Proactive Progressive Populism 2

The next generation of my blog is here. After a decade with this blog I decided for a new look and a new start. All posts going forward will be at the new linked address. Thanks for your support here over the last decade and I look forward to your reading at the new location.

Dem Senators face a critical test tomorrow

According to Sirota, McConnell desperately wants a consent agreement for an adjournment resolution, because keeping the Senate open will allow the Dems to use procedural measures to delay the Supreme Corp. nomination. They could deny McConnell, forcing any resolution to include that delay until after the election. This is another test to see if the Dems have what it takes to practice what they've preached to use every arrow in their quiver. Tomorrow will tell.

Don't fall for the abusive manipulation

We're now well aware of who is trying to lay this on us and we won't be fooled again.

 

Reich: Twit and Repugs don't play fair

Reich lays into the lying, cheating and stealing Repugs, not least of which is the hypocrisy and double standard on the pandemic and Twit's illness. Then there's the Dems wimpy, losing strategy of playing nice and fair in response. Reich says he understands the latter, that they want that sort of society. But they will never get it by playing by rules the other side not only shuns but outright despises. Dems need to learn from Bernie and AOC that you can fight fairly yet fiercely and win. There's a difference between that and interpreting fairness from a place of weakness and surrender. From his FB post:

"For about a minute today I found myself feeling sorry for Donald Trump. The poor man is now 'battling' Covid-19 (the pugilistic verb is showing up all over the news). He’s in the hospital. He’s out-of-shape. He’s 74-years old. His chief of staff calls his symptoms 'very concerning.'

 

"Joe Biden is praying for him. Kamala Harris sends him heartfelt wishes. President Obama reminds us we’re all in this together and we want to make sure everyone is healthy. But hold on: Why should we feel empathy for one of the least empathetic people in the world? Out of respect. He’s a human being. And he’s our president.

 

"Yet there’s an asymmetry here. While the Biden campaign has taken down all negative television advertising, the Trump campaign’s negative ads continue non-stop. And at almost the same time that Biden, Harris, and Obama offered prayers and consoling words, the Trump campaign blasted 'Lyin’ Obama and Phony Kamala Harris' and charged that 'Sleepy Joe isn’t fit to be YOUR President.'

 

"Can you imagine if Biden had contracted Covid rather than Trump? Trump would be all over him. He’d attack Biden as weak, feeble, and old. He’d mock Biden’s mask-wearing – 'See, masks don’t work!' – and lampoon his unwillingness to hold live rallies: 'Guess he got Covid in his basement!'

 

"How can we even be sure Trump has the disease? He’s lied about everything else. Maybe he’ll reappear in a day or two, refreshed and relaxed, saying 'Covid is no big deal.' He’ll claim he took hydroxychloroquine, and it cured him. He’ll boast that he won the 'battle' with Covid because he’s strong and powerful.

What goes around comes around

 Let's vote for poetic justice.

SNL: 1st Presidential debate

With Alec Baldwin playing Twit and Jim Carrey playing Biden.

Twit's covid update

I was watching Meet the Press where they were discussing the conflicting reports about Twit's health. Dr. Conley, Twit's personal physician, presented a rosy picture yet the Chief of Staph (infection) reported otherwise. They were just commenting whether the Conley could be believed when the program was interrupted by him with an update, who again painted a rosy picture. 

However after that update NBC interviewed their medical contributor, Dr. John Torres. He said he was concerned because Twit is taking dexamethasone, which is indicated for severe symptoms for those who are mechanically ventilated or requiring supplemental oxygen. It is strongly contraindicated for mild to moderate symptoms. He further commented that to him it indicates more is going on that Twit's doctor is reporting. Given how Meet the Press started with questions about that doctor's credibility, along with Twit's long history of lying about every thing, we have good reason to doubt their reports.

Senator Johnson tests positive, then goes to fundraiser

Yet another example of Repugnantans putting other lives in danger for money. While he did wear a mask, he took it off to make his presentation claiming he was 12 feet away from anyone. This after we've learned that that distance is irrelevant in an enclosed room.This is the same guy who opposes state-wide mask mandates. Just another death merchant participating in genocide. Yeah, let's vote for that.

Pro death Repugnantans

Despite their lying spin, actions speak louder than words.

Liberal Redneck - Twit caught Covid

His usual, unique perspective.

Lady Gaga - 911

Her latest YouTube video release. Lyrics here.

Twit covid update

Let's hope for the best outcome, however you interpret what that is. As of 6:21 pm MDT according to Wapo, Mark Meadows, Blight House Chief of Staph (infection), said: 

"The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning, and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery."

Question asked and answered

Which heralded the rise of the middle class and a more fair and equitable society. But that's exactly what the likes of Dell don't want. Hence the snide rhetorical question that actually has the answer he doesn't want to hear.

 

The 3 Ghosts of Covid

Funny take on the A Christmas Carol with Herman Cain playing Jacob Marley. The theme of the original is that Scrooge has an epiphany after being visiting by the 3 ghosts. Does anyone honestly think Twitnezer is going to learn anything from the 3 ghosts of Covid?

