Alligator Auschwitz is what should be our reply, every single time "Alligator Alcatraz" is mentioned, or that ludicrous picture of 'gators wearing ICE hats is shown. If they wanted it to be more realistic, they should have had the 'gators' faces covered.
They revel in it. But why bother with all of that when there’s... merch?
The Republican Party is selling Alligator Alcatraz gear — t-shirts and hats — in black and camo. Yes, Florida now has a detention camp with merch. Totally normal. The gear, as offensive as it is, isn’t the point, though. It’s a sideshow.
The real focus should be on the callousness of our elected leaders as they joke and jest their way toward imprisoning people in a tent city in the Everglades. The country’s mass deportations are continuing, and they’re doing it our name. This is a moment of terrible seriousness, not a time for one-liners at the expense of human beings.
That land is also threatened by this Alligator Auschwitz. Unless they are simply not going to feed any of their captives, so they don't have to worry about any of them spilling bodily wastes into the fragile environment of the Everglades.
Never a thought! It is OPEN season in FL on the cruel, inhuman people with brown faces! It is non discriminatory and heartless what Trump is pushing in OUR fine country. Has Trump any conscience or idea of what the United States stands for? Felon Bone spurs has no good thoughts for others!
No. He had any conscience taken away from him by his monster of a father. He might help immediate family, because his father did - most of the time - but the only one he cares about is himself.
WT bloody F?????? I can't even think of a word in the English language that can define this horrendous and disgusting display of evil combined with hate and greed.
Please, characterizing every Republican in Congress is way over the top of hyperbole and an ad hominem attack. As Jennifer wrote Republican congressionals may be self-interested and uncaring, but full Nazi's? Auschwitz ovens will not be next.
I'm sure many people in Germany said the exact same thing when Hitler started shipping people off to concentration camps. Never underestimate the depravity of this regime and many of its supporters.
*I* did not call every Republican in office a Nazi. I do agree with calling the concentration camp in FL, Alligator Auschwitz. It's where the current regime is planning on placing their undesirables.
Where do the gqp have stocks/bonds/mutual funds? I'd bet they're all making money off of this. I realize others may be in ways they don't realize....especially with mutual funds.
No, as in concentration camps where undesirables will be mistreated, and will die. Perhaps you are unaware that Auschwitz contained more than just "ovens?"
Alligator Auschwitz' is exactly correct! The human misery it will cause is phenomenal, but it will be an environmental catastrophe plopped down in the middle of a small Native American community.
Allegator Alcatraz in in Rep. Mario Diaz Balart's district. He is one of 3 Cuban Amenrican House Republicans who have been protesting Trump immigration policy. We have a Democratic majority. Immigration is certainly not the only issue, but many Republicans here are conflicted.
E.G. Billionaire Miami healthcare CEO Michael “Mike” B. Fernandez wrote the following open letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and members of the Republican Cuban-American Miami-Dade congressional delegation: U.S. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez and Maria Elvira Salazar.
For decades, I have stood with you in defense of the freedoms we cherish, those we were denied in the country of our birth and found in the grace of this one. I know what it means to flee tyranny. Like you, I carry that history in my bones and that pain in my heart. But like a growing number in our community,
I have watched with dismay as the very values we once found sanctuary in are now being attacked by a previously unthinkable threat — the sitting president of the United States.
I may not be directly affected by this disgusting legislation, but I feel the hurt because I have feelings for my fellow Americans who will feel the brunt of it. I also am completely disgusted by the self-interest aspect of this: They won’t fight Trump out of fear of losing their jobs? Their high salaries plus all of the benefits of office kick in and are for a lifetime, right? Many are older and would be retiring anyway, right? Have they no pride or feeling of responsibility for taking care of the welfare of their constituents? If it looks like Trump, if it sounds like Trump, if it smells like Trump, then what’s the difference between these do-and-know-nothings in Congress and the maniac they continue to worship in the White House? C’mon, man. Protect the common man and do the job you were elected to do.
