Well, the GOP has produced a platform. I suppose we should consider that a welcome change from 2020, when the party didn’t bother. (The excuse then, as I recall, was “whatever Trump wants is our platform;” now, they evidently realize he has no policies; his sole agenda is “look at me!”)
But as Robert Hubbell has pointed out, the real GOP Platform is Project 2025. As he has also noted, although the “official” Republican platform is pretty horrific, Project 2025—the actual platform–is a fascist wet dream. The GOP Platform, appalling as it is, whitewashes that vision.
For example, the GOP Platform mentions the word “abortion” only once to say that the decision has been returned to the states. Project 2025 references “abortion” 922 times to describe how access to abortion will be denied at the national level through congressional legislation and how access will be restricted in every program possible—from emergency medical treatment to foreign aid to healthcare in the military.
It isn’t just abortion. The same extremism is true of other issues.
Project 2025 promises to “dismantle the administrative state,” gut the civil service, strip the EPA of its ability to protect the environment, actively discriminate against LGBTQ people (including by excluding transgender people from the military), promote the role of “faith-based” organizations in delivering government services, and more.
As truly horrifying and unAmerican as Project 2025 is, the “official” platform intended to “soften” GOP intentions is pretty terrifying too. Hubbell listed several of its White Nationalist, xenophobic planks.
1. Seal The Border, And Stop The Migrant Invasion
2. Carry Out The Largest Deportation Operation In American History
9. End The Weaponization Of Government Against The American People
10. Stop The Migrant Crime Epidemic, Demolish The Foreign Drug Cartels, Crush Gang Violence, And Lock Up Violent Offenders
15. Cancel The Electric Vehicle Mandate And Cut Costly And Burdensome Regulations
16. Cut Federal Funding For Any School Pushing Critical Race Theory, Radical Gender Ideology, And Other Inappropriate Racial, Sexual, Or Political Content On Our Children
18. Deport Pro-Hamas Radicals And Make Our College Campuses Safe And Patriotic Again
19. Secure Our Elections, Including Same Day Voting, Voter Identification, Paper Ballots, And Proof Of Citizenship.
A number of the far Right members of Congress aren’t waiting for the election and the GOP’s presumed victory. As Common Dreams has recently reported, they are taking advantage of the fact that media attention has largely turned to the election campaign, and are using that comparative lack of public scrutiny to embark on what the publication called “an austerity rampage” that would “demolish public education” and “let corporate price gouging run rampant.”
With much of the public’s attention on the looming presidential election and high-stakes jockeying over who will take on Donald Trump in November, congressional Republicans in recent weeks have provided a stark look at their plans for federal spending should their party win back control of the presidency and the Senate.
The appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins in October, is currently underway, with congressional committees engaging in government funding debates that are likely to continue beyond the November elections.
In keeping with their longstanding support for austerity for ordinary Americans, Republicans in the House and Senate have proposed steep cuts to a wide range of federal programs and agencies dealing with education, environmental protection, Social Security, election administration, national parks, nutrition assistance, antitrust enforcement, global health, and more—all while they pursue additional deficit-exploding tax giveaways for the rich.
These proposals are more evidence–if any was needed– that the goals outlined in Project 2025 now represent the basic philosophy of a once-respectable political party.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, has been attempting to sound the alarm over the GOP’s proposals, which she has warned would “demolish public education,” endanger the health of women and children, gut mental health programs, “let corporate price gouging run rampant,” and “expose children to dangerous products.”…
Congressional Republicans’ spending proposals for next fiscal year are in line with the draconian cuts pushed by Project 2025, a sweeping far-right agenda from which Trump—the presumptive GOP presidential nominee—is attempting to distance himself as horror grows over the initiative’s vision for the country.
Project 2025’s 922-page policy document calls for more punitive work requirements for SNAP recipients, massive cuts to Medicaid, the abolition of the Department of Education, the elimination of major clean energy programs, and the gutting of key Wall Street regulations.
If this “laundry list” seems insane–a roadmap to anarchy and a new Dark Ages–it is. We are living at a time when a major political party has developed a mass psychosis.
