Open Thread – Page 317 – Politics Plus

Open Thread for July 31, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 7:12 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jul 312021

Yesterday was definitely hot. It is supposed to cool down today. I certainly hope so.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Official White House Document: National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism
Quote – Too often over the past several years, American communities have felt the wrenching pain of domestic terrorism. Black church members slaughtered during their bible study in Charleston. A synagogue in Pittsburgh targeted for supporting immigrants. A gunman spraying bullets at an El Paso Walmart to target Latinos. It goes against everything our country strives to stand for in the world, and it poses a direct challenge to America’s national security, our democracy, and our national unity. This National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism lays out a comprehensive approach to addressing the threat while safeguarding bedrock American civil rights and civil liberties – values that make us who we are as a nation.
Click through for full document. Yes, it’s long. It is also an official document, which mkes it a benchmark for wht to expect from government and how to evaluste how governmen is doing. Something to download or bookmark.

The Hill – Pelosi calls on CDC to extend eviction moratorium unilaterally
Quote – As House Democratic leaders struggle to find enough party support to extend an eviction moratorium, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is advocating a temporary fix, urging the Biden administration to act unilaterally to help the nation’s most vulnerable renters. The Speaker said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has instituted a ban on evictions through the end of Saturday, should extend the deadline further, giving House Democrats more time to codify the extension in legislation.
Click through for deets. It is like Nancy to thibk outside the box when necessary to get stuff done that needs doing.

HuffPost – ‘Comically Minimal Ego-Stroking’: Inside The Bumble Takedown Of A Violent Capitol Rioter
Quote – A citywide curfew was in place, and she could hear the helicopters hovering in the sky. Outside her window, “Claire” could see Trump supporters streaming back from the Capitol to a hotel near her home, carrying their flags and wearing “Make America Great Again” hats. “I was watching on the news and seeing everyone walk back,” Claire told HuffPost. “It felt kind of useless for me to be that close and not kind of do anything proactive about it.”
Click through for the whole story. I loved this when I first saw it – and I love even more knowing that she’s not the only one looking, and he’s not the only one getting foumd.

Food for Thought

Video Thread for 7/30/21

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

Jul 302021

Glenn Kirschner – To Avoid a Trump 2.0, DOJ MUST Rescind OLC Memo Saying We Can’t Indict a Sitting Criminal President

RepresentUs – Ed Helms forgot to read the script about gerrymandering

Forbes – Tim Ryan’s Speech Against Kevin McCarthy Viewed 1 Million Times

Al Franken – Responds to Congressman’s Claim That Video From Jan. 6 Looks Like “A normal tourist visit.”

Now This News – Moose Gets Loose in Parking Garage. I didn’t even know we had moose, I thought we just has deer and elk. But that was no elk.

Liberal Redneck – Capitol Cops Testify 9a couple of days late but still sound.

Beau – Let’s talk about the Love America Act….

Open Thread for July 30, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:41 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jul 302021

Yesterday was still hot, as it’s supposed to be today also, cooling some on Saturday. It’s hard to work up much enthusiasm.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Hill – https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/565378-the-17-republicans-who-voted-to-advance-the-senate-infrastructure-bill
Quote – The vote — the first of several steps expected before the Senate decides whether or not to ultimately pass the bill—comes one week after all Republicans blocked a similar move, arguing that Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) was rushing the process as senators tried to finalize their agreement.
Click through for list. Some of these not only surprised me but made me think there’s something fishy (nothing new with the GQP)

Mother Jones (Kevin Drum) – The Real Source of America’s Rising Rage
Quote – [T]he past couple of decades have seen a steady increase in the belief among white people—particularly Republicans—that anti-white bias is a serious problem. Fox News has stoked this fear almost since the beginning, culminating this year in Tucker’s full-throated embrace of the white supremacist “replacement theory” and the seemingly 24/7 campaign against critical race theory and its alleged impact on white schoolkids. This is certainly not all that Fox News does, but it’s a big part of its pitch, and it fits hand in glove with Trump’s appeal to white racism.
Click through for his reasoning. Kevin is another who’s pretty sharp. And Fox is certainly huge. But even media could not create racism, white nationalism, the Great Replacement paranoia, etc. out of thin air. It can only weaponize them by bring ing them out of hiding.

BuzzFeed News – A Judge Questioned If Capitol Rioters Are Getting Off Too Easy For “Terrorizing Members Of Congress”
Quote – Howell in the end accepted Griffith’s guilty plea, but, like Walton, put the government and defense through several paces before she did. She asked whether the government was concerned that an agreement involving a low-level misdemeanor was enough not only to deter Griffith from participating in a similar event in the future but also the broader universe of the hundreds of people who descended on the Capitol that day. The circumstance that led to the Jan. 6 insurrection, a presidential election, happens every four years, the judge noted.
Click through for story. Of course it’s Beryl Howell – not that she’s the only one with a head on her shoulders, or the only one who is outspoken, but she’s certainly one of a few.

Food for Thought (I know it’s long .. but it’s all needed):

Video Thread for 7/29/21

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:20 pm Open Thread, Politics

Jul 292021

Glenn Kirschner – Waters of Justice are Warming: DOJ Won’t Help Mo Brooks in Suit brought by Swalwell for Insurrection

Meidas Touch – “A Literal Pedophile!” Matt Gaetz’s Future Sister-in-Law REVEALS ALL – Meidas seems to be the only group who just let her talk, no commentary. (BTW pdeophilia, hebephilia, and ephebophilia are clinical terms. Law enforcement and general pblic generall just use “pedophilia” as a catchall.)

