Politics Plus – Page 49 – Overcoming Republican insaniTEA, one day at a time.

Open Thread October 6, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:55 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 062023

Yesterday, Colorado Public Radio reported that it’s mating season for tarantulas in southeastern Colorado – way southeastern – a good hundred miles from where I live. In and around La Junta, which is holding a Tarantula Festival. Before they started moving Virgil around last year, I used to drive through La Junta to see him, but I never saw a tarantula. Don’t click the link if you don’t like spiders, but if you can tolerate them, it’s kind of cute. I wonder whether they feature tarantella bands. Nah, probably not. Also, I received a grocery order.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Lauren Wilson – The Immigration Situation – It’s Nuts!
Quote – Before September 21st, an asylum seeker could not get a work visa for 6 months. In my mind, that has to be the dumbest law imaginable. These people want to work. They want to find homes, become a part of society, take care of their families. They are not happy to live in tents and shelters in NYC when it is about to get cold. Although this is the law and only Congress can change it, Biden has circumvented the law to allow the Venezuelan asylum seekers to immediately apply for work visas. It is hoped that this will address the problem in New York City. But it does nothing for the Cubans, Nicaraguans, or Haitians. To say that immigration is going to be a major platform issue in the 2024 presidential election is an understatement. Republicans are already pressuring Biden to \”Close the Border\” and there are Democrats who agree. But those of us who are humanitarians want to find other solutions. Immigrants are people, not problems. If the policies are problems, let’s figure out how to fix them.
Click through for article. Lauren is a DU’er who is looking to expand her personal blog’s readership. With articles like this, she should be able to, if people just know where to look. It’s clear she is a competent researcher of both history and current events.

National Public Radio – The growing racial gap in U.S. census results is raising an expert panel’s concerns
Quote – “There’s always going to be error in a census,” says Teresa Sullivan, a sociology professor and former president of the University of Virginia, who chaired the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine panel that was commissioned by the Census Bureau. Still, the panel’s report, released Tuesday, urged the bureau to take steps to learn from the shortfalls of the 2020 census and improve on the next constitutionally required count. Those statistics are set to be used to determine each state’s share of congressional seats and Electoral College votes, as well as redraw voting districts for every level of government and guide more than $2.8 trillion a year in federal money for public services across the country.
Click through for details. Yes, there is always going to be honest error in the census. But, though it may be possible to avoid some dishonest error, some of thet is also going to creep in. I do beieve we can cut down on it, but not without having some kind of ethics qualification for Census workers – specifically the ones who only work as temps for one Census. Don’t get me started on my own experience as one.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 10/5/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:55 am Open Thread, Politics

Oct 052023

Glenn Kirschner – FINALLY a judge – NY Judge Arthur Engoron – has GAGGED Trump to STOP his dangerous speech and posts

The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party October 3, 2023

Joe Biden – The Difference | Biden-Harris 2024

Parody Project – Capitol Hill

Cat Carries Around Baby Potatoes In His Mouth

Beau – Let’s talk about the shutdown deal, McCarthy, math, and milk….

Open Thread October 5, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:51 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 052023

Yesterday, Kamala Harris swore Laphonza Butler in to the Senate. Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise, and James Comer announced themselves to be candidates for the Speakership. The Daily Beast published an article purporting to be about the opera “Dead Man Walking” which is really about Sister Helen Prejean, her experiences, her mission, her passion. It’s long necause there is so much in it. Here’s a link in case anyne wants to follow up on the status of the death penalty in America.

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Short Takes –

Civil Discourse – About Merrick Garland
Quote – Asked about his objective as Attorney General, Garland said it was to “pass our democracy on, in working order, to the next generation.” That would have been mere pleasantry from any of his predecessors. For Garland, it’s serious business, and it’s important to hear him say it out loud. Joe Biden’s Attorney General was always going to be in a tight spot, no matter who he chose for the job. The weightiest of choices, whether to indict a former president, was always going to rest on their shoulders. And that decision was going to be made in the context of a Justice Department that had lost much of its credibility with the public despite the diligence of its employees, due in no small part to the deliberate efforts of Donald Trump to undermine the country’s confidence in the Department. Merrick Garland has been the subject of more criticism and outright disapproval by members of the party that appointed him than any other attorney general, at least since Watergate. And of course, he’s been the subject of criticism and abusive and sometimes dog-whistling antisemitic commentary from the other side.
Click through for article. Joyce Vance is a former DOJ prosecutor who raises silky chickens (and a few other breeds) and knits. How could I not like her? In this case I think that her point = that there is a whole lot that we don’t know, much of which we will likely never know, and the bottom line is we can’t know enough to make character judgments from the little we do know. Of course we can have opinions. But presenting our opinions as fact is as disingenuous as – well, as a Republican.

