Open Thread for January 14, 2022

 Posted by at 6:33 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 142022
 

Yesterday, while still taking things slowly, I worked ahead a little bit. That pretty much gave nme the evening free, and I appreciated it.  Incidentally a good phrase for today might be “superseding indictments.  Some Oath Keepers are going to get those now that their leader has been arrested for Seditious Conspiracy.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Huff Post – Voters Challenge Madison Cawthorn’s Reelection Bid On Constitutional Grounds
Quote – The nonprofit Free Speech For People filed a challenge with the North Carolina State Board of Elections on behalf of 11 North Carolina voters, stating that Cawthorn has violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Section 3 says that no person may hold political office “who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress … shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion.” The section was initially aimed at lawmakers who had plotted or battled against the U.S. government during the Civil War.
Click through for details. After reading this, I sent an email to Colorado’s Secretary of State, Who is up for reelection in 2022, cited this article, told her I trust her and am proud of her, and remindng her of some things Lamborn has doe – like taking Lauren Boebert for a tour of the Pueblo Chemical Depot and accepting a decoration from Viktor Orban – which, far from trying to keep secret, he has bragged abot in emails. I don’t know whether any of that will help, but hey, nothing ventured …

Crooks and Liars – Blackburn Goes Out Of Her Way To Humiliate Black Judicial Appointee
Quote – Tennessee’s Senator Marsha Blackburn decided to try to make a Black judicial appointee, Andre B. Mathis, look like a criminal when she said he had a “rap sheet.”… What was on this alleged rap sheet? Breaking and entering? Kidnapping? Murder? Grand Larceny? None of these. Mathis had 3 unpaid speeding tickets, one of them for driving five miles over the speeding limit.
Click through for context. I’ve often pointed out, usually in connection with immigration, that anyone who has ever had a speeding ticket (or even earned one and not gotten it) has absolutely no right to whine that undocumented immigrants “broke the law.” I wonder how many tickets Blackburn has earned, and how recently.

Columbia Dispatch – Redistricting: Ohio Supreme Court strikes down state House and Senate maps
Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor (R) was the key vote, breaking with her party to rule against the maps. O’Connor, a Republican, joined the court’s three Democratic justices and the three GOP justices dissented. O’Connor, who has served in statewide office for 24 years, suggested an alternative to the commission, which she called out for its partisanship.
Click through for some good news. Ohio elects its judges – I hope Justice O’Connor is prepared to be primaried

Food For Thought:

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Open Thread for January 8, 2022

 Posted by at 7:22 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 082022
 

Yesterday, the new modem arrived. I didn’t install it because I read the directions (what kind ofperson does that, for heaven’s sake?) and they said it would not be activated until 5 pm today. So, I figured better slow internet than none at all. I still managed to gt two posts up for today and Erinyes ready to post tomorrow with two clicks.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Daily Beast – Liz Cheney Torches Trump on Fox News
Quote – After praising speeches marking the anniversary from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris earlier in the day, Cheney quickly pivoted to attacking Trump. “This was a mob that was summoned by and provoked by the president of the United States in an effort to stop the counting of electoral votes, which is a Constitutional process,” she said, explaining how the events of January 6 were different from the outside threats that hit America in the cases of 9/11 or Pearl Harbor.
Click through for more, including a video. I think that the Committee is doing thiings exactly right, and that includes Liz. No Republican will listen to a Democrat, not will they listen to Kinzinger, who is leaving Congress (redistricted out.) But Liz is not going anywhere, and she can always trot out her dad, to demonstrate even an old-school war criminal Republican approves of her stand, as she did at the Capitol Thursday. [She and Dick were the only two Republicans present.]

