Everyday Erinyes #46

 Posted by at 10:09 am  Politics
Oct 082016
 

I have two items today which seem to call for the efforts of the Greek Furies (Erinyes) to come and deal with them. As a reminder, though no one really knows how many there were supposed to be, the three names we have are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. These roughly translate as "unceasing," "grudging," and "vengeful destruction."

Barely had I posted #45 than I got an email which made me say "WTF!"  The subject line was "Death Penalty bill Includes public pregnancy examination for accused women, antiquated 'retard' provisions"  It was from Progress Now New Mexico.  After three articles of picking on places the staff live, I was hoping for something from Colorado, but next door is as close as I could get.  And, although the bill in question will not be considered in this session, in fact pursuing it will apparently now wait till January, I wanted to share it because it is not every day we see a legislative story with so many kinds of ick in just one bill.  Death penalty – women's health – mental illness.  Quite an achievement.

A little history here.  New Mexico abolished the death penalty in 2009.  At that time there was a Democratic Governor as well as a Democratic majority in both legislative houses.  Today the Democratic majority in the Senate is all that is left of that.  So far in 2016 there have been a couple of high profile cases involving LEOs being killed, and one even higher profile case involving the death and dismemberment of a child.  The Governor and the rest of her party seized upon this to push reinstating the death penalty – specifically for people who kill children and/or LEOs, whether in police or in corrections. 

Enter HB 7.  You can read the full bill at that link, but unless you are a lawyer, you may prefer the report on the website of Progress Now New Mexico.  Right away you will se an image that appears to have nothing to do with the death penalty.  Ah, but it does.dpnm

Section 18 of HB7 requires judges to “inquire into the question” of pregnancy of female death row defendants by having three physicians conduct physical examinations of the woman, in open court before a judge and witnesses, if a woman is suspected of or raises the question of pregnancy…. The sponsors would require these procedures to be forced on convicted women and performed in open court, though she can ask for the courtroom door to be closed.

Then there are the sections on "mental retardation" and "insanity."  Since what used to be called "mental retardation" is now recognized as a mental disability, this will be interesting.  "Insanity" can postpone execution, but if the indivudal "recovers sanity" the execution is to proceed as directed.  Does this remind anyone besides me of Catch-22?

Dear ladies, here's what I'd like to see – I'd like to see the New Mexico Senate remain in Democratic control, and the House transition to Democratic control (The Governor is not up this year).  If you listen to Republicans, an election that is rigged by supernatural beings does not count as a rigged election.  Can you work on that please?

The second title that made me go "WTF?" was the title of a Daily Kos story:

Man shoots and kills wife, blames his fear of Black Lives Matter

tex-photoHere's the story as prominent Atlanta attorney (don't you just already know this is going to be a doozy?) Tex McIver tells it, cut and paraphrased:

He and his wife were being driven by a chauffeur.  She was in the front seat, he in the back.  He saw what he thought were "threatening people" and asked her for his gun.  He took it and fell asleep.  They hit a bump.  The gun went off and hit his wife in the back.

(And if you are thinking of looking for a bridge to buy, check with me first.  I'll make you a really good deal.)

They took her to a hospital twice as far away as the nearest one, where she later died during surgery.  After which McIver went home on his own recognizance, as authorized by an Atlanta police officer.  The vehicle was impounded (Bad SUV! Bad SUV!) and the driver was interviewed.  Apparently McIver was not.  The police report does not include information about who was in the vehicle, nor about what the driver said.

McIver is a labor and employment lawyer who exclusively represents employers.  He has "successfully defended employers in more than 200 union organizing campaigns.”  He once personally represented Governor Nathan Deal (great name for a Republican, isn't it?  Sorry – I just notice people's names sometimes.)  He was, incidentally, back to work within a couple of days, although he said he felt bad.

You know, this wouldn't even make a good detective story.  It's both too obvious and too unbelievable.  Unless it were going to turn into a huge expose of corruption in high places, i.e. at least up to the Governor.  Yeah, like that's going to happen.  I see that, this week, he passed a polygraph, but, knowing what I do about polygraphs, I'm afraid I'm not terribly impressed.

Well, dear Furies, you have a little time before the November election.  Maybe you can learn what the Atlanta police have not shown any interest in – and get someone to hear it, which may actually be the hardest part.  Good luck.

The Furies and I will be back.

Cross posted to Care2 at http://www.care2.com/news/member/101612212/4014818

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Personal Update – 10/7/2016

 Posted by at 12:18 pm  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 072016
 

Last night it was very muggy, and I slept poorly.  I leave shortly for my appointment with Courtney, my Physical Terrorist.  This is today's only article from me, and I'll finish it when I return so you know I'm home safe.

