Letters We Wish We'd Written -- Trump's Cognitive Impairment

 

Well, we couldn't have written this one, because we're not licensed psychologists:

To the Editor:

Re “Trump Reignites Question of Age With Ramblings” (front page, Oct. 7):

As a licensed psychologist, I am writing to express deep concern about the repeated instances of unusual speech patterns, childish insults and lies demonstrated by Donald Trump. While some have always brushed these speech behaviors off, I believe they warrant a more serious examination for potential signs of cognitive impairment, particularly since, as you pointed out, they are worsening.

Parapraxis, or speech errors, is common in typical adult communication. We’ve all experienced a “slip of the tongue.” However, the frequency, consistency and nature of Mr. Trump’s errors are outside the norm.

His patterns of derailment (switching from one topic or thought to another without a logical connection), circumlocutions (struggling to find the right word and using descriptions instead) and phonemic errors (sounding out words) suggest more than just a careless speaking style. His use of words like moron and other youth-like insults also indicates a possible impairment.

Research has long established that communication changes can be an early indicator of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. It is essential for a physician to provide a detailed assessment of Mr. Trump’s cognitive health beyond just stating that his physical health is excellent.

We deserve transparency about the fitness of those seeking the highest office. I urge the full release of his medical records, including cognitive and neurological evaluations, and for Congress to establish more stringent fitness for duty assessments for presidential candidates.

Michael J. Salamon
Hewlett, N.Y.

 (New York Effing Times letter to the editor, 10/9/24)

Letters We Wish We'd Written Dept.

 

In this morning's Washington Post:

Now that the Republicans have elected one of the 147 traitors to the Constitution and this country as speaker of the House, they have openly declared their objective of destroying American democracy.

If there was any doubt before it is now clear, with the withdrawal of Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and election of Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.): The only Republicans who can have any support or standing in the party are those who tried to prevent the certification of the election of Joe Biden as president and who continue to lick the boots of the would-be usurper and insurrectionist currently under indictment in several jurisdictions across the country. To call these members of Congress conservatives is laughable; to call them legislators even more ludicrous. They are, to borrow one of their leader’s favorite labels of scorn, enemies of the people.

If their constituents have any sense, they will throw all of these right-wing, autocracy-loving radicals out of office at the earliest opportunity.

Harris Factor, Columbia

The clearest sign yet that it's the infantile, damaged Malignant Loser's party/ coup cult was the chaos of the last month, followed by the "ordination by God" of MAGAt extremist Mike Johnson (Sedition-LA) as Speaker. Most of these traitors are safe in the knowledge that their constituents don't have any sense and will cheerfully elect them again and again.  Sic transit gloria America.

More thoughts here.

Letters We Wish We'd Written Dept.

In today's Washington Post:

"The Sept. 10 front-page article “GOP probes threaten prosecutors’ independence” described efforts by Republicans to undermine investigations by investigating the investigators. The first paragraph said this is “a strategy that has been utilized by both parties.” The rest of the article cited not one single example of Democrats using this “strategy.” Instead, there are multiple examples of Democrats voicing support for and implementing policies that support prosecutorial independence.

This “both-sidesism,” which is rampant in media, creates the false narrative that Republicans’ extraordinary efforts, at all levels of government, to destroy the norms that protect our democracy are just business as usual. As a result, voters are numbed to the unique danger posed by a major political party that will stop at nothing to preserve its power. The overall article was a powerful indictment of these efforts by congressional Republicans to discredit legitimate investigations, which makes it all the more puzzling that this gratuitous sideswipe at Democrats was included.

Bill Black, Washington

The Post (the =snort= "Democracy Dies in Darkness" paper) often seems incapable or unwilling to define the difference between the party that upholds the rule of law and democratic norms, and the party that doesn't.  Even when it does, it can't resist the kind of "both sides" swipe that Mr. Black noted.

See also, "Tweets...", below.

Letters We Wish We'd Written Dept. -- Overreach

 

In today's Washington Post:

According to George F. Will’s July 4 op-ed, “From Barrett, a finger wag to executive overreach,” the “major questions doctrine,” as articulated by Justice Amy Coney Barrett in the student loan case, “has emerged organically from judicial reasoning about executive overreaching that is encouraged by Congress underperforming its duty to be clear.” But Mr. Will ignored that the doctrine substitutes extreme judicial overreach for purported executive branch excesses. The Supreme Court’s right-wing majority — including Justice Barrett — has yet to articulate any clear, objective standards for determining when a rule is “major” enough to trigger the intense judicial skepticism (if not outright result-orientation) the doctrine prescribes. Accordingly, it gives license to any five members of the court to jettison any environmental, public health or consumer protection regulations with which they disagree simply by declaring them “major” and then saying that Congress did not speak with ideal specificity — even when the plain language of a statute encompasses the executive branch action.