PolitiZoom – He’s a Hoochie Coochie Man – Secretary of State Anthony Blinken Rocks the State Department
Quote – As the ever enraging Orangeutan addressed fake Union Auto workers in Michigan and the also-rans for the Republican Nomination insulted ea[ch] other, First Lady Jill Biden and President Johnson’s Great Society from the Reagan Library in California, [Secretary of] State Anthony Blinken pulled out his Stratocaster and launched the Global Music Diplomacy with Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters in attendance. Blinken will not be opening for The Rolling Stones anytime soon, but it was a laudable amateur effort:
Click through for details. I confess that, not that I had any doubts about Blinken, it makes me feel even safer to know that he has this side.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 10/4/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:02 pm Open Thread, Politics

Oct 042023

Glenn Kirschner – Trump’s NY fraud trial: more dangerous attacks by Trump, and foolish arguments by Trump’s lawyers

The Lincoln Project – 2nd GOP Debate in 90 Seconds

Farron Balanced – Trump’s Mental Problems Exposed In Terrifying New Video

Patrick Fitzgerald – Big Bad Don

I’ve been avoiding Xitter, having seen others having difficulty with the embed function. But I just had to go for this. (In case it doesn’t work well for you – https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181892231

The groom gave the bride’s students with Down syndrome the task of carrying the ring. The result is a wonderfully meaningful moment. pic.twitter.com/xT8IVlYsUB

— Enezator (@Enezator) September 27, 2023

Beau – Let’s talk about the 2nd GOP debate….

Open Thread October 4, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:01 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 042023

Yesterday, Trump** exhausted the patience of Judge Arthur Engoron by doxing his clerk, getting her name right, but calling her “Chuck Schumer’s girfriend,” which was and is a lie. Unfortunately, the gag order Engoron issued appears to only apply to mmembers of the judge’s staff. But it is something. Also, from Beau of the Fifth Column (I won’t post the video), if you have a second phone or any phone for your personal safety which other members of your family, or people who live with you, do not and must not know about, the Emergency Alert System today is runing a test which is likely to reveal it unless you turn it off – not on silent, but completely powered off. The test will be run in the time frame of 2:20-2:50 pm Eastern (11:20-11:50 am Pacific). Noone else (except perhaps someone who has such a phone for illegal reasons) needs to worry. If you need to know more, here’s the link. Also, McCarthy was ousted as Speaker – and says he will not run for that position again. I never quite know what to do when most people are breaking out the popcorn – I guess knitting would be the closest thing for me. But I’ll have to do it. This is going to be – interesting.

Cartoon – 04 new OrientX

Short Takes –

Civil Discourse – Looking Ahead: The Supreme Court
Quote – While the Court has come a long way from its earlier incarnations, with women and people of color now among its ranks, this is going to be a challenging term. It starts off with a bang, in a case called Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association that will be argued on Tuesday, October 3. You may recall Elizabeth Warren’s tireless work before she became a senator to create a federal agency that would protect consumers from powerful financial interests that were unregulated and under-regulated. That’s the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), an agency that protects students, military families, people doing business with payday lenders, and so much more. The CFPB has been in existence for just over 12 years and has done profoundly impactful work in that time to make sure Americans are treated fairly by banks, lenders and other financial institutions. But now, powerful forces who encouraged Republican senators to deny Warren the opportunity to lead the agency she worked so hard to create—she was nominated but the Senate refused to confirm her—are trying to put an end to the CFPB altogether. The legal issue is a technical one about whether the funding mechanism used for the CFPB, which is somewhat different from the usual path than for most federal agencies, is unconstitutional.
Click through for column. Yes, it came Sunday, and this is Wednesday, but they are hardly even getting into their stride yet. I think it’s pretty current – and some of it is future anyway.