If enough angry voters hold them responsible for their inflicted losses, these legislators may not have to worry about a Trump primary attack - the voters will do it for him, and the results won't be to his liking.
Alligator Auschwitz, brilliant. as of this moment, that's how we refer to the joint. everybody knows what it refers to, and it calls the place what it is—not an "immigrant detention site" but a concentration camp, and the president said from the place yesterday that he wants many more such camps in other states and hopes the program will be around "for a long time."
A prison in Kansas (privately owned) wants to be another site, and the people of Kansas are protesting it. We'll see if there's any further coverage of this. The media will likely move on to the next shiny object. We're seeing a lot of this. Responsible journalism calls for a follow-up.
Curtis Yarvin, techbro influencer on the Libertarian Right once suggested turning the bodies of the dying off poor into biofuel for AI farms. And got applause from his audience.
Let’s not drop the blame solely on Republicans. I blame the Americans who voted for them and who will continue to do so. They think that a Party which embraces their racism,sexism and misogyny, xenophobia,homophobia, and anti-semitism is worth the sacrifice of their personal well-being, and that of everyone else in the United States. They vote for their prejudices over their interests. We would not have that cast of invertebrates led by a cannibal if we had not voted them into office.
My two Senators are Democrats and all my Representatives are Democrats. They all voted against this bill and some have fought Trump loudly since he won in November.
But my state is still the victim of the other states and Congressmen who cave to their own self interest. When you think about it, much of this country is only concerned with themselves. They don't care about the others until they are the "others".
I live in a ruby Red state and no matter how often one attempts to enlighten those who do not seem to understand that our legislators do not care about them (their own voters) and follow Trump like sheep with their grievances and cruelty, we are told that "we on the left" are the ones who are misinformed. The lies seem to be baked into their brains. It is frustrating and sad and so depressing to hear from what one thought were normal people.
Everyone who voted for Trump is not the same. It's easy to be angry with them and write them all off when Trump keeps revealing new ways he is trashing our country. Believe me, I understand. One of my closest friends is a Trump voter.
Adam Kinzinger had the founder of "Leaving MAGA" on his Substack recently. It was an interesting interview.
Check out this website ("Leaving MAGA") for a more nuanced version of former Trump voters. We need to accept those who are good people who have been misled and now reject Trump. They will be part of the resistance. And it's not an easy transition for them.
Voting for their prejudices over their interests is a feature comprising about a third of the current electorate. The rest of the Trump voters last November got brainwashed. The last Trump voter I talked to said, "I voted for him, so far I'm OKay with it". Not sure which group she belongs to.
Blame, and that is exactly what it is, despite the notion that many do not want to use the term these days — must be laid squarely at the feet of those “low information” voters, as they are called, who could not be bothered to find out actual facts about the economy, instead of casting a vote based on idiotic hearsay and rumor. Or, more deeply, who gave way to their prejudices against blacks and women.
They also bear weighty, weighty moral responsibility. Many of them, claiming to be “Christian,” whatever that means, obviously have not read the Gospels, in particular, the Sermon on the Mount — for heaven knows how long. Either that, or they have chosen to forget the Gospels’ ethical demand and urgency, long, long ago.
The blame can be spread to the regime and its enablers, including those who voted for the regime. Someone who is part of a scheme to murder, even if they do not commit the murder themselves, is guilty of a felony murder. Let's stare the facts in their face.
An old, slightly-modified Eisenhower Republican here: the characteristics which make the modern MAGA rethuglicans 'successful' would have been anathema to old Ike. When your guiding principals are corrupt, cruel, and callous - there is nothing but evil coming from your deliberations. And they are so propagandized and tribal they cannot see what their legislation will do to the Nation and the Economy. And none of this can be easily fixed with a 'regime change'. Once those little rural hospitals close (I live 10 miles from one), once those kids grow up without medical care and enough to eat - the communities and people will be physically and psychologically scarred for a long time. We are going to need Nuremberg-like trials for many of these rethuglicans.
