It’s a slow day for news, dominated by speculation over Trump’s choice of fascists this evening. I had a busy morning juggling medical mayhem. I rescheduled my Cat Scan. After thinking it over, I decided that I could not inflict myself on them, stripped down after three days in the 90°s without a shower. I rescheduled to a Thursday, the day after shower day.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:49 (average 4:22). To do it click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Current Affairs: [F]or a person who runs a “current affairs” magazine, I often know embarrassingly little about what is going on in my immediate vicinity. I’m often preoccupied with the national and international at the expense of the local. So I did not realize, until I bumped into it while wandering through my neighborhood, that New Orleans was going to have a demonstration against Trump’s immigration policies yesterday. I came upon it entirely by surprise. Which, in retrospect, was entirely the best way to find it. There is nothing quite like walking alone through a city and suddenly finding yourself surrounded by thousands of sympathetic comrades and friends, demonstrating for an important humanitarian cause.
That author is a lucky fellow! RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!
From Crooks and Liars: Normally, I don’t buy into "lesser-of-two-evils" politics. If Democrats nominate a corrupt reactionary Blue Dog I’m at least as incensed as I am over a Republican. That’s not going to change either. And, I’m still saying that "normally" no longer applies, not with Trump and his Congressful of enablers and rubber stamps. I’m telling friends and relatives– my sister lives in Jeff Van Drew’s district– to just hold their noses and vote for anyone with a "D" next to their name.
As Digby has been saying since he moved into the White House, we’re in existential territory here. Boxing in Trump is more important than anything….
…That said, there’s no need to stop reminding the establishment Democratic Party that we need them to stop turning off the base with their Blue Dog/New Dem agenda and their uncontrollable hatred for the Democratic grassroots, for progressives and for the kind of reform that will cut off the spigots of money and power that motivates the careerism of the Hoyers, Wasserman Schultzes, Crowleys (buh bye) and the mirror images the DCCC keeps recruiting as candidates.
The DCCC is now whining how progressives have to get on board the unity train and pull together to elect a Democratic Congress to stop the boogie man in the White House. They’re correct. What they’re not correct about is that that’s a one-way street.The same thing is happening with progressive primary winners all over the country– including in must-win swing districts! Blue America has a page for that: Abandoned By The DCCC.
There are men and women– mostly women– on this list who won their primary races and who the DCCC is refusing to recognize while they’re asking progressives to support wretched Blue Dogs and New Dems because… "TRUMP!" [emphasis original]
Establishment Democrats need to support progressive nominees. Progressives need to support establishment Democratic nominees. We can fight amongst ourselves after Trump and his Reich are defeated. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!
From Daily Caller: Conservative groups are rolling out million dollar ad buys Monday evening immediately after President Donald Trump announces his pick to replace outgoing Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Judicial Crisis Network (JCN), a conservative political organization, is launching a $1.4 million ad campaign Monday evening in Alabama, Indiana, North Dakota, and West Virginia. The ads will start right after Trump announces his nominee at 9 p.m. Monday night, featuring an introductory bio on the nominee. In addition to running in those four states, the ads will run on national cable and digital media.
The buy comes after JCN rolled out a seven-figure ad campaign supporting Justice Neil Gorsuch — Trump’s first nominee to SCOTUS. The ad, much like Monday’s, targets vulnerable Democratic senators up for re-election in November in states Trump won in 2016.
In total, JCN will spend $2.4 million backing Trump’s nominee in national cable, broadcast and digital media.
They don’t care which, because they are all goose-steppers, and all will trash YOUR rights. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!
Cartoon:
11 Responses to “Open Thread – 7/9/2018”
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5:05 For some reason I started wondering what it would be like to be an Eclectus parrot and transgendered.
CA – Lucky indeed. If I were to stumble into a rally in my home town, it would be far more likely to be a Trump rally.
C&L – You and Howie have hit on why I, and lots of other Dems, have stopped giving to DNC, DCCC, DSCC, even DLCC, and started giving to individual candidates. I try to respond to some of the panicked emails to point that out. I might be able to respond to them all if I made a piece of boilerplate and just plugged it in, but it would still be time consuming. On the other hand, preaching to the choir makes no converts.
DC – It truly doesn’t matter which. It only matters whether. I was a little discouraged thinking about the “deny a quorum” idea, because it requires total participation to work. But then I realized, without one Republcan vote, we have nothing to lose by trying. Well, we’ll see.