It turns out that Trump isn’t the only Republican who is bat-shit crazy. He’s just more incoherent than the others, so it’s more obvious.
The fearless leader now has a new game. The left tried kill me, but I am strong and defiant. I don’t know who was behind yesterday’s shooting, but it certainly played right into his tiny hands. I’m very sorry that someone was killed and others injured. I’m sending thoughts and prayers.
Sorry to sound so cynical and I’m pretty sure I’m going to burn in hell, but that’s okay, as long as there won’t be any Christian. Nationalists there.
After yesterday’s shooting all attention has returned to Trump and his sole agenda, “look at me!” Secret Service had problems forcing him off of the stage to safety as he was still ranting and waving his fist in victory. I have yet to see who was the actual victim who died and the two critically wounded; granted I haven’t watched constantly but have made many, many checks of MSNBC, CNN and even Fox News has given no information on the actual victims of the shooting. Trump has promoted violence and guns as his “foundation” and it turned directly on him yesterday.
Number 1 on Project 2025 to seal the border is concentrated on the southern border between U.S. and Mexico; there are eastern, western and northern borders and those coming in from above by plane. There is no concentration on the dangers from within our borders with home-grown enemies sitting in government and actively working to end democracy or sitting mute and idle doing nothing to protect it.
But; why am I bothering to to comment? On my personal level I do have sense enough not to again wear my “FUCK TRUMP” tee shirt on walks through my Trump neighborhood or on shopping trips; at least not anytime soon. “…Trump isn’t the only Republican who is bat-shit crazy.” And I live in the middle of a number of them.
Will America as we have known it survive beyond the year 2025 whoever sits in the White House?
The recent bill passed by house Republicans to provide proof of citizenship by voters would require everyone one to get a passport. 52% of Americans don’t have a passport. With a moderately funded State Department in normal times (without 150 million extra applicants) it takes months to get a passport. It costs money. It often takes recovering lost documents which is more time and expense and some times even travel, which would be beyond the means of many Americans. An Indiana Capital Chronicle article pointed out where statistics were available there were 23 documented cases of non-citizens voting out of 23,000,000 voters. So this is the typical culture war issue of a solution looking for a problem. Unless the problem is keeping poor people from voting.
The perceived effect (for the ignorant) is to “protect the integrity of voting”. The real effect is to disenfranchise half of the voting population for years to come. So keep that in mind when the Republicans Platform says they want to “Secure our Elections”. Don’t believe anything else they say because they have already gone on record and unanimously passed the house bill asking for exactly this.
Very strange; only 2 comments here; I know it is early on a Sunday morning but thee is actually important news to be reported and commented on. I was dreading opening my E-mails; expecting an long list of political postings and news of the Trump shooting. Only 2 E-mails of the kind from unknown ads to be deleted without reading. Last check on MSNBC reported the Secret Service at the shooting site is being scrutinized and CNN had a national weather report. The only films shown have been the same ones of the struggle to get Trump off of the stage and out of the area.
I was sick of the old, same idiocy every day for 8 years from Trump and his MAGAs;…is a puzzlement???
‘If you are or can imagine anything frightening Trump alone can protect you’ apparently plays well to the most safe and comfortable of our species ever known on earth.
In fact the operative word in that is “imagine” because the real threats are at an all time low. But, the entertainment world created for us by commercial interests, if we let our imagination have its way with us, reach the unimaginable.
We had guests over for dinner last night when the shooting news came over our phones. All reacted the same way: “He staged this….”
Washington Post this morning: ‘Trump is often most comfortable — and most effective — when playing both martyr and victim, and Saturday’s shooting naturally thrusts him back into that role.”
So much for for old man Biden making the election about The Duck….
JoAnn,
Trump is a martyr even if he wasn’t killed. The photo of him fist-pumping while the USSS surrounded him as blood was dripping down his face from his ear got a lot of air time. The MAGA fans were going crazy with lots of blame and conspiracy theories. I’m not sure who circulated the first photo and name of the shooter (Mark Violets), but it was a right-wing conspiracy claiming Mark was a member of Antifa. Of course, he was!
