Chaos is Steve Bannon’s playbook—don’t let them win. Vote on day 1 of early voting if you can and, up until you vote, check your voter registration weekly. Ohio and Texas have already purged voters.
Trying to be certain that our absentee ballots would not suffer any "irregularities", we dropped them in our city's official early voting place at City Hall. Our usual attendants were there, and they instructed us on what to do. We have a high level of confidence that our early ballot submissions will be counted.
Regarding getting "unregistered", Joyce Vance wrote a day or three ago that federal law prohibits removing anyone's name from voter registration rolls during the 90 days prior to an election. Accordingly, if you check today and find that you are registered, you can be certain that you will still be registered on voting day. However, there was also a suggestion to take a screen shot of your current voting status that shows you were registered during the 90 days prior to the election. One place to check is "vote dot gov".
David, like you, I drive (two towns over!) to drop my official ballot at the county’s election headquarters. I also, after carefully studying my ballot (usually also local & state candidates & ballot measures) & filling out my “practice ballot”, I transfer all of it to the official ballot and get it in, if I can, on the first day they are accepted, as this means those doing “get out the vote” efforts don’t have to spend time/resources dogging me to vote (and a shout-out thank you for those doing those efforts!).
Unless you have other business there's really no reason to avoid a US mailbox. If you sign up for the state's ballot tracking program you'll know when your ballot was received and when it was counted. I trust the USPS but, of course, to each her own.
In my area on the southeastern NC coast, mail service has become very erratic since Louis DeJoy became Postmaster General. Ex. our most recent mail hold resulted in some mail held and other mail delivered. We always have to have neighbors check our mailbox. This situation occurs every time we need to pause mail delivery. Prior to DeJoy, the mail was not problematic. I'm doing early voting.
Mail service, once a thing that ran flawlessly and was rarely questioned, is a mess. Classic example of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". DeJoy was so obviously installed to sabotage.
Agree, we have the same issue here in this part of PA. I don’t trust Louis DeJoy a Trump appointee. Our neighbor is a postal carrier and he tells us stories of how bad things are since DeJoy has taken over and slashed workers rights. I’ll vote in person thank you!
In my experience, people assume that every issue they have with the USPS is because of DeJoy. While he did some despicable things that may or may not have affected the 2020 election, the fact is that the service was in trouble long before his appointment in May 2020. In 2006, Congress passed a law that requires the postal service to fund in advance its health and retirement benefits for FIFTY years! No other government entity is required to meet that onerous requirement. As a result of the decrease in use of first class mail because of electronic communications (guilty!), their deficit is now in the billions. Instead of rescinding that insane requirement, Congress is allowing the Constitutionally mandated postal service to languish.
As for mail hold irregularities, that's something to take up with your mail carrier or local postmaster as it's the local personnel who sort and slot the mail.
I'm afraid I must disagree. Since DeJoy took over, our mail system has gone downhill. Official communications from government agencies have been coming very late, a temporary change of address has found our mail going to the wrong address or not arriving at all so often we just stopped most magazine subscriptions. Christmas cards have been returned undeliverable (to addresses that have not changed in years) months later... I am convinced he was hired to destroy the system and is doing so every day.
When you put someone in charge of an organization who has made it clear he/she thinks that privatization is the only way to run such services, they are going to set out to prove their point. I am not aware of anything DeJoy has instituted that has improved the USPS. I have always had a great deal of sympathy for those who labor under leadership with misplaced loyalties. Wouldn't he just LOVE to get a crack at THAT privatization honey pot?
Sara, I know you are right, so why is it possible DeJoy is still in the office of Postmaster General? What he did in 2020 to sabotage the election should be a crime against the people of this nation since the Post Office is accounted for in the Constitution. Why has he not been charged and removed? I get the whole Post Office board thing, another way to cripple the Post Office, but there should be limits on what any board or Post Master can do when in power. Maybe the board needs to be dissolved because their interests are not in making things right for the American people and a new board with some postal experience and no conflicts of interest should be appointed and a decent postmaster general hired. It is time this is corrected because the people need our postal service!
A regular occurrence for me - I recently sent mail to Medicare with USPS tracking. It was supposed to arrive by 7/22 and it still has not arrived. I will only use an official ballot dropoff box to vote early.
Last election, my Wife and I placed our ballot envelopes in a USPS mailbox at the Post Office, never to be seen again. Not counted, missing, too bad. This time we will drive to our County HQ.
I ordered online , at USPS.com , and paid for, postcard stamps to mail OHIO Get Out The Vote postcards. This was over 1 month ago. I never received the stamps.
I do not trust USPS under their current leadership.
I hate to say it, but mailbox vandalism is current, just as much as thieves stealing your delivered boxes from your porch. Trump has a website that is asking for volunteers to block voter certification. For this election year, use your local USPS office (not a franchise) or an official county voting drop box. You can get this info online from your Sec of State website.
I used to trust the USPS but once DeJoy took over the service levels in ME have gone to hell. I could tell you about 5 pieces of mail that were never received by me or checks never received by the recipient. And this was since DeJoy took over. Our entire delegation has written DeJoy on multiple occasions and received either no response or negative response. We have two sorting locations in the state and he closed one of them so some Post Offices are 5 or 6 hour drives to get sorted.
Imagine mailing a check to someone in a neighboring town and it having to travel 500 miles and take 4 days to get delivered. DeJoy is an asshole and a moron.
This is what all Federal agencies will be like if Project 2025 is implemented. So maybe you're Post Office is ok, but for many of us it sucks.
I'm so sorry you've been experiencing these issues. I have been lucky with the postal service, mostly. While I attribute specific problems to local personnel (often substitute carriers), there has been a steady decline in the levels of service and a sad consolidation in the number of brick and mortar locations. This is attributable to the steep fall off in the use of first class mail which has lead to unbearable budget deficits.
While it sometimes helps to write directly to the head of a corporation, there are so many bureaucratic levels in federal agencies that it's highly unlikely that your missives were received by DeJoy's office. Have you tried meeting with your local or regional post master?
I share your concerns about the USPS being the "canary" of what could happen if the Trumplicans get a chance to implement Project 2025.
MisTBlu, two years ago, I put my ballot in a mailbox, but never got the notice that it hadd been received. So, I don't even know if my vote was counted for that election. It really is frustrating because it is not clear if people have been stealing ballots from mailboxes as they have been stealing checks and other mail. I don't know the answer except that we need to be more vigilant.
I don't know what state you live in but in California you can contact either your county's registrar of voters or the secretary of state. And yes, vigilance is always advised, which is why I'm so grateful that we have a system of tracking our ballots online.
There is a USPS mailbox on my corner. Over the years I've lived here it has been broken into on several occasions; I have personally seen its door wide open with no postal worker in sight. I wouldn't trust that mailbox with ANY outgoing mail. Fortunately, US Mail is delivered directly to my condo each day at about 4 PM and our mail carrier retrieves any outgoing mail from the locked mail box in our lobby. I have confidence that outgoing mail deposited in the box in our lobby will not be stolen. The security of mailboxes varies with your location, and while the box is probably secure nearly 100% of the time, I don't want my mail-in ballot to be a victim of that less than 1% chance the mailbox has its contents pilfered.
Let's remember, the Democratic Party has governors in ALL the key States, save for GA. These states of course are MN, WI, MI, PA (and AZ). Even NC has Dem Gov Roy Cooper. Therefore, the Sec Of State in all these states are Democrats; they run the elections! ALL of them will insure a fair and true election, as occurred in 2020 and 2022, and in every election previous.
The threat from Republicans around ballot counting MAY affect THEIR counties - which are ALL rural and the least populated. Therefore, the voter turnout differences are not only urban and suburban versus rural, but therefore the counties are Democratic vs. Republican. This excited "urban mass" of voters will win al of these elections! So, we are assured of a Blue Wave with the Blue Wall!
The strength of our ticket COULD put into play FL, with urban population bases bursting w excitement, but also IO and OH, how about MO and KY (w popular Dem Gov Andy Beshear in KY)
These two facts allow us to be assured that the CORE INFRASTRUCTURE of our democracy is in safe hands, because it is Democrats who control the levers, so to speak
The fretting about democracy and our voting system is another ginned-up conservative ploy, as liberals and progressives play into the drama because ... we love our drama!
Basically, EVERY statewide election since 2017 in MN, MI, WI, and PA have been won by Dems, as have these elections in AZ. GA is turning blue with the two statewide Democratic Senate seats.; you can bet the Black turnout will be tremendous this Nov. While their Gov is Republican, Gov Kemp has remained a stalwart believer in the democratic voting process. GA will also Jon the Blue Wave!
To paraphrase Simon Rosenberg, let's all stay smart, relaxed and vigilante. Oh, and stay busy with cards, calls, canvassing, and compassion!
I agree with reservations. Your logic makes sense tactically speaking. I am from Kentucky and there is zero chance Kentucky would vote blue although the blue pockets might expand. The unknown factor is what the heck the Republicans could have up their sleeves. We know they are looking at voter suppression tactics. And then there is SCOTUS.....But. They did just give President Biden enormous immunity so I would expect President Biden to go to any length to insure our Democracy wins in November should SCOTUS try anything.
And then there are Foreign influences...
I will be so glad when this slow-moving coup is over.
The Dems hold ALL of the levers in ALL of the swing states; this is why the Blue Wall states have NOT voted Republican, statewide, since the 2016 Prez election
Conservatism is poison, and offers more poison. We offer Joy and many positive programs.
"We Won't Go Back!" is the chant I hear from the majority of American women; along with most of their sons ❤️
Excuse me but January 6th was not just: "The fretting about democracy and our voting system is another ginned-up conservative ploy," because we love drama. It was real, terrifying, bloody and deadly.
There is no sense ignoring the possibilities for our next election.
Forewarned is Forearmed. I would like us all to be prepared.
I look at the facts, the on-the-ground evidence, such as --- who is actually running these elections in battleground states. Oh, they're ALL Democrats!
Notice the difference between conservative propaganda, and facts. Now, I'm back to post card writing .... THIS is one aspect of "being prepared"
Every voting station must have 1 Democrat and 1 Republican on site at every voting station. I know because my husband and I volunteer.
I notice a lot between the difference of "conservative propoganda" and facts. It is very difficult to find anything but "conservative propoganda" in our current media .hanks to Prof. HCR and R. Hubbell we can still find some truth in print.
I am convinced that the election if trump loses will be a blood bath. The trumpers are psyched with trump raving at them like a coach at half time when the team is losing. A pep rally of nuclear proportions.
It many be in some parts of the country, but I think the violence will be isolated to TX, OK and a few other Fascist strongholds. The TX AG will bluster about seceded, but in the end they don't dare.
Frederick, I just came across this report by CREW: haven't read it yet, but have downloaded it and will read later.
Apparently this report will provide to the reader a sense of relief rather than foreboding as to exactly how much election officials can deviate from their duty.
As the election nears, it's possible FL will be in play. DeSantis and his Republican allies in the legislature and the FL courts have cost their constituents "bigly."
"WE WIN 😁" when we maintain the Blue Wall, and surpass the required 270 Electoral College votes.
Actually, we don't need to win ANY red states to reach 270.
Also, it's valuable to keep in mind the battles the conservatives are having within the Republican Party. The MI and AZ Republicans are especially in turmoil. We now see Republican elected officials organizing to defeat Trump; most notable is the effort led by the mayor of Mesa, AZ, who chastised Kari Lake, on stage, at the recent, massive Harris/Walz rally in Glendale, AZ. I look forward to the stream of Republicans speaking at the Dem convention!
The Trump Party has really replaced the Republican Party; and he ain't inviting new members to join! While Harris/Biden are riding a massive ... BLUE ... WAVE 😃
If you have been dropped from the roles in Texas (and 12%! of the electorate has been), they will give you a provisional ballot so people won't create a scene at the polling places. But to get that ballot to count:
"If you are voting in the correct precinct, in order to have your provisional ballot
accepted, you will be required to visit your local county voter registrar’s office
(information below) within six days of the date of the election to either present one of the below forms of photo ID..."
Watching from Canada, I love how so many Americans are taking the time and effort to guard their ballot and follow it through the system, if they can, and note when it arrives at ballot HQ. That's a lot of work. In better times you wouldn't and shouldn't have to use up so much bandwidth monitoring your ballot but in these strange times, you do and you are.
Trump will only win by hook and by crook if Americans let him get away with all his planned cheating. You are a nation that more than half a century ago, landed humans on the moon using analogue calculations, for goodness sake. If you accomplished that, you can outsmart Trump and the shadowy shysters that are propping up his festering, empty shell. Hang in there. This is one for the history books. You are starring in your own heroic movie. This is a People's Revolution of Righteous Honor. Think of the celebration there will be on Jan. 20, 2025 when the era of Harris/Walz is sworn in to office. Till then - be ever vigilant. You know the attacks are coming.
I do wonder about that, JD, as to whether those most set w/The Republican Favor have been halved in my circle. Albeit the excuses their lingering loyalty requires gets laboriously a longer and longer rolling eventually into the word salad category.
It’s being evidenced as the new DSM edition perhaps labors to categorize this phenomena ..pegged correctly ‘a cult’ …quite early in its game.
LFAA has given eloquent historical background as well as Maddox’s ‘Ultra’ however.
History has been threatened . Rewriting to save guilt..struck me as contrary to intent..but also evidenced by the complacent nature many ( somewhat self disclosure, folks) fell into.
Point being , vigilance is and ‘always will be’ required ..and I repeat..the Devil is in the details…’always.
What happens in the US inevitably shows up here. You people take the first blows and that gives us a bit of time to observe and maybe learn something - but it's upsetting that much of the time, we don't. So much of the time, no one wants to make the first move.
I’ve read your comments several times this morning, and have searched for words to describe my deepest, heartfelt appreciation for your friendship and benevolent kindness. I can think of none other than a simple …THANK YOU!
That is a very functional and informative website. I used it and was impressed with the ease of use and the amount of useful information that was there.
And ,in addition , seems I signed up somehow to write my own Substack..don’t know how that happened -my apologies…🤷♀️ …I am not . To be privileged to comment is a thrill, fun, and a wonderful place to learn from all…of you 🫶
You continue to answer my unasked questions, further encourages my admiration Ally. Ha! Keep me advised please …never dreamed reading OR writing could be so much fun.
Truly you are (ALL) inspirations 🥰 amazingly teaching so well.
David, the challenge is for those who do not live near a drop box or an early voting site. The USPS has a mandate not to mess with the mail, but DeJoy doesn't care about any of that and even tried to sabotage the 2020 election, hoping people wouldn't notice. I know he would do it again if he could get away with it. I suspect there would be enough Trumpers and Trumpettes in the USPs who would be willing to help out for a bonus of some kind or maybe not even a bonus. I hate to feel this way, but it is not as though attempts have not been made in the past. Heck, in Pennsylvania, if there is not the right date in the line on the envelope, the ballot can be thrown out. That is simply insane since there will never be another election with the same ballot. Of course, this is a Republican play because people don't always take the time to read all the instructions on mail-in ballots. We need federal laws that require every single citizen aged 18 and older to be registered to vote automatically and have an independent agency that checks to see that no one is voting twice and that when people have moved their new address is recorded and a notice is sent to their previous voting location. Every Social Security number is unique, and this could be done with little trouble and is already for the people who belong to the current national system which surprise, surprise, Republican states are dropping out of. Now, I wonder why they would do that when they pretend to be so worried about voter fraud. Inquiring minds want to know!
I think voting regulations should be the same in every state so no one can say that one state allows or restricts different things. Felons voting is one issue. trump votes in FL which doesn't allow felons to vote BUT will let them vote if they are convicted in a state that DOES allow felons to vote, FL goes by that law. Hence trump a felon can vote because NY allows it.
The USPS continues to decay since CFDT installed DeVoy as their demolition king. In ME, he has closed several rural post offices and completely shut down half of the sorting centers. Turnover is extremely high and employee satisfaction at the USPS has never been worse.
So don't wait to mail-in your ballots. Mail early and call to see if they were received.
Remember - the USPS is the model for what Project 2025 wants to do with ALL of the government agencies. Install a moronic CFDT loyalist, ruin morale and the services they offer and then claim it is so much better.
Gary, I had a package (don’t quite remember its origin) that I tracked that stopped at the southern Maine distribution center, then up to Hamden, back down to Portland, to _Nashua, NH_ (!), then Portland->Hamden…and finally out for delivery here in Lamoine. Of course, I can’t blame this on DeVoy but this isn’t the first anecdote about this that I’ve seen.
Potter, I call him No Joy. My LMT, a former postal worker, has another name for him, but I don't remember what it is...Destroy maybe. Here in the Salem area, mail has to go to Portland to be sorted and then sent back. We used to have a sorting center. We have a mail in voting system here in Oregon. So far it has worked well. i get a notice that the ballot is coming. Then I get a notice that it has been received and OKed for counting. There are also several drop off places around including the local grocery store down the street. Lots of people wait until the last minute and drop theirs off at the courthouse. Yesterday, our cleaner, who is originally from Chile, asked me who I was voting for. When i told her, she gave me a hug. She lived for a time in Queens and had lots to say about death star and his family. Crooks, she said.
I drop mine at one of the drop boxes or at the elections office. I usually drive my disabled friend, who carries her ballot and her 92 year old mother's ballot in as well.
