The creed of the US Postal Service: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
Trump has, as usual, politicised the USPS in a brazen attempt to suppress the vote. He, in my opinion, needs to read the US Constitution, particularly Article I, Section 8, Clause 7 known as the Postal Clause. As noted in Wikipedia,
“These attempts at limiting the content of the mail were upheld by the Supreme Court, but in the 20th century, the Court took a more assertive approach in striking down postal laws which limited free expression, particularly as it related to political materials.[7][8] The First Amendment thus provided a check on the Postal Power.” (my emphasis added)
Are not voting ballots a form of free speech where the voter can express their desire for representation? So how is it that Trump and his sycophant Postmaster DeJoy feel they can tinker with the USPS?
This from Raw Story:
“Maddow reported how NBC Montana reporter Maritsa Georgiou had doggedly reported on the removal of postal boxes in Missoula, where she is based. Missoula has been a long-time Democratic Party stronghold.
Montana has a competitive U.S. Senate election in 2020, with Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock challenging first-term Republican Sen. Steve Daines.
As Georgiou chased the story, she learned there were also plans to remove boxes in the battleground of Billings. And more planned for the blue town of Bozeman. And other towns.”
Please note that most if not all the post boxes being taken away are in high Democratic areas. Jon Tester is doing some push back as are two Republicans (Daines and Gianforte — will wonders never cease!). But this whole process is scheduled to happen in every state so PUSH BACK is absolutely needed across the country.
Here is Rachel Maddow’s take. Unfortunately, I could not embed the video but it is worth viewing.
https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/embedded-video/mmvo90107461739
Of course, we all know what Trump is doing with the USPS — voter suppression! When you consider current polls (yes I know that the only poll that counts is the one on 03 November 2020) are not being kind to the incompetent, narcissistic, stable genius squatting in the WH (nor the enabling Republicans) and one knows he seeks power and wealth, it is extremely easy to understand what he is doing. For me, it is as plain as the nose on my face and my nose is not subtle!
In an interview with Maria Bartiromo of Fox Business, Trump said (AlterNet)
“They need that money in order to have the Post Office work, so it can take all of these millions of ballots,” he told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo on Thursday. “If they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting. Because they’re not equipped.”
I think Trump is taking a page, or maybe many chapters, out of Putin’s guide to authoritarian power.
VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO
FROM DOG CATCHER TO PRESIDENT!!!
18 Responses to ““Neither snow nor rain nor heat …” nor Trump?”
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Thanks and Amen, Lynn.
Beyond the issue of free speech, the Post Office is established in the Constitution (article I, Section 8, Clause 7).
Rachel makes the same point (about the Constitution.)
Thanks boss-cat!!! This is voter suppression right in plain sight!!!
Amen!
I agree what TC wrote!
Ianad, but he (dt) sure is nuts in trying to do this.
Some Veterans (D & R) get their meds through the mail, and checks, and also retired military and older folks for SS. This will produce havoc !!
Thanks, Lynn for posting.
This won’t produce havoc . . . it already has created havoc!!! As Nameless said, this is “going to backfire on Donnie HUGELY!” Biggly, biggly!!!
Regarding the question of “So how is it that Trump and his sycophant Postmaster DeJoy feel they can tinker with the USPS?” the answer is that they don’t “feel” that they have a right to do so, they just simply want to, which is how dictators operate! Trump has been “permitted” by the GOP to do whatever he’s wanted to do, so why not this, as well?
The whole thing is so blatant! And worrisome!
OK Mitch, so “feel” was a poor choice of words and you’re correct. But had I used “think” you would have commented that they don’t think or are incapable of rational thought. LMAO!!
Montana had a winning strategy. All other states should look at it closely and be prepared to follow their lead.
New Jersey, Connecticut, and probably Arizona have a strategy too, Legislators there are instructing their Attorneys General to “investigate” in order to pursue state criminal charges against Trump*. Most states, including these, have strong election laws which include making delaying ballots a felony. The genius of tis is that these are state charges and do not go theourh Federal courts (so no delays) and if convicted, he cannot pardon himself. If your state has a Democratic AG, or any AG who values voting, you can get in touch with them and bring this up. It is absolutely not too early. The AG of Connecticut is actively soliciting other AGs to take this step, and will gladly discuss it with your AG.
I can’t embed your video, Squatch, but I can embed one from YouTube which is the same video (you’ll probably have to take my word for it because I doubt you’ll be ble to see it.)
I can view it and it is the same one. The video with the Raw Story article is longer but had no embed info. Thanks for trying to embed it. I suspect it has something to do with the WordPress format as I do my articles directly on the site.
The AG’s have so far a good way to go to the attack on this — unity! Anyone insisting on in-person voting should be charged with negligent homicide at the very least starting with Trump. And as you say (and I know this is true — I have been hanging around TomCat for at least 10 years), Trump cannot pardon himself or anyone else on state charges, only on some federal charges.
tRump is pulling at all the strings to do whatever he feels he can to win the election. Hate to tell him, that people aren’t stupid and are seeing right through his rotten games.
Many do depend on their medications/checks being delivered by their local post offices. I’ve tried to do a lot online, but still have some, that I’m not ready to change yet. That’s my choice, as is the right to vote by mail/absentee voting. tRump is trying to cause so much chaos with the help of his newly appointed crony dEjoy, I was so happy to read over the weekend, that protesters were outside his home protesting to save the USPS and not to limiting sorting machines, removing post boxes, and cutting overtime, etc.
I hope that they can get it together and keep tRump’s evil fingers/hands/doings out of it.
WE MUST GET HIM OUT.
Thanks Lynn
Wasn’t that rich — protesters camped outside DeJoy’s house!
Thanks for a great article, Lynn. Apparently the Trumpian attack on the postal services to prevent Americans from voting id two-pronged: physically shut down sorting machines – which already delays normal post – and denying them resources to handle the extra voting posts.
Money the post office is entitled to, as I understand, because it may raise the postage for ballot forms:
Another thing that was mentioned here in Oz, in a show called Planet America, was that due to the tardiness of the USPS the millions of votes sent in by post, states will not have enough time to count them. That certainly could hold for those Red states where Republicans will vote in the voting booths no matter what but Democrats will take no heath risks and vote by mail. Withholding extra resources to count will certainly put Democrats at a disadvantage there.
In my opinion, total VOTER SUPPRESSION from the get go! This needs to be challenged in court NOW! I think it is possible that Trump and his Republican enablers think that by doing this now, there is no time for court action and they have stacked the SCOTUS with conservative peons as their fallback position.
I firmly believe this tactic to try to steal the election by sabotaging the USPS is going to backfire on Donnie HUGELY!
I certainly hope it does . . . BIGGLY!!! Put a stamp in the middle of his forehead and let the USPS cancel him before sending him to Uranus.
Thanks all!
On the weekend I watched as CNN’s Jake Tapper interviewed Mark Meadows and part of the conversation went to the vote by mail debacle (that should not be a debacle) and Meadows, after Jake stated that there was no evidence of fraud with vote by mail, said there was no evidence that there was no fraud either. What a loser Meadows is (along with Trump of course!). People need to understand that you can’t find something if it does not exist!