Justice – Page 107 – Politics Plus

Open Thread for February 5, 2022

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 7:20 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Feb 052022

Yesterday, I got the emails down to under 1700. I also found a way to increase how many I can delete at a time, so one more day may possibly do it. After that, I need to deal with some notofications and updates, but not all that many. So there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

CNN – Arizona Republican House speaker effectively dooms GOP bill to allow state legislature to reject election results
Quote – The speaker assigns all new bills to a committee for consideration before they can have full House votes, a choice that often has a great effect on a measure’s chance of success. But on Tuesday, Bowers took the unprecedented step of ordering all 12 House committees to consider the elections bill, virtually ensuring it will never reach the floor.
Click through for more. I have to say this is creative – and Democrats should pay attention. This is a technique which could be useful.

Two stories – one subject.
NBC News – A black man in Michigan tried to deposit checks at his bank. The manager called police.
MSN/WaPo – A Black doctor says she was refused service at a bank because of her race: ‘I felt like a criminal’
Click thrugh for individual details. Different states, different genders, different dollar amounts, but the same story. Either or both would be a great argument for restoring Postal Banking … if we had a sane Postmaster General. (My understading is Republicans in the Senate are dragging their feet on confirming nominees to the Board of Governors.) Meanwhile, I’d recommend Credit Unions. That’s not a guarantee, however.

The Conversation – Biden sending more troops to Eastern Europe – 3 key issues behind the decision
The Issues – 1. Does Biden have the authority to do this?
2. Have other U.S. presidents done something similar?
3. Why is Biden sending more troops to Europe?
Click through for all three discussions. I’m not a foreign policy expert, so fairly open-ended discussions like this are helpful to me.

Food For Thought:

Video Thread 2/4/22

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:48 am Open Thread, Politics

Feb 042022

Glenn Kirschner – Will Trump’s Written Confession Regarding Pence “Overturning” Election Prod DOJ into Action?

Meidas Touch – BANNING Books and Protecting Traitor Crooks is the GOP Agenda

The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party

RepresentUs – How Congress Makes Bank Off War

VoteVets – Generations

Rocky Mountain Mike – Groundhog Day – 2022 – “I Got Kool-Aid”

Beau – Let’s talk about Biden’s executive order and Vanessa Guillen….

Open Thread for February 4, 2022

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:42 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Feb 042022

Yesterday, I got TC’s old emails down to just over 3,000, which brought me to mid-July. I’m sure I won’t be doing almost 2000 everyday, but I decided I wanted to be more than half done.

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Short Takes –

NM Political Report – Luján recovering after stroke, surgery
Quote – The statement from Carlos Sanchez, Luján’s chief of staff, said the 49-year-old senator experienced dizziness and fatigue Thursday morning and checked himself into Christus St. Vincent Regional Hospital in Santa Fe. It was there that medical staff determined he had a stroke in his cerebellum, which affected his balance.
Click through for details. Why is this important? Because we can’t hold a comfirmation vote for SCOTUS without him. Thankfully he is smart, and checked himself in.

Crooks and Liars – Texas Parent Demands School District Ban Michelle Obama’s Book
Quote – “Another parent in Katy, a Houston suburb, asked the district to remove a children’s biography of Michelle Obama, arguing that it promotes “reverse racism” against white people, according to the records obtained by NBC News,” the report said.
Click through. It’s not very long. You can’t make this stuff up. (Kafka, Sartre, Beckett, Ionesco actually tried … and could not reach this level.)

The Nib – The Myth of the Strong Black Woman
Quote – But what about the issue we do not talk about enough: How the reality of being a black woman in America can wear away at even the most resilient and privileged of us? A few months ago, amidst struggling with my own depression and anxiety, I learned of three well-known black women who died by suicide in the past year.
Click through for article, including hard numbers. As “Maus” has shown (in case anyone had missed it), material presented graphically can have an impact as strong as, maybe even stronger than,mor conventional writing.

Food For Thought:

And Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dream. Considering the fact that our three-branck govermnet was inspired by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy governmen (whose equivalemt to our judicial branch comprised the respected elder woman of the tribes), I believe it would be extremely appropriate.

Video Thread 2/3/22

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:17 pm Open Thread, Politics

Feb 032022

Glenn Kirschner – Trump Pushes Protests, Promises Pardons During Texas Rally: Reveals his Fear Indictments are Near

American Bridge – Co-Chair Cecile Richards: Biden making historic SCOTUS pick

Meidas Touch – Nikki Fried BLASTS Ron DeSantis for HIDING TESTS as Omicron surged

The Lincoln Project – Vote While It Counts

politicsrus – Our Future Needs Strong Public Schools

Radio DJ Drives An Hour Every Day For Months To Gain This Wild Pittie’s Trust

Beau – Let’s talk about fake electors and real subpoenas….

