Politics Plus

Yesterday, I learned my friend James, who has already been through so much, was in the process f having surgery on his ankle (which had prior surgery, but the screws from that were loosening and coming out.) That, according to his surgeon, usually means an infection, but he wanted to get in and look at it before mronouncing. Sure enough, the pathology lab found one, and he now needs to be on IV antibiotics for 6 weeks before the reconstructive surgery can happen (because otherwise he would lose the leg. Where have we heard this before.) Prayers and good thoughts are invited. (And I also got the email that my ballot has been counted. Yay!)

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Short Takes –

CNN – These are the 9 House Republicans who voted to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress
Quote – Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming (January 6 committee member)
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania
Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington
Rep. John Katko of New York
Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois (January 6 committee member)
Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina
Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan
Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan
Click through for some background. Two, of course, are on the Subcommittee. But seven aren’t.

Wonkette – Another Criminal Investigation Into The Trump Organization? Sure Why Not!
Quote – In recent months, the district attorney’s office in suburban Westchester County, N.Y., has subpoenaed records from […] Trump National Golf Club Westchester, and the town of Ossining, which sets property taxes on the course, a sprawling private club that is perched on a hill north of New York City and boasts a 101-foot waterfall. The full scope of the investigation could not be determined, but the district attorney, Mimi E. Rocah, appears to be focused at least in part on whether Mr. Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, misled local officials about the property’s value to reduce its taxes, one of the people said.
Click through for details. While it’s entertaining to see TFG screwing up in civil suits, criminal investigations are far more welcoe. I really could not care who puts him and/or his spawn behind bars, as long as someone does. (Incidentally, how can s perso hold his or her mouth in that position?)

The New Yorker – Borowitz Report – America’s Children Demand That Joe Manchin’s Salary Be Tied to Work Requirement
Quote – Declaring “no more government handouts,” millions of America’s children are demanding that all future salary payments to Senator Joe Manchin be tied to a work requirement. Tracy Klugian, who is nine years old, said that Manchin’s current arrangement, in which he is paid for no work whatsoever, amounts to “an obscene ripoff of the American taxpayer.”
Click through for satire. I particularly like the implocation that children are smarter than adults. Sadly, that’s more often true than we like to admit.

Food for Thought –

Yesterday, I received an email that my ballot has been received by the County Clerk’s office. I’ll get another email to confirm it’s been (or will be) counted, but I trust the clerk’s office, so I’m relieved. Full disclosure: As a veteran, I receive lots of free return address labels from veterans’ organizations, and most have patriotic imagery. I don’t use those that much, but I always make sure when I mail my ballot that it has a return address label with a big ol’ flag. I figure any GQP along the way who might be tempted not to deliver it will not be tempted when there’s a big ol’ flag on it. That may be paranoid … but these days …

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Short Takes –

CBS News – Manslaughter conviction of 21-year-old Oklahoma woman who suffered miscarriage sparks outcry
Quote – [W]hile Poolaw’s case has garnered national attention, [National Advocates for Pregnant Women] says that her case is not unusual. The organization says it has documented over 1,600 cases involving the criminalization of pregnancy. More than 1,200 of those cases occurred in the past 15 years. “These cases include pregnant women who have been arrested for falling down stairs, drinking alchol, giving birth at home, being in a ‘dangerous’ location, having HIV, experiencing a drug dependency problem, or attempting suicide,” the organization tweeted. “The majority of women subjected to pregnancy-based prosecutions are low-income women, drug-using women, and women of color.”
Click through for details. I should hope to shoot a brick it would spark outrage. It certainly sparks mine.

Pro Publica – Oath Keepers in the State House: How a Militia Movement Took Root in the Republican Mainstream
Quote – Dozens of Oath Keepers have been arrested in connection to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, some of them looking like a paramilitary group, wearing camo helmets and flak vests. But a list of more than 35,000 members of the Oath Keepers — obtained by an anonymous hacker and shared with ProPublica by the whistleblower group Distributed Denial of Secrets — underscores how the organization is evolving into a force within the Republican Party. ProPublica identified Clampitt and 47 more state and local government officials on the list, all Republicans: 10 sitting state lawmakers; two former state representatives; one current state assembly candidate; a state legislative aide; a city council assistant; county commissioners in Indiana, Arizona and North Carolina; two town aldermen; sheriffs or constables in Montana, Texas and Kentucky; state investigators in Texas and Louisiana; and a New Jersey town’s public works director.
Click through for story. There have been crazies in the Republican Party for decades (and there also used to be people of honor, and I miss them). Now the crazies are organized.. and gaining ground.

HuffPost – New York City Declares Racism A Public Health Crisis
Quote – New York City’s Board of Health listed several specific actions tied to its declaration in a press release. These include working with other agencies to beef up data by reporting deaths, injuries and health conditions by race; pinpointing and amending policies that have contributed to racial health disparities; and plans and budgets on a wide range of matters that affect health like transportation, education, housing and economic opportunities.
Click through. This took a couple of days to reach me and another day to get it posted, but it is so cool – and the best part is that it provides a model for other bodies to act.

Food for Thought –