California – Page 2 – Politics Plus

Open Thread August 11, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:02 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 112023

Yesterday, (OK, actually the day before but I didn’t get the email from Joyce Vance until after midnight) Trump** advised the court that he wanted his very own SCIF built at Mar-a-Lago. He claimed it would be cheaper than his (and his SS) travel expenses to and fro (it wouldn’t.) But the main reason, IMO, is that if there were a SCIF on his property, he would think that gave him the right to keep any and all classified documents tht he touched. (Building it would also delay the proceedings indefinitely.) For a guy who has no balls when it comes to courage, he has balls the size of church bells when it comes to arrogance. Also yesterday (really) I took in a grocery order which contained everythingI had ordered – but cost $25 less than predicted the previous night when I placed it. I’m still a little confused, but I’ll take it. The thing that made me the happiest was – let me backtrack a little – this spring they came out with a new flavor of unsweetened seltzer in their house brand which I really, really like. Apparently so did everyone else, since for about three months I haven’t been able to order it – it’s been labeled “pickup only.” Finally this week it was available for delivery, but with a noet, “low inventory.” I ordered 2 12-packs, hoping to get one anyway, and received both. It’s called “blackberry citrus,” and it really does taste like that, only not sweet. Yum.

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Short Takes –

Here’s an “Oregon leads the way” story.
AP News – Post-GOP walkout, Oregon elections chief says lawmakers with 10 or more absences can’t run next term
Quote – Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade made the announcement in a news release to clear up confusion over how reelection rules would affect those senators. Under Measure 113, which was approved by voters in 2022, lawmakers with more than 10 unexcused absences were supposed to be disqualified from being reelected for the following term. But some Republicans raised questions over the measure’s vague wording, sparking confusion over what the consequences of the walkout would be for boycotting senators. “My decision honors the voters’ intent by enforcing the measure the way it was commonly understood when Oregonians added it to our state constitution,” Griffin-Valade said.
Click through for story. Now that’s the kind of Secretary of State I want (and at this point have, though that hasn’t always been so.) There are some very spunky SoSes out there, mostly women.

Colorado Public Radio – ‘Hank the Tank,’ the California bear behind 21 home invasions, has been moved to Colorado
Quote – Tweet from Governor Jared Polis: “Today, wildlife biologists for the @CaliforniaDFW captured a large female black bear, who will be transferred to @animalsanctuary upon a one-time permission from @COParksWildlife and @coagriculture1. We welcome “Hank the Tank” (turned out to be Henrietta the Tank) to Colorado!”
Click through for more details. While in the service, I worked with a Master Sergeant named Henrietta, and she preferred to be called Hank, so I’m very comfortable with “Hank the Tank” being female. (P.S. I also love my governor.)

Food For Thought

Open Thread May 28, 2022

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 7:23 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

May 282022

Yesterday, I started work on cartoons for the second 10 days of June (I did finish framing and watermarking the ones for the first ten days Thursday.) I also discovered Randy Rainbow has a couple of new videos up. Neither is a parody, though – they are from the first album he has released. So I will get them into Video Threads, but on slow days. There are things that need to come first (like Mrs. Betty Bowers).

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Short Takes –

The Daily Beast – The Massive Screwup That Could Let COVID Bypass Our Vaccines
Quote – The leading Western vaccine manufacturers are focusing on developing boosters specifically for the recent Omicron variant. But by the time these boosters are ready in the fall, Omicron is likely to have been replaced by a new and more dangerous variant. Two years ago the world worked together to develop highly effective messenger-RNA vaccines, and fast. Today there’s less money and less urgency, meaning vaccine development is slowing at precisely the moment the virus is speeding up.
Click through for discussion. Like so many things, it appears to come down to Republicans.

CPR News – Elijah McClain’s mother attends signing of executive order on police reform, but says Biden’s plan wouldn’t have helped her son
Quote – The order, which affects federal law enforcement only, will create a national database of police misconduct, bans chokeholds and tracks data on use of force incidents for all federal law enforcement. It also orders new guidance on the use of substances, like ketamine, outside of a hospital setting…. “It would not have kept my son alive. If this executive order would have been in place on the day he died, he still would have died,” she said, in a phone interview from a bench on the White House lawn. “There needs to be so much more done on the state level.”
Click through for more. If I may correct the headline, it’s not the plan which is insufficient – it’s that an executive order can only apply to federal law enforcement, and the cops who killed ELijah were state and/or municipal. (I still take Elijah’s death personally, having been a violinist myself in a previous lifetime.) She does say the President did the best he could.

US News and World Report – California Senate Advances Newsom-Sponsored Gun Bill Modeled After Texas’ Abortion Law
Quote – Among the bills is one proposed by Newsom that takes a cue from Texas’ abortion law, replicating its unusual mechanism, which deputizes private citizens as its enforcers. Gun manufacturers have largely been shielded from lawsuits associated with their product under federal law. The California rule would allow private citizens to sue anyone who manufactures, distributes or sells so-called “assault weapons” or ghost guns or parts in the state. And, just as importantly, it would provide incentive to do so, with an end goal of removing such weapons from circulation.
CLick through for story. This comes the same week that Speaker Pelosi publicly stated that she would refuse to accept communion from Archbishop Cordileone as long as he was in contempt of the Pope’s directive to refuse communion to no one. If more California Democrats are going to start trolling Republicans in real time, I can’t wait to hear from Ted Lieu.