Trump and the damage he has inflicted on the country in these past few months are worse than even I could have imagined. And frankly, any person in full support of what he has done is a worse person than I could have thought.
I suspect that lots of Senate Republicons wanted to vote "no" but they couldn't all do it because then they'd face death threats from Agent Orange. So they all got into a room and decided that only three could defect and they drew straws. Collins got lucky on the draw. Murkowski did not.
Murkowski got FANCY and insulted our intelligence! She protected Alaska at the expense of our entire country. Do NOT forget it!
Collins is good at math and knew she has an election ahead. She insulted us, too, since we know how politics works! Politics over the citizens! Remember!
My sentiments exactly. Now it is up to us to keep this travesty in front of the voters from now until the 2026 elections. Say it often, shout it out, flood the zone. Rich S Octogenarian and Contrarian and mad as hell
It surprises me that these people don't have SOMEONE in their extended families who are recent immigrants or people dependent on government assistance. But I shouldn't be surprised because although I have recent immigrants and people dependent on government in my extended family, I also have Trump voters who purport to love these family members but don't seem capable of recognizing the damage their votes are doing. Or, they can't seem to project the specific (MY relative) to the general (all the other people in the same predicament).
There are many anchor babies among the MAGAts in charge of our country, one of them is the head of the FBI, Kash Patel. When the shit hits the fan, just watch him twist in the wind as he explains how understaffed the FBI workforce has become and use it to excuse the inability to find homegrown terrorists...You know, the scores of Timothy McVeighs running amok in our country.
Yes - Murkowski and Collins. They both betrayed the country. Murkowski 'agonized' --- about what - who knows. It certainly was not about the impact on a huge percentage of the COUNTRY. But she had to look out for her state. Egregious. And Susan Collins - I don't have polite words to describe her stupidity. I remember with the impeachment hearing that she said 'trump has learned from his mistakes' and then that 'Bret had assured her---' Thankfully her polling is in the toilet. I have been emailing the both - and would encourage you all to do the same.
Collins is hopeless and twists in any wind that blows her way. Murkowski is disgusting and according to her polling should not be reelected. I pray for an onslaught of letters and phone calls from the victims of this legislation to the offices of both these women.
Murkowski voted out of fear for her own safety, and is too fearful to even admit that. That is why she paused so long to respond. This is what Trump has turned America into, mob and mob boss rule by intemidation.
Thanks for calling out Collins and Murkowski, who will always take the expedient vote. I don't praise Collins because she was able to take a "safe" vote against the bill she enabled to reach the floor. I suspect that the plan always was for Collins and Murkowski to sit it out, with Rand Paul a decided no, but when Tillis decided not to support the bill, Collins and Murkowski had to flip a coin as to which of them would take the hit and vote for it. Collins is up for re-election in 2026 and no doubt hopes to hoodwink Maine voters yet again by her show--and it is a show--of reasonableness. Murkowski is not up until 2028, so perhaps she hopes Alaska voters will forget her role in vastly reducing food assistance and medical care or focus on the minimal mitigation she arranged for them. Thus, her insistence that she advocated for her state ahead of the needs of all Americans who live in the other 49 states. While senators need to be attuned to what their states need, they, like all federal representatives in the House and Senate have a higher duty to the country as a whole.
She's against and votes "NEY" only when she knows the rightwing bill will pass and her vote does nada-niente-nothing-rien du tout-niks-niemendal-nichts.
They all know this bill is a pile of incoherent slop, financial disaster and unrestrained cruelty. $175 billion for ICE? Why, is it about to invade Canada with bunker buster bombs or something? The entire command and control structure of NATO itself is only about $4 billion.