Cartoon – “Collusion isn’t a crime anyway.” Maybe not – but treason, espionage and sedition are crimes, as is conspiracy.
CA: Such a great read !!! Unfortunately, not gonna happen here (tx), though. But we are rising…..
C&L: Good article, passing this one on to my galpals.
DC: ugh!
Cartoon: Which it is. Throw in a handshake, a hug & a kiss, and it’s (been) a done deal for quite a while now.
It’s been raining here all day. (which is great). Hope that you have a good evening, take care, Thanks, Tom.
Is there really no such thing as a president can not nominate a SCOTUS justice if he is under investigation?
Well, personally rather than “president” (NEVER capitalized for Twitler), I prefer “Occupier of our nation’s STOLEN Oval Office”
In other words, WH resident! . . . but I like the “stolen” part.
Thank You TC for the continual education to this Aussie, it’s appreciated! ?
You’re welcome, luv. Sorry some of my replies to your email are so brief.
We The People need to get out and vote – not just vote, but cast informed ballots. We Progressives need to support genuinely progressive candidates, but an establishment Democrat is better than another Rethuglicanazi. Vote Blue no matter who, because losers don’t make policy.
Puzzle — 3:21 Sorry handsome birdie, but I couldn’t save you from that rapacious Puddy Tat! Sharpen your beak and nails and you might be able to fend him off!
Current Affairs — A good article by someone who actually thinks.
Robinson makes an excellent point. How many times have we talked here about low information voters? How many times have we talked about voter turn out? People need to feel they are being listened to. People need to take action to understand a situation and be an enabler of change. As a manager at work, I asked the staff how they thought a change should be made when it impacted their job responsibilities. We could not always implement their suggestions, but they always knew why. At first they were like a lot of voters . . . not engaged. But as they saw things change and had a hand in it, they became more engaged. I am not the type of manager who says I have all the answers. Quite the opposite . . . I don’t do these tasks day in and day out. From honest discussions about what the immigration system should want to accomplish will come how it can be organised. The big thing is “we have to think substantively”. Yes there are risks, but there are even bigger risks if people don’t think or contribute . . . like Drumpf and Republicans. We won’t always get our way but we can contribute.
Crooks and Liars — Identify the “enemy” (GOP) and fight them, not each other. The role of the GOP is to win elections as is the role of establishment Democrats and progressives. The GOP would just love to divide and conquer, and if the “left” is already fighting amongst themselves, it makes the GOP’s job that much easier. Get your shit together Democrats/progressives or be prepared to lose elections!
Daily Caller — When it comes to the appointment of judges for our Supreme Court, we are so much more civilised about it. There are no big ad buys, no big lobbying efforts and very strict rules as to who can be a Justice. But then we don’t have big money in politics like the US either. Harper tried to tell off the former Chief Justice, Beverley McLachlin, and he ran into trouble being accused with interference. As of 15/12/17, the Chief Justice is Richard Wagner after McLachlin retired (age 75). From Wikipedia:
Cartoon — Drumpf is so Machiavellian, and definitely not a smart person. I hope Mueller is able to nail his ass to the outhouse door where everyone can have a shot at him.
Well it’s cool and rainy here. I have a busy day today and then physio tomorrow. I’ll be pooped by Thursday. So who said retirement is easy peasy?! Good luck with the medical mayhem! I am sure that the tecnicians will be pleased you changed the date!
CA: If there were more rallies and more people joined them, the chances would increase of meeting likewise thinking people. Make yourself and others happy, make it happen.
C&L: Democrats better get over themselves and unite in one group under one banner of unification. There’s no time for power play and a good-old-boys-against-newbees mentality left. America as you know it may depend on it!
DC: Judicial Crisis Network is setting up a political campaign no matter who Drumpf picked as his candidate for SCOTUS, which is essentially a non-partisan, independent position. Now knowing that Drumpf picked Brett Kavanaugh, the one person he can be most certain off who doesn’t want to persecute him, we can be sure the JCN will go all out to have Kavanaugh installed. The whole damned Right wants Drumpf’s, and their own, a$$ covered, so the least they want is a justice with the required and necessary independence from Drumpf himself so that he/she will serve as a check on his abuses of power. I wonder if we’ll ever hear if Kavanaugh was their pick whom the pushed on Drumpf.
Thanks all. Very tired hugs!