Food For Thought

Open Thread for November 20, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 7:17 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Nov 202021

Yesterday (techncally, although it seems like the day before), I went out a bit after midnight to look at th eclipse I wasn’t expecting much bcause the forecast had been for 86% cloud cover. However, I was able to get a pretty good view, straight overhead. Impressive. I stayed until it looked like the thumbnali (close to that color too – maybe a wee bit more orange) and then went in as the temperature was close to single digits. And then went to bed and to sleep. And eventually woke up. And came here and posted. And I reached out to the campaign for the NYT gift link, but had already writtrn my remarks, and I didn’t re-do everything. Hope it isn’t too confusing.

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Daily Kos (Walter Einenkel) – FBI raids homes of Colorado election clerk and former Boebert campaign manager
Quote – On the morning of Nov. 16, the FBI conducted federally-authorized law enforcement actions into potential criminal activity by employees of the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder’s Office and others associated with those employees. The activity occurred in both Mesa and Garfield Counties at four separate locations. Investigators with the 21st Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Mesa County, Colo.) and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office assisted in the operations. No arrests were made, and the operations are related to ongoing investigations. Per order of a federal court, all documents related to these operations are sealed.
Click through for what details are not sealed. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me.

Mother Jones – Disinformation Isn’t Just a Tech Problem. It’s a Social One, Too.
Quote – The rise of disinformation is the product of long-standing social problems, including income inequality, racism, and corruption, which can be easily exploited to spread false information online. “Saying that the disinformation is the problem—rather than a way in which the underlying problem shows itself—misses the point entirely,” the report quotes Mike Masnick, founder of Techdirt, as saying.
Click through for story – I suppose it’s arguable which comes forst, like the chicken and the egg, but wi need to be fighint on every front, and even then, we will not be able to eliminate the monstr. We may be able to make it controllable.

New York Times – San Francisco’s Top Prosecutor Will Face a Recall Election
Quote (from his email, because I was paywalled out of NYT) – San Francisco voters elected me because of the promises I made: I promised to end cash bail. We’ve done it. I promised to reduce youth incarceration. It’s down by 50%. I promised to release innocent people from prison. We launched an independent commission to ensure no innocent person is languishing behind bars. I promised to hold police accountable. We filed homicide charges against the officer who shot and killed Keita O’Neill — the first time in our city’s history that homicide charges were brought against an on-duty police officer.
Click through for the NYT story with a gift link – which means you are not paywalled out even if you are not a subscriber. And spread the word. Turnout is even more critical in recalls than any other election! And don’t cut the link – all that stuff is needed to pass the paywall.

Food for Thought –

Video Thread 11/10/21

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:21 pm Open Thread, Politics

Nov 102021

Glenn Kirschner – Garland’s “Enviable” Position as Attorney General; The Decision to Prosecute Bannon is an Easy One

Meidas Touch – Josh Hawley HUMILIATES himself with bizarre rant on porn and masculinity

MSNBC – Prosecutor In Trump Camp’s Effort To Reverse Georgia Result Considering Special Grand Jury

Ring of Fire – California History Teacher Removed For Telling Students Trump Is Still President

Really American – Gosar Posts Bizarre Video Threatening Biden and AOC

John di Domenico- Trump’s Foul-Mouthed Netflix Comedy Special Trailer

Beau – Let’s talk about Texas, schoolbooks, and the Attorney General’s race….

Video Thread 9/18/21

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:58 am Open Thread, Politics

Sep 182021

Glenn Kirschner – If the J6 Rally on 9/18 is Relatively Peaceful, What Will That Tell Us About the Violence of 1/6?

Meidas Touch – Governor Newsom gives his victory speech after defeating the recall.

The Lincoln Project – The Fox Virus

MSNBC – State Republicans Seek Voters’ Personal Info As GOP Vote Count Stunts Threaten Security

Don Winslow Films – #TexasWarOnWomen

Parody Project – WITH THIS CREW

Beau – Let’s talk about General Milley’s actions….

Video Thread 9/15/2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:35 am Open Thread, Politics

Sep 152021

Glenn Kirschner – California Recall Election Results Being Attacked by Larry Elder BEFORE the Election is Even Held

Meidas Touch – MAGA is getting CRAZIER because they are LOSING… And they KNOW IT! (I hope he’s right – I think.)

politicsrus – Abortion Part 2mp4

When will these attacks on American democracy end?

Ring of Fire – AOC Brutally Mocks Sarah Palin

Robert Reich – The $3.5T Bill Corporate America Is Terrified Of

Beau – Let’s talk about trying to debunk a claim about Delta….

Video Thread 9/14/2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:37 am Open Thread, Politics

Sep 142021

Glenn Kirschner – As Feds Prepare for the Pro-Trump DC Rally on 9/18, We’re Learning More About the “Failures” of 1/6

The Lincoln Project – 24 years (Of course the vast majority of rapists are not on the streets but in their victims’ homes.)

The Franklin Project – School Board Bullying IMO this fallout of January 6 is scarier than Sep 18.

politicsrus – Newsom HD – I had to push a couple to tomorrow since the recall is today.

Really American – Recall The GOP

Eyepop Productions – Boatlift This was made in 2011, and I saw it then on PBS – so it’s actually no longer untold – but many people aren’t aware of it.

Beau – Let’s talk about Biden, mandates, reactions, and Orwell….

Video Thread 9/8/2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:38 am Open Thread, Politics

Sep 082021

Glenn Kirschner – Here’s Why Courts Should Strike Down Texas Abortion Law Violating Women’s Constitutional Rights. I do think Glenn is wrong on one thing – not a point of law – I wouldnever argue with him on that. But he says “taking away people’s Constitutional rights is not a winning strategy.” On the contrary, it was a winning strategy for Democrats until Lyndon Johnson renounced it, and it has been a winning strategy for Republicans ever since.