 

 

Twit is receiving socialized medicine

At Walter Reed. At taxpayer expense. After paying only $750 in federal income tax. Kick this welfare queen out on Nov. 3.

Coney Barrett Blight House ceremony a superspreader event

So far at least 7 cases of new covid-19 have been tied to this event where masks and social distancing were rare. We can remember a number of Twit's Blight House lawn rallies under the same conditions. It's obvious he and his Twitiots don't care about the lives of others. To the contrary they are superspreading the pandemic instead of battling it. If effect this is intentional genocide. Yea, let's vote for genocide!

Dems ready to surrender on Coney Barrett

Continuing this post, per Sirota some Democrats have given up any hope of stopping Coney Barrett's nomination. Specifically, Senators Durbin and Whitehouse. Segal and Teachout penned an op-ed in the NY Times laying out 19 procedural ploys to delay it yet too many Dems side with the quitters given their Party's "culture of learned helplessness." They wrote:

"Premature assertions of hopelessness are endemic to establishment Democratic politicians. This even passes for savvy: If nothing ever happens, because you convince yourself nothing can be done, then you’re never wrong."

The NY Times wrote:

"Democrats have opted against using parliamentary tactics to grind the Senate to a complete halt to try to delay a confirmation vote until after the election on Nov. 3, as some progressive groups have demanded."

What would McConnell do in this situation? We know the answer. In addition to those 19 procedures he'd lie, cheat and steal to prevent a Supreme Corp pick that he didn't want. We Democrats don't have to resort to his unethical practices because we have 19 legal procedures to achieve our goal. We all need to contact our Senators and demand that they fight like hell to protect our long-term rights via the Corp. We must exert the utmost pressure with threats of a primary to get rid of them and follow through on those threats. It's time Democrats grow a spine and fight back for we the people instead of caving to those who don't give one shit about us.

Senator Warren: 2 members of Judiciary Committee test positive

With Covid-19, so she rightly suggests the work of approving any Supreme Corp nominee be put on hold to protect the other members of the Committee. Of course we know that Repugnantans, like Twit, have no regard for human life, even members of their own Party, should it stand in the way of imposing their ideology on the rest of us through this process. From her FB post:

"Two Senate Judiciary Committee members tested positive for COVID-19 today. We don't know when we'll know just how many people have been infected. The Senate cannot safely proceed on the Supreme Court nomination. We must focus on containing this virus to protect members and staff."

After Hicks tested positive Twit interacted with dozens of people

In close proximity. Twit knew Hicks tested positive by Thursday morning and he knew he'd been in close contact with her for several days. So what did he do? He traveled that afternoon to a fundraiser and interacted with donors without a mask. That excuse of a man has no regard for the life of others. Of course we already knew that by his incompetence and neglect in having one of the worst pandemic responses in the world tantamount to genocide. And we're supposed to feel sorry for or be nice to him now? Seriously?

Totally Under Control

Trailer for a new documentary due out soon exposing Twit's lies on the pandemic.

Naomi Klein: Twit will use his Covid to further disrupt election

She voices what we're all thinking.

"There is no doubt that Trump is meeting with his advisers, and has been since they knew about this, since they knew about Hope Hicks, trying to figure out how to exploit this, including, I’m afraid, using it as an excuse to do what they have been trying to do relentlessly, which is discredit elections that Trump is terrified he is going to lose. So, as we think about what this means, we need to be prepared for the president using the fact that he’s having to cancel campaign events for two weeks to try to further delegitimize elections that he very likely will lose."

 

Twit and Malaria test positive for Covid-19

How can we not doubt the validity of this report by the Biggest Liar in History? Of course it makes sense given his cavalier behavior. But he is fully capable of creating a story about it for his own purposes. 

"President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus just days after one of his closest advisers who also had COVID-19 traveled with him aboard Air Force One. A White House official said Trump is experiencing 'mild' symptoms, according to the Associated Press."

 

 

Could Repugnantans be any more obvious?

They don't even make a pretense anymore for their voter suppression.

Honest Government Ad: The recession

While this one is about the Australian government, every single point applies to the US govt. too. Conservatives everywhere have the same sick ideology.

538: How Twit could spark an election crisis

Problem is, Twit is blatantly signalling he's going to contest the election results due to his imaginary mail fraud, which could then be decided by 12th Amendment and the Supreme Corp. Does anyone really think Twit won't go this route when he loses? 

Hartmann: American white supremacy and racism

In light of Twit's call out to his white hoods (our version of the brown shirts), Thom issues a dire warning in his FB post:

"We’re now learning that the Department of Homeland Security officials were given talking points to share with the media the defended Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who traveled with his semiautomatic assault rifle from Illinois to Kenosha, Wisconsin to kill two people and blow the arm off a third. Specifically, members of DHS were given written talking points that Rittenhouse “took his rifle to the scene of the rioting to help defend small business owners.“

Other DHS talking points said that another right wing street-gang group had been “incorrectly” labeled as racist. 

 

"Our nation’s top law-enforcement agency is now charged with providing a public defense, in the media, of a racist, fascist murderer and groups that consider him a hero. When Tim McVeigh blew up the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995, it was the coming-out party for today’s racist, right wing movement. The Klan was so 19th century; there’s a new generation of right wing killer racists in America.

