January 21, 2023, marks two years until the morning the next president of the United States wakes up in the White House residence, following a long day of celebration and a late night of inaugural balls.
Good points so let’s prioritize what we can focus on for immediate and mid range changes. All hands on deck again. We can do this.
Banking- return to the smaller Savings and Loans that grew up during the Great Depression. There is value to local banking Form Credit Unions, again a great option for those without access to banking. Work with those undeserved populations to teach the financial skills. Again it’s education and access.
Food insecurity- how many support your local food banks or gleaning programs? Go find them. My local one has seen a 4X growth in served populations in the last few years. Help is always needed
Suicidal prevention- work on the root causes. Help by talking to those who cannot see a way out. Training is available
If you’re a direct stockholder in Microsoft ask why they’re partying when the staff suffers. I know business needs to periodically reshape but the stockholders have a voice in what occurs. Use it.
Just a few thoughts. We can wring our hands or go to work. Your choice
I agree! I contribute to local food banks but I feel like why should fighting hunger in my country be a matter of individual charity? We all have an interest in making sure that everyone in the USA has enough to eat. Why aren’t my tax dollars going towards this goal?
I choose going to work. Great suggestions, Liz. I share these very thoughts with all my patients- every one of them. I talk to my neighbors-we have new ones on either side of us. They are very young, and have not yet payed attention to these issues. They do now, as I have taken the time to talk about the current state of affairs and how they can affect change for the better. I donate to our local food bank and homeless shelter when I can, whatever I can afford. I also donate blankets I crochet to the homeless shelter. I encourage others to do whatever they can. Every little bit helps, and the positivity is contagious. People feel good when they do good.
Yes, mistake to try and with hold documents discovery. They missed a golden opportunity to really set Pres Biden on a level with Geo Washington; “I will not tell a lie, unlike the former guy, staff has discovered (insert number and classification) documents. These were immediately returned. I have ordered a complete search by (insert appropriate agency) of all my offices and my home. They will be allowed to film the search and make the film available to the public. I will ask the FBI to question all staff, under oath, if they have any knowledge about how classified documents showed up.
Biden: “look, folks, stuff goes wrong how we deal with it determines our character, do I need to say more.....? Yes, I am sorry.”
He said it plainly, on live television and clear. "There is no there there." I believe him. Who else? I spoke of Intent. Not my word, but the word from reasonable and legal minds via accurate recorders of words, the journalism I trust and hope for every day. Intent. There is no there there. President Joe Biden and his word to the nation. What did he say from the beginning of his presidency? I believe him.
I like you, trust Joe Biden, however just saying there is no there-there will not suffice in today’s political environment. As we now see there are more documents coming out. I don’t believe there is any nefarious reason for these documents being at his office or home, but they are not supposed to be there. No “there-there” is a Trump response, just like the “nothing burger”
Pres Biden needs to talk directly to the people, admit mistakes were made, explain how this happened or explain how he will find out what happened, create some new proceedures to insure this will never happen to any other President. Then at this address he should highligt all his successes that outshine this document dustup. He needs to turn this into the best lemonade America has ever tasted. He is playing to much catch up, he needs offense. IMHO
Thank you for the recent details. They were breaking news last evening. I trust in what President Biden committed himself to, that is, a transparent government. This issue about documents found so many years later has a story for me similar to the presidential encounter with MBS. President Biden followed advice. President Biden had been very critical of MBS. I figured then that there are realities of governance that are secretive for national reasons and must remain so. The outcome is that MBS was not to be trusted. As for the case of documents, I continue to believe the President when he says "There is no there there." There is absolutely no comparison with the Trump case. On January 17, Mr. Sean Malloy of this community made a very important comment related to the treatment of documents and the urgency to have a process of archiving documents accurately. NARA is responsible, in other words. NARA failed. And NARA must reform the manner by which documents belonging to the government must be handled. And President Joe Biden's advisors failed also, by delaying to make a public announcement. The President has cooperated with the DOJ step-by-step throughout the process. It is Trump and Trumpists who are cheering, but it is he who violated his Oath and the Rule of Law and they are his enablers. In Trump's case, the process by which the DOJ has retrieved the documents is very different. Legally.
You're a brilliant man, a generational talent and my favorite daily read. No one is a close second
A while back I read Stuart Stevens' book "It Was All A Lie", one of the best political books I've ever read. Stevens not only exposed Republican politics and Republicans as racist and dishonest, he took accountability for his own involvement.
You were involved in that cesspool for decades, I believe.
I don't know your entire resume but I think you helped many (dozens?) Republicans get elected. Your most well known activity was of course with McCain, who I've always considered to have been a political fraud. His "Maverick" persona was nothing more than a disingenuous media creation and without him, the Keating 5 would have been the Keating 4.
I've read your recounting of your time working on the 2008 campaign, your take on Palin and your disembowelment of Meghan McCain, the most wretched, toxic personality this side of Tucker.
But have you ever done a Stuart Stevens, complete repudiation of your time working for the GOP?
I ask that in all sincerity. If you have, I applaud you. But I missed it.
Their downward spiral didn't begin with Trump. It began, with Reagan's racism, was escalated by Newt ("a dumb guy's idea of a smart guy", per Stuart Stevens), furthered by W and all his disgusting war mongering acolytes. They laid the groundwork for Trump.
The reason we have $30T+ national debt isn't because of Medicare, Social Security or welfare. It's because of trickle down economics, the sham foisted upon America by Reagan, W and Trump.
You were on THAT side for a long time.
There were big corporation lobbyists when you were involved.
There were outrageous lies and racism and misogyny then, too.
At one point, you signed up to work for Howard Schultz, who's just another corporate bigwig, the Davos type who disgust you today.
Your takes on today's GOP awfulness means you've exited that bus and have had an epiphany
I congratulate and admire you for that.
But have you ever written a full repudiation of your years of involvement?