Mother Jones – Merrick Garland Issues Dire Warning About Voting Rights on Eve of January 6
Quote – In his speech, Garland referenced the Supreme Court’s decision in the 2013 case Shelby County v. Holder, which gutted the 1965 Voting Rights Act and eliminated the provision barring historically discriminatory jurisdictions from altering voting laws without preclearing those changes with the DOJ. Without new legislation to restore those powers, Garland implied, the department lacks the proper tools to protect the right of every American to vote.
Click through for story. So far, Noah and I appear to be the only ones who actually grasped that warning. Given what Republicans are doing, we could win every Congressional, Senatorial, and Gubernatorial race by a margin of 75-25, and still have all the races in red states overturned. And if that happens, it’s game over.

CNN – Manhattan district attorney announces he won’t prosecute certain crimes
Quote – His office will focus on accountability, he said, not sentence length. “Research is clear that, after a certain length, longer sentences do not deter crime or result in greater community safety,” he said, adding that his department will expand its use of “restorative justice programming.”
Click through, with the caveat that CNN is not impressed, and the police and the police union are losing their solid waste. Mr. Bragg has the right priorites. At least the mayor is kinds sorta behind him.  All Bragg is saying is “We’re going to treat people of color like white  people (and LBGTQ like we treat cis peole, etc.”  And that’s what has all those panties in a knot.

Food For Thought:

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Video Thread 12/31/2021

 Posted by at 11:40 am  Open Thread, Politics
Dec 312021
 

Glenn Kirschner – House Select Committee Plans Public Hearings, Interim Report, Potential Criminal Referrals for Trump

Meidas Touch – Stephanie Winston Wolkoff Reveals Melania Trump’s LEAST FAVORITE Trump Kid

No Dem Lift Behind – LIARS’ FEUD: Richard Ojeda on Candace Owens’ latest lying scandal

Thom Hartmann – What Will You Do When Trump’s True Believers Try Again? (Spoiler – It really is all about race)

Ring of Fire – Cori Bush Pushes For Republican Traitors To Be Expelled From Congress

Really American – Let’s Go Darwin: GOP Cultists REJECT Science

Beau – Let’s talk about Burlington and LAPD…. Beau has been red hot, and I need to double up a bit. These two are related so it seemed appropriate.

Beau – Let’s talk about the X factor at Burlington….

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Open Thread for December 19, 2021

 Posted by at 6:39 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 192021
 

Yesterday, the opera was Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” in English, in an abridged version so kids are able to sit through it. The costumes and puppets (yes, puppets) were designed by Julie Taymor, who is probably most famous for having designed the live stage version of “The Lion King.” If you see pictures of the production, you don’t even have to know what’s going on to realize how appealing it would be to kids of all ages just visually. Sort of like Maurice Sendak on acid. The singer/actor playing the birdcatcher really got into the spirit, producing in addition to his lines a dizzying array of bird calls – including Woody Woodpecker’s laugh (I think we’re all old enough to remember that, though some kids might have wondered what was so funny to their parents… or grandparents.)

Cartoon – 19 1219Cartoon.jpg

Short Takes

Axios – Capitol rioter who threw fire extinguisher at police gets more than 5 years in prison
Quote – “It has to be made clear … trying to stop the peaceful transition of power and assaulting law enforcement officers is going to be met with certain punishment,” said [U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan]. “There are going to be consequences. I’m not making an example of you. I’m sentencing you for the conduct you did.”
Click through for a little more. I have seen a claim (in at least one place that should know better) that it was a “hydrant” he threw. It wasn’t There is a difference.

Crooks and Liars – Chauvin Pleads Guilty To Federal Civil Rights Charge
Quote – [R]eporter Julia Jenaé… tweeted: “#DerekChauvin agrees to the plea details just read in open court. Max sentence of 300 months = 25 yrs. He’s already serving 22.5 year sentence for 2nd degree murder. These would run simultaneous, fed case adds 2.5 years. He faced life in prison but for the plea agreement”
Click through for details. That puts him behind bars until he is seventy. There may be some life left in hom, but no police department is going to hire a 70-year-old.