 

"Most Americans probably think the racist cheerleading is limited to Trump, but this cancer is now spreading unchecked through our federal, state and local police agencies.Groups like the ones Trump shouted out to on Tuesday night are actively infiltrating and recruiting police and active duty military, and on numerous occasions have been seen coordinating with officers at protest sites.

On balance

I've long studied kung fu, where the philosophy and practice emphasize the shifting and dynamic balance of yin and yang, empty and full, left and right, body and mind and so on. Those are natural and embodied complements. But when we achieve that balance it is health, not sickness. It is harmony, not strife. It is love, not hate. All of the latter are a condition of imbalance and dysfunction. And that is the difference that makes a huge difference. Just because our language creates opposites doesn't mean they are all created equal.

False equivalence

This cartoon highlights the difference. Add to that democracy and fascism, love and hate, truth and lies,  humanity and selfishness, right and wrong, health and sickness and so on. There is no middle ground between them where some mythical compromise or balance lies. We must choose our friends accordingly.

 

AOC: How do we pay for it?

By using our tax money on programs for we the people instead of it being stolen by our government to pay off big money interests.

Lincol Project on Twit's debate collapse

Battle against bias is a daily practice

See this article. It's a good point that even when we become aware of our biases that doesn't make them go away. We need constant and continual vigilance to catch them operating below awareness to have any semblance of control over them.

"But the thing about biases is that they seem inhabit a place that is preeminent to our moral codes. They give thought, and even reason at first, a weight in one direction or another. It seems (for me at least) that it is only with practice and the persistent reapplication of reason that these biases can be unseated, if only for a short time. [...] The strange thing is that I still discover personal biases to this day and am certain that I will continue to do so in the years to come."

 

Bernie on the debate

On the Kimmel Show last night. For me one of Joe's low points was distancing himself from Bernie when confronted by Twit on 'socialism.' It would have been nice had Joe gone after the fake socialism label instead, as his accepting that framing and claiming to be against it did indeed put off us progressives. That was Kimmel's first question for Bernie, who himself avoided it by changing the subject and focusing on the nightmare that is Twit. We progressives understand Bernie's strategy, as that's where our focus needs to be instead of getting defensive about it.

Hartmann: Twitler goes full dictator

From his FB post:

"Trump Goes Full Authoritarian Dictator. What we saw last night was the dictator‘s playbook.

Tell violent white supremacist racists to 'stand by' and encourage them to show up at polling places to intimidate voters.

 

"Bully, bluster and threaten like Mussolini did, promoting your brand as “tough guy“ when in fact you’re a lazy coward. Claim that the other side is evil, like Hitler did, setting up excuses for state-run police violence and vigilante brutality.Trash-talk democratic institutions, including the vote, like Hungary’s Victor Orban and and Saudi Arabia’s dictator Mohammed bin Salman do.

 

"While millions of Americans are struggling with loss of jobs, lack of healthcare during a pandemic, and an absolutely gutted social safety net after 40 years of Reaganomics, all Trump did was brag, yell, and threaten. This is classic dictator’s playbook. The only winner of last night’s 'debate' was dictatorship and oligarchy. Russia, China and authoritarianism around the world were the big winners last night. America was the loser."

 

Talbot on the debate

He describes it best so I'll let his words speak for themselves. Twit's only hope, and he know it, is to challenge the election results that will end up invoking the 12th Amendment and a decision by the Supreme Corp. Let's hope that Roberts and the new Coney Barrett have our country more in mind than their allegiance to Party.

"Do you feel slimed, America? You should. That's what it feels like to watch a big, boozed-up bully start an ugly brawl in a bar. And we couldn't do anything about it, except gape open-mouthed at our TVs. Trump's debate 'strategy' -- if you can call it that -- was to blow up the debate. And he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. The trouble. of course, is that he has the same goal for the presidential election. He knows he's going to lose -- so he's doing everything he can to smash it to pieces.

 

"The gobsmacked TV pundits used words they'd never uttered to describe tonight's freak show: 'Shitshow' (CNN's cautious Dana Bash really said that); 'a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck' (Jake Tapper); 'a moral swamp' (Van Jones). Political junkie James Carville said he had to force himself to watch Trump's crash derby beyond the first 30 minutes -- 'and I got paid to watch it.'

I'll call it here. This is the end of Donald Trump. Even Rick Santorum and Chris Christie recoiled in horror (and Christie helped coach him). They shook their heads and commented that Trump was 'too hot' and 'overplayed it.' The GOP cheering squad can't come out and say it, but it's obvious. Trump self-immolated tonight.

 

NPR fact checks the Presidential debate

Not that it will make any difference to the Twitiots who will deny it as fake news, and those predisposed to facts already know Twit is a liar, but here it is.

First Presidential debate

I watched the first hour and can't take anymore. I still have it on in the background. What a giant, useless circus. Twit just lied, bullied and interrupted while Biden continually fell for his baiting, got flustered while ineptly stumbling through his responses. I'm sure the fact checkers will provide numerous Twit lies, and Biden defenders will inaccurately praise him for handling himself well. I will not waste the time to watch another one of these fiascos which will no doubt not make one bit of difference to anyone who has already long decided their choice.