Think of the school lunches that could be served instead. Think of the rural health centers that could be supported -- the nurse practitioners that could be hired in underserved communities. Imagine the malnourished children USAID would be feeding with Plumpy Nut peanut paste (procured by American farmers) for a fraction of that, or the millions who would have gotten lifesaving HIV medication.
Picture the real war against transnational crime and corruption that now won't be fought and terrorist plots that won't be uncovered in the nick of time. Imagine the precision drones Ukraine could have gotten to protect its people from Russian mayhem and indiscriminate murder.
Now visualize Kristi Noem in her $80,000 Rolex laughing and giggling while a deranged, psychiatrically-impaired man obsessed with made-for-trash-TV rants about his cage-fighting on "Alcatraz Island" broadcast live for the entertainment of his nasty, deranged cult.
To paraphrase Bill Clinton, it's not the economy, stupid. It's the cruelty.
Yes! The bill is cruel. Yes! Republicans are cruel and have no courage. And yes! Republicans are incredibly smart. Very little of the painful components of the bill will take effect until after the 2026 or 2028 elections.
But that isn't the worst part of all of this. America let this happen. Not just by electing 47 and his gang of ethno-fascist, homophobic, racist, xenophobic, antisemitic, lawless Christian nationalist thugs. We let this happen by pretending the the next election will change things and pretending to be outraged and holding meaningless "No King" demonstrations and rallies when only a prolonged national strike would get the attention of these Republican thugs. We accuse Republican Congressman and Senators of having no courage and yet we lacked the courage and commitment to do the only thing that had any chance of stopping this cruelty - holding a prolonged demonstrations and a prolonged national strike that lasted until we got Republicans to back down on their cruelty, greed, and insatiable lust for power. We did this to ourselves. We the People are to blame for letting the OBBB pass.
Murkowski's collapse is disappointing on so many levels. Once a relative beacon of integrity, sells her soul for a few silver coins for her state and said "to hell with the rest of them". One more victim of the FOX bias-casters
I think Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski play "your turn/my turn" with votes, thereby each saying "I voted no" when it helps their re-election campaign. I am totally disgusted with the lack of courage, care, and compassion of this Congress.
Senator Susan Collins is a wimp, although shrewd enough to cloak her cowardice in "moderation" and "concern." Mainers will replace her. Times up, Susan.
Every Republican in Congress is a Nazi. Think I'm wrong? We now have Alligator Auschwitz. The ovens will be next.
Alligator Auschwitz is what should be our reply, every single time "Alligator Alcatraz" is mentioned, or that ludicrous picture of 'gators wearing ICE hats is shown. If they wanted it to be more realistic, they should have had the 'gators' faces covered.
They revel in it. But why bother with all of that when there’s... merch?
The Republican Party is selling Alligator Alcatraz gear — t-shirts and hats — in black and camo. Yes, Florida now has a detention camp with merch. Totally normal. The gear, as offensive as it is, isn’t the point, though. It’s a sideshow.
The real focus should be on the callousness of our elected leaders as they joke and jest their way toward imprisoning people in a tent city in the Everglades. The country’s mass deportations are continuing, and they’re doing it our name. This is a moment of terrible seriousness, not a time for one-liners at the expense of human beings.
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article309769945.html#storylink=cpy
That land is also threatened by this Alligator Auschwitz. Unless they are simply not going to feed any of their captives, so they don't have to worry about any of them spilling bodily wastes into the fragile environment of the Everglades.
Never a thought! It is OPEN season in FL on the cruel, inhuman people with brown faces! It is non discriminatory and heartless what Trump is pushing in OUR fine country. Has Trump any conscience or idea of what the United States stands for? Felon Bone spurs has no good thoughts for others!
No. He had any conscience taken away from him by his monster of a father. He might help immediate family, because his father did - most of the time - but the only one he cares about is himself.
MERCH?! Sick, sick, sick b*****ds.
How about renaming Bloody Mary drinks in Florida “Alligator Auschwitz Blood”?
WT bloody F?????? I can't even think of a word in the English language that can define this horrendous and disgusting display of evil combined with hate and greed.