Open Thread for February 3, 2022

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:38 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Feb 032022

Yesterday, I got rid of another thousand emails from TC’s PP Email. Only about 5000 to go. It got me back to the end of August last year. Also, I note that February is Black History Month, and while I don’t plan on ignoring all other news, I will be trying to include at least one Black History story in the Open Thread every day. Incidentally, the Met Opera put up a video which I expected to be like a trailer – but turned out to be just about an hour, featuring full arias and scenes from complete productions, performed by singers from as well known as Leontyne Price down to as little known as Ryan Speedo Green – and completely unrestricted. Incidentally, if you are ever looking for an impressinve story of overcoming obstacles, google “Ryan Speedo Green”

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Short Takes –

Huff Post – Bomb Threats Reported At Historically Black Colleges For Second Day
Quote – For the second day in a row, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were the target of bomb threats across the country, with this latest wave coming on the first day of Black History Month. Campuses were shut down and classes moved to remote learning following the threats impacting more than a dozen schools as of Tuesday morning.
Click through for details. This is what American Naziism looks like. I got back to my inbox and saw this just after streaming the hour of operatic black history I mentioned in the intro. What a letdown. But not nearly so much for me as for students whose education is being threatened.

The 19th – The 19th Explains: Biden prepares to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. What’s next?
Quote – There’s a lot we don’t know: who Biden’s choice will be, the speed at which this whole process will work, or what questions will emerge as senators consider the nomination. But we do know this Supreme Court confirmation will largely work the same as others. Here’s a guide on what to expect and what we’ll be looking at for potential nominees and the months ahead.
Click through. If I had to name a group with no lawyers and no politicians which didn’t need this explanation, the readers ot Politics Plus would be that group. But it could come in handy to share with others who are less attentive. Also, it has bckground on some names being floated.

Law and Crime – Trump Impeachment Witness Sues Giuliani, Trump Jr., and White House Officials for Allegedly Violating His Civil Rights
Quote – “This lawsuit seeks long-overdue accountability for unlawful actions,” the document says in its opening salvo. It accuses the defendants of conspiring to help the ex-president “obstruct a constitutional proceeding by intimidating and retaliating against a key witness.”
Click through for story, including the 73 page court filing if you are so inclined. Long overdue indeed – but I’m not sure why just now. Of course it will further complicate their lives (and the lives of their counsel), and that may be at least part of the reasining. In any case, LTC Vindman deserves to see them held accountable.

Food For Thought:

Video Thread 2/2/22

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:40 am Open Thread, Politics

Feb 022022

Glenn Kirschner – States Refer Fake Electors to DOJ for Investigation States Should Move on Prosecutions as Well

The Lincoln Project – Unlikely

Robert Reich – The Deficit Double Standard

Rebel HQ – Veteran SLAMS Newt Gingrich For Warmongering

Farron Balanced – Georgia Prosecutors Ask For FBI Protection Following Trump’s Weekend Rally

American Bridge – Stephen Colbert sings Ron Johnson’s Campaign Theme Song

Beau – Let’s talk about Deep Goat and releasing the transcript….

Open Thread for February 2, 2022

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:42 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Feb 022022

Today is Twos-day (although we have an even bigger one coming on the 22nd.) Yesterday, I got the emails in TC’s PP email inbox down below 6000, which took me back into mid-November. I can only delete 23 at a time max, and skipping isn’t possible, so it’s not as fast as it could be … but I do think I can do up to a thousand a day most days. Fortunately, out of that over-a-thousand I kept less than 20, and 6 of those are backups. So it isn’t requiring too much thought.

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Short Takes –

Mother Jones – School Boards Have Long Been a Tool of White Supremacy
Quote – This is the “local control” that Gov. Parson favors, where a “select” group is given legal authority to rebuke the evils they are convinced critical race theory will impart on white society. Throughout history, the “unpardonable sin” of educators moving toward racial progress without white consent has been atoned for in the same way: disgruntled white people band together on a school board or committee to erase unwanted Black people, texts, and consciousness.
Click through for history and background. Mother Jones also has an article on the Tennessee meeting at which “Maus” was banned. And a recent Antiaues Roadshow featured a collector whp is cllecting the books which belonged to Prudence Crandall, just to keep her memory alive. The segment starts at 35:22 and it’s only a few minutes.

NM Political Report – Bill would prosecute parents for allowing kids access to guns
Quote – The Bennie Hargrove Gun Safety Act, named after the student killed in the shooting at his downtown Albuquerque school, would make it illegal for a gun owner to allow a minor unauthorized access to their weapon. The proposed law doesn’t specify how a gun should be stored but says gun owners could be fined $1,000 for storing a weapon in such a way that would allow a minor to gain unauthorized access. If the child used the weapon to commit a crime, the owner could also be found guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.
Click through for story. It sounds more than reasonable to me. I hope it passes.

About Dr. Yadira Caraveo
Quote from Katie Porter – “I know that Dr. Yadira Caraveo is the best candidate to represent Colorado’s new 8th Congressional District. As a pediatrician, a former union representative, and a two-term state legislator, Dr. Caraveo is a trusted leader and a true reformer. In Congress, Dr. Caraveo will be a strong fighter for families and a critical voice to protect the future of our democracy.”
Click through to Caraveo’s personal info page. Unfortunately I do not live in the 8th District, which is in/around Adams County. But I wish her the best. Anyone supported by Katie Porter has my support too.

Food For Thought:
OMG just wait until they find out about Naked Mole-Rats!