There's no snark here. I'm asking sincerely. If you have, please provide a link.
First, let me say I have read Stuart Stevens book, as well, and believe everyone should read it. It helps to connect the dots leading up to our current situation. He presents the info in a simple, precise way which helps to firm up your personal understanding.
As a former Republican I have followed Steve for decades. I have always valued his opinion, followed his work/editorials & have disagreed with him a time or two.
I was agst 45 as the Rep. candidate for President. Every Rep I knew said no way would the GOP let him creep into the nomination. I designed a yard sign that said this lifelong Republican is voting for Hillary because everyone in my neighborhood knew I was GOP. When he won the presidency I was dismayed, angry & scared. I started to doubt my thought processes. Why aren’t people disturbed by this? I wrote single spaced 2 page letters to Paul Ryan, Lindsey Graham & John McCain explaining the urgency and need for them to check 45. I was very professional, resolute & reasonable, leaving all emotion out of my demands. However, as I was proofreading the final draft of Sen. McCain’s I started to cry. Tears dropped right on his letter. Ever the perfectionist, I noticed the tear stains & started to make a new copy. Then I decided no those tears are real & he’s getting those too.
I was lost. Everyone in the GOP was kissing 45s ring & could not understand it. There was only one person that was hard core GOP that had said negative things about 45. Steve Schmidt. He had been on MSNBC & voiced his concerns in a professional, diplomatic way. His delivery was tame, persistent & reasonable, all very understanding for daytime cable tv. Once 45 was elected, his demeanor changed. He was adamant our country was in trouble & he wanted to alert everyone. I followed every social media platform he was on. I read every opinion/editorial he wrote & he was busy. During this time he wrote many articles about his involvement with the GOP. He has written several pieces on personal journeys that have made him who he is today. His words got me out of my house, out of my head & out of the GOP. His behavior indicates to me that he is disappointed in what the GOP has become & will spend every moment to correct the path of this nation. He has been very transparent about his flaws & the role he has played in many political situations. I think his actions tell me all I need to know. I’m not big on apologies because too many people say I’m sorry & turn around & repeat the offensive behavior. I’m thankful that everyone around me knew my anguish of being a Republican for 40+ years, serving on GOP boards, etc. then voting for Hillary, joining Indivisible, protesting and becoming a Democrat. Their expectations never changed. Many of them are now former Rep. themselves.
Through programs & affiliations that Steve has spearheaded he has helped to change the direction of our country. He was the first GOP I noticed & many began to follow after he spoke out on Nicolle Wallace’s show on MSNBC. I would love for him to write a book & I would certainly buy it. But, again, his actions over the past 7 years indicate to me what is in his heart. His words convinced me I wasn’t crazy because I was not on the TrumpTrain & inspired me to help derail that train of misfits.
Again, there’s quite a bit of info on the web that Steve has written himself about some of his situations. There are also pieces written by MSM that present info in a less than accurate way. There are legal documents, as well.
In the 3 or 4 comments I've written about on the topic, I've been careful to qualify my points about Steve by writing that, paraphrasing "he might have already issued the type of acknowledgement that I've been suggesting but I missed it".
I'm impressed by your own journey as you've described it here
It would be nice if your story, your personal Road to Damascus, was the norm rather than the exception. But the capacity among Republicans for mindlessly believing everything Fox tells them, even when it's an obvious tidal wave of lies, is just stunning
On a more personal level, I struggled most with my role as a high school teacher from 1981-97. I do not believe that I encouraged students to become a Rep. over any other political party. I taught them the characteristics of each party, assured them they would not be 100% anything, demanded they not categorize themselves as anything without doing research on the party & the accomplishments & failures of each. When asked what party I was I would reply “Mostly Republican. If I was a diehard Republican I would not be a teacher.” But, how many kids were influenced by my affiliation with the GOP & had become GOP& 20 years later voted for 45 thinking I did. I felt responsible to a certain degree. I have come to terms with it now. When Steve opened the floodgates & other Reps raised their voices at the risk of wiping out their life’s work, i put together a bucket list of things I wanted to achieve before I die to replenish the spirit of “being an American.” It’s a journey. It’s a journey that has become more difficult, disturbing & dangerous. But, I must do what I believe is my part to rebuild what the GOP has destroyed.
My first career for nearly 20 years was a high school teacher of American history, economics & government. I’m a history junkie. His book really wrapped up the entire takeover of the GOP in an easy to understand way. Everything I read I look at it as a possible resource for younger adults. If I were still in the classroom I would definitely use his book as a teaching tool. He didn’t do any fluffing in the book. Straight shooting.
He has repudiated today’s GOP and so it’s a fact that he’s repudiated that hot mess.
But to my knowledge, he’s never accounted for or apologized for his own involvement. This party has been killing us for decades.
If he worked on Reagan’s campaign and saw the racism upfront; if he lifted a fingernail to help W; if he’s helped elect any of the numerous dishonest, lobbied up, war happy tax cutting Senators or Congressmen; if he was on the side of Clarence Thomas, etc ... he should acknowledge it and tell us what he was thinking.
Stevens has done this. If you haven’t read that book, it’s worth your while.
I’ll say again, maybe Steve HAS acknowledged what I consider “the errors of his ways”. He’s a high character guy and perhaps I missed it.
Trump is not the CAUSE of today’s oily, lice ridden, rat infested, decrepit GOP.
He’s the RESULT of it
They’ve been trending this way for decades. This is one of the points Stevens makes.
Reagan is when it began. The great patron Saint. Among other things, he slashed social services to help pay for his ignorant tax cuts, thus giving us booming deficits and a 3rd world type homeless problem.
Newt ushered in the era of guerrilla politics; W started an ignorant war and more tax cuts/deficits; and then Trump ...
But none of this would be happening if not for Murdoch and Fox News. And believe it or not, they’re proving there’s room to get worse. “Hey Newt, hold my beer”.
