I’m quite busy today, as I needed another Lona Nap this morning, so please pardon my brevity. My posting may be limited tomorrow, as I have to go out for labs for my pre-surgery physical.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:49 (average 6:32). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From NPR: If Democrats take back the Senate in 2016, they’ll likely have women to thank for it.
The party is likely to have at least six female nominees who are challenging Republican incumbents in their top-targeted states, helping them flip the four seats necessary to take back Senate control, if Democrats hold the White House.
And Democrats believe they have the perfect storm brewing to help them do that — likely the first female presidential nominee coupled with a probable GOP nominee who has a well-documented history of controversial remarks about women.
"With Donald Trump’s toxicity permeating the Republican Party, never has there been a better time for a slate of Democratic women who remain focused on issues rather than insults," said Marcy Stech of EMILY’s List, whose group helps recruit pro-abortion rights women to run for political office.
And if women win in these top-targeted races, they’re on pace to break the current record of 20 women in the Senate. If Democrats run the table, women could make up nearly a quarter of the upper chamber come January 2017.
A woman’s place is in the House, and in the Senate, and if we can’t have Bernie, in the White House.
From OPB: Voters in Oregon are going to the polls Tuesday to vote in their presidential primary along with a host of state and local races. But Oregonians aren’t actually going to the polls because all of the state’s 2.3 million voters get their ballots through the mail.
In a special election in 1996, Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden became the first person ever elected to Congress exclusively through a vote-by-mail election. He remains a big fan of the system, which the state adopted for all elections in 2000.
Wyden held a press conference this month at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem to announce a bill that would expand the system nationwide.
“We’re interested in taking the Oregon way, vote-by-mail, into precincts all across America,” he said.
Wyden’s proposal would require all federal elections to be held through the mail. States could still do as they please for state and local races. He’s tried expanding vote-by-mail before to no avail. But he said maybe this year will be different. Wyden points to reports of people standing in line for hours to cast ballots in presidential primaries.
Once again, Oregon leads the way. If the US adopts Sen. Wyden’s proposal, the nation will be better off due to voter convenience, and a paper record.
From PoliticusUSA: In a shameful display, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough did his best to defend Donald Trump’s history of sexism, sexual harassment and misogyny that was uncovered by The New York Times…
…Here are some of the behaviors that Scarborough left out. Trump sexualized his then 16-year-old daughter by asking other men if she was hot. Trump made unwanted advances towards women. Trump engaged in inappropriate physical contact with women. The presumptive Republican nominee was revealed to have demonstrated a consistent pattern of sexual harassment towards women that he had the ability to exert authority or control over.
Barf Bag Alert!!
And MSNBC, the so-called librul network has 20 hours of Morning Jerk every week.
Cartoon:
11 Responses to “Open Thread – 5/16/2016”
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Women should make up the same percent of Congress that they are of the population.
I voted via mail–CA now allows a permanent absentee ballot for all who want…can also be turned in at the polls. Haven't heard reports of lines to vote ever since we did that (and once I voted at 10 pm having been in line at 5pm before that).
Trump is indefensible–but won't admit it any more than Arnie did.
Good luck with all the pre-op stuff.
5:10 I would never have let MY cats play with these, let alone eat them.
Take care of yourself and we will take care of us. And thanks for the heads up.
NPR – "and in the White House , if we can't have Bernie." I've put this link here before, but here it is again, and I'll put it in my comment on your other article too.
OPB – To me in Colorado, you're preaching to the choir. But I certainly add my support.
PoliticusUSA – I don't know which I find more stomach-churning – The Donald's behavior, or the fact that so many other men (present company of course excluded) DON'T GET IT and support or condone it or also do it.
Cartoon – Nice. Captures both the GOP's war and the strength ofwomen resisting.
NPR: Good for the women in politics. We need more, and hopefully this will be a banner year!