At least when the executive allegedly overreaches in implementing a law, there is a fundamental check and balance built into the constitutional framework: elections. But when the life-tenured, unelected members of the Supreme Court do so, it is well nigh impossible for corrective action to be taken — especially in view of the congressional dysfunction to which Mr. Will alluded. Far from restoring “constitutional equilibrium” (as Mr. Will asserted), the major questions doctrine seriously subverts that balance by giving the least representative branch of government extraordinary power to dictate (or nullify) public policy.

Eric Glitzenstein, Washington

 

The Republican Supreme Court's rulings since the hurried installation of Amy Coney Barrett on the Court prior to the 2020 election have flowed from a desire, as some have put it, to overturn the 20th Century.  To the Republican supermajority, there's no such thing as precedent to stand in their way, and no such thing as establishing "standing" when it comes to accepting a case.  To paraphrase the letter writer, the least representative branch of government has extraordinary power to dictate or nullify public policy -- to which we would add "public policy that is often supported by the majority of Americans."  

We hope and believe the backlash to this rogue, radical Republican court will manifest itself in the 2024 election.  There are early signs that one cohort in particular -- young voters -- are being energized by recent Republican Supreme Court decisions and intend to take it out on Republican candidates next year.  We already know the Dobbs decision backlash helped Democrats in the 2022 off- year elections. That decision, stripping women of their reproductive freedom, was just the start of the damage the Republican Supreme Court has done to our country.  As injury piles on injury, the motivation grows to boot the radicals from office so we can have true, necessary reform of the Republican Supreme Court.

Letters We Wish We'd Written Dept.

 

In today's Washington Post:

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has shown us again that an expensive private school education and a vast fortune do not mean you’ve got good sense [“Youngkin blasts Trump indictment as political,” Metro, June 10]. He joined others on whom such advantages have been squandered: Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.) among them — all graduates of the most elite universities in the world and yet complete kiss-ups to a shallow, egomaniacal and ignorant former president.

Without bothering with the facts of the Mar-a-Lago documents case, Mr. Youngkin leaped to former president Donald Trump’s defense, suggesting that the indictment proved a rich White man can’t get a fair shake in this country. He did not concede the election was fair and that President Biden was legitimately elected until after he secured the gubernatorial nomination, harping endlessly on “election integrity” and claiming that Mr. Trump is a victim of political prosecution.

These are obvious and stupid lies, and I’m pretty sure that not even Mr. Youngkin believes them. He’s a knave, not a fool. It sure would be nice if our governor would tell the truth at least once in a while, though.

Bruce Carnes, Fairfax

Youngkin's disingenuous "two- tiered justice system" argument intended as a defense of his party's cult leader was doubtless spoon fed to him, as well as to the other two- legged rats mentioned above, as a MAGAt focus- group- tested line to be deployed whenever the cult leader's criminal behavior was brought to account. It's a disqualifying sentiment for any politician, no matter how slick, to undercut the rule of law and legitimacy of our legal system, especially in defense of someone so "shallow, egomaniacal and ignorant" as the Malignant Loser.

In the meantime, Youngkin and his fellow lickspittles should be asked specifically what crimes that are in the Malignant Loser's indictment should President Biden (or Hillary Clinton, for that matter) be charged with, based on the evidence?  Huh?  Huh?

Letters We Wish We'd Written Dept. -- GQP Cowardice

 

In today's Washington Post letters to the editor:

When more than two dozen women came forward to accuse Donald Trump of sexual misconduct, his supporters dismissed them; no charges had ever been filed, so Mr. Trump was innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

So how did Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) respond when a jury found the former president civilly liable for sexual abuse and defamation? “The jury is a joke. The whole case is a joke.” In short, Mr. Rubio smeared the jury — a jury that considered the under-oath testimony of three female accusers as well as Mr. Trump’s own words from his deposition and the “Access Hollywood” tape.

Historians will document the political cowardice of Mr. Rubio and his fellow Trump enablers, who have for years swallowed previously held principles in pursuit of power. Yet this jury of six men and three women — hailing from differing parts of New York, a variety of occupations and diverse life stories — evaluated the evidence against Mr. Trump and had the courage to speak truth to power. If only the Republican Party would emulate the jurors’ honesty and fortitude.

