President Joe Biden has signed into law a bill that is, to quote former President Barack Obama, a "BFD." In other words, a "big deal" with a colorful adjective sandwiched in between for emphasis. It was Obama's way of paying homage to Biden's whispered comment (caught on mic) from back in 2010 with the passage of the Affordable Care Act.
With apologies to decorum, Obama's summation is warranted. The bill is called the Inflation Reduction Act, which most economists think is an accurate description. Inflation reduction is a worthy goal, but what is even more noteworthy — rising to the level of historic — is how the legislation intends to accomplish that feat. It is a compendium of long-desired action on the part of Democrats around health care costs, taxes, and climate change (representing the most ambitious climate measures ever enacted by Congress). The details are varied and have been covered admirably in other publications. Were they everything that most Democrats sought? No. But they were significant. Once again, a BFD. For the sake of this column, however, let us focus less on the policy than on the politics, and specifically the fact that this bill squeaked through on a purely party-line vote. All Democrats in the House and Senate voted "yea." All Republicans who voted (four representatives did not) voted "nay." All of them. Perhaps we have become inured to this unblinking partisanship. Chalk it up to cynicism, to pure party politics, to the zero-sum game that seems to rule Washington, particularly from Republicans when Democrats are in the majority. Obstruct. Delay. Obfuscate. That is the playbook. But while extreme partisanship might explain the actions, it certainly does not excuse them. This bill aimed to tackle tough challenges, particularly climate change. And on this issue in particular the politics of our time should not be measured in some temporal tally of wins and losses for congressional seats; this is about wins and losses for the habitability of our planet. This isn't about four-year election cycles. It is about epochs measured in millennia. Those are the stakes. And on this score, most prominent Republican elected officials seem eager to deny reality. And the few who don't fall into that camp are apparently satisfied with doing nothing. There may not be a more serious yardstick by which to measure our political era than this failure. As we have often cautioned here, the future of American democracy is at risk these days. But, let us be clear, so is the future of planet Earth. Perhaps even more so.  Dan Rather @DanRatherAugust 13th 2022 22,917 Retweets125,134 LikesWhen I tweeted the above, I expected to get a decent response; I never expected this level of engagement, but it makes sense. Unlike the politicians, according to polls, most Americans understand the peril and want action. In this upside-down reality, questions emerge that demand answers and accountability:
This is not a debate about policy. "How should we tackle this existential threat?" is a legitimate question on which fair minds can disagree. Should it be tax cuts for business or government regulation? Or both? A carbon tax or subsidies for new technologies? Is nuclear energy a viable option? Should we invest more in electric cars or public transportation? Let's have a vigorous debate. Go at it. There is no monopoly on wisdom. And the country needs a strong two-party system, with a Congress of conscience on both sides of the aisle, to have such debates. But debate whether we should do ANYTHING??? Really???? (Perhaps from the all caps and the number of question marks you can sense my feelings.) This bill was a major step forward on addressing climate change. It's not nearly enough. But it is something. A lot. A BFD. So say the scientists. It's a foundation upon which to build. But it was also a test of the seriousness of the Republican Party on the most serious of issues. It is a test they failed. All of them in Congress. That is not political spin. It's the truth. Just ask Mother Earth. She's screaming out for all to hear. Maybe at some point the politicians who refuse to listen to her pleas will be forced to answer why, and not be taken seriously until they can answer in accordance with reality. © 2022 Dan Rather |
Thursday, August 18, 2022
Dan Rather: A BFD
Friday, August 12, 2022
Dan Rather: An Attack On the Rule of Law
Shame on me. I like to think I don't surprise easily, especially when it comes to imagining the depths to which the former president and his cronies and enablers will descend to protect themselves and preserve their power. But the aftermath of the FBI's execution of a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago has surprised me. It has also left me deeply concerned about what the country must now endure and where we may be headed. I should not have been surprised. In retrospect, it all makes sickening sense. When news broke of these events — first commented on, it should be noted, by Donald Trump himself — it was clear that they would reverberate dangerously across America's fractured political and social landscape. You had to know that Trump himself would lie and play to his well-practiced persona of misplaced victimhood. And you had to know that others would rally around him. But the amount of negative blowback and the number of high-level officials helping gives special pause. Among things striking about this threat to the Trump bubble is that instead of the charge being led by elected officials