Anyway, I just turned 69. I worry not for myself, but for my daughter
We could argue that point, but no need. Nixon was brought down by his own avarice, greed and paranoia. But ... he was also a smart man. The move to thaw relations with China was brilliant, and he actually wanted to sign into a law a national health plan. Very smart.
No I'm not a fan, but contrast that with Reagan who was old, slow, racist and inept from day 1. His slashing of social services to pay for his tax cuts - didn't work - kicked off the decades now of booming deficits and homelessness.
We first vote out all republican politicians who side with traitors and those who would destroy our Democracy for the sake of personal greed and lust for power.
Then, citizens united must go.
The Supreme Court must be turned around. The majority has opted to allow religion to infect our secular Constitution, stripping civil rights from citizens.
It is about time that majority in this country means something. The electoral college must be abolished. Gerrymandering and voter suppression must be stopped.
Citizens of this country, all of us, need to start showing some love for all our fellow humans.
These are just a few of the things that will help put this country back on the good foot.
Steve, another truly excellent essay for everyone's consideration. You left out one fact: each and every day for U.S. residents over 150 MILLION animals, fully feeling sentient beings, are callously slaughtered for food because of people's ignorant eating choices. (Yes, that's over 55 BILLION each year-- https://sentientmedia.org/how-many-animals-are-killed-for-food-every-day/ ) And most of these consumers would regard themselves as "animal lovers" (how's that for moral schizophrenia?)...
The "animal agricultural industry" as it is apathetically called (fiercely defended by corporate lobbyists and their "bought-and-paid-for" members of Congress), is of course...
#1 source of greenhouse gases
#1 cause of our worst killer diseases (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, due to inflammation, toxins, etc.)
#1 cause of (zoonotic) pandemics from the so-called "Spanish flu" to COVID.
#1 cause of water over-use and pollution (recall the statistic i shared the other day from Brian Richter, et al.: fully 55% of Colorado River water use and 32% of all fresh-water use in western USA goes to cattle-feed!!)
#1 cause of destruction of habitats
#1 cause of biodiversity loss of species
#1 cause of deforestation,
etc. ad nauseam.
When will people wake up and go plant-based? --the diet of our primate ancestors and the only diet to save human civilization, planetary ecosystems, and innocent nonhuman animal species...
It is important to speak of this. There was an opinion sometime ago that our time will be remembered as the most brutal against animals. In our family, fruits and vegetables have always been central to our diet, but many of us are still eating meat, with omissions according to how each is dealing with the facts that you so eloquently bring us. Fish is central, still, for health and wellbeing. As for the industrialized business, I was much younger when aware by seeing the damage coming from an insensitive approach to animals as Consumption, whereas traditional farming was that of a relationship between the owner of animals in farms where bonds were humanely held all through the process and treatment of a living and sentient being. Thank you, Timothy.
Yes, Lisa, and this is ONLY FOR RESIDENTS of the USA. World-wide, the annual kill rate for land and sea animals is usually estimated to be OVER 1 TRILLION (that's a "t").
Ungodly, nightmarish, ongoing carnage of the most hideous kind.
Im not disagreeing. Id love to hear your ideas for how to effectively speed it up. Key word “effective”. Although Even Burger King is successfully hawking Impossible Burgers. Which really surprised me. Restaurants and chain supermarkets are promoting plant diets. Everywhere!
Do you know how long it takes to shift social buying habits?
Making Corporate profits has never given way to doing what’s best or even smart. Big meat lobbies prob as big as pharma. But I am seeing huge shifts in the promotion of plant diets. Although perhaps not in TX or FL or Wyoming.
We can fix all thats ailing us if the fascists were not in power. The burn it all down magats want it all to fall apart. They long for anarchy. Mad Max Thunderdome is their holy scripture.
And yet Im still seeing movement toward plant based and solar. Away from cattle, fowl, and petroleum.
DeeDee, some pragmatic suggestions to speed up this urgently needed change :
1) A $2 billion annual public education campaign sponsored by the govt. to educate consumers and shift their eating habits. This need not only be public-service announcements and that sort of thing; sponsor educational but entertaining feature films and tv programming.
2) A gigantic meat/dairy tax (like cigarette & alcohol taxes, they work).
3) Shift school lunch programs away from meat/fish, dairy & junk food to delicious whole-food plant-based (WFPB) choices.
4) Give tax breaks for corporations that provide primarily WFPB food choices to their employees.
5) Senate hearings on Big Meat / Dairy's health-harming products, insidious propaganda, and atrocious treatment of not just confined animals but also confined workers, as happened when the Senate investigated Big Tobacco, with the help of dozens of state attorney generals.
There are surely many other pragmatic, feasible strategies....
Thank you for this. And mentioning confined workers. Remember how workers were being treated in the food industry as Covid was ravaging the country? And the stories that one reads about workers who work in the slaughterhouses of pigs is the most horrid, work done by immigrants who need to work. Again, work done by immigrants who come to this nation to work.
Right... all those ideas could be implemented immediately under an authoritarian regime. Or a little more slowly IF the fascists weren't in power, trying to destroy everything good in America.
The reality of Today is we are fractured and splintered...Global Democracy itself is teetering on the brink of destruction, and with nihilists and nazis in Congress, we cannot even treat People of Color decently, let alone animals. If you find a way to make any of your ideas a reality without a dictator in charge, that'd be great. In the meantime, let's support corps like Burger King who actually are already trying to change national eating habits. Celebrate Whole Foods for constantly beating a plant based drum. And speak kindly to meat eaters to encourage a change in behavior. BTW... several years ago HH Dalai Lama issued an urgent appeal to all Buddhists to stop eating animals, because it only adds to the aggregate suffering on the planet. Suddenly all my buddhist friends simply stopped eating animals. Now if you can persuade Pope Francis to declare "every day is Friday" (ie meatless) that might help too. But getting him to do that might be difficult.