That is why Vote From Abroad Members are luckier if they are in states where they can email their ballots. Last time I mailed in my ballot, in March to the primary election, it took 3 weeks to arrive. While my city clerk does not mail them early enough, at least I was able to receive it by email, but I still have to print it and mail it back by snail mail, which is slow in the country I live in, and in the US. So, that is not good. We need to work for votes from abroad to all be email ballots. When I am voting in the States I get a mailed ballot and then I do drop it in the early voting ballot box.
I vote from overseas. In 2016 my snail mail ballot was lost in the mail although my wife's was counted even though we posted together. Email voting is not permitted but I was instructed to use fvap.gov. Foreign Voting Assistance Program for military and overseas citizens.
"Overseas: Your ballot must be returned either by regular mail (using the two-envelope method as described on the Secrecy Sleeve) or by fax. If you do not have access to a fax machine, you can email your forms to fax@fvap.gov and they will fax your ballot to our office. Download the FVAP Transmittal Coversheet here: https://www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/Forms/coversheet.pdf" One's ballot is not secret but at least it gets counted.
Back in the 80s I was working at our embassy in China; my ballot arrived about two days before the election! At that time, Vermont's paper ballots were huge (think the size of an unfolded standard newspaper). In order to cast my ballot, which I did via fax, I had to cut it up and send it in pieces. I really don't know if it got through and registered, but I hoped for the best. It surely wasn't anonymous, though. We did have a great town clerk.
TD according to my regional Democrats Abroad Leader there are 3 ways to return you ballot and it depends which state you live in which ones are accepted. He listed them all.
This is what he sent us:
Just got some info about the allowed methods of returning ballots in the various states, useful to know:
- Postal Mail Return States: AR, CT, GA, ID, IL, IA, KY, MD, MI, MN, MO, NH, NY, OH, PA, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WI, WY
- Fax Return States: AK, CA, FL, LA, OK
- Email Upload Return States: AL, AZ, CO, DE, DC, HI, IN, KS, ME, MA, MS, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, ND, OR, RI, SC, UT, WA, WV
I vote from a postal mail return state, so I don't think I can have it faxed.
Much depends on what state you live in, and often what part of that state -- if you live in a blue area of a red state, and/or an area with a significant population of color, and/or an area with a large college population, be especially vigilant. (P.S. Dropbox with a capital D is an online service and isn't involved in elections.)
Don’t forget DeJoy is probably doing all he can to be sure your mail-in ballots don’t arrive. Send them early and check. Be CERTAIN that your ballot arrives at its designated place.
Definitely use official drop boxes. I've seen too many articles about mail being stolen and the testimony in the comments here to trust the efficiency of the USPS in all locales. It's sad that the greatly loved and relied upon USPS has sunk so low.
Georgia has already purged several hundred thousand voters. They also passed a motion to let anyone challenge voters recently. These cretins that are behind all of this should be arrested and remanded to prison, or under a prison! The last time i checked my registration, i was still active at least for now.
Despite the 90-day rule, if I lived in a swing or red state I would be inclined to check weekly to be sure I was still registered. (Fed law says voters can't be removed/purged within 90 days of an election.)
Federal law or even a constitutional amendment has never stopped the cretins from disenfranchising people. In NC in the very early 1900's, black voters were disenfranchised despite there being a constitutional amendment allowing them to vote. Wicked people work VERY hard to accomplish their evil.
You are so right, JennSH. These sub-human creeps in the GQP Domestic terrorist party are very wicked. They all belong in prison or be locked up in a maximum security insane asylum!
That's great advice, Evelyn. I am going to make sure i check my registration every week or maybe twice a week. In the 2022 middle term elections i requested an absentee ballot several weeks in advance, i never received one and ended up voting in the early voting period. This shows the depth the GQP Domestic terrorist party has sank to. Their agenda and policies are corrupt and unpopular they have to resort to unlawful shenanigans to even have a chance to win.
Take a screen shot of your voter registration online and print a copy to present at the polls. The screen shot has the date you saw you were registered.
Mary, I had heard that after 90 days before an election, no further purges were supposed to take place. I don't remember if that was just in certain states or across the country. I hope it is the whole country if true because there are people like the ACLU that would sue on our behalf if anyone finds their registration stopped when after 90 days it was on the rolls.
As the wheels fall off the cart we shall see all sorts of panic moves by the drivers, all to no real avail, I surely hope. And I need to add heartfelt sympathy to all those women caught in this dreadful situation that leaves them at risk of death in the wake of abolishing Roe vs Wade.
Thanks so much for mentioning the women caught in this horrific tragedy !! It makes me wish we’d hear from more brothers, sons, husbands, partners, friends, colleagues, fathers🙏
The women that are caught in this horrific tragedy is not only horrific, but extremely cruel and heartless and downright evil. Acts such as this, shouldn't even be thought of here in the United States! Nazi Germany all over again!
Republicans certainly appear to hate women and only want them around for reproduction. (If they had their way, would involuntary insemination centers be far behind? (Like in The Handmaid's Tale.)
Oddly enough people are still flocking to TX and FL since the Dobb's decision passed.
We finally sold our place in FL, in 2020 when it became clear that travel was going to be harder and more dangerous for several years. But since then, FL homeowners insurance has bloomed to an average of $11000 a year, property taxes have doubled in many places and hundreds of lots along the ocean have been reclaimed by Mother Nature.
Sure, FL has no state income tax, but at least with the income tax, it is predictable in the sense that the rate doesn't change very often.
And good luck getting reproductive care in FL or TX. The doctors are fleeing as fast as they can find a state where women's health care isn't under assault.
We sold our winter home in FL in 2021 - we just couldn't take the wide-spread adoration of Trump and the faux-heavy-religiosity any longer. I love Brooklyn - how sweet it is.
Good for you. Fortunately or unfortunately (time will tell) the winters in ME have become milder and yet the summers are still very pleasant. And your weather is much milder than ours.
The summers here are so pleasant that Acadia National Park is hosting around 4 million guests each year.
We sold our home in Fernandina Beach and ir was in a condo association. Our association had very little reserved for roof replacements, painting and storm damage. There were 27 Duplexes and we had tile roofs that were about half-way through their life -- unless the insurance carriers deemed that the life of a roof was shorter.
I haven't talked to my former roof-mates since DeSantis and the Republicans passed the Condo law to increase reserves but I'd estimate that each duplex owner would be forced to chip in $15K minimum. The average age on our street was over 70, so it would have been a struggle for several of the residents on fixed incomes.
A fair number of my former patients fled Minn. winters living for 6 mos. and a day in Fla. Tx. and Az, but returned when health faltered for better care. There must be a tipping point where environmental stresses and low taxes implode the whole system.
And those were the fortunate patients (that could afford to have homes or apartments in two places).
This is an old statistic but as of 2019 the US had 10 years of oil known oil reserves assuming we kept pumping at the rates in 2019. We have actually increased the rate of pumping, but I don't know if they have discovered new reserves.
TX, OK and ND derive a large percentage of their state income from oil. Do you think that as the oil is depleted in these states that will be a tipping point?
I wonder if TX and OK will ever abandon Republican politics when they realize their Ponzi scheme is crashing or will they rely on the Republicans to solve their problems.
Unfortunately, it comes down to economically feasible extraction, such as when they were willing to spend more than $66/bbl if I recall correctly. A friend was investing all he could in the newly "discovered" Bakken oil field reserves which to me varied wildly depending upon the expensive technology you are willing to use (hydraulic fracturing that requires several times the amount of pipe to get adequate flow rates, and directional drilling). Directional drilling is a modern marvel but when they started on an acquaintance's lease, I think it cost from $70,000 to $165,000 a day, and they finally quit chasing the little pockets that didn't produce enough for long enough to justify the expense.
"...In April 2008, a USGS report estimated the amount of recoverable oil using technology readily available at the end of 2007 within the Bakken Formation at 3.0 to 4.3 billion barrels (680,000,000 m3), with a mean of 3.65 billion.[5][6] Simultaneously the state of North Dakota released a report with a lower estimate of 2.1 billion barrels (330,000,000 m3) of technically recoverable oil in the Bakken.[7] Various other estimates place the total reserves, recoverable and non-recoverable with today's technology, at up to 24 billion barrels. A recent estimate places the figure at 18 billion barrels.[8] In April 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey released a new figure for expected ultimate recovery of 7.4 billion barrels of oil..."
Cheap Oil - 3.0 to 4.3 billion barrels
Most expensive oil - up to 24 billion barrels
Realistic cost oil - 7.4 billion barrels
Cost to Climate? Ask Florida homeowners about flood insurance cost (if they can even get any flood insurance).
EVs like my daughter's Nissan Leafs have more than enough power, especially at low speeds. Then there is Eco Mode and Single Pedal driving. I drove 17.2 miles to my home very conservatively and noticed that the range remaining just dropped from 188 miles to 178 miles (10 mile drop in range for 17.2 miles of actual driving at the posted speed limits of 45 mph and under).
Plugin Hybrids are capable of handling my normal around town driving on just electric drive,recharging the smaller battery (compared to EVs) each night to around 80% (to leave head room for regenerated energy and help the batteries last even longer). I'm looking for a good used PHEV at the moment since I stupidly sold my 2001 Prius (non-plugin hybrid), when we moved from California to Maine. People we met in California with Chevy Volts often averaged 135 MPGe because of their mix of commute miles to around town miles. A few would get around 175 MPGe due to less commute miles, and one couldn't believe he was getting 275 MPGe until we asked him how many miles he drove around town (topping off the battery every might at home). Then there is Jay Leno, I calculated he was getting something like 905 MPGe with minimal use of the gas engine and recharging every night using his solar and wind power.
The simple Prius hybrid with the smallest batteries still let me get 46.5 mpg when I had accumulated 306,000 miles on it. The regenerative braking also meant the brake pads lasted 276,000 miles.
With the expenses for our cat's last month and a half, I may have to settle for a simple hybrid, but I'd love to be able to drive long distances as well as around town like they could with Chevy Volts (no longer produced). Other wise I have to keep my old Subaru Outback as a second car (I'd rather not have to keep).
Property taxes and homeowner's insurance costs in Texas negate the value of no income tax. Abbott and his cronies are turning Texas into a third-world country.
The Texas trio of cretins make a great state into a negative in more ways than one can count. There should be warning signs at the border. MAGAts love it.
I just laboured through another one of his speeches. Four points:
>the border and an imported crime wave;
>inflation;
>the socialist menace; and,
>Vice President Harris's incompetence and weakness (sic . . . sick).
The speech lasted for roughly one hundred minutes. Too bad I am no longer an R.C. -- this ordeal would surely have a great penitential value.
No wonder his handlers want the former President dressed in a straight jacket. What gets me is that people cheer like crazy when they hear the same untrue point for the umpteenth time.
That's just vicious cruelty, all in Heather's fourth-before-the-end paragraph.
That's where Heather writes of the pregnant women in need of care but turned away from emergency rooms.
I blame the most corrupt justice in the history of the nation's highest court -- Clarence. I know, back in the Anita Hill days he was just a roly-poly, laughing abuser of women, with all his Long Dong jokes.
Since then he's become a record-setting taker of bribes, all for the higher calling of ruling over and over for the privileges of the billionaires who wantonly bankroll his luxuries.
But forcing women to suffer medical damage, just for his and the other Republicans who all perjured themselves to get on that court to inflict that all-too-real, medieval damage on our women, on America?
Phil, the deeply seated corruption of the MAGA majority is on full view when the decisions in Dobbs and Trump are placed side by side. In Dobbs, Alito proclaimed that Roe and Casey must be overruled as "[T]he Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision". This ruling condemned women to the potentially fatal vagaries of reproductive medical care under state legislation. On returning the matter to the states, Alito offered the following condescending lesson in civics to women:
"[the ruling] allows women on both sides of the abortion issue to seek to affect the legislative process by influencing public opinion, lobbying legislators, voting, and running for office. Women are not without electoral or political power." Alito's arrogance is breathtaking.
We come to Trump v. United States in which the MAGA majority invented a presidential immunity regime from whole cloth, untroubled by the lack of express or implicit support for it in the Constitution. The deep concern at the lack of a reference to abortion in the Constitution which animated the majority in Dobbs, gave way to their radical approach in Trump where the text of the Constitution really didn't matter; nor did the separation of powers. It was all about doing a solid favor for the former President.
When Hercules is finished cleaning the Augean Stables, he should attend to the Supreme Court.
Hercules, Mark? Sure, but let's hope American voters massively turn out in November.
I hate this court for its worship of its massively dehumanized billionaires. I hate it for what it's done to American women. For how its dismissal of the Chevron precedent just further turns everything over further to the cynically corrupt -- crippling the federal agencies set up to protect American health, workplace safety, finance, and the environment.
Americans may really clean house of the nihilist, billionaire-enabling, AR-15 mass-murder worshipping Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate.
Thank you Mark. I've never been able to wade through the entire decision. Harris/Walz need to use that in their campaign material to elect Democrat women and of course, themselves. Part of the arrogance is that Alito assumes women's reproductive health only affects women.
"[the ruling] allows women on both sides of the abortion issue to seek to affect the legislative process by influencing public opinion, lobbying legislators, voting, and running for office. Women are not without electoral or political power." Alito's arrogance is breathtaking."
I am concerned at the possible desperation reactions the MAGAts could be planning.
But at the same time on cleaning out the crap I wonder if the Standings Issue could apply to women. So far the Dobbs issue pivots on Alito’s individual interpretations approved by the conservatives.
But I think women themselves should have standing sufficient to challenge Dobbs.
Thank you for that empathetic post. I suffered an ectopic pregnancy and needed emergency surgery. That I was cared for effectively and quickly made it possible to have my daughter a few years later--via IVF.
The non-viable pregnancy was very scary. It's painful, it feels life threatening, and the misguided ignorant men who don't understand basic biology having any say on the subject-- terrifying.
That Thomas and Alito are still on the Court is a travesty.
Yes, it's a travesty, but so, too, are the appointments of Republicans justices who perjured themselves so they might get the power to rule for medievalism, for a convicted felon to be moved to monarch status, above the law, and for all the U.S.'s nicely-bribing, nihilist, cynical billionaires to enjoy less accountability, less regulation, less taxes.
But it's your daughter I most celebrate -- and your good efforts for her.
Dems Must reform the Court, they need to rebalance the number of judges if they can get enough control of the Senate, and dump the filibuster the way Mitch did
We've had a growing population, and the federal judiciary could well use a full 13 justices, one for each of the U.S.'s federal districts.
Not to speak of the six Republicans on that totally corrupt Clarence court so totally corrupt as is he, all needing redress by at least decent moderates who can read the Constitution (you know, that thing with Article 14, section three, which the corrupt rulers for monarchy, dictatorship, oligarchy, cannot, will not read or acknowledge).
JD Vance is clueless with his whining about bullies. His running mate has made money from taunting, lying, and denying. And being the biggest jerk on the playground.
I do not know why Vice President Harris's answer the former President's challenge to three debates bay state simply:: "Look, I get it, the former President wants to substitute debates for campaigning. If I were his age, I would, too. Nonetheless, I will stick with the one confirmed debate. I would prefer to be out in the field meeting the citizens whom I want serve."
I do not know why Vice President Harris does not answer Senator Vance's challenge to a debate with: "Senator Vance, I really should debate my counterpart at the top of your ticket. Governor Walz will be happy to review the possibility of a debate with you."
Ned, I honestly think that debate is an outdated forum if it is going to be run by MSM. They are just not up to the task. Fact checking after people have turned off their television sets is a waste of time. Either they check in the moment, or avoid this situation like the plague. Everyone thinks Biden did poorly because he is old, and that may have made him respond more slowly, but Trump does not debate he spews out fascist propaganda lies, and that cannot be debated without real time fact checking. I think she should use Clinton's format of the Town Hall. It is a way to answer questions, but not have someone else just spew propaganda at the same time.
the moderators of Biden/Trump debate did a bad job. Supposedly, the mics were to be turn off when the other candidate was speaking. Trump continued to yell over the off mic. That behavior would disorient anyone. With Trump you need a soundproof room and call him out when he refuses to answer the questions. STOP The RANTS!
You are missing one big point here: Vice President Harris would be announcing that she sympathizes with the former President for being too old to campaign in the field much. That would turn the 'sleepy-Joe' canard on its head; now the former President is the one infirm due to his age. She would then add that her job right now is to meet Americans, as many as she can with a truncated campaign season.
For Senator Shady J.D. Vance, Vice President Harris would say, "Look, laddie, I debate the top of the ticket, only. Take a deep breath and contact the office of Governor Walz and we will see what we can do to accommodate you." That basically says, "Son, you are reaching way out of your league. Take a lap and go out for junior varsity." That will have Senator Prance singing soprano right quick.
I am not agreeing with that as a reason to debate. First of all it is outdated to debate because that is how things have been done. Does not need to be. That seems like a dog and pony show to me. I won't be watching it either way. Not my thing. I do not want to see people perform for me, I want to know what they stand for and how they plan to accomplish it, but that is not the way to do it. That is why I am reading Project 2025 and discussing it with a group. Everyone waiting for a gladiator fight did not get it when they saw Biden debate a fascist propagandist in his forum. We have some idea of what Kamala stands for but at the same time we also know that Biden was pushed out by Tech Bros and other super wealthy because Lena Khan is making life too uncomfortable for them. Their greed knows no bounds. So, Kamala may not be able to keep Lina Khan if she takes Reid Hoffman's money, and I have heard she went to a fundraiser thrown by him in CA. So, I am not going to assume that everything Biden stands for Kamala stands for, and the less the Press is involved in reporting this election and the more she goes directly to the people, the better off she is. So, going to the press is the old way of doing things, a new way is holding rallies and countering her opponents lies with social media. That seems to be a winning formula. We do not know that debates (the old way of doing things) is.
Love the references to "Shady JD Vance and Senator Prance, Ned...but I think I agree with Ms. Weide, that the debates are really outdated and not used the way they were meant to be used--it's not even a "real" debate--not the way they were conducted when I was in college.
You and Linda are right and I do not mean to sound ageist. Nevertheless, the debate will go ahead. So, why not use it to turn the tables on the former President?
You're right Linda. The Presidential debates are just Q&As where the candidates basically ignore softball question and plug themselves in any way they can or put down their opponent. CFDT didn't answer a single question that was asked of him and he lied 602 times according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Ned, I love your suggestion for Harris/Walz.
100% agree!!! The debates are quite useless the way they are run and the way Trump abuses the construction. All Trump wants is the air time so he can lisp, slur and Gish his way through his allotted time. We have all heard more than enough from him--he hasn't said anything new for months, anyway--and Harris should tell him that unless he plans to actually answer questions, she's "not available"--too busy greeting the huge crowds at her campaign events.
TL, you have me laughing hard. I love the way you put it, "lisp, slur and Gish" is hilarious. That is truly all he is good for. I find the gladiators disgusting and people who want to Subject Kamala and Tim to these football game like antics just for their entertainment are demeaning these candidates. Everyone who is drooling for them to debate is just as likely to turn on them and say they are unfit if it does not go as they expect. It all seems archaic and unnecessary. I love your take on what Harris should say too. Rubbing it in their faces I am not above. Delirious Tremens should have never run in the first place. Then, he would not have had his taxes and his business practices so scrutinized and we would not have been subjected to going on 8 years of his insanity. As I say, weird is what nice guys (Tim) say when they mean totally crazy.
NBC wouldn’t even admit that Trump was lying when saying there was an agreement to hold a presidential debate at a date and time certain on NBC when they knew there was no such agreement. Still, they reported Trump stating it as fact. That’s not independence. It’s collusion.
The fact is that one debate, on ABC, is under agreement. Trump tried to back out and Harris said she would show up with or without Trump. He looked weak.
Trump saying there are other agreed upon debates is him playing disinformation games .
I keep trying to find right-wing US media publishing Vance’s drag photos but they won’t even mention it, never mind show it.
Exceptions are Drudge and European tabloids. I read Free Republic on occasion to follow the crazy and can report they have banned any comments on Vance dressing up as a woman.There is no mention. They censor because they know what it say about the Trump team’s due diligence and the rampant hypocrisy.
Catching Senator shady J.D. in negligée is small potatoes. The Democratic Party needs to make him look as silly as Calvin in the comic strip 'Calvin & Hobbes'; that is to say, that the little rascal is in way over his head.
In addition to being clueless and inexperienced, rumors are flying that JD Vance is backed backed by Peter Thiel and other Tech Bros with the hopes to get Trump in (to do this they want him to lay low, except for Musk apparently, who may be equally crazy), and then once the election is over, JD Vance will use Article 25 to oust Trump on the basis of unfitness and take over the White House. I can assume everyone is gathering dirt on Trump, not just the Iranians because he appears so easy to blackmale too. So, for Vance, every Trump appearance is a gold mine towards proving that sort of case. Then the Tech Bros plan to run things, just as the German elite and media elite pushed Hitler on Hindenburg and said that he should appoint him chancellor, thinking Hitler would be their useful idiot. That is not what happened, but clearly you don't need to know history to be a Tech Bro. Hitler turned the tables on the elite. Why do our obscenely wealthy not think that can happen to them? Not only are the White Supremacist (White and Indian) Tech Bros making their move to govern our nation by proxy, but the Heritage Foundation has set up that to happen too in Project 2025. The first chapter, titled White House Office, reads as if Rick Dearborn, a former Trump assistant Chief of Staff, is writing his own job description. He has defined the role of the Chief of Staff as being the gatekeeper for the president funneling everyone through him. He also talks about the auto signature, which I think is important because who is wielding it, will also have an impact on our lives. So, it seemed to me that Trump could drift off into senility, with all that would be required of him being listening to the daily briefing. Of course, former White house staffers have said even that was hard to handle with Trump because he talked through the whole thing and did not listen, and then asked questions that showed he knew nothing about what had been said to him. So, two avenues for people to run the White House through proxy, and between that and the Democratic Tech Bros asking Harris to fire Lena Khan, one of the best hires of the Biden administration, I am of the opinion that we need to legislate some much greater controls over tech. I liked what Jessie Ventura said in a recent interview where he endorsed not only the Harris-Walz ticket, but also said it was time we had a woman in the White House. He felt that we should cap incomes not have a minimum. My suggestion for doing this is taxing them at 70-90% and then saying they cannot keep their US citizenship if they move to a tax exempt island nation, unless they pay the difference between the taxes they pay in their other country and what the US expects of them. That should drive some of them away, and we know that right now Elon Musk won't be welcome in England. Let us hope that J.uvenile D.elinquent Vance, Juvie for short, does not become the VP, or anything for that matter. Thank goodness Walz is making the most effective case against Vance. He is saying his ideas are weird, which is nice guy talk for crazy, and he is owning the ones that are thrown at him. I love the Tampon Tim stops the Red Wave t-shirts that some clever person came up with because Walz is not afraid to support women with their periods. I love the double entendre because it is so-o-o true! https://www.etsy.com/de/listing/1761388906/tampon-tim-stoppt-das-rote-wellen-shirt
Another good one is Coach vs. Couch! It is almost as good as Prosecutor vs. Criminal.
So many weird, creepy cooks in the kitchen here. Seems like a recipe for disastrous infighting as to who would really be in charge. A situation I hope we altogether avoid by electing and successfully inaugurating Harris/Waltz.
My fear is those 70 or more election officials hired by Trump that will refuse to certify the actual victory Kamala has won in the swing states…strongly suggest that’s where our election concerns should FOCUS!….please see Rolling Stone article about 7 articles below this one for clarification.
Rolling Stone exclusive titled: “These Swing State Election Officials Are Pro-Trump Election
Rachel Maddow has been calling attention to this tactic. Her guest 8/12/2024, Noah Bookbinder, CREW President, emphasized all election officials (especially the county clerks) will be instructed their role is ministerial and NOT DISCRETIONARY.
She also highlighted the new book "Ministry of Truth" by Steve Benen. Seven Chapters with copious citations. Subtitled "Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
Election officials who do not adhere to the law should be susceptible to some form of legal punishment: malfeasance? nonfeasance? dereliction of duty? something?
Postscript, added 16 Aug 2024 at 1 am Central: From Joyce Vance
Election certification at the state level by election officials is not discretionary. Election officials are statutorily obligated to certify the election.
"What if Trump Tries to Steal the Election Again?":
How does that get enforced? By whom? When? Is that BEFORE they take the White House with an organized military move, such as in 2006? They seem not to CARE about the election, who wins or who loses…as though they have already decided what will happen, which is that they will take the country by force.
That is easy. The D.o.J. does the enforcing; obstructing the functioning of a Federal government function. "Congress has the authority to prevent unconstitutional voting discrimination in a state or local election. Congress’s authority to legislate regarding these various issues derives, in addition to its Article I powers, principally from the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments."
From what I can tell, there are Federal laws in place to forbid election interference, including interfering with voting. People pushing the scheme to send alternate Electors would be interfering with people's votes, at least as they tally.
Was she a M.A.G.A.-type or was she busted for trying to keep the former President off the ballot. EDIT: his eminent sluggishness (i.e., me) looked up the reference. Sweet irony with its coincidence of the conviction of the Mesa (AZ) election hacker with the endorsement of Vice President Harris by the Mayor of Mesa placing country ahead of Party.
Exactly. I'm still convinced that they will do so: they have nothing to fear, the freshly installed Orange Dictator (or his follow-up) will happily set the military on anyone who dares to protest against their ruling.
I'm trying to exercise my imagination, perhaps in the same sort of way the Chief Justice exercises his imagination.
It would be nice to be able to have some fun with the exercise.
We might imagine the Justices sitting around laughing about granting the President immunity.
Let's see, what's the most heinous crime that immunity would provide a "get out of jail free" card?
It must be so important, critical to the very survival of Life on Earth, that we would give the President a free pass to do what must be done -- whatever that might be -- which the President could not have done without immunity.
Surely it would not be illegal. Or if it were illegal, but necessary for some unknown reason, then it's OK for the President to commit that illegal act in that instance because it was deemed necessary. For some reason. We know not what. We haven't even got an inkling of what sort of thing that might be that requires immunity from prosecution. But the President has it, just in case.
As for election fiddling, when we were kids there was some schtick on TV about what makes somebody mad. One person would pose some injury or injustice, and the other person would say "That doesn't make me mad". And the next suggestion would be a worse injury, with the same response, "That doesn't make me made". It keeps getting worse until the person finally says "THAT MAKES ME MAD!" I wish I could recall whose routine that was.
What excuse would the Roberts Six come up with for handing the election to Old McDon-Old?
All I can think of is a Machiavellian way to stop them. But they'll probably have armed protection around them 24-7 if they hand the election to trump.
They'd probably get rid of the the remaining "liberal" judges and just keep the court at 6.
Tina Peters' trial ended yesterday after 4 hr deliberation with conviction on 7 counts of election tampering. Sentencing will be October 3, good timing as a warning to the falling asteroid that is the dumpty campaign.
There are consequences in every state for effing with an election.
If you don't remember she was the county clerk in Mesa Co CO, who tampered with the voting machines. Heroine of the MAGgot richt.
Rolling Stone, Rachel Maddow, and Marc Elias have been sounding the alarm. On the Democracy Docket site, Marc has an article that explains how officials would be dealt with if refusing to certify an election. In some states, the officials would order the certification or take over the process. In other states, lawsuits would be filed, as Marc Elias successfully did in 60 states following the 2020 election.
We can all spread the word about the issue, encourage others to do the same, and support Marc Elias and his Democracy Docket team with subscriptions and donations to pay for staff in preparation.
Here's the thing. We KNOW there's a plan in place to do that. How in the Wide World of Sports do we stop it????
I'm hoping against hope that the FBI as well as every other form of government law enforcement have people in place to stop it and bring the bastards down!
First, Kamala has to win the EC, which she will. Then, as the nationwide MAGA riots start to die down after Nov 5th, Trump's team will get busy challenging the election by claiming fraud.
As we know his lawyers have been drafting lawsuit templates in prep for this challenge since 2020, I'd like to believe our team is drafting corresponding responses for the onslaught.
Ultimately, it'll all go to SCOTUS, and who knows how that corrupt, unaccountable body will rule.
"Republican efforts to prevent certification of votes
I continue to receive emails from readers concerned about reports that local Republican officials will refuse to certify election results in 2024. That is a legitimate concern. Rachel Maddow featured the threat on her weekly program for the third consecutive Monday.
However, in her third report on the threat, Rachel interviewed Noah Bookbinder, the CEO of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), about plans to fight back against illegal efforts to refuse to certify election results. Bookbinder confirmed the seriousness of the threat but also emphasized that plans and resources are in place to ensure that certification occurs in the manner required by law.
Noah Bookbinder announced that CREW is publishing a report that details the threat and the legal remedies. The report is here: CREW, Election certification under threat. (To read the report, you must click the “download” button.)
CREW’s report is an impressive resource. It surveys election law in the eight states where potential election deniers occupy official positions. For each state, the report lays out the statutes and case law that require local and state officials to certify election results. The report is, in effect, a compendium of the legal briefs that will be filed against local officials (if any) who refuse to certify results.
Many of the emails from concerned readers forward articles describing the threat with a note from the reader saying, “I sure hope Democrats are doing something to prepare for this.” The answer is a resounding, “Yes, they are!” If you don’t believe me, spend an hour or two reading the CREW report for reassurance that Democrats have their eye on this issue.
And kudos to CREW for creating such an excellent resource. If you want to support CREW’s mission, you can show some love here:
My fear is the unfettered Elon Musk. Since the extraordinary retorts to Thierry Breton, alarm bells are ringing all over Europe. England is caught in a very tight spot, as they are no longer protected by the regulations of the European Union, thank you Nigel. Comments section in today's Le Monde is overflowing with French reactions to the "fiasco" around the so-called conversation - they don't believe a word of the cyber-attack story - the rest of the network was not "affected". If you haven't read this, I recommend it:
Imho, Elon rebranded Twitter "X" to echo the "X" design of Putin's Novorossiia flag and to telegraph his personal ideology and intent to support Russian schizo-fascism. I find that alarming.
“I think we are going to see mass refusals to certify the election” in November, says Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias. “Everything we are seeing about this election is that the other side is more organized, more ruthless, and more prepared.”
While refusals and delays of certification have not held up in court, in Georgia and Arizona, pro-Trump local election officials are seeking to make certification discretionary — lawsuits that are currently being decided by state judges — in order to give his campaign another method to challenge election results in November.
Polls indicate that the race between Trump and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris will be close. If employed on a large scale, the certification refusal movement would have disastrous consequences, fueling the fire of election conspiracies and delaying the tallying of votes crucial to determining the next president.
From the Rolling Stone article
Glawe, creator of the American Doom newsletter, penned his findings in a recent Rolling Stone exclusive titled: “These Swing State Election Officials Are Pro-Trump Election Deniers.”
I don't know whether to cheer his psychological breakdown or fear it. On one hand, it is (admittedly unkind of me) satisfying to watch him in confused and incoherent suffering, while it is a horrible prospect to conceive of him in power again. Something tells me the gop is going to step in at some point and remove him, but for whom, when, where and how is a mystery. Nikki Haley would be a likely replacement and she would surely be a problematic opponent. But what to do with Vance? The only certainty is that we MUST elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. ANY gop alternative is a nightmare.
Marilyn, they can not replace him. He is the confirmed nominee. He could withdraw, but then his legal 'fate' rests in the election and benevolence of his successor. Like Joe McCarthy, Hitler and all lairs with autocratic tendencies, he is going to ride this horse until it is dead. Then he will be convicted and sentenced to jail time, despite his lawyers arguing he suffers from some cognitive deficits and medical issues that preclude him from doing jail time. If one does not appreciate the schadenfreude of the situation given the Trump Horror Show and 461,000 excess dead Americans because of this clown's gaslit handling of pandemic, then you are not human. 461,000 estimate here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trumps-policy-failures-have-exacted-a-heavy-toll-on-public-health1/
I hope with a passion I can hardly contain that you are right. I keep flashing back 8 years to the heady optimism we felt about Hillary and how our complacency doomed us. I’m not exhaling until Nov. 6.
And let’s not forget that I don’t think they let you have hair dye, hair spray (industrial grade) or social media in the clinker…..what’s a conman to do?! Poor DonOld!!!!
I would love to see it, but I don't believe it. Rump is never going to jail, just like Steve Bannon. Yeah, maybe like 2 or 3 months, but nothing substantial. There's simply too much money behind him (e.g. Darth Musk).
I do believe Trump is having a psychological breakdown and hope he can hang in there until Nov 5. He has destroyed the GOP and I look forward to seeing whether and how they can fix the mess they created. It seems like a real test of our democracy.
Marilyn, this is snarky, but I am hoping Randi Rainbow (or some other creative spoofer) will come up with a tune “Slip Slurring Away” to the tune of the Paul Simon song in honor of the bleach-blond-bad-blathering-butch-bully!
One thing that Trump said in his "press conference" bothers me because I'm afraid that he inadvertently said something that we should be seriously concerned about. Quoting Heather quoting Trump: "[he]said that we are 'very close to a world war,' which illustrates that Trump’s main lever to turn out voters is fear." Well, it worked for me when I heard about the build-up of U.S. strength heading for Iran.
In addition to, in my estimation, being a war criminal, Benjamin Netanyahu was playing with fire with the recent assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, as well as with the constant demands that Gazans who already have moved multiple times, must move again, and then bombing them, with our weapons, when they go somewhere that is supposed to be safe. Is anyone else concerned that Bibi is blithely leading us into a world war? Are we, in the name of our long friendship with Israel, going to follow him down that path? What will we do if Iran attacks Israel? Hearing Secretary of Defence Austin on the news unleashed that fear lever in me more than anything Trump has ever said except for his ranting about a possible world war.
Betsy, I am less concerned but acknowledge your concerns as we always need to be vigilant. First, Trump/Putin/NKoreans and other Trumpistas know that in times of war/turmoil, Americans rally around their current leader. 9/11 boosted WBush's flagging presidency, WBush kept saying 'I am a War President' and rode to stay in office. Thus any war between now and November does not inure to Trump's benefit and probably does more to prove Kamala's bona fides as 'Commander and Chief'. In a national tense situation Kamala will be 'front and center' in the White House Situation Room while the nation watches breathlessly while trump is beached in Mar-a-Lardo photographed riding in his golf cart. Second, the world always has something 'going on', it just seems more salient today because of the election and Trump's rantings, but the world is no more dangerous today than during most of the Biden presidency.
At this point, I'm not particularly worried about Trump. The way I see it, Trump had no idea what he was talking about when he predicted a world war, but he stumbled inadvertently on how close we may actually be to something dire because of Netanyahu's reckless taking out of top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. My question is how will we respond If Iran does something reckless in return?
I didn't give any credence to what he said. I think of it as a "stopped watch" comment. But I look at the news, and I am worried about our being pulled in actively to a war in the Middle East.
Betsy, while the Felon is fear mongering about being "very close to world war" his racist bro' ELON MUSH is posting that UK "Civil War is inevitable" spreading far right trash about the PM Keir Starmer "building containment camps in the Falklands Islands".
Unlike the United States, the UK Parliament has already passed an "Online Safety Act"
into British law. See for example, Josh Self's 8/8/24 summary of Musk mayhem at politics.co.uk. WAPO posted data late this afternoon that Musk's political posts have gone from 2% in 2021 up to 17% right wing political rants in 2024.
The UK has replaced the Tory's & backbenches with a Labor Government headed by PM KEIR STARMER. The Brits have gotten rid of the Braeton Brats. French voters just merged centrist & progressive parties in their national 2 stage elections into a governing coalition government. It is up to us that is you & me --United States voters in every state to make Kamala & Tim very joyful warriors come 11/5/2024.
Vote! Vote early per your state's election law. I have been approved as an Election worker in a California County awaiting training in in a few days.
I think that you and 100 Panthers both misunderstand my concern. Please read what I wrote to 100 Panthers, trying to clarify whom I find truly scary: Benjamin Netanyahu.
Betsy, I believe I understood your several points about Netanyahu, the real threat of a wider regional Middle East War, United States active & scary current deployments as well as the Israel strike on a Gaza school killing about 100 including children within hours of the approval of a new supply of U.S. weapons.
My point is there are many autocrats in the world not the least of which is Putin with 2 on the same Twitter Inc. aka "X" platform this afternoon i.e. Musk & Trump as HCR mentioned.
United States voting citizen can play an anti-war, anti-violence role just as voters did in the UK & in France. I believe Senior is Judge Charles E. Beyer in the Northern District of California is going to handle Musk who just suffered a major set back on 8/5/24 in securities litigation over the origin of "X" & perhaps the demise of "X" which Case Newton, ex-Substack 'Platformer' derisively labeled Musk's 'political project'.
A lot going on many fronts all of which can be organized into smart action.
Smart action is not blocking traffic on the Bay Bridge in rush hour drawing felony indictments. The best Israel information I can locate is from bloggers. Who do you recommend for your real & valid concerns?
Iran is a weak fragile country that can not afford a direct confrontation with anyone, which is why it employs proxies. Iran and Iraq fought a bloody long war to a draw while Iraq lasted a few weeks against American military. Russia is the big threat to all and China down the road.
Betsy, for awhile now I have subscribed to updates/posts from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP)—it helps me broaden my horizons beyond what is happening in our country….and, I find, is most sobering to take a world view on “what’s up”. Definitely shakes me out of my myopia! https://www.counterextremism.com/
One possible interpretation of 45's casual approach to campaigning is that in his mind he is going to be the next President, regardless of who actually wins the election.
We hope, and trust, that our nation's Intelligence Community, and our law enforcement community, will remain "always vigilant".
I've been saying for months that he intends to steal the election. That is why he doesn't care about the vote. Who needs votes when you can manipulate the counting?
It would be nice to know that any election official who is found to be corrupt, or who acts in an illegal way, would certainly face severe legal consequences.
Yes, he seems to think his operatives can throw the process into chaos and allow him to emerge on top. It’s not implausible, and he won’t be the first in living memory to do it. The Brooks Brothers rioters stopped the Florida count and managed to get a corrupt Supreme Court to keep it stopped, thereby installing a nitwit in the White House, which nitwit started two disastrous wars along with the usual Republican tax cuts and deregulation, and, to boot, delivered the worst worldwide financial meltdown since 1929.
However, I don’t think the chaos plan would keep Trump away from his rallies, which are one his favorite things in life. Maybe not quite as high on his list as lying, cheating, and stealing, and probably not nearly as high as abusing people, but quite high, regardless.
What I think keeps Trump away from rallies with his adoring fans is that he’s afraid. He’s afraid the next assassin won’t miss.
He went to Bozeman, MT a day or three ago. We visited Bozeman when we went to Yellowstone NP. Seemed like a liberal vibe. There were two food co-ops in that relatively small town. The folks were friendly. Montana elected a Democrat to the Senate. Maybe Old McDon-Old felt safe enough visiting Bozeman. I'd bet he didn't draw crowds like Harris and Walz.
Some wrote that 8,000 people showed up to Trump’s rally in Bozeman. Is that equivalent to the crowds Harris and Walz are drawing? In Trump’s head this numbers matter. We need to see them published every day.
For Rump, the election is moot. If Kamala wins the vote, SCOTUS will simply dismiss the results and rule that the victory goes to Rump. They have been paid to do so, and they have nothing to fear.
I should think that SCOTUS would feel obligated to offer some thinly veiled excuse for whatever they do. If people began to think that SCOTUS has gone rogue, no telling what might happen. The Supreme Court of the United States might fall into disrepute!
"We have seen the high margin with which candidate Harris has supposedly won the vote. This margin is impossible, no president in history has made this before. Therefore, it is absolutely clear that the election has been tampered with. In such a situation of unprecedented fraud, we need someone with power and authority to set things right. This is why we rule that the victory goes to Mr. Donald J. Trump, because we are confident that he has the necessary qualifications to restore peace and order to the United States. Congratulations, Mr. President. And you all may now bow to your all-powerful ruler."
I think he doesn’t want or can’t finance a bigger campaign strategy. He is saving his campaign money for his lawyers who are busy defending him or filing frivolous lawsuits.
It tells us all we need to know (and already knew) about Trump and his campaign that they didn't notify the FBI of the hack. As someone pointed out, criminals never call the FBI.
As for Trump slurring words and engaging in bizarre mental ramblings, these alarm bells will only grow louder. He's now incapable of normal much less effective discourse. When will a major media outlet compile a compelling portrayal of his precipitous decline and inability to hold office?
I mean the percentage of Trumpers subscribing to the New York Times or the Washington Post surely has to be small. Why there has not been coverage of Trump's decline is surely due to their owners.
Elon Musk reveals who he is when he says, “TAKE A BIG STEP BACK AND LITERALLY, F*CK YOUR OWN FACE!”
Let us think for a moment what kind of person says something like that. I believe they would have to be an adolescent (on the inside) who is feeling frightened and insecure. I can’t imagine what else it could be. So, I conclude that Elon Musk is feeling scared and insecure about the election—if Harris and Walz win, Musk will likely lose power or money or, more likely, both. He will lose face as well—his guy will have lost despite big Musk contributions and Musk Twitter (I know he likes X) influence peddling.
At our house we talk about some people who have "f*** you!" money. Some people have enough money that they can buy their way out of any situation. If anyone has f-you money, it would be Elon. He was being openly defiant of the EU. We could imagine that the EU could arrange to block "X" in their jurisdiction, or at least make it inconvenient to access. Since Elon has vastly more money than any single human needs, maybe he doesn't care if the European Union drops out of, or blocks, X. Would it be wrong to suggest that Elon is ethically challenged?
What I really believe is that Old McDon-Old is a career criminal, irredeemable, probably sociopathic, possibly psychopathic, and a clear and present danger to all life on Earth.
Mostly correct, but he's definitely psychopathic. He carries the complete "Dark Triad" of narcissism, machiavellism and psychopathy, and Darth Musk does so, too. These two may the most dangerous men alive, capable of hurtling the entire western civilization into collapse.
I have thought so also, and his personality disorders are so entwined that it’s hard to distinguish one from the others. What it does mean is that Trump would govern entirely in his own interests and those of Putin. He has no concept of putting the good of the nation first.
Definitely. He has no concept of putting anyone else but himself first - first, and only, for that matter. And yes, he will rule in Putin's interests because he will be played like a marionette by Sauron in the Kremlin.
Right. SCOTUS and Musk have great power, without checks and balances. On the other hand, the US has great power as well. There are millions of citizens who swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. I am fairly certain that SCOTUS and Musk and pmurT could not act with impunity.
Then the question arises: how much of the evil is intentional, and how much is due to ineptitude? If it's willful, it may have more staying power. If it's organic, just developed slowly over the years, then it might fade away as the mind and body grow weary of living.
I think Darth Musk showed his true face. He's a narcissistic bully and has no respect whatsoever for anyone but himself. I bet he was masturbating when he posted that meme. But I do hope that the EU will charge him for this insult, and block Xitter for breaking EU rules.
I hope his shareholders are taking note of his behaviour. Has he been paying attention to his other interests besides X, formally known as Twitter? If his ownership of X can result in the loss of value what of his other companies?
I hope the arrogant, narcissistic, misogynistic and racist a**hole blows himself up in one of his space oddities, leaving his fan boys to cry rivers over him. We could do with less tech bros with an ego problem and way too much money on their hands in this world.
Thank you Dr. Richardson, for this informative report. Nothing any one in the formerly honorable republican party does is a surprise these days. They continue to sink lower and lower in a cesspool of manure.
Hearing the hackers broke into the Trimp Campaign files by compromising Roger Stone's email only makes it sweeter. Can you imagine Iranian hard-liners trying to make sense of what they found in his email files? No wonder they think Western culture is crazy.
At the rate this is proceeding, Donny 2-Scoops might self destruct before election day. Fingers crossed!
Good point Gary! The Iranian hackers who hacked Roger Stone's email are probably on a weeks long 'bender' rolling on the floors with laughter. They might be getting Julian Assange tats on their back!
I know, Gary! I was thinking that he probably clicked on an attachment that proclaimed exposed boob pics or something . . . Every once in a while something really quite delightfully karmic happens.
There were comments on the EmptyWheel site (Marcy Wheeler) to the effect that Roger Stone's being "hacked" could be a ruse, meaning that Stone is in on the project. I have no more information than that, but Stone is by nature a dealer in DIS-information.
I listened to as much as I could stomach of the Trump “interview” on Elmo’s Twitterx. Nothing I hadn’t heard many times before from either of them. They agreed that Biden’s withdrawal from his reelection campaign was a coup against the government. It pains me that millions of Americans support this infantile nonsense.
Trump’s public indifference toward serious campaigning suggests a more nefarious MAGA strategy: they don’t care at all about the vote count, because they are planning all along to win the election by contesting it in the gerrymandered Congress where the rules favor the right wing states and the reborn Confederates. Let the people be damned is their sentiment.
my fears exactly. Rachel Maddow has also noted the Felon's "we don't need more votes" statements (and attitude) in a segment that also talked about the "Christians, you will never need to vote again" speech, which has quickly faded from the media.
I wonder if there is a study of how his campaigns and time in office have not only smothered the news, but also accelerated the news cycle. Whiplash, forget, whiplash, forget, ....
And now there is the "White hoods and badges" book (FBI agent who went undercover to infiltrate KKK and stop their planned assssntn of Candidate Obama) reminding us that there is a MAGA militia. Or rather, Many militias, ready to unalive Dems and bugaloo like its Jan 6 on roids.
Remember, Abbott and 17 other red state govs Activated their National Guards to "patrol the border," which challenged Fed authority over the border, And over the National Guard. Looked like a - what's that word re running War scenarios?
Yeah, I know, there are great National Guards, Tim Walz was one, etc. I'm sure there are many who understand the mission. But there are more and more Aggrieved white men who prefer to think it's time for "revolution 2.0."
Remember, the National Association of Police Orgs just formally endorsed Trump. That's almost a quarter million police officers right there.
It's going to be Ugly and we need to be ready. But who is preparing us?
Especially for when We, the "accept defeat honorably" party,* suddenly have to fight REAL ELECTION FRAUD perpetrated by the election deniers.
You think the world is upside down? Wait for Nov 5.
*disclosure: the fact that I am still and will forever be Pissed As Hell at Gore and the Dems for bowing out completely after the extreme level Shadiness of the 2000 W election, with a cousin calling it on Fox, and a brother/Governor in Florida screwing around with it then Roger Stone's Brooks Bros Riot AND Then HWBush appt'd Justice Thomas leading the SCOTUS decision to Stop the recount....
not time time, folks.
Do YOU think the Democrats are prepared?
Please reply with links to any articles that will give me faith.
Thanks Heather, we live in strange (or weird) times. It is still hard to believe, that a significant minority support Trump, racist, traitor, rapist and felon.
However I was listening to Maggie Haberman on CNN and she made a comment that although there is momentum for the Democrats that many agree with Trumps policies. The question I had is “what policies”? A tax cut for billionaires and a wall, coddling to dictators, using the office to enrich his family, a tariff war with China bankrupting farmers. He has no policy except to stay out of prison.
Chaos is Steve Bannon’s playbook—don’t let them win. Vote on day 1 of early voting if you can and, up until you vote, check your voter registration weekly. Ohio and Texas have already purged voters.
Official Dropbox is better than USPS, since the Republicans are planning on blocking our ballots to stall certification
https://youtu.be/dO7qp195xaw?si=_n_KG3UzuLbTefL_1
Trying to be certain that our absentee ballots would not suffer any "irregularities", we dropped them in our city's official early voting place at City Hall. Our usual attendants were there, and they instructed us on what to do. We have a high level of confidence that our early ballot submissions will be counted.
Regarding getting "unregistered", Joyce Vance wrote a day or three ago that federal law prohibits removing anyone's name from voter registration rolls during the 90 days prior to an election. Accordingly, if you check today and find that you are registered, you can be certain that you will still be registered on voting day. However, there was also a suggestion to take a screen shot of your current voting status that shows you were registered during the 90 days prior to the election. One place to check is "vote dot gov".
David, like you, I drive (two towns over!) to drop my official ballot at the county’s election headquarters. I also, after carefully studying my ballot (usually also local & state candidates & ballot measures) & filling out my “practice ballot”, I transfer all of it to the official ballot and get it in, if I can, on the first day they are accepted, as this means those doing “get out the vote” efforts don’t have to spend time/resources dogging me to vote (and a shout-out thank you for those doing those efforts!).
Unless you have other business there's really no reason to avoid a US mailbox. If you sign up for the state's ballot tracking program you'll know when your ballot was received and when it was counted. I trust the USPS but, of course, to each her own.
In my area on the southeastern NC coast, mail service has become very erratic since Louis DeJoy became Postmaster General. Ex. our most recent mail hold resulted in some mail held and other mail delivered. We always have to have neighbors check our mailbox. This situation occurs every time we need to pause mail delivery. Prior to DeJoy, the mail was not problematic. I'm doing early voting.
Mail service, once a thing that ran flawlessly and was rarely questioned, is a mess. Classic example of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". DeJoy was so obviously installed to sabotage.
Agree, we have the same issue here in this part of PA. I don’t trust Louis DeJoy a Trump appointee. Our neighbor is a postal carrier and he tells us stories of how bad things are since DeJoy has taken over and slashed workers rights. I’ll vote in person thank you!
In my experience, people assume that every issue they have with the USPS is because of DeJoy. While he did some despicable things that may or may not have affected the 2020 election, the fact is that the service was in trouble long before his appointment in May 2020. In 2006, Congress passed a law that requires the postal service to fund in advance its health and retirement benefits for FIFTY years! No other government entity is required to meet that onerous requirement. As a result of the decrease in use of first class mail because of electronic communications (guilty!), their deficit is now in the billions. Instead of rescinding that insane requirement, Congress is allowing the Constitutionally mandated postal service to languish.
As for mail hold irregularities, that's something to take up with your mail carrier or local postmaster as it's the local personnel who sort and slot the mail.
I'm afraid I must disagree. Since DeJoy took over, our mail system has gone downhill. Official communications from government agencies have been coming very late, a temporary change of address has found our mail going to the wrong address or not arriving at all so often we just stopped most magazine subscriptions. Christmas cards have been returned undeliverable (to addresses that have not changed in years) months later... I am convinced he was hired to destroy the system and is doing so every day.
When you put someone in charge of an organization who has made it clear he/she thinks that privatization is the only way to run such services, they are going to set out to prove their point. I am not aware of anything DeJoy has instituted that has improved the USPS. I have always had a great deal of sympathy for those who labor under leadership with misplaced loyalties. Wouldn't he just LOVE to get a crack at THAT privatization honey pot?
Sara, I know you are right, so why is it possible DeJoy is still in the office of Postmaster General? What he did in 2020 to sabotage the election should be a crime against the people of this nation since the Post Office is accounted for in the Constitution. Why has he not been charged and removed? I get the whole Post Office board thing, another way to cripple the Post Office, but there should be limits on what any board or Post Master can do when in power. Maybe the board needs to be dissolved because their interests are not in making things right for the American people and a new board with some postal experience and no conflicts of interest should be appointed and a decent postmaster general hired. It is time this is corrected because the people need our postal service!
I’m with ya sista!!
A regular occurrence for me - I recently sent mail to Medicare with USPS tracking. It was supposed to arrive by 7/22 and it still has not arrived. I will only use an official ballot dropoff box to vote early.
And yet, my son--who lives in Japan--votes via internet and it works perfectly. Why can't we all do that??
Last election, my Wife and I placed our ballot envelopes in a USPS mailbox at the Post Office, never to be seen again. Not counted, missing, too bad. This time we will drive to our County HQ.
I ordered online , at USPS.com , and paid for, postcard stamps to mail OHIO Get Out The Vote postcards. This was over 1 month ago. I never received the stamps.
I do not trust USPS under their current leadership.
Beware.
I had the same experience with my online order. I blame DeJoy for screwing up the USPS website too.
I hate to say it, but mailbox vandalism is current, just as much as thieves stealing your delivered boxes from your porch. Trump has a website that is asking for volunteers to block voter certification. For this election year, use your local USPS office (not a franchise) or an official county voting drop box. You can get this info online from your Sec of State website.
Mailbox vandalism is not a new thing. I haven't put outgoing mail in my curbside mailbox for years.
I used to trust the USPS but once DeJoy took over the service levels in ME have gone to hell. I could tell you about 5 pieces of mail that were never received by me or checks never received by the recipient. And this was since DeJoy took over. Our entire delegation has written DeJoy on multiple occasions and received either no response or negative response. We have two sorting locations in the state and he closed one of them so some Post Offices are 5 or 6 hour drives to get sorted.
Imagine mailing a check to someone in a neighboring town and it having to travel 500 miles and take 4 days to get delivered. DeJoy is an asshole and a moron.
This is what all Federal agencies will be like if Project 2025 is implemented. So maybe you're Post Office is ok, but for many of us it sucks.
I'm so sorry you've been experiencing these issues. I have been lucky with the postal service, mostly. While I attribute specific problems to local personnel (often substitute carriers), there has been a steady decline in the levels of service and a sad consolidation in the number of brick and mortar locations. This is attributable to the steep fall off in the use of first class mail which has lead to unbearable budget deficits.
While it sometimes helps to write directly to the head of a corporation, there are so many bureaucratic levels in federal agencies that it's highly unlikely that your missives were received by DeJoy's office. Have you tried meeting with your local or regional post master?
I share your concerns about the USPS being the "canary" of what could happen if the Trumplicans get a chance to implement Project 2025.
remember the USPS is run by a republican appointee who tried to remodel (close offices) right before the election.
Remember it well. Still roils.
MisTBlu, two years ago, I put my ballot in a mailbox, but never got the notice that it hadd been received. So, I don't even know if my vote was counted for that election. It really is frustrating because it is not clear if people have been stealing ballots from mailboxes as they have been stealing checks and other mail. I don't know the answer except that we need to be more vigilant.
I don't know what state you live in but in California you can contact either your county's registrar of voters or the secretary of state. And yes, vigilance is always advised, which is why I'm so grateful that we have a system of tracking our ballots online.
There is a USPS mailbox on my corner. Over the years I've lived here it has been broken into on several occasions; I have personally seen its door wide open with no postal worker in sight. I wouldn't trust that mailbox with ANY outgoing mail. Fortunately, US Mail is delivered directly to my condo each day at about 4 PM and our mail carrier retrieves any outgoing mail from the locked mail box in our lobby. I have confidence that outgoing mail deposited in the box in our lobby will not be stolen. The security of mailboxes varies with your location, and while the box is probably secure nearly 100% of the time, I don't want my mail-in ballot to be a victim of that less than 1% chance the mailbox has its contents pilfered.
Let's remember, the Democratic Party has governors in ALL the key States, save for GA. These states of course are MN, WI, MI, PA (and AZ). Even NC has Dem Gov Roy Cooper. Therefore, the Sec Of State in all these states are Democrats; they run the elections! ALL of them will insure a fair and true election, as occurred in 2020 and 2022, and in every election previous.
The threat from Republicans around ballot counting MAY affect THEIR counties - which are ALL rural and the least populated. Therefore, the voter turnout differences are not only urban and suburban versus rural, but therefore the counties are Democratic vs. Republican. This excited "urban mass" of voters will win al of these elections! So, we are assured of a Blue Wave with the Blue Wall!
The strength of our ticket COULD put into play FL, with urban population bases bursting w excitement, but also IO and OH, how about MO and KY (w popular Dem Gov Andy Beshear in KY)
These two facts allow us to be assured that the CORE INFRASTRUCTURE of our democracy is in safe hands, because it is Democrats who control the levers, so to speak
The fretting about democracy and our voting system is another ginned-up conservative ploy, as liberals and progressives play into the drama because ... we love our drama!
Basically, EVERY statewide election since 2017 in MN, MI, WI, and PA have been won by Dems, as have these elections in AZ. GA is turning blue with the two statewide Democratic Senate seats.; you can bet the Black turnout will be tremendous this Nov. While their Gov is Republican, Gov Kemp has remained a stalwart believer in the democratic voting process. GA will also Jon the Blue Wave!
To paraphrase Simon Rosenberg, let's all stay smart, relaxed and vigilante. Oh, and stay busy with cards, calls, canvassing, and compassion!
The End, is just Our Beginning!
I agree with reservations. Your logic makes sense tactically speaking. I am from Kentucky and there is zero chance Kentucky would vote blue although the blue pockets might expand. The unknown factor is what the heck the Republicans could have up their sleeves. We know they are looking at voter suppression tactics. And then there is SCOTUS.....But. They did just give President Biden enormous immunity so I would expect President Biden to go to any length to insure our Democracy wins in November should SCOTUS try anything.
And then there are Foreign influences...
I will be so glad when this slow-moving coup is over.
The Dems hold ALL of the levers in ALL of the swing states; this is why the Blue Wall states have NOT voted Republican, statewide, since the 2016 Prez election
Conservatism is poison, and offers more poison. We offer Joy and many positive programs.
"We Won't Go Back!" is the chant I hear from the majority of American women; along with most of their sons ❤️
You realize you are preaching to the choir with me, don't you?
I hope Biden will use his immunity privilege. Take off the gloves. get your gloves below the belt where republicans like to punch.
I do too Karen.
Excuse me but January 6th was not just: "The fretting about democracy and our voting system is another ginned-up conservative ploy," because we love drama. It was real, terrifying, bloody and deadly.
There is no sense ignoring the possibilities for our next election.
Forewarned is Forearmed. I would like us all to be prepared.
I look at the facts, the on-the-ground evidence, such as --- who is actually running these elections in battleground states. Oh, they're ALL Democrats!
Notice the difference between conservative propaganda, and facts. Now, I'm back to post card writing .... THIS is one aspect of "being prepared"
Every voting station must have 1 Democrat and 1 Republican on site at every voting station. I know because my husband and I volunteer.
I notice a lot between the difference of "conservative propoganda" and facts. It is very difficult to find anything but "conservative propoganda" in our current media .hanks to Prof. HCR and R. Hubbell we can still find some truth in print.
Have a great day!
I am convinced that the election if trump loses will be a blood bath. The trumpers are psyched with trump raving at them like a coach at half time when the team is losing. A pep rally of nuclear proportions.
It many be in some parts of the country, but I think the violence will be isolated to TX, OK and a few other Fascist strongholds. The TX AG will bluster about seceded, but in the end they don't dare.
Frederick, I just came across this report by CREW: haven't read it yet, but have downloaded it and will read later.
Apparently this report will provide to the reader a sense of relief rather than foreboding as to exactly how much election officials can deviate from their duty.
https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/election-certification-under-threat/
As the election nears, it's possible FL will be in play. DeSantis and his Republican allies in the legislature and the FL courts have cost their constituents "bigly."
Frederick, how many red state election officials who refuse to certify election results does it take to throw the election decision to the states?
"WE WIN 😁" when we maintain the Blue Wall, and surpass the required 270 Electoral College votes.
Actually, we don't need to win ANY red states to reach 270.
Also, it's valuable to keep in mind the battles the conservatives are having within the Republican Party. The MI and AZ Republicans are especially in turmoil. We now see Republican elected officials organizing to defeat Trump; most notable is the effort led by the mayor of Mesa, AZ, who chastised Kari Lake, on stage, at the recent, massive Harris/Walz rally in Glendale, AZ. I look forward to the stream of Republicans speaking at the Dem convention!
The Trump Party has really replaced the Republican Party; and he ain't inviting new members to join! While Harris/Biden are riding a massive ... BLUE ... WAVE 😃
I read about that mayor. Lots of courage. You could almost say he had the red badge of courage.
If you have been dropped from the roles in Texas (and 12%! of the electorate has been), they will give you a provisional ballot so people won't create a scene at the polling places. But to get that ballot to count:
"If you are voting in the correct precinct, in order to have your provisional ballot
accepted, you will be required to visit your local county voter registrar’s office
(information below) within six days of the date of the election to either present one of the below forms of photo ID..."
Check registration here. https://voterizer.org/
Watching from Canada, I love how so many Americans are taking the time and effort to guard their ballot and follow it through the system, if they can, and note when it arrives at ballot HQ. That's a lot of work. In better times you wouldn't and shouldn't have to use up so much bandwidth monitoring your ballot but in these strange times, you do and you are.
Trump will only win by hook and by crook if Americans let him get away with all his planned cheating. You are a nation that more than half a century ago, landed humans on the moon using analogue calculations, for goodness sake. If you accomplished that, you can outsmart Trump and the shadowy shysters that are propping up his festering, empty shell. Hang in there. This is one for the history books. You are starring in your own heroic movie. This is a People's Revolution of Righteous Honor. Think of the celebration there will be on Jan. 20, 2025 when the era of Harris/Walz is sworn in to office. Till then - be ever vigilant. You know the attacks are coming.
This is your finest hour.
Thank you for those kind words. Even if trump loses, the attacks will still come. We saw that on Jan6 so, yes, we have to be ever vigilant.
You must watch with trepidation. Being in the midst of it, with family and friends often becoming strangers, is mind-blowing.
I do wonder about that, JD, as to whether those most set w/The Republican Favor have been halved in my circle. Albeit the excuses their lingering loyalty requires gets laboriously a longer and longer rolling eventually into the word salad category.
It’s being evidenced as the new DSM edition perhaps labors to categorize this phenomena ..pegged correctly ‘a cult’ …quite early in its game.
LFAA has given eloquent historical background as well as Maddox’s ‘Ultra’ however.
History has been threatened . Rewriting to save guilt..struck me as contrary to intent..but also evidenced by the complacent nature many ( somewhat self disclosure, folks) fell into.
Point being , vigilance is and ‘always will be’ required ..and I repeat..the Devil is in the details…’always.
What happens in the US inevitably shows up here. You people take the first blows and that gives us a bit of time to observe and maybe learn something - but it's upsetting that much of the time, we don't. So much of the time, no one wants to make the first move.
I’ve read your comments several times this morning, and have searched for words to describe my deepest, heartfelt appreciation for your friendship and benevolent kindness. I can think of none other than a simple …THANK YOU!
🩵
Very inspirational and kind, NLTownie!
It might be best to go to https://vote.gov/register
That is a very functional and informative website. I used it and was impressed with the ease of use and the amount of useful information that was there.
This website is not working for my state.
Sorry, Maddow.
And ,in addition , seems I signed up somehow to write my own Substack..don’t know how that happened -my apologies…🤷♀️ …I am not . To be privileged to comment is a thrill, fun, and a wonderful place to learn from all…of you 🫶
My "page" was started by Substack. I've yet to write on it, because I can't figure it out.
You continue to answer my unasked questions, further encourages my admiration Ally. Ha! Keep me advised please …never dreamed reading OR writing could be so much fun.
Truly you are (ALL) inspirations 🥰 amazingly teaching so well.
Me either 🤷♂️
David, the challenge is for those who do not live near a drop box or an early voting site. The USPS has a mandate not to mess with the mail, but DeJoy doesn't care about any of that and even tried to sabotage the 2020 election, hoping people wouldn't notice. I know he would do it again if he could get away with it. I suspect there would be enough Trumpers and Trumpettes in the USPs who would be willing to help out for a bonus of some kind or maybe not even a bonus. I hate to feel this way, but it is not as though attempts have not been made in the past. Heck, in Pennsylvania, if there is not the right date in the line on the envelope, the ballot can be thrown out. That is simply insane since there will never be another election with the same ballot. Of course, this is a Republican play because people don't always take the time to read all the instructions on mail-in ballots. We need federal laws that require every single citizen aged 18 and older to be registered to vote automatically and have an independent agency that checks to see that no one is voting twice and that when people have moved their new address is recorded and a notice is sent to their previous voting location. Every Social Security number is unique, and this could be done with little trouble and is already for the people who belong to the current national system which surprise, surprise, Republican states are dropping out of. Now, I wonder why they would do that when they pretend to be so worried about voter fraud. Inquiring minds want to know!
I think voting regulations should be the same in every state so no one can say that one state allows or restricts different things. Felons voting is one issue. trump votes in FL which doesn't allow felons to vote BUT will let them vote if they are convicted in a state that DOES allow felons to vote, FL goes by that law. Hence trump a felon can vote because NY allows it.
Good advice.
Leave no stone unturned. Assume that every thing will be questioned.
David, thanks for the link. vote.gov
I was going to mention that too, so thanks! (But I should take a screen shot. But I'm in SF, so it's quite likely that I'm "safe.")
The USPS continues to decay since CFDT installed DeVoy as their demolition king. In ME, he has closed several rural post offices and completely shut down half of the sorting centers. Turnover is extremely high and employee satisfaction at the USPS has never been worse.
So don't wait to mail-in your ballots. Mail early and call to see if they were received.
Remember - the USPS is the model for what Project 2025 wants to do with ALL of the government agencies. Install a moronic CFDT loyalist, ruin morale and the services they offer and then claim it is so much better.
Hard to belive DeVoy is still there.
Dejoy
Haven’t the needed changes taken place to allow him to be fired. Times a wasting and the damage is already catastrophic
Only the postal board of governors can fire him and Biden still lacks a majority there.
I heard that there was a recent needed change. Maybe just wishful thinking.
Gary, I had a package (don’t quite remember its origin) that I tracked that stopped at the southern Maine distribution center, then up to Hamden, back down to Portland, to _Nashua, NH_ (!), then Portland->Hamden…and finally out for delivery here in Lamoine. Of course, I can’t blame this on DeVoy but this isn’t the first anecdote about this that I’ve seen.
Isnt it DeJoy
Louis DeJoy
DeJoy
Potter, I call him No Joy. My LMT, a former postal worker, has another name for him, but I don't remember what it is...Destroy maybe. Here in the Salem area, mail has to go to Portland to be sorted and then sent back. We used to have a sorting center. We have a mail in voting system here in Oregon. So far it has worked well. i get a notice that the ballot is coming. Then I get a notice that it has been received and OKed for counting. There are also several drop off places around including the local grocery store down the street. Lots of people wait until the last minute and drop theirs off at the courthouse. Yesterday, our cleaner, who is originally from Chile, asked me who I was voting for. When i told her, she gave me a hug. She lived for a time in Queens and had lots to say about death star and his family. Crooks, she said.
I drop mine at one of the drop boxes or at the elections office. I usually drive my disabled friend, who carries her ballot and her 92 year old mother's ballot in as well.
Typo s/b DeJoy
That is why Vote From Abroad Members are luckier if they are in states where they can email their ballots. Last time I mailed in my ballot, in March to the primary election, it took 3 weeks to arrive. While my city clerk does not mail them early enough, at least I was able to receive it by email, but I still have to print it and mail it back by snail mail, which is slow in the country I live in, and in the US. So, that is not good. We need to work for votes from abroad to all be email ballots. When I am voting in the States I get a mailed ballot and then I do drop it in the early voting ballot box.
I vote from overseas. In 2016 my snail mail ballot was lost in the mail although my wife's was counted even though we posted together. Email voting is not permitted but I was instructed to use fvap.gov. Foreign Voting Assistance Program for military and overseas citizens.
"Overseas: Your ballot must be returned either by regular mail (using the two-envelope method as described on the Secrecy Sleeve) or by fax. If you do not have access to a fax machine, you can email your forms to fax@fvap.gov and they will fax your ballot to our office. Download the FVAP Transmittal Coversheet here: https://www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/Forms/coversheet.pdf" One's ballot is not secret but at least it gets counted.
Back in the 80s I was working at our embassy in China; my ballot arrived about two days before the election! At that time, Vermont's paper ballots were huge (think the size of an unfolded standard newspaper). In order to cast my ballot, which I did via fax, I had to cut it up and send it in pieces. I really don't know if it got through and registered, but I hoped for the best. It surely wasn't anonymous, though. We did have a great town clerk.
TD according to my regional Democrats Abroad Leader there are 3 ways to return you ballot and it depends which state you live in which ones are accepted. He listed them all.
This is what he sent us:
Just got some info about the allowed methods of returning ballots in the various states, useful to know:
- Postal Mail Return States: AR, CT, GA, ID, IL, IA, KY, MD, MI, MN, MO, NH, NY, OH, PA, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WI, WY
- Fax Return States: AK, CA, FL, LA, OK
- Email Upload Return States: AL, AZ, CO, DE, DC, HI, IN, KS, ME, MA, MS, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, ND, OR, RI, SC, UT, WA, WV
I vote from a postal mail return state, so I don't think I can have it faxed.
My in-laws voted by email during the 6+ years they were based in Germany and in Hong Kong. Yay, Oregon!
I know. I envy the ease. Have to lobby for that. Find out who can change it first.
When I did vote by mail, I dropped my ballot off at the Board of Elections office and watched the clerk put it in the box.
Much depends on what state you live in, and often what part of that state -- if you live in a blue area of a red state, and/or an area with a significant population of color, and/or an area with a large college population, be especially vigilant. (P.S. Dropbox with a capital D is an online service and isn't involved in elections.)
Don’t forget DeJoy is probably doing all he can to be sure your mail-in ballots don’t arrive. Send them early and check. Be CERTAIN that your ballot arrives at its designated place.
Drop boxes are my choice...just sayin'
Definitely use official drop boxes. I've seen too many articles about mail being stolen and the testimony in the comments here to trust the efficiency of the USPS in all locales. It's sad that the greatly loved and relied upon USPS has sunk so low.
Georgia has already purged several hundred thousand voters. They also passed a motion to let anyone challenge voters recently. These cretins that are behind all of this should be arrested and remanded to prison, or under a prison! The last time i checked my registration, i was still active at least for now.
Despite the 90-day rule, if I lived in a swing or red state I would be inclined to check weekly to be sure I was still registered. (Fed law says voters can't be removed/purged within 90 days of an election.)
Federal law or even a constitutional amendment has never stopped the cretins from disenfranchising people. In NC in the very early 1900's, black voters were disenfranchised despite there being a constitutional amendment allowing them to vote. Wicked people work VERY hard to accomplish their evil.
You are so right, JennSH. These sub-human creeps in the GQP Domestic terrorist party are very wicked. They all belong in prison or be locked up in a maximum security insane asylum!
That's great advice, Evelyn. I am going to make sure i check my registration every week or maybe twice a week. In the 2022 middle term elections i requested an absentee ballot several weeks in advance, i never received one and ended up voting in the early voting period. This shows the depth the GQP Domestic terrorist party has sank to. Their agenda and policies are corrupt and unpopular they have to resort to unlawful shenanigans to even have a chance to win.
https://voterizer.org/
FT6 sent 889K texts into GA to register new or reregistered Democrats. Next round to TextArcade to GA is September 12. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ft6arcade24
Thanks, Daniel, Voterizer.org is terrific!
Thank you GA the country stands with you and once again are counting on you 🇺🇸
The cretins are ready to challenge every Dem vote. Every one
Take a screen shot of your voter registration online and print a copy to present at the polls. The screen shot has the date you saw you were registered.
There are still states that vote only on Election day. NH is one.
Wow! I was unaware of that! I live in New York. We have 2 weeks of early voting.
I am writing swing state postcards, and I made 'check your voter registration at vote.gov' stickers and put one on every postcard.
Mary, I had heard that after 90 days before an election, no further purges were supposed to take place. I don't remember if that was just in certain states or across the country. I hope it is the whole country if true because there are people like the ACLU that would sue on our behalf if anyone finds their registration stopped when after 90 days it was on the rolls.
As the wheels fall off the cart we shall see all sorts of panic moves by the drivers, all to no real avail, I surely hope. And I need to add heartfelt sympathy to all those women caught in this dreadful situation that leaves them at risk of death in the wake of abolishing Roe vs Wade.
Thanks so much for mentioning the women caught in this horrific tragedy !! It makes me wish we’d hear from more brothers, sons, husbands, partners, friends, colleagues, fathers🙏
The women that are caught in this horrific tragedy is not only horrific, but extremely cruel and heartless and downright evil. Acts such as this, shouldn't even be thought of here in the United States! Nazi Germany all over again!
Republicans certainly appear to hate women and only want them around for reproduction. (If they had their way, would involuntary insemination centers be far behind? (Like in The Handmaid's Tale.)
Oh, no, they want their "relief" too much to allow for artificial insemination. <snark, but not outside the realm of reality>
Oddly enough people are still flocking to TX and FL since the Dobb's decision passed.
We finally sold our place in FL, in 2020 when it became clear that travel was going to be harder and more dangerous for several years. But since then, FL homeowners insurance has bloomed to an average of $11000 a year, property taxes have doubled in many places and hundreds of lots along the ocean have been reclaimed by Mother Nature.
Sure, FL has no state income tax, but at least with the income tax, it is predictable in the sense that the rate doesn't change very often.
And good luck getting reproductive care in FL or TX. The doctors are fleeing as fast as they can find a state where women's health care isn't under assault.
We sold our winter home in FL in 2021 - we just couldn't take the wide-spread adoration of Trump and the faux-heavy-religiosity any longer. I love Brooklyn - how sweet it is.
Good for you. Fortunately or unfortunately (time will tell) the winters in ME have become milder and yet the summers are still very pleasant. And your weather is much milder than ours.
The summers here are so pleasant that Acadia National Park is hosting around 4 million guests each year.
We sold our home in Fernandina Beach and ir was in a condo association. Our association had very little reserved for roof replacements, painting and storm damage. There were 27 Duplexes and we had tile roofs that were about half-way through their life -- unless the insurance carriers deemed that the life of a roof was shorter.
I haven't talked to my former roof-mates since DeSantis and the Republicans passed the Condo law to increase reserves but I'd estimate that each duplex owner would be forced to chip in $15K minimum. The average age on our street was over 70, so it would have been a struggle for several of the residents on fixed incomes.
A fair number of my former patients fled Minn. winters living for 6 mos. and a day in Fla. Tx. and Az, but returned when health faltered for better care. There must be a tipping point where environmental stresses and low taxes implode the whole system.
And those were the fortunate patients (that could afford to have homes or apartments in two places).
This is an old statistic but as of 2019 the US had 10 years of oil known oil reserves assuming we kept pumping at the rates in 2019. We have actually increased the rate of pumping, but I don't know if they have discovered new reserves.
TX, OK and ND derive a large percentage of their state income from oil. Do you think that as the oil is depleted in these states that will be a tipping point?
I wonder if TX and OK will ever abandon Republican politics when they realize their Ponzi scheme is crashing or will they rely on the Republicans to solve their problems.
Republicans do not solve problems. They simply complain and campaign on problems. Frequently, the Republicans are the reason a problem even exists.
Unfortunately, it comes down to economically feasible extraction, such as when they were willing to spend more than $66/bbl if I recall correctly. A friend was investing all he could in the newly "discovered" Bakken oil field reserves which to me varied wildly depending upon the expensive technology you are willing to use (hydraulic fracturing that requires several times the amount of pipe to get adequate flow rates, and directional drilling). Directional drilling is a modern marvel but when they started on an acquaintance's lease, I think it cost from $70,000 to $165,000 a day, and they finally quit chasing the little pockets that didn't produce enough for long enough to justify the expense.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakken_formation
"...In April 2008, a USGS report estimated the amount of recoverable oil using technology readily available at the end of 2007 within the Bakken Formation at 3.0 to 4.3 billion barrels (680,000,000 m3), with a mean of 3.65 billion.[5][6] Simultaneously the state of North Dakota released a report with a lower estimate of 2.1 billion barrels (330,000,000 m3) of technically recoverable oil in the Bakken.[7] Various other estimates place the total reserves, recoverable and non-recoverable with today's technology, at up to 24 billion barrels. A recent estimate places the figure at 18 billion barrels.[8] In April 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey released a new figure for expected ultimate recovery of 7.4 billion barrels of oil..."
Cheap Oil - 3.0 to 4.3 billion barrels
Most expensive oil - up to 24 billion barrels
Realistic cost oil - 7.4 billion barrels
Cost to Climate? Ask Florida homeowners about flood insurance cost (if they can even get any flood insurance).
Also see https://www.macrotrends.net/1369/crude-oil-price-history-chart
Get Americans to stop using vehicles that have more power than they will ever truly need! (Good luck with that, btw). Wasting gasoline is a problem.
EVs like my daughter's Nissan Leafs have more than enough power, especially at low speeds. Then there is Eco Mode and Single Pedal driving. I drove 17.2 miles to my home very conservatively and noticed that the range remaining just dropped from 188 miles to 178 miles (10 mile drop in range for 17.2 miles of actual driving at the posted speed limits of 45 mph and under).
Plugin Hybrids are capable of handling my normal around town driving on just electric drive,recharging the smaller battery (compared to EVs) each night to around 80% (to leave head room for regenerated energy and help the batteries last even longer). I'm looking for a good used PHEV at the moment since I stupidly sold my 2001 Prius (non-plugin hybrid), when we moved from California to Maine. People we met in California with Chevy Volts often averaged 135 MPGe because of their mix of commute miles to around town miles. A few would get around 175 MPGe due to less commute miles, and one couldn't believe he was getting 275 MPGe until we asked him how many miles he drove around town (topping off the battery every might at home). Then there is Jay Leno, I calculated he was getting something like 905 MPGe with minimal use of the gas engine and recharging every night using his solar and wind power.
The simple Prius hybrid with the smallest batteries still let me get 46.5 mpg when I had accumulated 306,000 miles on it. The regenerative braking also meant the brake pads lasted 276,000 miles.
With the expenses for our cat's last month and a half, I may have to settle for a simple hybrid, but I'd love to be able to drive long distances as well as around town like they could with Chevy Volts (no longer produced). Other wise I have to keep my old Subaru Outback as a second car (I'd rather not have to keep).
Feds only one to do flood insurance. It was when we got it years ago.
Property taxes and homeowner's insurance costs in Texas negate the value of no income tax. Abbott and his cronies are turning Texas into a third-world country.
The Texas trio of cretins make a great state into a negative in more ways than one can count. There should be warning signs at the border. MAGAts love it.
Sadly this geographic relocation just adds to the national polarization
I just laboured through another one of his speeches. Four points:
>the border and an imported crime wave;
>inflation;
>the socialist menace; and,
>Vice President Harris's incompetence and weakness (sic . . . sick).
The speech lasted for roughly one hundred minutes. Too bad I am no longer an R.C. -- this ordeal would surely have a great penitential value.
No wonder his handlers want the former President dressed in a straight jacket. What gets me is that people cheer like crazy when they hear the same untrue point for the umpteenth time.
If you ever wondered what Hitler was saying during his screeds, I suspect Trump has copied a lot of it.
That's just vicious cruelty, all in Heather's fourth-before-the-end paragraph.
That's where Heather writes of the pregnant women in need of care but turned away from emergency rooms.
I blame the most corrupt justice in the history of the nation's highest court -- Clarence. I know, back in the Anita Hill days he was just a roly-poly, laughing abuser of women, with all his Long Dong jokes.
Since then he's become a record-setting taker of bribes, all for the higher calling of ruling over and over for the privileges of the billionaires who wantonly bankroll his luxuries.
But forcing women to suffer medical damage, just for his and the other Republicans who all perjured themselves to get on that court to inflict that all-too-real, medieval damage on our women, on America?
Phil, the deeply seated corruption of the MAGA majority is on full view when the decisions in Dobbs and Trump are placed side by side. In Dobbs, Alito proclaimed that Roe and Casey must be overruled as "[T]he Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision". This ruling condemned women to the potentially fatal vagaries of reproductive medical care under state legislation. On returning the matter to the states, Alito offered the following condescending lesson in civics to women:
"[the ruling] allows women on both sides of the abortion issue to seek to affect the legislative process by influencing public opinion, lobbying legislators, voting, and running for office. Women are not without electoral or political power." Alito's arrogance is breathtaking.
We come to Trump v. United States in which the MAGA majority invented a presidential immunity regime from whole cloth, untroubled by the lack of express or implicit support for it in the Constitution. The deep concern at the lack of a reference to abortion in the Constitution which animated the majority in Dobbs, gave way to their radical approach in Trump where the text of the Constitution really didn't matter; nor did the separation of powers. It was all about doing a solid favor for the former President.
When Hercules is finished cleaning the Augean Stables, he should attend to the Supreme Court.
Hercules, Mark? Sure, but let's hope American voters massively turn out in November.
I hate this court for its worship of its massively dehumanized billionaires. I hate it for what it's done to American women. For how its dismissal of the Chevron precedent just further turns everything over further to the cynically corrupt -- crippling the federal agencies set up to protect American health, workplace safety, finance, and the environment.
Americans may really clean house of the nihilist, billionaire-enabling, AR-15 mass-murder worshipping Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate.
So much corruption for the people to confront.
Praying to any deity that may have jurisdiction over these issues!
Phil, I had in mind reforming the Supreme Court may be a herculean task.
Yes, Mark -- you made that clear in ref to the Augean stables.
(Long, long ago I learned Latin, classical Greek, and Biblical Hebrew.)
Thank you Mark. I've never been able to wade through the entire decision. Harris/Walz need to use that in their campaign material to elect Democrat women and of course, themselves. Part of the arrogance is that Alito assumes women's reproductive health only affects women.
"[the ruling] allows women on both sides of the abortion issue to seek to affect the legislative process by influencing public opinion, lobbying legislators, voting, and running for office. Women are not without electoral or political power." Alito's arrogance is breathtaking."
Gary, it is the supreme arrogance of zealots and idealogues.
I am concerned at the possible desperation reactions the MAGAts could be planning.
But at the same time on cleaning out the crap I wonder if the Standings Issue could apply to women. So far the Dobbs issue pivots on Alito’s individual interpretations approved by the conservatives.
But I think women themselves should have standing sufficient to challenge Dobbs.
Standings Issue is a very interesting idea.
And the pits at Mar-a-Lardo
Craig, Hercules will have his work cut out in cleaning up Mar-a-Lago.
Thank you for that empathetic post. I suffered an ectopic pregnancy and needed emergency surgery. That I was cared for effectively and quickly made it possible to have my daughter a few years later--via IVF.
The non-viable pregnancy was very scary. It's painful, it feels life threatening, and the misguided ignorant men who don't understand basic biology having any say on the subject-- terrifying.
That Thomas and Alito are still on the Court is a travesty.
Blessings to you, Jen -- and to your daughter.
Yes, it's a travesty, but so, too, are the appointments of Republicans justices who perjured themselves so they might get the power to rule for medievalism, for a convicted felon to be moved to monarch status, above the law, and for all the U.S.'s nicely-bribing, nihilist, cynical billionaires to enjoy less accountability, less regulation, less taxes.
But it's your daughter I most celebrate -- and your good efforts for her.
So glad you survived that event and were fortunate to be able to utilize IVF.
Those two are a travesty indeed.
Uncle Tom thinks he's above the law. He needs to be removed for ethic decency violations and lack of confidence. He is a disgrace
He feels very entitled. It’s come through in reading about him.
Dems Must reform the Court, they need to rebalance the number of judges if they can get enough control of the Senate, and dump the filibuster the way Mitch did
It's also practical, Frank.
We've had a growing population, and the federal judiciary could well use a full 13 justices, one for each of the U.S.'s federal districts.
Not to speak of the six Republicans on that totally corrupt Clarence court so totally corrupt as is he, all needing redress by at least decent moderates who can read the Constitution (you know, that thing with Article 14, section three, which the corrupt rulers for monarchy, dictatorship, oligarchy, cannot, will not read or acknowledge).
The cruelty is the point. The chaos is the point.
Punching down is the Republican brand.
JD Vance is clueless with his whining about bullies. His running mate has made money from taunting, lying, and denying. And being the biggest jerk on the playground.
I do not know why Vice President Harris's answer the former President's challenge to three debates bay state simply:: "Look, I get it, the former President wants to substitute debates for campaigning. If I were his age, I would, too. Nonetheless, I will stick with the one confirmed debate. I would prefer to be out in the field meeting the citizens whom I want serve."
I do not know why Vice President Harris does not answer Senator Vance's challenge to a debate with: "Senator Vance, I really should debate my counterpart at the top of your ticket. Governor Walz will be happy to review the possibility of a debate with you."
Ned, I honestly think that debate is an outdated forum if it is going to be run by MSM. They are just not up to the task. Fact checking after people have turned off their television sets is a waste of time. Either they check in the moment, or avoid this situation like the plague. Everyone thinks Biden did poorly because he is old, and that may have made him respond more slowly, but Trump does not debate he spews out fascist propaganda lies, and that cannot be debated without real time fact checking. I think she should use Clinton's format of the Town Hall. It is a way to answer questions, but not have someone else just spew propaganda at the same time.
the moderators of Biden/Trump debate did a bad job. Supposedly, the mics were to be turn off when the other candidate was speaking. Trump continued to yell over the off mic. That behavior would disorient anyone. With Trump you need a soundproof room and call him out when he refuses to answer the questions. STOP The RANTS!
Bash and Tapper simply let Trump run wild with his chronic lies. They aided him in lying when they failed to call Trump out.
Simple penalty:
Moderator: What will you do when Mar A Lago is drowned by sea level rise?
Trump: ----- WHO TURNED OFF MY MIC?
Moderator: You yelled and interrupted Ms. Harris. No one wants to hear your word salad. Now Ms. Harris the next question:
You are missing one big point here: Vice President Harris would be announcing that she sympathizes with the former President for being too old to campaign in the field much. That would turn the 'sleepy-Joe' canard on its head; now the former President is the one infirm due to his age. She would then add that her job right now is to meet Americans, as many as she can with a truncated campaign season.
For Senator Shady J.D. Vance, Vice President Harris would say, "Look, laddie, I debate the top of the ticket, only. Take a deep breath and contact the office of Governor Walz and we will see what we can do to accommodate you." That basically says, "Son, you are reaching way out of your league. Take a lap and go out for junior varsity." That will have Senator Prance singing soprano right quick.
I am not agreeing with that as a reason to debate. First of all it is outdated to debate because that is how things have been done. Does not need to be. That seems like a dog and pony show to me. I won't be watching it either way. Not my thing. I do not want to see people perform for me, I want to know what they stand for and how they plan to accomplish it, but that is not the way to do it. That is why I am reading Project 2025 and discussing it with a group. Everyone waiting for a gladiator fight did not get it when they saw Biden debate a fascist propagandist in his forum. We have some idea of what Kamala stands for but at the same time we also know that Biden was pushed out by Tech Bros and other super wealthy because Lena Khan is making life too uncomfortable for them. Their greed knows no bounds. So, Kamala may not be able to keep Lina Khan if she takes Reid Hoffman's money, and I have heard she went to a fundraiser thrown by him in CA. So, I am not going to assume that everything Biden stands for Kamala stands for, and the less the Press is involved in reporting this election and the more she goes directly to the people, the better off she is. So, going to the press is the old way of doing things, a new way is holding rallies and countering her opponents lies with social media. That seems to be a winning formula. We do not know that debates (the old way of doing things) is.
Lina Khan
Love the references to "Shady JD Vance and Senator Prance, Ned...but I think I agree with Ms. Weide, that the debates are really outdated and not used the way they were meant to be used--it's not even a "real" debate--not the way they were conducted when I was in college.
You and Linda are right and I do not mean to sound ageist. Nevertheless, the debate will go ahead. So, why not use it to turn the tables on the former President?
Turning it back on them has its attraction. They have been using the debate as a cudgel. Revealing their manipulations has value.
I'm hoping a debate with Harris will be more like a criminal cross examination....
Dog and Pony show!
You're right Linda. The Presidential debates are just Q&As where the candidates basically ignore softball question and plug themselves in any way they can or put down their opponent. CFDT didn't answer a single question that was asked of him and he lied 602 times according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Ned, I love your suggestion for Harris/Walz.
100% agree!!! The debates are quite useless the way they are run and the way Trump abuses the construction. All Trump wants is the air time so he can lisp, slur and Gish his way through his allotted time. We have all heard more than enough from him--he hasn't said anything new for months, anyway--and Harris should tell him that unless he plans to actually answer questions, she's "not available"--too busy greeting the huge crowds at her campaign events.
TL, you have me laughing hard. I love the way you put it, "lisp, slur and Gish" is hilarious. That is truly all he is good for. I find the gladiators disgusting and people who want to Subject Kamala and Tim to these football game like antics just for their entertainment are demeaning these candidates. Everyone who is drooling for them to debate is just as likely to turn on them and say they are unfit if it does not go as they expect. It all seems archaic and unnecessary. I love your take on what Harris should say too. Rubbing it in their faces I am not above. Delirious Tremens should have never run in the first place. Then, he would not have had his taxes and his business practices so scrutinized and we would not have been subjected to going on 8 years of his insanity. As I say, weird is what nice guys (Tim) say when they mean totally crazy.
Good point
NBC wouldn’t even admit that Trump was lying when saying there was an agreement to hold a presidential debate at a date and time certain on NBC when they knew there was no such agreement. Still, they reported Trump stating it as fact. That’s not independence. It’s collusion.
The fact is that one debate, on ABC, is under agreement. Trump tried to back out and Harris said she would show up with or without Trump. He looked weak.
Trump saying there are other agreed upon debates is him playing disinformation games .
I keep trying to find right-wing US media publishing Vance’s drag photos but they won’t even mention it, never mind show it.
Exceptions are Drudge and European tabloids. I read Free Republic on occasion to follow the crazy and can report they have banned any comments on Vance dressing up as a woman.There is no mention. They censor because they know what it say about the Trump team’s due diligence and the rampant hypocrisy.
Catching Senator shady J.D. in negligée is small potatoes. The Democratic Party needs to make him look as silly as Calvin in the comic strip 'Calvin & Hobbes'; that is to say, that the little rascal is in way over his head.
JD is doing that well enough on his own. They just need to amplify it as they are doing.
JD in drag at Yale: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/jd-vance-drag-photos-another-184800859.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
People that live in glass houses......
Hear hear!
In addition to being clueless and inexperienced, rumors are flying that JD Vance is backed backed by Peter Thiel and other Tech Bros with the hopes to get Trump in (to do this they want him to lay low, except for Musk apparently, who may be equally crazy), and then once the election is over, JD Vance will use Article 25 to oust Trump on the basis of unfitness and take over the White House. I can assume everyone is gathering dirt on Trump, not just the Iranians because he appears so easy to blackmale too. So, for Vance, every Trump appearance is a gold mine towards proving that sort of case. Then the Tech Bros plan to run things, just as the German elite and media elite pushed Hitler on Hindenburg and said that he should appoint him chancellor, thinking Hitler would be their useful idiot. That is not what happened, but clearly you don't need to know history to be a Tech Bro. Hitler turned the tables on the elite. Why do our obscenely wealthy not think that can happen to them? Not only are the White Supremacist (White and Indian) Tech Bros making their move to govern our nation by proxy, but the Heritage Foundation has set up that to happen too in Project 2025. The first chapter, titled White House Office, reads as if Rick Dearborn, a former Trump assistant Chief of Staff, is writing his own job description. He has defined the role of the Chief of Staff as being the gatekeeper for the president funneling everyone through him. He also talks about the auto signature, which I think is important because who is wielding it, will also have an impact on our lives. So, it seemed to me that Trump could drift off into senility, with all that would be required of him being listening to the daily briefing. Of course, former White house staffers have said even that was hard to handle with Trump because he talked through the whole thing and did not listen, and then asked questions that showed he knew nothing about what had been said to him. So, two avenues for people to run the White House through proxy, and between that and the Democratic Tech Bros asking Harris to fire Lena Khan, one of the best hires of the Biden administration, I am of the opinion that we need to legislate some much greater controls over tech. I liked what Jessie Ventura said in a recent interview where he endorsed not only the Harris-Walz ticket, but also said it was time we had a woman in the White House. He felt that we should cap incomes not have a minimum. My suggestion for doing this is taxing them at 70-90% and then saying they cannot keep their US citizenship if they move to a tax exempt island nation, unless they pay the difference between the taxes they pay in their other country and what the US expects of them. That should drive some of them away, and we know that right now Elon Musk won't be welcome in England. Let us hope that J.uvenile D.elinquent Vance, Juvie for short, does not become the VP, or anything for that matter. Thank goodness Walz is making the most effective case against Vance. He is saying his ideas are weird, which is nice guy talk for crazy, and he is owning the ones that are thrown at him. I love the Tampon Tim stops the Red Wave t-shirts that some clever person came up with because Walz is not afraid to support women with their periods. I love the double entendre because it is so-o-o true! https://www.etsy.com/de/listing/1761388906/tampon-tim-stoppt-das-rote-wellen-shirt
Another good one is Coach vs. Couch! It is almost as good as Prosecutor vs. Criminal.
So many weird, creepy cooks in the kitchen here. Seems like a recipe for disastrous infighting as to who would really be in charge. A situation I hope we altogether avoid by electing and successfully inaugurating Harris/Waltz.
Pretty much my exact thought on them wanting to get Trump elected then get him out of the way as soon as possible.
Great minds…
Me too
Chump too stupid to imagine that he’s not the alpha and omega - and everything in between
Been saying that 25th amendment is planned for a while. Good suggestions, tax, shun, and exile.
J.uvenile D.ilinquent…oh that’s good! Thanks Linda🤣
I call him Juvie for short. DT is Delirious Tremens.
My fear is those 70 or more election officials hired by Trump that will refuse to certify the actual victory Kamala has won in the swing states…strongly suggest that’s where our election concerns should FOCUS!….please see Rolling Stone article about 7 articles below this one for clarification.
Rolling Stone exclusive titled: “These Swing State Election Officials Are Pro-Trump Election
Rachel Maddow has been calling attention to this tactic. Her guest 8/12/2024, Noah Bookbinder, CREW President, emphasized all election officials (especially the county clerks) will be instructed their role is ministerial and NOT DISCRETIONARY.
https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/embeddevideo/mmvo2170409657
She also highlighted the new book "Ministry of Truth" by Steve Benen. Seven Chapters with copious citations. Subtitled "Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
Thanks, Beverly, I was just about to post about her interview w/ Benen & his forthcoming book—she said it’s a slim but very impactful read.
Election officials who do not adhere to the law should be susceptible to some form of legal punishment: malfeasance? nonfeasance? dereliction of duty? something?
Postscript, added 16 Aug 2024 at 1 am Central: From Joyce Vance
Election certification at the state level by election officials is not discretionary. Election officials are statutorily obligated to certify the election.
"What if Trump Tries to Steal the Election Again?":
https://joycevance.substack.com/p/what-if-trump-tries-to-steal-the
How does that get enforced? By whom? When? Is that BEFORE they take the White House with an organized military move, such as in 2006? They seem not to CARE about the election, who wins or who loses…as though they have already decided what will happen, which is that they will take the country by force.
That is easy. The D.o.J. does the enforcing; obstructing the functioning of a Federal government function. "Congress has the authority to prevent unconstitutional voting discrimination in a state or local election. Congress’s authority to legislate regarding these various issues derives, in addition to its Article I powers, principally from the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments."
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB11125
From what I can tell, there are Federal laws in place to forbid election interference, including interfering with voting. People pushing the scheme to send alternate Electors would be interfering with people's votes, at least as they tally.
Tina Peter's in Colorado was convicted yesterday of violating state law and tampering with an election. Sentencing is Oct 3
Was she a M.A.G.A.-type or was she busted for trying to keep the former President off the ballot. EDIT: his eminent sluggishness (i.e., me) looked up the reference. Sweet irony with its coincidence of the conviction of the Mesa (AZ) election hacker with the endorsement of Vice President Harris by the Mayor of Mesa placing country ahead of Party.
Trump already has all the votes he needs - six corrupt SCOTUS votes over whatever decision will hand him the WH.
Exactly. I'm still convinced that they will do so: they have nothing to fear, the freshly installed Orange Dictator (or his follow-up) will happily set the military on anyone who dares to protest against their ruling.
And perhaps trump has all he needs to keep them in his grip. His VP's wife clerked for Justice Roberts and Kavanaugh.
A-ha... The plot thickens...
It would be interesting to speculate about what rationale would enable SCOTUS to play the trump card.
It would make about as much sense as that one where they give him absolute immunity.
Yes.
I'm trying to exercise my imagination, perhaps in the same sort of way the Chief Justice exercises his imagination.
It would be nice to be able to have some fun with the exercise.
We might imagine the Justices sitting around laughing about granting the President immunity.
Let's see, what's the most heinous crime that immunity would provide a "get out of jail free" card?
It must be so important, critical to the very survival of Life on Earth, that we would give the President a free pass to do what must be done -- whatever that might be -- which the President could not have done without immunity.
Surely it would not be illegal. Or if it were illegal, but necessary for some unknown reason, then it's OK for the President to commit that illegal act in that instance because it was deemed necessary. For some reason. We know not what. We haven't even got an inkling of what sort of thing that might be that requires immunity from prosecution. But the President has it, just in case.
As for election fiddling, when we were kids there was some schtick on TV about what makes somebody mad. One person would pose some injury or injustice, and the other person would say "That doesn't make me mad". And the next suggestion would be a worse injury, with the same response, "That doesn't make me made". It keeps getting worse until the person finally says "THAT MAKES ME MAD!" I wish I could recall whose routine that was.
What excuse would the Roberts Six come up with for handing the election to Old McDon-Old?
I 👀 see what you did there! Clever 🃏 🤡
Rationale, what’s that
Exactly
This gives me a stomach ache - physical pain. Reform the SCOTUS NOW!
I feel you're not alone.
OMG! I never thought of that!
All I can think of is a Machiavellian way to stop them. But they'll probably have armed protection around them 24-7 if they hand the election to trump.
They'd probably get rid of the the remaining "liberal" judges and just keep the court at 6.
Tina Peters' trial ended yesterday after 4 hr deliberation with conviction on 7 counts of election tampering. Sentencing will be October 3, good timing as a warning to the falling asteroid that is the dumpty campaign.
There are consequences in every state for effing with an election.
If you don't remember she was the county clerk in Mesa Co CO, who tampered with the voting machines. Heroine of the MAGgot richt.
Thanks for providing details.
Facts still matter.
At least they do for those of us still living in reality and able to think.
Too many of the MAGA Cult and Faux Angertainment are being told to react to everything in fear, anger, hate and resulting violence.
Yes, they would be engaging in illegal activity. Forewarn so they have no defense.
Treason.
But probably they'd just get SOME jail time for interfering with elections
Rolling Stone, Rachel Maddow, and Marc Elias have been sounding the alarm. On the Democracy Docket site, Marc has an article that explains how officials would be dealt with if refusing to certify an election. In some states, the officials would order the certification or take over the process. In other states, lawsuits would be filed, as Marc Elias successfully did in 60 states following the 2020 election.
We can all spread the word about the issue, encourage others to do the same, and support Marc Elias and his Democracy Docket team with subscriptions and donations to pay for staff in preparation.
https://www.democracydocket.com/
Special thanks!
Extra Special Ellie Kona.
Marc Elias is a hero! I hope he receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
As always, thank you for the links. I support Mark Elias's work; he does a fantastic job!
Excellent, thank you
Here's the thing. We KNOW there's a plan in place to do that. How in the Wide World of Sports do we stop it????
I'm hoping against hope that the FBI as well as every other form of government law enforcement have people in place to stop it and bring the bastards down!
First, Kamala has to win the EC, which she will. Then, as the nationwide MAGA riots start to die down after Nov 5th, Trump's team will get busy challenging the election by claiming fraud.
As we know his lawyers have been drafting lawsuit templates in prep for this challenge since 2020, I'd like to believe our team is drafting corresponding responses for the onslaught.
Ultimately, it'll all go to SCOTUS, and who knows how that corrupt, unaccountable body will rule.
I think we all know how SCOTUS will rule. They will rule as they have been paid to do: they will hand the election to Rump.
See Marc Elias' Democracy Docket post on 8/1/2024: "The Fight to Certify Elections has Already Begun".
Thank you so MUCH!! I have the tab open and will read/share today!
Omg Mel Brooks flashback
Per Robert Hubbell:
"Republican efforts to prevent certification of votes
I continue to receive emails from readers concerned about reports that local Republican officials will refuse to certify election results in 2024. That is a legitimate concern. Rachel Maddow featured the threat on her weekly program for the third consecutive Monday.
However, in her third report on the threat, Rachel interviewed Noah Bookbinder, the CEO of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), about plans to fight back against illegal efforts to refuse to certify election results. Bookbinder confirmed the seriousness of the threat but also emphasized that plans and resources are in place to ensure that certification occurs in the manner required by law.
Noah Bookbinder announced that CREW is publishing a report that details the threat and the legal remedies. The report is here: CREW, Election certification under threat. (To read the report, you must click the “download” button.)
CREW’s report is an impressive resource. It surveys election law in the eight states where potential election deniers occupy official positions. For each state, the report lays out the statutes and case law that require local and state officials to certify election results. The report is, in effect, a compendium of the legal briefs that will be filed against local officials (if any) who refuse to certify results.
Many of the emails from concerned readers forward articles describing the threat with a note from the reader saying, “I sure hope Democrats are doing something to prepare for this.” The answer is a resounding, “Yes, they are!” If you don’t believe me, spend an hour or two reading the CREW report for reassurance that Democrats have their eye on this issue.
And kudos to CREW for creating such an excellent resource. If you want to support CREW’s mission, you can show some love here:
https://www.citizensforethics.org/
https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/trumps-twitter-debacle-is-he-okay
My fear is the unfettered Elon Musk. Since the extraordinary retorts to Thierry Breton, alarm bells are ringing all over Europe. England is caught in a very tight spot, as they are no longer protected by the regulations of the European Union, thank you Nigel. Comments section in today's Le Monde is overflowing with French reactions to the "fiasco" around the so-called conversation - they don't believe a word of the cyber-attack story - the rest of the network was not "affected". If you haven't read this, I recommend it:
https://steady.substack.com/p/whos-minding-musk
Imho, Elon rebranded Twitter "X" to echo the "X" design of Putin's Novorossiia flag and to telegraph his personal ideology and intent to support Russian schizo-fascism. I find that alarming.
Here’s some discussion of the election deniers that Trump would use
https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/2024-election/swing-state-election-officials-trump/
“I think we are going to see mass refusals to certify the election” in November, says Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias. “Everything we are seeing about this election is that the other side is more organized, more ruthless, and more prepared.”
While refusals and delays of certification have not held up in court, in Georgia and Arizona, pro-Trump local election officials are seeking to make certification discretionary — lawsuits that are currently being decided by state judges — in order to give his campaign another method to challenge election results in November.
Polls indicate that the race between Trump and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris will be close. If employed on a large scale, the certification refusal movement would have disastrous consequences, fueling the fire of election conspiracies and delaying the tallying of votes crucial to determining the next president.
From the Rolling Stone article
Glawe, creator of the American Doom newsletter, penned his findings in a recent Rolling Stone exclusive titled: “These Swing State Election Officials Are Pro-Trump Election Deniers.”
If all of this is true, and trump "knows" he will "win"...why is he so upset and panicky?
Pushback is scary
Touche
I don't know whether to cheer his psychological breakdown or fear it. On one hand, it is (admittedly unkind of me) satisfying to watch him in confused and incoherent suffering, while it is a horrible prospect to conceive of him in power again. Something tells me the gop is going to step in at some point and remove him, but for whom, when, where and how is a mystery. Nikki Haley would be a likely replacement and she would surely be a problematic opponent. But what to do with Vance? The only certainty is that we MUST elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. ANY gop alternative is a nightmare.
Marilyn, they can not replace him. He is the confirmed nominee. He could withdraw, but then his legal 'fate' rests in the election and benevolence of his successor. Like Joe McCarthy, Hitler and all lairs with autocratic tendencies, he is going to ride this horse until it is dead. Then he will be convicted and sentenced to jail time, despite his lawyers arguing he suffers from some cognitive deficits and medical issues that preclude him from doing jail time. If one does not appreciate the schadenfreude of the situation given the Trump Horror Show and 461,000 excess dead Americans because of this clown's gaslit handling of pandemic, then you are not human. 461,000 estimate here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trumps-policy-failures-have-exacted-a-heavy-toll-on-public-health1/
I hope with a passion I can hardly contain that you are right. I keep flashing back 8 years to the heady optimism we felt about Hillary and how our complacency doomed us. I’m not exhaling until Nov. 6.