OPB: Oddly, my spouse votes by mail, and I vote in person, but that doesn't bother me. We're still a small town, and I usually go, pick up friends who need a ride, vote, then go eat out for lunch somewhere. It's all good.
Politicus: I noticed immediately that Mika Brzezinski was quiet through all of this.Silence is not golden in some instances. Drumpf is a boor.
Cartoon: Ain't that the truth?
Good thoughts to you as you get your lab work done. Hope all goes well. Enjoy your evening, and rest. Take care, and Thanks, Tom.
I was wondering the same thing Pat . . . why doesn't Mika speak up? Is she just window dressing for the otherwise useless Joe?
Joe “Gee-How-Did-That-Dead-Intern-Turn-Up-In-MY-Office” Scarborough is so far up the ass of Herr Drumpf he’s now bumping into Chris Christie.
(And truth be told, I wouldn’t shed a tear if they had to change the name of his AM
showabomination to “MOURNING Joe”.)“MOURNING Joe” Good one Nameless!
A woman’s place is in the House, and in the Senate, and if we can’t have Bernie, in the White House. NPR is giving me some glimmer of hope!
I don't watch Morning Joe, nor hardly anything else on TV. I get my Bill Maher and such from here.
Oregon rocks!
Good luck with the surgery, Tom.
NPR: Basically, women need to get out the vote! We do not need a woman hater like Trump in the White House. He has no respect for women and shows it in almost every speech. Besides that, he is not qualified for the job. Listen to any of his speeches, he sounds the way I did on essay tests in school when I had not studied and thought if I said enough, the teacher would not notice.
NPR: I would love for all the states to have mail in voting. There would be a paper trail, no one would have an excuse for not voting.
Politics USA: Morning Joe is a joke, and MSNBC is going downhill thanks to shows like his.
Cartoon: This should be a classic. When enough women stand up, the world will be a better place.
"he sounds the way I did on essay tests in school when I had not studied and thought if I said enough, the teacher would not notice." Well, you certainly nailed that!
Puzzle —
NPR — When women comprise just over 50% of the population, there should be a greater female representation in government at all levels. Certainly can't expect Republicans to support a greater female presence! They're too much into misogyny.
OPB — If the mail-in ballot is efficient, safe and promotes greater participation in the electoral process, Wyden won't get any votes from Republicans. That would not allow them to commit electoral fraud.
PoliticusUSA — Now that was intelligent, NOT! And why didn't Mika say something . . . or is she bought and paid for? Dump Drumpf!
Cartoon — Yup! Still in Republican cross-hairs!
Going to and fro and of course the physical exam itself must be a boor and a hassle, but is a necessary prelude to your operation, TomCat. I hope transport goes well and they don't make you wait for hours on tests.
NPR: It's about time America got more women in positions that matter. Not that they're always the better choice – Joni Ernst springs to mind – but in general they are, especially when they are progressives. With Republicans dominating Congress now it's no surprise that so few women are in the Senate or the House, but women may also find it more difficult to get their campaigns funded in male-dominated politics. Let's hope the female Democratic voters realize what a pivoting role they play in this election and all go to the polling stations.
OPB: With problems around polling stations such as (deliberate) too few in certain areas, long queues preventing the elderly and infirm from voting, voter intimidation by ammosexual "guards" and so on, it stands to reason to introduce voting by mail for federal elections. That would however not prevent "votes getting lost" or people not getting a ballot form because they were scratched from the voting list, as happened in some states, or even mailboxes litterally going up in smoke in certain areas. One thing I've learned over the past few years is that while Republicans aren't very resourceful when it comes to governing unless it is on a "freedom of religion" or "women's health" bill, they are very much so when it comes to making Republican, but not Democratic, votes count
PU: "It's Donald Trump, and people have come to expect this", that's certainly raising the standard for an American president, isn't it. Pretty disgusting argument coming from a "librul" network. Who's paying Joe Scarborough's wages, Drumpf or Adelson?
Great cartoon!