Update: I think Joe did recover and stay more focused near the end talking about climate change policy. It would have been nice had he done that from the beginning.

Meidas Touch ad: Bye Kayleigh

Clips showing she is as big a liar as her boss.

Darth's deplorable brother

Scumbagery runs in the family.

Democrats surrender on Coney Barrett

Continuing this post where Cenk recommended 5 ways to at least slow down the Senate Supreme Corp approval process, it turns out the spinless Dems will do none of them and instead once again just surrender. What happened to "using every arrow in our quiver?" Once again it's just empty rhetoric and we the people will watch, one SC decision at a time, all of RBG's legacy being destroyed along with our women's and civil rights. We simply must primary all of the establishment Dems and replace them with fierce progressives like Bernie and AOC if we can ever hope of returning our government to we the people.

CDC Director on Twit's pandemic crony: "Everything he says is false"

Ana reports on the story of what Director Redfield said of Twit's lying pandemic crony Atlas. But that's exactly why Twit put Atlas in charge of the Blight House task force: In order to lie about it so that Twit could could open up the economy regardless of the loss of human lives and the devastation of our health.

Biden v. Twit on tax policy

I hope this comes up in tonight's debate. See the link for details.

"Trump has not only refused to deliver for struggling working families, he is now pushing for another misguided tax giveaway for America’s wealthiest families. [...] Joe Biden will not raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000. Period. But he will ask wealthy Americans and big corporations to pay their fair share."

 

Catholic lobby rejects Amy Coney Barrett

Here are the words of  Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. This is what a true Christian sounds like.

"As a Catholic Sister who tries to follow the teachings of Pope Francis, I cannot support Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court. I know that Judge Barrett shares my faith, but her past words and actions prove that she does not hold all life to be sacred. As a judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Barrett voted to allow employment discriminations against the elderly, attacked the protections of the Affordable Care Act, and even tried to uphold the wrongful conviction of a man based on faulty evidence. Shockingly, she does not hold the basic principle of stare decisis that provides for continuity in our Constitutional system. These are not the opinions of a nominee worthy of a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. 

"President Trump appears to be courting the Catholic vote with this nomination. Judge Barrett was chosen for one reason: she firmly and clearly opposes abortion and the settled ruling of Roe v. Wade. As a Catholic Sister, let me be clear: Catholics will not be bought off by a predetermined vote against Roe v. Wade. It is insulting to act as if my faith boils down to one issue. Catholics cannot support judges or politicians who blatantly ignore the breadth of Catholic Social Teaching on women’s rights, voting rights, immigrant’s rights, health care, environmental protections, and so much more. 

"This crass partisan power grab by the President, Senator McConnell, and his Republican colleagues is an insult to our democracy. It is an assault on our democratic system to rush a vote while they cling to power. The people and their next chosen President must decide on the next Supreme Court Justice. If Senator McConnell and President Trump think that pushing this through will help them win Catholic votes, then they don’t know Catholics. Unlike these politicians focused on taking power at all costs, we love our country more than political power. We Catholics will vote for integrity, justice, and the common good."

Twit reuses his infamous Ukrainian line

It's standard operating procedure with him though. Same story, different day.

Hartmann on Twit's financial history

See his FB post here. Twit starting out with an inheritance that he squandered. The he was rescued by a TV show, which fortune he again squandered. Now up to his bad haircut in debt the next question is from whom will he borrow yet more money to prop up his failures? We already know Kushner got a billion dollar loan from the Middle East to bail him out, and for which Twit returned the favor with advanced weapons sales. Now that Twit owes the IRS hundreds of millions with what foreign government(s) will he negotiate the US's interests away for a bail out?

Bernie on Twit's taxes

A refund being investigated for fraud no less.

AOC on Twit's tax scam

So this is your guy? A guy who is supposed to be rich but who is really so poor he claims he can't pay his taxes? He is the SWAMP and needs to be jailed for tax fraud.

 

NYT obtains 2 decades of Twit's tax returns

Revealing what we've long known, and why he's hidden them for so long: Twit is a giant LOSER and FRAUD who is in debt up to his fake hair. From the report:

"The New York Times has obtained tax-return data for President Trump and his companies that covers more than two decades.[...] Among the key findings of The Times’s investigation:

• Mr. Trump paid no federal income taxes in 11 of 18 years that The Times examined. In 2017, after he became president, his tax bill was only $750.

• He has reduced his tax bill with questionable measures, including a $72.9 million tax refund that is the subject of an audit by the Internal Revenue Service.

• Many of his signature businesses, including his golf courses, report losing large amounts of money — losses that have helped him to lower his taxes.

• The financial pressure on him is increasing as hundreds of millions of dollars in loans he personally guaranteed are soon coming due.

• Even while declaring losses, he has managed to enjoy a lavish lifestyle by taking tax deductions on what most people would consider personal expenses, including residences, aircraft and $70,000 in hairstyling for television.

• Ivanka Trump, while working as an employee of the Trump Organization, appears to have received “consulting fees” that also helped reduce the family’s tax bill.

