The Rose Garden and White House happenings: Listening to voters’ concerns
Although I will proudly wear a touch of green as long as I am on this good earth, I really believe the public celebrations on March 17th each year have been politicized and commercialized and are mostly focused on roughness and guzzling beer until you vomit in the street. It is an embarrassment to the saint.
mtierney said:
thanks for sharing that fascinating link! If my short recap of my ancestry misled anyone, let me be clear. Immigrants of that era were literally dumped on our shores. As the article notes, charities helped - but there were no city or government support systems in place.
These new arrivals came with two big warning signs — they were Irish and Catholic!
But, assimilation was the key to finding the American dream.
In my opinion, the hyphenation of our American identity was not the way to go and could result in the Balkanization of this country.
you still seem to be in denial about the obvious parallels between how our ancestors were treated and how Muslim and Latin American immigrants are treated. It's almost exactly the same. And sadly many of the most prominent and vehement bigots against these immigrants are themselves descendants of those same despised 19th century arrivals.
mtierney's take reminds me of folks who "don't see color."
To deny or suppress our understanding of difference is to politely decline to engage.
Highly recommend Takaki's book. I have used it in courses and most students have found it to be very enlightening. It effectively speaks to how two people can have a totally different "truth" in regard to the same event.
as an admitted McCain fan over the decades, this op-ed today was an eye-opener for me. Had my views all been based on biography? Shouldn’t courage and stoic bravery be major factors in selecting a leader of this country? Had not JFK won hearts and votes with his war record? He did select Sara Palin as his running mate!
Perhaps DJT’s victory is a turning point in how to judge politicians? 
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/10/opinion/mccain-biography-arizona-republicans.html
mtierney said:
another Brexit in the making? Swexit? https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/06/opinion/how-the-far-right-conquered-sweden.html?rref=collection%2Fissuecollection%2Ftodays-new-york-times
In my view, “the melting pot” approach to immigration when my parents’ families immigrated from Austria and Ireland in the early 1900s/late 19th century — while far from free of suffering — brought assimilation and the opportunity to succeed in America — worked. What is happening now in Europe is forced acceptance of large numbers of migrants — virtually overnight — whose homelands were obliterated.
Does Europe want to assimilate these refugees, or eventually return them to their countries of origin? Will it be a melting pot or a keg of dynamite?
I think it's important to follow up this kind of post with the actual election results. Despite the hand-wringing of the author of that analysis, it should be noted that the Swedish people did not ultimately turn to the far right. The anti-immigrant right wing party received only 17.6% of the vote in their recent election.
Manafort pleads guilty to conspiracy and obstruction. Mueller provides the juicy details.
what’s happening these days in Washington is about a 36 year-old, he-said- she-said accounting of teenage drunkenness. What is important to recognize is that if the scenario depicted by one and denied by the other had occurred, that both individuals have gone on to have had successful adult achievements.
What is really happening in D.C. is a desperate attempt to delay the swearing in of Kavanaugh. Subtle it ain’t. What was Senator Feinstein thinking?
Just to change the subject....
"It doesn't matter that the nominee to a lifetime position on the highest court of the land tried to rape a 15 year old because it was the 80's and she's a doctor now."
mtierney said:
what’s happening these days in Washington is about a 36 year-old, he-said- she-said accounting of teenage drunkenness. What is important to recognize is that if the scenario depicted by one and denied by the other had occurred, that both individuals have gone on to have had successful adult achievements.
What is really happening in D.C. is a desperate attempt to delay the swearing in of Kavanaugh. Subtle it ain’t. What was Senator Feinstein thinking?
Just to change the subject....
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/19/world/europe/poland-fort-trump.html?rref=collection%2Fissuecollection%2Ftodays-new-york-times
why are you always so quick to dismiss allegations of sexual assault? In this case especially there is no reason to disbelieve the accusation.
mtierney said:
what’s happening these days in Washington is about a 36 year-old, he-said- she-said accounting of teenage drunkenness. What is important to recognize is that if the scenario depicted by one and denied by the other had occurred, that both individuals have gone on to have had successful adult achievements.
What is really happening in D.C. is a desperate attempt to delay the swearing in of Kavanaugh. Subtle it ain’t. What was Senator Feinstein thinking?
What's the problem with waiting to interview Dr. Ford until after the FBI investigates her allegation? Why the rush before a thorough investigation can be done? What are the Republicans trying to hide?
A thorough investigation is supposedly part of the vetting process.
mtierney said:
what’s happening these days in Washington is about a 36 year-old, he-said- she-said accounting of teenage drunkenness. What is important to recognize is that if the scenario depicted by one and denied by the other had occurred, that both individuals have gone on to have had successful adult achievements.
