I could not agree more! Murkowski's asking presumably for sympathy because she is afraid to stand up for "truth, justice, and the American way" is a shocking shirking of her obligations to her constituents, to her entire country, and, as it turns out, global stability. She is bolstering a mad man.
But at least she, unlike any of her GOP colleagues, speaks out. The rest appear to be cowering in their corners, unless they are just venal personalities of which, unfortunately, there are a few.
If whingeing is her apparent way of speaking out, it's not very effective. We all know that there's strength in numbers. What she needs to be doing is bringing her colleagues into unity to fight for us, their constituents.
But who is she going to go to? Graham just wants another golf game. McConnell is out to pasture. So... who is the brave one to join her? Maybe Tillis....
There are brave constituencies she could align with. There are democratic women and men who she could cross the aisle and give a firm embrace. If she is truly so paralyzed with fear then she should consider outside care she does have strength within her.
That was Jennifer's point - none are showing any bravery! Maybe more positive, louder and longer demands from the constituents with the help of a few Democrats can convince all of them to stand together in a bipartisan (a foreign word these days) manner to enforce the Constitution, stand for democracy and our rights.
This column is about words and phrases. What if the failing leaders don’t use any words and phrases? I request a follow-up column that takes on this challenge. If anyone can do it, Jen Rubin can.
I too am aware that Murkowski, a woman, is being castigated because she 1) spoke and 2) addressed an emotional experience, which is what women do. Maybe she’s trying to make sense of her male colleagues’ silence, and her comments were her generous interpretation and one she can identify with. I wouldn’t rule out the pervasiveness of venal personalities. But without any word and phrases, we have little to go on. Therefore, we should think the worst of them. I’m serious.
Obviously I disagree. The idea that others are too cowardly to say they are cowardly doesn’t make any sense to me. Should I be afraid to speak up? Should you?
I'm beyond disgusted on so many levels, and furious at the organized idiocy that now constitutes our government. I'm also embarrassed to have lost count of the names and faces who've been abducted off our streets just to fill somebody's bizarre quota of "undesirables" to satisfy the ugly whims of a deranged president who conjures up imaginary monsters to destroy every day -- embarrassed, because on some level, i know forgetfulness on my part is exactly what they want. ('Say their names...')
The day before yesterday, Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post actually wrote an article where she described Lisa Murkowski as a guardrail against Trump. On what planet could her admission of fear constitute a check on his behavior, I wrote as a commenter. She wrote me directly -- in a huff, saying I didn't read her article. I responded saying 'you're right, I didn't, because the headline itself was ridiculous.' Since when has Donald Trump ever trembled at anything Lisa Murkowski has ever said or done?
Whatever threats she, Tillis and other lawmakers do face, it's their OWN creation. They knew who he was when they let him take over their party. And they all (Murkowski and Collins aside) voted for that shameless, drunken, white supremacist, Christo-nationalist fuck-up, Pete Hegseth --- they knew exactly who HE was as well. Not once did I hear any Republican shout "you're not qualified!" the way Tammy Duckworth did.
The privileged class is afraid? Afraid to speak out. As Ms. Rubin states, if just a few Republican grow a spine, the Trump agenda would be blocked. The House could do the same. Not likely.
I have been thinking about this for a while, as I am sure many others have.
I think it has the same dynamics as this possible scenario. Let's say you grew up in a peaceful family. There was no yelling or berating and absolutely no one was hit. The same kind of atmosphere prevailed where you went to school. Self-defense classes and martial arts training are not part of your world; why would they be?
Then when you are in your 20s, you begin to date someone who after a few months hauls off and punches you. You have zero experience processing such a thing, and you simply are reeling in shock and pain and unable to come up with much of a response.
I think this is where America is. Some of us can process it more quickly than others for a lot of reasons. Some of us can mobilize ourselves and take action more quickly. But a lot of people are still reeling in disbelief with no coherent thoughts except, "This cannot be happening."
We need to support those who are still reeling like Lisa Murkowski. After all, many of us owe our very lives to her (along with Collins and McCain) for voting to keep the ACA.
The more we can bring others on board to handling the truth, the faster this will be resolved.