• As president, he has received more money from foreign sources and U.S. interest groups than previously known. The records do not reveal any previously unreported connections to Russia."

Lincoln Project: The choice

Twitler and his corrupt Repugnantan cronies whose only allegiance is to power and money? Or some semblance of democracy?

The history of Supreme Count packing

And the necessity of doing it going forward. See this article. Unfortunately, even if we win the House and Senate and they pass legislation to do it, the President must sign off on it. And Biden is on record opposing it, so that's the next hurdle. In this article he hedges on his previous position. When Coney Barrett gets Senate approval this will be our only option available to save a number of women's and civil rights from being overturned. So the newly elected Democratic House and Senate must pass this legislation and we the people must continually pressure Biden to sign it. Given his concessions to some progressive policies that he's incorporated into his platform I think we can convince him to go along with it.

Klobuchar slams Cruz

What an inspiring speech she gave when Cruz said the whole Supreme Corp nomination process was political theater. It is real life that will affect women's and civil rights for a generation to come and Amy nails his utter hypocrisy and putrid posturing.

Maher: How's that Dembecile anti-Hillary vote working out for you?

He rightly reams them for giving us Twit and shows us the difference of what we'd still have had she won. This is particularly so with the Supreme Corp. Twit will now get to pick a 3rd Injustice and the Corp will overturn all those civil rights and protections that we'd still have with Hillary's picks. And here we go again with the same Dembeciles making absurd comparisons between Biden and Twit. Give 'em hell Bill.

Maher interviews Bernie

Bernie tells us to listen to what Twit is saying. He comes right out and tells us what he's planning: a coup against democracy. 

Senator Warren on Twit's SC pick

She nails it, from her FB post:

"The name of Trump's illegitimate Supreme Court nominee in many ways doesn’t matter. We know exactly what that person is being picked to do: complete a decades-long assault on our judiciary by billionaires and giant corporations to tilt the courts for the rich and powerful.

 

"Trump made a bargain in 2016: support him and he would let right-wing, pro-corporate groups hand-pick their favorites for the Supreme Court. Trump has dutifully pulled all his nominees’ names straight off the extremist-approved list. Trump is often reckless and unpredictable, but when it comes to the courts, he has let Mitch McConnell run the show, methodically working with his right-wing overlords to flood the judicial system with narrow-minded lawyers who work for the wealthy and well-connected.

 

"We know Trump will pick a Supreme Court nominee who will deliver the death blow to the Affordable Care Act and rip health care away from millions of people during a deadly pandemic. We know it because he’s already in Court demanding this.

 

"We know Trump will pick a Supreme Court nominee who will overturn Roe v. Wade and take our country back to the time of back-alley abortions. We know it because he’s already told us over and over again that he’ll do it. 

 

"We know Trump will pick a Supreme Court nominee who will rubber-stamp his attacks on immigrants, from ripping away protections for our Dreamers to rewriting the Census. We know it because he’s already told us after he lost court cases.

 

"And we know Trump will pick a Supreme Court nominee who will strip away voting rights and help him steal the election already underway. We know it because he’s already told us his game plan to do it.

 

"The awesome power of the presidency is in the hands of a man who spits on our Constitution. We cannot stand down when Donald Trump tries to hand our highest court – and the rights and liberties of the American people – over to extremists."

 

Dembecile rationalization

The same rationalization against Hillary that gave us Twitler. And now his Supreme Corp pick from a radical Catholic sect that inspired The Handmaid's Tale. And some wonder why I call them Dembeciles.

Legal scholars look at SC nominee Barrett

Good article with various scholars looking at how her history will affect the Supreme Corp's rulings. Some examples follow. Barrett:

Thinks abortion is immoral; judges are not bound by precedent; is sympathetic to opponents of Obamacare; is sympathetic to gun rights and against regulation; is decidedly against the majority of the voting public on issues of "abortion, Obamacare, gun rights, sexual assault and immigration"; will be at the far right of the Corp; is a sure vote to overturn Roe v. Wade; will vote to expand gun rights; will vote to eliminate Obamacare; "can be expected to tear down many precedents and protections that the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg devoted her life to"; her "history tells a story of anti-LGBTQ Ideology."

To quote Twitler in the context of RBG

"I moved on her like a bitch."

The real instigators of violence at protests revealed

Twitler's brown shirts. Robert's Reich FB post follows commenting on this article. Makes sense for a fascist to create the violence so he can blame it on the protesters and institute martial law. Welcome to the Fourth Reich.

"Leaked chat logs from an Oregon right-wing militia group detail members’ discussions about stockpiling arms and ammunition, strategizing about how to spark violence at protests, and even advocating for attacking Democratic politicians. One of the group’s most outspoken members advised the others to ignore weapons statutes and encouraged them to bring bats, mace, and stun guns to protests. Another member told group members not to freeze paintballs for maximum damage, but rather to invest in 'glass breaker balls that are rubber coated metal.' And yet another member advocated for 'taking care of the justice ourselves' by going after “our DA and then move on to the governor.”