Please, characterizing every Republican in Congress is way over the top of hyperbole and an ad hominem attack. As Jennifer wrote Republican congressionals may be self-interested and uncaring, but full Nazi's? Auschwitz ovens will not be next.
We don’t know. But that’s what the Germans thought in the 30s. “It can’t happen.”
I'm sure many people in Germany said the exact same thing when Hitler started shipping people off to concentration camps. Never underestimate the depravity of this regime and many of its supporters.
*I* did not call every Republican in office a Nazi. I do agree with calling the concentration camp in FL, Alligator Auschwitz. It's where the current regime is planning on placing their undesirables.
Show us ONE house republican who has empathy.
That’s what they all said, Dick!
Not really paying attention, are you?
It starts here, my friend. Read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oppermanns
I think they go along to get along. I read that Trump & co. laughed at the thought of prisoners trying to escape and being attacked by alligators. Here’s another ridiculous & cruel idea: https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/trump-revives-alcatraz-prison-plan-sharks-20405030.php
Where do the gqp have stocks/bonds/mutual funds? I'd bet they're all making money off of this. I realize others may be in ways they don't realize....especially with mutual funds.
You mean placing ovens inside the moats?
No, as in concentration camps where undesirables will be mistreated, and will die. Perhaps you are unaware that Auschwitz contained more than just "ovens?"
No room in FL for anything related to horrible deaths! Ban this horror!
The FL Governor is 100% for this action! He is back in Trump’s good graces, huh? What a pay-off DeS must have received!
Alligator Auschwitz' is exactly correct! The human misery it will cause is phenomenal, but it will be an environmental catastrophe plopped down in the middle of a small Native American community.
Allegator Alcatraz in in Rep. Mario Diaz Balart's district. He is one of 3 Cuban Amenrican House Republicans who have been protesting Trump immigration policy. We have a Democratic majority. Immigration is certainly not the only issue, but many Republicans here are conflicted.
E.G. Billionaire Miami healthcare CEO Michael “Mike” B. Fernandez wrote the following open letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and members of the Republican Cuban-American Miami-Dade congressional delegation: U.S. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez and Maria Elvira Salazar.
For decades, I have stood with you in defense of the freedoms we cherish, those we were denied in the country of our birth and found in the grace of this one. I know what it means to flee tyranny. Like you, I carry that history in my bones and that pain in my heart. But like a growing number in our community,
I have watched with dismay as the very values we once found sanctuary in are now being attacked by a previously unthinkable threat — the sitting president of the United States.
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article304271841.html#storylink=cpy
Protest to the Cuban American National Foundation https://www.canf.org/get-involved/contact-us
I may not be directly affected by this disgusting legislation, but I feel the hurt because I have feelings for my fellow Americans who will feel the brunt of it. I also am completely disgusted by the self-interest aspect of this: They won’t fight Trump out of fear of losing their jobs? Their high salaries plus all of the benefits of office kick in and are for a lifetime, right? Many are older and would be retiring anyway, right? Have they no pride or feeling of responsibility for taking care of the welfare of their constituents? If it looks like Trump, if it sounds like Trump, if it smells like Trump, then what’s the difference between these do-and-know-nothings in Congress and the maniac they continue to worship in the White House? C’mon, man. Protect the common man and do the job you were elected to do.
If enough angry voters hold them responsible for their inflicted losses, these legislators may not have to worry about a Trump primary attack - the voters will do it for him, and the results won't be to his liking.
Alligator Auschwitz, brilliant. as of this moment, that's how we refer to the joint. everybody knows what it refers to, and it calls the place what it is—not an "immigrant detention site" but a concentration camp, and the president said from the place yesterday that he wants many more such camps in other states and hopes the program will be around "for a long time."
A prison in Kansas (privately owned) wants to be another site, and the people of Kansas are protesting it. We'll see if there's any further coverage of this. The media will likely move on to the next shiny object. We're seeing a lot of this. Responsible journalism calls for a follow-up.