Wonkette – NC Classical Station Scandalized By Operas About Anti-Death Penalty Nuns, Gay People, Malcolm X
Quote – A classical music station in North Carolina, WCPE, has announced that it will not be airing several of the Met’s productions this season, citing violence, adult themes (largely code for “gay people” or “racism, but not the kind of racism that is usual for the genre”) and, in one case, being “non-Biblical.” The stations general manager, Deborah S. Proctor sent out a letter explaining this to its patrons in late August…. Champion (which I look forward to seeing this year at the Lyric), is Terence Blanchard’s “opera in jazz,” telling the true life story of bisexual welterweight boxer Emile Griffith, who notably killed his rival Benny Paret in the ring, after the homophobic boxer had taunted him with anti-gay slurs. It’s an incredible composition — and it would be one thing if it were just an issue with the language, with not wanting to broadcast swear words on their classical music station, but Proctor’s suggestion that it’s an “unsuitable theme”? It’s pretty clear what that’s about…. Um. This woman runs a classical music station. Has she not heard of Tosca? I mean, I love Tosca, but there’s a whole lot of rape, murder and torture in that one as well. Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, which the station did decide to broadcast this year, is literally a comedy about a woman and her fiancé trying to trick her boss into not raping her before she gets married…. Dead Man Walking is, actually, the story of Sister Helen Prejean, a Catholic nun and anti-death penalty activist. The story of a Catholic nun is just too racy for Deborah.
Click through – I just had to share this. I like to say that opera is all about sex (including rape, adultery, and incest), death (including murder, both with and without torture, and suicide), treachery and betrayal – what is there about it not to like? (And I might add child endangerment, as in Hänsel und Gretel, for instance.) What they don’t like is pretty much everything that has me excited about the season. Sigh. I would love to publicize all over North Carolina that you don’t need a local radio station to listen to the Met’s Saturday Matinees for free. You can do it on the Internet.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 10/3/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:02 pm Open Thread, Politics

Oct 032023

Talking Feds (in lieu of September Recap) – Special Counsel finds NO JUSTIFICATION for Trump’s FRAUGHT request

The Lincoln Project – This is the GOP

Ring of Fire – Trump Threatens To Go After Unfriendly Media Outlets If He Wins Reelection

Brent Terhune – I’m Tired Of This Woke Shit

Tiny Naked Pink Puppy Has The Biggest Glow Up

Beau – Let’s talk about Virginia, luck, and leakage….

Open Thread October 3, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 032023

Yesterday, Laphonza Butler, the president of Emily’s List, was revealed to be Governor Gavin Newsom’s choice to fill the remainder of Dianne Feinstein’s term in the U.S. Senate. It was not yet official (nothing is official without paperwrok), but it was carried by virtually every news outlet and was not contradicted. Ms. Butler originally entered politics as a labor leader, and is now being described as a “power player.” Of cpurse thre have been complants from the usual suspectssince Newsom announced that he would choose a black woman should there be a vacancy – the term used was “limiting himself.” Yeah. right. What would be really limiting oneself would be looking for a white male, all of whom who are any good are already in ppsotons of power (as are many who areno good at all.) Any minority group will have a good-sixed pool of people who far surpass available white malesbut have never been given a chance to prove it – or have made their own chances with blood, sweat, and tears against all odds. And, of course, that is what white supremacists cannot stand. I’m confident she’ll be fine.

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Short Takes –

[SPLC] SPLC Launches Hate Crimes Awareness Month to Highlight Epidemic of Bias Incidents
Quote – The nation has seen this kind of attack against communities of color and LGBTQ+ people many times in recent years. The Jacksonville murders, in fact, came just weeks after the fourth anniversary of the white supremacist attack in El Paso, Texas, where 23 people were killed in a bias-motivated hate crime. As in numerous other cases, the El Paso gunman was inspired to kill by racist rhetoric based on the false “great replacement” conspiracy theory and what he claimed was a “Hispanic invasion” of the U.S. – harmful extremist ideas that are frequently echoed by mainstream politicians and right-wing media figures…. The FBI’s most recent hate crime report – one that counts only a small fraction of the real number – identified 10,840 hate crime incidents in 2021, the most since the agency began collecting the data in 1991. More than 60% of those were carried out because of hatred toward the victim’s race.
Click through for details. We are living in the 2020s, but for all the hate crimes, we might as well be living in the 1920s. So SPLC has selected October to be Hate Crimes Awareness Month, and plans to mount a campaign every year to raise our knowledge of what is happening. Good.

New Mexico Political Report – Trump supporter shoots someone attending peaceful rally
Quote – One young man continued his efforts to enter the area, and it quickly escalated into a scuffle. One of the people protecting the altar [an empty pedestal which had held a statue of a war criminal] seemingly backed the young man against a wall to prevent him from moving forward…. That’s when the shooter pulled a gun out of his waistband, and shot the person blocking him from moving toward the slab. The man, who identified himself as Ryan Martinez to the Albuquerque Journal, ran immediately after, according to sources at the scene. He was later taken into custody, the Rio Arriba Sheriff’s County Office confirmed.
Click through for story. This did not happen in Albuquerque, or even Santa Fe. This happened in a small town (pop. 10,495 in 2010) in a blue state. New Mexico, like Colorado, has had features named to memorialize war criminals. Both states are trying to clean that up. Not everyone is on board

Food For Thought