 

"Meanwhile, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf testified to senators yesterday that white supremacist extremists pose the 'most persistent and lethal threat' when it comes to domestic terrorism. Make no mistake: Trump is fueling the rise in right-wing extremism and political violence. The real threat to law and order is not Black Lives Matter protesters taking to the streets to demand justice for Breonna Taylor, as Trump claims — it’s the far-right militia members and vigilantes he is actively encouraging."

 

 

Bernie's radical idea

But then where would corrupt politicians get their bribe money?

Safeguarding the Court

According to this report, a memo so named is circulating on Capitol Hill encouraging Congress to use procedural tactics to delay a Supreme Corp vote. It notes that failing to do everything necessary to achieve this goal will be an abandonment of we the people and would likely suppress voter enthusiasm and turnout. If the Dems actually want to win they will use "every arrow in our quiver" like Pelosi promised. Senate suggestions include:

"Speaking at length; objecting to routine consent agreements; new legislative day; objecting to lifting quorum calls; motions to adjourn and recess; layover requirements; raising points of order; filing cloture; fast-track vehicles; utilizing rule 14."

There are more delaying tactics that the House and Judiciary Committee could use. This is yet another test to see if the Dem Party really has our interests at heart or if once again they will spinelessly capitulate to the Repugs. Please call or write your Senators and Representatives demanding they live up to using "every arrow in our quiver" to protect our civil rights via the Supreme Corp. And let them know that our future votes for or against them hang in the balance.

Dump Trump, then battle Biden

From this letter signed by 50+ progressive writers and activists, including Noam Chomsky, Barbara Ehrenreich and Cornel West.

"Protestations that Biden is beholden to elites are true but beside the point. The lesser evil is evil, but in this case, the greater evil is simply off the charts. Claims that not voting sends a message are true. But the message that not voting in swing states sends in 2020 is that we are okay with Trump for four more years as long as we don’t have to sully our hands by voting for Biden."

"Claims that more votes for the Green Party’s or any other third party’s presidential candidate are necessary to win long-term progressive goals ignore the many ways that Trump’s re-election—with his climate policies, his nuclear weapons policies, his undermining of democracy and the courts, and his racism and sexism—would obstruct all positive social change."

"Not voting for Biden in swing states won't bring on a revolution. Not voting for Biden in swing states will not make anyone the slightest bit more progressive, radical, or revolutionary. So, it comes down to this. Dump Trump, Then Battle Biden. Vote for Biden at least in swing states—and urge others to do so as well. And then get on with building grassroots movements for ongoing fundamental change."

Twitler's latest election cheat

In this story Twit plans to get Repugnantan-controlled States to appoint electors to vote for Twit regardless of the popular vote. So that's their latest fascist scheme. Lie, cheat, stead; that's their deal.

"The Atlantic’s Barton Gellman reports that the Trump campaign has been discussing 'contingency plans to bypass the election results and appoint local electors in battleground states where Republicans hold the legislative majority.' Citing the president’s baseless claims of fraud, Team Trump could ask GOP-controlled state governments to choose electors, completely ignoring an unfavorable or uncertain popular vote, state and national Republican sources told Gellman. [...] Indeed, state Republican leaders have already casually indicated that they’d be all too happy to enable this kind of power grab." 

 

Senate races update

The latest from 538. The Dems have a 62% chance of taking the majority with 51 seats. Some close key races:

Ernst has a 55% lead in IA; Cunningham has a 62% lead in NC; Kelly has a 77% lead in AZ; Hickenlooper has a 77% lead in CO; Gideon has a 58% lead in ME.

Repugs own Senate report clears Biden

Imagine that: Their own Senate investigation shows no wrong-doing. Funny how this doesn't make headlines.

"An election-year investigation by Senate Republicans into corruption allegations against Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his son, Hunter, involving Ukraine found no evidence of improper influence or wrongdoing by the former vice president, closing out an inquiry its leaders had hoped would tarnish the Democratic presidential nominee."

Seth Abramson reviews The Social Dilemma

Continuing this post, some excerpts from Abramson's review, points I've previously made in online discussions.

19/ It's not a dialectic because you refused the terms of the dialectic: social media company wins or I do. What you did—instead—was cultural judo: metamodernism. You accepted that the social media company was going to do what it does and then chose to use that to your advantage.

21/ In Tristan's view, social media companies are "winning," and it's a *dialectic*, which means the "user" has to be portrayed as unarmed. A victim. Helpless. Abused. That's absurd. In fact, the social media companies have "tools" (plural) and users have "tools" (again, plural).

22/ The first tool the user has is the platform—so *obviously* a tool it's amazing the doc tells us with a straight face it isn't. The user *also* has a meta-tool even more powerful than the tool itself—knowledge of what the social media company wants its platform to be used for.

33/ We should *teach*—yes, for college credit—generative, creative, lawful forms of platform-hacking, gamebreaking, modding, remixing, mashups, misappropriations, intelligent misuse, and (above all) the understanding of how "poetics" enables these digital creative modes and more.