Courtney gave me quite a workout.  I'm ready for a nap!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today's took me 3:57 (average 6:05).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

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Friday Fun: Recap of VP Debate via Tweets

 Posted by at 6:20 am  Politics
Oct 072016
 

Whether you agree with the pundits who characterized this week’s Vice-President Debate as the “Thrilla in Vanilla” featuring bland-to-bland combat or not, it’s the only time (thank God!) we’ll have to put up with Pence’s pitiful prevarications on primetime TV.  (Whatever else you may think of Pence, you’ve got to hand it to him – the man can lie with the same aplomb as his running mate.  Although it appears he may even be denying that Trump IS his running mate based on his lack of knowledge – or willful ignorance.)

To let you know up front what my take on the evening, I’ll tell you right now how I’d score the debate:

Style – Pence

Substance – Kaine

Evening’s Winner – Folks who watched anything else

So what did the “Twitterverse” have to say about the night?  It was the common consensus that Kaine’s incessant interruptions were a distraction that undermined his clear superior command of the facts – and I’d agree with that.  But “Liar, Liar Pence on Fire” wanton and repeated denial of easily verifiable facts also produced the consensus that while Pence may have won the evening, Kaine won the morning. 

Facts and truth have a way of doing that – at least we hope so!

So while Pence lied the night away – he looked “Presidential” … very “Presidential” … with his lying.  To the point that some pundits wondered how Pence’s upstaging his boss would sit with Trump.

Hell, even Bill “The Bloody” Kristol joined in

So the question is, did Pence throw Trump under the bus in order to position himself for a run in 2020?

And the follow-up question of, how would “The Donald” react to the fact that republicans now wish they had chosen Pence over him because Pence looked slicker while bullshitting Americans with his bald-faced lies.  (GOP: “Facts?  We don’t need no stinkin’ facts!”)

Was there any doubt that Trump would recover by taking full credit for Pence’s performance?

The Twitterverse did veer off on a tangent sympathizing with the impossible task for Moderator Elaine Quijano of keeping control and fact-checking Pence’s endless lies.

So of course we were then treated to a flurry of Elaine/Seinfeld Tweets …

But then we were taken aback when Pence, a full-fledged Talibangelical christianist, provided a couple of surprising double entendres:

So what’s the final verdict?  Kaine may not have won, but it’s clear that Trump lost:

And the bottom line take-home:

Here’s a minute and a half video highlighting a few of Pence’s prevarications:

My conclusion?  There’s absolutely nothing Trump won’t outsource.  Not even his lying!

trump_pence_debate-corrections

 

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Three More from Sam

 Posted by at 2:53 pm  Politics
Oct 062016
 

Samantha Bee continues to zero in on the truth, in a way that can only be described as BEEautiful.  Here are three video clips from last night’s show for your viewing pleasure.

In the first, Sam lampoons the VP debate.

Sam was right in that Kaine did miss an opportunity to saddle Pence with his pseudo-Christian hate.

In the second, Sam elucidates the parallels between Rump Dump and Yuckfuhrer Paul LePage (R-ME).

She makes a good point about the comparison. I think Rump Dump should have chosen LePage as his running mate.

In the third she features some of the Deplorables.

For Republican Deplorables like these, condom use should be mandatory.

I hope you enjoyed these.

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Open Thread – 10/6/2016

 Posted by at 2:53 pm  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 062016
 

Yesterday’s supper was delicious, and we sent a green cloud north in search of the Squatch.  Tomorrow, I have an appointment with Courtney, my Physical Terrorist, so I may have nothing more than a Personal Update.  If you are in Matthew’s path, please take care.  You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:54 (average 5:00).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From KOIN: The Republican candidate for Oregon governor drew boos at a Portland debate Friday when he suggested successful women aren’t susceptible to sexual violence.

Dr. Bud Pierce’s remarks came after his Democratic opponent Gov. Kate Brown also disclosed she has been a victim of domestic violence.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that Pierce said “a woman that has a great education and training and a great job is not susceptible to this kind of abuse by men, women or anyone.”

The line drew groans and boos from the audience at the Portland City Club.

I proudly endorse Kate Brown, Oregon’s only rational choice for Governor.

From CMD: Bayer announced this month that it plans to purchase Monsanto, the controversial chemical corporation that has been sued around the world over its products. Nowadays, Bayer has a more consumer-friendly corporate reputation, but has a checkered past too. (Bayer’s history as a German company during the Nazi era is well documented.)

