I did that when Kennedy announced his retirement. SC news is just too much for me to bear. Real life or death stuff. Not putting my head in the sand, but the discourse on this will be just too much for me to handle. Need to watch my mental health. I mean it. Will be back in a few days. Ugh.

Yeah, one of THOSE posts.

The ratfuckery going on by Trump and Republicans is off the charts. Today was brutal for me.

I realize Democrats will have good and bad days/weeks and so will the opposition.

At the start of this week Trump was in the crapper in poll after poll and anyone with two brain cells could tell that the Swan interview was a disaster of historic proportions. To offset that, the crazy came back with vegence.

Trump and the executive orders. Russia and the election. Republicans and Kayne West and Green Party "candidates." Trump, Republicans and Russia and social media. Continued Trump and Republican inaction on COVID-19. Trump and the Post Office. Trump and Republican distorted political ads. Trump and Republicans trolling the left with glee and passion to trigger hysteria amongst the libs. And on. And on. And on.

A tsunami of shit hit our shores (again) and we're up to our necks in it. I mean, that's what we get with a chaos presidency.

I honestly feel that Trump can break any law between now and November 3 and the taunt will be "Whatcha going to do about it? I'm president and you're not." I feel the "never ask permission, never apologize" asshole factor will soar to new heights that will shock---I mean SHOCK---Americans in its brazeness.

I knew this was going to get ugly, but it my own naive way, I'm still not prepared.

Keep up the fight.

This might be obvious. Residents in those states have the opportunity to see Democratic policies, values and leadership in action from the top. Such contrast to Trump. Will homefield advantage by Democrat governors make a difference this November?

I believe all of the governships might have been Republicans in 2016 when Trump won all of those states.

This operation totally fits Trump's "law and order" narrative. Big red meat to the base. We (Democrats/liberals) starting raising heck about the shadowy force and now this opens a national platform for them (Republicans/conservatives) to dominate messaging.

Trump or Barr could always say "Liberal anarchists were overtaking Portland. We had to do something. Our show of prescence will remain in Portland and I'll do the same in any city that I see that has the same problem." Totally own it and don't apologize for their tactics, twisting themselves in pretzels with legal justification.

They see the polls (sad that THAT was the impetus for action). COVID-19 response by Republicans has been a disaster and most on the political spectrum know it and are laying blame at their feet. R governors and senators now have motivation to address and advocate closures, testing, masks, social distancing, etc. after first villfying those measures in black-and-white terms as an assault on the economy and personal freedom.

Oh, they'll put on a show for the bare minimum while infections and deaths continue to rise (I'm looking at you Ducey, Abbott, DeSantis, Kemp, McConnell), but they'll stop short of anything meanginful to halt the spread and aid in the long road to recovery. Just saving thier assess for this election cycle.

Let's hope reputable media sources and elected leaders won't let go of what happened in the past (who knew what, when?).

But, starting this minute, can we also start grilling the Trump administartion and Republicans about what they plan to do in retaliation? Now that we all know, what actions can we inflict on Putin? That needs to penetrate the public discussion as well.

You know Trump wants to just ride this out and introduce some outrage du jour to deflect. I suspect this breaking news on Friday may have been partially the reason he did not go to New Jersey. And BTW, NO mention of this on Friday's NBC Nightly News and it was buried deep into the broadcast of ABC's World News Tonight as a "blurb" on Saturday evening. I don't watch a lot of cable news where this may be getting more play, but I get a feeling this just isn't getting traction in overall mass media.

Don't give up ANYTHING to the Republicans? Fight tooth-and-nail and tell them to go pound sand and see ya in court? Give them a taste of their own medicine?

-OR-

Go into the belly of the beast and show you have nothing to hide? Look bored as hell going through the motions and let the whole affair reveal a brazen political hit?

Whichever route, Republicans will twist themselves in knots to "prove" something.

I'm conflicted as I see both approaches.

What say you?

[link:https://twitter.com/hawaiidelilah/status/1250897492431958016?s=21|

The Californias, New Yorks and Washington states will craft the grounbreaking solutions to diagnose, confine, treat, educate, and rehabilitate.

Red states will be laggards, quietly adopting similar actions after a lot of kicking and screaming.

Oh, and fuck Jared Kushner. That asshole doesn't have an original thought in his head. Its so obvious he's desperate to be viewed as a "disruptor" like the Silicon Valley bros he wishes to emulate and be part of. All talk and branding. No action. Ever.

No coping skills and a searing resentment that their freedom is limited. Sheltering in place drives them mad. In our on-demand society, the very thought that they have to apply some restraint and sacrifice is making them unbearable to talk to or be around. Perhaps I’m generalizing, but I feel the Republicans in my life are about to crack faster from quarantining than the Democrats.