What is really happening in D.C. is a desperate attempt to delay the swearing in of Kavanaugh. Subtle it ain’t. What was Senator Feinstein thinking?
Just to change the subject....
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/19/world/europe/poland-fort-trump.html?rref=collection%2Fissuecollection%2Ftodays-new-york-times
Im not unconcerned about incidents from the distant past getting dredged up against candidates for office by your emphasis on going on to have successful adult lives misses the mark just a bit. It certainly matters (to me) if someone has gone on to have an exemplary successful adult like with no evidence of repeat misbehavior of the kind that surfaces from long ago. But as we all know (better than ever before), there are many repeat offenders who are outwardly successful. Success, even of the noble achievement kind, does not trump (he he) chronic abusive behavior.
ml1 said:
mtierney said:why are you always so quick to dismiss allegations of sexual assault? In this case especially there is no reason to disbelieve the accusation.
what’s happening these days in Washington is about a 36 year-old, he-said- she-said accounting of teenage drunkenness. What is important to recognize is that if the scenario depicted by one and denied by the other had occurred, that both individuals have gone on to have had successful adult achievements.
What is really happening in D.C. is a desperate attempt to delay the swearing in of Kavanaugh. Subtle it ain’t. What was Senator Feinstein thinking?
Just to change the subject....
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/19/world/europe/poland-fort-trump.html?rref=collection%2Fissuecollection%2Ftodays-new-york-times
Don’t hold your breath waiting for a direct response.
ridski said:
"It doesn't matter that the nominee to a lifetime position on the highest court of the land tried to rape a 15 year old because it was the 80's and she's a doctor now."
Yep, that is basically what tierney wrote. Disgusting.
Could be the mantra for predators and their enablers:
So what if you were raped a long time ago. Besides, its you said, he said. You now have a successful career so the rape couldn't have affected you . Its not important and there is no need to look into.
Think of the money that can be saved if the justice system can simply disregard assault allegations.
The defense is now: He didn't do it and so what if he did, even if it makes him a liar.
When these plots are on "Law & Order SVU", the assailant always has the same defense and the victim is the one suffering consequences. And in today's NY Times -
Twenty-three members of Dr. Blasey’s class at Holton-Arms signed a joint letter sent to Congress this week, calling for “due consideration” of her claims. Another letter is signed by more than 1,000 alumnae, dating back to the class of 1948.
When Ms. Guerry circulated the letter from the class of 1984, she found that Dr. Blasey’s story resonated deeply. “I was very much surprised by how many of my classmates wrote back to say to say they had traumatic experiences in high school,” she said. “When they heard Christine’s story, it struck a chord for them.”
…
After the alleged attack on Dr. Blasey, a male friend said, she “fell off the face of the earth socially,” failing to appear at parties and events she’d previously attended. “All I remember is after my junior year thinking, ‘Where’s Chrissy Blasey?’” he recalled.
“She was the sort of person a lot of people paid attention to — she was a leader, she was great. I was like, where did she go?”
ml1 said:
mtierney said:why are you always so quick to dismiss allegations of sexual assault? In this case especially there is no reason to disbelieve the accusation.
what’s happening these days in Washington is about a 36 year-old, he-said- she-said accounting of teenage drunkenness. What is important to recognize is that if the scenario depicted by one and denied by the other had occurred, that both individuals have gone on to have had successful adult achievements.
What is really happening in D.C. is a desperate attempt to delay the swearing in of Kavanaugh. Subtle it ain’t. What was Senator Feinstein thinking?
Just to change the subject....
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/19/world/europe/poland-fort-trump.html?rref=collection%2Fissuecollection%2Ftodays-new-york-times
But, what are the reasons to believe it? Why demand anonymity in her July letter? Why did Senator Feinstein keep the contents secret during the long, intense screening process? Days of questioning, weeks of investigation into the character and qualifications of Kavanaugh exposed no questionable behavior. The reveal at the time of the hearings may very well have killed the nomination — we will never know.
I raised four teenagers in little old Maplewood around that era, so “safe houses” where kids could find alcohol were known by kids here back then. Parents were either away, or were known to not really care. Some parents might have assumed their children were safer at their house or a neighbor’s house than in a park somewhere.
However, if a 15 year old girl went upstairs (presumably) with two underaged boys to continue to party in a bedroom as is alleged, who is truly responsible for what happens? The professor has not said she was forced to go with the boys. Today, the homeowners would be held responsible for not supervising the party or for permitting alcohol to be consumed by teens on their premises.
mtierney said:However, if a 15 year old girl went upstairs (presumably) with two underaged boys to continue to party in a bedroom as is alleged, who is truly responsible for what happens? The professor has not said she was forced to go with the boys. Today, the homeowners would be held responsible for not supervising the party or for permitting alcohol to be consumed by teens on their premises.