According to Vox, if regulators approve the $66 billion deal, the merger would create the largest agribusiness giant in the world, “selling 29 percent of the world’s seeds and 24 percent of its pesticides.”

Selling nearly a third of the world’s seeds actually means owning a huge portion of the seed stock on the planet. And, Monsanto has spent decades genetically modifying seeds to make them compatible with its chemical pesticides and herbicides, as with Roundup-ready corn. Those are the kinds of chemicals and modifications that can’t be washed off.

In the U.S., citizens have been waging major campaigns to try to get GMO products labeled and/or to prevent the use of GMO crops in their communities. These efforts have been attacked by Monsanto and other chemical corporations, which have worked to defeat citizen democracy through subterfuge—as with the deceptive ads that beat back California’s proposition on GMO labeling and with a “preemption” bill in Oregon to trump local ballot measures that passed overwhelmingly in two Oregon counties that banned GMO crops.

I hope you already know just how evil I consider Monsanto to be, but Bayer is just as bad. They became a corporate giant using slave labor in concentration camps and conducting bizarre medical experiments on camp prisoners, working closely with the infamous Mengele Brothers. Their record continues to be horrid. Click here for more details.

From NY Times: Donald J. Trump’s support has plunged across the swing-state map over the last 10 days, wiping out his political recovery from September and threatening to undo weeks of Republican gains in the battle for control of Congress.

For his party, Mr. Trump’s reversal in fortune comes at the worst possible moment: Having muted their criticism of Mr. Trump in hopes that he could at least run competitively through Election Day, Republicans must decide in the next few days, rather than weeks, whether to seek distance from his wobbly campaign.

Should Mr. Trump falter badly in his second debate with Hillary Clinton on Sunday in St. Louis, Republican congressional candidates may take it as a cue to flee openly from their nominee, said two senior Republicans involved at high levels of the campaign who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss private party strategy.

Mr. Trump has already slipped perceptibly in public polls, trailing widely this week in Pennsylvania and by smaller margins in Florida and North Carolina — three states he cannot afford to lose. But private polling by both parties shows an even more precipitous drop, especially among independent voters, moderate Republicans and women, according to a dozen strategists from both parties who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the data was confidential.

Hillary’s tactic of treating Trump as separate from the Republican party is wrong.  We need to keep tying Trump and every Republican candidate from Dawg Catcher up together. The only difference between most of them and Trump is that they try assure their base of their hate-filled positions and policies using dog whistles, at the same time that they deceive the general public about them. On the other hand, Trump articulates those same positions and policies clearly. In short, he’s just another Republican, and they are just junior Trumps.

From YouTube (Move-on Channel): Complacency is Not an Option

 

Listen to the Reich on the left, Robert Reich. Defeat the Reich on the Right, the Republican Reich in an election day blow out! If you think that it’s OK to waste your vote, because it’s not needed to defeat Trump, it’s not OK. Your vote is needed!  Don’t play Russian Roulette with Putin’s Pup!!

Cartoon:

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Duck and Cover!

 Posted by at 1:22 pm  Politics
Oct 052016
 

When I was a child, we all knew that, in the event of a nuclear attack, we were to duck and cover!  We practiced crawling under our desks, curling unto a ball, and covering our heads.  Now had there been an actual nuclear blast, the only good that might have done was to spread the ashes a bit more evenly.  That defense did Mike Pence even less good, when he used it against Tim Kaine’s onslaught of facts against both Pence and Trump.

1005vp

Mike Pence defended Donald J. Trump by scarcely defending him at all.

For 90 minutes on Tuesday night, Mr. Pence, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, was asked, over and over, to carry out perhaps the most unenviable, thankless and futile task in American politics: answering for Mr. Trump’s cruel name-calling, factual distortions and radical proposals.

Instead, he dodged, deflected and demurred — deciding, it seemed, that all of the fires that Mr. Trump has set in the past year could not be doused in a single night.

When his Democratic rival, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, delivered a scorching rebuke of Mr. Trump’s affection for autocrats like Vladimir V. Putin and Saddam Hussein, both of whom he has praised, Mr. Pence, the governor of Indiana, looked over, weighed the message and promptly changed the subject.

“Did you work on that one a long time?” Mr. Pence mischievously asked his rival. “Because that had a lot of really creative lines in it.”…

From <NY Times>

He also lied without ceasing.

Here are three short clips from the Rachel Maddow Show.

In the first, Republican strategist Steve Schmidt projects Hillary’s future tactics.