BTW... I stopped eating ocean animals after I saw the toxic levels of mercury in the oceans, the plastic island, and then a trip to Alaska where I saw sick and dying salmon... So... whoever it was who suggested eating fish is a better way to go, I have to ask... what?!?! Anyway. Let's keep trying our best. We have countless urgent issues, from Russia's vicious insanity to a rabid extremist SCOTUS... and idiots running the House of Reps. I wish all of us good luck. We need it.
Great ideas and in my mind, totally workable. But in no time, we will be hearing, from the GOP rooftops, how the libs are going to take away their meat and make them drink oat milk...the ads write themselves. I hope for a different direction on the meat intake, but I have little faith...
In your enumeration of the events of yesterday you neglected to mention the 347 people - mostly over the age of 70 who died of Covid 19. How soon we neglect. Please add them to those of the unfortunate who lack bank accounts.
I agree. And the best platform now is here in The Warning. I trust Steve Schmidt and his capacity for communicating clearly. I trust Steve Schmidt's character. And, believe me when I say, nothing should take anyone's conviction away because of the past. The past is gone, and this is the now we are given to better the nation. My trust in The Warning By Steve Schmidt will never falter. I call it commitment, in my case extreme gratitude because I know what it means, and the certainty that Steve is a friend to treasure always. Pen pals, here, in a community with a common cause.
Steve - this paragraph in particular struck me: “The United States of America doesn’t belong to its lobbyists and politicians. It doesn’t belong to its billionaires and CEOs. American soil is not sanctuary for a poisonous herd of sociopaths, nihilists and hustlers. “. I thought to myself after I read it, “Theoretically, but he just listed a dozen reasons disproving that statement.”. But that’s the point of your essay, isn’t it? If the rest of us don’t pull our heads out of the sand and start recognizing that those billionaires and CEOs are playing us we’re in deep trouble as a nation. They will continue to prey on humans’ inherent tribal tendencies by pitting us against each other, watching and smiling while we tear each other apart while their bank accounts get bigger and bigger. Right now they are only acting as if the USA belongs to them. “Fake it, till you make it.” Right? There is still time to stop it. But if we don’t start engaging immediately to hold the billionaires and CEOs and their sycophants accountable it won’t be long before they truly do own it and there will be no actions left to us to save it. We will be forced to submit or perish.
It's only ours if we can keep it... Democracy is hard work... and we have forgotten how to work hard. But the fascists are just ramping up globally, gleefully, grimly. They've been working very hard. Relentlessly one could say.
And while we choose not to house the homeless, provide medical care to the uninsured, and feed the hungry, still have an ex-president walking free despite his blatant attempt to overthrow our government. There is much to love about this country. There is also much to be ashamed of.
Thank you Steve, for another thoughtful piece on how our democracy is floundering and in need of serious repair. My personal opinion is that nothing will change until we get the money entirely out of politics; if our democracy fails, it will be because of the overwhelming corruption due to the billions of dollars influencing every facet of our government. Our elections need to be publicly funded. All corporate money, super pacs, lobbyists, etc need to be banned entirely. Citizens United should never have happened, it's ruining our democracy. The only contributions allowed should be by voters, limited to a very small amount. Just imagine if the money were kept out, the entire system would change, our elected officials wouldn't be owned by Exxon Mobile, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Apple, Facebook etc etc. Like nuclear fusion, this is possible, but it will take work. Until we get the money out, we're only nibbling around the edges, and the billionaires, corporations, and media outlets will continue to ruin our country.
And 3.2M copies of Prince Harry's book were sold last week. We pay way too much attention to the wrong things. I'd like to blame the media but they just follow the clicks. Our culture is messed up, we only choose to care about certain stories. We need strong leadership to steer us in the right direction, saying exactly what you said in this article, over and over until we get it.
Also, we need to fund quality education. Critical Thinking Skills for citizens of the U.S.A. are an indispensable part of the solution if we are to make lasting change. Thanks.
Lisa, California used to have incredible education, from kindergarten through university. But since Proposition 13, we have sunk way down. The Howard Jarvis people convinced too many people that they were paying too much in property taxes, and that they should only continue giving tax money to things they personally wanted. (Eg, my children are grown, why should I pay for schools? Or, I don’t read, why should I fund the library?)
School funding was slashed to a degree that in my county, Marin, one of the wealthiest in the entire country, we have to rely on gift wrap sales and bake sales to fund music, art and PE programs, among others.
Where is the solution, the majic pill? Do I focus on the activities that keep me and loved ones alive and safe? Do I try to save the USA or humanity? Can I do both? Thank you for making it clear that something needs to be done. Our vote is our most powerful weapon, and George Santos stole even that. Who is the best American? Stay alert and optimistic; this movie has just begun.
Good points so let’s prioritize what we can focus on for immediate and mid range changes. All hands on deck again. We can do this.
Banking- return to the smaller Savings and Loans that grew up during the Great Depression. There is value to local banking Form Credit Unions, again a great option for those without access to banking. Work with those undeserved populations to teach the financial skills. Again it’s education and access.
Food insecurity- how many support your local food banks or gleaning programs? Go find them. My local one has seen a 4X growth in served populations in the last few years. Help is always needed
Suicidal prevention- work on the root causes. Help by talking to those who cannot see a way out. Training is available
If you’re a direct stockholder in Microsoft ask why they’re partying when the staff suffers. I know business needs to periodically reshape but the stockholders have a voice in what occurs. Use it.
Just a few thoughts. We can wring our hands or go to work. Your choice
THIS is something everyone should read.
I've done some things - food banks, homeless, animal shelters - but not enough
I hope everyone reads your comment
Thanks
I agree! I contribute to local food banks but I feel like why should fighting hunger in my country be a matter of individual charity? We all have an interest in making sure that everyone in the USA has enough to eat. Why aren’t my tax dollars going towards this goal?
First, some of your tax dollars do go to these things.