The actual shooter’s name is Matthew T. Crooks. I was up late researching this; the guy was either a hermit or a ghost. Granted, he was only 20, but there was nothing about him online. Nothing. The only thing we could find was he was a registered Republican. That’s odd.
After looking at the photos, videos, and Google Maps of the scene, the USSS and police were informed by a witness at the rally that a man had climbed up the side of a building with a gun. The BBC did that interview. Nothing happened—red flag.
When we got a better angle of Trump on stage, there were USSS snipers on the roof looking right at the shooter. Once the shots were fired, they barely had to move their perched rifle to kill the shooter. That’s my biggest problem with the handling of this scenario. Had Trump not turned his head when he did, we’d have another JFK/Oswald scenario.
The FBI took over immediately, so I’m looking forward to the interview of the USSS snipers and why they waited to fire upon Matthew until after he fired shots at Trump. I have a few questions that I hope get answered.
Many news sources and political pundits predict that Trump will win in November. Many speculated that Biden gave the order when he said, “Put Trump in the bullseye” last week. It’s totally out of context, but it’s a wrong choice of words.
As P2025 gets shared online and on social media, it will take a while for it to be understood by the right-wing, if ever. They don’t care. All Trump has to say is I’m going after the Deep State who tried to kill me, and the entire right side of the political spectrum will go nuts.
Democrats will read P2025 and the GOP Platform and vote for a D. The real issue is what independents will do. Is there anything scary to them? Will the abortion issue cause women to tip the scales?
I’ll just go ahead and say what so many people are thinking: – It’s unfortunate that the PA shooter missed his target.
Trump has been encouraging political violence for the last eight years. I hope the investigation gets to the truth of who is really responsible for yesterday’s shooting.
the fact that a certain amount of people will never work,is true. many with disabilities that only focus them to grant style work eviroments. is that a tough sell to give dignity to someone with challenges. we have watched investors greed close off housing to anyone who cant survive the wage theft and further greed by private capital, to sweep up a buisness and spit it out without regard to the workers. and then were left with private capitals write off at again,our expense. if banks were to be citizens in their own local economy instead of dealing everyday in stocks for their investors,we would have a better local economy instead of outside money ripping off a chunk of local economy with no regard.seems the right for as long as ive been alive,has alianated the less fortunate,that means people of every color. repulsives/maggots and throw in some corp demos and you cant even with social media ask them why.your ignoranve will do,thank you. i dont even get answers anymore from hoven,kramer or armstrong,none when i write them,none. its become a town hall everywhere where they come in tell you what they will do and basically leave. false ideals rampant,as they skirt issues beat the bush into a drought and ignore what they alone have made this recent economy into. if in fact if the rich are hoarding for their own needs 42 Trillion (untaxed)in their rip off the worker world,why dont the politicians admit it. thats money locked out of the local economy and pleasing the larry finks of the investment world by firehosing untold quatrerly dividends into the pockets of people who made their wealth on our backs,and our democracy. but,this has garnered a power to the rich alone. after 40 years we have lost our final court,our voice and our means to survive. all for greed to pull the people downward and get ignored except for their socalled skills and honesty and made for the rich,profits. ignorance today is a fact,education has failed us in primary education. seems high ed only makes the few better off by learnig a trade in greed via credit.media empires have only shown their teeth. now its a information system for the lazy who only want to be told how to think over knowing how to think. now we have a politcal party and some money telling us Joe has to go. maybe were tired of being told what to think here. how the f— can you decide whats right when were so close to collapse? we have as a group here a good set of mean well,educted people who see thru the scam and how its envolved. we discuss in real time with each other here. what ive seen,in other worker style blogs,is a mismash of cheap slants and misinfo. its obvious we have become a nation of bullies and people who cant get enough.and with that,the silver spoon of democracy and freedom cant be seen anymore,instead its coming out of their assholes.most Ameicans are spoiled in ignorance and self intrests are killing us. wealth and cheap lazy socalled freedom is distroying America.its time for a slap back into reality.