So you think Kavanaugh is lying about it not happening?
Who is responsible for an assault? The person doing the assaulting.
mtierney said:But, what are the reasons to believe it? Why demand anonymity in her July letter? Why did Senator Feinstein keep the contents secret during the long, intense screening process? Days of questioning, weeks of investigation into the character and qualifications of Kavanaugh exposed no questionable behavior. The reveal at the time of the hearings may very well have killed the nomination — we will never know.
When someone has absolutely nothing to gain and a lot to lose by coming forward with an accusation, it carries a lot of weight. Dr. Ford is being vilified and she's receiving death threats.
But beyond that, she told this story to her therapist six years ago. If she was bringing forward a false allegation against Kavanaugh in order to derail his nomination, she would have had to have been a freakin' clairvoyant to plant the story six years ago.
You can decide that you don't think an assault from 35 years ago is not the measure of the man today. But there really is no reason to question the veracity and the sincerity of the accuser about the events in question.
mtierney said:
However, if a 15 year old girl went upstairs (presumably) with two underaged boys to continue to party in a bedroom as is alleged, who is truly responsible for what happens?
that's not what was alleged. The account Ford gave is that she was on her way to an upstairs bathroom and was attacked by two boys who dragged her into a bedroom. Are girls who go to the bathroom alone at a party "asking for it"?
Your victim-blaming is really disgusting.
Kavanaugh physically pushed me into a bedroom as I was headed for a bathroom up a short stairwell from the living room," read the letter. "They locked the door and played loud music precluding any successful attempt to yell for help. Kavanaugh was on top of me while laughing with REDACTED, who periodically jumped onto Kavanaugh. They both laughed as Kavanaugh tried to disrobe me in their highly inebriated state. With Kavanaugh's hand over my mouth I feared he may inadvertently kill me.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/16/politics/christine-blasey-ford-brett-kavanaugh/index.html
mtierney said:
ml1 said:But, what are the reasons to believe it?
mtierney said:why are you always so quick to dismiss allegations of sexual assault? In this case especially there is no reason to disbelieve the accusation.
what’s happening these days in Washington is about a 36 year-old, he-said- she-said accounting of teenage drunkenness. What is important to recognize is that if the scenario depicted by one and denied by the other had occurred, that both individuals have gone on to have had successful adult achievements.
What is really happening in D.C. is a desperate attempt to delay the swearing in of Kavanaugh. Subtle it ain’t. What was Senator Feinstein thinking?
Just to change the subject....
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/19/world/europe/poland-fort-trump.html?rref=collection%2Fissuecollection%2Ftodays-new-york-times
If Ford is lying, why is she the one asking for a full investigation?
if Ford is telling the truth, why didn’t she step forward months ago to tell give her account of Kavanaugh’s actions 36 years ago? Did she really believe anonymous accusations at the eleventh hour would be sufficient evidence to destroy Kavanaugh’s career and family?
We will all see how this plays out. The selection process has a black eye nonetheless.
mtierney said:
if Ford is telling the truth, why didn’t she step forward months ago to tell give her account of Kavanaugh’s actions 36 years ago? Did she really believe anonymous accusations at the eleventh hour would be sufficient evidence to destroy Kavanaugh’s career and family?
We will all see how this plays out. The selection process has a black eye nonetheless.
In other words, you question her veracity because she didn't come forward on the GOP's timetable?
mtierney said:
if Ford is telling the truth, why didn’t she step forward months ago to tell give her account of Kavanaugh’s actions 36 years ago? Did she really believe anonymous accusations at the eleventh hour would be sufficient evidence to destroy Kavanaugh’s career and family?
We will all see how this plays out. The selection process has a black eye nonetheless.
That bolded sentence is some piece of work. I can't even imagine the kind of thought process that would lead to those words coming out of someone's mouth.
But keep on digging that hole. It's very entertaining, in a can't-turn-away-from-the-train-wreck kind of way.
mtierney said:
if Ford is telling the truth, why didn’t she step forward months ago to tell give her account of Kavanaugh’s actions 36 years ago? Did she really believe anonymous accusations at the eleventh hour would be sufficient evidence to destroy Kavanaugh’s career and family?
We will all see how this plays out. The selection process has a black eye nonetheless.
It was at this point that ridski realized mtierney had not actually read Christine Blasey Ford's letter to Sen. Diane Feinstein.
I, like most folks, read the redacted version. What is your point?
What ever happened to due process in this country? I am really concerned how accusation and conviction are conducted today —outside a courtroom and within a news cycle.
The old white 75 year old “comedian” Joy Bahar today denigrated the actions of old white congressmen in Washington. Good grief! Could anyone really care what these celebrities think or say?
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So should we do away with the St. Patrick's Day Parade, or the many similar "hyphenated" celebrations?