Secondly, as for this: “We all have an interest in making sure that everyone in the USA has enough to eat” ... ever hear of the GOP?
I choose going to work. Great suggestions, Liz. I share these very thoughts with all my patients- every one of them. I talk to my neighbors-we have new ones on either side of us. They are very young, and have not yet payed attention to these issues. They do now, as I have taken the time to talk about the current state of affairs and how they can affect change for the better. I donate to our local food bank and homeless shelter when I can, whatever I can afford. I also donate blankets I crochet to the homeless shelter. I encourage others to do whatever they can. Every little bit helps, and the positivity is contagious. People feel good when they do good.
Thank you and agree people feel good when they do good
Steve, your love for America shines brightly everyday. It penetrates the cloud that lingers over the country and gives hope for the future. 🙏❤️
Yes, mistake to try and with hold documents discovery. They missed a golden opportunity to really set Pres Biden on a level with Geo Washington; “I will not tell a lie, unlike the former guy, staff has discovered (insert number and classification) documents. These were immediately returned. I have ordered a complete search by (insert appropriate agency) of all my offices and my home. They will be allowed to film the search and make the film available to the public. I will ask the FBI to question all staff, under oath, if they have any knowledge about how classified documents showed up.
Biden: “look, folks, stuff goes wrong how we deal with it determines our character, do I need to say more.....? Yes, I am sorry.”
He said it plainly, on live television and clear. "There is no there there." I believe him. Who else? I spoke of Intent. Not my word, but the word from reasonable and legal minds via accurate recorders of words, the journalism I trust and hope for every day. Intent. There is no there there. President Joe Biden and his word to the nation. What did he say from the beginning of his presidency? I believe him.
N,
I like you, trust Joe Biden, however just saying there is no there-there will not suffice in today’s political environment. As we now see there are more documents coming out. I don’t believe there is any nefarious reason for these documents being at his office or home, but they are not supposed to be there. No “there-there” is a Trump response, just like the “nothing burger”
Pres Biden needs to talk directly to the people, admit mistakes were made, explain how this happened or explain how he will find out what happened, create some new proceedures to insure this will never happen to any other President. Then at this address he should highligt all his successes that outshine this document dustup. He needs to turn this into the best lemonade America has ever tasted. He is playing to much catch up, he needs offense. IMHO
Thank you for the recent details. They were breaking news last evening. I trust in what President Biden committed himself to, that is, a transparent government. This issue about documents found so many years later has a story for me similar to the presidential encounter with MBS. President Biden followed advice. President Biden had been very critical of MBS. I figured then that there are realities of governance that are secretive for national reasons and must remain so. The outcome is that MBS was not to be trusted. As for the case of documents, I continue to believe the President when he says "There is no there there." There is absolutely no comparison with the Trump case. On January 17, Mr. Sean Malloy of this community made a very important comment related to the treatment of documents and the urgency to have a process of archiving documents accurately. NARA is responsible, in other words. NARA failed. And NARA must reform the manner by which documents belonging to the government must be handled. And President Joe Biden's advisors failed also, by delaying to make a public announcement. The President has cooperated with the DOJ step-by-step throughout the process. It is Trump and Trumpists who are cheering, but it is he who violated his Oath and the Rule of Law and they are his enablers. In Trump's case, the process by which the DOJ has retrieved the documents is very different. Legally.
Steve,
I rarely disagree with anything you write or say.
You're a brilliant man, a generational talent and my favorite daily read. No one is a close second
A while back I read Stuart Stevens' book "It Was All A Lie", one of the best political books I've ever read. Stevens not only exposed Republican politics and Republicans as racist and dishonest, he took accountability for his own involvement.
You were involved in that cesspool for decades, I believe.
I don't know your entire resume but I think you helped many (dozens?) Republicans get elected. Your most well known activity was of course with McCain, who I've always considered to have been a political fraud. His "Maverick" persona was nothing more than a disingenuous media creation and without him, the Keating 5 would have been the Keating 4.
I've read your recounting of your time working on the 2008 campaign, your take on Palin and your disembowelment of Meghan McCain, the most wretched, toxic personality this side of Tucker.
But have you ever done a Stuart Stevens, complete repudiation of your time working for the GOP?
I ask that in all sincerity. If you have, I applaud you. But I missed it.
Their downward spiral didn't begin with Trump. It began, with Reagan's racism, was escalated by Newt ("a dumb guy's idea of a smart guy", per Stuart Stevens), furthered by W and all his disgusting war mongering acolytes. They laid the groundwork for Trump.
The reason we have $30T+ national debt isn't because of Medicare, Social Security or welfare. It's because of trickle down economics, the sham foisted upon America by Reagan, W and Trump.
You were on THAT side for a long time.
There were big corporation lobbyists when you were involved.
There were outrageous lies and racism and misogyny then, too.
At one point, you signed up to work for Howard Schultz, who's just another corporate bigwig, the Davos type who disgust you today.
Your takes on today's GOP awfulness means you've exited that bus and have had an epiphany
I congratulate and admire you for that.
But have you ever written a full repudiation of your years of involvement?
There's no snark here. I'm asking sincerely. If you have, please provide a link.
If you haven't, it might be worth a column
Thanks
Michael,
First, let me say I have read Stuart Stevens book, as well, and believe everyone should read it. It helps to connect the dots leading up to our current situation. He presents the info in a simple, precise way which helps to firm up your personal understanding.
As a former Republican I have followed Steve for decades. I have always valued his opinion, followed his work/editorials & have disagreed with him a time or two.
I was agst 45 as the Rep. candidate for President. Every Rep I knew said no way would the GOP let him creep into the nomination. I designed a yard sign that said this lifelong Republican is voting for Hillary because everyone in my neighborhood knew I was GOP. When he won the presidency I was dismayed, angry & scared. I started to doubt my thought processes. Why aren’t people disturbed by this? I wrote single spaced 2 page letters to Paul Ryan, Lindsey Graham & John McCain explaining the urgency and need for them to check 45. I was very professional, resolute & reasonable, leaving all emotion out of my demands. However, as I was proofreading the final draft of Sen. McCain’s I started to cry. Tears dropped right on his letter. Ever the perfectionist, I noticed the tear stains & started to make a new copy. Then I decided no those tears are real & he’s getting those too.
