Ted Cruz doesn't realize that time has passed him by.
His brand of right-wing extremism peaked and passed its expiration date. It won't be coming back.
Generations of bigots enslaved people, refused women the right to vote, segregated businesses and public accommodations, jailed LGBT people for existing, and bullied and marginalized anyone different.
Those bigots eventually crawled into the shadows and died off when the light of compassion and reason wiped that madness clean.
But Cruz is living in a world gone mad, where people are kind to one another, where differences are OK, where problems that don't exist don't create issues for the great majority.
Anything Cruz finds absolutely outrageous is OK with me.
His brand of right-wing extremism peaked and passed its expiration date. It won't be coming back.
Generations of bigots enslaved people, refused women the right to vote, segregated businesses and public accommodations, jailed LGBT people for existing, and bullied and marginalized anyone different.
Those bigots eventually crawled into the shadows and died off when the light of compassion and reason wiped that madness clean.
But Cruz is living in a world gone mad, where people are kind to one another, where differences are OK, where problems that don't exist don't create issues for the great majority.
Anything Cruz finds absolutely outrageous is OK with me.
There is no one named Ted Cruz. There is only an all white half-Cuban natural born citizen of Canada named Rafael Edward Cruz.
Racism and white supremacy still live in the involuntary servitude and slavery that lives in American prisons where blacks make up 40% of the 2.3 million Amereicans in prison. Even though blacks are only 13.2% of Americans and the imprisoned are 25% of the world total and America has 5% of the world's people. Efforts to restrict, discourage, deny and make voting more difficult for blacks, the old, the poor and the young do not lead to calls for boycotts nor decisive derision. The white LGBT community is among the best educated wealthiest American demographic cohort. And they can remain closeted and take advantage of their white privilege. Unlike LGBT status or faith there is no closet for blacks nor browns.
Racism and white supremacy still live in the involuntary servitude and slavery that lives in American prisons where blacks make up 40% of the 2.3 million Amereicans in prison. Even though blacks are only 13.2% of Americans and the imprisoned are 25% of the world total and America has 5% of the world's people. Efforts to restrict, discourage, deny and make voting more difficult for blacks, the old, the poor and the young do not lead to calls for boycotts nor decisive derision. The white LGBT community is among the best educated wealthiest American demographic cohort. And they can remain closeted and take advantage of their white privilege. Unlike LGBT status or faith there is no closet for blacks nor browns.
1
> "And, last, the good news: In Mr. Rosenthal’s view, this came in the form of a unanimous Supreme Court decision upholding a major principle of the American political system, that of “one person, one vote.”
In the words of SNL's Weekend Update: REALLY??
Please replace this clown with somebody who has a functioning brain
1) Since the previous Federal court's decision on this case was to simply dismiss it, SCOTUS could have accomplished EXACTLY the same thing by refusing to review the case
2) LOGICALLY, 1-Person = 1-Vote would seem to be exactly the opposite of the "principle" here. In counting people to determine Representational Districts, the fact that some are voters, and some are ineligible to be voters doesn't matter
3) They really didn't decide ANYTHING here, other than to reject the suit from the 2 Texas voters who brought this suit. In fact, they specifically acknowledged that they have left open, the question of whether or not, State Governments, themselves could draw districts based on voter populations rather than on raw population estimates from the Census Bureau
= =
I fondly remember the days long ago, when I first started reading NYT and the Editorial Board was actually highly intelligent, now it is a joke. And IMHO, this nonsense board doesn't even have close to the accuracy rate of a broken clock, I'd put them down for being 'right' maybe twice a week
In the words of SNL's Weekend Update: REALLY??
Please replace this clown with somebody who has a functioning brain
1) Since the previous Federal court's decision on this case was to simply dismiss it, SCOTUS could have accomplished EXACTLY the same thing by refusing to review the case
2) LOGICALLY, 1-Person = 1-Vote would seem to be exactly the opposite of the "principle" here. In counting people to determine Representational Districts, the fact that some are voters, and some are ineligible to be voters doesn't matter
3) They really didn't decide ANYTHING here, other than to reject the suit from the 2 Texas voters who brought this suit. In fact, they specifically acknowledged that they have left open, the question of whether or not, State Governments, themselves could draw districts based on voter populations rather than on raw population estimates from the Census Bureau
= =
I fondly remember the days long ago, when I first started reading NYT and the Editorial Board was actually highly intelligent, now it is a joke. And IMHO, this nonsense board doesn't even have close to the accuracy rate of a broken clock, I'd put them down for being 'right' maybe twice a week
I sure hope there is more to it than this!