or others easily stigmatized as "the enemy," this was the FBI. Law enforcement: the very people lauded by the Republicans when it suits their political interests. "Back the blue," and all. How would they spin this one? The first round of defense was to fall back on the familiar language of a "partisan witch hunt." It is the usual lie, as they cry foul without any evidence, about how the Biden administration is out of control in persecuting its political enemies. Just because we have become used to this level of projection and hypocrisy from a group of cynical political actors who really did seek to turn the Department of Justice into their own tool for holding on to power, doesn't mean we should become inured to the danger of this rhetoric. But they didn't stop there. They have now moved on to attacking the FBI itself and the very mechanisms of justice in the United States. It is tiresome to outline all the different instances and all the different people who have participated in this concerted attempt to protect Trump by baselessly attacking what took place at Mar-a-Lago. But when the likes of South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham suggests the FBI planted evidence and Florida Senator Marco Rubio attacks the magistrate judge who signed off on the warrant, we are seeing something even more perilous than before. These are two men who back in 2016 clearly understood and articulated the dangers that Donald Trump posed to American democracy. Now they are not only devout defenders of his presidency, but they are complicit in undermining what appears to be a careful execution of the process of justice. They seek to delegitimize any investigation of Trump, no matter its merits. As Trump pleaded the fifth over and over again in a civil case in New York, as he refuses to release what was in the Mar-a-Lago search warrant, and as we can see in a long history of contempt for any legal accountability in his business and political career, the safe assumption of all these investigations is that with so much smoke, there is likely fire. Nevertheless, even if Trump is eventually indicted, he will continue to be entitled to a presumption of innocence and a day in court. That's how American justice is supposed to work. Now, as many have pointed out, there are legitimate concerns in America about the overreach of law enforcement. For as long as I have been a reporter, there have certainly been instances where police officers have searched residences illegally. Most often, those who have felt the brunt of these perversions of the law have been the marginalized members of society. And in these cases, these same people who are defending Trump, as well as Trump himself, have shown no concern. They have often applauded rough and unlawful actions from police as long as they were targeting people different from themselves. We should be very clear. Those rushing to defend Trump are not carefully refuting what is alleged against him. In the case of what was taken from Mar-a-Lago, we don't even know what that was (but Trump does). Rather, these kneejerk objections set the stage for a blanket assertion that, in effect, Trump is above the law. Under this dangerous reasoning, there can be no legitimate investigation into anything he might have done. And, to continue the tortured "reasoning," anyone who seeks to hold Trump accountable under the laws that govern our nation is a political operative acting as part of a wide-ranging "Deep State" conspiracy. This is a kind of lunacy, of course, and deeply destabilizing to American democracy, but it is not a fringe position within the "Party of Trump." A version of this mania is now being publicly stated by Republican elected officials who often are portrayed in the press as the more responsible ones. The rot engulfs almost the entire party. When we add to this the mounting evidence being uncovered by the January 6 committee, a clear and chilling picture emerges. Large swaths of the Republican Party do not believe the law should apply to its leaders. And they do not believe that there can be a fair election in which their candidate loses. This is, at its very essence, a repudiation of the ideal of America as a democratic republic ruled by law. We all should be careful here. This does not apply to all Republican elected representatives and certainly not to all Republican voters. Nor does it apply to any and everyone who questions the FBI's actions. But as we are seeing with the overall general reaction to the FBI's search, this undermining of confidence in our institutions is far more widespread and far deeper than we might have first feared. To my colleagues in the press covering this moment, I respectfully suggest that it is essential that we wrestle with this truth and not seek to minimize the escalating dangers our country faces, especially as much of the recent rhetoric from Trump and his army of defenders is stoking the prospects of violence. There are not two equal sides to this story. The political implications of all of this, what it might mean for the midterms or President Biden's approval rating, pale next to what this means for the future of American democracy. Despite all that we are facing, I remain optimistic and hopeful for the future of our nation. I believe that these multiple investigations into Trump will get to truths that America desperately needs to hear. No one pursuing them is going to be frightened by what's being said on Fox News. And while there