Petition to demand Senate unanimous consent

This is one of those tactics Cenk talked about. We must demand our Democratic Senators use it to keep the Repugs from approving another Twit Supreme Corp nominee. We must take a stand right here and now or lose our hard fought civil rights for at least a generation. From Demand Progress:

"Donald Trump has made it clear he plans to nominate a right-wing extremist to the Supreme Court, and Mitch McConnell has vowed to speed them to confirmation. The best chance we have to stop this is for Democrats to shut down the Senate, as we explain below. Yesterday Democrats delayed Senate activity in a protest against a rush to confirm a SCOTUS nominee. But some Senate Democrats are scared to act.

"The Senate runs on unanimous consent. If a single Senator objects to anything, even routine procedure, everything grinds to a halt. That is what Senate Democrats must do: block unanimous consent on every single thing for the rest of the year. It may be our best chance to stop Trump and McConnell. Will you help?

"Senate Democrats can block every motion, force every bill to be read in full, and use a wide range of parliamentary tactics to shut down the Senate between now and January, when new Senators and the president are inaugurated."

Sign the petition: Shut down the Senate to stop Trump and McConnell from picking RBG's successor!

Pakman: Never-Biden left lies about Biden's economic plan

Every time I bring up his positive proposals, like his tax plan, the never Biden libtards only excuse is that he's lying. They're starting to sound like the Twitiots on the other side, why I now call them Dembeciles.  Pakman explains. Warning to Dembeciles: facts ahead.

Liberal Redneck: America after RBG

As usual, down-home wisdom for us libtards.

Review of The Social Dilemma

Continuing my previous post, from this review:

"This is nonsense, based on ancient, discredited behaviorist myths. Dopamine doesn’t give anyone a 'hit.' And people do not 'learn' to become addicted through rewards and reinforcements. William Brewer’s classic review of behaviorist experiments found that the presence or absence of reward stimuli or negative reinforcements made no difference to whether subjects learned or did not learn the behavior that the experimenters were looking for. Yet, unexamined behaviorist ideology has seeped into addiction research, generally fused with the most reductive evolutionary psychology — and this documentary has more dubious evolutionary babble than a pickup artist’s handbook."

Democratizing knowledge

From The Next System Project Executive Summary. See the link for more:

"The current public health crisis is demonstrating how deficiencies in our approach to intellectual property (IP)—a unique set of rights and protections that applies to the creations of the human intellect—and research and development (R&D) imperil the health, safety, and livelihoods of millions of people around the world. As has happened all too often in the past, the choice to prioritize corporate profits and an exclusionary version of IP rights and R&D over affordable medicines and medical supplies is proving not only to be deadly, but also threatens to dramatically increase economic, geographic, and social inequality."

Why Twit needs to fill RBG's seat ASAP

This story reports what is plainly obvious: Twit needs another lackey on the Supreme Corp to rule in his favor when he contests the election, thereby making the fascist coup complete. Twit admitted it:

"We need nine justices. You need that. With the unsolicited millions of ballots that they’re sending, it’s a scam. It’s a hoax. Everybody knows that. And the Democrats know it better than anybody else. So you’re gonna need nine justices up there, they’re going to be very important."

We have the money all right

Deep reckonings

Following up on the last post, see this deep reckoning project.* If only, eh? It would be great if these folks were capable of such self-evaluation but it's unlikely they ever will. Such deep sociopathy precludes giving a shit about others to consider the impact their madness has on them.

 

The project does though highlight how their behavior indeed caused harm. I suggest you also do one on a liberal that refused to vote for Hillary (and now Biden) out of some misguided sense of 'principle.' It would be gratifying to see their self-reckoning of the harm their vote caused given the result of Twitler and company. Maybe Jill Stein?

 

* From the FB post: 

 

"Lots of you have heard me talk about the deepfake project I've been working on. Well.......it's finally live! Introducing DEEP RECKONINGS — a series of explicitly-marked deepfake videos that imagine Mark Zuckerberg, Brett Kavanaugh, and Alex Jones having a reckoning. Watch the videos, explore the site, and if you deem it worthy, *please* spread the word http://www.deepreckonings.com/"

Liberal madness

This chart shows that your 3rd Party protest vote gave us Twitler. You claim you voted this way out of conscience and principle, but the egregious harm created by the Twit and his Twitiots shows just how much that is a lie. Hopefully by now you've awakened to that fact and realize that four more years will much further destroy our lives. If you care about people's lives more than your spoiled, self-serving 'principles' you'll vote in a way that helps them. 

And no, I'm not trying to 'shame' you. It's apparent that your narcissistic madness is beyond actual conscience and humanitarian consideration. Sociopaths feel no shame as their behavior harms others because their only concern is themselves. Others are mere tools to prop up a deep hole inside at feeling unloved and unworthy. It is a madness that needs intense psychotherapy to even begin the process of recovery. Here's hoping that looking at how the Twit has harmed people around you might wake you up. Another four years of Twit will very likely negatively impact your own wretched life if it hasn't already. Vote Biden for yourself if you can't do it for others.