However bad Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are, I do have to give them credit for temporarily displacing Benjamin Netanyahu and Sheldon Adelson from the number 1 and 2 positions at the top of the NY Times List of Worst People in the World. I never imagined anything like this could happen. I get up in the morning now with a smile on my face believing that impossible dreams can come true.
1
"Bigotry" is the subjective word used by people who can't admit that everyone has basic rights. The adage "your nose ends where mine begins" is the best rule of thumb for everyone's rights to be respected.
1
Sorry, to many, your comment is blinkered and, perhaps, a product of a gentle life. Many of us have seen bigotry, and have grown up with it. Bigotry is inherent in racism. Racism is strongest in the Old South and in its enclaves all over America, including Staten Island, Long Island, and indeed, in all the boroughs. Much of that racism and bigotry can be traced back to Scotland and Ireland, where the forebears of our nastiest bigots originated.
Why must one don headphones for this? Transcribe please, or dispatch Mr. Rosenthal to NPR.
8
Mr. Rosenthal's fears are ill founded on several scores. First, discriminatory laws against homosexuals and lesbians adopted by some states will never be enforced. As any businessman or woman knows, such legislation is bad for the bottom line,especially in Mississippi, perhaps the poorest state in the Union. Gays bring prosperity anywhere they choose to settle.Second, Cruz is no "lunatic," but very much an establishment politician, an insider within the Beltway who only pretends, for the sake of expediency, to play the role of a rebel. His wife works for a pricey Wall Street firm, and Cruz himself has gotten a huge bankloan to finance his campaign. TC has also proposed a bill extending 500,000 H-1B visas to foreign nationals. Some outsider!Finally, I would advise Mr. Rosenthal to undertake more serious investigative reporting re abovementioned issues which might have led him to see all sides,of the question, and to draw other conclusions.
Can you say "government shutdown"?
3
Ted Cruz is a terrifying candidate. Isn't it special that among a toxic field of candidates the two most toxic are at the top? (Not that Kasich, aside from acting like a reasonable human and seeming to know there are other countries on the globe, is a bargain for working stiffs, women, or the usual downtrodden victims of the Republican race to the bottom.)
However, I don't think people should worry. He is deeply unappealing, and his sleazy controlling affect is offputting even to his allies.
As head of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness, he mounted a full on effort to discredit real science by choosing only from the small minority of less credible phony skeptics, including even the truly awful Mark Steyn who is being sued for comparing Distinguished Professor Mike Mann to child abuser Sandusky ( http://tinyurl.com/n2vmp5x ) for sticking with honest science rather than the politicized version that is so dangerous to us all.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/12/bully-pulpit-ted-cruz-offers-his-...
Since it is increasingly obvious that the planet is warming, weather is more chaotic, seas are rising, ice is melting, species are migrating (including disease vectors) and all, this biased power playing is about as dangerous as it gets.
If they don't agree with reality, the Republicans work to defund it. More dirty tricks.
However, I don't think people should worry. He is deeply unappealing, and his sleazy controlling affect is offputting even to his allies.
As head of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness, he mounted a full on effort to discredit real science by choosing only from the small minority of less credible phony skeptics, including even the truly awful Mark Steyn who is being sued for comparing Distinguished Professor Mike Mann to child abuser Sandusky ( http://tinyurl.com/n2vmp5x ) for sticking with honest science rather than the politicized version that is so dangerous to us all.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/12/bully-pulpit-ted-cruz-offers-his-...
Since it is increasingly obvious that the planet is warming, weather is more chaotic, seas are rising, ice is melting, species are migrating (including disease vectors) and all, this biased power playing is about as dangerous as it gets.
If they don't agree with reality, the Republicans work to defund it. More dirty tricks.
7
@Susan":Wrong on several counts. First, there would be nothing terrifying about a Ted Cruz presidency. He is about as "insider" as they come.Unbeknowst to the general public, TC secured a low interest bank loan from the Street, and his wife works for a hedge fund. His support by superpacs, and his sponsorship of a bill to extend H-1B visas to over a half million foreign nationals should tell you something.If global warming and fossil fuels pose such a threat, why will Al GORE, Nancy Pelosi among others not give up their private jet flights and SUV's?Issue remains a matter of opinion. Mark Steyn, who is multi lingual,speaking fluent Afrikaans, is a good writer and an entertaiing talk show host. I am unacquainted with Professor Mike Mann, but we all know about Jerry Sandusky.I do not think that the charge of pederasty would have been leveled against Prof. Mann lightly. in the majority of cases, serious charges like that, even if only based on hearsay.usually turn out to be true.