may always be a percentage of the country that backs Trump and the politicians who have rallied around him, this is not where the majority of this nation is. We should not forget that Donald Trump was repudiated by voters in 2020 after only one term in office. A record number of Americans went to the polls to say they did not like who he was or what he represented. We know even more now. So, will the repudiation of Trump and his ideology continue, even increase? We, the people, are now in the process of finding out. In the meantime, travel on this passage figures to be rough, rocky, and more dangerous than many of us may have thought. That makes it all the more important that those who are pursuing justice remain steady in their mission and true to the most noble values of the nation they serve. Thanks for subscribing to Steady. This post is public, so please feel free to share it. © 2022 Dan Rather |
Saturday, July 23, 2022
Dan Rather: The Latest Act In An American Tragedy
What act will this end up being in the drama that is Donald Trump? This is a uniquely American tragedy, with no shortage of farce. It was seven years ago that the Trump circus hit the stage of presidential primary television debates. The con man's crass bravado was cast as a sideshow by a lot of the "sophisticated" punditry, yet they bestowed upon the carnival barker what he has always craved — a bright media spotlight. Looking back, we now know without equivocation what many suspected all along — that this man was a force of "unbridled destructive energy," to use the phrase of the January 6 committee chairman Bennie Thompson. Tonight's hearing was focused on the actions, or particularly the inaction — a damning lack of action that was itself a form of action — of Trump as the Capitol was under siege by violent insurrectionists. These were the infamous 187 minutes between when the riot began and when the president finally issued a tepid statement calling for it to end. In the interim, American democracy and the lives of elected officials, particularly Vice President Mike Pence, faced mortal danger. As Republican congressman and committee member Adam Kinzinger stated today, "President Trump didn't fail to act...he chose not to act." It was so clear what Trump should have done. It was clear to many who were in the White House at the time. But he was unmoved. What strikes me tonight more than anything is how close it was. How close we came to a level of bloodshed and tragedy that is beyond our ability to fully comprehend. If President Trump had gone to the Capitol, as he wanted...If Vice President Pence had been but a few seconds later in his escape...If the rioters had seen the objects of their ire.... Revisiting those moments, the terror felt visceral, a fierce and dismaying shiver down the spine. Secret Service members saying goodbye to family members. Let that sink in for a moment. Another truth is also even more stark in light of what we heard: how much has been obscured. The use of the passive voice is intentional. We don't know who the actors were, but we see the results of how much has been covered up. The disappeared text messages from the Secret Service are all the more damning. No calls logged. No pictures allowed of the president. No contemporaneous documentation of the president's actions. The general contours of January 6 are now well known, and have been for a while. But the details we are hearing are vital, for us witnessing it in real time and for the judgment of history. It is all so unbelievable. And yet it is real. We must never lose the ability to be shocked anew. Tonight's witnesses, like most of the others before them, were women and men who had worked in the Trump White House. They were his allies, and can be judged accordingly. But it is also clear that what happened on January 6 was far beyond the pale for many. And yet not for Trump. It is all so obvious. And many said so at the time. Yet in the year and a half since that day, most elected Republicans have scurried back in cowardice to seeking Trump's good graces. This hearing tonight, like those that preceded it, emphasizes how cowardly and craven that Faustian bargain is. Today we learned that there will be more hearings. One of television history's most gripping serial shows will have another season. And there is ample speculation — driven by desperate hope from many — that the Department of Justice may be working on a sequel. We shall see. This drama is not over. But its denouement remains to be written. © 2022 Dan Rather |
Monday, July 18, 2022
Dan Rather: Climate and the Cosmos - "In the end, it is better to bet on the helpers more than the obstructionists"