Nancy:
dont leave yourself open for the secret service to visit you. i feel bad
for the family who the shooter is from,no doubt the maggots will do harm.
Well..The first week of April of this year,a number of longtime members of this blog commented that an assassination of AND HIS FAMILY MEMBERS SHOULD COME TO FRUITION.
That is how I know the commenters to this forum genuinely don’t care about the country as much as getting their way. The PMC (now the base of the Dem Party) just as their counterparts within the GOP, have gone batshit crazy.Hey,YOU created this political milue.
Even the senile segregationist called for his opponent (Trump) to be in a bullseye.
When liberals support assassination.
When liberals support censorship..
When American liberals support ethnic-cleansing…
I am now considering voting against EVERY candidate sponsored by the DNC.
Can’t wait to see the right-wing conspiracy theories about why the Secret Service didn’t see the guy – its that “administrative state” Justice Department working for the DEMs.
Thank you, Nancy. The right-wing extremists will lock and load anyway. As Todd mentioned, the conspiracy theories and pseudo-martyrdom B.S. will come spilling out of the Trump sewer any moment. Look for assassination attempts on Biden, Harris and other prominent Democrats in the next weeks.
This shooter may be the John Brown of today. I’ve never doubted that the shooting will start the day after Trump loses the election. Is this a great, civilized country or what?
OH!! It was Zelenskyy!
It was Putin!
Se how that works?
This is beyond silly.
This site is quite the source for a studious psychology study. It could be titled: Why are privileged Caucasians in America so goddamned miserable?
Ian,
You’re the one that actually sounds like a miserable Caucasian! Every post is a whine tasting spittoon of nonsense. It’s amazing how some 20-year-old guy smuggled a gun into this rally. And, DT’s ear got winged! As I recall, the last election, when some guy came walking up and jumped over the tape line at the airport, he ran and hid behind his secret service agents. Now, he’s standing up pumping his fists and yelling fight fight fight! It tells me, this was probably a false flag issue. And of course, the shooter is dead, so he can’t be questioned. A 20-year-old guy, being sold a bill of goods? Figures he’s going to help Trump win the presidency, and, the powers that be make sure he can’t be questioned. The Fall Guy, the dupe! I was watching a k-drama, with this exact plot line. Made, a couple of years ago. Life imitates art? Heck, even I can shoot an egg off of a fence post at 70 yards with my Henry 45-70 government with red dot prism, extremely accurate. Although, whatever winged DT’s ear, it was a much smaller caliber, you could tell by the pop sound on the tape. 45-70 sounds like a Canon. Regardless, dead men cannot bear witness. Of course the 20-year-old dude could have been a fanatic, thinking DT was backsliding on some of his rhetoric, but, dead men never tell!
It’s good to see the posts from the resident idiot on this blog. Now we know for sure …
“He staged this….” Lester, that was my first thought and I still question it. Where did the bullet go if it only grazed his ear, no one in the crowd behind him was injured or bloody, is anyone looking for the bullet?
Todd; blood was NOT dripping down his face, the top of his ear had some blood on it and there was a thin streak of blood on his cheek. He raised his right hand to the side of his face before dropping to the floor; he considers himself a former TV actor. A few people in the crowd in front of and below the stage had what appeared to be large amounts of blood on their shirts; probably from helping the person who was being carried out. I still have seen nothing about the actual victims of the shooting.
In one of the many news checks I accessed during the night, can’t remember which channel, said the shooter had no identification on his body, he was identified by his Republican party registration. I am 87 and my thought processes are not as clear as they usta was but…does that make sense to anyone? I got very little sleep last night; not worried about Trump but my concerns for this entire General Election have now increased due to not knowing what the hell will be next?
Not even Facebook is making a big deal about the shooting at Trump’s rally. He has been ignored by media since June 27th to give full attention to Dems who insult and call for President Joe Biden to recuse himself from the election and to insult Vice President Kamala Harris as being unqualified to replace him. Republicans have been too quiet about the debate content and the public results.
So they took Trump to a hospital to treat his ear and change his panty. You would need a change, too!
