I just want a yes or no response.

Does Trump get a 'bye' from the standards and process you advocate and set for everyone else?

_____ yes

______no

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Man, Ernst herself is a rape victim and a victim of domestic abuse, and yet she still defends Trump.

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The GOP, the Republican Party reborn in 2015 and as it has currently slithered to its collective political immaturity, is now the FAP = Fascist American Party.

Not because of Iowa, Iowans, caucuses, or primaries in any state.

The FAP is fascist because the GOP has demonstrably and publicly renounced our Constitution and the principles of liberal democracy that are our bedrock in favor of obedient submission to the will of the False Prophet and his gratuitous minions.

Law enforcement remains a strong guardrail against rebellion and insurrection by those who will (not would not) oppose the electoral guardrail in the November 2024 general election that will result in the False Prophet's defeat.

A decision by our Supreme Court affirming the applicability of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment disqualifying the False Prophet for any government office would be helpful.

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Re "the 'adults in the room' will keep the Ship of State from foundering" - first of all, according to Trump's plans, there will be no adults, only loyal lackeys. Secondly, this Ship of State is a great image for the Biden campaign to get across to the swing voters in the swing states the role our Constitutional institutions play in keeping the ship on an even keel. And what a vote for Trump does to the ship.

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My standard reply to “deep state” psychos is that the deep state is simply neutral ballast that keeps the ship of state running true and on course. And we all know what happens if ballast is jettisoned. *glub**glub* (Not sure how it relates, but I often get auto correct to “derp state.”)

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Then you are agreeing the deep state exists (derp state is 😂). Is that right?

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Outside the punditry of Iowa Caucuses, the reporting of Joni Ernst double speak about the Jan 6 insurrection in her Meet the Press Interview shows the level of weakness in that moderator performance who was "duty bound" to have on hand Ernst's audio and/or video statement using word "insurrection" to show a Live TV audience the degree of stupidity of many Republicans whom the media "know" will disavow any contradictory statement with convenient denial.

Australian Journalist Jonathan demonstrated just how to successfully interview slippery and deceitful candidates like Donald Trump by presenting irrefutable, factual evidence of their contrarian positions during the live TV interview, for which he rightfully won an "Emmy Award".

I have long noticed the subtle difference between the more direct, non-squirmy approach taken by journalists from British and other foreign backgrounds like Swan, as well as Mike Wallace and his generation, as opposed to the wimpy, inconsequential - but trying to look tough - approach taken by most American journalists today, whom Trump completely overwhelms.

That could be one reason many US journalists are so downtrodden to wallow in the strange desire they have of 'wanting to understanding Republican Trump voters'.

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The Republicans carry a lot of resentment. Trump is releasing some of their anger. Carrying that much

anger has become too heavy for most. You know, drive up and dump it...in Trump's lap. Trump can carry

a big load. Neither can give it up. It is flowing through

their veins.

Democrats make them nervous too. What Truth

will Demos drop next?

I remember my 1st reader,'Under the Apple Tree.'

Two kids were running after their dog, Spot.

Mother was hanging up wash and Dad was mowing

the lawn.Take a picture. It's a keeper.

Well, that picture was taken in 1956-- long gone.

A lot has happened since; a lot has changed.

But a lot want that

dated security back.

And they blame immigrants, Blacks, Hispanic

for interrupting their utopia.

The way it used to be had passed.

The future depends on accepting today

and improving tomorrow.

.

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Uh boy🤦‍♂️ From lipstick on a pig to castrating hogs. These pol’s sure know how to bring home the bacon to MAGA world.

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