James Fallows, former speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter and staff writer at The Atlantic, lays out a plan Welcome to The Signorile Report, where you’ll read hard-hitting political commentary and exposés, hear interesting conversations, join in great discussions and get lots of other stuff.
I believe that Biden is going to leave it to his Justice Dept appointees to take on the job of prosecuting Trump et al at the federal level and leave the states (Go NY!) to prosecute at their level. Trump chose to bully and manipulate the Justice Dept for his self-interest but this is not the norm for American democracy. The problem is we’ve grown so accustomed to a President and the GOP breaking laws and getting away with it that the 73 million who voted again for Trump think this has always been the way a President and the Justice Dept. behaves or should behave.
As for Obama not opening investigations into Bush and the Iraqi war and the banking industry during his term, I think he knew it would be battles he could not win solely because he is a Black man. We African Americans have never had and still do not have the privilege of speaking up without consequences.
I have too many personal experiences with this during my 40 years of working in Corporate America. I watched my white colleagues with less education and less work experience point out issues, suggest ways for improving processes and receive praise from management while I was told I had a bad attitude, was a negative person, too stupid to address an envelope, etc. and had to put up with managers plotting to fire me or make the work environment so hostile in hopes I would quit. I actually have PTSD from my previous 2 jobs.
Biden and his administration will still face push-backs from the GOP but as a white President he will not face the same type of obstacles that Obama did. He has more leverage to push Republicans to cooperate without their whispers that “he’s not minding his place”. The GOP will try to pull their usual crap but I don’t think they’ll be as brazen as they have been under Trump. They realize Biden knows how shady they are.
Michael I'm not sure if VP Biden has the stomach to get too deep into this, but I am sure that Letitia James and Cy Vance Jr do! We shall see, but this administration will have a LOT on their plate for 4 years and beyond.
I hope a very thorough investigation takes place for Trump. He will always have an impact on me that reeks of feeling on the edge and not knowing if we would land safely. (A bonus is I get to listen to the great interlude music that I like so much).
This was an excellent interview, Michelangelo — one of the most important that you have had. I hope Fallows has the ear of the Biden-Harris Administration as I think he has hit the nail on the head. Actually, I hope Biden & Harris are listening to a lot of smart folks like Fallows with good guidance to help them move forward more successfully, which would include, as one caller mentioned on your Tuesday show, someone to help them figure out the best way to "deprogram" that portion of Americans who are not seeing the truth of the situation.
For me, in particular, the one of his three commissions that is most critical, particularly at this juncture, is the third one regarding democracy. If we don't have democracy than everything else gets swept away. We need to preserve the future of the country — for the good of ALL Americans, even if a certain percentage continues to allow the wool to be pulled over their eyes. Hopefully, eventually, they will realize the truth of what we just went through for the last four years, and particularly, the last four weeks!
One side note: I wish Biden could have had the opportunity during the debates — the one type of event during a presidential campaign where Americans from all walks of life were all watching together with open eyes — to talk more about how Trump has eroded our democracy. We all have a short memory, due to the media but also in the past four years due to Trump wanting to throw the kitchen sink at us every day so there is much information overload that we have no choice but to forget many of the horrible things he has done. If Biden had reminded Americans, with greater specificity, what we went through, what Trump did, how democracy had been eroded, well, I think at least a portion of the pro-Trump or leaning-Trump would have thought, "oh, right, right, that's true, I forgot, or I hadn't thought about that, and I may need to rethink this."
However, the problem is with the Debate Commission and their rules, or perhaps their negotiations with the campaigns. Remember when candidates got opening and closing statements? Notice how that's been done away with? Now at the debates the candidates are at the mercy of whatever the moderator wants to ask and there is no time for them to just stand there and make a solid point on an overall theme of their choice. Had there been opening & closing, I think Biden could have made more inroads. Yes, I realize it's water under the bridge now, but just something to put in your back pocket for the future.
So, I had told you over the weekend that I likely to get my first COVID shot this week. I got the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine today and I can so far report that I did not feel the needle and I feel totally fine. No soreness in my arm at this point and no other symptoms.
It was a surreal feeling to be one of the first to get the vaccine. It surprised me that it was an emotional experience. Felt proud and blessed Really overwhelmed and grateful.
This will all be left to lay "fallow" on the fascist farm to grow the next batch of Rumpers, ever upward, once our complicit MSM destroys Biden, what's left of our meager democracy, this all of course, a sure thing if Loeffler and Purdue win Georgia.
If they lose, Joe will maintain his lukewarm vision of small "d"-emocracy for the people of this country for the next term and barely scratch the surface of what Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren's progressive vision would have done to stop the madness of the last 40+ years from the cascading effects of Ronald's Reaganomic vomitus!
Joe like "O", too far right to know especially with two Houses infiltrated by Q-anon crazies!
All I'm saying is don't get your hopes up too high until the Run-off has run its course and Moscow Mitch has been rendered into an ingloriously rancid turtle 'stewage'.
Yes....Mitch has definite gastronomical appeal as a GOPIG.
Stewage. DEFINITION: v. To prepare or process food in a manner that renders it unpalatable, indigestible and completely inedible. n., Food which has been prepared in such a way that it is unfit for human, or even non-human, consumption......I.E. Addison Mitchell McCONWELL---American Traitor and side dish at the Cajun Amerikkkan Waffle House!