Barrett member of cult that inspired The Handmaid's Tale

I continually noted while watching Atwood's TV series that it wasn't far off from reality. And now the leading candidate for the Supreme Corp, Amy Coney Barrett, is a member of People of Praise. Atwood said  groups like that inspired her book and the TV show. If Atwood's work scares you, Barrett on the Corp should be especially frightening. From the wiki on the group: 

"The highest office a woman can hold in the community is 'woman leader' (formerly 'handmaid'). Women leaders 'teach women on womanly affairs, give advice, help in troubled situations' and lead specialized women's activities. The term handmaiden was chosen in 1971 as a reference to Mary, the mother of Jesus, who in the Bible described herself as a 'handmaid of the Lord' or a woman who is close to God. The Community teaches that husbands are the head of the household as well as the spiritual head of their wives. While it emphasizes traditional gender roles, the organization encourages women to pursue higher education and employment.

"Women are not able to be coordinators. The community, which refers to itself as a 'family of families,' sees this as following a biblical, traditional, and patriarchal model of the family. [...] Traditional roles are reinforced by encouraging men to do most of the heavier physical work involved when a family is moving to a new home or re-roofing a house, and when setting up for meetings and similar tasks. Women are encouraged to provide food and childcare and run an effective household."

A clear choice

If freedom is you're rallying cry, here's your choice.

Repugnantan priorities

And they don't include we the people. 

If you think Twit will repay you for your support

Twitiots should keep in mind that Twitler has stiffed everyone who has ever supported him. So if they're expecting any return on their investment then they are even bigger fools. If that's even possible.

 

Isaac: Time for Dems to play Constitutional hardball

Especially since there are now not enough Repug Senators to block the Supreme Corp nomination. Tactics include eliminating the filibuster entirely and expanding the Corp should Dems take the Senate. Others include making DC and Puerto Rico States to get their votes. It is long past time to fight back with every means necessary, since the Twit and the Repugs have absolutely NO respect for ANY rules to maintain their power.

Romney, Gardner say they'll support new SC nominee

While both Murkowski and Collins have said they won't support a nomination until after the election results, the other two possible holdouts in Romney and Gardner have now said they will support a Supreme Count nominee. So the hope of getting 4 Senators to thwart the process has now be dashed. Dems will have to resort to other means to prevent this nightmare.

Hartmann discusses what happens with another CON SC (In)Justice

Continuing this post, here's Thom video on the topic.

Uygur: 5 ways Dems can thwart Supreme Court nominee

Continuing this post, Cenk describes these 5 tactics. Watch the video below for details. Of course it will take guts for the Dems to do these things so we the people need to harass them continually to take action. Don't let them get away with claiming there's nothing they can do.

1. Ask for unanimous consent of every vote in the Senate from now until Nov. 30.

2. Don't raise the debt ceiling.

3. Block the resolution to fund the budget. 

4. Start another impeachment hearing.

5. Threaten to expand the Supreme Court with more Justices after the election, the first of which will be Hillary Clinton.

Repugnantan motto

And they don't even try to hide it anymore.

Barr declares NYC, Portland and Seattle 'anarchist jurisdictions'

The accelerating steps toward full fascism in plain view. Can't wait to see what he and Twit do now.
Especially since it was they who sent in violent agitators to justify their fascist play.

"The Department of Justice on Monday released a list of cities it has deemed 'anarchist jurisdictions' under President Donald Trump's instructions earlier this month to review federal funding to local governments in places where violence or vandalism has occurred during protests."

Ball: Dems need to break norms too to win

Krystal makes a good case that the Repugs breaking their own rule to not approve another Supreme Corp nominee in an election year is the rule rather than the exception. They no longer have any principles, instead constantly and consistently violating them to what's most expedient at hand to win. She further makes the point that Dems must be willing to do the same or they will continue to lose these battles and the long-term war for power. You cannot win by always playing by the rules when the opposition has no regard for them whatsoever. So will the Dems make good on their threat of eliminating the filibuster and court packing if they win the Senate?

Hartmann: The consequences of the Supreme Court

In his FB post copied below these are the results of Presidential elections. Not only must we stop Twit and the Repugs from nominating and approving another of their ilk, it's why Dems must win the Presidency in November. THIS is what we're voting for.

"A Hard-right Supreme Court Nominee Could Completely Alter Life As We Know It

 

Ruth Bader Ginsberg has died, and while everybody is focusing on abortion, the Supreme Court, if it falls into hard-core conservative hands, could do massive damage to the entire spectrum of life in America.

 

Ever since the 1930s, Republicans have been trying to either destroy or privatize Social Security, and a hard right conservative majority on the Court could make that happen.

 

Since the 1960s, Republicans have been yelling that Medicare and Medicaid are actually forms of socialism. While a conservative Court will almost certainly destroy Obamacare, it’s also likely to end Medicare and Medicaid.

 

In the early 1930s, the Supreme Court ruled that both minimum-wage laws and child labor laws were unconstitutional. Expect these to once again become issues.

 

Since the Reagan revolution, Republicans systematically torn apart our nation’s public schools, with the state of Michigan, where Betsy DeVos has been focusing her efforts, now about half privatized. With a conservative Court, we could even see the end of a functional public school system nationwide.

 

Are you concerned about how climate change is driving wildfires, massive flooding storms, and hurricanes? A conservative Supreme Court could rule that laws or policies to reduce carbon emissions are an unlawful violation of refiners and other fossil fuel companies rights to do business.