I was lost. Everyone in the GOP was kissing 45s ring & could not understand it. There was only one person that was hard core GOP that had said negative things about 45. Steve Schmidt. He had been on MSNBC & voiced his concerns in a professional, diplomatic way. His delivery was tame, persistent & reasonable, all very understanding for daytime cable tv. Once 45 was elected, his demeanor changed. He was adamant our country was in trouble & he wanted to alert everyone. I followed every social media platform he was on. I read every opinion/editorial he wrote & he was busy. During this time he wrote many articles about his involvement with the GOP. He has written several pieces on personal journeys that have made him who he is today. His words got me out of my house, out of my head & out of the GOP. His behavior indicates to me that he is disappointed in what the GOP has become & will spend every moment to correct the path of this nation. He has been very transparent about his flaws & the role he has played in many political situations. I think his actions tell me all I need to know. I’m not big on apologies because too many people say I’m sorry & turn around & repeat the offensive behavior. I’m thankful that everyone around me knew my anguish of being a Republican for 40+ years, serving on GOP boards, etc. then voting for Hillary, joining Indivisible, protesting and becoming a Democrat. Their expectations never changed. Many of them are now former Rep. themselves.
Through programs & affiliations that Steve has spearheaded he has helped to change the direction of our country. He was the first GOP I noticed & many began to follow after he spoke out on Nicolle Wallace’s show on MSNBC. I would love for him to write a book & I would certainly buy it. But, again, his actions over the past 7 years indicate to me what is in his heart. His words convinced me I wasn’t crazy because I was not on the TrumpTrain & inspired me to help derail that train of misfits.
Again, there’s quite a bit of info on the web that Steve has written himself about some of his situations. There are also pieces written by MSM that present info in a less than accurate way. There are legal documents, as well.
But, he is human after all.
Thanks for this
In the 3 or 4 comments I've written about on the topic, I've been careful to qualify my points about Steve by writing that, paraphrasing "he might have already issued the type of acknowledgement that I've been suggesting but I missed it".
I'm impressed by your own journey as you've described it here
It would be nice if your story, your personal Road to Damascus, was the norm rather than the exception. But the capacity among Republicans for mindlessly believing everything Fox tells them, even when it's an obvious tidal wave of lies, is just stunning
Thanks
Michael,
On a more personal level, I struggled most with my role as a high school teacher from 1981-97. I do not believe that I encouraged students to become a Rep. over any other political party. I taught them the characteristics of each party, assured them they would not be 100% anything, demanded they not categorize themselves as anything without doing research on the party & the accomplishments & failures of each. When asked what party I was I would reply “Mostly Republican. If I was a diehard Republican I would not be a teacher.” But, how many kids were influenced by my affiliation with the GOP & had become GOP& 20 years later voted for 45 thinking I did. I felt responsible to a certain degree. I have come to terms with it now. When Steve opened the floodgates & other Reps raised their voices at the risk of wiping out their life’s work, i put together a bucket list of things I wanted to achieve before I die to replenish the spirit of “being an American.” It’s a journey. It’s a journey that has become more difficult, disturbing & dangerous. But, I must do what I believe is my part to rebuild what the GOP has destroyed.
My first career for nearly 20 years was a high school teacher of American history, economics & government. I’m a history junkie. His book really wrapped up the entire takeover of the GOP in an easy to understand way. Everything I read I look at it as a possible resource for younger adults. If I were still in the classroom I would definitely use his book as a teaching tool. He didn’t do any fluffing in the book. Straight shooting.
Good move. You'll like it
It seems, to me, that every 'Warning' Steve posts is a repudiation. Thanks.
Not really
He has repudiated today’s GOP and so it’s a fact that he’s repudiated that hot mess.
But to my knowledge, he’s never accounted for or apologized for his own involvement. This party has been killing us for decades.
If he worked on Reagan’s campaign and saw the racism upfront; if he lifted a fingernail to help W; if he’s helped elect any of the numerous dishonest, lobbied up, war happy tax cutting Senators or Congressmen; if he was on the side of Clarence Thomas, etc ... he should acknowledge it and tell us what he was thinking.
Stevens has done this. If you haven’t read that book, it’s worth your while.
I’ll say again, maybe Steve HAS acknowledged what I consider “the errors of his ways”. He’s a high character guy and perhaps I missed it.
If he has, I’d love to see the link.
If he hasn’t, it’s something he should consider.
Trump is not the CAUSE of today’s oily, lice ridden, rat infested, decrepit GOP.
He’s the RESULT of it
They’ve been trending this way for decades. This is one of the points Stevens makes.
Reagan is when it began. The great patron Saint. Among other things, he slashed social services to help pay for his ignorant tax cuts, thus giving us booming deficits and a 3rd world type homeless problem.
Newt ushered in the era of guerrilla politics; W started an ignorant war and more tax cuts/deficits; and then Trump ...
But none of this would be happening if not for Murdoch and Fox News. And believe it or not, they’re proving there’s room to get worse. “Hey Newt, hold my beer”.
Anyway, I just turned 69. I worry not for myself, but for my daughter
Michael,
Yes, yes and yes. Reagan took the leash off the tiger. Trump is just the latest to try and ride it.
We could argue that point, but no need. Nixon was brought down by his own avarice, greed and paranoia. But ... he was also a smart man. The move to thaw relations with China was brilliant, and he actually wanted to sign into a law a national health plan. Very smart.
No I'm not a fan, but contrast that with Reagan who was old, slow, racist and inept from day 1. His slashing of social services to pay for his tax cuts - didn't work - kicked off the decades now of booming deficits and homelessness.
