Thanks, Peter. You have written exactly what my take away from yesterday was. I'm ultimately impressed that Ron Wyden shows up and takes unscripted questions. Even when there was someone shouting at him, he didn't rely on police to drag them away. Clearly he is a representative of the people. And open to being responsible to them.
One of the things Wyden said is that he would be publicizing parts of the 1100-page tax and spending bill recently passed by the House that he considered particularly significant, such as the cuts to Medicaid. I must say, Big Beautiful Bill sounds more like a male stripper than legislation.
This being Memorial Day, it’s good to remember that Trump bragged on the Howard Stern Show about dodging STDs instead of bullets, calling that “my personal Vietnam.” He disparaged prisoners of war saying, “I like people who weren’t captured.” He insulted Gold Star families that opposed him, and his campaign called them “shills.” Trump’s chief of staff, retired four-star General Kelly, revealed that he referred to service members as “suckers” and “losers” and wouldn’t visit their graves in France.
Trump’s last visit to Arlington cemetery resulted in an altercation with staff trying to enforce its rules. Today he went there and used the occasion to attack his predecessor and boast that under him, “"We will do better than we've ever done as a nation, better than ever before.” It was a relatively benign follow-up to his morning all-caps unhinged rant calling much of the country “scum,” but no less a lie.
The town hall was a famous New England institution dating to 1633 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. A concept developed by the Puritans, it allowed residents to discuss community matters. At age twelve, I attended my first town hall in Hubbleton, Wisconsin, where I accompanied my aunt and uncle, local dairy farmers. I don't remember much about what was discussed, but it looked like the well-known Norman Rockwell painting. I remember Hubbleton much better - a crossroads with a meeting hall, feed store, and tavern where I also had my first beer at age twelve. It cost ten cents with a refill for a nickel. Don't judge, it was Wisconsin.
Ha! I had my first beer as a toddler, when my dad left a can on the edge of the tub. My first served beer was (as with you) at about age 12. I had a half-liter at Zum Roten Ochsen in Heidelberg.
I sincerely miss the days when red wine and beer were health foods.
You say that the problem with implementing a two-state solution is that neither Palestinians nor Israelis want it. It's obvious that Israelis don't want it. They began settlements in the West Bank to change "the facts on the ground" so that there could be no contiguous land to form a Palestinian state. But what is the basis for your claim that Palestinians didn't want it? Hamas never did, but Hamas never represented most Palestinians. Until Yasser Arafat's death, his Fatah did, and he signed the Oslo Accords, believing that it was the first step to an autonomous Palestinians state. Israel never let that happen.
I admire Senator Wyden and his dedication to his constituents. I do disagree with him on some policy issues, especially regarding the estate tax--he's in favor of eliminating it, saying it's "inefficient". I think that's nuts. He's not nearly as progressive as I'd like, so the book should make good reading.
I had no idea that so much of the state wants to join Idaho , I mean I knew there was a chunk but the map you showed opened my eyes a bit more to my neighbors views.
As Peter said, Greater Idaho isn’t going to happen, but I had occasion to speak briefly with one of its organizers and they’re totally serious. I pointed out that if he wants to join Idaho, it would be far more likely to happen if he moved there rather than expecting Idaho to move here, but he was as oblivious to that as MAGA is to the benefits of democracy.
Thanks, Peter. You have written exactly what my take away from yesterday was. I'm ultimately impressed that Ron Wyden shows up and takes unscripted questions. Even when there was someone shouting at him, he didn't rely on police to drag them away. Clearly he is a representative of the people. And open to being responsible to them.
One of the things Wyden said is that he would be publicizing parts of the 1100-page tax and spending bill recently passed by the House that he considered particularly significant, such as the cuts to Medicaid. I must say, Big Beautiful Bill sounds more like a male stripper than legislation.
This being Memorial Day, it’s good to remember that Trump bragged on the Howard Stern Show about dodging STDs instead of bullets, calling that “my personal Vietnam.” He disparaged prisoners of war saying, “I like people who weren’t captured.” He insulted Gold Star families that opposed him, and his campaign called them “shills.” Trump’s chief of staff, retired four-star General Kelly, revealed that he referred to service members as “suckers” and “losers” and wouldn’t visit their graves in France.
Trump’s last visit to Arlington cemetery resulted in an altercation with staff trying to enforce its rules. Today he went there and used the occasion to attack his predecessor and boast that under him, “"We will do better than we've ever done as a nation, better than ever before.” It was a relatively benign follow-up to his morning all-caps unhinged rant calling much of the country “scum,” but no less a lie.
The town hall was a famous New England institution dating to 1633 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. A concept developed by the Puritans, it allowed residents to discuss community matters. At age twelve, I attended my first town hall in Hubbleton, Wisconsin, where I accompanied my aunt and uncle, local dairy farmers. I don't remember much about what was discussed, but it looked like the well-known Norman Rockwell painting. I remember Hubbleton much better - a crossroads with a meeting hall, feed store, and tavern where I also had my first beer at age twelve. It cost ten cents with a refill for a nickel. Don't judge, it was Wisconsin.
Ha! I had my first beer as a toddler, when my dad left a can on the edge of the tub. My first served beer was (as with you) at about age 12. I had a half-liter at Zum Roten Ochsen in Heidelberg.
I sincerely miss the days when red wine and beer were health foods.
I will forever enjoy IPA and red Burgundy no matter what the health authorities say.
You say that the problem with implementing a two-state solution is that neither Palestinians nor Israelis want it. It's obvious that Israelis don't want it. They began settlements in the West Bank to change "the facts on the ground" so that there could be no contiguous land to form a Palestinian state. But what is the basis for your claim that Palestinians didn't want it? Hamas never did, but Hamas never represented most Palestinians. Until Yasser Arafat's death, his Fatah did, and he signed the Oslo Accords, believing that it was the first step to an autonomous Palestinians state. Israel never let that happen.
Peter, thanks. I'll take a look at the book.
I admire Senator Wyden and his dedication to his constituents. I do disagree with him on some policy issues, especially regarding the estate tax--he's in favor of eliminating it, saying it's "inefficient". I think that's nuts. He's not nearly as progressive as I'd like, so the book should make good reading.
I had no idea that so much of the state wants to join Idaho , I mean I knew there was a chunk but the map you showed opened my eyes a bit more to my neighbors views.
As Peter said, Greater Idaho isn’t going to happen, but I had occasion to speak briefly with one of its organizers and they’re totally serious. I pointed out that if he wants to join Idaho, it would be far more likely to happen if he moved there rather than expecting Idaho to move here, but he was as oblivious to that as MAGA is to the benefits of democracy.