The New Yorker – A Person of the Year: Jamie Raskin [hanky alert]
Quote – This bloody assault, which threatened constitutional democracy and the nation’s democratically elected leaders, came just one day after the burial of Thomas Bloom Raskin, the congressman’s beloved twenty-five-year-old son. At the Capitol, Raskin told me, he could still hear the sounds of the day before: the prayers of mourning, the clods of dirt shovelled onto the casket. Meanwhile, maniacs shouting deranged slogans and threats were storming down the hallways of Congress in search of enemies.
Click through for story. If paywalled out, let me know and I will send a PDF. Rep. Raskin has been going through what I canonly describe as trial by fire … and he is passing the test. Not without pain.

Food For Thought:

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Open Thread for December 17, 2021

 Posted by at 6:52 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 172021
 

Yesterday, I found the missing item from yesterday’s package, and contacted the supplier to ask about paying for the extra one. They said just keep it with their compliments. Virgil called (as he generally does several times a week – I usually don’t mention it) and asked whether I’m coming this weekend, and I told him no, I’m coming on Christmas, and he was all twitterpated. Bless his heart, his short term memory is virtually zero. And the TBI was 57 years aho.

Cartoon – (Theme song by Danny Elfman)

Short Takes

Mother Jones – Congress Agreed on Drastic Military Sexual Assault Reform. Then “Four Men Behind Closed Doors” Got Their Hands On It
Quote – With the exception of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Democratic women lawmakers and survivor advocacy groups have widely praised the final bill, which will pass as part of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, as a significant step toward making the military court system fairer. In a statement, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), called the reforms “the most significant since the creation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in 1950.” The reforms amount to a “sea change” in how the military approaches sexual assault cases…. “This is huge,” says retired Col. Don Christensen, the former chief prosecutor for the U.S. Air Force and the president of Protect Our Defenders, a nonprofit advocating for military justice system reform. “But,” he adds, “it’s also a missed opportunity.”
Click through for story. I know, I’m upset with Senator Gillibrand too over Al Franken. But she – and, more to the point, all the women in the military – didn’t deserve this.

ProPublica – What’s Polluting the Air? Not Even the EPA Can Say.
Quote – The only reason I’d heard about the issue at the Portland plant was because my colleagues Lylla Younes and Al Shaw, who have been reporting on toxic air since 2019, spent the past year calculating the cancer risks posed by industrial air polluters across the entire country. Their first-of-its-kind analysis of the EPA’s modeled data initially found that Portland — despite its reputation as an eco-friendly, farm-to-table mecca — was home to one of the worst hot spots of cancer-causing air in the country, all because of a single plant’s emissions.
Click through for details. Pro Publica is on fire this last month or so. Please also check this map (enter your Zip Code) – unless, of course you don’t want to know whether you are endangered by your air.

The 19th – Soledad O’Brien and Natalie Wilson show how quickly missing Black women are discounted
Quote – A simple classification really changes the narrative. I mean, think about if you see a missing person’s flyer: If you see “missing” or if you see “runaway,” which one would act on or pay attention to? Definitely not the one that says “runaway,” because you’re under the impression that the person left voluntarily. So, we really need to look at policies and procedures and training of law enforcement officials regarding sensitivity and cultural [understanding].
Click through for more. There’s a fair amount of repeating the same points in different words here, which I think is an effort to do whatever it takes to beat the reality into peopl’s brains. So sad that this is needed … but it is.

Food For Thought:

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Video Thread 12/12/2021

 Posted by at 12:27 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Dec 122021
 

Glenn Kirschner – NY AG Tish James Subpoenas Trump; Will he Testify or Plead the 5th?

Thom Hartmann – Generals LIED To Congress About Trump’s Jan 6th Coup! (Politico is pretty right leaning, so this message has particular credibility)

Rebel HQ – AOC Bluntly Drops Truth On Coward Republicans

Ring of Fire – Trump Supporters Harassing People Door To Door Looking For Voter Fraud

John Fugelsang – Caffeinated – 10 Facts About ‘Illegals:’ A Guide for Racist Idiots

Puppet Regime – Xi’s Xmas Surprise

Beau – Let’s talk about the thing we missed in Crenshaw’s speech….