The Republican is right. That’s what I think Hillary will do, and she will be right to do so.

In the second, Joy Reid critiques the way Kaine went after Pence.

I disagree with Joy. While Kaine was far more aggressive than I expected him to be, I don’t think he overdid it, as he demonstrated Pence’s inability to defend Trump by any means other than lie after painfully obvious lie.

In the third, Courtney Kube debunks a Pence lie about Trump idol, Vladimir Putin (R-RU).

Pence parroted lies like this all evening.

According to Daily Kos, Pence’s lying was so extreme that Correct the Record made a video about it.

In conclusion, I can summarize the best thing about the 2016 Vice Presidential debates in five words: it was the only one!

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Open Thread – 10/5/2016

 Posted by at 1:21 pm  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 052016
 

Other than having to haul out three garbage bags full of used barf bags from last night's debate, it's been a light day so far, but that will change.  This afternoon, I have an unusually large order of groceries to be delivered shortly, and I have to put them all away.  Later Wendy is coming to steam clean the TomCat and help with housework.  I think I'll serve her refritos, chips and salsa for supper.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today's took me 4:19 (average 5:53).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: Being Not Donald Trump is going a long way to making Mike Pence look sane and sober this year, but there’s a reason Trump chose Pence and Pence accepted the offer. He’s an extremist himself, even if he’s better than Trump at difficult things like not attacking a former Miss Universe over what she weighed in 1996 or hinting at the assassination of his political opponents. Pence, as a video from Planned Parenthood (watch below) makes clear, was the early leader of the campaign to defund Planned Parenthood. That’s part of a long, ugly record of trying to pass laws to control women’s bodies:

  • Repeatedly voted for the Federal Abortion Ban, a law that criminalizes some abortion services, with no exception to protect a woman’s health, and carries up to a two-year prison sentence for doctors.
  • Voted in favor of a bill that would criminalize a doctor for the reasons a woman seeks abortion care. […]
  • Repeatedly cosponsored legislation that would, if it went into effect, make abortion illegal nationwide in almost all cases and ban some of the most common forms of contraception, stem-cell research, and in vitro fertilization. […]
  • Repeatedly voted to allow hospitals to refuse to provide emergency abortion care, even when a woman’s life is in danger.

As governor of Indiana, he signed a law that would force women to carry non-viable pregnancies to term.

Pence is as much a poster child for misogyny as Rump Dump Trump.

From The New Yorker:

The Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, Mike Pence, stunned a national television audience on Tuesday night by using his opening statement in the Vice-Presidential debate to beg the nation’s private sector for a job.

Shortly after the moderator, Elaine Quijano, told Pence that he had two minutes to make his statement, the Indiana governor looked directly into the camera and said, “I’m going to get right down to it. If you run a company and you’re watching this right now, I beg you from the bottom of my heart to consider hiring me. I need a job and I need it bad.”

Pence urged employers to consider his many qualifications and to ignore his role in the 2016 Republican campaign. “As God is my witness, I take no responsibility for this dumpster fire,” he said.

Stressing the urgency of his situation, Pence said that his political career was in ruins and pleaded with employers to visit his LinkedIn profile.

Dang, Andy!! He sure should have done just that!!

From KP Daily Funnies: The Daily Show puts the North Carolina anti-LGBT law to the test

 

Somewhere, a Republican watched this and is angry, because everyone got served in the end, and one might actually be gay.

Cartoon:

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Oliver Blasts Hannity!

 Posted by at 1:17 pm  Politics
Oct 042016
 

Ever since the Tuesday Night Massacre, Rump Dump Trump has been trying to convince the world that he won, so he sent out his evil legion of Alt-Right Nazi trolls from 4chan and  8chan with instructions on how to cast hundreds of votes each online polls.  No serious media outlets take those polls seriously, but at the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, it's different.

Hannity-tinIn a hilarious deconstruction of last week’s first presidential debate – and its devastating aftermath for Donald Trump – John Oliver got in some excellent comedic shots at Sean Hannity and Fox News.

I’ve previously written about how Hannity has joined his beloved Donald Trump in citing meaningless online reader polls in order to spin Trump’s big loss last week as a win.

But Oliver adds a certain something that is funny and devastating at the same time. Including this line, after he noted that Fox News announced that those polls “do not meet our editorial standards.”

OLIVER: Which is shocking since I was pretty sure Fox News’ only editorial standards were “All ladies must be 8s or above” and “Try not to say the N-word.”

From <Crooks and Liars>

 

Hopefully, you have a better understanding of this Republican lie, and had a good laugh in the process.

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