Good point about recognizing abusive behavior. I grew up on an alcoholic home and saw Donald Trump for who he was way back when. I'm protesting, calling my Senators and Congressman, educating friends, and have been wondering why they seem so passive. Perhaps they don't see the danger? Don't realize that yes, you can lose everything and no, no one is going to rescue you?
I get what you are saying. I think it applies to a lot of people who are just now wakening to the reality of how politics impacts our lives, and seeking to understand. I do not believe that it applies to Murkowsky.
I agree with you about the politics part. I feel she is speaking of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers part. We all know they will do his bidding even if he does not speak of it directly.
I call Thune's office on a regular basis bc every once in a while I sense a reason to appeal to him. This has given me some new ammo. As always, my daily Contrarian reading has been rewarding.
Here's a rude but explicable suggestion from an, ahem older woman aka well-aged female whose thinning head of hair is beginning to resemble a thistle: Every time you write one of your formerly carefully crafted, precisely targeted, specific and diligently proofread letters to one or more of your senators or congressmen, start it with the following phrase, in all caps: FUCKING DO YOUR JOB [insert name and/or appropriate epithet here].
Well said Leigh! I’ve been holding off on the ahem…strong language but after getting no answer from my senators for Ohio, Moreno and Husted, except for the same l
I completely agree! And yet... you make a comparison between the current Republican machine and "the Mob." And the thing about the Mob is that they make sure you're in too deep, that you can't get out without facing all kinds of consequences. Not just being primaried and losing your Senate seat, but having all your skeletons yanked out of the closet for public view, scandal, and potentially even prosecution. Insider trading? Sweetheart deals? Unsavory associations? A plum job provided for your spouse, private school tuition for your kids? Etc., etc.
Yes, many of these lawmakers are cowardly careerists. But maybe they're also flies caught in a vast, vicious web...
The very fact that becoming a congressional representative exponentially increases one's net worth is evidence that you're on to something, Sharon. It also means that once one person breaks ranks and becomes exposed for insider deals of one kind or another, the rest of them also have to fear exposure, because why would only one congressperson be involved in dirty dealings? There must be a lot of pressure inside Congress itself to continue rolling over to the monster they've created.
Trump has curated an astonishing array of gossip-driven tidbits about his friends and foes. Business associates, competitors, elected and appointed officials, celebrities, sports figures, journalists, foreign leaders, entrepreneurs, billionaires, judges and lawyers, neighbors, staff members, and of course, personal “friends” and former friends. He has made this his prime objective since his youth and constantly deploys it as part of his transactional personality. This uncanny and merciless trait is his only superpower. And he knows it. And he wields it with evil intentions.
I know he was a Democrat, but these fearful GOP senators could heed the words of FDR when he said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” and then, as Jen points out, think hard about remaining in party that now operates like the mob. Consider becoming independents.
They haven’t been profiles in courage, but there’s still time.
Great writing Jennifer!! This sums up & articulates how I feel and want to scream at the legacy/mainstream media outlets (what little I watch these days) when they continue to be complicit talking about GOP thugs & the mafia wannabe 🤡in chief. The GOP could stop this today…yet, nothing, nada, zip, zilch…so disgusting.
Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney lost her seat in Congress, but she kept something more important: her self-respect. Like Senator Margaret Chase Smith, she chose to speak and act against tyranny. I am a Wyoming Democrat, and I do not agree with her on policy, but she is an American hero in my book because she chose her country over party.
And Adam Kinzinger chose to retire and keep his self-respect. Both Cheney and Kinzinger were invaluable in helping to expose the January 6th insurgents for who they were (are) and the damage they wrought, at Trump's instigation and with his encouragement.
While I am glad that Sen. Murkowksii had the courage to vote to convict Trump on his second impeachment charges, she now needs to do so much more than merely express her personal fears and those of other Republicans for the very reasons Jen Rubin so eloquently laid out. She needs to begin to imagine, empathize with and fight against the fear felt by the many millions who are much more vulnerable than she is and thereby join in the fight to save our democracy..
I could not agree more! Murkowski's asking presumably for sympathy because she is afraid to stand up for "truth, justice, and the American way" is a shocking shirking of her obligations to her constituents, to her entire country, and, as it turns out, global stability. She is bolstering a mad man.
But at least she, unlike any of her GOP colleagues, speaks out. The rest appear to be cowering in their corners, unless they are just venal personalities of which, unfortunately, there are a few.