I believe that Biden is going to leave it to his Justice Dept appointees to take on the job of prosecuting Trump et al at the federal level and leave the states (Go NY!) to prosecute at their level. Trump chose to bully and manipulate the Justice Dept for his self-interest but this is not the norm for American democracy. The problem is we’ve grown so accustomed to a President and the GOP breaking laws and getting away with it that the 73 million who voted again for Trump think this has always been the way a President and the Justice Dept. behaves or should behave.
As for Obama not opening investigations into Bush and the Iraqi war and the banking industry during his term, I think he knew it would be battles he could not win solely because he is a Black man. We African Americans have never had and still do not have the privilege of speaking up without consequences.
I have too many personal experiences with this during my 40 years of working in Corporate America. I watched my white colleagues with less education and less work experience point out issues, suggest ways for improving processes and receive praise from management while I was told I had a bad attitude, was a negative person, too stupid to address an envelope, etc. and had to put up with managers plotting to fire me or make the work environment so hostile in hopes I would quit. I actually have PTSD from my previous 2 jobs.
Biden and his administration will still face push-backs from the GOP but as a white President he will not face the same type of obstacles that Obama did. He has more leverage to push Republicans to cooperate without their whispers that “he’s not minding his place”. The GOP will try to pull their usual crap but I don’t think they’ll be as brazen as they have been under Trump. They realize Biden knows how shady they are.
Michael I'm not sure if VP Biden has the stomach to get too deep into this, but I am sure that Letitia James and Cy Vance Jr do! We shall see, but this administration will have a LOT on their plate for 4 years and beyond.
This is a great interview!
I hope a very thorough investigation takes place for Trump. He will always have an impact on me that reeks of feeling on the edge and not knowing if we would land safely. (A bonus is I get to listen to the great interlude music that I like so much).
This was an excellent interview, Michelangelo — one of the most important that you have had. I hope Fallows has the ear of the Biden-Harris Administration as I think he has hit the nail on the head. Actually, I hope Biden & Harris are listening to a lot of smart folks like Fallows with good guidance to help them move forward more successfully, which would include, as one caller mentioned on your Tuesday show, someone to help them figure out the best way to "deprogram" that portion of Americans who are not seeing the truth of the situation.
For me, in particular, the one of his three commissions that is most critical, particularly at this juncture, is the third one regarding democracy. If we don't have democracy than everything else gets swept away. We need to preserve the future of the country — for the good of ALL Americans, even if a certain percentage continues to allow the wool to be pulled over their eyes. Hopefully, eventually, they will realize the truth of what we just went through for the last four years, and particularly, the last four weeks!
One side note: I wish Biden could have had the opportunity during the debates — the one type of event during a presidential campaign where Americans from all walks of life were all watching together with open eyes — to talk more about how Trump has eroded our democracy. We all have a short memory, due to the media but also in the past four years due to Trump wanting to throw the kitchen sink at us every day so there is much information overload that we have no choice but to forget many of the horrible things he has done. If Biden had reminded Americans, with greater specificity, what we went through, what Trump did, how democracy had been eroded, well, I think at least a portion of the pro-Trump or leaning-Trump would have thought, "oh, right, right, that's true, I forgot, or I hadn't thought about that, and I may need to rethink this."
However, the problem is with the Debate Commission and their rules, or perhaps their negotiations with the campaigns. Remember when candidates got opening and closing statements? Notice how that's been done away with? Now at the debates the candidates are at the mercy of whatever the moderator wants to ask and there is no time for them to just stand there and make a solid point on an overall theme of their choice. Had there been opening & closing, I think Biden could have made more inroads. Yes, I realize it's water under the bridge now, but just something to put in your back pocket for the future.
So, I had told you over the weekend that I likely to get my first COVID shot this week. I got the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine today and I can so far report that I did not feel the needle and I feel totally fine. No soreness in my arm at this point and no other symptoms.
It was a surreal feeling to be one of the first to get the vaccine. It surprised me that it was an emotional experience. Felt proud and blessed Really overwhelmed and grateful.
It has been one hell of a ride.
Great interview! Thanks for sharing.
This will all be left to lay "fallow" on the fascist farm to grow the next batch of Rumpers, ever upward, once our complicit MSM destroys Biden, what's left of our meager democracy, this all of course, a sure thing if Loeffler and Purdue win Georgia.
If they lose, Joe will maintain his lukewarm vision of small "d"-emocracy for the people of this country for the next term and barely scratch the surface of what Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren's progressive vision would have done to stop the madness of the last 40+ years from the cascading effects of Ronald's Reaganomic vomitus!
Joe like "O", too far right to know especially with two Houses infiltrated by Q-anon crazies!
All I'm saying is don't get your hopes up too high until the Run-off has run its course and Moscow Mitch has been rendered into an ingloriously rancid turtle 'stewage'.
Yes....Mitch has definite gastronomical appeal as a GOPIG.
Stewage. DEFINITION: v. To prepare or process food in a manner that renders it unpalatable, indigestible and completely inedible. n., Food which has been prepared in such a way that it is unfit for human, or even non-human, consumption......I.E. Addison Mitchell McCONWELL---American Traitor and side dish at the Cajun Amerikkkan Waffle House!