Maryellen Donnellan, Falls Church

No courage, honesty, and fortitude there!  Hasn't been for a long, long, long time (if ever).  When Republicans tell you who they are, believe them.

Letters We Wish We'd Written -- Debt Ceiling Dept.

 

In today's Washington Post:

The April 28 news article "Biden reiterates refusal to negotiate on debt limit as pressure mounts"quoted White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre as saying, "Avoiding default is Congress’s responsibility." She nailed it!

It is Congress that is responsible for how much money the government spends. Congress is also responsible for writing the tax laws that control how much money the government brings in. When government spending is more than its income, that is entirely Congress’s responsibility. The debt ceiling is an arbitrary construct created by a law passed by, you guessed it, Congress. At least one part of the original motivation for the debt ceiling was to stiffen Congress’s collective spine to deal with a much smaller debt problem than we have now. Obviously, that idea did not work out.

Now Republicans have weaponized the debt ceiling by threatening to do massive damage to the entire world economy, decrease America’s standing on the world stage and possibly endanger the role of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency.

My humble suggestion is that President Biden hold firm and not negotiate with extortionists. And if Republicans do follow through on their threats, then just ignore the debt ceiling and honor the debts that Congress has racked up, as the Constitution requires. Then, if you can find any reliable Republican partners, work together responsibly to come up with a plan to deal with the debt. Otherwise, there is always 2024, when we as a country need to kick every single MAGA Republican out of office so our government can get back to actually governing instead of performing to get attention and, of course, campaign contributions.

Randy Maddox, Alexandria

Once again, using the debt ceiling as a hostage in the 2024 budget proess (a budget which the MAGAts haven't bothered to flesh out because the specific cuts they would have to make are politically toxic) is something that only occurs when a Democrat is in the White House. Defaulting on debt already incurred under the full faith and credit of the United States is an unthinkable act of economic terrorism that Republican MAGAts regularly think about as a way of undermining Democratic Presidents and tanking the economy for political gain.

Mr. Maddox's final thought is one we heartily endorse for reasons beyond the current debt ceiling hostage- taking:  kick every single MAGA Republican out of office!

Letters We Wish We'd Written Dept.

 

From today's Washington Post:

Regarding Eugene Robinson’s March 24 op-ed, “Trump’s GOP rivals still haven’t figured out a way around him”:

It’s not the Republican candidates but rather the party’s voters who will require a come-to-Jesus moment before the GOP, and the country, can move past this dysfunctional period.

It is an ingrained human trait to powerfully resist discovering you were wrong, conned or misled. Former president Donald Trump attracted the support of many of his followers by telling them countless untruths, many of which they believed. Unless or until these supporters come to realize they have been lied to and conned and are actually mistaken about things they hold to be true, not only will they remain loyal to Mr. Trump but they will also resent anyone who tries to dissuade them of what they so fervently believe.

This country desperately needs educational efforts against misinformation to begin very early in a child’s education, as Finland does. It might be too late in the United States to correct that deficit in many adults. GOP voters, especially Trump supporters, would call discovering the truth indoctrination, or worse yet, being woke.

Jim Nagle, Reston

We'd argue that it is too late to correct the toxic reality deficit in the many adult MAGAts, after decades of sewage being fed into their heads by right- wing media and other sources.  We likely will have to wait until they shuffle off this mortal coil via a disease they weren't vaccinated against/ another bad health decision, or a gunshot from one of their favorite weapons of choice.

Letters We Wish We'd Written, False Equivalence Department

A reader takes issue with a misleading characterization in a recent article in the Washington Post (slogan: "Democracy Dies In Darkness" --  well, democracy also dies in timid false equivalence):

I must take issue with how the Dec. 14 Politics & the Nation article “Biden signs bill to protect same-sex and interracial marriages” characterized the recent congressional votes for the Respect for Marriage Act. It reported that 12 Republican senators (out of 50) and 39 Republican House members (out of 213) voted for the bill and called this “strong bipartisan support.” It is not. Simple arithmetic shows that a significant majority of Republican members of Congress opposed this legislation, despite the Gallup survey of 2022 the article cited showing that 55 percent of Republicans supported same-sex marriage. These Republican members of Congress don’t represent their own voters, just their own prejudices and the prejudices of those who fund and bolster their primary electoral campaigns.

In the future, The Post should avoid such strained attempts at equivalence. When it comes to issues such as LGBTQ rights, abortion rights, civil rights and voting rights, the two parties are still very far apart, with Democrats in support and Republicans in opposition.

Bob Dardano, Washington

We keep seeing this type of nonsense from the Post, which seems incapable of self-correction.  Corporate media masquerading as truth tellers will be the death of us.