If whingeing is her apparent way of speaking out, it's not very effective. We all know that there's strength in numbers. What she needs to be doing is bringing her colleagues into unity to fight for us, their constituents.
But who is she going to go to? Graham just wants another golf game. McConnell is out to pasture. So... who is the brave one to join her? Maybe Tillis....
There are brave constituencies she could align with. There are democratic women and men who she could cross the aisle and give a firm embrace. If she is truly so paralyzed with fear then she should consider outside care she does have strength within her.
That was Jennifer's point - none are showing any bravery! Maybe more positive, louder and longer demands from the constituents with the help of a few Democrats can convince all of them to stand together in a bipartisan (a foreign word these days) manner to enforce the Constitution, stand for democracy and our rights.
Mark Kelly from Arizona.
True. But I'd like her recruit some Republicans
My bad-I keep thinking he's a repub.!
This column is about words and phrases. What if the failing leaders don’t use any words and phrases? I request a follow-up column that takes on this challenge. If anyone can do it, Jen Rubin can.
I too am aware that Murkowski, a woman, is being castigated because she 1) spoke and 2) addressed an emotional experience, which is what women do. Maybe she’s trying to make sense of her male colleagues’ silence, and her comments were her generous interpretation and one she can identify with. I wouldn’t rule out the pervasiveness of venal personalities. But without any word and phrases, we have little to go on. Therefore, we should think the worst of them. I’m serious.
Obviously I disagree. The idea that others are too cowardly to say they are cowardly doesn’t make any sense to me. Should I be afraid to speak up? Should you?
Exactly right. That you for laying it all out so clearly.
I'm beyond disgusted on so many levels, and furious at the organized idiocy that now constitutes our government. I'm also embarrassed to have lost count of the names and faces who've been abducted off our streets just to fill somebody's bizarre quota of "undesirables" to satisfy the ugly whims of a deranged president who conjures up imaginary monsters to destroy every day -- embarrassed, because on some level, i know forgetfulness on my part is exactly what they want. ('Say their names...')
The day before yesterday, Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post actually wrote an article where she described Lisa Murkowski as a guardrail against Trump. On what planet could her admission of fear constitute a check on his behavior, I wrote as a commenter. She wrote me directly -- in a huff, saying I didn't read her article. I responded saying 'you're right, I didn't, because the headline itself was ridiculous.' Since when has Donald Trump ever trembled at anything Lisa Murkowski has ever said or done?
Whatever threats she, Tillis and other lawmakers do face, it's their OWN creation. They knew who he was when they let him take over their party. And they all (Murkowski and Collins aside) voted for that shameless, drunken, white supremacist, Christo-nationalist fuck-up, Pete Hegseth --- they knew exactly who HE was as well. Not once did I hear any Republican shout "you're not qualified!" the way Tammy Duckworth did.
AMEN!
The privileged class is afraid? Afraid to speak out. As Ms. Rubin states, if just a few Republican grow a spine, the Trump agenda would be blocked. The House could do the same. Not likely.
I can never forget that Murkowski voted for every one of Trump's rotten appointments except Hegseth.
I have been thinking about this for a while, as I am sure many others have.
I think it has the same dynamics as this possible scenario. Let's say you grew up in a peaceful family. There was no yelling or berating and absolutely no one was hit. The same kind of atmosphere prevailed where you went to school. Self-defense classes and martial arts training are not part of your world; why would they be?
Then when you are in your 20s, you begin to date someone who after a few months hauls off and punches you. You have zero experience processing such a thing, and you simply are reeling in shock and pain and unable to come up with much of a response.
I think this is where America is. Some of us can process it more quickly than others for a lot of reasons. Some of us can mobilize ourselves and take action more quickly. But a lot of people are still reeling in disbelief with no coherent thoughts except, "This cannot be happening."
We need to support those who are still reeling like Lisa Murkowski. After all, many of us owe our very lives to her (along with Collins and McCain) for voting to keep the ACA.
The more we can bring others on board to handling the truth, the faster this will be resolved.