The investigation will take a long time. In the meantime, let’s refocus discussion back to the main issue:
>> Former President Donald Trump says he knows “nothing about” a conservative policy blueprint (Project 2025) and has “no idea who is behind it.”
But the authors include Trump’s former Cabinet secretaries, top White House officials and senior aides — including former Trump appointees to EPA, the Interior Department and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. <<
Don’t look up, Trump! Duck! The real conversation is not over. Come November, we get to decide … not some lone shooter.
Vernon and Sorg..Two insufferable couch potatoes.
You would make a nice couple.
Who would be the top?
As a christian…Sorg will just have to forgive me. I’m sure Vernon’s attempts at writing romance novels are just as puerile as his comments. Btw, are paying taxes wrt your book sales? Vanity press,lol.
.
Ian—you are welcome to argue your positions (or fantasies) on my blog, but name-calling is against the rules. Next time, you will be blocked. (The rest of you who are also getting close, take heed.)
Close? Selective choice of banishment. Is this how you conducted yourself within a classroom environment?
Favoritism.
In keeping with my usual practice to follow the money and to attempt to determine who benefits, here is one potential beneficiary which I have not yet seen mentioned. If about half the US population is to be imprisoned for one infraction or another, the lucrative profitable private prison industry stands to make out like bandits with these idiotic proposals.
Ian,
Read my novels before rendering judgement. You’ll be surprised. And look up the word puerile. I’ll look forward to paying the taxes on the royalties your purchases generate: http://www.vernturner.com. Begin with “A Hero’s Journey” to discover what real people did and do.
Optics count….stumbling, stuttering v/s fist posture while shot…
As reported this morning: An infrequent voter now backs Trump: ‘I look at him, and I feel proud’
I’ve said this before, and I’ll keep saying it: The policies and objectives of Project 2025 cannot be implemented, achieved, and enforced without a massive, and massively intrusive administrative state that micromanages our lives at the most local and personal levels. To put it terms of the GOP platform, “The Weaponization Of Government Against The American People” will be stunningly powerful and brutal. I am certain that GOP leaders and the powers that be behind Project 2025 know this. The average Republican voter does not. And if Ronald Reagan thought “government IS the problem” back in 1981, he should see what his party has in store for 2025 and beyond.
I am wondering how many writers and “pundits” will remind people tat it has been tfg who has encouraged, and applauded, violence, ever since his appearance on the Trump Tower escalator.
Two words came to mind when I heard about the incident: “Reichstag fire.” As I watched for a while, I also thought about the ways in which Putin secured his hold on power by having apartment buildings blown up. (Hundreds of livewsa were lost, and one team had botched their job, so there was evidence to tie things tol Putin.) Isaac Asimov wrote that violence is the last reasort of the incompetent. And Vernon, my apologies for being unaware you are published. I’ll have to check out those titles.
Ian,
I can assure you I’m not one of Sheila’s favorites! After around 10 years of commenting on her blog, she’s wanted to bust my head numerous times. She’s sent me many numerous scolding emails. But she tolerates me, I suppose I represent a different viewpoint. I’ve even said things to Sheila that I deeply regret in private emails. I actually do respect her deeply, and I like her quite a bit. She reminds me of my great Aunts. My grandmother’s sisters. Although Sheila’s much younger.
Yes, Lester, and Joann, that was my first thought as well. But,sadly, someone was killed and others injured.
I wonder how many writers, and pundits will mention that it was tfg who encouraged and applauded violence, ever since his trip down the Tower escalator.
Mitch,
IF it were the case, would those who set it up care???? “I could shoot somebody in the middle of Fifth Avenue….” and those “good people on both sides in Charlottesville…”
Not a string of moral fiber in the man…
I pray for his speedy recovery, his humiliating defeat and his harsh prison sentence.
It’s about #10. Crush the criminal networks that do in fact terrorize the American people. The Democrats should focus on this, as a lack of order in society is, I believe, the #1 reason many Americans vote R. Of course we know they, the GOP, don’t mean it, but why do the Ds cede the issue?
“The presidential contest ended last night,” said a veteran Democratic consultant.
THE END