No love for Reagan.
If we can help Ukraine fight Russia, https://www.almendron.com/tribuna/how-the-algorithm-tipped-the-balance-in-ukraine/ And if Zelenskyy can keep trying https://youtu.be/nEP6mQmozr0
The least we can do here is to clean up our own house.
Well said, May 👍🏽
We first vote out all republican politicians who side with traitors and those who would destroy our Democracy for the sake of personal greed and lust for power.
Then, citizens united must go.
The Supreme Court must be turned around. The majority has opted to allow religion to infect our secular Constitution, stripping civil rights from citizens.
It is about time that majority in this country means something. The electoral college must be abolished. Gerrymandering and voter suppression must be stopped.
Citizens of this country, all of us, need to start showing some love for all our fellow humans.
These are just a few of the things that will help put this country back on the good foot.
Excellent!! Thanks.
Good idea, but I think abolishing the electoral college altogether would prevent anyone from being tempted to "cheat", if you will.
Steve, another truly excellent essay for everyone's consideration. You left out one fact: each and every day for U.S. residents over 150 MILLION animals, fully feeling sentient beings, are callously slaughtered for food because of people's ignorant eating choices. (Yes, that's over 55 BILLION each year-- https://sentientmedia.org/how-many-animals-are-killed-for-food-every-day/ ) And most of these consumers would regard themselves as "animal lovers" (how's that for moral schizophrenia?)...
The "animal agricultural industry" as it is apathetically called (fiercely defended by corporate lobbyists and their "bought-and-paid-for" members of Congress), is of course...
#1 source of greenhouse gases
#1 cause of our worst killer diseases (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, due to inflammation, toxins, etc.)
#1 cause of (zoonotic) pandemics from the so-called "Spanish flu" to COVID.
#1 cause of water over-use and pollution (recall the statistic i shared the other day from Brian Richter, et al.: fully 55% of Colorado River water use and 32% of all fresh-water use in western USA goes to cattle-feed!!)
#1 cause of destruction of habitats
#1 cause of biodiversity loss of species
#1 cause of deforestation,
etc. ad nauseam.
When will people wake up and go plant-based? --the diet of our primate ancestors and the only diet to save human civilization, planetary ecosystems, and innocent nonhuman animal species...
It is important to speak of this. There was an opinion sometime ago that our time will be remembered as the most brutal against animals. In our family, fruits and vegetables have always been central to our diet, but many of us are still eating meat, with omissions according to how each is dealing with the facts that you so eloquently bring us. Fish is central, still, for health and wellbeing. As for the industrialized business, I was much younger when aware by seeing the damage coming from an insensitive approach to animals as Consumption, whereas traditional farming was that of a relationship between the owner of animals in farms where bonds were humanely held all through the process and treatment of a living and sentient being. Thank you, Timothy.
55 BILLION?! Sickening, sad, horrifying. Thank You.
Yes, Lisa, and this is ONLY FOR RESIDENTS of the USA. World-wide, the annual kill rate for land and sea animals is usually estimated to be OVER 1 TRILLION (that's a "t").
Ungodly, nightmarish, ongoing carnage of the most hideous kind.
It's hard. And it takes time. But slowly slowly we are moving to plant based.
And DeeDee, that's not fast enough, given
all the gruesome atrocities targeting living beings,
irreversible damage to extinguished species and ravaged ecosystems,
and the race to significantly mitigate climate catastrophe (among other horrors).
Im not disagreeing. Id love to hear your ideas for how to effectively speed it up. Key word “effective”. Although Even Burger King is successfully hawking Impossible Burgers. Which really surprised me. Restaurants and chain supermarkets are promoting plant diets. Everywhere!
Do you know how long it takes to shift social buying habits?
Making Corporate profits has never given way to doing what’s best or even smart. Big meat lobbies prob as big as pharma. But I am seeing huge shifts in the promotion of plant diets. Although perhaps not in TX or FL or Wyoming.
We can fix all thats ailing us if the fascists were not in power. The burn it all down magats want it all to fall apart. They long for anarchy. Mad Max Thunderdome is their holy scripture.
And yet Im still seeing movement toward plant based and solar. Away from cattle, fowl, and petroleum.
No. Not fast enough.
What do you suggest?
DeeDee, some pragmatic suggestions to speed up this urgently needed change :
1) A $2 billion annual public education campaign sponsored by the govt. to educate consumers and shift their eating habits. This need not only be public-service announcements and that sort of thing; sponsor educational but entertaining feature films and tv programming.
2) A gigantic meat/dairy tax (like cigarette & alcohol taxes, they work).
3) Shift school lunch programs away from meat/fish, dairy & junk food to delicious whole-food plant-based (WFPB) choices.
4) Give tax breaks for corporations that provide primarily WFPB food choices to their employees.
5) Senate hearings on Big Meat / Dairy's health-harming products, insidious propaganda, and atrocious treatment of not just confined animals but also confined workers, as happened when the Senate investigated Big Tobacco, with the help of dozens of state attorney generals.
There are surely many other pragmatic, feasible strategies....
Thank you for this. And mentioning confined workers. Remember how workers were being treated in the food industry as Covid was ravaging the country? And the stories that one reads about workers who work in the slaughterhouses of pigs is the most horrid, work done by immigrants who need to work. Again, work done by immigrants who come to this nation to work.
Right... all those ideas could be implemented immediately under an authoritarian regime. Or a little more slowly IF the fascists weren't in power, trying to destroy everything good in America.