1
Ted Cruz, while a lowly senator, actually took over the role of Speaker of the House for a time, and argued for a government shut-down. He is not a well-balanced, rational being.
2
A new example of "race to the bottom" -- “that the Republican battle over who is the most lunatic right-wing candidate will continue.”
Labor unions and Ross Perot told us about this sort of race back when NAFTA was done. We did it anyway. Now we are this much futher down that road. This is the same road folks, the same race to the bottom.
We are all going down. They are dragging us with them.
Labor unions and Ross Perot told us about this sort of race back when NAFTA was done. We did it anyway. Now we are this much futher down that road. This is the same road folks, the same race to the bottom.
We are all going down. They are dragging us with them.
11
I remember the days when if you were male, and you had long (not even very long hair) you encountered the signs on the door of restaurants and bars "if you have long hair, we neither want nor need your business." and women in a nice pants suit being denied entry to restaurants. How we just love to discriminate based on our ... our what?. Is AR a liberal (and bring disparaged because of it) because he is mad about discrimination? Sadly that's seems to be the case. The intolerance of so many is sad to see.
5
The news for our world is dire. The GOP slate of candidates, however eroded, speaks of a sick polity, a sick nation. Jim Crow spreads across the South once more, with laws curtailing voting rights, women's reproductive rights, and gay rights. And the revolutionary from Vermont takes a break in his campaign to deny the presidency to the Democratic Party, to do what? To visit the Vatican, the staunchest enemy of women's rights.
12
Dear Mr. Rosenthal, please get mad about this one:
In the NYT today, Steven Block, an assistant United States Attorney, is quoted as saying that Mr. Hastert’s sentence should “balance the positive nature of defendant’s public service with the need to avoid a public perception that the powerful are treated differently than ordinary citizens when facing sentencing for a serious crime.”
Shouldn't it read: "balance the defendant’s horrific abuse of children under his care as a teacher — every parent’s worst nightmare — against his decades of deceit of voters, both in his home and district, not to mention his deceit of all who voted for him to become Speaker in Congress and held him up as a paragon of GOP virtue (the Speaker becomes THIRD IN LINE to be President under our Constitution should the sitting President die), and the deceit of Presidents who relied on his advice regarding laws, all trusting that only truth would be heard in his chambers.
Oh, and let us not forget that, when Hastert learned the feds were investigating his finances, he attempted to pin the blame on one of his victims!
My God!
What else could this despicable man have done to a rape victim!
Is this not a man who would have done ANYTHING to stay in power?
So. What if he’d pulled it off?
Well, he could have become President with a little help from a foreign power that had uncovered his wrestling skills.
Imagine the photos of President Hastert welcoming a grinning Putin to our shores "for consultations"...
In the NYT today, Steven Block, an assistant United States Attorney, is quoted as saying that Mr. Hastert’s sentence should “balance the positive nature of defendant’s public service with the need to avoid a public perception that the powerful are treated differently than ordinary citizens when facing sentencing for a serious crime.”
Shouldn't it read: "balance the defendant’s horrific abuse of children under his care as a teacher — every parent’s worst nightmare — against his decades of deceit of voters, both in his home and district, not to mention his deceit of all who voted for him to become Speaker in Congress and held him up as a paragon of GOP virtue (the Speaker becomes THIRD IN LINE to be President under our Constitution should the sitting President die), and the deceit of Presidents who relied on his advice regarding laws, all trusting that only truth would be heard in his chambers.
Oh, and let us not forget that, when Hastert learned the feds were investigating his finances, he attempted to pin the blame on one of his victims!
My God!
What else could this despicable man have done to a rape victim!
Is this not a man who would have done ANYTHING to stay in power?
So. What if he’d pulled it off?
Well, he could have become President with a little help from a foreign power that had uncovered his wrestling skills.
Imagine the photos of President Hastert welcoming a grinning Putin to our shores "for consultations"...
32
In my state of PA the incumbent Senator Toomey has been running an ad standing with police. The message is clear ... "Blue lives matter" and guess whose lives don't. And being a solid member of the GOP - a Senator who refuses to act on the Supreme Court nominee; a Senator who signed a letter to the leadership of Iran - we know his Party has treated a black President with total disrespect. Bigotry in many Southern state legislatures is amplified by the GOP in Washington. Much to be deeply disappointed and distressed and mad about. You would think more progress would have been made since the 60's.