Letters We Wish We'd Written Department -- Voter Fraud

In today's Washington Post:

The basic premise of former vice president Mike Pence’s argument in his Jan. 16 op-ed, “Jan. 6 was a tragedy. Busting the filibuster would be, too.,” was that voter fraud runs rampant across our nation, yet he cited no examples of this allegedly widespread behavior. The goals and objectives of the Republican Party, regarding voting rights legislation, could not be any clearer. When you gerrymander a state so that a minority party always wins elections, that is voter fraud. When you put one voting machine into a Black district that should have 10, that is voter fraud. When you allow a gun permit to be used as voter identification but reject a college ID, that is voter fraud.

Well, I guess Mr. Pence was right: There is a good deal of voter fraud in the United States today. The problem is that the Republican Party wants to double down on that fraud by further manipulating voting rules, regulations and officials.

If we are going to continue to determine the outcome of presidential elections using the electoral college, how each state conducts its elections does matter to voters in other states. When a rogue state can steer the presidency to a minority party, that is real voter fraud.

David Dunn, Fairfax Station

Phony arguments from a phony Mike "Hang Mike" Pence op/ ed about "voter fraud," expertly described by Mr. Dunn as a purely Republican phenomenon.  Pence, in echoing the Big Lie claims about voter fraud and election theft, is supporting the vicious movement that almost led to his demise at the Capitol on January 6.  The man is brimming with ambition, but he doesn't have any integrity or spine, like the vast majority of current or would- be Republican officeholders.  What a... fraud.

And, why would the "Democracy dies in darkness" Post print the weasel's lies in the first place, especially without fact checking it (rhetorical question)?  Democracy actually dies when anti- democratic lies are allowed to metastasize with the collusion of the media.

Letters We Wish We'd Written Dept. -- Sounds Of Silence

 

In today's Washington Post:

Regarding the Nov. 3 front-page article “Youngkin holds lead in Virginia”:

Hark, what are the sounds I hear this morning in Virginia?

There is the sound of the Youngkin camp cheering for its election victories in the top state offices. This is fitting and proper.

The other sounds are nothing. I don’t hear the sounds of Democrats whining that the election was stolen or the votes counted incorrectly, or that there was massive voter fraud. I don’t hear the sounds of Democratic voters saying “Yeah! Yeah!” to accusations of voter fraud, and loudly pretending to believe that crock, and doing everything possible to reverse the results of the election. I don’t hear Democrats worshiping at the feet of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe and making pilgrimages to McLean for an audience. I don’t hear noises in Richmond of Gov. Ralph Northam (D) trying to cling to the tables and chairs so he is not ousted from office as his term expires. The voters voted. The votes were counted. There was a winner. That’s all.

I think the sounds we don’t hear this morning are more consequential than the sounds we do hear.

Daniel Lounberg, Arlington

Yes, isn't it revealing, that -- win or lose -- one party accepts the results of free and fair democratic elections, and the other party will only accept the results if they win?

Letters We Wish We'd Written Dept. -- One State's Bungling Of Vaccinations

 

In today's Washington Post, a letter about how one (blue) state governed by a Republican bungled the COVID-19 vaccination effort:

The March 8 edition included articles on the front page — “In Md., a debate on vaccine supply” — and in the Metro section — “Lessons from vaccine sign-ups” — on issues with delivering vaccinations. One big issue is the absence of central registration sites for Maryland counties. That absence has sent most people on regular and frustrated searches of multiple possible locations every day, a truly vast waste of time and energy.

The Post has not answered the fundamental questions about why this absence happened initially and why it has been allowed to continue, despite the huge frustration it continues to cause. There is clearly a great failure of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s (R) administration, but why?

John Hansman, Rockville

 

We're pretty certain Mr. Hansman intuits the "why" -- the Republican governor took the same haphazard approach on a state- level basis that his party leader took on a national basis.  Delegating the registration process to local jurisdictions and companies allows the governor to blame county executives if things go awry, which they have and he has.  (His control of the distribution process also allows him to penalize counties that are Democratic strongholds, for example by refusing to allow a mass vaccination site in populous, deep blue Montgomery County.)  On the other hand he's been all too willing to push an aggressive schedule for schools and businesses to reopen, counter to the advice of medical experts and the wishes of county leaders. Now, however, since the supply of vaccines is starting to increase and the Biden administration is launching a new website to facilitate vaccination appointments (thanks, President Biden), the governor's bungling of the vaccination effort will soon be a thing of the past.

But the frustration and anger lingers.