Good point about recognizing abusive behavior. I grew up on an alcoholic home and saw Donald Trump for who he was way back when. I'm protesting, calling my Senators and Congressman, educating friends, and have been wondering why they seem so passive. Perhaps they don't see the danger? Don't realize that yes, you can lose everything and no, no one is going to rescue you?
thanks for hearing the words
I get what you are saying. I think it applies to a lot of people who are just now wakening to the reality of how politics impacts our lives, and seeking to understand. I do not believe that it applies to Murkowsky.
I agree with you about the politics part. I feel she is speaking of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers part. We all know they will do his bidding even if he does not speak of it directly.
Indeed! If the privileged senators cannot take the heat and stand up for the people who elected them, they should step aside!
I call Thune's office on a regular basis bc every once in a while I sense a reason to appeal to him. This has given me some new ammo. As always, my daily Contrarian reading has been rewarding.
1000% agree! These entitled MAGA enablers should just retire.
Here's a rude but explicable suggestion from an, ahem older woman aka well-aged female whose thinning head of hair is beginning to resemble a thistle: Every time you write one of your formerly carefully crafted, precisely targeted, specific and diligently proofread letters to one or more of your senators or congressmen, start it with the following phrase, in all caps: FUCKING DO YOUR JOB [insert name and/or appropriate epithet here].
Well said Leigh! I’ve been holding off on the ahem…strong language but after getting no answer from my senators for Ohio, Moreno and Husted, except for the same l
Lame form letters.
I completely agree! And yet... you make a comparison between the current Republican machine and "the Mob." And the thing about the Mob is that they make sure you're in too deep, that you can't get out without facing all kinds of consequences. Not just being primaried and losing your Senate seat, but having all your skeletons yanked out of the closet for public view, scandal, and potentially even prosecution. Insider trading? Sweetheart deals? Unsavory associations? A plum job provided for your spouse, private school tuition for your kids? Etc., etc.
Yes, many of these lawmakers are cowardly careerists. But maybe they're also flies caught in a vast, vicious web...
The very fact that becoming a congressional representative exponentially increases one's net worth is evidence that you're on to something, Sharon. It also means that once one person breaks ranks and becomes exposed for insider deals of one kind or another, the rest of them also have to fear exposure, because why would only one congressperson be involved in dirty dealings? There must be a lot of pressure inside Congress itself to continue rolling over to the monster they've created.
this ^^ I've thought the same thing for a long time. What does tRump (by which I mean Putin) have on them?
Trump has curated an astonishing array of gossip-driven tidbits about his friends and foes. Business associates, competitors, elected and appointed officials, celebrities, sports figures, journalists, foreign leaders, entrepreneurs, billionaires, judges and lawyers, neighbors, staff members, and of course, personal “friends” and former friends. He has made this his prime objective since his youth and constantly deploys it as part of his transactional personality. This uncanny and merciless trait is his only superpower. And he knows it. And he wields it with evil intentions.
Right on target!!
I know he was a Democrat, but these fearful GOP senators could heed the words of FDR when he said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” and then, as Jen points out, think hard about remaining in party that now operates like the mob. Consider becoming independents.
They haven’t been profiles in courage, but there’s still time.
Was it really coercion or was it just bad character on their part?
Someone with a spine wouldn’t have voted to confirm any of them. They’re just about all invertebrates.
Great writing Jennifer!! This sums up & articulates how I feel and want to scream at the legacy/mainstream media outlets (what little I watch these days) when they continue to be complicit talking about GOP thugs & the mafia wannabe 🤡in chief. The GOP could stop this today…yet, nothing, nada, zip, zilch…so disgusting.
Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney lost her seat in Congress, but she kept something more important: her self-respect. Like Senator Margaret Chase Smith, she chose to speak and act against tyranny. I am a Wyoming Democrat, and I do not agree with her on policy, but she is an American hero in my book because she chose her country over party.
And Adam Kinzinger chose to retire and keep his self-respect. Both Cheney and Kinzinger were invaluable in helping to expose the January 6th insurgents for who they were (are) and the damage they wrought, at Trump's instigation and with his encouragement.
While I am glad that Sen. Murkowksii had the courage to vote to convict Trump on his second impeachment charges, she now needs to do so much more than merely express her personal fears and those of other Republicans for the very reasons Jen Rubin so eloquently laid out. She needs to begin to imagine, empathize with and fight against the fear felt by the many millions who are much more vulnerable than she is and thereby join in the fight to save our democracy..