20
So Rosenthal is a liberal - the bleeding heart kind (what other kind is there).
Why am I not surprised?
Why am I not surprised?
2
Poor you! You've already lost the gift of the ability to be surprised. Or is it just that "why am I not surprised" is your phrase of the day? What tomorrow? Hillary Clinton killed the Archduke at Sarajevo?
9
So am I. So what?
Don't know how 'bleeding heart' is relevant to knowing that Ted Cruz would be an awful President. He doesn't care about anything - he 'shut down the businesses of government when he was just in the Senate. It cost MILLIONS for nothing. Think of the damage he would do from the White House.
You might think we 'liberals' dislike Cruz - that's nothing, his fellow Republican Senators really hate him! Wake up - you don't have to be a liberal to recognize the simple truth.
Don't know how 'bleeding heart' is relevant to knowing that Ted Cruz would be an awful President. He doesn't care about anything - he 'shut down the businesses of government when he was just in the Senate. It cost MILLIONS for nothing. Think of the damage he would do from the White House.
You might think we 'liberals' dislike Cruz - that's nothing, his fellow Republican Senators really hate him! Wake up - you don't have to be a liberal to recognize the simple truth.
7
I believe that the Cruz victory in Wisconsin is dire news for our world. The NYT spread a lot of misinformation about Trump, while giving Cruz a free pass. Even today, an article ridicules Trump's plans to repeal Obamacare but replace it with something bipartisan and terrific that will cover everyone. Why? Because he is cloudy on the details.
Contrast with the NYT darling Ted Cruz, who wishes to repeal Obamacare and replace it with nothing, so that that God's plan that the Godless must suffer can become law. And he can use the money to keep the God chosen like himself in power for ever.
Why does the Times continue to attack Trump? The RNC has made it clear that if Trump gets 1236, Cruz is the nominee .
Trump is not far right. I invite NYT readers to list things you believe he said, does or stands for. I will google them for you. For the most part, you have it wrong.
I hope Clinton or Sanders can win. If they don't, we have Cruz, not Trump as president. The press destroyed the generally moderate Trump.
Contrast with the NYT darling Ted Cruz, who wishes to repeal Obamacare and replace it with nothing, so that that God's plan that the Godless must suffer can become law. And he can use the money to keep the God chosen like himself in power for ever.
Why does the Times continue to attack Trump? The RNC has made it clear that if Trump gets 1236, Cruz is the nominee .
Trump is not far right. I invite NYT readers to list things you believe he said, does or stands for. I will google them for you. For the most part, you have it wrong.
I hope Clinton or Sanders can win. If they don't, we have Cruz, not Trump as president. The press destroyed the generally moderate Trump.
16
Cruz makes Trump look good, but Trump is not good for children and other living things. He incites hatred and bigotry and doesn't have a clue about how to behave. He is ugly to the core.
But I'd agree that Cruz is a nasty piece of work.
But I'd agree that Cruz is a nasty piece of work.
6
Hillary is clearly a Democrat, which you would know if you looked at her positions on a variety of issues. I'd agree that she's more of a centrist, too much of a hawk for my taste, and her understanding of the dangers of continued fossil use and what's wrong with fracking (and some unwise investments) are inadequate to the task. So perhaps she would be palatable to old fashioned Republicans, the responsible kind (conservation is conservative).
There is a vast gulf between her and the Republicans.
There is way too much mindless repetition of Republican opposition talking points about. This has been honed over a quarter century, and they know just how to persuade Democrats by including a tiny bit of truth in their accusations. That she faces this so well speaks to a strong character, worthy of a world leader.
Just imagine the tantrums and underhanded dealings on international affairs from any of the Republicans.
So vote, downticket as well. Don't make the mistake of staying at home: 2014 should be an object lesson. Don't blame the victims.
There is a vast gulf between her and the Republicans.
There is way too much mindless repetition of Republican opposition talking points about. This has been honed over a quarter century, and they know just how to persuade Democrats by including a tiny bit of truth in their accusations. That she faces this so well speaks to a strong character, worthy of a world leader.
Just imagine the tantrums and underhanded dealings on international affairs from any of the Republicans.
So vote, downticket as well. Don't make the mistake of staying at home: 2014 should be an object lesson. Don't blame the victims.