Curtis Yarvin, techbro influencer on the Libertarian Right once suggested turning the bodies of the dying off poor into biofuel for AI farms. And got applause from his audience.
John, I regret to tell you: Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger were the last 2 Republicans. It's the gQP now/terrorist party now.
They don't need ovens, when they can ship people off the places like Libya, Sudan, and Nicaragua. The results are the same.
Let’s not drop the blame solely on Republicans. I blame the Americans who voted for them and who will continue to do so. They think that a Party which embraces their racism,sexism and misogyny, xenophobia,homophobia, and anti-semitism is worth the sacrifice of their personal well-being, and that of everyone else in the United States. They vote for their prejudices over their interests. We would not have that cast of invertebrates led by a cannibal if we had not voted them into office.
My two Senators are Democrats and all my Representatives are Democrats. They all voted against this bill and some have fought Trump loudly since he won in November.
But my state is still the victim of the other states and Congressmen who cave to their own self interest. When you think about it, much of this country is only concerned with themselves. They don't care about the others until they are the "others".
I live in a ruby Red state and no matter how often one attempts to enlighten those who do not seem to understand that our legislators do not care about them (their own voters) and follow Trump like sheep with their grievances and cruelty, we are told that "we on the left" are the ones who are misinformed. The lies seem to be baked into their brains. It is frustrating and sad and so depressing to hear from what one thought were normal people.
Those who voted for the bill must think, what’s to come will not happen to / affect them.
It will happen to ‘the others’.
Did the US learn nothing from the ‘60s, ‘80s, ‘90’s, 2000’s ???
People WILL DIE.
Children WILL DIE.
Starvation is very painful.
🎼“Something’s happening here,
What it is ain’t exactly clear,
There’s a man with a gun over there,
Telling me I got to beware.
Time we stop, Children,
What’s that sound?
Everybody look what’s going down.”
Shame on all of us.
Everyone who voted for Trump is not the same. It's easy to be angry with them and write them all off when Trump keeps revealing new ways he is trashing our country. Believe me, I understand. One of my closest friends is a Trump voter.
Adam Kinzinger had the founder of "Leaving MAGA" on his Substack recently. It was an interesting interview.
Check out this website ("Leaving MAGA") for a more nuanced version of former Trump voters. We need to accept those who are good people who have been misled and now reject Trump. They will be part of the resistance. And it's not an easy transition for them.
https://leavingmaga.org/they-left-maga/stephania-messina/
C C,
You are onto something very important here: Blame is not always useful.
What would be useful: figuring out how to avoid the horrifying consequences of the trump regime.
Voting for their prejudices over their interests is a feature comprising about a third of the current electorate. The rest of the Trump voters last November got brainwashed. The last Trump voter I talked to said, "I voted for him, so far I'm OKay with it". Not sure which group she belongs to.
Very well said, indeed.
Blame, and that is exactly what it is, despite the notion that many do not want to use the term these days — must be laid squarely at the feet of those “low information” voters, as they are called, who could not be bothered to find out actual facts about the economy, instead of casting a vote based on idiotic hearsay and rumor. Or, more deeply, who gave way to their prejudices against blacks and women.
They also bear weighty, weighty moral responsibility. Many of them, claiming to be “Christian,” whatever that means, obviously have not read the Gospels, in particular, the Sermon on the Mount — for heaven knows how long. Either that, or they have chosen to forget the Gospels’ ethical demand and urgency, long, long ago.
Shame on them. Shame on them.
Again, very well said.
"A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims, but accomplices." - George Orwell
IMHO we wuz robbed.
The blame can be spread to the regime and its enablers, including those who voted for the regime. Someone who is part of a scheme to murder, even if they do not commit the murder themselves, is guilty of a felony murder. Let's stare the facts in their face.
You have that exactly right.