The reality of Today is we are fractured and splintered...Global Democracy itself is teetering on the brink of destruction, and with nihilists and nazis in Congress, we cannot even treat People of Color decently, let alone animals. If you find a way to make any of your ideas a reality without a dictator in charge, that'd be great. In the meantime, let's support corps like Burger King who actually are already trying to change national eating habits. Celebrate Whole Foods for constantly beating a plant based drum. And speak kindly to meat eaters to encourage a change in behavior. BTW... several years ago HH Dalai Lama issued an urgent appeal to all Buddhists to stop eating animals, because it only adds to the aggregate suffering on the planet. Suddenly all my buddhist friends simply stopped eating animals. Now if you can persuade Pope Francis to declare "every day is Friday" (ie meatless) that might help too. But getting him to do that might be difficult.
BTW... I stopped eating ocean animals after I saw the toxic levels of mercury in the oceans, the plastic island, and then a trip to Alaska where I saw sick and dying salmon... So... whoever it was who suggested eating fish is a better way to go, I have to ask... what?!?! Anyway. Let's keep trying our best. We have countless urgent issues, from Russia's vicious insanity to a rabid extremist SCOTUS... and idiots running the House of Reps. I wish all of us good luck. We need it.
Speak kindly, encourage and educate. You're right DeeDee. We have so much to do to become better. It will not materialize overnight,
Great ideas and in my mind, totally workable. But in no time, we will be hearing, from the GOP rooftops, how the libs are going to take away their meat and make them drink oat milk...the ads write themselves. I hope for a different direction on the meat intake, but I have little faith...
I'm ashamed. I will have to make changes.
Steve
Good piece.
In your enumeration of the events of yesterday you neglected to mention the 347 people - mostly over the age of 70 who died of Covid 19. How soon we neglect. Please add them to those of the unfortunate who lack bank accounts.
Perhaps we are at an Esther moment. ...Born for a time such as this.
We are
I agree. And the best platform now is here in The Warning. I trust Steve Schmidt and his capacity for communicating clearly. I trust Steve Schmidt's character. And, believe me when I say, nothing should take anyone's conviction away because of the past. The past is gone, and this is the now we are given to better the nation. My trust in The Warning By Steve Schmidt will never falter. I call it commitment, in my case extreme gratitude because I know what it means, and the certainty that Steve is a friend to treasure always. Pen pals, here, in a community with a common cause.
Thanks for an inspiring Saturday morning essay. And brings to mind Paul Simon's, Born at the Right Time.
Never been lonely
Never been lied to
Never had to scuffle in fear
Nothing denied to
Born at the instant
The church bells chime
And the whole world whispering
Born at the right time
Paul Simon
Steve - this paragraph in particular struck me: “The United States of America doesn’t belong to its lobbyists and politicians. It doesn’t belong to its billionaires and CEOs. American soil is not sanctuary for a poisonous herd of sociopaths, nihilists and hustlers. “. I thought to myself after I read it, “Theoretically, but he just listed a dozen reasons disproving that statement.”. But that’s the point of your essay, isn’t it? If the rest of us don’t pull our heads out of the sand and start recognizing that those billionaires and CEOs are playing us we’re in deep trouble as a nation. They will continue to prey on humans’ inherent tribal tendencies by pitting us against each other, watching and smiling while we tear each other apart while their bank accounts get bigger and bigger. Right now they are only acting as if the USA belongs to them. “Fake it, till you make it.” Right? There is still time to stop it. But if we don’t start engaging immediately to hold the billionaires and CEOs and their sycophants accountable it won’t be long before they truly do own it and there will be no actions left to us to save it. We will be forced to submit or perish.
It's only ours if we can keep it... Democracy is hard work... and we have forgotten how to work hard. But the fascists are just ramping up globally, gleefully, grimly. They've been working very hard. Relentlessly one could say.
Agree 100%.
And while we choose not to house the homeless, provide medical care to the uninsured, and feed the hungry, still have an ex-president walking free despite his blatant attempt to overthrow our government. There is much to love about this country. There is also much to be ashamed of.
A special election in New York and support for shiff s Bill in the senate to end citizens untie would be an excellent way to start 2023
Thank you Steve, for another thoughtful piece on how our democracy is floundering and in need of serious repair. My personal opinion is that nothing will change until we get the money entirely out of politics; if our democracy fails, it will be because of the overwhelming corruption due to the billions of dollars influencing every facet of our government. Our elections need to be publicly funded. All corporate money, super pacs, lobbyists, etc need to be banned entirely. Citizens United should never have happened, it's ruining our democracy. The only contributions allowed should be by voters, limited to a very small amount. Just imagine if the money were kept out, the entire system would change, our elected officials wouldn't be owned by Exxon Mobile, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Apple, Facebook etc etc. Like nuclear fusion, this is possible, but it will take work. Until we get the money out, we're only nibbling around the edges, and the billionaires, corporations, and media outlets will continue to ruin our country.
And 3.2M copies of Prince Harry's book were sold last week. We pay way too much attention to the wrong things. I'd like to blame the media but they just follow the clicks. Our culture is messed up, we only choose to care about certain stories. We need strong leadership to steer us in the right direction, saying exactly what you said in this article, over and over until we get it.
Also, we need to fund quality education. Critical Thinking Skills for citizens of the U.S.A. are an indispensable part of the solution if we are to make lasting change. Thanks.
Lisa, California used to have incredible education, from kindergarten through university. But since Proposition 13, we have sunk way down. The Howard Jarvis people convinced too many people that they were paying too much in property taxes, and that they should only continue giving tax money to things they personally wanted. (Eg, my children are grown, why should I pay for schools? Or, I don’t read, why should I fund the library?)
School funding was slashed to a degree that in my county, Marin, one of the wealthiest in the entire country, we have to rely on gift wrap sales and bake sales to fund music, art and PE programs, among others.
You get what you pay for!
What a shame! Thanks for helping to create awareness about what is important.
Where is the solution, the majic pill? Do I focus on the activities that keep me and loved ones alive and safe? Do I try to save the USA or humanity? Can I do both? Thank you for making it clear that something needs to be done. Our vote is our most powerful weapon, and George Santos stole even that. Who is the best American? Stay alert and optimistic; this movie has just begun.