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Open Thread for December 11, 2021

 Posted by at 6:45 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 112021
 

Yesterday,I did the lst odds and ends of preparing for the drive.I sllao colected  little advance material.  Then I got to bed early.  I will definitely pass greetings to Virgil today, I will drive carefully, and I will let you know I got home safe – it may not be the instant I get in the door  as I’ll be eager to change clothes, but as soon as I get to the computer.

Cartoon –

Short Takes

Wonkette – When Will We Finally Accept That Trumpism Was Never About Economic Anxiety?
Quote – The Tea Party was a white, middle-class movement, and while not overtly violent, it was the product of racist backlash to Obama’s election. Republicans exploited the backlash, tip-toeing around the racism, for their immediate political gain. They cocked the weapon and handed it over to Trump, but we give him too much credit when we assume that if he hadn’t won in 2016, the problem would have gone away. (We can only imagine the violent backlash against Hillary Clinton.) A reported six out of every seven January 6 insurrectionists charged with crimes had no previous affiliations with extremist groups, such as the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, or the Three Percenters militia. This wasn’t a surprise to University of Chicago historian Kathleen Belew, who told Gellman: “January 6 wasn’t designed as a mass-casualty attack, but rather as a recruitment action.”
Click through for more. I’ve often thought that, had Hillary won, her Presidency would have been much like Obama’s, only with more backlash, because misgyny is deeper and stronger than racism. That doesn’t mean I don’t wish she had won – I do wish that, with all my heart. But it would not have derailed Trump**.

Crooks and Liars – Kelloggs To Permanently Replace 1400 Striking Workers
Quote – The decision follows months of bitter disagreement between the company and the union. The rejected offer would have provided cost of living adjustments in the later years of the deal and preserved the workers’ current healthcare benefits. But workers say they deserve significant raises because they routinely work more than 80 hours a week, and they kept the plants running throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Click through. I don’t knowingly cross a picket line. Thankfully, one of the comments included a link to an article of everything they own.

Mother Jones – Baristas in Buffalo Just Formed the First Starbucks Union in the United States
Quote – In a watershed moment for the recent wave of pandemic-inspired labor organizing, workers at a Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, voted [December 9] to form the coffee chain’s first union in the United States. Despite months of opposition from party leadership, 19 workers at the Elmwood location in Buffalo voted in favor of unionizing in the election, conducted by the National Labor Relations Board. Only eight opposed.
Click through for story – If I had had to guess way in advance where this wou;d happen … Buffalo would not have been my first guess. But whatever. More power to them!

Food for Thought –

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Video Thread 12/7/21

 Posted by at 11:50 am  Open Thread, Politics
Dec 072021
 

Glenn Kirschner – All the President’s Lackeys: Bannon, Clark, Eastman & the Others. Watergate vs. the Insurrection

MSNBC – Biden Breaks Down How Build Back Better Act Will Lower Cost For Families Dealing With Diabetes

Meidas Touch – SCOTUS Poised to Strike Down Legal Precedent from Roe v. Wade

Rebel HQ – Ethan Crumbly’s Parents Face Justifiable Consequences. I’m not sure how long I have been saying “Responsible gun ownners should take the lead in drafting legislation to regulate gun ownership and use – because, if they don’t, the rest of us will, and they won’t like it,” but it’s been since before I was married, an our next anniversaty will be our 38th. It was so long ago that the NRA was still considered a responsible organization.

Really American – Madison Cawthorn Claims Women Are “Earthen Vessels” (but Chip has a good idea)

politicsrus Christmas Greeting (Yes, it’s early, but you’ll need time to get your figgy pudding on)

Beau – Let’s talk about not talking about race…. Most of the time I agree with Beau, and he’s right on the institutional level. But he’s wrong on the individual level. On the individual level, it’s more like, yeah, if you don’t have pancreatic cancer for example, you don’t need to talk about it in order not to be hurt by it. But if you are being eatne away by pancreatic cancer, not talking about it won’t make it go away.

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