4
"Contrast with the NYT darling Ted Cruz"??? Have you been reading this paper? Sure, all the "news" media has been reacting to Trump's idiocy; it's truly amazing when someone who would be the US president says as manyoronic, ignorant, and just plain stupid-mean things in any given space of time. But, I can't seem to remember any "misinformation" that's been aimed at the man who wants to be blowhard-in-chief. Unless, that is, you are a knee jerk Trump supporter who pays no attention to what he says.
Crus is just as bad, or worse, but just is not as fecund a creator of "can you believe the nitwit said that?"
Crus is just as bad, or worse, but just is not as fecund a creator of "can you believe the nitwit said that?"
1
Perhaps the title of this should be changed to "Inside the Mad World of Andrew Rosenthal".
Cruz may not be the optimal President, but Hillary? Please.
So the southern states decide to protect religious organizations and let them decide who they want to do business with. Absolutely outrageous indeed.
One person, one vote? No, the court decided to allow states to include illegal immigrants into the total. How exactly is this one person, one vote? Our founding fathers rolled over in their graves.
Cruz may not be the optimal President, but Hillary? Please.
So the southern states decide to protect religious organizations and let them decide who they want to do business with. Absolutely outrageous indeed.
One person, one vote? No, the court decided to allow states to include illegal immigrants into the total. How exactly is this one person, one vote? Our founding fathers rolled over in their graves.
3
Robert, you may not understand that (a) ALL Homo sapiens are equally subject to US law while in the US, and (b) yes, BORN children (as opposed to zygotes) are people, too. Additionally, Hillary Clinton is the most moderate Republican/conservative running for president - why would you object? Oh yeah, we get it.
10
Religious organizations are already protected. No minister, priest, rabbi, imman is ever required to marry any people, no religious organization is forced to provide membership to any person or even allow them into their house of worship.
And the 'bathroom laws' are just plain stupid. Are these states going to provide guards by every public restroom. Will we be required to provide our birth certificate to get into a rest room. It's beyond stupid.
And the 'bathroom laws' are just plain stupid. Are these states going to provide guards by every public restroom. Will we be required to provide our birth certificate to get into a rest room. It's beyond stupid.
5
I'd point out that that Court vote on "one man, one vote," was unanimous, but you're on an Ignorance Roll.
Succint and to the point. And yet, you could have summarized Ted in 3 words: religious- fanatic, and toxic.
18
For what it is worth I agree
With Mr R's views and strongly,
As some States disregard
Of one's rights does come hard,
It's offset by a SCOTUS decree.
With Mr R's views and strongly,
As some States disregard
Of one's rights does come hard,
It's offset by a SCOTUS decree.
9
We especially agree with Mr. R.'s laments regarding states over riding local jurisdiction to write discrimination into state laws, which is part and parcel of what is being seen where the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is working with A.L.E.C. to lobby states against paid sick leave and minimum wage increases at the local level, even though the Chamber's polls through Frank Luntz's firm show that 70% of its CEO level members and target members support paid sick leave, with 80% supporting a higher minimum wage:
http://www.npr.org/2016/04/06/473244707/from-fracking-bans-to-paid-sick-...
How does an organization's leadership justify telling its lobbyists to work against things 70-80% of its dues-paying members want ?
It's of a piece with what we see at the NRA, where we know 74% of NRA members want stronger back-ground checks, but leadership is having its lobbyists actively work against what dues-paying members provably want:
http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2015/mar/18/lena-taylor/m...
in addition to what the rest of voters want.
How do members of these groups get their leaders to represent what they want instead of working against members ?
http://www.npr.org/2016/04/06/473244707/from-fracking-bans-to-paid-sick-...
How does an organization's leadership justify telling its lobbyists to work against things 70-80% of its dues-paying members want ?
It's of a piece with what we see at the NRA, where we know 74% of NRA members want stronger back-ground checks, but leadership is having its lobbyists actively work against what dues-paying members provably want:
http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2015/mar/18/lena-taylor/m...
in addition to what the rest of voters want.
How do members of these groups get their leaders to represent what they want instead of working against members ?
28
Fine to be concerned about gay rights, but where is the rage at the chipping away at women's right to choose?
6
That behavior would already be illegal, so no need to make up a law to address something already illegal.
Right wing extremists are expert at creating laws to address problems that don't exist - like in person voter fraud - in order to achieve a different aim - voter suppression.
In this case, the right wing extremists want to whip up the base with their vivid imagination in order to push back laws protecting LGBT people from discrimination.
I can't wait for HRC to be elected President and finally put an end to the extremist right wing Supreme Court that has elevated the rights of Corporations and Religious Extremists above the People.