The Lincoln Project – Wayne Berman

politicsrus – Kevins Fantasy World

Keith – AFTER POLICE TESTIMONY TO THE 1/6 COMMITTEE, IS IT TIME TO DECLARE THE GOP A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION?

Beau – Let’s talk about Americans today vs Americans of the 1940s….

Open Thread for July 29, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 7:10 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jul 292021

Yesterday was also fairly hot, but at least I went into it with a decent amount of sleep beforehand … and so much material backed up from Tuesday that I was actually able to spend some time in the cooler room under the good fan resting a bit.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Mother Jones (David Corn) – Here’s a Long List of Top Republicans the 1/6 Committee Should Question
Quote – This part of the committee’s mission [to counter Donald Trump and his cult’s whitewashing disinformation] is not that hard…. The much tougher task for the committee will be investigating what Trump and his minions did in the months, weeks, days, and even hours leading up to the assault and what actions Trump and his aides took (or didn’t take) during the seditious riot. These are key elements of the inquiry, and this is the part of the story that Trump and his henchmen do not want to be probed and publicized.
Click through for the rest. David Corn has very good political insight and doesn’t mince words.

Reuters (via US News) – U.S. Justice Dept. warns states to tread carefully in auditing elections
Quote – “I think the reason we’re issuing this as guidance is to tell jurisdictions generally that we are concerned that if they’re going to conduct these audits … they have to comply with federal law,” a Justice Department official told reporters on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity. “This document sets down a marker.” The legal guidance fulfills a pledge that Attorney General Merrick Garland made in June when he vowed to aggressively enforce voting rights laws. Following that speech, the department sued Georgia, accusing the state of unlawfully violating the rights of Black voters with its new voting restrictions
Click through for story (which is in multiple outlets). About time.

NPR – 2 Colorado Police Officers Are Investigated After A Violent Arrest
Quote – A Colorado police officer has been arrested on felony charges after a video showed him using his pistol to beat a man he was attempting to arrest, choking him and threatening to kill him, and a second officer was also arrested after authorities say she failed to stop her colleague as required by a new police accountability law.
Click through, or Google for other sources. There is so much wrong with this that I can’t even.

Food for Thought:

Video Thread for 7/28/21

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:07 pm Open Thread, Politics

Jul 282021

Glenn Kirschner – House Select Committee Hearing Opens w/Testimony of Heroes: Officers Dunn, Fanone, Gonell & Hodges

Meidas Touch – The GOP is about to be EXPOSED as Terrorists

The Lincoln Project – Heroes

RepresentUs – Sarah Silverman calls out billionaires buying elections

Robert Reich – This 1916 Experiment Made Workers Wealthy

VoteVets ‘Axis of Evil’ Ad Featured on MSNBC During The Rachel Maddow Show

Beau – Let’s talk about Summer fun….

Open Thread for July 28, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 7:48 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jul 282021

Yesterday was hot, but not as hot as was expected – which is a good thing – and particularly because I didn’t sleep all that well Monday night. I did make it through the day, though.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Hill – Officers offer harrowing accounts at first Jan. 6 committee hearing
Quote – “The indifference being shown to my colleagues is disgraceful!” said Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone as he slammed his fist on the table. “My law enforcement career prepared me to cope with some of the aspects of this experience,” Fanone said. “Nothing has prepared me to address those elected members of our government who continue to deny the events of that day, and in doing so, betray their oath of office.”
Click through for more, including some video. I’ll cover the hearing every day there is news of it – it may not always be from the same source.

Wonkette – Democrats Need To Pass Some Voting Rights Bills While We Still Have Voting Rights
Quote – How exactly will Democrats “out-organize” legislation that was specifically crafted to fuck them? That remains unclear in the electoral Magic Eight Ball. Nancy Wang, executive director of Voters Not Politicians, a Michigan-based ballot initiative, said Republicans are actively “trying to peel away Democratic-leaning voters wherever they can. … It’s sort of death by 1,000 cuts.” A relevant example in Michigan is a Republican push to require additional steps for voters who cast ballots without a photo ID. (The GOP likely isn’t interested in making photo IDs easier to obtain, of course.)
Click through for article. I cannot agree more. I don’t know what will work, short of a miracle. (And if you can stand any more discouragement, check this out. Unbelievable, but – true. )

The Guardian – Trump officials can testify to Congress about his role in Capitol attack, DoJ says
Quote – “The extraordinary events in this matter constitute exceptional circumstances warranting an accommodation to Congress,” Bradley Weinsheimer, a senior career official in the office of the deputy attorney general, said in the letter. The justice department told Rosen and Trump administration officials that they could appear before Congress as long as their testimony was confined to the scope set forth by the committees and did not reveal grand jury or classified information, or pending criminal cases.
Click through for details. This is noteworthy exactly because the DOJ has been (in my opinion, the opinion of Glenn Kieschner, and probably the opinios of everyone here) has so far been way too generous in extending executive privilege to TFG & Co. It would not surprise me if this is the theme of Glenn’s chat today. (Update – it isn’t ytoday, but he’ll get to it, I’m sure.)

Food for Thought: