Open Thread for August 7, 2021

 Posted by at 7:07 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 072021
 

Yesterday it unbelievably sstayed fairly cool. Also, I may be in that golden period where, after it gets so hot, the same temps which led up to that and felt hot at the time don’t feel as hot now as they did them. Whatever it is, it’s pleasant.

Cartoon –

Short Takes

DATA GEMS: How to Download the Complete Set of 2020 Census Redistricting Files for Your State
Quote: In this Data Gem, you will learn about where to find and download the complete P.L.94-171 Redistricting Data Files from the 2020 Census for your state using the Census Bureau’s File Transfer Protocol site. This is a great resource for users looking to download large data files to use with software such as Microsoft Access, SAS, SQL, Sqlite, Oracle, Tableau, ArcGIS, and more. You will also learn about some of the critical resources that will enable you to successfully work with these data.
Click through if interested. Colorado is s state which requires an independent commission to draw the districs, and it has a history of being as fair as it can be – based on the data it is given. So I won’t be looking. But it anyone does need or want to know amore about this, well – the horse’s mouth.

The Independent – ‘Occupy’ leader claims police ‘dragged’ him out of Kevin McCarthy presser for asking about Capitol riot commission
Quote – “I tried to ask @GOPLeader McCarthy a question after he decried Cuban police pickup up (sic) people in the streets,” Mr Stern tweeted. “Why does he oppose the bipartisan #January6thCommission? A Congressional staffer had four cops pick me up and drag me from the room. I still asked the question.”
Click through for deets. Despite the quotes around “dragged,” this did happen. There’s more on PolitiZoom, but not everyone can see that site.

CNN – House select committee begins taking over January 6 investigation from other committee
Quote – The newly formed House select committee is taking the lead on investigating January 6 going forward, consolidating the investigation, as other committees looking into the matter begin handing over their work, according to a multiple sources familiar with the matter. That includes interviews with key figures related to that day that were already scheduled to meet with other committees but were postponed.
Click through for story. This is a normal thing to happen – Benghazi is just one example – but the kerfuffle about the committee selection, which resulted in the Republicans on the Select Committee being the only two who are committed to finding the truth, makes it different. Republicans on Oversight might have obstructed. Now they can’t. And the same is true for any other regular committee which has any knowledge or evidence.  GlennKirschner will go even farther in his video in today’s Video Thread.

Food for Thought – I’ve used this before in the gif version), but it fits today with the census date information.

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Video Thread for 7/31/21

 Posted by at 12:17 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Jul 312021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump Tells DOJ Officials to Lie About the Election Results & He “Will Take Care of the Rest”

Meidas Touch – The GOP’s BIGGEST FRAUD Revealed!

Crooks and Liars – Since General Honoré’s earlier vid got age-restricted before all could see it, here’s this one. It’s not exactly the same, but it’s something.

Robert Reich – What’s the Real Reason Democrats Won’t Protect Democracy? IMO it really isn’t fair to fault a President – even a Republican President – for not doing something that only Congress can do. (Faulting a Presidential candidate for promising something that only Congress can do is defiitely on the table, though.)

Armageddon Update: Delta Blues (The CC is in Dutch, god knows why – and I didn’t even try to change it this time.)

politicsrus – Opening Gambit HD

Beau – Let’s talk about executive privilege and Trump….

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Open Thread for July 29, 2021

 Posted by 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:

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Video Thread for 7/28/21

 Posted by 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….

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Open Thread for July 28, 2021

 Posted by 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:

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