Two pieces of news this past week spoke to humankind traveling in different directions. On one hand, with severe weather once again gripping the planet and the dangers of our warming world becoming more apparent, present, and urgent, the infuriating antics of West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin dashed the hopes of Democrats yearning for meaningful action on climate change. As many have noted, Manchin has been playing his game of Lucy and the football (from the classic comic strip "Peanuts") since the beginning of this 50-50 Senate. Just when Democrats seem close to scoring a policy goal, he (either single-handedly or abetted by Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema) pulls the ball away, driving a stake into core objectives supported by vast majorities of the party — and often even by the country as a whole.  mary ☮️ @marynasca60 July 15th 2022 4 Retweets14 LikesIt's gotten to the point where, as we noted recently, the rallying cry for Democrats in the midterms has become some version of, "give us two more senators." Of course, the frustration with Manchin isn't new. At the same time, we would do well to remember that the blame is not his alone. The filibuster, employed in its current state by Mitch McConnell, creates a dynamic that blocks meaningful action and provides a smokescreen on accountability. As we considered in a piece titled "More Than Manchin" over a year ago: "By focusing so much attention on Manchin, we are not presenting the full narrative to the American people. The press is framing this as a fight within the Democratic Party. That lets Republicans waltz by the microphones and cameras without paying nearly enough of a political price for their cynicism and obstructionism." While all this remains true, the latest sucker punch from Manchin, who seems to treat good-faith negotiations like a private joke in which only he knows the punchline, hits particularly hard. The specter of our climate crisis hangs over this Earth with foreboding uncertainty. We know it is already bad. We don't know how bad it might get (a lot depends on what we do know). Or whether we will find a way to remediate some of the damage. It's an existential crisis, particularly for younger generations who feel it acutely and wonder, as we all should, about the health of the planet they will inherit. It is difficult to discern exactly what is motivating Manchin on this issue, but many have noted how he has benefited politically and personally (in terms of his net worth and campaign support) from his ties to the oil, gas, and coal industries. Money talks, but it is also temporal. Focusing on short-term gain at the expense of the future and the needs of others encapsulates the struggles our planet faces. Solutions require planning, rethinking, and perhaps foregoing what is easy now for what is necessary later. Although as we see, the "later" is already NOW with climate. What fixing the planet also requires is science. For all that is going wrong, we should find some hope in the fact that a global team of scientists over the last several decades has put together a picture of the precariousness of our climate that allows us — should we heed the data — to see what is happening and prepare for what needs to be done. New forms of energy and ideas for greater sustainability can help us reexamine our assumptions and reframe our perspectives. With this truth in mind, let us reflect on another news story from the past week that, as hinted at the top of this piece, points us in a different direction. The pictures coming from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have inspired the world. That we are looking back from our little home, only a speck in the vastness of space — what the astronomer Carl Sagan famously called the "pale blue dot" — at the origins of the universe is hard for most of us to comprehend. The images force us to reconsider our senses of time and space. In this framing, the workings — or more accurately, the dysfunction — of our Senate do not mean anything. Our planet itself, in but one solar system of but one galaxy, is of no consequence except to those of us who call it home. The notion that, amid the universe's vast expanse, we are the only planet of life also seems unlikely.  NASA Webb Telescope @NASAWebb July 11th 2022 97,224 Retweets381,656 LikesIn order to access these images, in order to allow science to open up our cosmos and the mysteries of life, we need people who can make it happen. And it was a welcome addition to coverage of the Webb telescope that more of us got to know about Gregory Robinson, the NASA administrator who put the troubled project back on track. Robinson, "the ninth of 11 children born to tobacco sharecroppers in rural Virginia," offers an inspiring American story.  NPR @NPR How the son of sharecroppers helped send the world's most powerful telescope to spaceGregory Robinson grew up as one of 11 children of tobacco sharecroppers in rural Virginia. He reflects on his journey to NASA, where he directed the groundbreaking James Webb Space Telescope program.n.prJuly 15th 2022 226 Retweets967 LikesIn journalism, sometimes you look for juxtapositions to help provide context for the moment — as if by choosing two events, or people, or trend lines to compare, you can allow for greater clarity on both as well as a sense of the larger picture. Pairing Manchin and the Webb telescope provides, I think, an important perspective and hopefully some sense of hope. There is a battle in this country, and in the larger world, between ignorance and knowledge, cynicism and hope. This is not new. These frictions always exist in human society. It is oftentimes too easy to focus on all that is wrong, for that provides the greatest danger and the most urgent need for action. But we would be wise to not lose a sense of balance, and of all those pushing against degradation and loss — people like Gregory Robinson. We can look up — at the cosmos and at our own futures — to find the inspiration to keep going. In the end, it is better to bet on the helpers more than the obstructionists, the builders more than the destroyers, and the dreamers more than the cynics.
Thanks for subscribing to Steady. This post is public, so please feel free to share it. © 2022 Dan Rather |