You have that exactly right
An old, slightly-modified Eisenhower Republican here: the characteristics which make the modern MAGA rethuglicans 'successful' would have been anathema to old Ike. When your guiding principals are corrupt, cruel, and callous - there is nothing but evil coming from your deliberations. And they are so propagandized and tribal they cannot see what their legislation will do to the Nation and the Economy. And none of this can be easily fixed with a 'regime change'. Once those little rural hospitals close (I live 10 miles from one), once those kids grow up without medical care and enough to eat - the communities and people will be physically and psychologically scarred for a long time. We are going to need Nuremberg-like trials for many of these rethuglicans.
Goes without saying, 'this ain't your grandfather's Republican Party any more.'
Trump and the damage he has inflicted on the country in these past few months are worse than even I could have imagined. And frankly, any person in full support of what he has done is a worse person than I could have thought.
Collins knew her vote wasn't needed, therefore, she chose to try to improve her ratings in Maine.
I suspect that lots of Senate Republicons wanted to vote "no" but they couldn't all do it because then they'd face death threats from Agent Orange. So they all got into a room and decided that only three could defect and they drew straws. Collins got lucky on the draw. Murkowski did not.
Collins is up for reelection, murkowski isn't. It's as simple as that
Politics OVER the citizens!
Murkowski got FANCY and insulted our intelligence! She protected Alaska at the expense of our entire country. Do NOT forget it!
Collins is good at math and knew she has an election ahead. She insulted us, too, since we know how politics works! Politics over the citizens! Remember!
I wish they would stop interviewing these 2 !
Another "at least he has learned a lesson" moment.
My sentiments exactly. Now it is up to us to keep this travesty in front of the voters from now until the 2026 elections. Say it often, shout it out, flood the zone. Rich S Octogenarian and Contrarian and mad as hell
Republicans "Frankly my dear(s), I don't give a damn."
It surprises me that these people don't have SOMEONE in their extended families who are recent immigrants or people dependent on government assistance. But I shouldn't be surprised because although I have recent immigrants and people dependent on government in my extended family, I also have Trump voters who purport to love these family members but don't seem capable of recognizing the damage their votes are doing. Or, they can't seem to project the specific (MY relative) to the general (all the other people in the same predicament).
Oh, hell: our Secretary of State is what they like to call “an anchor baby.” They don’t care. None of the Republicans care.
There are many anchor babies among the MAGAts in charge of our country, one of them is the head of the FBI, Kash Patel. When the shit hits the fan, just watch him twist in the wind as he explains how understaffed the FBI workforce has become and use it to excuse the inability to find homegrown terrorists...You know, the scores of Timothy McVeighs running amok in our country.
Yes - Murkowski and Collins. They both betrayed the country. Murkowski 'agonized' --- about what - who knows. It certainly was not about the impact on a huge percentage of the COUNTRY. But she had to look out for her state. Egregious. And Susan Collins - I don't have polite words to describe her stupidity. I remember with the impeachment hearing that she said 'trump has learned from his mistakes' and then that 'Bret had assured her---' Thankfully her polling is in the toilet. I have been emailing the both - and would encourage you all to do the same.
Collins is hopeless and twists in any wind that blows her way. Murkowski is disgusting and according to her polling should not be reelected. I pray for an onslaught of letters and phone calls from the victims of this legislation to the offices of both these women.
Utter BS from these two! Truth is all we ask for in this matter!
Murkowski voted out of fear for her own safety, and is too fearful to even admit that. That is why she paused so long to respond. This is what Trump has turned America into, mob and mob boss rule by intemidation.