Like the Inca priests of old. Dress up the dead emperor and parade him around
And let’s not forget that I don’t think they let you have hair dye, hair spray (industrial grade) or social media in the clinker…..what’s a conman to do?! Poor DonOld!!!!
I would love to see it, but I don't believe it. Rump is never going to jail, just like Steve Bannon. Yeah, maybe like 2 or 3 months, but nothing substantial. There's simply too much money behind him (e.g. Darth Musk).
I do believe Trump is having a psychological breakdown and hope he can hang in there until Nov 5. He has destroyed the GOP and I look forward to seeing whether and how they can fix the mess they created. It seems like a real test of our democracy.
Marilyn, this is snarky, but I am hoping Randi Rainbow (or some other creative spoofer) will come up with a tune “Slip Slurring Away” to the tune of the Paul Simon song in honor of the bleach-blond-bad-blathering-butch-bully!
Barbara, speaking of Randy Rainbow, I came across this new video of his earlier. Well worth a watch -- he's incomparable, and oh-so-funny.
https://youtu.be/-Eo45EIZPCI?si=ZqIumHWlriSjBb00
Randy Rainbow is a treasure!
It’s not unkind, when you speak truth 😉
🗳💙
One thing that Trump said in his "press conference" bothers me because I'm afraid that he inadvertently said something that we should be seriously concerned about. Quoting Heather quoting Trump: "[he]said that we are 'very close to a world war,' which illustrates that Trump’s main lever to turn out voters is fear." Well, it worked for me when I heard about the build-up of U.S. strength heading for Iran.
In addition to, in my estimation, being a war criminal, Benjamin Netanyahu was playing with fire with the recent assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, as well as with the constant demands that Gazans who already have moved multiple times, must move again, and then bombing them, with our weapons, when they go somewhere that is supposed to be safe. Is anyone else concerned that Bibi is blithely leading us into a world war? Are we, in the name of our long friendship with Israel, going to follow him down that path? What will we do if Iran attacks Israel? Hearing Secretary of Defence Austin on the news unleashed that fear lever in me more than anything Trump has ever said except for his ranting about a possible world war.
Betsy, I am less concerned but acknowledge your concerns as we always need to be vigilant. First, Trump/Putin/NKoreans and other Trumpistas know that in times of war/turmoil, Americans rally around their current leader. 9/11 boosted WBush's flagging presidency, WBush kept saying 'I am a War President' and rode to stay in office. Thus any war between now and November does not inure to Trump's benefit and probably does more to prove Kamala's bona fides as 'Commander and Chief'. In a national tense situation Kamala will be 'front and center' in the White House Situation Room while the nation watches breathlessly while trump is beached in Mar-a-Lardo photographed riding in his golf cart. Second, the world always has something 'going on', it just seems more salient today because of the election and Trump's rantings, but the world is no more dangerous today than during most of the Biden presidency.
At this point, I'm not particularly worried about Trump. The way I see it, Trump had no idea what he was talking about when he predicted a world war, but he stumbled inadvertently on how close we may actually be to something dire because of Netanyahu's reckless taking out of top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. My question is how will we respond If Iran does something reckless in return?
Trump is a serial, congenital liar. There is every reason to believe nothing that he says.
I didn't give any credence to what he said. I think of it as a "stopped watch" comment. But I look at the news, and I am worried about our being pulled in actively to a war in the Middle East.
If the American electorate manage to turn on Trump the way the did on Bush, wouldnt that be interesting !
Betsy, while the Felon is fear mongering about being "very close to world war" his racist bro' ELON MUSH is posting that UK "Civil War is inevitable" spreading far right trash about the PM Keir Starmer "building containment camps in the Falklands Islands".
Unlike the United States, the UK Parliament has already passed an "Online Safety Act"
into British law. See for example, Josh Self's 8/8/24 summary of Musk mayhem at politics.co.uk. WAPO posted data late this afternoon that Musk's political posts have gone from 2% in 2021 up to 17% right wing political rants in 2024.
The UK has replaced the Tory's & backbenches with a Labor Government headed by PM KEIR STARMER. The Brits have gotten rid of the Braeton Brats. French voters just merged centrist & progressive parties in their national 2 stage elections into a governing coalition government. It is up to us that is you & me --United States voters in every state to make Kamala & Tim very joyful warriors come 11/5/2024.
Vote! Vote early per your state's election law. I have been approved as an Election worker in a California County awaiting training in in a few days.
Stay connected & Stay Safe All.
Thx, Bryan! Yes, we KAM!!
I like that Jen. I hadn't heard that before
Like your 2 exclamation points -- they catch the enthusiasm❗️
I think that you and 100 Panthers both misunderstand my concern. Please read what I wrote to 100 Panthers, trying to clarify whom I find truly scary: Benjamin Netanyahu.
Betsy, I believe I understood your several points about Netanyahu, the real threat of a wider regional Middle East War, United States active & scary current deployments as well as the Israel strike on a Gaza school killing about 100 including children within hours of the approval of a new supply of U.S. weapons.
My point is there are many autocrats in the world not the least of which is Putin with 2 on the same Twitter Inc. aka "X" platform this afternoon i.e. Musk & Trump as HCR mentioned.
United States voting citizen can play an anti-war, anti-violence role just as voters did in the UK & in France. I believe Senior is Judge Charles E. Beyer in the Northern District of California is going to handle Musk who just suffered a major set back on 8/5/24 in securities litigation over the origin of "X" & perhaps the demise of "X" which Case Newton, ex-Substack 'Platformer' derisively labeled Musk's 'political project'.
A lot going on many fronts all of which can be organized into smart action.
Smart action is not blocking traffic on the Bay Bridge in rush hour drawing felony indictments. The best Israel information I can locate is from bloggers. Who do you recommend for your real & valid concerns?
Iran is a weak fragile country that can not afford a direct confrontation with anyone, which is why it employs proxies. Iran and Iraq fought a bloody long war to a draw while Iraq lasted a few weeks against American military. Russia is the big threat to all and China down the road.
And W took out the only effective opposition to Iran
Betsy, for awhile now I have subscribed to updates/posts from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP)—it helps me broaden my horizons beyond what is happening in our country….and, I find, is most sobering to take a world view on “what’s up”. Definitely shakes me out of my myopia! https://www.counterextremism.com/
So many unknowns — stay vigilant. 😘
One possible interpretation of 45's casual approach to campaigning is that in his mind he is going to be the next President, regardless of who actually wins the election.
We hope, and trust, that our nation's Intelligence Community, and our law enforcement community, will remain "always vigilant".
I've been saying for months that he intends to steal the election. That is why he doesn't care about the vote. Who needs votes when you can manipulate the counting?
Yep.
It would be nice to know that any election official who is found to be corrupt, or who acts in an illegal way, would certainly face severe legal consequences.
He already has all the votes he needs - from Six SCOTUS Justices.
That was Stalin’s take on elections
Yes, he seems to think his operatives can throw the process into chaos and allow him to emerge on top. It’s not implausible, and he won’t be the first in living memory to do it. The Brooks Brothers rioters stopped the Florida count and managed to get a corrupt Supreme Court to keep it stopped, thereby installing a nitwit in the White House, which nitwit started two disastrous wars along with the usual Republican tax cuts and deregulation, and, to boot, delivered the worst worldwide financial meltdown since 1929.
However, I don’t think the chaos plan would keep Trump away from his rallies, which are one his favorite things in life. Maybe not quite as high on his list as lying, cheating, and stealing, and probably not nearly as high as abusing people, but quite high, regardless.
What I think keeps Trump away from rallies with his adoring fans is that he’s afraid. He’s afraid the next assassin won’t miss.
Fear is an effective motivator.
He certainly did not want to go to Viet Nam.
He went to Bozeman, MT a day or three ago. We visited Bozeman when we went to Yellowstone NP. Seemed like a liberal vibe. There were two food co-ops in that relatively small town. The folks were friendly. Montana elected a Democrat to the Senate. Maybe Old McDon-Old felt safe enough visiting Bozeman. I'd bet he didn't draw crowds like Harris and Walz.
Some wrote that 8,000 people showed up to Trump’s rally in Bozeman. Is that equivalent to the crowds Harris and Walz are drawing? In Trump’s head this numbers matter. We need to see them published every day.
For Rump, the election is moot. If Kamala wins the vote, SCOTUS will simply dismiss the results and rule that the victory goes to Rump. They have been paid to do so, and they have nothing to fear.
I should think that SCOTUS would feel obligated to offer some thinly veiled excuse for whatever they do. If people began to think that SCOTUS has gone rogue, no telling what might happen. The Supreme Court of the United States might fall into disrepute!
"We have seen the high margin with which candidate Harris has supposedly won the vote. This margin is impossible, no president in history has made this before. Therefore, it is absolutely clear that the election has been tampered with. In such a situation of unprecedented fraud, we need someone with power and authority to set things right. This is why we rule that the victory goes to Mr. Donald J. Trump, because we are confident that he has the necessary qualifications to restore peace and order to the United States. Congratulations, Mr. President. And you all may now bow to your all-powerful ruler."
Personally, I think it already has.
I think he doesn’t want or can’t finance a bigger campaign strategy. He is saving his campaign money for his lawyers who are busy defending him or filing frivolous lawsuits.
It tells us all we need to know (and already knew) about Trump and his campaign that they didn't notify the FBI of the hack. As someone pointed out, criminals never call the FBI.
As for Trump slurring words and engaging in bizarre mental ramblings, these alarm bells will only grow louder. He's now incapable of normal much less effective discourse. When will a major media outlet compile a compelling portrayal of his precipitous decline and inability to hold office?
I mean the percentage of Trumpers subscribing to the New York Times or the Washington Post surely has to be small. Why there has not been coverage of Trump's decline is surely due to their owners.
Because the owner of the New York Times only cares about the big donors to Trump’s campaign, not the voters?
Elon Musk reveals who he is when he says, “TAKE A BIG STEP BACK AND LITERALLY, F*CK YOUR OWN FACE!”
Let us think for a moment what kind of person says something like that. I believe they would have to be an adolescent (on the inside) who is feeling frightened and insecure. I can’t imagine what else it could be. So, I conclude that Elon Musk is feeling scared and insecure about the election—if Harris and Walz win, Musk will likely lose power or money or, more likely, both. He will lose face as well—his guy will have lost despite big Musk contributions and Musk Twitter (I know he likes X) influence peddling.
At our house we talk about some people who have "f*** you!" money. Some people have enough money that they can buy their way out of any situation. If anyone has f-you money, it would be Elon. He was being openly defiant of the EU. We could imagine that the EU could arrange to block "X" in their jurisdiction, or at least make it inconvenient to access. Since Elon has vastly more money than any single human needs, maybe he doesn't care if the European Union drops out of, or blocks, X. Would it be wrong to suggest that Elon is ethically challenged?
"Ethically challenged" must be one of the biggest understatements of the century, yes, even with 75 years to go.
trying to be polite
I considered "morally challenged"
What I really believe is that Old McDon-Old is a career criminal, irredeemable, probably sociopathic, possibly psychopathic, and a clear and present danger to all life on Earth.
Mostly correct, but he's definitely psychopathic. He carries the complete "Dark Triad" of narcissism, machiavellism and psychopathy, and Darth Musk does so, too. These two may the most dangerous men alive, capable of hurtling the entire western civilization into collapse.
I have thought so also, and his personality disorders are so entwined that it’s hard to distinguish one from the others. What it does mean is that Trump would govern entirely in his own interests and those of Putin. He has no concept of putting the good of the nation first.
Definitely. He has no concept of putting anyone else but himself first - first, and only, for that matter. And yes, he will rule in Putin's interests because he will be played like a marionette by Sauron in the Kremlin.
Right. SCOTUS and Musk have great power, without checks and balances. On the other hand, the US has great power as well. There are millions of citizens who swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. I am fairly certain that SCOTUS and Musk and pmurT could not act with impunity.
It all depends on what the military will do. Will they refuse the order when they are set on the American people by Rump, or will they comply?
Can you imagine if all of Musk's riches were to be used for the good of mankind?
1 Timothy 6:10
No; no, I don’t believe it would be.
Evil
Evil incarnate.
Then the question arises: how much of the evil is intentional, and how much is due to ineptitude? If it's willful, it may have more staying power. If it's organic, just developed slowly over the years, then it might fade away as the mind and body grow weary of living.
The leaders = evil; followers = ineptitude, in my opinion. Not a hard and fast rule but…
I think Darth Musk showed his true face. He's a narcissistic bully and has no respect whatsoever for anyone but himself. I bet he was masturbating when he posted that meme. But I do hope that the EU will charge him for this insult, and block Xitter for breaking EU rules.
I hope his shareholders are taking note of his behaviour. Has he been paying attention to his other interests besides X, formally known as Twitter? If his ownership of X can result in the loss of value what of his other companies?
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/jan/02/x-twitter-stock-falls-elon-musk
I hope the arrogant, narcissistic, misogynistic and racist a**hole blows himself up in one of his space oddities, leaving his fan boys to cry rivers over him. We could do with less tech bros with an ego problem and way too much money on their hands in this world.
Thank you Dr. Richardson, for this informative report. Nothing any one in the formerly honorable republican party does is a surprise these days. They continue to sink lower and lower in a cesspool of manure.
FYI those cesspools of manure are referred to as 'lagoons' on dairies! Don't you just love that term for a hole in the ground filled with manure!
Love it! Trust farm people's sense of humor to call a hole of shit a lagoon (:-)
Exactly!! Green Lagoon!
Thank you so much for continuing to keep us up to date on this.
Hearing the hackers broke into the Trimp Campaign files by compromising Roger Stone's email only makes it sweeter. Can you imagine Iranian hard-liners trying to make sense of what they found in his email files? No wonder they think Western culture is crazy.
At the rate this is proceeding, Donny 2-Scoops might self destruct before election day. Fingers crossed!
Good point Gary! The Iranian hackers who hacked Roger Stone's email are probably on a weeks long 'bender' rolling on the floors with laughter. They might be getting Julian Assange tats on their back!
"Donny 2-Scoops" made me laugh.
My brother calls Trump 2 Scoops as well.
By extension that explains why many of us call Don Jr. "Half-Scoop".
I know, Gary! I was thinking that he probably clicked on an attachment that proclaimed exposed boob pics or something . . . Every once in a while something really quite delightfully karmic happens.
There were comments on the EmptyWheel site (Marcy Wheeler) to the effect that Roger Stone's being "hacked" could be a ruse, meaning that Stone is in on the project. I have no more information than that, but Stone is by nature a dealer in DIS-information.
Per TRMS last night, the Democratic Party was also hacked.
I listened to as much as I could stomach of the Trump “interview” on Elmo’s Twitterx. Nothing I hadn’t heard many times before from either of them. They agreed that Biden’s withdrawal from his reelection campaign was a coup against the government. It pains me that millions of Americans support this infantile nonsense.
Trump’s public indifference toward serious campaigning suggests a more nefarious MAGA strategy: they don’t care at all about the vote count, because they are planning all along to win the election by contesting it in the gerrymandered Congress where the rules favor the right wing states and the reborn Confederates. Let the people be damned is their sentiment.
my fears exactly. Rachel Maddow has also noted the Felon's "we don't need more votes" statements (and attitude) in a segment that also talked about the "Christians, you will never need to vote again" speech, which has quickly faded from the media.
I wonder if there is a study of how his campaigns and time in office have not only smothered the news, but also accelerated the news cycle. Whiplash, forget, whiplash, forget, ....
And now there is the "White hoods and badges" book (FBI agent who went undercover to infiltrate KKK and stop their planned assssntn of Candidate Obama) reminding us that there is a MAGA militia. Or rather, Many militias, ready to unalive Dems and bugaloo like its Jan 6 on roids.
Remember, Abbott and 17 other red state govs Activated their National Guards to "patrol the border," which challenged Fed authority over the border, And over the National Guard. Looked like a - what's that word re running War scenarios?
Yeah, I know, there are great National Guards, Tim Walz was one, etc. I'm sure there are many who understand the mission. But there are more and more Aggrieved white men who prefer to think it's time for "revolution 2.0."
Remember, the National Association of Police Orgs just formally endorsed Trump. That's almost a quarter million police officers right there.
It's going to be Ugly and we need to be ready. But who is preparing us?
Especially for when We, the "accept defeat honorably" party,* suddenly have to fight REAL ELECTION FRAUD perpetrated by the election deniers.
You think the world is upside down? Wait for Nov 5.
*disclosure: the fact that I am still and will forever be Pissed As Hell at Gore and the Dems for bowing out completely after the extreme level Shadiness of the 2000 W election, with a cousin calling it on Fox, and a brother/Governor in Florida screwing around with it then Roger Stone's Brooks Bros Riot AND Then HWBush appt'd Justice Thomas leading the SCOTUS decision to Stop the recount....
not time time, folks.
Do YOU think the Democrats are prepared?
Please reply with links to any articles that will give me faith.
Thank you, Patrice
Thanks Heather, we live in strange (or weird) times. It is still hard to believe, that a significant minority support Trump, racist, traitor, rapist and felon.
However I was listening to Maggie Haberman on CNN and she made a comment that although there is momentum for the Democrats that many agree with Trumps policies. The question I had is “what policies”? A tax cut for billionaires and a wall, coddling to dictators, using the office to enrich his family, a tariff war with China bankrupting farmers. He has no policy except to stay out of prison.