Thanks for calling out Collins and Murkowski, who will always take the expedient vote. I don't praise Collins because she was able to take a "safe" vote against the bill she enabled to reach the floor. I suspect that the plan always was for Collins and Murkowski to sit it out, with Rand Paul a decided no, but when Tillis decided not to support the bill, Collins and Murkowski had to flip a coin as to which of them would take the hit and vote for it. Collins is up for re-election in 2026 and no doubt hopes to hoodwink Maine voters yet again by her show--and it is a show--of reasonableness. Murkowski is not up until 2028, so perhaps she hopes Alaska voters will forget her role in vastly reducing food assistance and medical care or focus on the minimal mitigation she arranged for them. Thus, her insistence that she advocated for her state ahead of the needs of all Americans who live in the other 49 states. While senators need to be attuned to what their states need, they, like all federal representatives in the House and Senate have a higher duty to the country as a whole.
Collins always has the same MO.
She's against and votes "NEY" only when she knows the rightwing bill will pass and her vote does nada-niente-nothing-rien du tout-niks-niemendal-nichts.
I think you nailed this. I was thinking the same thing; they have a gentlewomen's agreement on who will vote how.
Ernst: "We are all going to die"
And thanks to Ernst, Murkowski and all the rest of the not so merry gang of trump worshippers some are going to die a lot sooner.
Ernst: "Good I did not bring up the tooth fairy!"
Well Ernst, I've got news for you!
The tooth fairy turns out to be real! She does exist.
She lays tax cuts under the pillows of those who are very rich and already don't pay their fair share of taxes.
Ernst, like Scrooge, should have proclaimed after being told people would die, "Then let them do so and decrease the surplus population!"
By her actions and words, she basically did just that.
They all know this bill is a pile of incoherent slop, financial disaster and unrestrained cruelty. $175 billion for ICE? Why, is it about to invade Canada with bunker buster bombs or something? The entire command and control structure of NATO itself is only about $4 billion.
Think of the school lunches that could be served instead. Think of the rural health centers that could be supported -- the nurse practitioners that could be hired in underserved communities. Imagine the malnourished children USAID would be feeding with Plumpy Nut peanut paste (procured by American farmers) for a fraction of that, or the millions who would have gotten lifesaving HIV medication.
Picture the real war against transnational crime and corruption that now won't be fought and terrorist plots that won't be uncovered in the nick of time. Imagine the precision drones Ukraine could have gotten to protect its people from Russian mayhem and indiscriminate murder.
Now visualize Kristi Noem in her $80,000 Rolex laughing and giggling while a deranged, psychiatrically-impaired man obsessed with made-for-trash-TV rants about his cage-fighting on "Alcatraz Island" broadcast live for the entertainment of his nasty, deranged cult.
To paraphrase Bill Clinton, it's not the economy, stupid. It's the cruelty.
Yes! The bill is cruel. Yes! Republicans are cruel and have no courage. And yes! Republicans are incredibly smart. Very little of the painful components of the bill will take effect until after the 2026 or 2028 elections.
But that isn't the worst part of all of this. America let this happen. Not just by electing 47 and his gang of ethno-fascist, homophobic, racist, xenophobic, antisemitic, lawless Christian nationalist thugs. We let this happen by pretending the the next election will change things and pretending to be outraged and holding meaningless "No King" demonstrations and rallies when only a prolonged national strike would get the attention of these Republican thugs. We accuse Republican Congressman and Senators of having no courage and yet we lacked the courage and commitment to do the only thing that had any chance of stopping this cruelty - holding a prolonged demonstrations and a prolonged national strike that lasted until we got Republicans to back down on their cruelty, greed, and insatiable lust for power. We did this to ourselves. We the People are to blame for letting the OBBB pass.
Murkowski's collapse is disappointing on so many levels. Once a relative beacon of integrity, sells her soul for a few silver coins for her state and said "to hell with the rest of them". One more victim of the FOX bias-casters
I think Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski play "your turn/my turn" with votes, thereby each saying "I voted no" when it helps their re-election campaign. I am totally disgusted with the lack of courage, care, and compassion of this Congress.
Senator Susan Collins is a wimp, although shrewd enough to cloak her cowardice in "moderation" and "concern." Mainers will replace her. Times up, Susan.